'14 // 4N FINAL // Sat 6:45pm // NZ v AUS // Wellington

[kia ora storm]

NZ by far the better team. Shouldn't have let Australia get so close. They still lack that bit of polish to put teams away.

The last pass was definitely forward and Siones try shouldn't have been allowed, that made it closer then it should have been.

Plenty of dissapointments for Aus. Whilst they were probably the best available the young backs were all shown up. Mansour tried hard but showed that he is a very limited player. Walker was horrendous all tournament, and I'm a huge fan of his. Sione was poor but was playing out of position well above his current level.

For mine cronk has never played well outside of the storm system. He isn't a create player and plays to a set system every play. He doesn't play what he sees, simply what he's been told to do.

The pack were all average minus probably klemmer. Pappali in the team fullstop let alone front row? What the actual f**k? Thaiday is nowhere near Rep level anymore. Bird was poor in origin this year and continued his form in the tests. Jackson picked over guerra?? Lack of props...

Glad everyone else has experienced what a sheens coached side is like.

Good post mate..

You are spot on with Cronk...he has limited ability in delivering a try off non structured play and this bit Oz big time and will impact Storm as well next year.

Thaiday looked out of shape the whole tournament and it showed big time. Bird is not a game breaker and this was a big difference...the Kiwis had Proctor, Bromwich, Harris and Eastwood who can all pop a pass when needed.

Dylan Walker was also out of his depth and someone like Chambers would have been a better experienced option.

 

[Red Bear]

lol @ writing off dylan walker, a 20 year old who has played 40 first grade games, as never to play for Australia again.

Probably better for the experience, along with Sione and others.

 

[Vic Mackey]

No ones writing him off dickhead. In 2-3 years time he might be the best center in the world. However it was shown over the past 4 weeks that right now he is nowhere near this level.

As others have said inglis really doesn't look like a rep fullback. He gets lost and doesn't get involved enough in the red zone. The team would have been much better off having him at center instead if walker and moylan at the back. That way they could have gotten him involved a lot easier.

The series also showed how far thurston is ahead of cronk and dce IMO

 

[Red Bear]

Too much talk on Ben Hunt reminds me of all the hype around DCE.
His tries were all set up for him. Credit to him for being there and he is a top player but to even suggest he is better than DCE or Cronk is stupid.

Some of the players in that Roos squad like Walker, Jackson and Cordner are not test players and I hope to never see them in a test jumper again especially Walker. FMD and I use to rate him too.

As a kiwi I was glad to see Hunt not used properly or at the right time.

I think there are a few big names that did squat in the aussie team this series who should be worried. Thaiday, Farrah, and Bird should be dropped, Cronk should be worried and Walker shouldn't be allowed anywhere near an ausiie jumper in a sports shop let alone on the field.

No ones writing him off dickhead. In 2-3 years time he might be the best center in the world. However it was shown over the past 4 weeks that right now he is nowhere near this level.

As others have said inglis really doesn't look like a rep fullback. He gets lost and doesn't get involved enough in the red zone. The team would have been much better off having him at center instead if walker and moylan at the back. That way they could have gotten him involved a lot easier.

The series also showed how far thurston is ahead of cronk and dce IMO

Don't think I deserved to be called a dickhead for that, but whatever. I agree he was out of his depth, a few guys were. Writing every young player off (as seems to be happening) is madness, I tend to think they'll be better for the experience. That Qld backline isn't going to be around for ever, at some point players will have to replace them, what better opportunity to give them some experience than this one.

Anyway, I agree on thurston, far and away the best half in the game. Big fan of DCE but his form the back half of this season was poor.

 

[Swarzey]

lol @ writing off dylan walker, a 20 year old who has played 40 first grade games, as never to play for Australia again.

Probably better for the experience, along with Sione and others.

I'm certainly not writing him off but I'll have some doubt throughout next season at least when it comes to his potential.

 

[some11]

:roll:

Don't mind him, dumbarse thinks Sheens is a god.

 

[WaznTheGreat]

Chris Sandow is a better HB than Cronk,at least Sandow has some instinct and vision and can react to certain situations(actually tries to create something),Cronk just plays like a robot and does whatever Bellamy taught him too do in training in fear he will get a spanking after the match if he doesn't.

Cooper Plod the quintessential plodder.

 

[Snappy]

Chris Sandow is a better HB than Cronk,at least Sandow has some instinct and vision and can react to certain situations(actually tries to create something),Cronk just plays like a robot and does whatever Bellamy taught him too do in training in fear he will get a spanking after the match if he doesn't.

Cooper Plod the quintessential plodder.

 

[Danish]

lol @ writing off dylan walker, a 20 year old who has played 40 first grade games, as never to play for Australia again.

Probably better for the experience, along with Sione and others.

Until walker runs straight instead of just trying to do the under 8s run sideways around the defence bullshit he will never be anything.

Bloke is seriously scared to hit a hole and can't tackle with a damn. The chasm in class between him and Jennings this series was enormous, especially in defence. SKD had a f**king field day running at him last night (160+m and 7 tackle busts)

 

[BranVan3000]

Until walker runs straight instead of just trying to do the under 8s run sideways around the defence bullshit he will never be anything.

Bloke is seriously scared to hit a hole and can't tackle with a damn. The chasm in class between him and Jennings this series was enormous, especially in defence. SKD had a f**king field day running at him last night (160+m and 7 tackle busts)

Walker looked off all series. He ran circles around his opposites all year, but by the time 4N came around he looked a step slower

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

He was also behind a very dominant pack all year but wasn't for the 4 Nations.

I think that's an experience thing. Dominant forwards can limit the opposition, but as Jennings showed you can still have an impact. I think Walker just found himself a little limited and didn't have the experience to know when or how to inject himself into the game or tried to do too much when he did.

With more time he'll be a class player for sure. No way he should be written off, but he certainly was picked too soon, especially considering the lack of front foot ball he had to work with.

 

[kia ora storm]

I'm certainly not writing him off but I'll have some doubt throughout next season at least when it comes to his potential.

Walker has massive potential and will be a star next year...he is just too young for the intensity of this type of game at present.

I actually think he will be a long term national centre and will be better than Jennings or Hodges in their prime.

 

[kia ora storm]

If anything the acid needs to go on Cronk and DCE IMO...both should have taken the game by the scruff of the neck when they had the momentum but the only one doing this was Cam Smith. Cronk is robotic and even when he plays for Storm all he does is flick an inside ball or two or kick to the wings...no flair whatsoever.

It shows that Thurston is miles ahead of these two and DCE is not playing to potential at present.

Klemmer was great in this tournament and proved himself as a genuine test forward...as for Thaiday, Papaalii and Parker...time to move on.

 

[alien]

Mmmmm

Johnson reminds me on benji so much

i was thinking the same thing - benji without all those mistakes

 

[Captain Apollo]

It says a lot about the coaching staff and selectors when the only Australian player dropped in the entire tournament was Daniel Tupou, a winger, when the problems were in the forwards and the halves :crazy:

 

[alien]

Cordner - 1 run for 6m, 4 missed tackles. LOL

plodner

 

[alien]

#SackSheens

 

[alien]

Australia missing their best half/player (Thurston) and best forward (Scott) big time.

we missed slater too imo

 

[alien]

Originally Posted by: Rebel
"Who would get the Aus coaching gig if they lose this?"

Mick Potter

fine with me

 

[Danish]

Walker looked off all series. He ran circles around his opposites all year, but by the time 4N came around he looked a step slower

That's his problem. Needs to stop running in big arches to get around defenders and start running in straight lines!

His footwork and line running are appalling. Relies completely on his speed to get around bad defence.