Great night to pick your NSW side

[Wally21]

Well I'm going to kick it off.

1 Hayne (very close contest, Hayne made some uncharacteristic errors but was more potent in attack)
2 Gorden (very strong, id pick him)
3 Gasnier (picks himself)
4 Jennings (dangerous in space, Josh morris was camped out on the wing for some unkown reason)
5 Uate (Morris didn't do anything in the test match and Uate was very strong)
6 Soward (looked dangerous with the ball in hand)
7 Pearce (I can't split them, pearce passing was better but mullens kicking was better. I wouldn't complain either way tbh)
8 Snowden
9 Farah
10 Mannah
11 Creigh
12 Bird
13 Gallen (c)

14 Hinchclift
15 Dwyer
16 Leroyd-Lars
17 Toleman

I think in the pack you need the physical props and TLL played very tough, Mannah was strong all night but got limitied minutes and Toleman just edges out Galloway. Dwyer runs great lines and should get a bench spot IMO while Hinchclift has orign writen all over him.

x2

This is the strongest team on paper and arguably form. Anyone who thinks Dugan outplayed Hayne tonight didn't actually watch the game. Hayne made a couple of errors, but Dugan was twice as good last year.Haynes defence was also as good as I've seen it. Jennings was on fire tonight.

And Gallen needs to be captain.
If Soward is out, I would have Mullen as 5/8th

 

[1 Eyed TEZZA]

Galloway was the stand out for me, really staked his claim for a bench position. Should be picked.

Yes, I should mention him. He was fantastic.

Im surprised at people putting Hayne there. I thought because of that bomb he dropped that lead to Gordons try, people would be calling for his head.

 

[Spanner in the works]

No one stood up IMO. Idris did a bit, Gallen did his usual great stuff. In the CvC, the cold seemed to really effect play. Looked as if it took an hour for players to get warmed up.

Hinchcliffe was good but not in consideration. Dugan was the better of the fullbacks. I thought Albert Hopoate and Yow Yeh didnt look out of place at all in the arena.

Basically, players either played as they normally did or they had an off night.

Nothing stood out for me.

Fair enough.

 

[Big Pete]

I agree with where you're coming from Tez - it's not as if anybody played themselves out of a Blues jersey but very few of them really stood up and said "I'm without doubt THE best option".

Only TLL, Uate and Tolman did that for mine.

 

[petetheileet]

Mullen had three full sets at the city line and could not manufacture shit, the only reason you would not pick Pearce would be because of his ordinary kicking game, so the solution is simple:

6. Soward
7. Pearce

Hayne needs to be at the back for speed, power, impact and a bit of ball playing.

Put Uate on right wing and Dugan or Morris on the left, gasnier walks into right centre, Jennings on the left.

I don't think u can pick tolman in the front row for origin, a light weight prop like him will get dominated, if gallen wasn't there I would have him at lock however, in a perfect world this would be my 17:

1. Hayne
2. Dugan/Gordan
3. Jennings
4. Gasnier
5. Uate
6. Soward
7. Pearce
8. Mannah
9. Farah
10. TLL
11. Creagh
12. Gallen
13. Tolman

14. Hinchcliffe
15. Merrin
16. Hunt
17. Toss a coin between 4-5 back rowers

Mullen and gidley should not get within 100km of a blues jersey, snowden is still raw, gives away errors and penalties, put him in the same boat as idris and do what u want with them.

I realize the team is front row heavy, but we need meters and penetration so we can get going forward on the back of sowards kicking.

This team has a chance.... Imo

 

[boonboon]

Tolman confirmed tonight that he is a player of the future but is still about 2 years from origin and isnt quiet at the level of Snowden, Mannah, Galloway, Leahroyd Lars the four of who confirmed they are the Origin prop rotation

 

[Big Pete]

Tolman well and truly outplayed Mannah tonight.

Snowden really wasn't THAT impressive for Australia either.

 

[ANTiLAG]

the only reason you would not pick Pearce would be because of his ordinary kicking game, so the solution is simple:

6. Soward
7. Pearce

Thats really interesting - because last year in Origin the only thing Pearce brought was a kicking game. If Soward's the better kicker; why select Pearce?

 

[RABK]

Mullen was in everything. I thought outside the first 20 minutes of the second half pearce was very quiet. Mullens kicking game was best on park and he got his side home with soward gone yet everyone, including the media, are heaping praise on pearce...

 

[Chook Norris]

i dno..i think i'll let Gaba decide this one :sarcasm::sarcasm:

 

[caylo]

Mullen was in everything. I thought outside the first 20 minutes of the second half pearce was very quiet. Mullens kicking game was best on park and he got his side home with soward gone yet everyone, including the media, are heaping praise on pearce...

