2019 team line up

[DragonJ]

Because Widdop is a better/more complete player than Dufty.

He may or may not be a better, more complete fullback. He is on about 4 times the money and is leaving at years end.

 

[DragonJ]

Well he is leaving at the end of the season - you got one thing right in your post.

Only one thing? According to you Widdop is a young, fast and strong running fullback rock solid in defence?

 

[Dragonslayer]

Geez i thought today was blue pill day not red pill day

 

[Crush]

Yes he does and he is also bigger and probably a bit faster than Dufty.
6 or 7 kgs in weight and 2 or 3 inches in height makes a huge difference in todays game especially in positions like wing.

5kgs and 1.5 inches.....

 

[Dragon Blood]

Considering that Widdop is gone at the end of this season (if he stays injury free) my 2019 line up would be as follows:

1. Dufty (swap with Widdop during on field plays...attack / defence)
2. Pearson, Ravalawa
3. Lomax
4. Widdop
5. Pearson, Periara
6. Norman
7. Hunt
8. Vaughn
9. Mc Inness
10. Graham
11. Frizzel
12. T.Sims
13. Debelin
14. Leilua
15. K.Sims
16. Lawrie
17. Robson

18. Field
19. Aitken

Keep the Duff another year at fullback with the aid of Widdop, rotate McInnes and Robson. Would make a killer spine for 2020. Why burn and potentially lose an X factor player like Dufty just to fit the departing Widdop in the spine?

 

[possm]

Considering that Widdop is gone at the end of this season (if he stays injury free) my 2019 line up would be as follows:

1. Dufty (swap with Widdop during on field plays...attack / defence)
2. Pearson, Ravalawa
3. Lomax
4. Widdop
5. Pearson, Periara
6. Norman
7. Hunt
8. Vaughn
9. Mc Inness
10. Graham
11. Frizzel
12. T.Sims
13. Debelin
14. Leilua
15. K.Sims
16. Lawrie
17. Robson

18. Field
19. Aitken

Keep the Duff another year at fullback with the aid of Widdop, rotate McInnes and Robson. Would make a killer spine for 2020. Why burn and potentially lose an X factor player like Dufty just to fit the departing Widdop in the spine?

I can see your point and this might just work. The only problem is that in the rotation of Widdop and Dufty, (while in defence) Dufty will be in the first line out wide coming up against some fast big centres. The question is that if Aitken is considered a liability in defence, will Dufty be even worse?

 

[Frank Facer]

I can see your point and this might just work. The only problem is that in the rotation of Widdop and Dufty, (while in defence) Dufty will be in the first line out wide coming up against some fast big centres. The question is that if Aitken is considered a liability in defence, will Dufty be even worse?

There is no way Dufty can defend at centre. Dufty is a fullback and fullback only.

 

[Old Timer]

5kgs and 1.5 inches.....

If you were picking a winger who would you have JAC or Dufty?

 

[Crush]

If you were picking a winger who would you have JAC or Dufty?

Dufty

 

[D4L_Dave]

Opinions on who should play where are like a-holes, everyone has one. We can win the comp, no luck required like 2010 of having Melbourne disqualified and previous and following years Premiers Manly lame with injuries will need to happen. The only thing between us finishing bottom of the 8 or 4th at absolute best or fulfilling our potential with this squad and top 3 in regular season and Premiers, is what kind of players Mary and Ben Hornby see as what will make us stand out. The time for picking guys on the basis of being a little bit safer in defence, like has happened for years, is bottom of the 8 stuff. More pockets of attacking threat, balance of player skills, impact players not Kurt Man (cover for anything but add very little) more Luch and Field and those kinda players on the bench and with Norman, Hunt, Widdop and Field on the bench, thats 4 dynamic halves, four good kicking games. I hope I am explaining it right

