2024 Kangaroos 🦘

Jurbo and DCE won't have a lack of respect for the green and gold no way. I just see Turbo as being the only Manly player to warrant selection these days. Plain and simple.
 
TBF I think this squad is more looking to build towards the World Cup, hence why older players like Jake and DCE didn't get picked this time around.

I think I might be right in saying that this is the first time in the Origin era that neither the Qld or NSW captain has been picked for an Australian squad. It just happens to be when both captains come from Manly.....:speechless:
 
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Geez I'd have Koula in front of Suli and Alamoti
If he was marking Turbo, I'd probably have those two ahead of him. Would be a mass mismatch. Only reasoning I could really think of.

Also, on another note, the Tongans picking Hoppa at fullback pretty much confirms that the coaching team made the wrong choice against the Sharks. I thought Hoppa should've been the fullback, with Talau and Koula given some time to gel before finals. Alas.
 
When Tommy ends up injured which is probably an 80% chance in my opinion and trust me I hope I get proved wrong in this case, this forum is going to end up in flames. I understand playing for your country but seriously how many more missing games can we take as a club, yes we have good backup fullbacks but that’s not the point, we want a Tommy who is as healthy and fit as he can be and we want consistency. I saw a video of him in the kangaroos squad and he still had a bunch of strapping on his shoulder and didn’t even look like he could walk without a limp.
 
The Tongan pack, plus the reserve forwards, are big boys so it will be interesting to see if they can overpower the Aussies. It wouldn't surprise me.
I can't believe there is no specialist Australian centre option preferable over an injured Turbo playing out of position.
 
The Tongan pack, plus the reserve forwards, are big boys so it will be interesting to see if they can overpower the Aussies. It wouldn't surprise me.
I can't believe there is no specialist Australian centre option preferable over an injured Turbo playing out of position.

I'm sure there's a Garrick joke to be made here somewhere
 
The Tongan pack, plus the reserve forwards, are big boys so it will be interesting to see if they can overpower the Aussies. It wouldn't surprise me.
I can't believe there is no specialist Australian centre option preferable over an injured Turbo playing out of position.

As good as they have proven in the past for NSW and Qld respectively, Turbo and Hammer's performances at centre have largely been hyped on their attacking prowess.

However.....

Neither are real centres. Turbo has trouble defending at centre. It was he who missed an easy tackle on Capewell in Townsville in the first Origin of 2021 and if truth by told, first game back or not when he played centre for us earlier this year his defence was all at sea. While Hammer is no better really. He can attack the live long day, but his performance in last years Pacific Final at centre, especially in defence, was downright embarrassing. If Meninga had performed like that for Frank Stanton he'd never have seen a test past 1982.

TBH if I Kristian Woolf, tonight I'd have my backrowers Haumole and Eliesa Katoa, running straight and hard at Turbo and Hammer.
 
As good as they have proven in the past for NSW and Qld respectively, Turbo and Hammer's performances at centre have largely been hyped on their attacking prowess.

TBH if I Kristian Woolf, tonight I'd have my backrowers Haumole and Eliesa Katoa, running straight and hard at Turbo and Hammer.
You already know this, Holden, but Turbo and the Hammer more than held their own defensively. Both were excellent for Australia, made a great centre pairing - and yes, neither of them is actually a centre. Great footy players though.
 
As good as they have proven in the past for NSW and Qld respectively, Turbo and Hammer's performances at centre have largely been hyped on their attacking prowess.

However.....

Neither are real centres. Turbo has trouble defending at centre. It was he who missed an easy tackle on Capewell in Townsville in the first Origin of 2021 and if truth by told, first game back or not when he played centre for us earlier this year his defence was all at sea. While Hammer is no better really. He can attack the live long day, but his performance in last years Pacific Final at centre, especially in defence, was downright embarrassing. If Meninga had performed like that for Frank Stanton he'd never have seen a test past 1982.

TBH if I Kristian Woolf, tonight I'd have my backrowers Haumole and Eliesa Katoa, running straight and hard at Turbo and Hammer.
It was an obvious tactic tonight by Tonga,to target TomT in defence and whilst he was solid enough,he still missed tackles and made poor reads.I can’t for the life of me understand why people still think moving him into the centres is the way to go at Manly.He’s injury prone,so it doesn’t matter what position you play him.He’s one of the best FB’s in the game,why move him into the centres where he’s going to have to make more tackles.I can understand the positioning at rep level,despite personally not wanting him to play,but at club level,he doesn’t have the same quality of players around him.Lehi is improving every game,but he’s not Tom
 
It was an obvious tactic tonight by Tonga,to target TomT in defence and whilst he was solid enough,he still missed tackles and made poor reads.I can’t for the life of me understand why people still think moving him into the centres is the way to go at Manly.He’s injury prone,so it doesn’t matter what position you play him.He’s one of the best FB’s in the game,why move him into the centres where he’s going to have to make more tackles.I can understand the positioning at rep level,despite personally not wanting him to play,but at club level,he doesn’t have the same quality of players around him.Lehi is improving every game,but he’s not Tom
I thought Turbo was Best On Ground easily, the spine didn’t click for Roos.
 
Gee I thought that Tom Dearden had a great game also. Stood out in the losing QLD team also in SOO. A real good player.

Dearden was good last night, as was Grant and to a certain extent Edwards. Moses was the odd one out but then, he hadn't played for over 3 months

Turbo and Haumole were the best players for their respective teams last night. I've said it previously but Turbo is a victim of how good and versatile he is. We all know that a fit and on form Turbo is the best fullback in rugby league bar none. Better than Tedesco, better than Ponga and better than Edwards. But like another ex-Manly fullback, Dale Shearer, the presence of quality one position fullbacks and his own ability to play anywhere in the backline will see Turbo rarely, if ever TBH, playing fullback in rep teams.

It took Rowdy Shearer until his 19th test match to finally wear the green and gold No.1 jumper.....Turbo is likely to be the same if he ever does get that chance at the back.
 

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