NSW Team 2014

[Grail]

^ or worse, not picking him at all because "he's really a 5/8 and he shouldn't be played out of position at fullback"

 

[MacDougall]

1. Hayne
2. Hopoate
3. J Morris
4. Jennings
5. B Morris
6. Maloney
7. Pearce
8. Fifita
9. Farah
10. Woods
11. Watmough
12. Bird
13. Gallen

14. Merrin
15. Cordner
16. Tamou
17. Lewis

I'm not actually confident that Tamou will be picked because I think he might have stamped his papers with Daley after what happened last year + his form isn't exactly begging for a recall. I also don't think Grant will come into the picture. I actually have a gut feeling they'll pick Mitchell Aubusson and/or Aiden Guerra this year to try to give Pearce more combinations (for better or worse).

It wouldn't be a bad idea to bring more strike onto the bench for the halves to play with because Woods and Fifita can both push out big minutes in the front row and Woods's ineffectiveness last year was more as a result of him getting no time to get used to the speed of the game. I think he played like 11 and 19 minutes total in both games and his huge stats are usually on the back of 55 minutes plus performances. Merrin and Gallen could quite easily rotate in the front row to give them both 30 minutes rest.

 

[timka4]

I like that team bar the halves. And I'm not sure Lewis is going to get selected, when is he due back? I personally wouldn't pick him if he hasn't played any games prior to origin.

 

[Joker's Wild]

1. Hayne
2. Hopoate
3. J Morris
4. Jennings
5. B Morris
6. Maloney
7. Pearce
8. Fifita
9. Farah
10. Woods
11. Watmough
12. Bird
13. Gallen

14. Merrin
15. Cordner
16. Tamou
17. Lewis

I'm not actually confident that Tamou will be picked because I think he might have stamped his papers with Daley after what happened last year + his form isn't exactly begging for a recall. I also don't think Grant will come into the picture. I actually have a gut feeling they'll pick Mitchell Aubusson and/or Aiden Guerra this year to try to give Pearce more combinations (for better or worse).

It wouldn't be a bad idea to bring more strike onto the bench for the halves to play with because Woods and Fifita can both push out big minutes in the front row and Woods's ineffectiveness last year was more as a result of him getting no time to get used to the speed of the game. I think he played like 11 and 19 minutes total in both games and his huge stats are usually on the back of 55 minutes plus performances. Merrin and Gallen could quite easily rotate in the front row to give them both 30 minutes rest.

That would be funny considering he is a Qlder ;-)

 

[chrisD]

Hayne needs to be fullback. He needs to be able to chime into the backline seamlessly to use his excellent ballplaying skills. In the centers or on the wing, he can't do this. NSW don't have great halves available like QLD do, so we need to make sure our spine is as good as it can be. We have also lost too many series, it's time we picked the best players in the best positions, and that means Hayne at Fullback. He is the best NSW fullback with daylight second. Continually playing him out of position is continually playing into QLD's hands.

But Dugan slotted into our backline so well last series . . .

 

[betcats]

I'd put Hayne is the centres with jennings and Dugan at fullback. I thought Dugan was very good last year, I never liked him before that series.

 

[chrisD]

Why was Dugan very good exactly? He squandered every overlap in the backline that unfortunately ended up in his hands, including the most important and simple of chances, he attacked a kicked ball like it carried the plague and his alleged tackle breaking gifts were non existent. The only game we won last series was, amazingly, the one where our best fullback played fullback.

 

[Grail]

Dugan wasn't any good. He is a selfish player who goes for his own glory and kills ball movement when he things he can beat half the QLD team on his own. Good club player, but that's it. He offers nothing with the ball in his hands. If you are going to put Hayne in the centres, why bother playing him at all? He is the most skillful ballplayer NSW have access too. Just to make room for Dugan is stupid, we don't have the luxury that QLD do whereby they play their best fullback option out of position. Playing Dugan weakens the team because it weakens the spine.

 

[Vic Mackey]

I've never got the Dugan love either. He makes a couple of half busts from kick returns and people lose it over him. As said he reguarly takes the wrong options on wrap around plays and has zero ball playing skills.

Good club player but you need someone at that next level against qld. He is miles behind hayne and stewart for mine.

 

[betcats]

What plays did Dugan take the wrong option? I can recall one(admittedly it was a bad one) which he did but that hardly equates to regularly taking the wrong options.

I like him at fullback because he returns the ball better then anyone and breaks tackles like its nothing and is excellent postionally and in the air.

Also Hayne in the centres puts him against Inglis, I think of all our options at centre Hayne matches up best with him defensively.

 

[chrisD]

He comes inside all the time, it's his first instinct, and he did it all the time destroying overlaps. His positioning in game 3 was shit, Stats were equal or NSW was on top for the game, but for the kick meters, his fear of attacking a moving ball cost us about 100m and along with his blowing opportunities was the most notable difference between the two teams. He's also made about as many tackle busts as he has errors in Origin.

 

[Joker's Wild]

Lets not forget Dugan dropping that sitter from Fafita too.

