YART time

[mave]

Cullen outplayed Hastings last night imo.

Joey Lussick outplayed them both easily, but obviously needs time before 1sts

 

[Woodsie]

Any team that has Kapow in the 2nd row is a fantasy, the 2nd row will be 2 out of the following.

Sironen, Winterstein, Lane, Kennedy or Brown.

Cullen, however promising will need more than one good trial to unseat Api, however has moved into contention as has Lussick jnr.

Kelly, better than I thought .... but can you imagine the hate mail Jorge would have gotten if "he dropped the ball TWICE!" and "missed a tackle"
Not sure that what Baz will do here.

 

[Hgbcds]

Cullen outplayed Hastings last night imo.

Joey Lussick outplayed them both easily, but obviously needs time before 1sts[/QUOTE difficult to judge when they play different positions. But he did play well. Cullen and Hastings were very good also

 

[Deleted member 26876]

Not a fan of Lawrence?

I am, somehow didn't mention him, too busy wondering who'd make the number nine spot, definately would go in there, let's hope to replace Myles! Well in our dreams at least

I


No room in your 17 for Brenton Lawrence? Didn't he start last night?

 

[mave]

I thought Hastings started dominantly, then went quiet after the first 10- 15 mins. Fitness is possibly an issue given the injury. Maybe the coach instructed them to play this way ? Who knows.
Disappeared entirely in the 2nd half though.

 

[Deleted member 26876]

Any team that has Kapow in the 2nd row is a fantasy, the 2nd row will be 2 out of the following.

Sironen, Winterstein, Lane, Kennedy or Brown.

Cullen, however promising will need more than one good trial to unseat Api, however has moved into contention as has Lussick jnr.

Kelly, better than I thought .... but can you imagine the hate mail Jorge would have gotten if "he dropped the ball TWICE!" and "missed a tackle"
Not sure that what Baz will do here.

Maybe my memory is a little blurred but I personally thought Taupau was far less aggressive playing at prop and that he played both better and for longer at second row. Close to the line with hopefully an improved, revitalised dce could be a two-man army in itself, let alone having another hard runner in Taufua beside him and either walker or Kelly/Parker to give an option of speed and skill.

Although in saying this Taupau is by no means a bad prop, I just feel he is more effective at second row for us

 

[Woodsie]

I thought Taupau was far less aggressive playing at prop and that he played both better and for longer at second row. Close to the line with hopefully an improved, revitalised dce could be a two-man army in itself, let alone having another hard runner in Taufua beside him and either walker or Kelly/Parker to give an option of speed and skill.

Although in saying this Taupau is by no means a bad prop, I just feel he is more effective at second row for us

The problem you have with disagreeing with me young Harry, is that you are automatically, by definition, wrong. (smiley face)

As a fellow poster said the other day, Kapow is a power player, not an endurance 80min player. Although in the paper today was an article on his coach that said he has changed his training, dropped some weight and was working more on condition. I don't know if this is trying to make a Porsche out of a Mack truck, but it will be interesting to observe.

 

[Deleted member 26876]

The problem you have with disagreeing with me young Harry, is that you are automatically, by definition, wrong. (smiley face)

As a fellow poster said the other day, Kapow is a power player, not an endurance 80min player. Although in the paper today was an article on his coach that said he has changed his training, dropped some weight and was working more on condition. I don't know if this is trying to make a Porsche out of a Mack truck, but it will be interesting to observe.

I reckon Lussicks injury will likely move him to prop for rd 1 (or AFB), meaning he can show us what he's got again. I'm still leaning towards second row for him although if prop is what's best for him, what's best for manly, then I'll be all for it... Until then is a waiting game, not long to go now

 

[HoldenV8]

I'll throw my 2 cents worth in....

