Aussie back row 'best in Tri Ns'!!

[screeny]

The BBC sports journalists have incredibly voted Kennedy, Fitzgibbon and O'Donnell to the tournament dream team, or whatever you want to call it.

I thought Kennedy was pretty good, in spite of the droppsies, and O'Donnell was steady if little more, but Fitzgibbon??!! I honestly thought he was the most disappointing player of the whole tournament. He did absolutely nothing.

Louis Anderson deserved one of the back row spots, or Kidwell.

 

[JoeD]

Got a link for the whole team?

 

[bartman]

Here's the link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/international_and_australian/4472022.stm

And here's the names:
Minichiello
Carney
Gasnier
Toopi
Vatuvei
Vagana
Jones
Fielden
Cunningham
Wiki
O'Donnell
Fitzgibbon
Kennedy

Morley
Higham
Wing
Asotasi

Needs more Kiwi forwards imo...

 

[sooperdooper]

fitzgibbon? gee thats a bit of a shock!

 

[JJ]

Vagana at standoff is pretty embarrassing for the other standoffs... but justified

I'd say O'Donnell, Fitzgibbon, Morley, Higham, Carney and Wing are pretty crap selections...

Rauhihi> Morley
Kidwell> O'Donnell
Solomona> Fitzgibbon
Tony>Wing
Barrett/Lockyer>Higham
Tate/Webster > Carney IMO

 

[PARRA_FAN]

I probably agree with Vagana at 5/8 cause the others didnt do well at all. Lockyer was ordinary in the first game, did ok in the other 2. Barrett was good when he came off the bench, but didnt do well at all when he started the game. Harris was sh*tt, they missed McGuire and Sculthorpe GB.

I also agree with Motu Tony, he's a good utility player and I was surprised the way he played when he slotted in at hooker. He was dangerous in all games against Australia.

Morely was still good though, he tried his hardest.

 

[MKEB...]

What about Carney on the Wing ...It must have been on Eddie and steveo recommendation, Which wingers did he out play and when... That had to have been the funniest selection...

 

[fiamacho]

Carney on the Wing ... exactly this is nothing but a joke !!! The Knights can have him in '06.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

To be fair on Carney he was pretty good apart from ther shocker he had against NZ.

Vatuvei... not bad for the "worst winger in the NRL" eh Covell fans?

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

I actually thought Asotasi was one of the worst Kiwi forwards in the games prior to the grand-final.

Louis Anderson must be the only player in history to have played (correct me if I'm wrong) 13 consecutive tests (all in the starting line-up?) at the age of 20 and had hardly a word of praise spoken about him.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

I actually thought Asotasi was one of the worst Kiwi forwards in the games prior to the grand-final.

Louis Anderson must be the only player in history to have played (correct me if I'm wrong) 13 consecutive tests (all in the starting line-up?) at the age of 20 and had hardly a word of praise spoken about him.

Louis has the the same problem as Wairangi Koopu, the things that make him so valuable are often those things that don't earn praise from the casual observer.

 

[freeridermx]

how the f**k can wing make it he played the 1 game didnt he? . plus the french game which not part of the tri series tht is the biggest joke of the lot but is a very bad side anyway .

 

[The Devil]

Louis Anderson must be the only player in history to have played (correct me if I'm wrong) 13 consecutive tests (all in the starting line-up?) at the age of 20 and had hardly a word of praise spoken about him.

I remember someone saying that Buderus has/had played 16 consecutive tests.
That i'm not too sure on either..

 

[ParraDude_Jay]

Louis Anderson must be the only player in history to have played (correct me if I'm wrong) 13 consecutive tests (all in the starting line-up?) at the age of 20 and had hardly a word of praise spoken about him.

He played off the bench in either one or two tests this year

 

[screeny]

Well said Thierry Henry and Space Monkey: Anderson has been terrific, occasionally on the angry pills but permanently indefatigable and adding the kind of steel to NZ's pack that Australia could sorely have done with from some of their tacklers.

I saw Anderson as a bit of a weak link before the start of the tournament, mainly as I'd seen him play as hooker, but now I rate him highly as a first choice NZ backrower, a tackling machine.

 

[The_MaFeeLi_Tiger]

Craig Wing?!?!?!?! This guy doesn't have to do ANYTHING to get huge praise....

 

[1stNov2000]

Isn't there an official World XIII to be named around this time like they have done the last few years? Also the international players' player awards, anyone know when they announce those?

 

[1stNov2000]

I actually thought Asotasi was one of the worst Kiwi forwards in the games prior to the grand-final.

yeah I was waiting for him to ignite it in the first 4 games, he was really quiet by his standards, I was really surprised esp. after the season he had being the standout forward for a struggling Bulldog unit. But then came the final and he helped lead from the front with his inspiring charges.

 

[aqua_duck]

Fitzgibbon is a stats thief, alot of times people select their players and then have a few sports left so they consult the stats and then they see Fitzgibbon 40 tackles but 35 of them are like 4th man in.

 

[bender]

Vagana at standoff is pretty embarrassing for the other standoffs... but justified

I'd say O'Donnell, Fitzgibbon, Morley, Higham, Carney and Wing are pretty crap selections...

Rauhihi> Morley
Kidwell> O'Donnell
Solomona> Fitzgibbon
Tony>Wing
Barrett/Lockyer>Higham
Tate/Webster > Carney IMO

If we were considering the form purely on internationals this year, maybe the French 5/8 would get a run. Actually, with that back row, Fakir or one of the other French second rowers may get a run in a World XIII