Manly 9's - Your team selection

[silvereagle]

Great concept and can’t wait to see our boys in action here. $370k to the winner and $240k to the looser says we will be sending a good quality team over there. But what is the makeup of the team?

Sounds like a fast paced 7’s style of game with limited scrums and stoppages so we will need a good mix of size, speed and power. Not sure about team structure in this type of game but guessing from the play the ball and dummy half there will need to be a half-back somewhere with a centre and winger combination presumably both sides of the play the ball. Throw in the full back who can go either side and that gives me 8 players. Assuming the 9th player is a forward who hangs around close to the play the ball, that says max 2 strong but mobile forwards on the park at any one time (assume the tackled player is a forward).

So team makeup could look like this;
Forwards
Starting – I would have Brenton Lawrence and Justin Horo (can tackle and can both run the wider holes ). Assume Kingy and Richie still in recovery mode.
Bench - Dumanis Lui /Tyson Andrews / Jake Trobojevic. Alternative three could be Jamie Buhrer / Symonds/ Cheecam. Would you play choc and stewart in these games???? They would be brilliant. $370k is a lot of dough before the season start.

Backs
- dummy half – definitely Hodges
- half-back – definitely Cherry (he would have a field day out there...hardly drew a sweat I thought in the WC so might welcome a couple of touchie games)
- centres – big choice here...tried and true Jamie and Stevie? The money is too good to refuse so I would include them. Love to see Gutherson, Mark O’Dare, Rudolph out for a run although doubt it.
- wingers – same choice ...tried and true with Taufua and Wolf.......however would not be disappointed to see Delroy Berryman and Chase Blair out there.
- full-back – Hiku

What’s your team look like?

 

[Brissie Kid]

Cliffy Lyons & Beaver Menzies. The rest of the squad I don't mind.

 

[HappilyManly]

1 Snake
2 Taufua
3 Blaire
4 Hiku
5 Wolfie
6 Killer
7 DCE
8 BJ
9 Lui
I haven't seen the rules about the team size.
It would have to be a pool of at least 18, to allow for injuries and judiciary issues.

I did read that offences there carry over to NRL, and don't agree with that

First gets 470k

Foz is expecting first child around then and Matai needs to rest after elbow surgey

Sounds like an awesome event,close to a sellout.
What channel is showing it ?

 

[bones]

I hope Snake, Matai, Lyon, Taufua, Foran, DCE, Gifty, Choc, Brenton, T-Red, Horo, Lui, Starling, Ballin, Gutherson and Hiku are all unavailable and just worry about being right for round 1 of the premiership. I don't care how much money is at stake, the premiership is all that matters.

 

[mickqld]

Who cares. First Sunday night in October is all I ever care about. Put out the 20's guys.

 

[Brookie4eva]

Who cares. First Sunday night in October is all I ever care about. Put out the 20's guys.

I can't remember details, but I'm pretty sure there were rules that enforced including a certain number of top players from each team.

 

[Silver Eagle]

1Hiku
2Taufua
3Gutherson
4 Blair
5 Berryman
6 Killer
7 DCe
8 Bj Lawerence
9 Hodges

 

[Townsville Eagle]

I hope Snake, Matai, Lyon, Taufua, Foran, DCE, Gifty, Choc, Brenton, T-Red, Horo, Lui, Starling, Ballin, Gutherson and Hiku are all unavailable and just worry about being right for round 1 of the premiership. I don't care how much money is at stake, the premiership is all that matters.

twenty / 20 cricket is becoming a huge success and this could be the twenty/20's of league. I love watching open football with players able to show off all of their skills. Don't like injuries to our players but love watching the game and this form. This may be here to stay so let's embrace it. Go the Eagles.

 

[HappilyManly]

How are you TE, I've been meaning to ask.

Hope that Santa visits you for another few decades

I am also looking forward to this open format footy.
Used to love going to the Sevens.
Lets hope that Manly have as much success in the Nines as well

 

[Captain Moondog]

The last thing we need is Jamie or Snake out with a season ending injury before the season even starts.
I agree with Mick, give the young guys a run.

 

[AshfieldBazza]

A mixture of first graders and juniors I say, no way Stewart brothers or Matai or Jamie should go near it.

Will be interesting to see how this concept works compared to the rugby sevens circuit and especially the Wellington 7's which is a 35000 2 day event sellout every year.

The rugby circuit survives and indeed is prospering without the international rugby 15's stars so will the 9's work if not all the NRL stars turn up as being spoken about widely in the media?

 

[Berkeley_Eagle]

All 16 NRL clubs will feature and must supply 12 of their top 25 contracted players within their 16-man squad.