FB - Tom Trbojevic
WG - Jorge Taufua
CE - Dylan Walker
CE - Brian Kelly
WG - Akuila Uate
FE - Blake Green
HB - Daly Cherry-Evans (c)
PR - Darcy Lussick
HK - Api Koroisau
PR - Addin Fonua-Blake
SR - Martin Taupau
SR - Curtis Sironen
LK - Jake Trbojevic (vc)

Res - Nate Myles, Lewis Brown, Brenton Lawrence, Lloyd Perrett / Shaun Lane / Jackson Hastings

 

[Hgbcds]

I thought Hastings started dominantly, then went quiet after the first 10- 15 mins. Fitness is possibly an issue given the injury. Maybe the coach instructed them to play this way ? Who knows.
Disappeared entirely in the 2nd half though.

Didn't play the second half.was you really there?

 

[mave]

Didn't play the second half.was you really there?

Whoosh

 

[mave]

Haha...your sense of humour needs some fine tuning

 

[pjayz]

The problem you have with disagreeing with me young Harry, is that you are automatically, by definition, wrong. (smiley face)

As a fellow poster said the other day, Kapow is a power player, not an endurance 80min player. Although in the paper today was an article on his coach that said he has changed his training, dropped some weight and was working more on condition. I don't know if this is trying to make a Porsche out of a Mack truck, but it will be interesting to observe.

I honestly believe he can do either. He went from being about a 40min player at the Tigers to 65/70mins with us and churned out an average of 142m per game. He did this by making 10m per run on average, it isn't like he made 25 runs, had no impact and just racked up misleading numbers.

If you take that out of our team, we are up ship creek (like the ad). In 2015 our biggest metre eater made 92m per game - 92! It was only because Lyon, Matai and Stewart were still performing that we went close to the finals.

We need Tapau's presence and metres desperately. I don't care if he plays prop, or on the edges as long as he is a 60min player (or possibly more if in the backrow). If we make him play the role he had at the Tigers we will get the results that they got. His minutes are quality - let's make the most of them I say.

 

[Hgbcds]

Haha...your sense of humour needs some fine tuning

Haha...your sense of humour needs some fine tuning

your quality I should pay for the experience. When you doing the boatshed next. Or pretending to

 

[Woodsie]

I honestly believe he can do either. He went from being about a 40min player at the Tigers to 65/70mins with us and churned out an average of 142m per game. He did this by making 10m per run on average, it isn't like he made 25 runs, had no impact and just racked up misleading numbers.

If you take that out of our team, we are up ship creek (like the ad). In 2015 our biggest metre eater made 92m per game - 92! It was only because Lyon, Matai and Stewart were still performing that we went close to the finals.

We need Tapau's presence and metres desperately. I don't care if he plays prop, or on the edges as long as he is a 60min player (or possibly more if in the backrow). If we make him play the role he had at the Tigers we will get the results that they got. His minutes are quality - let's make the most of them I say.

No argument that he needs to be on the field, but last year he was copping some at the beginning of the year for having no impact on the game (notwithstanding stats), in the later part of the year when he went to prop and was interchanged he ripped and teared and we couldn't wait for him to come back on.

But my main reason for wanting him at prop is that for the past few seasons we have had 2/3 good props and then the standard dropped and at interchange time there was a distinct drop in performance. We were out muscled at different stages of the game. With Kapow at prop this year we have the players to say our prop rotation is top 6 level, with him out of the props we drop to a 9/10 level.

Lock is a given, Jake is a top 4 lock.

The single most important thing (and centre) that will ensure a very good season is to sort out 2nd row ... last year we had little contribution from our back rowers in both attack and defence. It is clear to me that the purchase of Sironen/Lane/Kennedy was for this very reason and will complete the overall team balance.

If we have no injuries and Perrett steps up then maybe kapow goes back to 2nd row, but with the odds being that at least one prop will be injured and another suspended each week .... he is needed in the engine room for mine, at Prop

 

[Hgbcds]

No argument that he needs to be on the field, but last year he was copping some at the beginning of the year for having no impact on the game (notwithstanding stats), in the later part of the year when he went to prop and was interchanged he ripped and teared and we couldn't wait for him to come back on.

