Your Round 1 Team

[azzah72]

I am not sure if I have the injuries correct but I'd go.

1.Gardener
2.Williams
3.Bakuya
4.Feki
5.Wright

6.Carney
7.Townsend

8.Ross
9.Morris
10.Gibbs

11.Smith
12.Tupou
13.Gallen

14.Fifita
15.Tagatese
16.Green
17.Graham*/Morris/Robson/Peachey/Frizell ~ *It's good to have a bit of depth this year. Graham is first choice but could be any

 

[SF]

Gards
Cordoba
Fifita
Taga
Bukuya
Graham
Carney
Ross
De gois
Gibbs
Tupou
Smith
Gallen
Green
Frizell
Peachey
Taufua
Best

 

[Card Shark]

PS: what day is the round one team anounced for round 1 as its a thursday start too Round 1 so i'm guessing Monday? instead of tuesday..

I'd suggest you'll start hearing different teams starting sides from now on - some tend to announce the week 1 teams a week in advance.

 

[Blair]

This is what I would like:

1. Gards
2. Mills
3. Bukuya
4. Best
5. Williams
6. Carney
7. Townsend
8. Gibbs
9. DeGois
10. Fifita
11. Smith
12. Graham
13. Gallen

14. Ross
15. Taga
16. Toops
17. Frizzel

Someone mentioned once that you can't have Taga and Fifita as your bench props as neither are conventional props, I agree with that. I like Ross coming off the bench to keep the go forward after 20 mins. I also like the mind games of having Gibbes and Fifita as starting props. I think it will have them fired up and they would provide a good balance.
I think it is risky not having a back up hooker. Although not all teams have one on the bench they usually have utility that can fill in (ie Dean Young, Hinchcliffe). Graham would be the obvious choice but I don't know if he knows the position at all.

 

[josh11223344]

Now is finally a good time for this thread.

Please let's not have everybody jumping in to pay out other peoples teams, unless it is really that bad.

1- gardner
2- mills
3- wright
4- best
5- williams
6- carney
7- townsend
8- ross
9- de gois
10- gibbs
11- smith
12- bukuya
13- gallen

14- graham
15- green
16- tagataese
17- frizzel

crap I forgot fifita, I'm stumped we have too many forwards that are deserving of a spot in the team. Likewise young guys in the halves.

Is this a "who would you like" team or a predicted team?

I would go with:

1) Gardner
2) Williams (Left)
3) Best (Left)
4) Bukuya (Right)
5) Mills (Right)
6) Carney
7) Townsend
8) Ross
9) De Gois
10) Gibbs
11) Smith (Tight)
12) Frizell (Right)
13) Gallen (c) (Left)

14) Fifita
15) Tagataese
16) Tupou
17) Graham

18) Taufua

- That's our best mix of defensive potency and attacking ability. Bukuya shores up the gaping chasm in the centres that is Pomeroy v. Lawrence (though he has had some decent games against the Tigers) and allows Flano to fit in Frizell, Taga and Tupou. Bukuya reminds me a lot of Alex Glenn, who did a very good defensive job at centre in 2010 when Hodges was injured all year. Let's just admit that we don't have the quality in the 3/4s and play a guy in Bukuya who is NRL standard, has good hands, quick feet and reads the play so we can get the best 17 out there. Friz is the best line runner at the Club and is more important IMO to Carney's effectiveness out wide than having a rocks and diamonds/dumb centre in Pomeroy.
- Townsend at 7 gets Carney wider where he will do the most damage and allows us to have three ballplayers on the field- hopefully it would make up for the lack of potency out wide.
- Williams and Mills are both defensively safe enough, decent coming out of our end and can finish.
- Best is the best centre at the Club.
- Taga and Fifita have to be in the side because they offer too much in the way of impact and ball-running ability. The idea of not including Fifita seems ludicrous to me- the bloke wants to show what he's got after Sheens chose Woods and Groat over him. Also, he's a tryscorer.
- There's absolutely no point IMO carrying a hooker on the bench when we have someone of De Gois' calibre. Very few clubs bother with it anymore. I bet the Tigers won't bother with one- they will use Fulton as Farah's cover. Graham covers De Gois but plays left edge once the heavy hitting is done and Gal moves in to the ruck.

Taufua very unlucky to miss out. First reserve.

The thread is 'your' round 1 team so i'm assuming everybody that included pom is going off what they think will be the round 1 team.

 

[Mark^Bastard]

I'll +1 AB's team list. Normally I would have tweaked it a bit to include Peachey over Friz (Graham start, Peachey bench) but it looks like Friz has a better attitude than Peach at the moment so would choose exactly your team AB.

 

[Wilson]

Yeah I agree with AB's team. I'm a bit sketchy with us not carrying a front rower like Green or Taufua on the bench.

 

[slide rule]

Wade will start in the halves, no doubt about it. Probably at 5/8. I think it's the right selection at the moment.

 

[Mark^Bastard]

Yeah I agree with AB's team. I'm a bit sketchy with us not carrying a front rower like Green or Taufua on the bench.

It doesn't bother me too much because we can get Gallen to go to prop during these stints. We may also have Jez on the field at the same time. Fifita looked like a real prop in the all stars game and Taga I reckon is somewhat prop like.

