Match Winners?

[byso]

From our current squad. What players would you regard as match winners?

 

[robbiea]

Kite & B Stewart the big two ,but the beauty of this squad is ,any given player on any day is capable of being a match winner.

 

[Chip and Chase]

The usual suspects

Stewart, B.
Bell, S.
Lyon, J.
Orford, M.

These are the guys who can create something out of nothing, either with blinding speed, deft footwork or sleight of hand. I would have added Menzies in the past, but I think he has seen his best days. We don't have a forward that has a killer offload and line busting potential all rolled into one (not since BK left anyway), so no game breakers there for mine. G. Stewart could have that potential if he keeps improving.

 

[Fluffy]

Halden

 

[PEPSI]

hehe Halden = Mr Consistancy! game after game, we know what to expect!

 

[fLIP]

I don't know about Bells form this year.

At the moment, if I were to make a hard decision on who plays PL when Matai returns, unfortunately it would be Bell. Which is sad because he is a great player.

As for match winners:

Brett Stewart (What a gun, you could be down by 12 with 10 mins to go and I wouldn't put it past him to score a triple)

Matt Orford (He did it against the Roosters. Just when everybody thinks he's going ordinary he'll take on the line and score insane trys that remind of Toovey from the scrum base)

Michael Monaghan (How many times has he struck a field goal right when we need it. The one against parramatta was awesome)

Kitey (When the game lifts a level, it doesn't even phase him. He just goes with it. He might not score the winning try but his work up the middle is match winning)

Beaver (How I miss his jolting tackles knocking the ball free and giving us the shot to win the match?

Watmough (Not so much recently but he is showing the spark that could see him hitting gaps left right and center in the near future. He is a definite match winner if he can keep his form)

 

[CliffyIsGod]

Drop Bell for Matai!?

Funniest thing I have heard all week!

 

[Guest]

Monnas

 

[fLIP]

Drop Bell for Matai!?

Funniest thing I have heard all week!

This is the problem with the site at the moment. Everybody is willing to bag away at somebodies opinion but not happen to mention why?

So, perhaps you will enlighten me with at least some sort of argument as to why my comment was laughable?

 

[robbiea]

Drop Bell for Matai!?

Funniest thing I have heard all week!

That post is stated on current form permitting ,-not that funny really !!

 

[CliffyIsGod]

What's Matai's current form?

Apart from Stewart, none of the backs are in form, and they aren't really getting ball.

 

[fLIP]

My opinion CIG is that last time we saw matai play a full game of football was for his country. Which nearly won the Tri Nations again.

He was playing good football and towards the end of last season he was starting to curb his rushing defense.

In the short period he played against canberra he looked fit and stong. Put on quite a few good hits and made some good runs.

At the moment, Steven Bell, IMO is robbing our wingers of the ball. Whenever it gets out to him he stops, props and runs back infield. On a number of occasions he is actually running backwards. Not the Steven Bell we are used to seeing.

He is solid in defense but all round I think at the moment matai would offer the attacking spark that bell just isn't injecting into the backline.

 

[Garts]

No one has seen Matai play this year so to say Bell should be dropped for him is pretty silly imo.

None of the outside backs have looked dangerous apart from Stewy so im not going to be so rash to say any of them should be dropped. Especially considering he has been the one to go looking for the ball the most of all the backs (BS excluded) and try and get involved. Once Orford is back we will see more from him and Lyon etc.

 

[CliffyIsGod]

Thank you, garts.

 

[robbiea]

From our current squad. What players would you regard as match winners?

Byso -have u broken your lenses ???

 

[Garts]

At the moment, Steven Bell, IMO is robbing our wingers of the ball. Whenever it gets out to him he stops, props and runs back infield. On a number of occasions he is actually running backwards. Not the Steven Bell we are used to seeing.

I agree he his is running back in field but every occasion he has done so I dont recall him costing us a scoring opporunity. From memory we have been cramped and had no space so he has headed back in field.

Anyway its a good problem to have and we will see what happens when both are back fit and Orford is running the show.

 

[clontaago]

I agree, to suggest dropping a current QLD rep player with a bloke who will be coming back from injury is not the best move IMO. I couldnt see many coaches that would do it. Our backs have been quiet because they arent seeing the ball, and above all else, we are winning and arent conceding points.

 

[fLIP]

So we put a New Zealand Center in PL beneath a QLD center? Its a tough one to make and I understand I'm basing my opinion of last seasons form but I don't see the back line really doing much this season. Matai would definatly help with that. Other than that where do we play matai?

We can't throw Internationals is PL

 

[fLIP]

He would be good in halden's role but that will only last until beaver is fit.

 

[Jatz Crackers]

So we put a New Zealand Center in PL beneath a QLD center? Its a tough one to make and I understand I'm basing my opinion of last seasons form but I don't see the back line really doing much this season. Matai would definatly help with that. Other than that where do we play matai?

We can't throw Internationals is PL

Whilst ever Lyon remains in the centres, to me the whole issue of Matai boils down to a choice between Matai's aggressive attacking abilities versus Willow's defensive work rate, being on the bench.

There sure is fors & againsts but I end up leaning to Willow because the current momentum of the team has been built on defence and the fact that Matai concedes more penalties. But I understand your frustration at the prospect of leaving Matai out.