Danny McGuire

[ledzep]

Where'd he go tonight?

 

[Nook]

Off in the 2nd half with Pryce to 5/8th wasn't he?

Not that it made much difference

 

[ledzep]

not injured, just subbed off?

 

[Roby1]

Is over weight and not fit IMO, either that or he is sulking. seen nothing of his form from SL.

 

[innsaneink]

Another total myth, along with old man Senior and Fielden....get talked up big time but have NEVER produced anything in the international arena.

 

[screeny]

McGuire a myth: yes. Fielden: no. He does it for 80 minutes in most games. Just watch some old Test videos from 2005 and 2004 and then ask yourself if his reputation isn't well deserved. He's not been in form this year.

Senior's had it, too, and he was caught woefully out of position today, letting Matai round him through ballwatching for Vatuvei's excellent try.

 

[Stewie Griffin]

bah... using the ESL for a yardstick for skill is not a very reliable one imo. Sure there will be exceptions, but more often than not, it fails to prove.

 

[Nook]

Another total myth, along with old man Senior and Fielden....get talked up big time but have NEVER produced anything in the international arena.

Try watching with your eyes open next time Ink.

 

[Nook]

Senior's had it, too, and he was caught woefully out of position today, letting Matai round him through ballwatching for Vatuvei's excellent try.

Senior might be 'past it' but he's had a good series up until tonight and he won't be the last centre in the competition to make a couple of dodgy defensive reads.

He was fantastic for GB in defence in games one and two and is still capable of holding his own at this level.

Fielden is clearly well below his best. Maguire has had some nice touches but hasn't made a huge impact - then again Benji Marshall has done bugger all at test level. He's a guy who will grow to be a great international player, in time. Big question is, in which position?

 

[deluded pom?]

bah... using the ESL for a yardstick for skill is not a very reliable one imo. Sure there will be exceptions, but more often than not, it fails to prove.

IF you tried reading screeny's post properly Stewie he uses recent Test matches as Fielden's yardstick,not the ESL. Fielden HAS proved himself in the recent past against both the Kiwis and your beloved Kangaroos.

 

[screeny]

Senior might be 'past it' but he's had a good series up until tonight and he won't be the last centre in the competition to make a couple of dodgy defensive reads.

He was fantastic for GB in defence in games one and two and is still capable of holding his own at this level.

Fielden is clearly well below his best. Maguire has had some nice touches but hasn't made a huge impact - then again Benji Marshall has done bugger all at test level. He's a guy who will grow to be a great international player, in time. Big question is, in which position?

Yes, I forgot to add that Senior's had a generally good series.

I can't remember any nice McGuire touches to be honest. He's just so not a test half. Benji Marshall's only played like two Tests though, and in his debut he was phenomenal! In the second one he was injured, no?

 

[Nook]

I can't remember any nice McGuire touches to be honest. He's just so not a test half. Benji Marshall's only played like two Tests though, and in his debut he was phenomenal! In the second one he was injured, no?

Yeah Benji has only played two tests - Maguire has played what, 5? A couple of them off the bench. He's had chances but he's never had a sustained crack at it.

Benji did some nice things on debut but he also made some costly errors. He was returning from injury in the 2nd game and was ordinary. Similar to Maguire in many ways - he's a livewire sort of player who has had more responsibility foisted upon him at test level than he's ready to handle at this stage. I'm not saying Maguire is as good as Marshall but he is a talented player and like Benji he needs a bit of time to get it right at the higher level.

Frustrating to see GB show so much promise but also the same old weaknesses on this tour. It has been great to see blokes like O'Loughlin, Peacock and Ellis (and to a lesser extent Senior and Long) step up after mutterings about their mediocre performances at club level. Ellis and Peacock in particular have been tremendous. But they can't do it alone and the bottom line is that there simply isn't enough class across the park to be competitive week in, week out.

 

[screeny]

Yeah Benji has only played two tests - Maguire has played what, 5? A couple of them off the bench. He's had chances but he's never had a sustained crack at it.

Benji did some nice things on debut but he also made some costly errors. He was returning from injury in the 2nd game and was ordinary. Similar to Maguire in many ways - he's a livewire sort of player who has had more responsibility foisted upon him at test level than he's ready to handle at this stage. I'm not saying Maguire is as good as Marshall but he is a talented player and like Benji he needs a bit of time to get it right at the higher level.

Frustrating to see GB show so much promise but also the same old weaknesses on this tour. It has been great to see blokes like O'Loughlin, Peacock and Ellis (and to a lesser extent Senior and Long) step up after mutterings about their mediocre performances at club level. Ellis and Peacock in particular have been tremendous. But they can't do it alone and the bottom line is that there simply isn't enough class across the park to be competitive week in, week out.

It is, of course, a matter of opinion, but I personally wouldn't mention McGuire in the same breath as Benji Marshall. The former's a none-too-thrilling support player while the latter's a once in a blue moon wunderkind.

I agree with you about the likes of Ellis, O'Loughlin and especially Peacock. I used to think Peacock brought nowt to the table but he's been one of the best three players in the series IMO, alongside Lockyer and Webb. Everything he's done has been terrific: his ball carring, his defence (that goal line tackle with Hock on Mason in the first half, at 0-0, last week was incredible), his willingness to stand up for his team-mates, his mouthing off at Mason on three occasions with the ref last week.

