Backline for remainder of 2017

[Poupou Escobar]

well that convinced me.

Put it this way - why would it be any different? Because he's locking the scrum now?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

No, but it would take one of the battering rams out of the team

They haven't exactly been battering anyway.

 

[RazorRam0n]

Put it this way - why would it be any different? Because he's locking the scrum now?

because we lack go forward as it is already with the arm wrestle.

 

[Mickyd39]

Option 1.

I think Auva'a is only going to get better.

 

[Forty20]

True but the combination Avua'a and Hoffman are starting to show looks good for mine and I wouldn't look to change it for a debutant necessarily.

Very fair point, mate. I threw Leleisiuao's name in there because he is getting some noise from media pundits (Andy Raymond and NRL.com) about a potential NRL debut this year and that jumped out for me. He has been far more polished in the Holden Cup than I expected. His power running and tackle busting is drawing all the plaudits but he has been committed in defence and tidy under the high ball in both attack and defence.

I readily concede to you about Auva'a. He made a big leap forwards against the Tigers and any sort of healthy consolidation from there would make him very hard to leave out.

An alternative to my proposed backline that keeps Auva'a at centre would be switching Gutherson to 5/8 and then either finding Takairangi a home in the backrow or as a bench utility (or leaving him out entirely I guess).

I think regardless of which way we end up going (with or without Semi) we can field a decent backline. Radradra is a game-tilting influence when he is anywhere near his best but we have only seen that in rare glimpses this season so in some ways his potential loss is being cushioned a bit.

If our forwards can lay any sort of basic platform in both attack and defence I believe we can acquit ourselves well enough out wide in most games. There-in lies the problem at the moment though.

 

[forward pass]

Slightly off topic - But BA has to do something about our captaincy situation. Mannah is playing very few minutes and Scott is now starting off the bench - and even he is getting less minutes now. It is a ridiculous situation.

I would be making Normie or Gutho captain as they play the 80. Mannah was basically dumped as captain when Foran joined us and really he has the job by default now. How can a captain who plays 23 minutes be given respect by his team mates when he is hardly contributing? And I don't think he is the right type of personality anyway.

 

[Eelementary]

I would hate to dump Taka, tbh - I think his days at centre are numbered, but he's a more than handy edge forward, and a serviceable back-up at 6.

 

[Bazal]

Slightly off topic - But BA has to do something about our captaincy situation. Mannah is playing very few minutes and Scott is now starting off the bench - and even he is getting less minutes now. It is a ridiculous situation.

I would be making Normie or Gutho captain as they play the 80. Mannah was basically dumped as captain when Foran joined us and really he has the job by default now. How can a captain who plays 23 minutes be given respect by his team mates when he is hardly contributing? And I don't think he is the right type of personality anyway.

Mannah is better than most at talking to the refs, as is Scott. That'll be why they have the c as much as anything. We have a leadership group to do the actual leadership but the rules now state only the captain can speak to the referee.

Norman talking to the refs would be Hayne Mk2 and Gutho is too easygoing. Both are in the leadership group anyway I believe so they already do a job in a leaders role

 

[Bazal]

I would hate to dump Taka, tbh - I think his days at centre are numbered, but he's a more than handy edge forward, and a serviceable back-up at 6.

Problem is Taka isn't a better back rower than Ma'u, Moeroa and Edwards. And we don't tend to carry two back rowers on the bench because Ma'u plays 80.

I like him but he's the weak link at the moment.

 

[RazorRam0n]

there was an opportunity before brown arrived for taka to increase his work rate and become a very good lock

 

[Incorrect]

The Chairman shoud be captain - he wouldn't have to talk to ref's just give them that stare.... we'd be on the happy side of penalty counts all year I reckon....

 

[Bazal]

The Chairman shoud be captain - he wouldn't have to talk to ref's just give them that stare.... we'd be on the happy side of penalty counts all year I reckon....

He'd be the first captain to ever get a penalty overturned that's for sure.

 

[Eelementary]

Problem is Taka isn't a better back rower than Ma'u, Moeroa and Edwards. And we don't tend to carry two back rowers on the bench because Ma'u plays 80.

I like him but he's the weak link at the moment.

That's true.

I'm happy with him in the 6 for now, though.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

there was an opportunity before brown arrived for taka to increase his work rate and become a very good lock

Takairangi is an edge player. He would be wasted in the middle. Limited minutes at second row (or whatever you kids are calling it these days) would probably be his best go.

 

[Twizzle]

I would hate to dump Taka, tbh - I think his days at centre are numbered, but he's a more than handy edge forward, and a serviceable back-up at 6.

middle half mate, get it right

 

[Bazal]

middle half mate, get it right

Actually the 6 is called outside-edge-second-receiver these days, I believe

 

[Happy MEel]

Putting the 8 or 10 jersey on him wouldn't change the way he plays.

As you say, it doesn't really make much of difference what number they have on their back but you're probably better off leaving Brown in the 13 and playing Moeroa in the 8 as he is used more as a battering ram.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Like Klemmer, Taumalolo and Sam Burgess?

 

[yy_cheng]

I actually prefer Gutho at 1 over French at the moment.

Gutho is a very good link player. He provides the space for Jennings and Semi with early ball.

Bev hasn't got his passing game worked out yet.

I would have Gutho at 1 and Bev at 2 and maybe switch them around during the game to provide a different dynamic. Bev can still roam at 2.

If we get moses, I would drop Hoffman and maybe keep him to replace Semi. I am still wondering why we signed the Hoff.

A'uva can play wing

 

[emjaycee]

A'uva can play wing

But can he? He has played only one game on the wing in 41 first grade games.