Finals forward packs!!

[maxta]

How many Seaeagles forwards would make the other 5 teams starting 13?
The answer would be close to - "not many, if any"
There has been many over achievers who came to Manly for a chance & this weekend certainly have that opportunity.
*Kingy is at the end of a gutsy career
*Hodges playing injured, a rookie & 2-3 years away from his best
*Lawrence is fast & fit but lacking punch of 2013
*Symonds has been good imo, but far from the Cordner, Guerra, SBW, Taumoulolo,Burgess backrowers in opposition packs
*Lui is tough, has a few mistakes but as good as we have for options atm
*Sene Lefoa is an improver & needs to be
*Hasson shows promise but needs to back his size with mongrel
*Starling has been a plodder but cant fault his guts or effort
So who is the dominant pack??
To me its Roosters & Souths due to size, mobility & the 9's
Funny thing is, its not always won on paper & theres been enough upsets to prove that every week in 2014.
On the flip side, the Manly backs more than match the opposition & basically need the pack to not so much dominate, but keep them in the contest....this is in many ways an opportunity for these young Seaeagles, to make winning history as the gutsiest Seaeagles title to date.

 

[Fluffy]

With 5 injures and suspensions/retirements in the other 5 teams starting packs how many of their bench plyers woud make our starting 13.

The answer is not many

 

[susan]

Penrith has 3 top liners out and most,if not all of their pigs would walk into our team.Kite,Plumb,Mckendry,Docker,Brown,Robinson,Seguyaro,Grant.

As was discussed in another thread we chose to have a core group of half a dozen superstars and prey we didn't get injuries.Worked in 2007, 2008 2011 2013 but didn't in 9 10 and it will kill us this year.Penrith have decided to go with a group of 25 that are genuine first graders with no real stars as yet.

I am over the moon with our approach.Has delivered us a golden era but our next phase has arrived and in my opinion it should be to become more panther like and build around 2 young guns with a roster of first graders to support them.

 

[maxta]

With 5 injures and suspensions/retirements in the other 5 teams starting packs how many of their bench plyers woud make our starting 13.

The answer is not many

Quite a few - considering Susan just named plenty from Penrith let alone Roosters / Souths ect

 

[Fluffy]

Panthers only have Kingston and Taylor missing from their starting 17 forward pack (Wallace their 3rd missing top liner is a half) drop 3 more off that list including their back up hooker and their looks bloody ordinary as well.

Panthers have 8 injured but 5 of them started the year in NSW cup.

Take our missing players Choc, Gift, Ballin, Buhrer, Faaoso. Would they walk into the panthers team?

 

[maxta]

Panthers only have Kingston and Taylor missing from their starting 17 forward pack (Wallace their 3rd missing top liner is a half) drop 3 more off that list including their back up hooker and their looks bloody ordinary as well.

Panthers have 8 injured but 5 of them started the year in NSW cup.

Take our missing players Choc, Gift, Ballin, Buhrer, Faaoso. Would they walk into the panthers team?

It was starting 13, the other 4 are off the bench.
Choc on form would not make the Roosters backrow, maybe Penriths.
Faaoso - would not make any 13, debatable to make opposition bench
Ballin - though I would pick him, other supporters would rate Friend, Luke, Segeyaro before him
Stewart if fit would imo, make any side
Buhrer, again not a starter, but is underrated & should make any bench for mine.

The point of the thread was based on WHO we have available, not out & the Rocky style underdog we are.
Its not as a dig towards the Seaeagles pack, just based on fact & hoping this pack can prove the Deathriders wrong.
If you read the last part mate, it states the games are decided by the performance on the day, not the names on paper.

 

[susan]

Penrith have 5 out in the pigs.Add Cartwright and Peachey to the list.They are first graders.Hasson,Andrews,Starling are just plodders.Im not criticizing our approach at all.Been very successful but leaves no room for bad luck with injuries.The cap will force us to build around DCE and Foran if they stay...not a bad position if we manage recruitment well and there is no reason to think we won't on past results.

 

[Fluffy]

Panthers have 8 injured - Peachey, John, Wallace, Kingston, Jennings, Tayor are not pigs and catwright and Spence are second rowers coming through who can play front row but that is not their position, nor would they knock out King or Lawrence or even Lui for that matter.

Ritchie was the big killer his year, we have been pig short on paper since losin him.

Add to that injury to Jake T at the wrong time.

 

[6/71]

Pretty sure Lawrence has been busted most of the year.

 

[susan]

Not sure what u mean fluffy saying some of those blokes aren't pigs.

Unless I have been on acid Elijah Taylor played back row for warriors panthers and kiwis. one of the best defensive back rowers the kiwis have thrown up in ages and runs tough lines.Peachey played as a utility forward for sharks and played the same role at the panthers.Taylor was best on ground for them In my opinion in 2011 GF playing second row.Peachey was lock of the year in the NYC in 2011 and lock of the year in NSW Cup in 2013.As far as I know played about 10 games for sharks in back row.Carney,Townsend and Robson shared the halves duties and only other position he has played as a junior was 5/8.great potential.Would love to have him.Kingston has never played anywhere but 9.Gold Coast boy.Cartwright was NYC player of the year.

 

[The Who]

T-Red and JSL are the two in the current squad that have been constantly good this season. I'm not sure either would get in the Easts, Souffs or Dogs 17 though. It does show how big a task the forwards face this week, and subsequent weeks.
That's why I'm disappointed we keep sticking to the same forward pack. I really thought Tyson Andrews and the Elephant Man should have been given a chance.

 

[Fluffy]

Not sure what u mean fluffy saying some of those blokes aren't pigs.

Unless I have been on acid Elijah Taylor played back row for warriors panthers and kiwis. one of the best defensive back rowers the kiwis have thrown up in ages and runs tough lines.Peachey played as a utility forward for sharks and played the same role at the panthers.Taylor was best on ground for them In my opinion in 2011 GF playing second row.Peachey was lock of the year in the NYC in 2011 and lock of the year in NSW Cup in 2013.As far as I know played about 10 games for sharks in back row.Carney,Townsend and Robson shared the halves duties and only other position he has played as a junior was 5/8.great potential.Would love to have him.Kingston has never played anywhere but 9.Gold Coast boy.Cartwright was NYC player of the year.

I have always known pigs to refer to props and forwards to be used for the entire pack.

 

[Moops]

With 5 injures and suspensions/retirements in the other 5 teams starting packs how many of their bench plyers woud make our starting 13.

The answer is not many

I am pretty sue he was talking about our current one, not the forward pack at full strength.