2005 - Riddell, Marsh and Morris???

[True EEL]

i think your right Pazza

i thought Witt's fate was probably sealed when Marsh was signed to be honest and don't get me wrong i'm not bagging that - having PJ back will hopefully turn into one of the best moves Fitzy (or BS) has made recently??

however, i am dissapointed to see Witt go, although if he was going to continue to miss out on opportunity, well why not go somehwere else??? good luck to him

will be interesting to see what transpires if we do sign Leuluai, because if we do, we might see him and PJ in the halves and one Johnny Morris may well end up on the bench as the utility??? with Perenara and Smith waiting in the wings???

 

[Utey]

Riddell plays well at back row but surely has has been bought for his hooking capabilities.

 

[True EEL]

yes Riddell will be hooker IMHO,

he was bought to play hooker and we have enough backrowers running around, so much so that Cayless will probably go back to the front row IMHO

and i think part of him signing here may have had something to do with the fact that he was being forced to play some second row at the Dragons....he is and wants to be a hooker???

and why was Morris so openly upset and jilted about the Riddell signing....because it was made plain and clear that Parra signed him as the main hooker

 

[Utey]

Yep exaclty right. Morris said "I was bought to play starting hooker and I couldnt imagine playing anywhere else". I know who I would rather. Morris gives away to many penalties and if his 2003 5/8 form was anything to go for he will be a definate for that positon and serve us well.

 

[The Colonel]

Look to Marsh to play the role that Drew did so succesfully in 2001.

Look to Marsh to play the role he did in 2001....

 

[Utey]

Why anyone would want Marsh to be our halfback is beyond me. He made his reputatyion as being a hooker and a great impact hooker off the bench. He is the main thing we have missed since 01'

 

[True EEL]

mainly UTE,

because Marsh was a good junior halfback who was turned into a good hooker

he was forced to play that role at both Parra (behind JT mainly) and then behind Stacey Jones (who at the time was NZ half and 2nd or 3rd best player in the world behind Johns and Lockyer)?????

PJ should always have been our # 7 when JT retired, all but for the mishap of him signing with the warriors...the fact the he excelled at hooker and hooker from the bench is testament to his natural ability and all-round game and ability to adapt

i think you will find that given the opportunity PJ will do wonders in the # 7 and if he had stayed we may not even be having any debate about who the Parramatta halfback is or should be IMHO..........

 

[Avenger]

mainly UTE,

because Marsh was a good junior halfback who was turned into a good hooker

he was forced to play that role at both Parra (behind JT mainly) and then behind Stacey Jones (who at the time was NZ half and 2nd or 3rd best player in the world behind Johns and Lockyer)?????

PJ should always have been our # 7 when JT retired, all but for the mishap of him signing with the warriors...the fact the he excelled at hooker and hooker from the bench is testament to his natural ability and all-round game and ability to adapt

i think you will find that given the opportunity PJ will do wonders in the # 7 and if he had stayed we may not even be having any debate about who the Parramatta halfback is or should be IMHO..........

The most logical and complete entry re: PJ Marsh since his signing. Well done mate. I find it offensive if anyone thinks that Marsh should not get first crack at number 7.

 

[Utey]

I think he should get a crack. But I will applaud any halfback that gets the job done.

 

[Hollywood Jesus]

We definately have a question mark over our halves next year. The thing is, we haven't had anyone that has stood up and done it before. There is plenty of opportunity for someone with potential to stand up and be counted. Answer the halves question and I don't care how shaky some people think our three-quarters might be, we will be a Top 4 team at the end of the Minor Premiership.

 

[Rednecked Yobbo]

I'd like to see
6. Morris
7. Marsh
9. Ridell

14. Henderson


look for Riddell to play like Drew in 2001, with Hendo doing what PJ did.

 

[blackfriday]

what will we do with tim smith?

 

[Utey]

He has to get a chance at the trials. I think he would be better than Marsh who i think has to be given the 14 jumper.

 

[stuke]

i just hope that what ever combination is chosen is at least given a chance to settle in and perform and not chopped and changed ona weekly basis, or heaven forbid, during a game!

i realise that riddell will not be able to play a full 80 minutes but our half and 5/8 need to be in that position for the entire game. therefore the #14 needs to be a hooker that can come on and fill the void while riddell is rested.

no successful team moves their half combinations around during games....please brian don't try it again!

 

[Utey]

Exaclty. However in 2001 we had a great system where we had the hookers 1st and 2nd recieving continually changing throughout the game which gave us so much variation in attack and a lot more opportunities. Its harder to defend 3 options than just one.

 

[True EEL]

thanks Avenger and no worries mate ;-)

i agree almost completely rednecked yobbo....re: your selections in your last post

except i am worried Wagon will again be used early in the season at 5/8 to "shield" the other 5/8's for a while - dosen't work!!!!!!!!!

and stuke......i agree completely and have said this ad-nausium that we will need a PJ marsh - circa 2001 - type player off the bench for Riddell - but not one of the halves....name me one other top-flight team in the comp that does that - rotating their halves into hooker or vica-versa - it doesn't work!!!!!!!!

and UTE, if we have stable halves a good hooker (and even bench hooker as well) we will have 3 options in attack for the first time ina long time

 

[Utey]

Totally agree mate

 

[True EEL]

thanks UTE

and honestly.....halves is the key.....you think of the times we have gone alright under BS (or anytime late years) and it's when we have had good halves

effective and stable halves are the most important thing in a Rugby League side other than a dominating forward pack......backs can be made to look good if the forwards are dominating and the halves are doing the job

BS has to realise that he MUST get the halves right and stick with them

 

[Utey]

Exactly. Last 2 seasons we have really missed a dominating forward pack, 2nd phase play and established set of halves. Bit of a shame.

 

[The Colonel]

6. Marsh
7. Morris
9. Riddell

14. Mateo