The Dick Smith NRL Auckland Nines is a live 31 game two-day rugby league extravaganza:
- 16 NRL teams with over 256 players will compete
- Star players are contractually guaranteed
- Teams will be made up of nine players across four pools of four
- AU$2.25 million dollars in prize money
- Almost 90,000 fans expected over two days.

The tournament is thanks to a partnership between the NRL and New Zealand's Duco Events, Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) and Dick Smith.

ATEED are the foundation host city sponsor and will invest $NZ 9 million over five years while Dick Smith is also on board through to 2018.

Prize money available is a record New Zealand sport's purse of $AUD 2.25 million.

Winning team ($AUD370,000),
runner-up ($AUD240,000),
semi-finalists ($AUD165,000),
quarter-finalists ($AUD130,000) and round robin losers ($AUD110,000).

Rule Changes:

• Introduction of the Bonus Zone – a five point try for tries scored in the in-goal area between the goal posts at each end. All tries scored outside the bonus zone will remain four pointers

• Introduction of 'GoldenTry' - where if teams are drawn at fulltime – in extra time the first team to score a try wins – with the 'Golden try'

• Goal-kicks will not feature in the tournament with dropkicks taken in line from where the try was scored worth two points. Penalty dropkicks will be worth two points with a field goal in general play remaining at one point.

• Scrums will consist of five players from each team and will only be used in the event of a double knock-on or a mutual infringement.

• In the event of a successful 40/20 kick, play will recommence with a tap re-start to the kicking team 20 metres in from where the ball crossed the touch line.

• Matches will be re-started by the scoring team through a drop kick off

• Referees will have the power to send players to the sin-bin for five minutes for foul play.

---

TO compete in the Nine's, every club must follow a strict set of requirements when it comes to fielding a team and being eligible for the rich purse.

All 16 players selected in the Nine's squad must participate in a match during the tournament. At least 75 per cent of every Nine's squad (12 players) must be made up of players from the club's 'top 25 squad list' (based on the salary cap for 2014).

At least one player from each club's top five list (based on the salary cap for 2014) must also be included in the Nine's squad.

There will also be an expectation on every player to commit to promotional activity during the tournament.

 

[CAMBO]

Hiku
Jorge
Jamie
Wolf
Gutherson
Berryman
Dce
Foran
Lawrence
Hodges
Horo
Symonds
Choc
Blair
Bruher
Chee kam

That's side could win it IMO

 

[HappilyManly]

My God - how will we keep up with all these exotic rules after first day of dedicated imbibing

Its an indictment on the NRL, that the Premiership Winner still only receives $100,000

 

[seaeagledave]

Brenton Lawrence would be my first player picked.

 

[MK Eagle]

Theres no substitude for speed in 7's & 9's footy so I expect Berryman to be part of it, a genuine flyer suited to this style game.

 

[mozgrame]

Hiku
Jorge
Jamie
Wolf
Gutherson
Berryman
Dce
Foran
Lawrence
Hodges
Horo
Symonds
Choc
Blair
Chee kam
Bruher

That's side could win it IMO

Totally agree Cambo. I would swap Bruher for Buhrer though

Honestly though, great side for the 9s

 

[Lord Eagleton]

Its something we need to pick a competitive team for, yes, but our eyes are on the prize - the NRL grand final. No big players are risked - Snake, Choc, Matai, Ballin, Gifty - leave them out i say. Give some younger lads a run, combined with some older guys who are regular team members.

The prize money would be nice, but its only preseason. A combination of young blood and mobile players will do.

Leave out King, and Fa'aoso. They are not 9's players.

 

[Eagles2nv]

Assuming all are fit.

1 Snake
2 Wolf
3 Killer
4 Skivvy
5 Tafua
6 Foz
7 DCE
8 Gift
9 Ballin

our 1-7 are one of the best in the game. Ballin is super fit and can go hard for the whole series and gift is the most creative forward (plus solid defensively).

I did consider Choc but he has alot of unforced errors (really bad for this format) and Lawrence but he doesnt pass much.

 

[Mals]

Assuming all are fit.

1 Snake
2 Wolf
3 Killer
4 Skivvy
5 Tafua
6 Foz
7 DCE
8 Gift
9 Ballin

our 1-7 are one of the best in the game. Ballin is super fit and can go hard for the whole series and gift is the most creative forward (plus solid defensively).

I did consider Choc but he has alot of unforced errors (really bad for this format) and Lawrence but he doesnt pass much.

I think this is the exact reason why Lawrence should be picked! Playing & training for 9s will help his awareness in 13s in regards to space, support play & positioning defenders.