Best 17 for me when everyone is fit and available for 2019 and best replacement options)
1. Widdop (Field, Dufty or Norman if its suits balance of team better on the day) GK
2. Dufty (Pearson, Aitken)
3. Lomax (Aitken, Herbert) GK
4. Aitken (Lomax, Lafai)
5. Lafai (Pearson, Perarra)
6. Norman (Widdop, Field) GK
7. Hunt (Norman, Field)
8. Vaughn (Lawrie, Graham, K.Sims,Latimore)
9. Mc Inness (Robson,Allgood, Hunt)
10. Graham (Vaughn, K.Sims, Latimore)
11. Frizzel (Leilua, K.Sims, Host, )
12. T.Sims (K.Sims, Leilua, Debelin ,Host
13. Debelin (Frizzel,Leilua, McInnes)
14.. Leilua (X-Factor Forward
15. K.Sims
16. Lawrie
17. Field GK

18, Latimore

That team is defensively solid, has room for any covering all conceivable scenarios injury wise. The best part is that their are so many pockets of attack in the starting 13, we should have no problem racking up scores even on good teams if their off. Fullback as a ball player and kicking option, Dufty is still a ball runner and if his defence improves, because the game is faster that it was 2 years ago, the obsession with wingers having to always be built like props isn't relavent.

The Bench to me was a struggle, it needs to have an impact forward, with the skill and power to take advantage of fatigue which will be more prevelant again in 2019. We lacked an impact from our bench that could slot into the backline and terrorise fatigued players but also slot in to key position in the halves and not loose anything kicking wise. So for me, Luch and Field are essential however if anyone else shows they can fulfill those roles i'd give them some bench time. The other two bench spots will alway be covering the engine room with Fresh legs and not loose momentum So K.Sims and Lawrie are front runners

Kicking wise, we would have 3 very good general play kickers starting and Field showed a great composed boot in a few games particularly against Tigers Rnd 23 2018. Also three top class Goal Kickers starting, plus Field is a decent goal kicker off the bench. T.Sailor seems a prospect, probably needs more physical development first but i'm open to see him step up if he is ready. Nicols to me doesn't off anything much, just another safe cover option like Kurt Mann so i don't see much game time in FG this year unless their is a spate of injuries. I would try Klune before him anyway. Nothing against K.Mann but he was only ever a fill in who covered lots of positions, he provided no real attacking threat and not an organiser. I would like to see McInness be benched or play lock and let Hunt go to hooker for games mid-year particularly as he is solid, defends well but not anywhere near the threat in attack.

If we want to take advantage of one of the best quality squads we have had since 2011, picking safe options may have been good to 'hold the fort' in previous years, but it means not being a serious contender for the title. I also think just copying what others are doing instead of matching them in the basics but having a X-Factor edge that could be the difference in September has to be always behind the Team Selections every week. I have also factored in Mary likes to keep the same blokes their unless injuries intervene so I figure covering all bases, being defensively sound across the board, balance of skills, (ball players and ball Runners), have a wide range of good quality options for kicking and ball playing which will mean the slumps won't occur, because it's harder to shut down 3 or 4 points of attacking threat than 1 or 2. Also important to have that threat continue off the bench. Bring on 2019, also hope Mary and Ben are on the same page as what I am getting at even if they have a few different names, it;s the roles and the skills of the players in those roles and how they come together.

 

[TomRedVRiver]

There is too much talk of Widdop or Norman shifting to centre and/or Dufty shifting to wing.

Crazy.

 

[Old Timer]

Dufty

Surely you are taking the piss.

 

[D4L_Dave]

Dufty

Dufty should play wing this year. He can't put players into gaps, he is a fast ball runner, like a good winger could and should be.

 

[Dragon Blood]

Dufty should play wing this year. He can't put players into gaps, he is a fast ball runner, like a good winger could and should be.

How many wingers can ball play and set up plays ala Luc thru gaps?

 

[Dragon Blood]

I can see your point and this might just work. The only problem is that in the rotation of Widdop and Dufty, (while in defence) Dufty will be in the first line out wide coming up against some fast big centres. The question is that if Aitken is considered a liability in defence, will Dufty be even worse?

