Match Discussion: Round 24 vs Sea Eagles @ Campbelltown Stadium

[League Unlimited News]

NRL 2018 - Round 24
Wests Tigers v Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Campbelltown Stadium, Leumeah (TICKETS)
Thursday 23 August 2018

Gates 5:20pm / NRL 7:50pm

1. Moses Mbye 2. David Nofoaluma 3. Esan Marsters 4. Mahe Fonua 5. Kevin Naiqama 6. Benji Marshall 7. Luke Brooks 8. Russell Packer 9. Robbie Farah 10. Ben Matulino 11. Chris Lawrence 12. Michael Chee Kam 13. Matt Eisenhuth
Interchange: 14. Alex Twal 15. Sauaso Sue 16. Luke Garner 17. Josh Aloiai 18. Jacob Liddle 19. Robert Rochow 20. Tyson Gamble 21. Malakai Watene-Zelezniak

1. Tom Trbojevic 2. Jorge Taufua 3. Moses Suli 4. Brian Kelly 5. Brad Parker 6. Dylan Walker 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Addin Fonua-blake 9. Manase Fainu 10. Martin Taupau 11. Joel Thompson 12. Shaun Lane 13. Jake Trbojevic
Interchange: 14. Trent Hodkinson 15. Kelepi Tanginoa 16. Jack Gosiewski 17. Lloyd Perrett 18. Frank Winterstein 19. Matthew Wright 20. Tom Wright 21. Toafofoa Sipley

Referees: Matt Cecchin, Alan Shortall
Sideline Officials: Ziggy Przeklasa-Adamski, Belinda Sleeman
Video Referees: Steve Chiddy, Ben Galea

Feeder clubs
WESTS TIGERS (NSWRL - Wests Magpies)
SEA EAGLES (NSWRL - BWSE)
SAT
Newtown (CRO) v Wests Magpies @ Henson, ISP 1pm (CH 9 NSW)
BWSE v Penrith @ Lottoland, Flegg 1pm / ISP 3pm
SUN
Sharks v Wests Tigers @ SC Group, Flegg 11:35am​

 

[Vic Mackey]

Manly have checked out for the year, we’ll win but make it much harder then it should be.

Wests 26-14

 

[Russell Coight]

We are playing for nothing so we'll probably put 40 past them

 

[benched tiger]

Or we could play them into form like we usually do.

 

[Das Hassler]

They've shown form and may well again for the first 30...they've just lost the motivation to fight anymore this season ....individuals yes but not as a team. A few of them cant wait to see the back of eachother after next week.
Doesn't mean we wont get thrashed of course....that's what we do do well

 

[Das Hassler]

I guess Fanua must have said "yes i understand now" convincingly enough to get another shot.... do like the bench

 

[stryker]

We are playing for nothing so we'll probably put 40 past them

My thoughts exactly. No pressure = big win.

 

[Vic Mackey]

No ET this week. Will be interested to see how we go. I’ve gotta be honest I love the guy but don’t think he has a spot in our best 17. Bench at best.

 

[Russell Coight]

No ET this week. Will be interested to see how we go. I’ve gotta be honest I love the guy but don’t think he has a spot in our best 17. Bench at best.

Been feeling the same lately, I think he would be better coming off the bench as a tackling machine after the sting of the game has been taken out

 

[Das Hassler]

His in the trenches defence is still valuable...he always earns his orange

 

[Old Time Tiger]

When I started reading your comments Vic re ‘I love the guy’ I thought really !! But then you said bench at best, I agree.

When he 1st came down the M4 from Penrith he was everywhere, attack and defensively. Now I see him simply as a defensive player who gives away dumb penalties and more so when defending on our line.

Not sure if it’s him, IC or others who have gone ‘past him’ but yeah, a good bench player with ability to change his style based on what’s needed when he does go on as long as it’s not as dummy half.

 

[Russell Coight]

I reckon your last paragraph is pretty spot on old time, the game has evolved past him and I think for him to improve he might need to add a little more than just defending his guts out. Also think hes a little on the smaller side too

 

[Tiger05]

I go through stages of thinking we have to get rid of ET but I thought he was great last week. I honestly think you can build a pack around the guy because he makes minimal mistakes, his defence is great, his workrate is really high plus he has a lot of skills. He can ball play up the middle and he can play on the edge or in the middle.

The problem is that you need a lot of dynamic bigger players in the forwards to compensate for his lack of size. We don't really have any players who fit that mould excluding Aloiai.

I'd keep him though because I don't see him as the problem however a big damaging lock or edge forward would make a big difference to our team.

 

[Tigerm]

I think you need stars and workers, ET is definitely a worker. I certainly don't blame him for his efforts at 9, he wasn't up for it, he just plays where he's told.

 

[Vic Mackey]

The problem is that you need a lot of dynamic bigger players in the forwards to compensate for his lack of size. We don't really have any players who fit that mould excluding Aloiai.

I'd keep him though because I don't see him as the problem however a big damaging lock or edge forward would make a big difference to our team.

This is the issue. He plays 80mins at lock and has 6 hit ups for 44m. We're giving away a heap of meters every game due to the small lock forward. This isnt the 80s, look at the top sides, all their locks are making 100m+ every game.

Then I look at the edge and I don't think he is better then Lawrence or MCK, even Garner is probably a better option.

He can still be great. A few weeks back i rewatched the Round 2 game against the Storm and his defence was enourmous. He pulled off a 1on1 try saver on Bromwhich which was insane. You've really got to weigh up his good with the bad.

I think he's spot in the team moving forward is on the bench. He can then cover a lot of positions for us in case of an injury. I just dont think any Premiership contenders would have a guy like him at lock in the modern game.

 

[simmo1]

Taylor would have been great 10 years ago when every team had a guy like Stagg, Fensom, Hindmarsh etc running around making 60 tackles a game. However locks these days are expected to make plenty of metres too.

 

[Tiger05]

He can still be great. A few weeks back i rewatched the Round 2 game against the Storm and his defence was enourmous. He pulled off a 1on1 try saver on Bromwhich which was insane. You've really got to weigh up his good with the bad.

He has a lot of good plays in him. Defensively he is a machine. I thought he was great last week.

I think he's spot in the team moving forward is on the bench. He can then cover a lot of positions for us in case of an injury. I just dont think any Premiership contenders would have a guy like him at lock in the modern game.

Maybe. You could also play him in the middle or on the edge as a starter and bring on a damaging forward for a 20 minute or so stint.

When he plays good he is top quality but he will always lack the ability to consistently churn out metres. I couldn't get rid of him based on a couple of his quality performances this season. You shouldn't play him at hooker either. He failed in that role this season.

 

[Russell Coight]

Bit mixed about this game, it's hard to get excited with how we played last week

 

[Tiger05]

Bit mixed about this game, it's hard to get excited with how we played last week

The season is over isn't it. I'll watch it and I hope we win but another shithouse season.

 

[Russell Coight]

The season is over isn't it. I'll watch it and I hope we win but another shithouse season.

I can just see us putting in a 10/10 performance infront of a 10k crowd, like ffs why couldn't we do that last week when the season was on the line