All Stars: Eels trio causing selection nightmares

[The Colonel]

All Stars: Eels trio causing selection nightmares

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NRL Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:42:00
NRL All Stars Team voting shows Parramatta’s biggest stars at the forefront of a selection nightmare that is going to trouble supporters from all 16 teams.

Jarryd Hayne, Nathan Hindmarsh and FuiFui MoiMoi are three of the four most voted for players so far for the Wayne Bennett-coached All Stars – but only one can make the final team.

And all three want to play.

“I’d love to be the one who gets in, so would they, so there’s a bit of friendly rivalry,” said Hayne, the game’s International Player of the Year.

“It would be an honour to be selected by the fans and I hope I get the chance to represent them.”

More than 11,000 fans have now cast their votes for the NRL All Stars team in just 11 days, joining more than 18,000 fans who voted for the Indigenous All Stars team announced last month.

The jostling for positions in the side will test fans at all clubs – Bulldogs fans must choose between the likes of Josh Morris, Mick Ennis and Ben Hannant, Titans fans must weigh up whether to vote for Mat Rogers, Anthony Laffranchi or Mark Minichiello, Panthers fans have to choose between Michael Jennings, Petero Civoniceva and Luke Lewis, and Dragons fans between Brett Morris, Ben Creagh, Ben Hornby and Michael Weyman.

To vote for the NRL All Stars team, fans can log on to www.nrl.com/allstars and choose two forwards and two backs from each club.

Broncos star Israel Folau has attracted the most votes of any player in the opening weeks of the public vote but the overall race for the top two backs and forwards at each club remains wide open.

Stage One voting will remain open until midnight on December 26.

Once the public provides 64 names, coach Bennett will determine which positions he wants each player to be considered for, which positions he wants covered on the bench and where he will place the team’s four automatic selections – Darren Lockyer, Cameron Smith, Benji Marshall and Adam Blair.

The public will then commence Stage Two, nominating the top player for each position with the player who scores the highest number of overall votes in a position becoming the first chosen.

Once a player from one club is placed in the team, no other player from that club can be chosen.

Stage Two voting will open on January 3 and close at midnight on January 29.

If a player withdraws from the team due to injury, he will be replaced by someone from the bench.

The bench spot will then be filled by another representative from the injured player’s club – the new player having recorded the second highest number of votes from that club, either as a forward, back or utility, depending on the position needed for the bench.

With just three weeks left in the Stage One selection process, NRL Chief Executive, Mr David Gallop, today urged all supporters to register and make their vote count.

“The fans have really embraced the All Stars concept and we want as many as possible to be involved in the selection process,” Mr Gallop said.

“Fans are going to have to make some choices went it comes to choosing the team and every vote will count, so I encourage everyone to get in and play their part in selecting the NRL team to represent the fans at the All Stars match.”

Less than 2,000 tickets remain on sale for the February 13 match at Skilled Park, on the Gold Coast.

Tickets can be purchased through Ticketek outlets, on 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au.

The Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars game will mark the second anniversary of Prime Minister Rudd’s apology to the Stolen Generation.




http://www.nrl.com/newsviews/latest...rio-causing-selection-nightmares/default.aspx

 

[Gronk]

Select Hindy. He deserves it more.

 

[Hallatia]

I want Fui to get it ...

 

[Parra Guru]

I voted for Fui, Hindy, Hayne and Mateo but bias aside I found the Eels to be the hardest to pick from because of the raw talent.

 

[parra-matters]

i hope fui gets in, if hayne does he'll be wasted on the wing anyway.

 

[strider]

its probably been mentioned before (i may not have been paying much attention) - but what happens if the vast majority of players the fans pick are backs? .... backs are generally a bit more flashy and get votes for these type of things .... will jarryd get to play prop? :lol:

 

[bartman]

I think Fui, simply because the gap between him and who would take the prop spot otherwise is so great. Vote Fui!

 

[yy_cheng]

what about Poore?

 

[PJ Marshal]

i voted rob jeffson

if he doesnt make it votings rigged against him

 

[hineyrulz]

Hindy!!

 

[Twizzle]

go Hindy

 

[The Engineers Room]

Who wants to see Hayne playing on the wing again? I don't

Select Fui.

 

[Haynzy]

Two quick questions... Why the four auto selelections? And with Cam Smith there does that mean Slater can't be picked?

 

[JessEel]

its probably been mentioned before (i may not have been paying much attention) - but what happens if the vast majority of players the fans pick are backs? .... backs are generally a bit more flashy and get votes for these type of things .... will jarryd get to play prop? :lol:

i was under the impression that the most popular back and the most popular forward from each team go to a selection panel, and from there a functional team is picked... correct me if im wrong! but as you said, otherwise we'd be top tryscorers from 1-17!

 

[strider]

i was under the impression that the most popular back and the most popular forward from each team go to a selection panel, and from there a functional team is picked... correct me if im wrong! but as you said, otherwise we'd be top tryscorers from 1-17!

ohhh ... well that would seem logical then ... so even if say Hindy is a million parra votes ahead of jarryd, the panel could go, "f**k it, we want jarryd" and put him in the team instead

I must say I haven't been paying much attention to the posts and stories about the whole thing

 

[84 Baby]

i was under the impression that the most popular back and the most popular forward from each team go to a selection panel, and from there a functional team is picked... correct me if im wrong! but as you said, otherwise we'd be top tryscorers from 1-17!

From what I can gather it will almost purely on popular vote. The most voted for player is picked, then all other players from his club are eliminated from the vote. Then the next most popular player available is picked, etc. Then when they have 8 forwards or 8 backs, all the other players from either of those positions are eliminated regardless of club. Team functionality may be an issue if 8 halves and 8 hookers are then picked

 

[Gaffman]

Its all a bit vague but my understanding was that at the end of the first round of voting the top 4 voted players (2 forwards, 2 backs) from each team are put into a 64 man squad. Bennet then decides which players should be considered for which positions. So he might look at Hayne and say he can only be considered for a wing position, or maybe he'll put him against slater for the fullback spot. When all the players have been allocated positions, a second round of voting begins for each position. So Hayne could in theory be voted above Slater.

Then it gets a little messy. If Hayne were the highest voted player from Parra, and Slater the highest from Melb, and they were both vying for the no.1... i guess the higher voted of the two would get the nod in that spot, the other gets left off the team entirely or perhaps becomes an automatic selection on the bench.

I voted for the Hayne, Hindy, Fuifui and Mateo quartet also. I'd want Hayne to play but only at fullback, otherwise Fuifui would be great, Hindy is a sentimental selection and i only picked Mateo over Mortimer because Locky has the no.6 stitched up.

 

[Eels Dude]

Two quick questions... Why the four auto selelections? And with Cam Smith there does that mean Slater can't be picked?

I believe the captains and vice captains of Australia and NZ were automatic selections.

Also, the dreamtime side picked a 20 man squad so the All stars will too, so it'd be the 4 auto selections plus one player from every club totalling 20. Makes sense with it being played in the heat of summer and like other trials where they have an extended bench.

 

[Gaffman]

Has anyone heard if there are more interchanges allowed for this game?

 

[Raudonikis]

id vote robson cos i dont want any real first graders to get injured and be out for the season.