 

[Sujskiez]

1. Stewart
2. Hopoate
3. Hayne
4. Jennings
5. Semi (though he is still a young player i reckon he would make a deep impact like hayne did in his first nsw game)
6. Maloney
7. Pearce
8. Fifita
9. Farah
10. Woods
11. Watmough
12. Bird
13. Gallen

14. Merrin
15. Cordner
16. Tamou
17. Lewis

 

[Joker's Wild]

how is Radrandra eligible under the new rules?

 

[Captain Apollo]

I actually have a gut feeling they'll pick Mitchell Aubusson and/or Aiden Guerra this year to try to give Pearce more combinations (for better or worse).

Bit hard for NSW to pick Aiden Guerra. He is a Queenslander.

 

[betcats]

how is Radrandra eligible under the new rules?

If he is eligible it shows the rules are f**ked.

 

[Springs]

Dugan's performances weren't brilliant. He's a f**kwit anyway and should not have been picked last year.
Stewart should be fullback with Hayne centres. If Stewart is out then Hayne at fullback

If you are going to put Hayne in the centres, why bother playing him at all?

Ask anyone who saw him play in the World Cup last year.

Our best team is when Hayne and Stewart are in the side. They are our two best backs easily. Leaving either out would be silly.

1. B. Stewart 2. Taufua 3. Hayne 4. Jennings 5. B. Morris 6. Carney 7. Mullen (though it will be Pearce of course)
8. - 9. Farah 10. - 11. Lewis 12. Bird 13. Gallen
14. Fifita 15. Merrin 16. Cordner 17. Watmough

Props could be any of Woods, Grant, Tolman, Mannah, Tamou, Galloway and Douglas. Tamou will be picked but in my opinion he's been nothing special at club, origin or tests the last year or so.
I wouldn't put Hopoate in just yet. Hasn't settled in fully.
McManus, J.Morris, Maloney, G.Stewart, T.Sims as other back-ups.

 

[wittyfan]

The halves.

 

[Grail]

Ask anyone who saw him play in the World Cup last year.

My point being that Hayne needs to get his hands on the ball. Playing for Australia is one thing, he is outside a spine consisting of Smith, Cronk/DCE, Thurston. He will shine there and rightly so. For NSW, the spine will likely be Farrah, Derp1, Derp2. All he will end up doing is tackling Inglis. For the most talented player in the team, that's just dumb.

Our best team is when Hayne and Stewart are in the side. They are our two best backs easily. Leaving either out would be silly.

Stewart was a gun. I don't think he is quite up to the speed of SOO anymore though. When I've watched Manly this year, he just seems a little sluggish. Saying that, I'd prefer Stewart to be 1 than Dugan. But with the Derp twins likely to be our halves pairing, Hayne will be wasted in the centres. He needs to be able to come up and be a playmaker.

I'd be building a great spine first, then build the rest of the team around that. The spine shouldn't be weakened to strengthen another spot, that doesn't make sense.

So I'd end up with something like:

1. Jarryd Hayne
2. Josh Mansour
3. Michael Jennings
4. Josh Morris
5. Brett Morris
6. Josh Reynolds
7. Adam Reynolds
8. Aaron Woods
9. Robbie Farrah
10. Andrew Fifita
11. Boyd Cordner
12. Greg Bird
13. Paul Gallen (c)

14. Nathan Peats
15. Trent Merrin
16. James Tamou
17. Anthony Watmough

 

[BennyV]

My point being that Hayne needs to get his hands on the ball. Playing for Australia is one thing, he is outside a spine consisting of Smith, Cronk/DCE, Thurston. He will shine there and rightly so. For NSW, the spine will likely be Farrah, Derp1, Derp2. All he will end up doing is tackling Inglis. For the most talented player in the team, that's just dumb.



Stewart was a gun. I don't think he is quite up to the speed of SOO anymore though. When I've watched Manly this year, he just seems a little sluggish. Saying that, I'd prefer Stewart to be 1 than Dugan. But with the Derp twins likely to be our halves pairing, Hayne will be wasted in the centres. He needs to be able to come up and be a playmaker.

I'd be building a great spine first, then build the rest of the team around that. The spine shouldn't be weakened to strengthen another spot, that doesn't make sense.

So I'd end up with something like:

1. Jarryd Hayne
2. Josh Mansour
3. Michael Jennings
4. Josh Morris
5. Brett Morris
6. Josh Reynolds
7. Adam Reynolds
8. Aaron Woods
9. Robbie Farrah
10. Andrew Fifita
11. Boyd Cordner
12. Greg Bird
13. Paul Gallen (c)

14. Nathan Peats
15. Trent Merrin
16. James Tamou
17. Anthony Watmough

Good team except for 6, 7 and 14. Josh Reynolds might have it in him to be an ok SOO player, but I'm yet to see anything to convince me that he's not another Ennis - ie semi talented but really only picked because he's seen as competitive! Surely Mullen or Carney are better options...

7, there are definitely better choices than Adam Reynolds. If he didn't play for Souffs, he wouldn't be mentioned anywhere in the media. With a decent/level-headed 6, Albert Kelly would be a beat at 7.

Not sure why Peats would get a look in...Farah is an 80 minute hooker, not worth carrying another specialist hooker on the bench. Better served for a bloke who could slot into halves or backrow too.