2019 team line up

[BLM01]

Yeah... probably true, and I definitely had concerns. I’d like to see him there in a trial to confirm or counter it though... so strong and determined in attack, and has good D when not out of position...

When there was talk about origin, I had a discussion with a rorters mate. Strangely it was me saying he has some issues, even if I really like and rate him...

Yeh your Rorters mate was probably still overawed with the hysteria and media hype around Aitken running around a not fully seasoned fit Inglis just once. They nearly had me convinced!

 

[BLM01]

My positions 2-5 have be sown up barring injury for Round 1 against the Cowboys in my mind.
No surprise to most on here. Lomax / Periera wings + our favourite 2018 centre pairing of Euai & Laf
But there is a twist....Lomax and Euie to swap and not always play the position of their number in attack!

 

[possm]

My positions 2-5 have be sown up barring injury for Round 1 against the Cowboys in my mind.
No surprise to most on here. Lomax / Periera wings + our favourite 2018 centre pairing of Euai & Laf
But there is a twist....Lomax and Euie to swap and not always play the position of their number in attack!

So let me get this right. Lomax in the centres when SGI are defending - because Aitken's defence is appalling mitigating bad press for Aitken. Then Lomax on te wing in attack - catching a cold waiting for the ball while Aitken holds onto the ball grabbing every opportunity to score.

And to top it all off this week, Brett Morris who is supposed to be past it had a MOM performance playing at centre in the WCC scoring a hattrick of tries in the first half. If only our Club had the talent to pick up Morris this year. He is still one of the best in the competition as a left side winger and it appears he could be a handy backup for fullback and wing.

I call it rubbish and a prime example why Mary should not be our head coach.

 

[Overseas dragon]

So let me get this right. Lomax in the centres when SGI are defending - because Aitken's defence is appalling mitigating bad press for Aitken. Then Lomax on te wing in attack - catching a cold waiting for the ball while Aitken holds onto the ball grabbing every opportunity to score.

I call it rubbish and a prime example why Mary should not be our head coach.

Well we'll that's news are you another one casting aspirations on our coach... ..

 

[possm]

Well we'll that's news are you another one casting aspirations on our coach... ..

It only took me 6 months into his first contract to post my worry about Mary's suitability as head coach of SGI. So time after time, season after season the past five seasons, I've noted that nothing has changed; he is still a usless coach.

 

[watatank]

So let me get this right. Lomax in the centres when SGI are defending - because Aitken's defence is appalling mitigating bad press for Aitken. Then Lomax on te wing in attack - catching a cold waiting for the ball while Aitken holds onto the ball grabbing every opportunity to score.

And to top it all off this week, Brett Morris who is supposed to be past it had a MOM performance playing at centre in the WCC scoring a hattrick of tries in the first half. If only our Club had the talent to pick up Morris this year. He is still one of the best in the competition as a left side winger and it appears he could be a handy backup for fullback and wing.

I call it rubbish and a prime example why Mary should not be our head coach.

He's saying the opposite.

Attack: Lomax centre, Aitken wing (but will probably swap a lot)
Defence: Aitken centre, Lomax wing

 

[BLM01]

Positions 1,6 & bench is doing my head in but decided for Dufty 1 Widdop 6
bench, 2 forwards in Graham & Leilua, Robson & then Norman who can fill any backline position.
At a pinch Norman could play 1,3,4,6 or 7, then someone else in our current backline can shuffle to wing for injury or even fatigue or form for half a game etc
Norman can also be used when McInnes needs a break for Hunt to go there
Robson can relieve another forward and can play lock
Norman can sit on bench if Mary wants to swap Robson / McInnes
Any of these scenarios can work depending on opposition, scoreline, fatigue or just form

Dont forget Friz plays like a prop and can cover there although prefer him and TSims to be edge. Lawrie or Kerr or KSims when back to start with Vaughan..

 

[grouch]

Great to have a non-winger defending on the wing, next to a suspect defensive centre. Cool.

 

[BLM01]

So let me get this right. Lomax in the centres when SGI are defending - because Aitken's defence is appalling mitigating bad press for Aitken. Then Lomax on te wing in attack - catching a cold waiting for the ball while Aitken holds onto the ball grabbing every opportunity to score.

And to top it all off this week, Brett Morris who is supposed to be past it had a MOM performance playing at centre in the WCC scoring a hattrick of tries in the first half. If only our Club had the talent to pick up Morris this year. He is still one of the best in the competition as a left side winger and it appears he could be a handy backup for fullback and wing.