As for our loss I put the blame on Noble's shoulders. We do have the talent but to go from that win to that loss means the coach stuffed up....and you can start by fingering the McGuire selection.

 

[Nook]

It is, of course, a matter of opinion, but I personally wouldn't mention McGuire in the same breath as Benji Marshall. The former's a none-too-thrilling support player while the latter's a once in a blue moon wunderkind.

I'm a Tigers fan and by definition that means I reckon Benji is the best thing since sliced bread - but I think you're being harsh on Maguire. He's not as good but he's better than a support player and he'll show that, in time.

I'd have selected Maguire tonight at 5/8th. Pryce wasn't great there last week - he didn't distribute, he fluffed a few chances and he did his best work out wide. Long-Maguire was worth another shot. Maguire was up against it tonight - Long had one of those games and Danny had next to no chance to do anything of note.

I don't think Noble can be blamed. NZ were white hot and GB with a few missing were not up to it - selecting Pryce at 5/8th (where he played in the second half and made no contribution) wouldn't have made any difference IMO.

His impact is great but for mine Noble has to look at making Roby the starting/full time hooker (possibly with Maguire on the bench to play a bit there to give him a break). Newton has avoided the brain explosions so far but he is ordinary at best in attack and at worse he completely f**ks up his halves as he did a few times tonight.

Overall GB are sorely missing that extra little bit of class. A fit Schulthorpe and Cunningham would have been a great start. I don't think this lot are up to matching the Aussies again in Brissy, hope I'm wrong.

 

[Balmain_Boy]

GB are missing a class act at half, that's it.

I firmly believe they would have been in the game if Stacey and Long had swapped teams.

Long was disgustingly average.

 

[Nook]

That too.

I don't think it'd be quite as simple as swapping them - Long would look much better behind the Kiwi pack and Stacey would have his work cut out having the same impact surrounded by GB - but it'd be a start.

 

[Balmain_Boy]

I think the pommy forward pack would be going a hell of a lot better with Jones steering them around. In particular, Long was responsible for a lot of the poor field position the Poms found themselves in. His 5th tackle options were disgraceful. At one stage he kicked from his own 30 on the 4th tackle, only to pick out Webb on the full who returned the ball near the halfway. After a repeat set Cayless scored.

 

[screeny]

I'm a Tigers fan and by definition that means I reckon Benji is the best thing since sliced bread - but I think you're being harsh on Maguire. He's not as good but he's better than a support player and he'll show that, in time.

I hope I'm proved wrong, but I think McGuire has been built up into something he's not by the try-addicted hyperbole of Eddie Hemmings.

I'd have selected Maguire tonight at 5/8th. Pryce wasn't great there last week - he didn't distribute, he fluffed a few chances and he did his best work out wide. Long-Maguire was worth another shot. Maguire was up against it tonight - Long had one of those games and Danny had next to no chance to do anything of note.

I don't think Noble can be blamed. NZ were white hot and GB with a few missing were not up to it - selecting Pryce at 5/8th (where he played in the second half and made no contribution) wouldn't have made any difference IMO.

Well this kind of sums up for me just how wrong Noble got it. You can't, in my opinion, go into test football almost prepared to make such a massive formation change as switching your halfbacks around. You have to prepare tactically with one partnership, not try one thing and then happily switch things around. You can't play RL like that in my opinion.

Today, McGuire was playing off of 1st receiver at times in the first half while last week our structure was so much better. Pryce was playing a pure stand off role, pivoting from second receiver only (and he linked well with his backs on plenty of occasions, I don't know why you say he didn't distribute). This week Long wasn't sure if he was the go to man or McGuire was. Last week Pryce was there to tidy up, and as an outlet. Today we had two jack rabbits.

With the team formation so wrong the match was lost and Pryce nor any single player could have put it right.

Noble can most certainly be blamed. He shouldn't have played Wilkin, he should've played another prop, but - and this is something it's impossible to 'prove' - it all went wrong with the lack of structure in the GB team with McGuire chosen instead of Pryce at 6.

NZ were awesome though.

His impact is great but for mine Noble has to look at making Roby the starting/full time hooker (possibly with Maguire on the bench to play a bit there to give him a break). Newton has avoided the brain explosions so far but he is ordinary at best in attack and at worse he completely f**ks up his halves as he did a few times tonight.

Overall GB are sorely missing that extra little bit of class. A fit Schulthorpe and Cunningham would have been a great start. I don't think this lot are up to matching the Aussies again in Brissy, hope I'm wrong.

Agree about Roby, if he can take it physically. Not sure if he can, though. Newton brings almost nothing to the party.

Scully's been living of his clean shaven looks for too long and Cunningham's no longer even in the reckoning anyway.

I knew we'd lose as soon as I heard he'd move Pryce to the wing. I hope he keeps McGuire at 6 for Brisbane as my no. 1 priority is a Kangaroo loss, not a GB win, and I figure NZ will beat them in the final.

 

[TrevorAllan]

That's pretty fair comment screeny - get pryce back at stand-off, the aussies write us off again - even though they have a powder puff pack (although they will have a real player instead of mason) - and we have a chance. I'm sure the aussies will play smarter though and have thurston back so were up against it.....

 

[nqboy]

Another total myth, along with old man Senior and Fielden....get talked up big time but have NEVER produced anything in the international arena.

Granted, Fielden hasn't measured up this year but he was clearly the number one prop last year in the 3N and the one before that.