Best 17 going forward as from next week

[Copperhead]

1. Edwards. 2. DWZ. 3. Blake. 4. Peachey. 5. Hiku. 6. Moylan. 7. Cleary. 8. Kikau. 9. Wallace. 10. RCG.
11. CHN. 12. Yeo. 13. Merrin. 14. Tamou. 15 Akauola. 16. Cartwright. 17. JFH.

Whare upsets the balance of our backline IMO, and he's playing poorly. Cartwright looks to be moving in slow motion and is lucky to be on the bench. Latu's half the player he was last year, but that's still around the same level as Tamou, who makes the cut because coaches hate having this much money running around in reserve grade. DWZ could swap with Edwards, but apart from bringing the ball back, Edwards shows more urgency with all the other things a fullback has to clean up. Hiku keeps a spot because we don't have any other options. What happened to Tuisese?

 

[herbert henry1908]

1. Edwards. 2. DWZ. 3. Blake. 4. Peachey. 5. Hiku. 6. Moylan. 7. Cleary. 8. Kikau. 9. Wallace. 10. RCG.
11. CHN. 12. Yeo. 13. Merrin. 14. Tamou. 15 Akauola. 16. Cartwright. 17. JFH.

Whare upsets the balance of our backline IMO, and he's playing poorly. Cartwright looks to be moving in slow motion and is lucky to be on the bench. Latu's half the player he was last year, but that's still around the same level as Tamou, who makes the cut because coaches hate having this much money running around in reserve grade. DWZ could swap with Edwards, but apart from bringing the ball back, Edwards shows more urgency with all the other things a fullback has to clean up. Hiku keeps a spot because we don't have any other options. What happened to Tuisese?

It's a good thing we just re-signed him for FIVE YEARS!!!

I know we get him on the cheap, but FMD some of our decisions lately have been so poor.

 

[TheFrog]

My guess is he's not yet 100% confident on the knee.

 

[Copperhead]

My guess is he's not yet 100% confident on the knee.

Which is why he and Hiku should have come back through the ISP in the first place.

 

[PANTHERMIKE]

Whats the point? Nothing is going to change with these merkins of a coaching staff...

 

[Munted]

As others have stated, Cartwright is moving in slow motion. And sideways (not new).

 

[billypilgrimnz]

My guess is he's not yet 100% confident on the knee.

Which makes the five-year contract even dumber. Two major, major injuries that keep you out for two seasons, and your team offers you the security of five years even before anyone really knows if the knee is up to it? Whare would have bitten their hand off.

 

[martielang]

I'd go...

1. DWZ 2. Hiku 3. Whare 4. Blake 5. Edwards 6. Moylan 7. Cleary 8. Tamou 9. Katoa 10. RCG 11. CHN 12. Yeo 13. Merrin

14. Cartwright 15. Latu 16. Kikau 17. Peachey

 

[snickers007]

I'd go...

1. DWZ 2. Hiku 3. Whare 4. Blake 5. Edwards 6. Moylan 7. Cleary 8. Tamou 9. Katoa 10. RCG 11. CHN 12. Yeo 13. Merrin

14. Cartwright 15. Latu 16. Kikau 17. Peachey

Curious why Wallace doesn't feature? For mine he is the heart and soul of our team and he should have the C next to his name.

 

[mxlegend99]

It wasn't just Hiku who f**ked that kick up. Waqa is standing there ball watching when every other centre in the game would of either run Kahu of the kick or hammered him as soon as he caught the ball, but no, Waqa just stands there watching. They all f**ked up, its just another example of our pathetic will to compete. I agree Whare is doing f**k all, he may be great at setting up his winger but its not helping us and he is our wost outside back for doing the early hit ups coming out of our own end, he tries but he just isn't good at it at all.

Blake and Cleary were trying to block Kahu to make it easier for Hiku But when Hiku just stands back and watches him leap the blocking was for nothing.

How is Blake to know his winger is not going to try catching it? Blake isn't scared to contest a kick... he has f**ked himself running after them without fear. When he was winger he was contesting everything that came his way.

Whare isn't even doing much to set up his winger. He's keeping Blake out of his preferred spot and doing absolutely nothing with it. That's why I would be moving Whare to left centre or wing and putting Blake and DWZ back together. They both actually have a crack and had a good combination last year.

