TEAM LIST Round 8 vs. Sea Eagles

[innsaneink]

Good luck to Bula...hope he goes well

Those that have watched him how is his talk on field?
He needs to be organising the defense from the back

 

[Curaeus]

That’s the only way this can make sense.

reckon you're spot on!

 

[colinbh]

Wow! You can't win with some of you jokers. You lot would boo Santa.

 

[innsaneink]

I doubt he's there for D. Our attack is impotent and he has x-factor.

I thought most 1s organised the defense... We probably don't worry about that aspect.... If his English isn't good or he's quiet maybe points to him. Being on the wing

 

[innsaneink]

Wow! You can't win with some of you jokers. You lot would boo Santa.

Time to flee as usual now Col.... Two cracks in one thread... Daring

 

[Saturnalia]

Been here before with Sheens.

needs more backs on the bench though

 

[Yanz 85]

time to back Jahream. a supreme athlete who has been earmarked for sometime to eventually make his way into the starting 17. that time is now. look forward to seeing how he performs.

don't be surprised if him and Charlie alternate. this move tells you all you need to know about Nofoaluma's standing in the squad.

the selection of Talau tells me two things: one is that the coaching staff is looking for a ballplayer on an edge when Bateman goes to the middle, and two Sheens is clearly trying to keep him here. Laurie will play thru the middle when he comes on and Api will play the full 80, which is logical in some ways despite Simpkin's performances.

the biggest concern is the right edge defensively. Wakeham, To'a and Staines. yikes. Bateman's gonna have to scramble hard to cover the first two outside him.

so in short we will get monstered through the middle, turbo will cut our edges apart and DCE will kick us to death. How do blore and Matatmua keep missing out for two backs who are crap and wanna leave the club. This bench might be the worst in our history. Atleast Bula gets a crack

 

[Camel2281]

Really don't think Blore and Simpkins deserve to be dropped

 

[old_man_tiger]

I think Bula needs to start on the wing, but congratulations to him.

Penisini from Parra is 20 and has 40 games I heard on Fox. If you think they're good enough they have to play.

 

[BlackWhiteGold]

This should be the game that Shawn Blore eyeballs Olakau'atu like he did Nathan Brown that time!!!

 

[Needaname]

I watched Bula score a length of the field try against the Roosters in reserve grade. Beat about four blokes in the process. I know it’s in twos but that sort of X factor is exactly what we lack. Hopefully he finds his feet real quick.

Tupou did the same thing I’m pretty sure a week later in 2’s. You could be onto something.

 

[barnzee]

Really don't think Blore and Simpkins deserve to be dropped

Agree , the roosters have dropped their half back after 2 straight losses yet we continue to drop our up and comers , destroying their confidence along the way , while our poor performing halves are safe.. never dropped yet they are the main problem

 

[tony soprano]

Interesting Samuels playing for manly off the bench

 

[tony soprano]

Really don't think Blore and Simpkins deserve to be dropped

Blore overhead pass may have been the worst thing I've seen in rugby league

 

[Needaname]

I thought most 1s organised the defense... We probably don't worry about that aspect.... If his English isn't good or he's quiet maybe points to him. Being on the wing

Talk in the preseason was that he did just that.
Laurie was seen as a bit of a square peg at fullback and spent a lot of time in the halves and Staines trained at both wing and fullback but isn’t the most vocal player. Bula apparently is good in that regard hence him being talked up.
Bula on the wing especially on a defensive shift from Manly could be the undoing of him. If his trained / played all year previously at Fullback isn’t he best to stick with Fullback. Likewise where Staines is capable of playing fullback he has spent nearly all his games on the wing when at Penrith and only last year played a bit of fullback in the 2’s side.

The elephant in the room is; how is Bula able to play this week?
Did the club secretly make him squad player number 30 after Ken Mamalo’s release?

 

[Fade.To.Black]

Surely there is 0% chance that the bench on Sunday stays as named. Who is going to give Api a spell if Simpkin isn't in the 17? Unless they are finally going to bite the bullet and throw Brooks in at hooker once Api comes off and put Laurie at 6, Wakeham at 7 for those stints.
IMO Talau drops out for Simpkin. Don't mind Laurie on the bench to hopefully provide a bit of spark, needs to always be following through on the ball carrier. We have made plenty of half breaks/created opportunities for an offload to support trailing through but most times there is no-one there or they aren't there quick enough to capitalise.

Giving Bula his debut (if he's at FB) against the elite kicking game of DCE is asking for trouble. Staines was our best player against Parra, craziness to shift him from FB this week.

 

[tig_prmz]

This might all work out but this feels wrong on so many levels:
1. Staines had probably one of the best games a fullback has had in our colours for a while
2. Bula hasn't played in a while
3. When a young guy debuts, you wanna shield him away from the media but the way it's been, it looks like we have put Bula as the guy to solve our issues, kinda like how QLD named Walsh in Origin 2 years ago.
I just don't know why we'd put pressure on this guy like that.

Wish him the best of luck, must be a very proud moment for him and his family.

 

[BirchgroveTigers]

Tbh if they think Bula is the long term option, get him in there. He is 21 and the season is already cooked. The bench though…

 

[Alex Seyfarth's #1 Fan]

I almost fell out of my chair when I saw Bula named at fullback. Then I saw the rest of the team and was even more confused. Sheens really doesn't care about winning games this season, does he? Seems like developing player skillsets is all that's on his mind.

It also seems like players aren't being allowed to make mistakes. They have to own their spot by absolutely killing it. Staines is an example. Played very well against, but he was absent for three Moses grubbers through the line. Because of that someone else gets their chance.

 

[Scare]

Bula is the same age as Walsh more game time the better