Punching Above Our Weight - Rep Players Top 8 2019

[Tooooks]

Out of curiosity, I looked at the top 8 and the squads named for this weekend just to see how many of the following each team had:

• Current Origin players (played in any of the 3 games this year)
• 1st Tier internationals - Aus, NZ, Eng (from 2018-2019)

When you look at our squad, I think we've done exceptionally well to finish where we did.

STORM
Current Origin Players: 5 (Finucane, Munster, Chambers, Addo-Carr, Kaufusi)
1st Tier Internationals: 6 (B.Smith, Bromwich, Bromwich, Kaufusi, Hughes, Asofa-Solomona)

ROOSTERS
Current Origin Players: 4 (Tedesco, Mitchell, Crichton, Cordner)
1st Tier Internationals: 8 (Tedesco, Mitchell, Keary, Cordner, Manu, Waerea-Hargraves, Liu, Hall).
Note: Also 3 former internationals playing on the weekend (Tupou, Cronk, Morris). I included Hall in the internationals although he's been named as a reserve. Nice to be able to have a current international as backup.

SOUTHS
Current Origin Players: 5 (Walker, Cook, Murray, Gagai, Lowe)
1st Tier Internationals: 4 (T.Burgess, G.Burgess, Gagai, Cook)

RAIDERS
Current Origin Players: 3 (Cotric, Wighton, Papalii)
1st Tier Internationals: 6 (Hodgson, Whitehead, Bateman, Rapana, Tapine, Papalii)

EELS
Current Origin Players: 1 (Ferguson)
1st Tier Internationals: 0

MANLY
Current Origin Players: 2 (Cherry-Evans, J.Trbojevic)
1st Tier Internationals: 2 (J.Trbojevic, Cherry-Evans)

SHARKS
Current Origin Players: 2 (Morris, Graham)
1st Tier Internationals: 4 (Feki, Johnson, Woods, Nikora)
Note: Also 5 former internationals playing on the weekend (Dugan, Graham, Morris, Gallen, Fifita)

BRONCOS
Current Origin Players: 5 (Oates, Gillett, Ofahengaue, Fifita, Haas)
1st Tier Internationals: 1 (Isaako)

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

f**k. Might as well give up now.

 

[Eelogical]

f**k. Might as well give up now.

It does point out the imbalance of the competition when you look at it. The top four teams have 17 origin players between them, the bottom 4 have only have 10. The Broncos should have been further up the list considering they have 5 Origin players in their team out of the 10 that played up in the bottom 4.

 

[84 Baby]

We need to go to the Ricky Stuart school of having more Origin players

 

[Tooooks]

It does point out the imbalance of the competition when you look at it. The top four teams have 17 origin players between them, the bottom 4 have only have 10. The Broncos should have been further up the list considering they have 5 Origin players in their team out of the 10 that played up in the bottom 4.

I dont know what the answer is but TPAs are giving some clubs a massive advantage.

 

[Suitman]

I dont know what the answer is but TPAs are giving some clubs a massive advantage.

Agreed. TPA's give certain teams a massive advantage and make the salary cap redundant. It's clear and obvious.
They should be pissed off.

 

[Noise]

It does point out the imbalance of the competition when you look at it. The top four teams have 17 origin players between them, the bottom 4 have only have 10. The Broncos should have been further up the list considering they have 5 Origin players in their team out of the 10 that played up in the bottom 4.

The team that came 2nd last has 5 origin players and 2 tier 1 international players. Losers

 

[hindy111]

Agreed. TPA's give certain teams a massive advantage and make the salary cap redundant. It's clear and obvious.
They should be pissed off.

And then the dodgie under tables will be done. Lurks and perks.

Any moron can see what someones squad will cost. Nrl turn a blind eye.

 

[The EELiminator]

Agreed. TPA's give certain teams a massive advantage and make the salary cap redundant. It's clear and obvious.
They should be pissed off.

it's not just TPA's

players will take massive unders to go to the top clubs like storm & roosters and play under the best coaches + be surrounded by rep players

 

[Tooooks]

it's not just TPA's

players will take massive unders to go to the top clubs like storm & roosters and play under the best coaches + be surrounded by rep players

Are they taking massive unders though?

I don't understand why player salaries aren't public. Make it transparent.

 

[The EELiminator]

Are they taking massive unders though?

I don't understand why player salaries aren't public. Make it transparent.

i agree

whenever a player signs a contract the media comes up with a figure & i read they are often inaccurate

if people are going to argue over a player's value they should at least be using the right number

 

[emjaycee]

My brother is a Souffs supporter and he reckons we only beat them because they were missing Origin players... as I said to him at the time, the Eels compete every week without our Origin players (this was before Ferguson was picked), and we don't use that as an excuse when we lose.

 

[Big Vince Fawcett]

Those stats are flat out unreal, our signings over the past few years have been mostly fringe players from other clubs, no locked in rep players.

Still, that lineup named is about our strongest so the time is now!

 

[Poupou Escobar]

My brother is a Souffs supporter and he reckons we only beat them because they were missing Origin players... as I said to him at the time, the Eels compete every week without our Origin players (this was before Ferguson was picked), and we don't use that as an excuse when we lose.

I do.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

To be fair, plenty of players that play Origin or for international sides that aren't Australia are no better than dozens of other players who miss out on those teams. The reason one average player gets picked over another is usually because he has been injury free and his team plays finals footy every year.

The average players who play for shit teams tend to get overlooked, even though they're just as good (and cost as much) as many of the ones who do get picked.

Obviously guys like Hayne, Tedesco and Frizell get picked no matter how bad their club side is going (Tedesco played Origin at the Tigers, before he had ever even played finals footy), but these guys are/were legit rep stars. Guys like Finucane, Saifiti and Josh Morris are not.

 

[hineyrulz]

The team that came 2nd last has 5 origin players and 2 tier 1 international players. Losers

And Mary McGregor as coach. So seems about right.

 

[hineyrulz]

Agreed. TPA's give certain teams a massive advantage and make the salary cap redundant. It's clear and obvious.
They should be pissed off.

Your chairman having a shit golf game also helps.

 

[Gary Gutful]

I'm more interested in the team with the most future origin and internal representatives.

 

[Tooooks]

To be fair, plenty of players that play Origin or for international sides that aren't Australia are no better than dozens of other players who miss out on those teams. The reason one average player gets picked over another is usually because he has been injury free and his team plays finals footy every year.

The average players who play for shit teams tend to get overlooked, even though they're just as good (and cost as much) as many of the ones who do get picked.

Obviously guys like Hayne, Tedesco and Frizell get picked no matter how bad their club side is going (Tedesco played Origin at the Tigers, before he had ever even played finals footy), but these guys are/were legit rep stars. Guys like Finucane, Saifiti and Josh Morris are not.

Fair points.

 

[Tooooks]

I'm more interested in the team with the most future origin and internal representatives.

Also a fair point!