09 :: R15 Fri :: Bulldogs 19 Panthers 12 @ ANZ

[mxlegend99]

I'm usually very confident against you guys. As you have mentioned, we always seem to pull one out of our arses against all odds and grab a win.

But looking at the backlines... it would be against all odds if you blokes didn't beat us by 30+. Idris and Morris are in amazing form at the moment, and absolutely shredding sides to bits. Not just crappy sides, even the better teams.

Meanwhile our centres are Gavin Cooper and Maurice Blair. These blokes are being carved up by the crappier sides. I'm a little scared to imagine what a couple of genuine centres will be capable of doing to these blokes.

We might be a very tiny chance if we drop Maurice Blair and shift Gavin Cooper back to the bench, running out with the following side:

1. Jarrod Sammut
18. Junior Tia Kilifi (vs El Magic)
17. Andrew Emilio (vs Morris)
5. Shane Elford (vs Idris)
2. Brad Tighe (vs Goodwin)
6. Wade Graham
7. Luke Walsh
8. Frank Puletua
9. Paul Aiton
10. Tim Grant
11. Trent Waterhouse (c)
12. Frank Pritchard
13. Nathan Smith

14. Matthew Bell
15. Joseph Paulo
16. Masada Iosefa
3. Gavin Cooper

I would normally have kept Tighe at centre with Elford on the wing, although we need our best defensive back to be marking up against Jamal Idris... and that would have to be Shane Elford. Brad Tighe with his extra pace would also help contain Goodwin, while Tia Kilifi should be able to contain El Magic through his size. Not sure how Andrew Emilio would go at marking up against Morris. I haven't seen him playing at all this season. But if Morris is the only bloke tearing us up, it's an improvement over what will happen.

 

[mxlegend99]

BTW if that team was picked, i would still be backing the Bulldogs at 13+. We have lost every single game that Luke Lewis has missed by a massive margin, and been competitive in every single game that Luke Lewis has played. In a couple of our losses, it has been dodgy decisions that cost us rather then our we played.

Margins of the games Luke Lewis missed:
Round 6 vs Broncos - Broncos beat us by 20
Round 12 vs Dragons - Dragons beat us by 28
Round 14 vs Sea Eagles - Manly beat us by 14
Winning ratio: 0%
Average Margin: 20.6 loss

Margins of the games Luke Lewis played:
Round 1 vs Sharks - LOST by 8
Round 2 vs Bulldogs - LOST by 2
Round 3 vs Sea Eagles - WON by 2
Round 4 vs Tigers - WON by 20
Round 5 vs Storm - LOST by 2
Round 7 vs Titans - WON by 14
Round 8 vs Raiders - WON by 8
Round 10 vs Sharks - WON by 4
Round 11 vs Roosters - WON by 42
Round 13 vs Tigers - WON by 16
Winning ratio: 70%
Average Margin: 9.4 win

In those 2 point losses, we have have easily won those games had we not been disallowed fair tries in the last 10 minutes. The point is that we were competitive in every single game we played with Luke Lewis and could have easily had a 90% winning rate with him in the side.

Without him we haven't even come close to winning. We've managed to win with Trent Waterhouse, Michael Jennings, Michael Gordon, Jarrod Sammut, Luke Walsh, Lachlan Coote etc. and even when we've lost without these blokes the games were competitive so long as Luke Lewis was on the field.

 

[ouwet]

MXLegend99 - Andrew Emilio is a pretty good defensive centre IMO.

He's up against his former club, he'll be pumped to put in a big one!

 

[mxlegend99]

I remember him being a pretty good defender back in the day. I was watching the reserve grade game before a Panthers vs Bulldogs match... i think Round 2 in 2007. Was sitting down near the front of the metal seating and he absolutely smashed his opposing centre, probably about 15 to 20 metres from where i was sitting. I felt the impact in the crowd and the sound his contact made was just amazing. I was also very impressed that the Panther player actually managed to get up after it... i would have been stretchered off after a tackle like that.

Although that's the last time i remember seeing him play. Hopefully he is hungry for first grade, and being up against his former club even hungrier to have a great game. At the very least he would HAVE to be an improvement over Gavin Cooper and Maurice Blair.

 

[murraymob]

i still say shane blackett should have got a run.Would offer more than any player we have on the bench and can play front row and well as back row.If emilio goes well he may wellhold the spot and partner jennings on his return

 

[mxlegend99]

Hopefully. I could live with us finishing the year off with:

1. Jarrod Sammut
2. Michael Gordon (Shane Elford until Gordon is fit)
3. Michael Jennings (Brad Tighe until Jennings is fit)
4. Andrew Emilio
5. Geoff Daniela (Junior Tia Kilifi until Daniela is fit)

Wow.... it really highlights just how pathetic our current backline is when you look at the potential backlines we could have right now.

 

[murraymob]

the worst mistake our club ever made was letting peter mulholand go.he was one of the few people in the club that could actually identify talent.No secret jones takes over our depth disapears

 

[Rovelli]

Will Ennis play, or be held out because of SOO?

Think the Dogs will win; but I'm not totally convinced of a big beat-down...Bulldogs 13+ is paying about $2.20.

 

[murraymob]

ennis will play all extra players have been released to play for there clubs

 

[0neye]

lord Moffoeye said, the Doggies will rip the cats to bits

 

[dogz08]

Nice day today.. hopefully we could get maybe 20k tonight

 

[ouwet]

Nice day today.. hopefully we could get maybe 20k tonight

It was a beautiful morning, however the clouds have come in ... I think the heavens will open up in the afternoon.

 

[Timmah]

I can't f**king go

Believe it or not, I'm attending Ross Noble in concert... NEXT DOOR AT ACER :x

 

[abpanther]

Bulldogs by 20+

 

[Caged Panther]

I can't f**king go

Believe it or not, I'm attending Ross Noble in concert... NEXT DOOR AT ACER :x

and it's taken you until today to realise this?

 

[ouwet]

and it's taken you until today to realise this?

My guess is the Mrs. wears the pants:lol:.

 

[mxlegend99]

Well just read in the Panthers forum that the reason Junior Tia Kilifi is 18th man, is that Shane Elford is also in doubt through the back spasms he started suffering last week before the Manly game.

I was hoping he was on the bench as a late inclusion at the expense of Blair... but instead we could be looking at another injury. In this case the only player in our backline who is reliable. Fingers crossed that Blair is ruled out and Tia Kilifi replaces him instead.

 

[Timmah]

My guess is the Mrs. wears the pants:lol:.

Don't worry, I went to the extent of checking the on-stage time with Acer Arena in case it was 9pm or something, so I could go to the game first. Alas, the concert is 7:45pm, same time as the game

 

[murraymob]

half time u20
penrith 18
tries to
micheal mate
joel romelo
sam mc kendry
goals
sterling siejka 3/3

dogs 12
dane finucane
rumone jackson
goals
matt minto 2/2

 

[Mitchsu Danger]

nervous. i think we might get done