Wests Tigers Team v Souths Rd 9

[JC99]

“On the weekend (against Penrith) we probably needed someone like Benji to score some points there,” Brooks told NCA Newswire. “He has got that X-factor. “Losing BJ (Leilua) for four weeks, he was that X-factor, so I think we will see Benji in our side again.

Benji to center???

Please no. Worse defensively than MCK and slower than him too. Benji brings points but we are building our team around defence at the moment.

Benji maybe off the bench is the only option imo.

 

[WT2K]

Wests Tigers have confirmed back-rower Luciano Leilua will be ready to face the Rabbitohs after being cleared of lasting damage from a head knock.

The Tigers also expect young prop Sam McIntyre to be fine for Friday's clash provided he passes concussion protocols
https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/01/23/casualty-ward-all-the-latest-nrl-injury-news/?utm_source=NRLTWContent&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=NetworkContent

 

[Geo]

Benchie Marshall is the waste of a bench spot IMO..we would have to be chasing point or have a massive lead for him to come on barring injury to the halves so there is not much point either way..

He's a starting player..

 

[JC99]

Wests Tigers have confirmed back-rower Luciano Leilua will be ready to face the Rabbitohs after being cleared of lasting damage from a head knock.

The Tigers also expect young prop Sam McIntyre to be fine for Friday's clash provided he passes concussion protocols
https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/01/23/casualty-ward-all-the-latest-nrl-injury-news/?utm_source=NRLTWContent&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=NetworkContent

Fantastic news. Our forwards should be able to roll over the bunnies pack.

 

[JC99]

Benchie Marshall is the waste of a bench spot IMO..we would have to be chasing point or have a massive lead for him to come on barring injury to the halves so there is not much point either way..

He's a starting player..

I agree with you, I find it hard to drop Reynolds or put Benji at centre but it might just happen, or Reynolds goes to bench. Maybe he just won’t play at all which I would prefer for the moment TBH

 

[avocadoontoast]

He’s a starting player

I’d have no issue with him starting at 6.

 

[BZN]

Dominate their forwards and don’t give their edges room to move easy

If we maintain the physicality of the past month our forwards will have a field day with the Souths pack.
Get them running sideways and their backs will fall apart. Reynolds and specifically Walker will throw in the towel after half an hour if they can't get forward movement.

The question is can we maintain the physicality of the past month, especially with troops down and others, though named, will no doubt have question marks over their fitness.

Don't want to be a downer, but I just have a feeling that we will be a little flat this week. Last week's game was very taxing, both physically and emotionally. Penrith bashed us from pillar to post physically, there was the whole Joey brain snap, Ivan's taunting and I think the boys were rightfully ticked off at the biased refereeing throughout the entire match as well. They are most likely still wondering what they have to do to get an even break with the officials, as it's a perennial problem for us.

Maybe it will work as motivation and the team will come out firing on all cylinders once again, but I'm really not expecting it, tbh. Hope I'm wrong, but I don't think we will win this one. One thing for certain though is that Souths will get the rub of the green on playing field, and in the media also - guaranteed.

G'day @Spud_Murphy Re your "can we maintain the physicality of the past month"
and "last weeks game was very taxing, both physically and emotionally".
That really worries me as well.
Just thinking back to 2018 under Cleary when we won I think the 1st 5 games and then ran out of steam and crashed badly, maybe due to our team performing above their ability for those 5 weeks.
Hopefully Madge has them in much better shape now than Cleary did, so our stamina doesn't come into question this year.

 

[WT2K]

Wests Tigers have confirmed back-rower Luciano Leilua will be ready to face the Rabbitohs after being cleared of lasting damage from a head knock.

The Tigers also expect young prop Sam McIntyre to be fine for Friday's clash provided he passes concussion protocols
https://www.nrl.com/news/2020/01/23/casualty-ward-all-the-latest-nrl-injury-news/?utm_source=NRLTWContent&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=NetworkContent

Fantastic news. Our forwards should be able to roll over the bunnies pack.

Yep, great news. More confident now with Luc a definite starter.

 

[JC99]

Dominate their forwards and don’t give their edges room to move easy

If we maintain the physicality of the past month our forwards will have a field day with the Souths pack.
Get them running sideways and their backs will fall apart. Reynolds and specifically Walker will throw in the towel after half an hour if they can't get forward movement.

