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Team v Titans. Round 1

Meth

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
34,475
Less than a month away.

Picking a team for Round 1 is always difficult because you are essentially in the dark about what kind of shape the players are in. But, let's have a go-

1- Tuivasa Sheck
2- Fusitu'a
3- Hiku
4- Perham
5- Maumalo
6- Nikorima
7- Harris-Tavita
8- Fonua-Blake
9- Egan
10- Taunoa-Brown
11- Katoa/Sironen
12- Murdoch-Masilla
13- Harris

Res- Tevaga, Ah Mau, Evans, Turner
 

Meth

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
34,475
A couple of notes-

I thought Perham was great at centre last year and deserves first run at the spot over Aitken.

We have an obvious problem with a lack of depth at hooker and I don't know what the answer is there. I know that Egan is potentially an 80 minute player, but I'm not sure we want him for 80 minutes.

Katoa is in doubt for Round 1.

I'm not hugely excited about Murdoch-Masilla or Evans, but I am willing to be surprised.
 

Fufu Andronez

First Grade
Messages
8,464
1. RTS
2. Fusitua
3. Hiku
4. Aitken
5. Maumalo
6. Kodi
7. Chanel
8. Ah Mau
9. Egan
10. Fonua Blake
11. Murdoch Masila
12. Sironen
13. Harris

14. Tevaga
15. Evans
16. Taunoa Brown
17. Perham
 

Fufu Andronez

First Grade
Messages
8,464
A couple of notes-

I thought Perham was great at centre last year and deserves first run at the spot over Aitken.

We have an obvious problem with a lack of depth at hooker and I don't know what the answer is there. I know that Egan is potentially an 80 minute player, but I'm not sure we want him for 80 minutes.

Katoa is in doubt for Round 1.

I'm not hugely excited about Murdoch-Masilla or Evans, but I am willing to be surprised.
Aitken is a big signing, will definitely get the start and it has already ben spoken about that he is training at left centre with Ken. I think Perham has earned the bench utility spot though. He can cover every position from 1 to 7 and probably 9 at a pinch too.

I also reckon we have to start with Ah Mau due to the fact that he is a grinder and would not really provide any impact from the bench. Evans and JTB off the bench.

There will be a few players unlucky to miss out but as we saw last year, its gonna be a long year and most will probably get a game at some point.

Most hard done by to not got a spot in my team:

Murchie
Turner
Katoa (injury)
Afoa
 

SmashEmBro

Juniors
Messages
638
1. RTS
2. Fusitua
3. Hiku
4. Aitken
5. Maumalo
6. Kodi
7. Chanel
8. Ah Mau
9. Egan
10. Fonua Blake
11. Murdoch Masila
12. Sironen
13. Harris

14. Tevaga
15. Evans
16. Taunoa Brown
17. Bunty/Murchie

Sironen/Harris to fill in at centre for any injury during a game, with how heavy our forward pack is I don’t think we can afford to have a back on the interchange just in case.

One of Bunty/Murchie/Tanoa Brown to make way for Katoa once he comes back
 

JJ

Immortal
Messages
31,738
A couple of notes-

I thought Perham was great at centre last year and deserves first run at the spot over Aitken.

We have an obvious problem with a lack of depth at hooker and I don't know what the answer is there. I know that Egan is potentially an 80 minute player, but I'm not sure we want him for 80 minutes.

Katoa is in doubt for Round 1.

I'm not hugely excited about Murdoch-Masilla or Evans, but I am willing to be surprised.
I liked Perham too, but Aitken is a better signing than many seem to believe, he’s not perfect but will do a job

with you on the other two... bench forwards or fringe first graders, but happy to be surprised... both have big games in them, no mistake but are they week-to-week good performers?
 

Big Marn

Juniors
Messages
2,318
i was hoping the team had upgraded enough not to have Tevaga in the 17, but everyone above seems to have him on the bench...
 

Fufu Andronez

First Grade
Messages
8,464
1. RTS
2. Fusitua
3. Hiku
4. Aitken
5. Maumalo
6. Kodi
7. Chanel
8. Ah Mau
9. Egan
10. Fonua Blake
11. Murdoch Masila
12. Sironen
13. Harris

14. Tevaga
15. Evans
16. Taunoa Brown
17. Bunty/Murchie

Sironen/Harris to fill in at centre for any injury during a game, with how heavy our forward pack is I don’t think we can afford to have a back on the interchange just in case.

One of Bunty/Murchie/Tanoa Brown to make way for Katoa once he comes back
Interchanges will be interesting. Tohu and Katoa are probably our only 80 minute players.

