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What's your best 17 at this point?
Working with the ingredients he has at his disposal, I wouldn't mind seeing:
1-J.Dugan
2-D.Vidot*
3-A.Mogg
4-J.Croker
5-J.Stuart**
6-A.Tongue (c)
7-T.Campese
8-S.Logan
9-G.Buttriss***
10-D.Shillington
11-J.Thompson
12-B.Harrison
13-S.Fensom
14-T.Thurling
15-T.Learoyd-Lahrs
16-J.Picker
17-D.Tilse****
* - D.Vidot to make way for J.Carney when fit.
** - J.Stuart to make way for J.Monaghan when fit.
*** - G.Buttriss to make way for T.Waddell when fit.
**** - D.Tilse to make way for J.Miller when fit.
OK, some notes. Before you start attacking me.
THE HALVES:
OK, stop. You're already screaming 'Campese's not a halfback! Tongue isn't a 5/8! What are you thinking you idiot?'.
Well. In the early 2000s we were able, once or twice, to get on a roll with a Drew/Croker or McLinden/Croker halves combo.
I think that worked, simply put, because the coach at the time (whose name shall not be mentioned) believed we only had one first grade standard half in the club. As such, playing an 80 minute player renowned for defence but who could also effectively distribute the ball to the outside backs in the 6 would be effective. You get a solid 80 minute defender out there. Tongue.
And, while we're on it. Who feeds our scrums? Who plays first reciever half the time? At the moment, it's Campese. Campese is struggling I feel mainly because he has to carry that idiot McCrone. So lets stop stuffing around - Campese is ALREADY playing halfback for us, he just doesn't have the #7 on his back. So take the added responsibility off of him, put him in the 7 and tell him he's running the show.
It also gets Tongue out of the hooking role. Which moves me on to...
THE HOOKER
Well, we're short of cattle. Danny Buderus Glenn Buttriss is not (hell, Lincoln Withers Glenn Buttriss is not) but he's more effective than Tongue out of hooker. He's solid in defence and he can play 80 minutes. Geez, my kingdom for Stu Flanagan right now - why did we let him go again?
Buttriss also has something of a kicking game out of dummy half. At the moment, the opposition knows that Campese is our only kicker. McCrone doesn't kick, nor does Tongue. Meaning they know who to rush on the 5th tackle. Even if Buttriss only kicks one in every 10, it adds that double threat that we currently lack.
As soon as he's fit, Waddell to come back in. He does everything Buttriss does, but 100% better again.
THE OUTSIDE BACKS
I think with our current roster, Dugan is obviously our #1, and our first choice #2 through #5 should be Carney, Croker, Mogg, Monaghan. Gives us aerial threats and ground threats. Vidot is good, but still looks a bit raw. I don't see Mogg sticking around long, I believe it's his spot that Vidot will take next year.
If you saw Super League last year (and I've been doing my best to find footage of it since Sunday) Mogg was good. If he can get back to that form, we need him. But only for a year.
One other thing, with my other earlier point about needing Buttriss to kick one out of every ten, I think Dugan does as well. Sort of like when Ben Hornby used to be the #1 for the Dragons. He can do it - anyone who used to watch him in Toyota Cup knows he has the skill - and it takes that little bit more pressure off of Campese.
Stuart is doing a good job, but he's starting to get shown up against class opponents. Some time in the QLD Cup will do him wonders.
And, finally:
THE FORWARDS
For starters, our lock (Fensom) and hooker (Buttriss/Waddell) have to play 80 minute games.
What this allows us to do, is rotate the two second rowers and two front rowers. Fitness is obviously an issue. If we keep a constant rotation of our 4 big boppers going at all times, we should be able to keep them to maximum intensity - espeicially when you consider that guys like Joel Thompson, Trevor Thurling and Joe Picker can play 65 minutes+ at high intensity.
I do not think there is room for more than two of Shillington, Logan, Tilse and T.Thompson. However. At the moment, we are hard up for players so we have to carry Tilse. Shillington and Logan are high intensity, rep quality props. Tilse never even bends the line, and T.Thompson has hands like feet. Josh Miller's high impact intensity off the bench is something we've been missing - badly - and should replace Tilse as soon as fit.
--------------------------------
Anyway, that's my two cents.
Commence telling me why I'm wrong... Now.