The question is can we maintain the physicality of the past month, especially with troops down and others, though named, will no doubt have question marks over their fitness.

Don't want to be a downer, but I just have a feeling that we will be a little flat this week. Last week's game was very taxing, both physically and emotionally. Penrith bashed us from pillar to post physically, there was the whole Joey brain snap, Ivan's taunting and I think the boys were rightfully ticked off at the biased refereeing throughout the entire match as well. They are most likely still wondering what they have to do to get an even break with the officials, as it's a perennial problem for us.

Maybe it will work as motivation and the team will come out firing on all cylinders once again, but I'm really not expecting it, tbh. Hope I'm wrong, but I don't think we will win this one. One thing for certain though is that Souths will get the rub of the green on playing field, and in the media also - guaranteed.

G'day @Spud_Murphy Re your "can we maintain the physicality of the past month"
and "last weeks game was very taxing, both physically and emotionally".
That really worries me as well.
Just thinking back to 2018 under Cleary when we won I think the 1st 5 games and then ran out of steam and crashed badly, maybe due to our team performing above their ability for those 5 weeks.
Hopefully Madge has them in much better shape now than Cleary did, so our stamina doesn't come into question this year.

We’ve also got Andrew gray as head of performance who’s rated As one of the best

 

[hobbo1]

He’s a starting player

I’d have no issue with him starting at 6.

Reynolds has been in headless chook mode of late

 

[avocadoontoast]

He’s a starting player

I’d have no issue with him starting at 6.

Reynolds has been in headless chook mode of late

Last game he was pretty terrible.

 

[hobbo1]

He’s a starting player

I’d have no issue with him starting at 6.

Reynolds has been in headless chook mode of late

Last game he was pretty terrible.

9 missed tackles ...
And the longer Benji is left out the higher the odds he could go round again

 

[avocadoontoast]

He’s a starting player

I’d have no issue with him starting at 6.

Reynolds has been in headless chook mode of late

Last game he was pretty terrible.

9 missed tackles ...
And the longer Benji is left out the higher the odds he could go round again

Yep, and really doesn't add anything in attack. Imo we're a stronger team with Benji in the 6, although I feel i'm in the minority.

 

[Newtown]

Seems like Reynolds and Benji will each a turn at 6.

 

[hobbo1]

He’s a starting player

I’d have no issue with him starting at 6.

Reynolds has been in headless chook mode of late

Last game he was pretty terrible.

9 missed tackles ...
And the longer Benji is left out the higher the odds he could go round again

Yep, and really doesn't add anything in attack. Imo we're a stronger team with Benji in the 6, although I feel i'm in the minority.

Benj still has a better kicking game and passing game than both Brooks and Jrey

 

[avocadoontoast]

He’s a starting player

I’d have no issue with him starting at 6.

Reynolds has been in headless chook mode of late

Last game he was pretty terrible.

9 missed tackles ...
And the longer Benji is left out the higher the odds he could go round again

Yep, and really doesn't add anything in attack. Imo we're a stronger team with Benji in the 6, although I feel i'm in the minority.

Benj still has a better kicking game and passing game than both Brooks and Jrey

Agree and it’s not even close imo

 

[JC99]

He’s a starting player

I’d have no issue with him starting at 6.

Reynolds has been in headless chook mode of late

Last game he was pretty terrible.

9 missed tackles ...
And the longer Benji is left out the higher the odds he could go round again

He often racks up quite a few missed tackles with his style of defence but quite often he shut down back line plays against the teams we’ve faced. He gets shrugged off but people are scoring through him like they were Benji.

 

[avocadoontoast]

He’s a starting player

I’d have no issue with him starting at 6.

Reynolds has been in headless chook mode of late

Last game he was pretty terrible.

9 missed tackles ...
And the longer Benji is left out the higher the odds he could go round again

He often racks up quite a few missed tackles with his style of defence but quite often he shut down back line plays against the teams we’ve faced. He gets shrugged off but people are scoring through him like they were Benji.

Defensively he’s marginally better than Benji. But in attack he really offers nothing.

 

[851]

Nine news seem to think Benji will be playing ( a little joke with Mbye etc.).

Guess we'll know soon enough.

There was a rumour that Rowdy will play centre, Benji at 6 and Grub at 14, I hope it is not right, I would like to see a change, but not those ones

 

[TheDaBoss]

Benji will be back when he is ready.....