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Round 2 Panthers Vs Cowboys@DF (Same team again?!)

Shorty

Moderator
Staff member
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15,555
Look, I made the positives thread, but I expected that Gallant might be starting to get a gig and perhaps some young wingers.
Ty isn't good enough at fullback, why does Henry persist with a team with such glaring faults?
This is basically the team last year and we didn't do that well did we?
Come on King, some changes are needed...what gives?

Cowboys
1 Ty Williams
2 John Williams
3 Ashley Graham
4 Willie Tonga
5 Michael Bani
6 Grant Rovelli
7 Johnathan Thurston
8 Matthew Scott
9 Aaron Payne
10 Antonio Kaufusi
11 Scott Bolton
12 Steve Southern
13 Luke O'Donnell

14 Anthony Watts
15 Steve Rapira
16 Willie Mason
17 Manase Manuokafoa
18 Carl Webb
19 James Tamou
(two to be omitted)

Coach: Neil Henry

Panthers
1. Lachlan Coote
2. Michael Gordon
3. Michael Jennings
4. Adrian Purtell
5. Shane Elford
6. Travis Burns
7. Luke Walsh
8. Tim Grant
9. Kevin Kingston
10. Petero Civoniceva
11. Frank Pritchard
12. Trent Waterhouse
13. Luke Lewis

14. Joseph Paulo
15. Nathan Smith
16.Matthew Bell
17.Sam McKendry
18.Ryan Walker
20.Nigel Plum
21. Frank Puletua

Coach: Matt Elliot

Courtesy of Stampede
 

Talanexor

Juniors
Messages
1,798
I like the sentiment of the positives thread Shorty. There were some very promising signs that just weren't there last year - coming back in the second half instead of just assuming it was all over being the most important. But yeah, some changes are needed, and the first home game seemed like the best time to do it.

Graham needs to be dropped. Ty Williams needs to be dropped, or at least moved away from fullback. Rovelli probably needs to be dropped (his kicking was appalling and his defence was bad too - don't forget he defends one in from Graham and J Williams).

Both wingers need to be put on notice. I've said my piece about John Williams and Bani, but NEITHER showed any reason to guarantee them a spot in round 2.

It'll be very interesting to see how Travis Burns goes (I missed the Panthers match last week). Parr will be kicking himself if Burns has developed a good kicking game and some creativity.

EDIT - A little birdie just told me that Tamou is confident he'll be playing. Which means Webb and probably Manuokafoa will drop off that 19-man bench.
 
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Charlie124

First Grade
Messages
8,509
So you pretty much want to drop the whole backline except for Tonga. What happens the first time your backline of rookies loses a game? start weilding the axe again and name some blokes from the cutters??
 

Shorty

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
15,555
MM, I can't see anything atm.

No I'd only drop Ash and move Ty, chiefly because we do actually have a specialist fullback with speed to burn and Ty is very useful in defence.
John Williams and Bani appear to be lacking confidence, but they did try and I wouldn't be dropping them.
I suppose the fact is that they just might not be explosive enough to cover Ty's issues.

The Dragons have a pretty useless fullback in Darius Boyd but with a Morris brother outside him, it's neutralised.
So if King is looking to the same thing then we'll need to get a faster winger in.
So it comes down to keeping Ty and getting a fast winger to compensate or getting Gallant in and keeping the wingers.

Either way I think it'll still be a couple of rounds before we see some changes.
As fans we don't really understand the dynamics of a team and what kind of effect it has bringing in new players in terms of combinations.
It's much better to get the team who have been playing each other and know each other well to improve then slotting risky rookies in.

What I do know is we're going to be constantly hampered until we get a speedy winger or more creative fullback, because with Bowen there usually our team is constantly playing on one leg.
 
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Canard

Immortal
Messages
34,147
Darius Boyd ordinary??

He would be a walk up start in the Cowboys for sure?

Id rate Darius in the top echelon of NRL fullbacks for sure.
 

Shorty

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
15,555
I find he does nothing in attack at the Dragons.
Granted, I didn't see much of the game last round but I watched him last year and he was very pedestrian.
 

Shorty

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Staff member
Messages
15,555
This should be an interesting development, Gallant is obviously knocking at the door being first in line and I think he'll excel if given the chance.
Unfortunate for JW.
 

Newcastle Cow

Live Update Team
Messages
105
I know this has been done to death in this forum but I simply can’t get over how Bani keeps getting a run. At least Graham and Ty Williams have had periods in their careers where they have done something in the game. I just don’t get it. The guy is slow, his defence is pitiful, he’s got poor ball skills; he’s just simply not a fist-grader IMO. I just had a quick look at the lineups for this week and there is literally not one NRL winger who I sincerely, honestly wouldn’t prefer over him. Its not just me, all my mates who are league followers say the same thing. I know everyone is entitled to their opinion but it is really beyond me.

If J Williams is out this week, Ty or Ash should take that wing spot, prob with Gallant coming in at fullback (though I wouldn’t object to some others getting a chance in that backline also).

