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NSW team lists and insults thread 2018

OldPanther

Coach
Messages
13,404
PENRITH star Nathan Cleary is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a knee injury.
The 20-year-old has been sidelined since late March with a Grade 3 MCL tear and was pencilled in for a 10 week recovery but he’s responded to treatment better than expected.

“Hopefully about four weeks,” Cleary told Triple M Saturday NRL of his return to the field.

“Aiming for about round 11, if I’m lucky round 10.
“I’m going to have to play it week by week and hopefully start running by the end of (this) week and we’ll see how we go.

“… I got on the Alter G — that’s the gravity treadmill and had a run on that and at the end of the week get back to normal running.”
Eyeing off an early return, Cleary’s comeback will put him into contention for NSW State of Origin selection.



His Panthers teammate James Maloney is considered a walk-up start for the Blues and Cleary admits he still holds out hope of making his Origin debut in the series opener.

“I definitely have hopes,” he said.

“I’m not thinking about that too much at the moment.

“It’s getting this injury right and working my way back in the team but if it does come down the track I’d take it on and really enjoy that challenge.”
 

Spot On

Coach
Messages
13,902
Graham cost NSW the series last year, full stop and has done nothing this year. I can't go in to too many details on this forum but I don't believe he will ever get near his best going forward.

Well I'd love to know why he did the dog shit dumb stuff we saw from him for NSW last year. If you know, cough (or crow it) up Cock! At his best he is a good player but I think he's over rated a lot of the time.
 

Clifferd

Coach
Messages
10,805
amen bro.........a bloke plays a couple of decent games, team is winning, and he is defined to be 'in-form' and then gets talked about as a possible selection. like every merkin eligible for NSW at st merge at the moment.....and every other year when a team with NSW players in it are going well in the lead-up to origin.

i remember blake austin was being touted as an origin selection too. he was in form once. FFS!

In contention admittedly because Moses is way out of form, Cleary and Pearce are injured

So realistically it’s down to Keary, Maloney, Green and Brooks

Don’t agree with it, personally would like to see a consistent season from him first before considering

But if Cleary was fit and firing I would not give a 2nd thought because he’s my 1st choice behind Maloney
 

big hit!

Bench
Messages
3,452
fergo's derpness in the 1st minute of anzac day should rule him out, if he and dugan's bullshit last series didn't already. blake always has a mong play in him and it generally happens in pressure situations. i don't give a f**k about how supposedly well he's been playing for roosters so far this season, he always looks like he's going to drop the ball or do something stupid.
 
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21,880
1. Tedesco
2. Cotric
3. Aitken
4. Mitchell
5. Addo Carr
6. C.Walker
7. Maloney

Would be my backline right now.

Favour people playing their club positions. Cody Walker I think has been playing well, and there’s really not a lot to choose from.
 

big hit!

Bench
Messages
3,452
1. Tedesco
2. Cotric
3. Aitken
4. Mitchell
5. Addo Carr
6. C.Walker
7. Maloney

Would be my backline right now.

Favour people playing their club positions. Cody Walker I think has been playing well, and there’s really not a lot to choose from.

good thing fittler doesn't have to select it 'right now' and he can wait and see if Cleary can play a few matches in the lead-up.
 

Spot On

Coach
Messages
13,902
He's in excellent form. He's definitely got the aggression for Origin, and seems to have cut some of the junk from his game.

Cut the crap and is actually having-a-go and working like a back rower should, with and without the ball.

Freddy doesn't have to do much thinking about the pack this year if he is going to stick to his word of picking players in form.
 
Messages
21,880
good thing fittler doesn't have to select it 'right now' and he can wait and see if Cleary can play a few matches in the lead-up.

I actually think NSW would be better off with Maloney at first receiver, so if Cleary is going to play i’d consider him off the bench or perhaps at 5/8.
 

big hit!

Bench
Messages
3,452
I actually think NSW would be better off with Maloney at first receiver, so if Cleary is going to play i’d consider him off the bench or perhaps at 5/8.

doesn't really make a difference. maloney will work with the left-sided forward and outside backs as he has done his whole career, cleary with will work primarily on the right side. it's really on really fat open side plays that cleary would be first receiver for maloney for plays going left. likewise maloney for cleary on plays going right.

the HB will direct the team around the park re forward carries and kicking game, and Cleary has done this with Penrith with and without Maloney there. the test for cleary will be reading the play and making decisions much quicker than in the NRL, something Pearce always struggled with. Cleary either has it, or he doesn't. will take about 1% of 18 origins to find out when he's in there.
 
Messages
21,880
doesn't really make a difference. maloney will work with the left-sided forward and outside backs as he has done his whole career, cleary with will work primarily on the right side. it's really on really fat open side plays that cleary would be first receiver for maloney for plays going left. likewise maloney for cleary on plays going right.

the HB will direct the team around the park re forward carries and kicking game, and Cleary has done this with Penrith with and without Maloney there. the test for cleary will be reading the play and making decisions much quicker than in the NRL, something Pearce always struggled with. Cleary either has it, or he doesn't. will take about 1% of 18 origins to find out when he's in there.

Maloney should be leading them around is my point.

Cleary isn’t at that level yet, and his kicking game definitely isn’t at that level. Maloney’s kicking game is far superior to Cleary.

As soon as the panthers cut out Cleary’s endless mid field bombs the attack looked much more coherent. It’s really telling that the team improved in his absence.

That’s not to right off Cleary, he’s a bloody good player. But he’s got a long way to go. Any origin role should be minor.
 
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