Minichello vs Slater for test

[Tommy Smith]

Any more valid arguments as to why Mini should be replaced???

Let's face it, he is a Rooster. Thats the only reason this was brought up.

That's true. And i suppose another reason he should be dropped is because he flexes his muscles infront of the camera :roll:

 

[ozboy]

Minichiello will be the fullback for Aus, while Billy Slater will most probably find himself on a wing.

The more important matter for me is, who is going to play in the 2nd row ?

I feel that a back-row comprising of Hindmarsh, Ryan, Fitzgibbon and Carroll, whichever 3 are picked, is not powerful enough to match a Kiwis back-row. The problem I have is that all 4 are similar type players, all which would make their tackles, but all not being a dominant runner of the ball, ala Gorden Tallis, Willie Mason or Ben Kennedy. I have no problem with 2 of them playing but someone else will need to be there to give that bit of aggresion and attacking threat.

Fitzgibbon should not be there anyway, he offers nothing in attack apart from a bunch of hit-ups for not so many metres, but he is quite good in defence though.

 

[JBW1983]

Hindmarsh is looking pretty powerful atm... standing in tackles, threatening to offload and sucking 3 and 4 defenders!

Then you have fitzy going and making 34 tackles, 0 misses, 15 hit ups, 110m, 0 errors and a couple of offloads to boot and also taking a lot of stopping!

Ryan doesn't add much in terms of power and I wouldn't be sorry if he didn't play but he probably will, he's pretty skillful and combines well with tonga and co.

I'd like to see maybe Waterhouse in there instead if you're looking for power but he might come off the bench if they go for him and don't write off Carl Webb off the bench either as a replacement for Mason (see above for my team)

 

[Johns Magic]

IMO Ryan is extremely overrated.

 

[melon....]

LOL!!!

Minichiello didnt go too badly on Friday night. He's still not 100% but he went OK. The big difference between The Moth and Slater is when the Moth gets hit hard by big men, he doesnt retreat into his shell. He'll still hit it up and pinball off the first couple of tacklers anyway. The trick with Billy is hit him very hard and early and watch him go all quiet. Thats the main and deciding factor...heart.

 

[RABK]

IMO Ryan is extremely overrated.

I think he is a little overated but not extremely. He has got a habit of been at the right place at the right time. He can pull of a hit but rarely does and he is one of those 2nd rowers who runs at centres and wingers hence it ain't that hard to rack up 100+ metres a game. That's one thing i notice.....people on here are always going " Fitzgibbon/Hindmarsh/Ryan made 165 metres, what a game". Do they ever mention that 15 of the 17 hitups were at David Simmons and Nigel Vagana down the wing? (they were just an example of a pair) Although it is a fair tatic, i mean metres gives you field position which leads to tries, i like to see the 2nd rowers like Thorn, Sonny, Thompson, Simpson, Adamson who take it straight up the middle. They don't make us much metres as the 3 i mentioned above but they make them the hard way. You can't rate players on stats alone.

 

[Fluffy]

It wont be any of them.

Brett Stewart has to be named.

LOL Kidding but he may be a shot at city/country, has played well so far.

Today will be the big test

 

[RABK]

Yeah today's there is some great match ups.

Terry Hill vs Matt King
Michael Monaghan vs Matt Orford
Brett Stewart vs Billy Slater
I think it'll be close at halftime but the Storm will run away with it in the second half.

 

[God-King Dean]

PU-lease, Minichello is still the No.1 fullback

Slater can look like a genius one minute, a punce the next

 

[RABK]

PU-lease,

Hate when people do that, sounds really gay.

 

[Munky]

If both went down who would be backup?

Bowen always looks nervous under the high ball.

Wesser has been pretty good for Penrith this year, showed some blinding pace yesterday and his last ditch defence has improved greatly.

 

[Johns Magic]

If both went down who would be backup?

Bowen always looks nervous under the high ball.

Wesser has been pretty good for Penrith this year, showed some blinding pace yesterday and his last ditch defence has improved greatly.

Bowen would be my choice, although Shifcofske, Hodgson and Hornby wouldn't look out of place.

 

[God-King Dean]

Hate when people do that, sounds really gay.

:| You made a post for that because?

 

[RABK]

Because alot of people are using that expression. You wrote Pu-lease instead of please because?

 

[God-King Dean]

:|

Well I guess that makes me cool

 

[OVP]

LOL!!!

Minichiello didnt go too badly on Friday night. He's still not 100% but he went OK. The big difference between The Moth and Slater is when the Moth gets hit hard by big men, he doesnt retreat into his shell. He'll still hit it up and pinball off the first couple of tacklers anyway. The trick with Billy is hit him very hard and early and watch him go all quiet. Thats the main and deciding factor...heart.

100% spot on. Watch this game for confirmation ...

mms://wmt.streaming.telstra.com/wh_soccer1/NRL/Premiership/2004/21/7-560.wmv

 

[ledzep]

slater is a grade-A pussy
he hardly ever returns kicks himself

 

[The Brain]

Just look at the stats between the two players and you will get the answer.

 

[God-King Dean]

slater is a grade-A pussy
he hardly ever returns kicks himself

That's a planned move. Give it to wingers & lets them return the football, & the fullback is there for dummy half to either pass it to the other winger or scoot himself. Cowboys do it too & a few others

 

[Holla if ya hear me]

Valid reasons...hmmm..play back the tape of the last 2 grand finals when the pressure is really on..Minichello coughed up the grand finals with mistakes.
Slater IS THE FORM fullfack of the comp