Best pack in the NRL 2007 ??

[lockyno1]

Neville Costigan. Too easy. Regularly made the Brisbane pack throughout 2006. Oops, did I just make locky look stupid again? Nevermind, you can cry your eyes out on the way back to LA.

Neville Costigan was playing in the Clysdales most of the year you twit! He only played during Origin period you fool!

 

[innsaneink]

LOL...walked into that one locky.

TLL another.

 

[skeepe]

Question: Did Costigan make the Broncos pack?
Answer: Yes he did.

Therefore, locky is an idiot. Point proven.

 

[lockyno1]

Question: Did Costigan make the Broncos pack?
Answer: Yes he did.

Therefore, locky is an idiot. Point proven.

He didn't make our full strength side. Jeez you are a fool. He never has been in our full strength side. He would never have even made our GF bench in the best of form!

 

[innsaneink]

Neville Costigan was playing in the Clysdales most of the year you twit! He only played during Origin period you fool!

I randomly picked up one of last years Big Leagues, it was round 22, nowhere near origin, guess whos on the Broncos bench?

 

[skeepe]

For what it's worth, my first few words were "The Raiders probably won't have the best". Obviously, I don't think the Raiders have the best forward pack. I was stating however that for depth, yes we do.

Oh and locky, forgot another one.

Matt Bickerstaff. Regular in the Dragons pack.

 

[lockyno1]

I randomly picked up one of last years Big Leagues, it was round 22, nowhere near origin, guess whos on the Broncos bench?

We were talking starting sides ink. He played that week as Eastwood was injured and there were a few other injuries.

 

[lockyno1]

Oh and locky, forgot another one.

Matt Bickerstaff. Regular in the Dragons pack.

So what, Bickerstaff is a very good player. Plus in a ideal world he would not be starting at the dragons as Dean Young is the regular lock. Young had to fill in at hooker this year and Bickerstaff started. He is a good player, hugely underated and I'd take him anyday over Costigan!

 

[skeepe]

So what, Bickerstaff is a very good player. Plus in a ideal world he would not be starting at the dragons as Dean Young is the regular lock. Young had to fill in at hooker this year and Bickerstaff started. He is a good player, hugely underated and I'd take him anyday over Costigan!

Actually Shaun Timmins was the regular lock.

Do you actually know anything about rugby league at all?

Besides, you said to me that nobody, repeat nobody, but TLL and Tongue would make the forward packs of the Broncos, Storm, Dragons etc. Obviously, by not mentioning Bickerstaff, you believed that he wouldn't make the grade at those clubs. He did, being a regular at the Dragons.

Costigan also played many games for the Broncos.

Obviously I could go on, but it is much easier to compare the players who actually did make the teams you mentioned.

Over all this though, the one resounding thing that has been proven above all is that you're a fool with no knowledge of the game.

 

[lockyno1]

Timmins hardly played any football this year. I left him out for a reason. As I said at full strength no Raiders players would make the full strength sides of any of the top 4. Bickerstaff is not in the dragons run on full strenth side in reality. Costigan would not have made the squad in the GF, he is a loose cannon who does 1 or 2 good things a game if you are lucky.

 

[skeepe]

You've already been proven a fool, just let it go mate.

 

[Y2Eel]

If you think Hagan coaches well, dear gosh!

I cannot rate hagen till he starts coaching the eels...

But lets see Is Ricky stuart a better coach then Bennett because he took over for him as the Australian coach?

Can Bennett really coach or is it the players under him Lockyer?

 

[lockyno1]

I cannot rate hagen till he starts coaching the eels...

But lets see Is Ricky stuart a better coach then Bennett because he took over for him as the Australian coach?

Can Bennett really coach or is it the players under him Lockyer?

Bennett didn't do too badly as a Australian coach. But that asside Bennet has won 6 premierships, that is better than Stuarts 1 title as a coach. Bennett is the best coach in the business when it comes to bringing up youngsters through the ranks.

