2014 Teams.

[rabbitohs95]

I just can't see both Hodges and Buhrer occupying bench spots together. Symonds, Buhrer, Starling, Trbjovic, Hodges and Fa'aoso will all be strong candidates for bench spots. I'd say the 6 starting forward spots (Lawrence, King, Ballin, Stewart, Watmough and Horo) are pretty well secured. Buhrer deserves his spot and he is a back-up hooker. It will be interesting to see what Toovey does.

Ahh i see, never really saw Buhrer as a back up hooker, more of a jack of all trades who could play hooker if needed. It's good to see Manly have loads of depth as they've had quite a thin squad in recent years, it will be interesting to see what happens.

 

[The Elephant In The room]

1. Krisnan Inu
2. Sam Perrett
3. Josh Morris
4. Chase Stanley/Tim Lafai
5. Mitch Brown
6. Josh Reynolds
7. Trent Hodkinson
8. James Graham
9. Michael Ennis
10. Aiden Tolman
11. Greg Eastwood
12. Frank Pritchard
13. Reni Maitua

14. Tony Williams
15. David Klemmer
16. Dale Finucane
17. Josh Jackson

Very little in the way of changes - just the backline shift to accommodate Barba which it took us most of 2013 to do anyway... Stanley will probably get the jump on Lafai... then it's down to whether Des keeps Brown or him as the winger.

In the forwards I think Maitua is an 80 minute player so I've opted for a bench full of forwards or provide good rotation for the big boppers.

Don't share your love for Maitua. If I were Dessie, I'd play all of the reserves you listed well before him.

Kas injured, or on the outer?

I know he didn't do much last year, but gee the back line looks a lot weaker without Barba.

 

[Timmah]

Ah Kasiano! Knew I'd forgotten someone.

1. Krisnan Inu
2. Sam Perrett
3. Josh Morris
4. Chase Stanley
5. Tim Lafai
6. Josh Reynolds
7. Trent Hodkinson
8. James Graham
9. Michael Ennis
10. Aiden Tolman
11. Reni Maitua
12. Frank Pritchard
13. Greg Eastwood

14. Tony Williams
15. Sam Kasiano
16. Dale Finucane
17. Josh Jackson

I'd love to find spots for Klemmer and Mitch Brown but alas it can't be done. I hope to see Patty Templeman make his way into first grade at some point too.

 

[souths1908]

Rabbitohs
1. Inglis
2. Merritt
3. Champion
4. Goodwin
5. Reddy
6. Walker
7. Reynolds
8. L. Burgess
9. Luke
10. S. Burgess
11. McQueen
12. Teo
13. Sutton
14. G. Burgess
15. T. Burgess
16. Clarke
17. Grevsmuhl/Picker/Lowe/Turner/Keary

Last bench spot is up for grabs.

I would love to see Walker with a bit more ball and space, Keary is the obvious choice for 5/8 but i think Walker would really excel in that position.

If Merritt has the same form that he had at the end of last year I would be tempted to play Auva'a or another young guy coming through.

 

[Eelementary]

Re Parra

Mannah, Peats and Mossop in the front row is actually alright

Their issue is their back row is poor and Fui is just getting older and older and can't possibly sustain the anger for another whole year. A bench support for 30 minutes per game at best.

If they can uncover a decent youngster along the lines of Nappa, Guerra or Cordner then they will actually be alright. No one thought much of Guerra at the start of last season and then he stepped up big time.

Every team comes up with a surprise player each year. Fingers crossed for Parra fans they get a couple of surprises in there to bolster their pack.

Kelepi Tanginoa is a beast, and still only 19 (I think?).

Ken Edwards goes ok and would have sued for us this year were it not for the salary cap.

We are very bare in the back-row, it's true - but we should have a much better side in '14.

 

[Titanic]

Titans
1. David Mead
2. Kevin Gordon
3. Maurice Blair
4. Jamal Idris
5. Will Zillman
6. Aidan Sezer
7. Albert Kelly
8. Ryan James
9. Beau Falloon/Matt Srama
10. Nate Myles
11. Greg Bird
12. Dave Taylor
13. Ashley Harrison

14. Matt Srama/Beau Falloon
15. Luke Douglas
16. Mark Minichello/Ben Ridge
17. Brad Takairangi/Kalifa Fai Fai Loa

Finish: Anywhere between 5-8

Top Try Scorer- Kevin Gordon/David Mead
Top Point Scorer- Aidan Sezer

Nope:

5. KFL
9. Falloon
10. Douglas
11. Taylor
12. Myles
13. Bird

14. White
15. Bailey
16. Ridge
17. Takairangi

See ya Zillman, Harrison and Minichiello, thanks but no thanks, but along with Michaels I'm sure they'll start.

 

[firechild]

Ahh i see, never really saw Buhrer as a back up hooker, more of a jack of all trades who could play hooker if needed. It's good to see Manly have loads of depth as they've had quite a thin squad in recent years, it will be interesting to see what happens.

Buhrer's preferred position is hooker, he lays second row out of necessity because Ballin is a quality, 80min hooker though duties have been shared a bit recently. I'm not sure that our depth has been as bad as many suggested over the last few years, we've just had blokes that few people really rated because they were unknowns. James Hasson is a good example, wouldn't have been rated by many but a pretty decent player for depth. Any team that has too much depth suffers in their top 17 due to the cap. Manly have had a pretty good balance between the 2 which is why they are continually in the top 4.