I call it rubbish and a prime example why Mary should not be our head coach.

Wrong way round Possm...you have turned it up on its head!

 

[possm]

He's saying the opposite.

Attack: Lomax centre, Aitken wing (but will probably swap a lot)
Defence: Aitken centre, Lomax wing

No matter which way they go there is no place for Aitken in our backline. I have been watching last years games of fox over the past few weeks and can see absolutely no upside of having Aitken in our backline. Aitken in defence at right centre is the weakest link in our backline. Aitken's inability to take the high ball and turn and chase a ball kicked over his head is also very problematic.

The only question is WHY switch Aitken and Lomax during a game? The only answer is that Aitken cannot adequately cover all aspects of centre or winger.

Mary's decision is only a reflection of himself; not being able to handle all aspects of head coach, Mary was stripped of recruitment and retention duties to allow him to concentrate on 'coaching'. Surely this says it all given the results he has achieved over the past 5 years.

 

[BLM01]

Great to have a non-winger defending on the wing, next to a suspect defensive centre. Cool.

Lomax can defend and play on the wing. Just have not hardly seen it in 1st grade yet.
Aitken well..yeah..oh well for the past 2 years at least we will blame the winger outside him or the defending half / edge forward inside him for Aitken's deficiencies in defence. That is what Mary may be doing it seems.
Cant wait for Round 1!

 

[BLM01]

No matter which way they go there is no place for Aitken in our backline. I have been watching last years games of fox over the past few weeks and can see absolutely no upside of having Aitken in our backline. Aitken in defence at right centre is the weakest link in our backline. Aitken's inability to take the high ball and turn and chase a ball kicked over his head is also very problematic.

The only question is WHY switch Aitken and Lomax during a game? The only answer is that Aitken cannot adequately cover all aspects of centre or winger.

Mary's decision is only a reflection of himself; not being able to handle all aspects of head coach, Mary was stripped of recruitment and retention duties to allow him to concentrate on 'coaching'. Surely this says it all given the results he has achieved over the past 5 years.

Why switch em?. For me Aitken is fast enough and strong enough in attack to catch the ball and score on the wing by some speed and bulldozing and will get our sets off to a good start as fast from dummy half. Lomax has a better step for centre and can set up play for his inside / outside man.
But in defence Lomax is tall, can leap and can defend. So he can defend on the wing.
I am praying to a higher power that our club has worked out and can teach our WHOLE right side including halves and edge forwards on how to defend by either sliding, slowing coming up in a line or when to rush up as 1 unit by NOW..

But get used to Aitken Possm. He is here to stay. Who knows Aitken may be injured in the trials and all your prayers answered. And Mary only got stripped of recruitment / retention duties after the 2016 season

 

[possm]

Positions 1,6 & bench is doing my head in but decided for Dufty 1 Widdop 6
bench, 2 forwards in Graham & Leilua, Robson & then Norman who can fill any backline position.
At a pinch Norman could play 1,3,4,6 or 7, then someone else in our current backline can shuffle to wing for injury or even fatigue or form for half a game etc
Norman can also be used when McInnes needs a break for Hunt to go there
Robson can relieve another forward and can play lock
Norman can sit on bench if Mary wants to swap Robson / McInnes
Any of these scenarios can work depending on opposition, scoreline, fatigue or just form

Dont forget Friz plays like a prop and can cover there although prefer him and TSims to be edge. Lawrie or Kerr or KSims when back to start with Vaughan..

Not only is Dufty weak at the back in defence, it is adjustments like this that will put another nail in the coffin of SGI. Last season we had fatigue set in mainly because our props were not rotated enough and our hooker was buggered after having to complete more than 40 tackles a game all season.

Fading at the end of the season for the past few years because of fatigue and injuries to our forwards is something that SGI must address if the Club wants to progress deep into the final series.

Two young fit props, a backrower and a player who can play in the hooker rotation/backrow is seen as the logical measure to address the problems of the past few years.

Dufty has now signed for the next two years and Robson needs to be signed long term. It is logical that Dufty works on his self development in 2019, and Robson is selected in the 17 in the hooker rotation. Aitken should be dropped to ISP and let go when his contract is up. It is my opinion that Aitken has peaked in his development as a centre.