Working with the ingredients he has at his disposal, I wouldn't mind seeing:
1-J.Dugan
2-D.Vidot*
3-A.Mogg
4-J.Croker
5-J.Stuart**
6-A.Tongue (c)
7-T.Campese
8-S.Logan
9-G.Buttriss***
10-D.Shillington
11-J.Thompson
12-B.Harrison
13-S.Fensom
14-T.Thurling
15-T.Learoyd-Lahrs
16-J.Picker
17-D.Tilse****
* - D.Vidot to make way for J.Carney when fit.
** - J.Stuart to make way for J.Monaghan when fit.
*** - G.Buttriss to make way for T.Waddell when fit.
**** - D.Tilse to make way for J.Miller when fit.
OK, some notes. Before you start attacking me.
THE HALVES:
OK, stop. You're already screaming 'Campese's not a halfback! Tongue isn't a 5/8! What are you thinking you idiot?'.
Well. In the early 2000s we were able, once or twice, to get on a roll with a Drew/Croker or McLinden/Croker halves combo.
I think that worked, simply put, because the coach at the time (whose name shall not be mentioned) believed we only had one first grade standard half in the club. As such, playing an 80 minute player renowned for defence but who could also effectively distribute the ball to the outside backs in the 6 would be effective. You get a solid 80 minute defender out there. Tongue.
And, while we're on it. Who feeds our scrums? Who plays first reciever half the time? At the moment, it's Campese. Campese is struggling I feel mainly because he has to carry that idiot McCrone. So lets stop stuffing around - Campese is ALREADY playing halfback for us, he just doesn't have the #7 on his back. So take the added responsibility off of him, put him in the 7 and tell him he's running the show.
It also gets Tongue out of the hooking role. Which moves me on to...
THE HOOKER
Well, we're short of cattle. Danny Buderus Glenn Buttriss is not (hell, Lincoln Withers Glenn Buttriss is not) but he's more effective than Tongue out of hooker. He's solid in defence and he can play 80 minutes. Geez, my kingdom for Stu Flanagan right now - why did we let him go again?
Buttriss also has something of a kicking game out of dummy half. At the moment, the opposition knows that Campese is our only kicker. McCrone doesn't kick, nor does Tongue. Meaning they know who to rush on the 5th tackle. Even if Buttriss only kicks one in every 10, it adds that double threat that we currently lack.
As soon as he's fit, Waddell to come back in. He does everything Buttriss does, but 100% better again.
THE OUTSIDE BACKS
I think with our current roster, Dugan is obviously our #1, and our first choice #2 through #5 should be Carney, Croker, Mogg, Monaghan. Gives us aerial threats and ground threats. Vidot is good, but still looks a bit raw. I don't see Mogg sticking around long, I believe it's his spot that Vidot will take next year.
If you saw Super League last year (and I've been doing my best to find footage of it since Sunday) Mogg was good. If he can get back to that form, we need him. But only for a year.
One other thing, with my other earlier point about needing Buttriss to kick one out of every ten, I think Dugan does as well. Sort of like when Ben Hornby used to be the #1 for the Dragons. He can do it - anyone who used to watch him in Toyota Cup knows he has the skill - and it takes that little bit more pressure off of Campese.
Stuart is doing a good job, but he's starting to get shown up against class opponents. Some time in the QLD Cup will do him wonders.
And, finally:
THE FORWARDS
For starters, our lock (Fensom) and hooker (Buttriss/Waddell) have to play 80 minute games.
What this allows us to do, is rotate the two second rowers and two front rowers. Fitness is obviously an issue. If we keep a constant rotation of our 4 big boppers going at all times, we should be able to keep them to maximum intensity - espeicially when you consider that guys like Joel Thompson, Trevor Thurling and Joe Picker can play 65 minutes+ at high intensity.
I do not think there is room for more than two of Shillington, Logan, Tilse and T.Thompson. However. At the moment, we are hard up for players so we have to carry Tilse. Shillington and Logan are high intensity, rep quality props. Tilse never even bends the line, and T.Thompson has hands like feet. Josh Miller's high impact intensity off the bench is something we've been missing - badly - and should replace Tilse as soon as fit.
--------------------------------
Anyway, that's my two cents.
Commence telling me why I'm wrong... Now.
