'11 | AAMI CvC | Fri | Country 18-12 City | Lavington SG, Albury

[redvscotty]

Not to mention his lack of game plans Gaba.

 

[super_coach]

one things for certain flash Gordon has to be picked in the SOO team. He is in better form than most of the other outside backs and the best goal kicker in the country, No brainer wing or fullback just has to be in the team

 

[Rodent]

Farah got players player BTW. Thought he was good, nothing flash but good, slick service from dummy half and very good in defence. Stuart would have liked what he saw.

He didn't look real flash when falling off Hinchcliffe and conceding a try.

 

[Tweed Titan]

My thoughts from the game:

Out of the fullbacks no one really stood out. I don't think any of them can be judged too harshly at the moment because they are playing in awful teams. I give the nod to Hayne on incumbency. You didn't see QLD drop Thurston in the last few years when North Qld were sucking and his form was meh. Proven origin performer so I keep faith in Hayne.

Out of the wingers Uate was the real stand out, he is in my team. Great kick returns and lightning fast. Gordon was solid and we need his goalkicking. Hoppa is a great talent but is a couple of years away from sky blue. Merritt was decent too but going with the top two.

In the centres I thought the city boys had the better of it before Champion got injured. It was also the best I have seen Jennings play this year and he was my pick prior to the start of the year but quickly turned to shite. He did butcher a try or two last night though. Thompson and Morris were average. IMO though we have to go with Idris and Gasnier.

Out of the 5/8ths Soward is a show-in if fit, unless Carney comes back and plays amazing. Keating was out of his depth a bit IMO.

In the halves I thought Mullen shaded it. Again at the start of the year I would have picked Pearce but Mullen has such a great kicking game and IMO provided the better last tackle options and kicks.

The front rowers that impressed were Galloway, Mannah and Tolman. But the real standout was TLL. Running like he was fired out of a cannon and hitting hard.

The hooking duel was pretty even and it looks as though Farah's injury isn't affecting him too much thank ****. Hinchcliffe was impressive and could be a bolter for the #14 jersey if Gidley is out. Underrated player, didn't realise he could play that well.

In the second row I thought Stewart had a really good game and showed great footwork at the line and was a calming influence on his team. All of the back row played pretty well but none of these players make my team.

At lock I though Heighington was his usual self and Fulton was solid (don't know how a player with his limitations got picked in the first place though). Again neither are in my team.

IMO the only bench player that improved his stock significantly was TLL.

In the Test match I though Morris did OK, good tackle on SKD to take him out but IMO we have better options. Snowden tried hard but had errors and penalties in him. Creagh played well and improved his stock. Idris blew an easy try but the rest of his game was very good, think the Nightingale incident was unfortunate but don't think there was malice. He tried to pull out of it IMO. Gallen - what can be said. If he played for a decent team he would be getting jizzed over 24/7. Played hurt once in origin and played poorly, and got roasted.

So my team is...


1. Hayne
2. Gordon
3. Gasnier (right)
4. Idris (left)
5. Uate
6. Soward
7. Mullen
8. Snowden
9. Farah
10. Tolman
11. Bird
12. Creagh (you better have a go this time)
13. Gallen (c)

14. Gidley (if fit) or Hinchcliffe
15. TLL
16. Watmough (if he pulls his head in)
17. Mannah

Luke Lewis is still in with a chance of a back row spot if he comes in and plays well.

18th man (one of): Hinchliffe/Galloway/G Stewart/Carney/M Minicheillo

This team can beat QLD

**** the nay-sayers!

 

[Firey_Dragon]

After this game, certainties for the blues: Uate, Jennings.

Who else?

I thought Uate had a shocker. Some of his errors were schoolboy stuff.... Got better as the game went on, but he was far from a standout. Jennings looked dangerous, but still took a few wrong options at times.

 

[Eelementary]

My thoughts from the game:

Out of the fullbacks no one really stood out. I don't think any of them can be judged too harshly at the moment because they are playing in awful teams. I give the nod to Hayne on incumbency. You didn't see QLD drop Thurston in the last few years when North Qld were sucking and his form was meh. Proven origin performer so I keep faith in Hayne.

Out of the wingers Uate was the real stand out, he is in my team. Great kick returns and lightning fast. Gordon was solid and we need his goalkicking. Hoppa is a great talent but is a couple of years away from sky blue. Merritt was decent too but going with the top two.

In the centres I thought the city boys had the better of it before Champion got injured. It was also the best I have seen Jennings play this year and he was my pick prior to the start of the year but quickly turned to shite. He did butcher a try or two last night though. Thompson and Morris were average. IMO though we have to go with Idris and Gasnier.

Out of the 5/8ths Soward is a show-in if fit, unless Carney comes back and plays amazing. Keating was out of his depth a bit IMO.

In the halves I thought Mullen shaded it. Again at the start of the year I would have picked Pearce but Mullen has such a great kicking game and IMO provided the better last tackle options and kicks.

The front rowers that impressed were Galloway, Mannah and Tolman. But the real standout was TLL. Running like he was fired out of a cannon and hitting hard.

