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Best prop in the comp

Desert Qlder

First Grade
Messages
9,621
Silly to act like a pretentious snob over that & the grouping of a player who before 2012 had not played a full season but whatever works.

You don't take criticism very well do you?

On this occasion you haven't been able to back up your claim.

If pointing that out makes me a 'pretentious snob' then so be it.
 

Big Pete

Referee
Messages
29,157
You don't take criticism very well do you?

On this occasion you haven't been able to back up your claim.

If pointing that out makes me a 'pretentious snob' then so be it.

I struggle to take overblown needlessly personal criticism over an insignificant detail seriously.
 

shiznit

Coach
Messages
14,840
How so?

Here are their stats from the last ten games(cbf going back further)

Fifita

Minutes: 52.5
Runs: 15.7
Metres: 134.8
Tackle Breaks: 4.4
Tackles: 32.3
Offloads: .5

Matulino

Minutes: 46.7
Runs: 15
Metres: 139.4
Tackle Breaks: 2.3
Tackles: 17.6
Offloads: 1.2

Seems pretty fairly split between the two. People think Fifita is just an "impact" guy but he was awesome for us this year.

is that they're last 10 games each??

or is it the last 10 games of the season??

Because Matulino was out for 3 or so rounds at the end of the season...
 

Didgi

Moderator
Messages
17,260
Graham's stats are up there with the best in the comp

I have to dispute that - he's a clear rung below when you look at things like metres per run and tackle busts. Guys like Scott and Tamou regularly top 10m/run along with shedding tacklers, whilst Graham's 130-odd metres often come from 18 or 19 hitups.
 

DoggiesBro

Juniors
Messages
2,341
I have to dispute that - he's a clear rung below when you look at things like metres per run and tackle busts. Guys like Scott and Tamou regularly top 10m/run along with shedding tacklers, whilst Graham's 130-odd metres often come from 18 or 19 hitups.


Clearly he is not as big as those blokes, though he makes up for it with his Motor.

The minutes he plays and the tackles he commits compared to missed or inefficent is a huge positive in his favour to. He could easily play 80 minutes if asked.

A fact a stat doesn't tell is how much ball playing Graham does, he might look like he is set to take a hit up and shuffle the ball along. Tamou and Scott don't do this. Barely any prop in the comp comes close to him and his ball playing ability. I think this is a point RWB was trying to get accross.

Don't get me wrong, I said earlier i'd have Tamou at #1. He simply is young, big, strong, fast, good foodwork and a pretty good motor and he is still learning. Not to mention he is playing with one of the other best props so it is a huge effort to stand up week in week out and look as good or on par.

Though i'd have Graham in the top 3 with Matt Scott. Graham also has to preform along with two of the other top props in the comp in Kasiano and Tolman.
 
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RWB

Bench
Messages
2,814
I have to dispute that - he's a clear rung below when you look at things like metres per run and tackle busts. Guys like Scott and Tamou regularly top 10m/run along with shedding tacklers, whilst Graham's 130-odd metres often come from 18 or 19 hitups.

I never claimed was a power runner... so I'm not sure what you're dismissing.

Graham's a worker, his ability lies in stats like metres per game, tackles per game & tackle efficiency rate where he ranks up there amongst the best which is all I claimed.
 

Red Bear

Referee
Messages
20,882
Aaron Woods this season (24 games)

15.9 runs/game
138.25 metres/game
1.04 offloads/game
35 tackles/game
1.92 misses tackles/game
60.2 minutes/game

Pretty frigging impressive numbers for a 21 year old prop. Slow start to the season and not the greatest last couple of games but boy he's a good footballer. Will get better and better IMO
 

Jack_Napier

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
3,622
Aaron Woods this season (24 games)

15.9 runs/game
138.25 metres/game
1.04 offloads/game
35 tackles/game
1.92 misses tackles/game
60.2 minutes/game

Pretty frigging impressive numbers for a 21 year old prop. Slow start to the season and not the greatest last couple of games but boy he's a good footballer. Will get better and better IMO

The lack of forward/prop depth really hurt the tiges this year but gee it's really accelerated woods development. He's another one that could be insanely good in a few years time.
 

chrisD

Coach
Messages
15,786
Shoveling the ball to the next bloke 5m before the defensive line is something near every player is capable of.
 