Honestly after how bad he has played this year I would have him keeping Mansours jersey warm and go back to Peachey and Blake in the centres. If Whare finds form before Mansour is fit, move Peachey. If not he gets dropped. Simple as that.

We coped just fine without Hiku and Whare last season. Neither has done anything this season to justify walking straight back into the team. Compare their efforts to the 3 games that Dylan Edwards has played and it's f**king criminal he only gets a run when we have half a dozen iplayers unavailable. Edwards has the attitude most of our team are missing.

 

[betcats]

Blake and Cleary were trying to block Kahu to make it easier for Hiku But when Hiku just stands back and watches him leap the blocking was for nothing.

How is Blake to know his winger is not going to try catching it? Blake isn't scared to contest a kick... he has f**ked himself running after them without fear. When he was winger he was contesting everything that came his way.

Whare isn't even doing much to set up his winger. He's keeping Blake out of his preferred spot and doing absolutely nothing with it. That's why I would be moving Whare to left centre or wing and putting Blake and DWZ back together. They both actually have a crack and had a good combination last year.

Honestly after how bad he has played this year I would have him keeping Mansours jersey warm and go back to Peachey and Blake in the centres. If Whare finds form before Mansour is fit, move Peachey. If not he gets dropped. Simple as that.

We coped just fine without Hiku and Whare last season. Neither has done anything this season to justify walking straight back into the team. Compare their efforts to the 3 games that Dylan Edwards has played and it's f**king criminal he only gets a run when we have half a dozen iplayers unavailable. Edwards has the attitude most of our team are missing.

Blake was standing there flat footed looking up at the ball doing sfa. Like I said earlier any other centre would of got in Kahu's way and run him off that ball or nailed him as soon as he landed, it doesn't matter if he thinks Hiku is going to contest it or not, its a f**king lazy attitude to just stand there watching because he thinks Hiku has it covered, its an attitude that is indicative of our whole season. All three are to blame for that. Hiku was fine last night, whare was the biggest passenger in our backline.

 

[mxlegend99]

Blake was standing there flat footed looking up at the ball doing sfa. Like I said earlier any other centre would of got in Kahu's way and run him off that ball or nailed him as soon as he landed, it doesn't matter if he thinks Hiku is going to contest it or not, its a f**king lazy attitude to just stand there watching because he thinks Hiku has it covered, its an attitude that is indicative of our whole season. All three are to blame for that. Hiku was fine last night, whare was the biggest passenger in our backline.

Blake was the centre and that kick was straight to Hiku. His job was to position himself infront of his winger and make it harder for the opposition to contest it. He did that. He could have taken Kahu out and been penalised... which in hindsight would have been a better outcome. But he has no way at all to know his winger is going to stand there and not attempt to catch it at all. You can't blame Blake for expecting his winger to do his job. His only mistake was trusting his teammate to do his job.

Blake can be dumb at times, and make poor reads. But he isn't lazy. He just isn't psychic either. He did what is usually the safest option. If he knew the outcome I am sure he would have just gone for it himself or taken the chaser out. But he backed his winger to catch it. That turned out to be a mistake, but that try was on Hiku. Moylan, Blake and Cleary had no time to react because Kahu had momentum behind him and caught it uncontested. No one was catching him from behind off a standing start and Moylan tried to cover it but couldn't change direction quick enough. Hiku was in the best position to catch the ball and to tackle Kahu. He did neither.

Blake wasn't perfect in that game. Not a single player in our team was. But in that play only one player completely dogged it and didn't do his job. That's the winger who stood back and did nothing.

 

[betcats]

Blake was the centre and that kick was straight to Hiku. His job was to position himself infront of his winger and make it harder for the opposition to contest it. He did that. He could have taken Kahu out and been penalised... which in hindsight would have been a better outcome. But he has no way at all to know his winger is going to stand there and not attempt to catch it at all. You can't blame Blake for expecting his winger to do his job. His only mistake was trusting his teammate to do his job.

Blake can be dumb at times, and make poor reads. But he isn't lazy. He just isn't psychic either. He did what is usually the safest option. If he knew the outcome I am sure he would have just gone for it himself or taken the chaser out. But he backed his winger to catch it. That turned out to be a mistake, but that try was on Hiku. Moylan, Blake and Cleary had no time to react because Kahu had momentum behind him and caught it uncontested. No one was catching him from behind off a standing start and Moylan tried to cover it but couldn't change direction quick enough. Hiku was in the best position to catch the ball and to tackle Kahu. He did neither.

