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Courier MailAustralians will have a Fuifui Moimoi 'mission'Courier MailIf the coach is looking for an enforcer, he is likely to turn to Sharks lock Paul Gallen or Manly's Anthony Watmough, who he may chose to start. ...and more »
Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?fd=R&sa=T&url=http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/sport/nrl/story/0,26746,26226277-5003409,00.html&usg=AFQjCNEbJh-iAwbaZhb3ZMeE7Il9ERjY7w
Australians will have a Fuifui Moimoi 'mission'
Andrew Webster in London
October 19, 2009 12:00am
THE mission for one of the Australian rugby league forwards will be a lot easier said than done: Stop the Fui Express. Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens has revealed he will give one of his players the singular - and imposing - job of shutting down rampaging prop Fuifui Moimoi in the Four Nations opener against New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday.
With the 24-man squad now settled in London ahead of the tournament, Sheens admits he is wary of Moimoi, who will be playing his first Test for the Kiwis since 2007.
So determined is the coach to stop him, he will quietly take one of his forwards aside and give them the job of shadowing the Eels wrecking ball throughout the match.
"'Fui is the type of player who will hit you - so you need a player who will hit him and come back," Sheens said.
"'He's their forward leader. We're going to need a player who regularly challenges him from a defensive line point of view. Someone will get that role in the middle.
"Their job, everytime he challenges us, is to take the yards off him."
Sheens would not reveal who would be handed the job, probably because he remains undecided about the make-up of his pack, which will look vastly different to the one that humbled the Kiwis 38-10 in the Trans-Tasman Test in May.
Props Steve Price and Luke Bailey were not selected because of injury, while backrowers Anthony Laffranchi and Glenn Stewart were overlooked.
Bulldogs prop Ben Hannant is certain to partner Petero Civoniceva in the front-row, while Sheens hinted the late-season form of Storm backrower Ryan Hoffman and Parramatta's Nathan Hindmarsh meant they were close to selection.
"'They threw their hand up late," Sheens said of the grand final combatants.
"They played the grand final so that gives them an advantage physically. They're ready to play a tough game. I'm weighing up the team on those sort of things."
If the coach is looking for an enforcer, he is likely to turn to Sharks lock Paul Gallen or Manly's Anthony Watmough, who he may chose to start.
Either way, it's an onerous task given Moimoi's form in the last three months, including his late try that dragged the Eels back into the grand final.
Moimoi has played just five Tests for the Kiwis, and was overlooked for last year's World Cup over an eligibility dispute because he had played a one-off Test for his native country of Tonga.
He has never played under new coach Steve Kearney, but has the potential and explosiveness to shock the Kangaroos in a match Sheens has told his players they must win if they are to reach the final on November 14.
"'It's not just his yardage momentum, but the emotional momentum that a team gathers from a big strong guy going forward," Sheens said.
"Like we've played off Pricey and Petero over the years. It's about stealing yards off their key go-forward player. Sitting him on his backside, and when he comes again, doing it again.
"It's not just from the kick off. That's a brave run and a brave tackle. But it's about who's doing it 20 minutes later."
Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?fd=R&sa=T&url=http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/sport/nrl/story/0,26746,26226277-5003409,00.html&usg=AFQjCNEbJh-iAwbaZhb3ZMeE7Il9ERjY7w
Australians will have a Fuifui Moimoi 'mission'
Andrew Webster in London
October 19, 2009 12:00am
THE mission for one of the Australian rugby league forwards will be a lot easier said than done: Stop the Fui Express. Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens has revealed he will give one of his players the singular - and imposing - job of shutting down rampaging prop Fuifui Moimoi in the Four Nations opener against New Zealand at Twickenham on Saturday.
With the 24-man squad now settled in London ahead of the tournament, Sheens admits he is wary of Moimoi, who will be playing his first Test for the Kiwis since 2007.
So determined is the coach to stop him, he will quietly take one of his forwards aside and give them the job of shadowing the Eels wrecking ball throughout the match.
"'Fui is the type of player who will hit you - so you need a player who will hit him and come back," Sheens said.
"'He's their forward leader. We're going to need a player who regularly challenges him from a defensive line point of view. Someone will get that role in the middle.
"Their job, everytime he challenges us, is to take the yards off him."
Sheens would not reveal who would be handed the job, probably because he remains undecided about the make-up of his pack, which will look vastly different to the one that humbled the Kiwis 38-10 in the Trans-Tasman Test in May.
Props Steve Price and Luke Bailey were not selected because of injury, while backrowers Anthony Laffranchi and Glenn Stewart were overlooked.
Bulldogs prop Ben Hannant is certain to partner Petero Civoniceva in the front-row, while Sheens hinted the late-season form of Storm backrower Ryan Hoffman and Parramatta's Nathan Hindmarsh meant they were close to selection.
"'They threw their hand up late," Sheens said of the grand final combatants.
"They played the grand final so that gives them an advantage physically. They're ready to play a tough game. I'm weighing up the team on those sort of things."
If the coach is looking for an enforcer, he is likely to turn to Sharks lock Paul Gallen or Manly's Anthony Watmough, who he may chose to start.
Either way, it's an onerous task given Moimoi's form in the last three months, including his late try that dragged the Eels back into the grand final.
Moimoi has played just five Tests for the Kiwis, and was overlooked for last year's World Cup over an eligibility dispute because he had played a one-off Test for his native country of Tonga.
He has never played under new coach Steve Kearney, but has the potential and explosiveness to shock the Kangaroos in a match Sheens has told his players they must win if they are to reach the final on November 14.
"'It's not just his yardage momentum, but the emotional momentum that a team gathers from a big strong guy going forward," Sheens said.
"Like we've played off Pricey and Petero over the years. It's about stealing yards off their key go-forward player. Sitting him on his backside, and when he comes again, doing it again.
"It's not just from the kick off. That's a brave run and a brave tackle. But it's about who's doing it 20 minutes later."