Agree with the majority of posters about Darius Boyd. A little overrated? Maybe, but ‘pretty useless’? hardly, miles ahead of most of our backs
 

Talanexor

Juniors
Messages
1,798
I know this has been done to death in this forum but I simply can’t get over how Bani keeps getting a run. At least Graham and Ty Williams have had periods in their careers where they have done something in the game. I just don’t get it. The guy is slow, his defence is pitiful, he’s got poor ball skills; he’s just simply not a fist-grader IMO. I just had a quick look at the lineups for this week and there is literally not one NRL winger who I sincerely, honestly wouldn’t prefer over him. Its not just me, all my mates who are league followers say the same thing. I know everyone is entitled to their opinion but it is really beyond me.

If J Williams is out this week, Ty or Ash should take that wing spot, prob with Gallant coming in at fullback (though I wouldn’t object to some others getting a chance in that backline also).

Agree with the majority of posters about Darius Boyd. A little overrated? Maybe, but ‘pretty useless’? hardly, miles ahead of most of our backs

A HA! someone who agrees with me about Bani. Pretty much everything you said was spot on EXCEPT:

Ash Graham is even worse on the wing. Why? He can't catch bombs, can't clean up grubbers. I do NOT want to be giving the opposition a full set of six 20m out every time they kick to Graham. Ty is a mite too slow too, although he probably deserves to be in the team somewhere, most likely at centre as Shorty said.

On Daius Boyd. Yes - he would walk straight into the Cowboys backline, anywhere he liked. But no, he isn't any good. That says more about our backs than it does about Boyd, unfortunately.

Boyd is like Luke Burt. Very safe, very good defensive fullback, excellent positioning - but he doesn't offer a lot in attack. Not a great ball-runner/support player, not third playmaker either. Fits in well with the Dragons because they play a very disciplined style, and a safe fullback is a great asset to have in that case.
 

Shorty

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
15,555
I know this has been done to death in this forum but I simply can’t get over how Bani keeps getting a run. At least Graham and Ty Williams have had periods in their careers where they have done something in the game. I just don’t get it. The guy is slow, his defence is pitiful, he’s got poor ball skills; he’s just simply not a fist-grader IMO. I just had a quick look at the lineups for this week and there is literally not one NRL winger who I sincerely, honestly wouldn’t prefer over him. Its not just me, all my mates who are league followers say the same thing. I know everyone is entitled to their opinion but it is really beyond me.

If J Williams is out this week, Ty or Ash should take that wing spot, prob with Gallant coming in at fullback (though I wouldn’t object to some others getting a chance in that backline also).

Agree with the majority of posters about Darius Boyd. A little overrated? Maybe, but ‘pretty useless’? hardly, miles ahead of most of our backs

A HA! someone who agrees with me about Bani. Pretty much everything you said was spot on EXCEPT:

Ash Graham is even worse on the wing. Why? He can't catch bombs, can't clean up grubbers. I do NOT want to be giving the opposition a full set of six 20m out every time they kick to Graham. Ty is a mite too slow too, although he probably deserves to be in the team somewhere, most likely at centre as Shorty said.

On Daius Boyd. Yes - he would walk straight into the Cowboys backline, anywhere he liked. But no, he isn't any good. That says more about our backs than it does about Boyd, unfortunately.

Boyd is like Luke Burt. Very safe, very good defensive fullback, excellent positioning - but he doesn't offer a lot in attack. Not a great ball-runner/support player, not third playmaker either. Fits in well with the Dragons because they play a very disciplined style, and a safe fullback is a great asset to have in that case.
Well NC, most of us here don't get it.
You and Tal are seeing something the rest of us aren't?

What makes him that bad? Actually what makes him any worse than the rest of the backline? John Williams is spared a lot of criticism but he's guilty for a lot of defensive errors.

I think that haters of Bani became that way because they have a resentment towards him because he's taken the place for Ben Farrar, who was a very under-rated quality player.
It doesn't make sense, it's like namely you two and the rest of the whole forum couldn't care less.
And it's not dislike, it's this deep resentment and it's boderline nasty..what the hell?
It's not like he's Shannon Hegarty, he's scored quality tries and done what's required of him as a winger.
Considering we have players like Ty Williams and Ash Graham in the backline, I can't for the life of me understand it.

Some of you really are like Philly Eagles fans, extremely harsh on our players and the hate's irrational.
 

Talanexor

Juniors
Messages
1,798
Sam three reasons as last week:

Scott Bolton is a weapon
Aaron Payne getting the forwards rolling in the second half
Tonga breaking the line over and over

Ash Graham actually had a decent game. I don't know whether he's improved or whether the Panthers just didn't throw a lot at him. Southern played a LOT better than he did last week.

Ty Williams was shocking at fullback, both wingers played poorly. Yes, Bani scored a try, but it was given to him on a platter. He also dropped just about every catch he needed to take. To be fair though, John Williams wasn't any better.

I think Rovelli and Graham did enough to justify selection next week, but I think we'll be seeing Gallant at fullback instead of Ty.

On the plus side, I am REALLY stoked to see that we can come back from big half time deficits! Last year we struggled to keep the intensity up for 80 mins - now it seems we lift the intensity the longer the match goes for.
 

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