Blake wasn't perfect in that game. Not a single player in our team was. But in that play only one player completely dogged it and didn't do his job. That's the winger who stood back and did nothing.

You're being ridiculous if you don't think Waqa shares the blame in that. He was literally standing there watching doing f**k all, he didn't impede Kahu at all.

 

[umina panther]

You're being ridiculous if you don't think Waqa shares the blame in that. He was literally standing there watching doing f**k all, he didn't impede Kahu at all.

Hiku wants to catch the ball and he does. Nothing else really matters

 

[betcats]

Hiku wants to catch the ball and he does. Nothing else really matters

That's bullshit, first graders can't just ball watch expecting someone else to clean it up, that's the pissweak attitude that has us losing five in a row. Hiku deserves blame too no doubt maybe the lions share but you have 3 first graders there doing f**k all and you're trying to put all the blame on one because you don't like him. Waqa's effort on that play was pathetic same as hiku, he did nothing. If Waqa had of run Kahu off the ball like every other centre and winger does to our kick chase then Kahu gets nowhere near it, instead he stood there and allowed Kahu a free crack at it.

 

[kinghippo]

DWZ should get a shot at fb if he wants one, he has been good this year, looks strong and fast.
Edwards / whare on the wing until mansour returns.
Peachy and Blake should be the centres, both are learning their trade but will be amazing if given a chance.
Moylan/ Cleary halves
Merrin lock
Yeo CHN
RCG Wallace Kikau

Bench Tamou, Cartwright, JFH, TMM

JFH and Merrin could spend a bit of time at prop
Latu needs a bit of reserve grade

Hopefully the rumours regarding TMM are garbage. He is a very talented kid and could be great off the bench as hooker / utility

 

[mxlegend99]

You're being ridiculous if you don't think Waqa shares the blame in that. He was literally standing there watching doing f**k all, he didn't impede Kahu at all.

He put himself infront of Hiku. Kahu has to get around him.

What more can he f**king do that isnt a blatant penalty or doing Hikus job for him? Blake did enough to give Hiku a shot. Hiku is the one who did nothing at all.

f**k me dead. You want to blame Blake for something he had no way of knowing would happen. His winger makung no attempt at all.

Hiku is solely responsible for making no attempt at all. With or without blockers he should be contesting a kick. He bitched it and that cost us.

Dont blame anyone else for him not even trying to do his job. He had every opportunity to contest it. His teammates had every reason to believe he would. Maybe next time they will know better than to trust him. But until that moment they had no reason to believe he would do what he did.

 

[GongPanther]

16 days between games. A lot of water is going to flow under the bridge by the time we play the Warriors.

We are not making the top 4 or 8.We are not going anywhere. Write off 2017,and just get the combinations right. Just have the team playing for the hell of it.

Only a miracle in winning 10 on the trot will give us half a chance to get into the finals.

 

[umina panther]

16 days for Griffin to work his magic

 

[betcats]

He put himself infront of Hiku. Kahu has to get around him.

What more can he f**king do that isnt a blatant penalty or doing Hikus job for him? Blake did enough to give Hiku a shot. Hiku is the one who did nothing at all.

f**k me dead. You want to blame Blake for something he had no way of knowing would happen. His winger makung no attempt at all.

Hiku is solely responsible for making no attempt at all. With or without blockers he should be contesting a kick. He bitched it and that cost us.

Dont blame anyone else for him not even trying to do his job. He had every opportunity to contest it. His teammates had every reason to believe he would. Maybe next time they will know better than to trust him. But until that moment they had no reason to believe he would do what he did.

All three of them did nothing so I blame all three of them. I'll give Cleary a break because he's a teenage halfback but Waqa and Hiku both should've done a lot more. You can do a lot more than Waqa did before it's a penalty it happens every game. Waqa literally get physically run off and blocked from most of the kicks he chases so he could've done that, even if Hiku does his jod and contest the kick he was no guarantee of catching because Kahu was allowed a free jump at it. They both f**ked up, like I said you are absolutely kidding yourself if you think Waqa did his job.