Having said all of this my team for round 1 would be:

1. Widdop
2. Pearson
3. Lomax
4. Lafai
5. Pereira/Ravalawa
6 Norman
7. Hunt
8. Vaughan
9. McInnes
10. Graham
11. Leilua
12. T Sims
13. De Belin/Frizell

14. Robson
15. Lawrie
16. Kerr
17. Host

 

[DragonJ]

Positions 1,6 & bench is doing my head in but decided for Dufty 1 Widdop 6
bench, 2 forwards in Graham & Leilua, Robson & then Norman who can fill any backline position.
At a pinch Norman could play 1,3,4,6 or 7, then someone else in our current backline can shuffle to wing for injury or even fatigue or form for half a game etc
Norman can also be used when McInnes needs a break for Hunt to go there
Robson can relieve another forward and can play lock
Norman can sit on bench if Mary wants to swap Robson / McInnes
Any of these scenarios can work depending on opposition, scoreline, fatigue or just form

Dont forget Friz plays like a prop and can cover there although prefer him and TSims to be edge. Lawrie or Kerr or KSims when back to start with Vaughan..

You are a masochist. Widdop has been 5/8 and marquee playmaker for 5 f**king years of hell! Norman will be 5/8 and Widdop will be fullback. A good fullback, but a ridiculously overpaid fullback.

My positions 2-5 have be sown up barring injury for Round 1 against the Cowboys in my mind.
No surprise to most on here. Lomax / Periera wings + our favourite 2018 centre pairing of Euai & Laf
But there is a twist....Lomax and Euie to swap and not always play the position of their number in attack!

Lomax and Aitken to be centre and wing but swap around? Is this what you would do or what you think the idiot will do? If the former..... well it would be interesting to see if you and @Old Timer ever logged on at the same time.

 

[DragonJ]

Not only is Dufty weak at the back in defence, it is adjustments like this that will put another nail in the coffin of SGI. Last season we had fatigue set in mainly because our props were not rotated enough and our hooker was buggered after having to complete more than 40 tackles a game all season.

Fading at the end of the season for the past few years because of fatigue and injuries to our forwards is something that SGI must address if the Club wants to progress deep into the final series.

Two young fit props, a backrower and a player who can play in the hooker rotation/backrow is seen as the logical measure to address the problems of the past few years.

Dufty has now signed for the next two years and Robson needs to be signed long term. It is logical that Dufty works on his self development in 2019, and Robson is selected in the 17 in the hooker rotation. Aitken should be dropped to ISP and let go when his contract is up. It is my opinion that Aitken has peaked in his development as a centre.

Having said all of this my team for round 1 would be:

1. Widdop
2. Pearson
3. Lomax
4. Lafai
5. Pereira/Ravalawa
6 Norman
7. Hunt
8. Vaughan
9. McInnes
10. Graham
11. Leilua
12. T Sims
13. De Belin

14. Robson
15. Lawrie
16. Kerr
17. Host

Great team but what happened to Frizz? And would Widdop still be (c)? With playmaking duties taken away from him I feel he could be a much better captain but he is leaving to play elsewhere next year...... Would you have such a person as captain? I'm undecided but I'd lean toward giving it to Graham for a year with Sims or Friz deputizing ready to take over if Graham retires.

Also Pereira shouldn't be a first choice winger. I admire the way he puts 110% into everything he does but Jake Marketo used to be the same.

 

[LINESPEED]

Why switch em?. For me Aitken is fast enough and strong enough in attack to catch the ball and score on the wing by some speed and bulldozing and will get our sets off to a good start as fast from dummy half. Lomax has a better step for centre and can set up play for his inside / outside man.
But in defence Lomax is tall, can leap and can defend. So he can defend on the wing.
I am praying to a higher power that our club has worked out and can teach our WHOLE right side including halves and edge forwards on how to defend by either sliding, slowing coming up in a line or when to rush up as 1 unit by NOW..

But get used to Aitken Possm. He is here to stay. Who knows Aitken may be injured in the trials and all your prayers answered. And Mary only got stripped of recruitment / retention duties after the 2016 season

That hamstring got us almost to the 3rd week of the finalls (the forced change that most pundits were screaming for)?

Field was there against the Bunnies (we do forget that Waterboy actually selected him?)
But he had no game time to make the kind of difference Waterboy knows he can make.

Field for Lafai or Pereira for mine. He’ll score tries the Chosen Ones could only dream of -
& at 1.81m & 85kg he’s got the goods.

Lomax for Aitken of course.

Apart from Waterboy supporters isn’t everyone sick of hearing excuses about Aitken’s retention at centre?

 

[DragonJ]

That hamstring got us almost to the 3rd week of the finalls (the forced change that most pundits were screaming for)?