Red Bear

Referee
Messages
20,882
I thought Warren Ryan made a good point though re metres run with props - a misleading stat. If you could get stats on metres gained after they hit the defensive line you'd get a better idea of who the best props are (and you notice that when they play).

Some might have run alot of metres but are relatively easily tackled (Dan Hunt springs to mind), others are better at gaining metres through the defence (through shear strength and occasionally through decent footwork, eg Merrin).

NSW, with Woods Merrin Grant and Tamau, are hopefully getting very close to a forward pack that can be dominant for a strech of time, especially with Qld's front row stocks not quite as good as they have been in previous years (beyond Scott, of course).
 

Fire

First Grade
Messages
9,669
I thought Warren Ryan made a good point though re metres run with props - a misleading stat. If you could get stats on metres gained after they hit the defensive line you'd get a better idea of who the best props are (and you notice that when they play).

Some might have run alot of metres but are relatively easily tackled (Dan Hunt springs to mind), others are better at gaining metres through the defence (through shear strength and occasionally through decent footwork, eg Merrin).

NSW, with Woods Merrin Grant and Tamau, are hopefully getting very close to a forward pack that can be dominant for a strech of time, especially with Qld's front row stocks not quite as good as they have been in previous years (beyond Scott, of course).

Agreed. Those four props are good. Hopefully Daley doesn't have a brain fart like Sticky, and drop Merrin in the third game for the third time to put a backrower like Creagh in as prop.
 

RWB

Bench
Messages
2,814
I think Luke Douglas is definitely up there, it's just a shame he went to a club where he's been sitting on the bench for the majority of his time there. More deserving of a shot at origin than the likes of Merrin & Grant imo.
 

RABK

Referee
Messages
20,694
I think Luke Douglas is definitely up there, it's just a shame he went to a club where he's been sitting on the bench for the majority of his time there. More deserving of a shot at origin than the likes of Merrin & Grant imo.

No way - whilst you are right in naming Douglas as a good prop unlucky to have not made his Origin debut yet you are then wrong in going ahead and naming two good young props both very deserving of their Origin jerseys ahead of Douglas. Merrins been great since his FG debut and i got slammed for nominating Grant as the best young prop in NSW 2 years ago by the Mannah bandwagon - where are they now?

Snowden, Mannah, Galloway, TLL etc are the kind of props who Douglas has underservedly missed out for. Woods is one guy who deserves a shot in 2013.
 

RABK

Referee
Messages
20,694
Also saying QLD's props are thinning is a bit of a stretch. Shillington, Scott and Hannant all have a few good years in them and McGuire is right up there with Woods and Merrin as the best young props in the comp.
 

Red Bear

Referee
Messages
20,882
Shillington and Hannant are ok but hardly Price or Petro. Scott will carry that pack from here on in.

Well McGuire might be alright, especially with extra minutes at the Broncs next season.
 

RWB

Bench
Messages
2,814
No way - whilst you are right in naming Douglas as a good prop unlucky to have not made his Origin debut yet you are then wrong in going ahead and naming two good young props both very deserving of their Origin jerseys ahead of Douglas. Merrins been great since his FG debut and i got slammed for nominating Grant as the best young prop in NSW 2 years ago by the Mannah bandwagon - where are they now?

Snowden, Mannah, Galloway, TLL etc are the kind of props who Douglas has underservedly missed out for. Woods is one guy who deserves a shot in 2013.

Merrin got selected after one good season on the bench compared to Douglas who had proven himself over 5 seasons starting the majority of those seasons and posting very impressive numbers. How can you even begin to justify that?

Overall I just think Douglas is a better player than Grant, Grant's selection wasn't as undeserved as Merrin's but he still hasn't proven anywhere near as mcuh as Douglas.

Also just quietly, TLL did more in one game than Merrin has in his 4 combined.. why he's never been given another shot I'll never know.
 

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