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Blues Have To Find A Way To ...

Messages
8,480

Andrew Johns is turning into the Ozzy Osbourne of the NRL.

A lot of what he says these days is coming from beyond Mars. Ridiculous.

On another note I overlooked Latrell Mitchell in my backline post above. While I doubt Fittler n co will select him even if fit - I’d definitely have him in there... At Centre replacing either Lomax or Wighton. At a pinch Wighton to bench...

Tedesco
Addo Carr
Mitchell
Lomax
Trbojevic
Walker
Cleary.

14 - Wighton

I think Wighton is a good enough player to make the squad in the starting side or on the bench. But Lomax is not a bench option.

I think the selectors will overlook Mitchell n Lomax... put Trbojevic in the centre’s with Wighton and plonk Tupou on the wing again.

My thoughts aside... I think barring injury we have any number of great combinations available to have an absolute killer backline..

Tedesco
Mitchell
Papenhuyzen
Trbojevic
Addo Carr
To’o
Ferguson
Lomax
Wighton
Walker
Luai
Cleary

I think it has to come from those 12...
 

Spanner in the works

First Grade
Messages
6,073
I think to get them all in you need to create space with a pack that's good with post-contact metres to create quick play the balls, has some skill, but can defend when needed. My side at this stage would be:

8. Klemmer
9. Cook
10. Haas
11. Frizzell
12. Crichton
13. Trbojevic

7. Cleary
6. Wighton/Luai

5. Trbojevic
4. Lomax
3. Mitchell
2. Papenhuyzen
1. Tedesco

14. Saifiti
15. RCG
16. TPJ
17. Radley
 

The_Frog

First Grade
Messages
6,390
I think to get them all in you need to create space with a pack that's good with post-contact metres to create quick play the balls, has some skill, but can defend when needed. My side at this stage would be:

8. Klemmer
9. Cook
10. Haas
11. Frizzell
12. Crichton
13. Trbojevic

7. Cleary
6. Wighton/Luai

5. Trbojevic
4. Lomax
3. Mitchell
2. Papenhuyzen
1. Tedesco

14. Saifiti
15. RCG
16. TPJ
17. Radley
So Tedesco goes down concussed after 10 minutes. Fine, Pap can play fullback, but which of your bench goes to the wing? You haven't even got Yeo to cover centre this time.

Klemmer's Origin days are long over. Likewise Friz if Fittler has any sense and Jake hasn't set the world on fire for two years now. That's a geriatric pack of forwards, to be honest.
 

Spanner in the works

First Grade
Messages
6,073
So Tedesco goes down concussed after 10 minutes. Fine, Pap can play fullback, but which of your bench goes to the wing? You haven't even got Yeo to cover centre this time.

Klemmer's Origin days are long over. Likewise Friz if Fittler has any sense and Jake hasn't set the world on fire for two years now. That's a geriatric pack of forwards, to be honest.
You are, of course, welcome to name your side.
 

The_Frog

First Grade
Messages
6,390
You are, of course, welcome to name your side.
Well its a bit difficult supporting an unbeaten side in that I'll be accused of picking blokes from my team, but I'd have 4 of our blokes. Cleary, Luai, To'o and Yeo.

I'm not too sure about the forwards either, there's quite a while to go yet.

1 Tedesco, he's royalty and you don't drop royalty. Also the captain.
2. AddoCarr, pretty close to royalty as well.
3. Trebojevic T, I'm against picking fullbacks out of position but Tom is proven at this level at centre.
4. Mitchell, also proven in this position. Consider Lomax instead though.
5. To'o, best winger in the game at present, especially making hard metres.
6. Luai. if you're picking Cleary you have to pick his halves partner. They complement each other.
7. Cleary. No challengers.
8. Saifiti.
9. Cook, although I do think he's nearing the end at this level. Has lapses in defence.
10. Haas, RCG or Paulo. Also consider Vaughan.
11. Radley
12. Crichton
13. Yeo

14 Bird. May and Peachey are possibles but Bird seems made for this role. I'm looking here at the ability to cover injuries in the backs or hooker with minimal disruption, and ability to come on and make 25 tackles in 25 minutes if there are no injuries, rather than another fullback.
15.See 10.
16. See 10.
17. Murray/Finucane/Trebojevic J.

Can't find a place for Wighton or Walker, and Pap will just have to wait his turn.
 

Spanner in the works

First Grade
Messages
6,073
Jack Bird is perhaps the most injury prone player in the game. Thinking an injury to Bird is a more likely possibility than a game-ending concussion to Tedesco? If he could remain fit he'd be an easy choice.

In defence of my side, at a pinch Cook could slot in at the halves, Radley to hooker, and Wighton could cover the backline. Not ideal but neither is losing your fullback, and the options for replacement fullback are well covered - could move Lomax to the wing with Wighton at centre, for example. Less concerned in Origin about the wing position as I am having fresh forwards, which is why I went with 4 on the bench over 3+1, with the 4th forward having the versatility to play hooker.

Not sure I agree Klemmer is done at Origin-level - he's well under 30 and has largely been a good performer at that level. Also playing pretty well this year imo and if anything is at the age where forward start to reach their peak. I must admit I was 50/50 on Frizell (I flicked Vaughan instead) but I like the experience Frizell brings while we bring through TPJ (rumour has it he is making himself available for NSW this year) and Haas properly (and to an extent RCG).

Trbojevic is a solid option at lock imo to keep the ruck clean, do the little 1 per centers, etc. Not expecting him to win games on his own, just to do a good job. Picking entirely the latest and greatest and chopping and changing seems to me to be a Stuart through Daley-era issue, which wasn't great era for us, so I've largely stuck with players from the last 2 series.
 