Field was there against the Bunnies (we do forget that Waterboy actually selected him?)
But he had no game time to make the kind of difference Waterboy knows he can make.

Field for Lafai or Pereira for mine. He’ll score tries the Chosen Ones could only dream of -
& at 1.81m & 85kg he’s got the goods.

Lomax for Aitken of course.

Apart from Waterboy supporters isn’t everyone sick of hearing excuses about Aitken’s retention at centre?

Nice idea about Field but he needs to make it to 90kg first. On a frame of 181cm, he should be able to do it even if it costs him a little speed. He will just go from the fastest to one of the fastest players in the NRL. Good enough if he can better handle heavy collisions.

 

[possm]

Great team but what happened to Frizz? And would Widdop still be (c)? With playmaking duties taken away from him I feel he could be a much better captain but he is leaving to play elsewhere next year...... Would you have such a person as captain? I'm undecided but I'd lean toward giving it to Graham for a year with Sims or Friz deputizing ready to take over if Graham retires.

Also Pereira shouldn't be a first choice winger. I admire the way he puts 110% into everything he does but Jake Marketo used to be the same.

All good points! I mean to bracket Frizell at lock with De Belin just in case things go wrong with De Belin. If De Belin does play round 1, then the backrow of last season would be my choice. In this case Host would drop off the bench.

With regards to the captaincy, I would like to see Widdop and Graham as co-captains and T Sims as vice captain for 2019. I don't rate McInnes as having the credentials needed to captain SGI.

My choice of wingers is clouded by the unknown performance during the off-season of those in contention. There has been no commentary on who has trained their socks off or who is killing it for this off-season. My preference is Pearson and Ravalawa mainly because of size, speed and a gut feeling that, if given a chance, these two players could be our long term wingers. I believe Pearson may also be a great option for backup left centre.

With our current squad, I am still of the opinion that a Lomax/Lafai centre combination is our best option.

 

[DragonJ]

All good points! I mean to bracket Frizell at lock with De Belin just in case things go wrong with De Belin. If De Belin does play round 1, then the backrow of last season would be my choice. In this case Host would drop off the bench.

With regards to the captaincy, I would like to see Widdop and Graham as co-captains and T Sims as vice captain for 2019. I don't rate McInnes as having the credentials needed to captain SGI.

My choice of wingers is clouded by the unknown performance during the off-season of those in contention. There has been no commentary on who has trained their socks off or who is killing it for this off-season. My preference is Pearson and Ravalawa mainly because of size, speed and a gut feeling that, if given a chance, these two players could be our long term wingers. I believe Pearson may also be a great option for backup left centre.

With our current squad, I am still of the opinion that a Lomax/Lafai centre combination is our best option.

I see. IMO we shouldn't even speculate on the possibility of Jack not being on board for round 1! The guy has rights. He is innocent until proven guilty!

On the topic, he would have been a great (c) but I guess he has figuratively and literally screwed that chance.

If Pearson and/or Ravalawa don't make it, they should find someone else other than Pereira. He will be a good backup but just like Marketo didn't have it in the forwards no matter the fantastic effort he put in, Pereira doesn't have it as a winger.

Lomax as one centre is a no-brainer (so McFooknuckle will probably pick him on the wing) and with a fast winger he can put away, I'm optimistic about Lafai.

 

[BLM01]

That hamstring got us almost to the 3rd week of the finalls (the forced change that most pundits were screaming for)?

Field was there against the Bunnies (we do forget that Waterboy actually selected him?)
But he had no game time to make the kind of difference Waterboy knows he can make.

Field for Lafai or Pereira for mine. He’ll score tries the Chosen Ones could only dream of -
& at 1.81m & 85kg he’s got the goods.

Lomax for Aitken of course.

Apart from Waterboy supporters isn’t everyone sick of hearing excuses about Aitken’s retention at centre?

Field cant defend and waterboy wont pick him on the wing or centre unless desperate so i dont dream. I choose the best scenario with reality of what will be our top starting 17 to start Round 1..
You know what... I would not have Aitken as my centre either but the lack of wingers of 1st grade proven quality (recent) has forced our hand. If these list of reserve grade wingers stand up and prove their worth..ship Aitken out. Lomax to right centre.
But for me Lomax / Aitken combo on the right side will perform better than including these unproven bunnies of Pearson, Ravalawa, Maranta, Runciman and anyone else you can think of.
Until they prove better..that is how I would go In Round 1. Round 2..well see.