Match Discussion: Round 18 vs Canberra @ GIO Stadium Canberra, Bruce / Ngunnawal

[slotmachine]

There was a reason - the hooker needed a break.

so, who was the best option at hooker - Hastings or Sharpe?

Riley Jones

 

[mozza91]

"as a QLDer, I just want to see Ponga get through the game unscathed"

f**k off Corey Parker

As someone with ears, I want Corey Parker to suffer an irreparable injury to his voice box.

 

[Burwood]

It’s crazy that we haven’t got a hooker utility in the club besides Crossland- club was flush with them a few years ago.

 

[Woody90]

There was a reason - the hooker needed a break.

so, who was the best option at hooker - Hastings or Sharpe?

Picking someone on the bench that can play hooker would be a good start.

I like Sharpe a lot but that obviously didn’t work.

 

[Yosh]

Meh got the 2 points! On to next week!!

 

[The Axe of Druss]

There was a reason - the hooker needed a break.

so, who was the best option at hooker - Hastings or Sharpe?

Sharpe, Croker, Jones... literally anyone but our main playmaker imo. If Brailey wasn't going to go 80min then he needed to pick a hooker on the bench

Was stupid coaching at a critical point in the game

 

[Frederick]

I can't be f**ked reading the whole thread to see if it's been mentioned or not, but Pryce made 31 tackles with only 1 miss. Yeah he had some absolute clangers in attack, but if he can keep defending like that then I think he's got a long career in FG ahead of him

 

[Alex28]

Sharpe, Croker, Jones... literally anyone but our main playmaker imo. If Brailey wasn't going to go 80min then he needed to pick a hooker on the bench

Was stupid coaching at a critical point in the game

Cool. Who is the hooker you are picking on the bench?

Your post is a desperate pot shot at the coach with no substance behind it.

If Hastings could potentially be our hooker once Brailey goes, he can handle 10 minutes there.

If Sharpe is potentially a future half, he can handle 10 minutes there today.

Sharpe was cover for Ponga in case he couldn’t get through the game - you want a back and a hooker on the bench?

 

[Burwood]

Was he though? Lucas to centre, Gagai to fullback makes so much more sense than picking sharpe as cover for Ponga.

 

[Alex28]

Was he though? Lucas to centre, Gagai to fullback makes so much more sense than picking sharpe as cover for Ponga.

Why else was he picked?

He’s played half before - Hastings is the next best option at hooker when Brailey isn’t on the field.

The coaching was fine. Also, he’s not the only one picking the team, so the shots should be at AOB and Parr…

 

[Yosh]

I was happy to see Sharpe play. I reckon he has a future here for sure. Remember when AOB used to just copy and paste, aren't we glad that's over? Seems like some people here can't be pleased whatever happens. Ponga got through the game and we got the 2 points. What's there not too love? Apart from Tuala's injury.

 

[Burwood]

Why else was he picked?

Do we really think the club would risk Ponga and rush him back if he wasn’t 100% good to go? Of course not.

So that means, for whatever reason, AOB thought sharpe was the best option to cover (or allow Hastings to cover) Brailey. He wasn’t there to cover Ponga.

If Elliott was in the side and not ruled out, there’s every chance that Sharpe would have dropped off the bench and not even have played.

 

[Woody90]

Do we really think the club would risk Ponga and rush him back if he wasn’t 100% good to go? Of course not.

So that means, for whatever reason, AOB thought sharpe was the best option to cover (or allow Hastings to cover) Brailey. He wasn’t there to cover Ponga.

If Elliott was in the side and not ruled out, there’s every chance that Sharpe would have dropped off the bench and not even have played.

With Sharpe I wonder if it was a bit of a Cogger type selection on the bench earlier in the year. AOB wanted him in the side so gave him the bench spot even though there are better options for every position he could cover. Not comparing Sharpe to Cogger who is a superior talent, but just the same sort of selection.

IMO we’re going to f**k up Sharpe’s development by playing him on the bench to cover small amounts of half or lock or whatever. If we legitimately see him as a possible long-term half option I think we need to drop him back to cup to work hard on his skill set in the halves.

 

[Alex28]

With Sharpe I wonder if it was a bit of a Cogger type selection on the bench earlier in the year. AOB wanted him in the side so gave him the bench spot even though there are better options for every position he could cover. Not comparing Sharpe to Cogger who is a superior talent, but just the same sort of selection.