 

[Mr Saab]

Can Bennett really coach or is it the players under him Lockyer?

Lockyer? The same Lockyer who last yr everyone said was washed up and should have the captaincy taken off him and sent back to fullback?
That Lockyer?
I wont lie, I thought Bennett was past it, but as the old saying goes....form in temporary, class is permenant.

 

[Kiwi]

The Raiders probably won't have the best, however it's hard to go past them if you're talking about depth.

Dane Tilse
Lincoln Withers
Troy Thompson
Thom Learoyd-Lahrs
Neville Costigan
Alan Tongue
Matt Bickerstaff
Michael Weyman
Trevor Thurling
Glen Turner
Scott Logan
Andrew Dunemann
Josh Miller
Jason Williams
Ryan Hinchcliffe
Alan Rothery
Joe Picker
Willie Raston
Ben Jones
Marshall Chalk

Aside from Picker, who has been selected in the Australian Invitational side to take on New Zealand A on Saturday, all have first grade experience and all are at the very least solid players.

To be honest I don't know half the players you listed, and only Raider fans would. Depth wise, they aren't any better off than the likes of the Broncos, Dragons, Bulldogs, Eels, Storm, Warriors, and Cowboys.

Quality wise they are mid field in my opinion, future wise though they are looking very good and in a few years time if they can keep the likes of Tilse, TLL, Thompson, Tongue on the field, get some consistancy out of Bickerstaff and Costigan, and a few of the young guys mentioned to make the grade they'll be very strong.

And before any Raiders fans mention weyman, he needs to stay injury free, improve his work load and become more consistant otherwise at best he'll be nothing more than a bench dean widders type player without the consistancy.

 

[Wicks]

Bickerstaff filled in for Payne and Timmins and other injured players but he made the team based on his form at times during the season Would have been dropped at other times if players were available

 

[Big Pete]

Raiders are up there in terms of forwards no questions asked.

Want a hard runner? Look no further than Tom Learoyd Lahrs one of the fastest forwards in the game.

Want a good front row combination? Look no further than Thompson and Miller two of the most underated players in the NRL competition.

Want a hard working backrow? Look no further than Bickerstaff and Tongue who are consistent hard working players. Tongue also has a bit of flair in attack on occasion.

Their bench ain't going to be shabby either with the likes of Costigan, Weyman, Tilse and the likes. One question, what happened to Lomu? Did he leave?

 

[Deleted member 10972]

Raiders IMO will field a pack looking like:

8. Michael Weyman
9. Lincoln Withers/Andrew Dunemann
10. Troy Thompson
11. Neville Costigan
12. Matt Bickerstaff
13. Alan Tongue

14. Josh Miller
15. Scott Logan
16. Tom Learoyd-Lahrs
17. Glen Turner

Reserves: Dane Tilse, Trevor Thurling, Jason Williams, Willie Raston, Alan Rothery, Ben Jones

 

[Raider_69]

Costigan, Tongue, Weyman, Bickerstaff, Learoyd-Lahrs would all make pretty much every team's top 17 in the comp. Tilse, Miller and Thompson are also very good players

Lomu has neck issues from memory, not sure if he will be back in 07 or retire, there has been talk of both

Its a good pack for the future, this year will be dicey, in a year or so it will be up there with the best if not the best in the comp.
Our backs are f**king sh*te though, alot of work on some key players needs to be done... best in defence, howell in defence, goodwin needs to step up to FG level, Frawley needs to do something... ANYTHING!

 

[COACH STERLING]

Parra pack is looking something like this:

Cayless
Riddell
FUI FUI
N Hindmarsh
I Hindmarsh
Mateo

Res:
PJ
Cannings
Tsulos
Cordoba

Others - Vella,Wagon,A heap of youngsters.
Although it doesn't rate as the best, its not far off as I dont see too many weaknesses. Hopefully an injury free run will see the eels perofrm to their capabilities. I would expect them to finish atleast top 4.