The hooking duel was pretty even and it looks as though Farah's injury isn't affecting him too much thank ****. Hinchcliffe was impressive and could be a bolter for the #14 jersey if Gidley is out. Underrated player, didn't realise he could play that well.

In the second row I thought Stewart had a really good game and showed great footwork at the line and was a calming influence on his team. All of the back row played pretty well but none of these players make my team.

At lock I though Heighington was his usual self and Fulton was solid (don't know how a player with his limitations got picked in the first place though). Again neither are in my team.

IMO the only bench player that improved his stock significantly was TLL.

In the Test match I though Morris did OK, good tackle on SKD to take him out but IMO we have better options. Snowden tried hard but had errors and penalties in him. Creagh played well and improved his stock. Idris blew an easy try but the rest of his game was very good, think the Nightingale incident was unfortunate but don't think there was malice. He tried to pull out of it IMO. Gallen - what can be said. If he played for a decent team he would be getting jizzed over 24/7. Played hurt once in origin and played poorly, and got roasted.

So my team is...


1. Hayne
2. Gordon
3. Gasnier (right)
4. Idris (left)
5. Uate
6. Soward
7. Mullen
8. Snowden
9. Farah
10. Tolman
11. Bird
12. Creagh (you better have a go this time)
13. Gallen (c)

14. Gidley (if fit) or Hinchcliffe
15. TLL
16. Watmough (if he pulls his head in)
17. Mannah

Luke Lewis is still in with a chance of a back row spot if he comes in and plays well.

18th man (one of): Hinchliffe/Galloway/G Stewart/Carney/M Minicheillo

This team can beat QLD

**** the nay-sayers!

I agree. But I would also add that Shackleton was pretty good - ran as hard as I have ever seen him run, and although Parra sucks at the moment, he has still been running hard for us this year.

 

[Apey]

Dugan clearly outplayed Hayne by the way. His involvement was good, his defence couldn't be faulted, and his support play was impeccable. Almost every single time a Country player ran it up, Dugan was there sweating on the offload and giving the defenders something to think about.

Anyone who thinks Dugan didn't have a good game clearly watched hoping for him to fail. There really wasn't any more he could have done tonight.

Yeah, I am one of the last people to be pro-Raiders but I'm not sure how people thought Dugan & Hayne were equal last night... Dugan had it all over him for mine. Hayne made two huge errors in his own 20m zone, the first one led directly to a try and the second one gave Country the ball, who earned a repeat set then scored. Wasn't it also his chip (leaving nobody at fullback mind you) that landed directly in Houstons' hands who passed to Uate for the winning try? Of course, it could have gone the complete opposite way... but it didn't.

I thought Uate had a shocker. Some of his errors were schoolboy stuff.... Got better as the game went on, but he was far from a standout. Jennings looked dangerous, but still took a few wrong options at times.

Which ones were schoolboy errors?

One of his errors at City's try-line obviously had a hand in there and another was off a pass knocked down by City originally that he jumped on. The two kick contests were hardly schoolboy errors, I do think that these contests are his biggest weakness though... it has shown a few times playing for the Knights, and it's something he needs to work on if he wants to play for NSW.

 

[Doomednow]

Uate deserves a spot simply for the power behind his running. On at least two occasions he received the ball from a deep pass and you could see his momentum winding up. Once he got going he looked like a cannon ball. Not sure who it was but one guy tried to stop him and got knocked flat. Give him a few years and we could have a future Inglis equivalent for NSW, possibly even better. But he needs to be in from this year. I was skeptical before but now I think he is a must.

 

[CMUX]

if pearce could handle pressure city would have won, but again he doesnt have the ability

`
Yeah I see where you are coming from. It was definitely Pearce’s fault that Hayne chipped and chased and Uate scored as a result. Not to mention all those knock ons by city players that were clearly Pearce’s fault.

It must eat u up inside that he played so well gaba :lol:

 

[DecoyRunner]

Don't know if the selectors learned anything they didn't already know. Hayne did enough to keep his spot imo. This year, anyway. Uate wasn't overly impressive but good enough to take a spot if they decide not to go with Gordon. Morris has been average this year so maybe both will get a crack, but I doubt it.

I thought Mullen had a better game than Pearce. Farah did nothing to sway me from thinking Ennis should be the Blues no. 9.

But I'm a QLDer, so whogaf what I think ;-)

 

[Firey_Dragon]

Which ones were schoolboy errors?

One of his errors at City's try-line obviously had a hand in there and another was off a pass knocked down by City originally that he jumped on. The two kick contests were hardly schoolboy errors, I do think that these contests are his biggest weakness though... it has shown a few times playing for the Knights, and it's something he needs to work on if he wants to play for NSW.

He coughed up some pretty simple pill, you can disagree with it if you like, but under the high ball he looked pretty ordinary. He definitely needs to work on it. I'd want Uate in the side no question, but he certainly wasn't a certainty for selection after that performance which was in a post I was replying to.

 

[Red Bear]

IMO

Hayne
Gordon
Gasnier
Idris (I guess, Champion a bolter)
Uate
Mullen
Pearce
Galloway
Farah
Snowden
Bird
Creagh (I guess)
Gallen

Kidley
Mannah
TLL
Unsure of the last spot, maybe Watmough