But my main reason for wanting him at prop is that for the past few seasons we have had 2/3 good props and then the standard dropped and at interchange time there was a distinct drop in performance. We were out muscled at different stages of the game. With Kapow at prop this year we have the players to say our prop rotation is top 6 level, with him out of the props we drop to a 9/10 level.

Lock is a given, Jake is a top 4 lock.

The single most important thing (and centre) that will ensure a very good season is to sort out 2nd row ... last year we had little contribution from our back rowers in both attack and defence. It is clear to me that the purchase of Sironen/Lane/Kennedy was for this very reason and will complete the overall team balance.

If we have no injuries and Perrett steps up then maybe kapow goes back to 2nd row, but with the odds being that at least one prop will be injured and another suspended each week .... he is needed in the engine room for mine, at Prop

Absolutely right. Looked the goods last night

 

[pjayz]

No argument that he needs to be on the field, but last year he was copping some at the beginning of the year for having no impact on the game (notwithstanding stats), in the later part of the year when he went to prop and was interchanged he ripped and teared and we couldn't wait for him to come back on.

But my main reason for wanting him at prop is that for the past few seasons we have had 2/3 good props and then the standard dropped and at interchange time there was a distinct drop in performance. We were out muscled at different stages of the game. With Kapow at prop this year we have the players to say our prop rotation is top 6 level, with him out of the props we drop to a 9/10 level.

Lock is a given, Jake is a top 4 lock.

The single most important thing (and centre) that will ensure a very good season is to sort out 2nd row ... last year we had little contribution from our back rowers in both attack and defence. It is clear to me that the purchase of Sironen/Lane/Kennedy was for this very reason and will complete the overall team balance.

If we have no injuries and Perrett steps up then maybe kapow goes back to 2nd row, but with the odds being that at least one prop will be injured and another suspended each week .... he is needed in the engine room for mine, at Prop

Totally agree he starts there. My concern is I just don't know if Kennedy and Winterstein are at the level we need - I suspect not. Lane has the potential, but has struggled in the past, so if he can't step up then we are going to struggle.

As for prop, Lussick is quality, AFB a future star, Lawrence and Myles experienced/solid and then we have Perrett who has the ability and size (toughness is yet to be proven). I actually think we have better coverage of quality here than backrow.

When Lussick and Perrett are available, I think Tapau will go back to the edge, unless someone like Bainbridge makes it impossible for Baz to keep him out - but he is only 19.

 

[DaveLP]

Both Taufua and Kelly had 2 drop balls and a miss tackle leading into a try last night yet everyone is only remembering Taufua lol

 

[Woodsie]

Totally agree he starts there. My concern is I just don't know if Kennedy and Winterstein are at the level we need - I suspect not. Lane has the potential, but has struggled in the past, so if he can't step up then we are going to struggle.

As for prop, Lussick is quality, AFB a future star, Lawrence and Myles experienced/solid and then we have Perrett who has the ability and size (toughness is yet to be proven). I actually think we have better coverage of quality here than backrow.

When Lussick and Perrett are available, I think Tapau will go back to the edge, unless someone like Bainbridge makes it impossible for Baz to keep him out - but he is only 19.

Lussick, Myles, Lawrence, AFB, Kapow, Perrett that is 5, possibly 6 first rate props. And no downside at rotation time. We use 5 a game. Not many spare to cover injury/suspension.

I just wouldn't weaken the all important front row to strengthen the 2nd Row when we have so many more alternatives for back rowers

 

[mave]

Both Taufua and Kelly had 2 drop balls and a miss tackle leading into a try last night yet everyone is only remembering Taufua lol

The difference is that we have others at the club that can do what Tafua can do, not so much with Kelly.
Age and experience make a difference as well. Jorge isnt going to suddenly change.