We'll have size, first tackle hit up options and most of all a **** load of impact.

 

[snowman]

i dont see friz making the team, although i want him in it bad.

i think the backrow will likely be

smith
toops/taga
gal

bench

toops/taga
fifita
green/taufua
morris

 

[sharks2010]

I think taga adds more to the team coming off the bench

 

[Sir Chadley]

This is the team I think will be selected for round 1 (don't forget though, the team that is named on the Tuesday very rarely is the one that runs out)

Gards
Mills
Pomeroy
Best
Williams
Graham
Carney
Gibbs
De Gois
Ross
Smith
Bukuya
Gallen

Fifita
Tagatese
Green
Robson

That leaves out an awful amount of players. Tupou for one and I may be wrong, he could be included. I just could not find a place for Taufua, Cordoba, Frizell (who is yet to fully impress me) or Townsend. Townsend I just don't know about. He has a good kicking game, good defender and organiser but he just doesn't run the ball enough for me and I don't think he is electrifying. I like what I see from Peachey but I think he has some issues regarding attitude and would not put him ahead of anyone else as yet until he proves himself.

The backline sort of picks itself as there isn't much depth there. I think Mills and Williams are the best wingers we have, Mills for his strength and speed and Williams for his experience and positioning. I know Pomeroy is not liked by many on here but he has the experience and probably should be given first crack. Not for long though. Best is sometimes a bit caught out as well and against the Tigers we really need these two to bring their A game.

For the halves, I would go with Graham at five-eighth and Carney at half back. You could play Carney at 6, 7 or 1 but first up I would play him at 7 to organise. If Graham doesn't step up then maybe we should have Carney at 6 with Townsend at 7. I would really like Kelly to be in their somewhere as well as he is electrifying and a crowd favourite but not until he proves his focus is 100%.

With the bench, Tagatese has to be there as well as Fifita. Admittedly they are two impact players that don't play a lot of game time so it is a risk. I like the suggestion earlier of playing Fifita with Gibbs in the starting line up against their old club, Flanaghan has to consider this surely. If you don't have Jon Green on your bench I think its a big mistake as he is a worker, he goes forward, he has premiership winning experience and is as tough as they come. I wouldn't mind if he even started the game. Robson is a controversial choice but in all the press I have read, Flanaghan likes his experience and likes him at hooker.

And there you have it. Plenty more depth this year in the forwards and the halves but the backs are certainly a worry. We have to contain the likes of Tuquiri, Lawrence, Reddy, Moltzen and of course Marshall and that will be no easy feat. There is no reason why we cannot win this game but we have to play at our best. Anything less and the Tigers will have us for breakfast. We have to be disciplined and not give away stupid penalties. The 50/50 calls will probably go against us here as the Tigers are a top four side but we have to overcome that with brutal defence and scintillating attack.

Looking forward to our first game and hopefully we will come away with a win.

 

[snowman]

I think taga adds more to the team coming off the bench

so does toops. i would rather start taga and have his big frame launching at small bodies on the edge then bring on toops

 

[Mr Ryan]

I'm not gonna pick a team cause I think everybody's are pretty similar.

Instead I'm gonna make some "fearless" predictions. If I'm wrong then so be it. I won't neck myself.

Here it goes:

- Wade Graham will definately NOT be on the bench.
- Mills and Wright are certainies to be in the backline somewhere. So if Flanno goes for Best/Pomm in the centres, no room for the Hot Dog.
- Taufua and/or Green definately in the 17.
- There's no way Flanno will go for 2 make shift centres. ie Taga/Bukuya
- No room for Chad, yet. But I predict he'll play more then 10 games for us this year.

Beside that I think everyone else's teams are pretty similar. I don't expect any surprises.

 

[Special K]

1. Gardner 2. Mills 3. Pomeroy 4. Best 5. Williams 6. Carney 7. Townsend 8. Gibbs 9. De Gois 10. Fifita 11. Graham 12. Smith 13. Gallen 14. Tupou 15. Tagatese 16. Ross 17. Bukuya

I’d start Fifita and Gibbs against the Tigers.

 

[Mark^Bastard]

A fit Ross should be our first prop picked every week.

 

[Blair]

I can't see much difference in Gibbes and Ross.
They both do their job but you must admit the prospect of having Gibbes and Fifita handing out some punishment in the first few minutes of the season has some merrit. Ross can do his thing after 15mins when Fifita is nackid.

 

[Mark^Bastard]

The emotional aspect of the game could be a help but could also be a hindrance. I'd prefer to thinka bout the maximum bench impact. Have you seen how **** the Tigers bench is going to be? Freaking horrible. The more impact we put on our bench the better. Fifita will stample all over their nuffies.

 

[josh11223344]

Yeah they lost all of payten, gibbs and fifita. A large chunk of their front row especially considering blair will be in the backrow.

Woods will start with galloway and that really only leave BMM and groat who are guns but really inexperienced.

 

[Matty C of the Shire]

Hmmm graham is there at 5/8 and carney at half. Ross and Gibbs props. Gallen lock, smith and tupuo 2nd orow 9 de gois and 14 Robson