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Today’s The Weekly Times local newspaper reports that Paul Fletcher has named a 15-man squad for the World Nines to be held February 5 at Cabramatta Sports Ground!
The squad includes:
Sean Meaney
Jarred Farlow
Matt Ryan
Sam Latu
Tim Simona
Al Schirnack
Matt Hyland
Eloni Vunakece
Matt Davidson
Mitchell Achurch
Sione Tovo
Ratu TagiveThere are alot of forwards on that list (7 of 12) & no halves - so I’d expect the unnamed 3 to be halves and maybe another winger (given the Nines format)!
Very happy to see Matt Davidson back after his cancer scares & injury - as well as the return of Mitch Achurch from the Cowboys! An interesting acquisition is former Knights prop Sione Tovo - who is only 22!!
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That’s not a bad looking team at all. Interesting to see young Tagive as well as Tim Simona thrown in there. Hopefully Davidson has had a good offseason after looking a little light last year. Like you red, I’m surprised to see Mitchell Achurch back after an unsuccessful stint up north.
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That’s not a bad looking team at all. Interesting to see young Tagive as well as Tim Simona thrown in there. Hopefully Davidson has had a good offseason after looking a little light last year. Like you red, I’m surprised to see Mitchell Achurch back after an unsuccessful stint up north.
Check my post on the “Your team for first trial” thread willow - as the squad is being prepared by Fletcher and some surprises have been listed there as well!
TWT is a very credible source for BRET info!
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There is already a half in that line up. At least he has been training with the halves.
The squad will shuffle a bit as well no doubt.
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@smeghead:
There is already a half in that line up. At least he has been training with the halves.
The squad will shuffle a bit as well no doubt.
I should have said no recognised half!!
As for shuffling - Meaney, Ryan, Simona, Hyland & Farlow have some utility value - but none of them have played in the halves at the professional level!!
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9’s don’t need a recognised half from the times I have viewed it but no doubt a younger player will get a crack
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@smeghead:
9’s don’t need a recognised half from the times I have viewed it but no doubt a younger player will get a crack
They do have short-scrums + you need blokes who can feed your running players and organise your backline!
There is not a recognised ball-player amongst them!
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Maybe not recognised redemption but one who has been impressing all of the coaching team from the reports I have heard.
Regardless BRET have made the final every year of the tournament and hopefully can repeat or go one step further this year. I will be headed out regardless
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No argument here smeg - just stating the obvious!
We all know Meaney has decent kicking game in general play - but it has been his running game that has defined him in recent years!
Yet to see him play as a Hodgson or Boyd style play-maker from the back… (let alone at 6)!
But he needs to be versatile in 2011 - because if the rumours of all WT players being farmed through BRET are correct - he will be vying for his favoured no. 1 against the likes of McKinnon & Brown at stages of the year!