 

[hardbaby]

I also truly believe Lafai is the best centre at your club, it was painful enough to watch him sit in reserves behind Inu, surely he won't be second choice behind Chase f**king Stanley.

Lafai is miles better than Stanley.

 

[Dutchy]

Buhrer's preferred position is hooker

The only hooker he has played, ever. Was to give Ballin a rest.

He's a lock forward, always has and will be.

 

[firechild]

The only hooker he has played, ever. Was to give Ballin a rest.

He's a lock forward, always has and will be.

That was all the kid wanted. An Eels jumper with nine on the back. Not an outrageous request when he'd worn that very same one in the previous year's grand final triumph.

"I wanted to play hooker and would've stayed at Parramatta to do it, definitely," Buhrer tells The Sunday Telegraph ahead of his NSW Origin debut.

"But when I spoke to the people there, they couldn't guarantee a spot in the starting side. A few days later I got a phone call from Manly, asking if I wanted to play hooker for them.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ramatta-eels-net/story-e6frexv9-1226360994639

 

[Dutchy]

And then he spent his 20s career as lock and captain.

 

[firechild]

And then he spent his 20s career as lock and captain.

Irrelevant. You said he never played hooker, I claimed that hooker was his preferred position. The article shows that your claim was incorrect and mine was correct. In fact, one of the reasons he was picked for origin was the fact he could be used as a backup hooker.

 

[Iafeta]

1 Tomkins
2 Fisiiahi
3 Hurrell
4 Neilsen
5 Vatuvei
6 Leuluai
7 Johnson
8 Rapira
9 Friend
10 Matulino
11 Mannering (c)
12 Mateo
13 Henry

Locke
Bakuya
Lillyman
Matagi

 

[One Warrior]

1 Tomkins
2 Fisiiahi
3 Hurrell
4 Neilsen
5 Vatuvei
6 Leuluai
7 Johnson
8 Rapira
9 Friend
10 Matulino
11 Mannering (c)
12 Mateo
13 Henry

Locke
Bakuya
Lillyman
Matagi

This except Mannering to 13 and Bakuya into 11, Sam Lousi on to the bench in place of Henry.

 

[douglasfisher]

My Tigers 2014
1. Teddy
2. Richards
3. Simona
4. Nofo
5. Korobeite
6. Anasta
7. Brooks
8. Woods
9. Farah (c)
10. Galloway
11. BMM
12. Siro
13. Sue

14. Blair
15. Fults
16. Tapau / Gavet
17. Lawrence / Patterson

Use Lawrence as a Backrower / lock. His lateral movement is gone for defending in the centres

 

[BranVan3000]

1. Greg Inglis
2. Alex Johnston
3. Beau Champion
4. Dylan Walker
5. Bryson Goodwin
6. Luke Keary
7. Adam Reynolds
8. George Burgess
9. Issac Luke
10. Luke Burgess
11. Sam Burgess
12. Ben Te'o
13. John Sutton (c)

14. Apisai Kuroisai
15. Jason Clark
16. Tom Burgess
17. Chris Grevsmuhl

18. Chris McQueen

May not come to fruition off the bat but I can see the lineup looking like this eventually. We will see Reddy replace Merritt early on, but I think eventually Alex Johnston will force his way into the squad as Maguire looks for some more pace. Will contend for rookie of the year

Keary will push Sutton into lock. Reports from training already indicate this

I think Chris McQueen will struggle, I just get the feeling last year was an anomaly and he will struggle to find that form again.

Api Kurosai will prove a dynamic utility off the bench, which Maguire likes to have.

Tom Burgess will provide similar service off the bench to George this year. Luke Burgess will hit back and have a really strong year after seeing his brothers all get rep honours

Jason Clark is due for a strong year, while Chris Grevsmuhl will be one of the best rookie forwards in the competition.

That said Dave Tyrrell, Chris McQueen, Joe Picker, Ben Lowe and Kyle Turner will rotate onto the bench fairly regularly as the competition will remain quite strong as it was in 2012 and 2013.

 

[Packy]

Don't share your love for Maitua. If I were Dessie, I'd play all of the reserves you listed well before him.

Kas injured, or on the outer?

I know he didn't do much last year, but gee the back line looks a lot weaker without Barba.

Bitty late to this thread but I agree. I can't see a spot for Maitua in the pack or the bench tbh.

100% correct on the back line comment. It's slow and weak.

 

[perverse]

It's hilarious how Souths fans have turned on Merritt since his origin debut. rofl.

Here I was thinking he was a try scoring phenom and out and out superstar of the game.

 

[chrisD]

1. Moylan (K.Naqiama possibly instead)
2. Mansour
3. Idris
4. Whare
5. Simmons
6. Soward
7. Wallace
8. Grant
9. Kingston
10. Kite
11. Manu (possibly injured rd1, Robinson will probably start for him)
12. Brown
13. Taylor

14. Segeyaro (possibly injured rd1, straight replacement would be Daniel Foster, Cleary may use Peachey or Brown to cover as replacement dummy half and play another second rower.)
15. McKendry
16. Plum
17. Peachey

 

[Card Shark]

It's hilarious how Souths fans have turned on Merritt since his origin debut. rofl.

Here I was thinking he was a try scoring phenom and out and out superstar of the game.

True. He would still make their run-on side surely. He hadn't been going that bad.