IMO we’re going to f**k up Sharpe’s development by playing him on the bench to cover small amounts of half or lock or whatever. If we legitimately see him as a possible long-term half option I think we need to drop him back to cup to work hard on his skill set in the halves.

Tend to agree, but then the club would have copped it for dropping Sharpe…

They need to think about where his future with the club is and start working on it now.

Also, it’s AOB and Parr who picks the team. They both get the praise and the criticism…

Personally, they won the game. The punt was worth it. Good on them.

 

[Woody90]

Tend to agree, but then the club would have copped it for dropping Sharpe…

They need to think about where his future with the club is and start working on it now.

Also, it’s AOB and Parr who picks the team. They both get the praise and the criticism…

Personally, they won the game. The punt was worth it. Good on them.

I don’t think anyone reasonable would give it to AOB for dropping Sharpe. It would be a shame for him to go back to NSW Cup but he came in to play FB while KP was out. It’s often good for young blokes to go back to reserves for a while after a few FG games. To me it was a wasted bench spot and the period we switched Hastings to hooker and were running without a proper halfback was our worst period of the game.

I wouldn’t say the punt was worth it. I’d say it was an error in squad selection that we were lucky to get away with and probably wouldn’t have if we were playing any team better than the Raiders.

I agree we need to make a call on where Sharpe’s future is and work towards that. If that’s in the halves he’s only going to get better by staying in that position and playing full games in NSW Cup. We don’t want to ruin his development like Eels are currently doing with Blaize Talagi by putting him anywhere just to keep him in the squad.

 

[Alex28]

I don’t think anyone reasonable would give it to AOB for dropping Sharpe. It would be a shame for him to go back to NSW Cup but he came in to play FB while KP was out. It’s often good for young blokes to go back to reserves for a while after a few FG games. To me it was a wasted bench spot and the period we switched Hastings to hooker and were running without a proper halfback was our worst period of the game.

I wouldn’t say the punt was worth it. I’d say it was an error in squad selection that we were lucky to get away with and probably wouldn’t have if we were playing any team better than the Raiders.

I agree we need to make a call on where Sharpe’s future is and work towards that. If that’s in the halves he’s only going to get better by staying in that position and playing full games in NSW Cup. We don’t want to ruin his development like Eels are currently doing with Blaize Talagi by putting him anywhere just to keep him in the squad.

Just checking the ladder - yup, we got 2 points today…

Who were they picking for hooker cover instead? A few of you bagging the selection, yet no real suggestions.

Only the suggestion of putting Mat Croker or Brodie Jones in the spine…

 

[Woody90]

Just checking the ladder - yup, we got 2 points today…

Who were they picking for hooker cover instead? A few of you bagging the selection, yet no real suggestions.

Only the suggestion of putting Mat Croker or Brodie Jones in the spine…

Riley Jones.

 

[Alex28]

I think the way they went was a better option.

Either way, we won. Great result. Perhaps we should celebrate the wins rather than forever searching for the negatives…

 

[Old dog]

Hard to argue anything that happened when we got the two points
As for Hastings, he cops it but we don’t have better, yes his kicking game is ordinary but that criticism over rides the clever work he does, did he not set up two of the three tries. Sometimes we are so critical about one aspect we ignore the other benefits.
i would like to see use Crosslands and Pryce more in kicking along with Ponga leaving Hastings to be setting up plays

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Cool. Who is the hooker you are picking on the bench?

Your post is a desperate pot shot at the coach with no substance behind it.

If Hastings could potentially be our hooker once Brailey goes, he can handle 10 minutes there.

If Sharpe is potentially a future half, he can handle 10 minutes there today.

Sharpe was cover for Ponga in case he couldn’t get through the game - you want a back and a hooker on the bench?

Oh i don't know, maybe our cup hooker who's played 1st grade before when 1 of our two hookers is out, Riley Jones.

Hastings shouldn't be considered a hooker option unless we have a better halves option.

How many teams successfully shift their spine around mid game? It's rarely happens outside of an injury and for good reason.

It's not a desperate shot at all, it's a very real observation and opinion, one which a lot of fellow fans beside yourself agree with.