Australian Halfback

[Alan Shore]

This position has been much debated because of the injury to Johns. The only three contenders for this spot are Gower, Kimmorley and Orford.

Gower will tour because he's been great all year, and also plays Hooker. I'd actually select him there, because he's lightyears ahead of Buderus and let Wing come off the bench. Orford has also been in great form.

Now, don't get started on Sherwin. After watching a couple of his videos teams have worked out his kicking game and it is becoming less effective. His running game is average compared to the likes of Kimmorley and Orford. Sherwin also doesn't have the ability to stand up and dominate a game, except against lesser clubs like Souths. He's never dominated against say, the Broncos and in a losing side that has been dismal all year, Kimmorley played all over him.

Kimmorley is NOT overrated. The media bigots have got people thinking he is only there because of Anderson and it has destroyed his rep career. Everytime someone mentions his name, you hear the brainwashed, idiotic comments of "overrated", "mercenary" and so on.

 

[Mad Dogg]

I'd go for Sherwin.

 

[Raider_69]

3 contenders?
I mean those 3 are right up with the best of them but i assume the back up to johns in the SOO - Brent Sherwin is at least a contender....

i think gower will get the nod and i can say without the use of bias, Mark McLinden should get a seat on the plane, his form has been exceptional, he transforms the raiders into premiership contenders, his versetility might come in handy seen they arnt taking that many players.....

 

[Alan Shore]

3 contenders?
I mean those 3 are right up with the best of them but i assume the back up to johns in the SOO - Brent Sherwin is at least a contender....

i think gower will get the nod and i can say without the use of bias, Mark McLinden should get a seat on the plane, his form has been exceptional, he transforms the raiders into premiership contenders, his versetility might come in handy seen they arnt taking that many players.....

I'd take McLinden for sure, but more for his versatality than anything.

 

[Matt23]

The Contenders in no particular order are:
Craig Gower
Brent Sherwin
Craig Wing
Matt Orford
Mark McLinden
and no Brett Kimmorley.

 

[Frenzy]

Craig Gower - 3/1 as a utility.
Form on the board undeniable but a question mark over whether past sins have been forgiven.

Brent Sherwin - 1/1 as number 2 halfback
Lost a few strides against BK the other day. Replaced early, is there a fitness issue there? Otherwise replacing him was not doing him a favour Mr Folkes. Previous runs impressive

Craig Wing - 1/3 as a utility.
Tour certainty, can cover any distance with ease.

Matt Orford - 100/1
Storm must win the comp for him to even get a mention.

Mark McLinden - 1000/1
Rank outsider, not the type to win the big one. Flashy and brilliant but lacking the organisational skills looked for in the big races. Will miss his stablemate Croker in the big races

Brett Kimmorley - 1/10 as number one halfback.
Nearest bet to a sure thing going. Has support from the coach, the selectors and the peers. Has never failed at this distance. Only injury can stop a win this go around.

Written as a rugby league realist, not borne out of any affiliation. Think with the head and not with the heart and put yourself in the selectors shoes and I think this will be EXTREMELY accurate.

For the record - if I was choosing half based on form over the year alone it'd be Gower, then Sherwin then BK.

 

[Moffo]

Wong is the best selection

Cheers,
Moffo

 

[SP]

Let Witty go on the tour

 

[millersnose]

congrats in advance to brett kimmorley on his upcoming selection of australian halfback

 

[Dougie]

Gower should be taken....but having said that.....because Chris Anderson is also the national coach, it'll be Brett Kimmorley :roll:

 

[Frenzy]

We'll finish top, top, top
Then we'll flop, flop, flop
It's the new.. Port Adelaide tradition.

Hmmm yes.

Must be something about the colours sky blue, black and white that make teams into chokers.

Bring on the new strip Sharks

 

[Thunderstruck]

Wong is the best selection

Cheers,
Moffo

Who's Wong?

 

[Stevo_G]

has to be either Gower or Sherwin or maybe andersons best friend kimmorley

 

[Faranah]

I'd be spewing if Brett Kimmorley got in coz he definately doesnt deserve it. I really hope Craig Gower is in!!

 

[Matt23]

Does someone wanna make a poll out of this?

 

[cheese]

Kimmorley is a certainty to tour ......he outclassed nuff sherwin by a mile on saturday....

Its total speculaton but...

6. Gower
7. Kimmorley

......wouldnt surprise me .......gower is one of the only halfbacks that could actually handle the defensive strain that the modern day pivot is put under...

 

[ANTiLAG]

Has to be Kimmorley. He's a superstar. I remember last year when he got a 10/10 performance when teh sharkies thrashed the kngihts, it was the BK show. He made Johns play 2nd fiddle for years.

Easily the next best, tho Matty Orford has had a great year. I love McClindens play, he's exciting, and dangerous, but not really a rep player. More like a preston clubs tar style player.

 

[Southernsaint]

Kimmorley is a certainty to tour ......he outclassed nuff sherwin by a mile on saturday....

So he's getting picked on the back of one game?? :roll:

Kimmoreley's done bugger-all all season compared to other players vying for the same position but he's in the box seat because of his relationship with the national coach. In any other workplace this kind of favouritism would be highlu un-ethical.

It's a watered down 'Roo tour anyway so the squad doesn't even need to be that large. I'd say that they'd really only need to take Gower & Wing to cover the halfback position. Both can play hooker as well, covering for Danny Buderus.

Cheers,
Ben S.

 

[Tupac Shakur]

Craig Gower.

 

[Dean Moriarty]

Kimmoreley's done bugger-all all season compared to other players vying for the same position but he's in the box seat because of his relationship with the national coach.

Mate, I disagree. Kimmorley has been playing very well in all but a couple of games this season. The fact that the players around him have (mostly) not performed to the same level should not detract from that.

I don't mean to turn this into another Sharks vs Dragons thread (there's enough of them already), but if team league position is the guide of whether a player should get in, then the Dragons should have had no rep players since 1999. Fact is, some of your players are individually talented enough to represent despite the poor form of the team. Kimmorley is in exactly that position - as badly as the Sharks have performed this season, he's been there and done it for Australia.