AFB roughly 50 minutes
Ah Mau/Tevaga/Sironen/JTB 40 minutes
Evans 30 minutes
BMM is anyones guess

Thats based on some pub math on last years season. Also add that the game is getting even quicker this year so interchanges will be super important.

A little bit worried now seeing the average minutes played, I just assumed we had more 80 minute players.
 

Sanchez

Coach
Messages
14,397
Backline picks itself. Anyone thinking Aitken doesnt get first crack has inside oil or is kidding themselves

As for the pack, id love to see us start heavier

8. Evans.
9. Egan
10. Fonua Blake
11. BMM
12. Harris
13. Ah Mau

14. Tevaga
15. Murchie
16. Sironen
17. Afoa

1st 3 changes

20 min Tevaga on Evans off
20 min Sironin on Fonua Blake off, Harris moves in
30 min Murchie on Ah Mau off BMM moves in
 
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Scott

Bench
Messages
3,738
Backline picks itself. Anyone thinking Aitken doesnt get first crack has inside oil or is kidding themselves

As for the pack, id love to see us start heavier

8. Evans.
9. Egan
10. Fonua Blake
11. BMM
12. Harris
13. Ah Mau

14. Tevaga
15. Murchie
16. Sironen
17. Afoa

1st 3 changes

20 min Tevaga on Evans off
20 min Sironin on Fonua Blake off, Harris moves in
30 min Murchie on Ah Mau off BMM moves in

Nice thinking. I can see that working well.
 

Big Marn

Juniors
Messages
2,318
without a dedicated interchange hooker i can’t see him not being there. We need his utility value.
Egans supposed to be 80minutes and Tevagas service from dummy half is too slow which gives the oppositions D a leg up.
I'd rather have someone like Turner with X factor that can come on. If Egan goes down, move Kodi into hooker.
Or if we are taking the smashmouth approach with our huge pack, add another big into the rotation.
 

SpaceMonkey

Immortal
Messages
37,540
Egans supposed to be 80minutes and Tevagas service from dummy half is too slow which gives the oppositions D a leg up.
I'd rather have someone like Turner with X factor that can come on. If Egan goes down, move Kodi into hooker.
Or if we are taking the smashmouth approach with our huge pack, add another big into the rotation.

I'd never plan to use Jazz there for more than 10 min in case of injury cover or if Egan needed a spell or was in the bin. Good point on Kodi and Turner though. Turner covers FB too as a bonus.

Also I'm quite looking forward to seeing the "big Warriors forwards" back finally! We've always been a better side when we could smash them up front and get the offloads and second phase jungleball going.
 

sup42

Juniors
Messages
1,983
BMM is the hardest running forward they have, It is due to his surprising leg speed for a fat guy.

I agree with Brown saying he will be tried out wide, that is where he excelled in the ESL and for Tonga.

He is also a surprisingly good defender, he reads well on an edge, I heard that in a podcast and went and watched Tonga vs the Roos where the podcaster pointed out BMM shut down D.C.E.

I think he is a bit better than he is getting credit for.

No matter, it looks like he is in the frame to be one of the main backrowers in this season, so we will see for ourselves I guess.

I like the combination of Leeson and Fonua Blake starting because they are a balanced pair, two different prop types.

But if Leeson ends up off the bench I am happy with that too, the Dragons rated him off the bench due to his ptb speed and defence, he is a handy guy when the game is starting to open up...he could help that pack get a roll on by speed off the floor in the tackle.

Really looking forward to watching Aitken, it has been a long long time since the Warriors brought in a genuine regular NRL center who is not a tradesman defender / protector of Manu Vatuvie mentality.
 

SmashEmBro

Juniors
Messages
638
Yeah, I had Ah Mau starting too, but at the same time how good would the fire works be with an Evans and AFB starting combo, followed up by Ah Mau after 20.

Truth be told Im actually happy either way.

My opinion is that the Titans aren’t as good as everyone’s been making out, I’m expecting a W for our rd 1 team
 

JJ

Immortal
Messages
31,738
I think he is a bit better than he is getting credit for.
I hope so... he’d had a fair crack at the NRL previously and never delivered... obviously been great in a couple of tests and presumably (I don’t watch) in SL, but they aren’t the same grind as NRL

agree on Aitken, he’s not Gasnier, which I suspect is part of why Dragons fans turned on him, but he’s a quality NRL centre..,
 
Messages
16,405
Compressed right side defence left Titans make a break and set up camp for 3 repeat sets, that ended with ball kicked dead.
 
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