No I don’t think so possum

 

[D4L_Dave]

There is no way Dufty can defend at centre. Dufty is a fullback and fullback only.

Dufty may become a fullback, but Fullbacks need to do more than back up and be fast. He offers very little threat to set defensive lines and needs someone to create a gap for him. Norman to Centre, that is crazy. Norman should play 6 or 1 and possibly 7 if needed. Having 3 halves on the field at any one time, if they coordinate well, our attack will go to the next level, no more relying on Widdop, Hunt on their own to direct all the attack with eveyone else only offering structured rehearsed moves or are ball runners, line break back up. Can anyone not see that when everything that might be unpredictable and hard for defenses to shut down are only coming from one or two players, the forward pack have to get over their opposition another 25% and keep upping the anti. With multiple options, like when Hornby was Fullback, which Bennett copied directly with Boyd, in a more limited way, it allows the individual brilliance of the Halves to have more consistant threat. If Mary goes conservative again this year, which the signs are he won't be that silly, he better have a near perfect win/loss ratio and be ready for the downward dive late season. Four forwards on the bench or K Mann as the only different option, that is conservative. Can't win a comp that way, never have been able to

 

[TomRedVRiver]

Dufty should play wing this year. He can't put players into gaps, he is a fast ball runner, like a good winger could and should be.

"Good wingers" these days aren't just quick.

- It's about ability under the high-ball, both in attack and defence
- Finishing ability
- Hitting the ball up hard on kick returns
- Taking strong runs out of dummy half (where Nene was so good for us)
- Carrying defenders over the line

Have a quick peruse through those points and tell me Dufty deserves a wing spot.

Dufty needs space with good field positioning, if he's choked for room he'll get dominated every time. He'll get rag-dolled on kick-returns and carting it out of dummy half... Not to mention he'll easily be thrown into touch if he's making a dart down the line to finish. He'll be targeted with attacking bombs, he'll get steamrolled by bigger wingers like Oates, Rapana, Tupou, Ferguson, Feldt and Cotric just to name a few and he'll have blokes using his shoulders as a springboard to take bombs and score tries on him.

Kid is NOT a winger. Will never be a winger.

Edit: Just noticed you've got Laf playing at left wing in your side. It's a bit odd that you talk about speed on the edges, so you have Dufty on one wing, but throw arguably the slowest outside back in the comp on the other wing.

 

[Crush]

"Good wingers" these days aren't just quick.

- It's about ability under the high-ball, both in attack and defence
- Finishing ability
- Hitting the ball up hard on kick returns
- Taking strong runs out of dummy half (where Nene was so good for us)
- Carrying defenders over the line

Have a quick peruse through those points and tell me Dufty deserves a wing spot.

Dufty needs space with good field positioning, if he's choked for room he'll get dominated every time. He'll get rag-dolled on kick-returns and carting it out of dummy half... Not to mention he'll easily be thrown into touch if he's making a dart down the line to finish. He'll be targeted with attacking bombs, he'll get steamrolled by bigger wingers like Oates, Rapana, Tupou, Ferguson, Feldt and Cotric just to name a few and he'll have blokes using his shoulders as a springboard to take bombs and score tries on him.

Kid is NOT a winger. Will never be a winger.

Edit: Just noticed you've got Laf playing at left wing in your side. It's a bit odd that you talk about speed on the edges, so you have Dufty on one wing, but throw arguably the slowest outside back in the comp on the other wing.

What would you do with Dufty this year?
What's your spine look like?

 

[Dragon Blood]

I can see your point and this might just work. The only problem is that in the rotation of Widdop and Dufty, (while in defence) Dufty will be in the first line out wide coming up against some fast big centres. The question is that if Aitken is considered a liability in defence, will Dufty be even worse?

Not worse than Dufty I think my friend

 

[Dragon Blood]

If you were picking a winger who would you have JAC or Dufty?

Dufty with the right centre any day of the week...... problem is we have Aitcant and that bull grubs wrighoff Laughai in the 3 & 4 jumpers........ WTF