Rhyno

First Grade
Messages
9,318
1. Tedesco
2. Ado-Carr
3. Trbojevic
4. Wighton
5. To'o
6. Walker
7. Cleary

14. Papenhauzen

If you play Wighton at 6 you need someone different on the bench to cover the halves...might be Gutho. With this backline you can afford Papenhauzen on the bench. Or you just start him anyway but it won't be at fullback.

If you don't want a shorter winger in To'o you could move Tommy T and have Latrell at centre. His impending suspension is an untimely one. You also have Tupou and Cotric.
No chance To’o gets picked especially not ahead of Fergo and Gutherson
 

Fangs

Coach
Messages
11,182
No chance To’o gets picked especially not ahead of Fergo and Gutherson

Incorrect. To'o will be considered.

Ferguson has played his last Origin match. And Clint is much more suited to the 14 or even 18th man position.
 
Messages
8,480
Incorrect. To'o will be considered.

Ferguson has played his last Origin match. And Clint is much more suited to the 14 or even 18th man position.

Has ferguson announced that?

If he hasn’t, I’d have him in the the mix with To’o in the dozen backs to select from. He has been immense in the last few series he played in... and has been playing great again for parra this year, despite having a bomb nightmare a few weeks ago, which he came back from.

Gutherson is purely a 1. So is Papenhuyzen. And Tedesco. Mitchell n Trbojevic are the fullbacks who can legitimately play elsewhere in the backs.

I can’t see them picking anyone ahead of Tedesco at fullback, so it’s hard to get Gutherson or Pap into the team.. To pick them out of position or on the bench is a risk for mine. We had injuries last year to cover... but if none this year I’d think Teddy, Turbo and Latrell will get into the team. There’s 3 gun fullbacks, with two who can cover shuffles in the backline in the event of injury ..
 

myrrh ken

First Grade
Messages
9,817
Has ferguson announced that?

If he hasn’t, I’d have him in the the mix with To’o in the dozen backs to select from. He has been immense in the last few series he played in... and has been playing great again for parra this year, despite having a bomb nightmare a few weeks ago, which he came back from.

Gutherson is purely a 1. So is Papenhuyzen. And Tedesco. Mitchell n Trbojevic are the fullbacks who can legitimately play elsewhere in the backs.

I can’t see them picking anyone ahead of Tedesco at fullback, so it’s hard to get Gutherson or Pap into the team.. To pick them out of position or on the bench is a risk for mine. We had injuries last year to cover... but if none this year I’d think Teddy, Turbo and Latrell will get into the team. There’s 3 gun fullbacks, with two who can cover shuffles in the backline in the event of injury ..
I'm not sure about ted. He played centre before but I dont think very convincingly. Pap is an athlete, you could just chuck him anywhere ala Craig wing
 
Messages
13,793
I think you will find that Paps has played in a few position before being settled into fullback.

In 2019 he played 13 of his 22 games off the interchange bench for the Storm, 8 games starting at fullback and 1 game starting at five eight. From 2020 onwards all his games for the Storm have been at fullback (source: https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/ryan-papenhuyzen/summary.html)

As such I think Paps is the better option as the 14 off the bench. He is more versatile than Wighton and in much better form. On current form, Wighton would be at longer odds to make the NSW side in my opinion.
 

King hit

Coach
Messages
13,756
Does anyone have a feeling that this years series will be a much more accurate indicator then last year. Players in mid year form at their peak, no flying in on the day of the game and much more stable teams. NSW having to make captaincy changes, captain goes off early in game 3, one of the best players not playing a single game.
 

Reflector

Juniors
Messages
2,264
Does anyone have a feeling that this years series will be a much more accurate indicator then last year. Players in mid year form at their peak, no flying in on the day of the game and much more stable teams. NSW having to make captaincy changes, captain goes off early in game 3, one of the best players not playing a single game.


Agreed. Last year was one of those unprecedented events, similar to 1995 with the fallout from the 'war'.

And one of those series where a few things fell into place for Qld, the same way things fell into place for NSW back in 2014 with Cronk getting injured after just 9 minutes in Game 1 and then Sharon Woods not being penalised for making contact with the ball from the kickoff in Game 2. For Qld last year they had the fortune of having 30 seconds wasted at the end of Game 1 with NSW attacking their line, then Teddy getting HIA'd in Game 3.
 

The_Frog

First Grade
Messages
6,390
As such I think Paps is the better option as the 14 off the bench.
Can he make 25 tackles in 25 minutes playing back row if no-one is injured? That's part of the deal too, apart from just covering the backline. I know Ponga did it, which was a surprise, but Pap looks a bit light on to me. Fittler will have learned last year about taking risks with his bench.
 

Fangs

Coach
Messages
11,182
Does anyone have a feeling that this years series will be a much more accurate indicator then last year. Players in mid year form at their peak, no flying in on the day of the game and much more stable teams. NSW having to make captaincy changes, captain goes off early in game 3, one of the best players not playing a single game.

The main difference is this series matters.

Last years Origin series was one of the most forgettable in history. Apathy from the players. And I know plenty of rabid NRL fans who didn't bother to tune in.
 

big hit!

Bench
Messages
3,452
One theory is pick your best players and make them fit in the 17.

The other is select a team with balance and guys who have actually proven to be good in their position.

I lean towards the latter.

Defending 2-man isn't easy, yet NSW have a tendency to sacrifice it for the FB or half that can't fit in their own position.
 

myrrh ken

First Grade
Messages
9,817
As such I think Paps is the better option as the 14 off the bench. He is more versatile than Wighton and in much better form. On current form, Wighton would be at longer odds to make the NSW side in my opinion.

He is not more versatile. Simple Jack has played the same positions for longer and is a bigger body that would be able to handle emergency back row. Paps form is better but simple jack is no slouch. Tough call if they want a utility on the bench.
 
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