I tend to agree that Mullen was in everything but he just didnt finish off. Its very 50/50 in terms of halfback but pearce laid on two tries and his passing game was so much better then Mullens which was fairly slow IMO. Pearces kicking game was avg at best and once soward went off I think Mullen struggled.

If Soward isn't fit I think Mullen would be a very good 5-8 but as a halfback you need good clean crisp service to your backs and Pearce had him on that not hence why I would go with Pearce but tbh you can't complain either way.

And I must say, it was pretty funny how they were talking up pearce after the Hayne try. Hayne just powered over with 3 players on him and they talked about Pearce's draw and pass... seriously making up stuff there.

 

[Bwuce]

The step up to Origin is too much for Tolman at this stage and Mannah just isn't that good.

 

[ANTiLAG]

...

 

[ANTiLAG]

Mullen was in everything. I thought outside the first 20 minutes of the second half pearce was very quiet. Mullens kicking game was best on park and he got his side home with soward gone yet everyone, including the media, are heaping praise on pearce...

Pearce could become the NSW equivalent of Lockyer. You just keep calling someone a great star player until most the public actually believe it.

Lockyer was never in Joey let alone Fittler's league in the halves. Pearce ain't near Prince or Cronk, let alone Thurston.

Game needs need "stars" on both sides of the tracks.
__________________

 

[Vicious]

1.Hayne
2.Uate
3.Gasnier
4.Idris
5.Dugan or Jennings or Gordon
6.Soward or Mullen or Carney
7.Pearce
13.Gallen
12.Bird
11.Watmough
10.Galloway
9.Gidley (if injured Hinchcliffe)
8.Learoyd-Lahrs

14.Farah
15.Dwyer or Mateo or Minichiello
16.Tolman or Shackleton
17.Mannah

* Dan Hunt, Trent Merrin, Tim Grant all wouldn`t let anyone down & Ryan James would add a bit of X-Factor to the forward pack.
* Brett Morris isn`t near his best so far this season and his form isn`t close to how players such as Uate, Dugan, Jennings & Gordon are performing. No reason whatsoever why Dugan or Jennings couldn`t be highly effective playing on the wing, both are brilliant ball runners.
* Likewise I`m a huge fan of Josh Morris, but he hasn`t been near his best since returning from injury.
* No doubt Ben Creagh & Kade Snowden are great club footballers, but I`m yet to see them really dominate at representative level.
* Neither Chris Heighington or Glenn Stewart would let NSW down if selected, but I don`t think neither of them are as good as Gallen, Bird or Watmough & the back rower on the bench needs more impact than what they can provide. Both Simon Dwyer & Feleti Mateo can be potential match winners off the bench, likewise Mark Minichiello.
* Aidan Tolman is a very good toiler & his work rate would compliment the brilliance of the back row I have selected. Shane Shackleton seems to relish playing rep footy and his toughness wouldn`t go astray if selected. Learoyd-Lahrs should be the first prop selected for Australia, not his fault the Raiders are going so bad. He along with Galloway starting give plenty of size & aggression. Tim Mannah plays hard & aggressive and would be great to have off the bench.
* How can the selectors possibly leave Watmough out? Do they not remember some of the games he`s played for NSW, the Queenslanders genuinely fear him.
* Nothing between Pearce & Mullen, but I believe Pearce deserves it a little more on overall form over the past 12 months. Likewise Soward deserves to be selected as 5/8, but if he`s injured Mullen would fit perfectly. Probably not the right time for him to be back in the representative frame, but no doubts that Todd Carney is the best 5/8 in NSW if anywhere near right.
* Kurt Gidley has proven in past SOO games that he is most effective playing hooker, he and Robbie Farah would work great in tandem so that neither of them are defending in the middle for the full 80mins.

 

[RABK]

Country played very direct when in city's 20 and to be fair to mullen when he did spread the ball thomson and morris were useless.

I don't think mullen was outstanding but neither was pearce. Mullen got a lot of repeat sets and his kicking was great. Mullen would of had 5 try assists if he was kicking to falou tonight.

I think a mullen/ pearce combo is what we'll end up with anyway.

 

[badav]

Tolman confirmed tonight that he is a player of the future but is still about 2 years from origin and isnt quiet at the level of Snowden, Mannah, Galloway, Leahroyd Lars the four of who confirmed they are the Origin prop rotation

Tolman ran for more meters than any other forward in the city vs country game.

 

[Big Pete]

Mullen would of had 5 try assists if he was kicking to falou tonight.

Who needs Folau when you have Uate. >.>

 

[RABK]

Who needs Folau when you have Uate. >.>

As much as i love Uate, Falou would have been catching and planting those kicks.

 

[RABK]

Can't see how Tolmans game is been questioned, he was very strong.