Our Back Row

[fanool]

I’m back at work. Happy New Year everybody.
I am so bored that I have decided to put up a really long post.

Firtsly I must pick a topic. There are many to choose from:

• Team for round one
• Who should be re-signed this year and who should go.
• Who will miss out in the back line (bar injury)
• Who will be half back

I’m gonna go with our back row. I think this is our weakest point. But having researched this our starting back row is actually very competitive. Off the bench would be Shackleton.

Before you read this please note: 1 I’m not an expert and 2 yes I go for Parra. So don’t get too excited about what I say.

Assuming it will be Hindy, Smith and Mateo playing their best footy against another back row playing their best footy:

Manly – Watmough, Stewart and Baily. I would choose Manly
Melbourne – Blair, Hoffman, Lowrie?. Close but I prefer Parra’s skills.
St George – Smith, Craegh, Prior. – I’d take Parra
Broncos – Simms, Thaiday, Parker – I’d take Parra
Bulldogs – Ryan, Stagg Warburton – I’d take Parra
Titans – Minichello, Harrison, Lafranchi – I would choose the Titans
Newcastle – Simpson, Taia, Hilder – I’d take Parra
Tigers – Ellis, Heighinton, Galea – I’d Take Parra
Souths – Crocker + ???? + ???? – I’d take Parra. They are gonna have Props in the back row they got so many.
Penrith – Pritchard, Waterhouse, Lewis – I would choose Penrith
Cowboys – Webb, Southern, O’Donnell – I’d take Parra
Raiders – Harrison, L-R Lahrs, Picker? – I’d take Parra
Warriors – Lillyman, Mannering, Luck – I’d take Parra
Sharks – Gallen, Toupou, Afamasaga – Pitty about Bird. I’d take Parra
Roosters – Fitzgibbon, Kouparitsas, Cherrington – I’d take Parra

Out of all of these I would genuinely swap our back 3 for Manly (soley based on getting Watmough), the Titans and Penrith. But in a game of footy anything could happen. The Titans and Penrith can be equally ordinary on their day.

There are some solid back rows out there like the Saints and the Dragons, but I think the game breaking plays that Mateo and Hindy consistently put on give them the edge over the likes of Craegh, Hoffman and Jeremy Smith.

So I reckon we do have a good back row. Our depth will be tested.

 

[slammingsam]

A backrow of Taylor/Pettybourne/Burgess/Crocker etc.. is much more formidable then anything you guys are going to throw up.

 

[Pazza]

A backrow of Taylor/Pettybourne/Burgess/Crocker etc.. is much more formidable then anything you guys are going to throw up.

Hindy and Mateo will cover them boys nice and easy

 

[Pazza]

11.Hindy
12.Smith
13.Mateo

15.Shacklton

plenty of mobility and fitness in that back row. Lacking a bit in go forward but our front row should take us forward, no problem!

 

[lingard]

A backrow of Taylor/Pettybourne/Burgess/Crocker etc.. is much more formidable then anything you guys are going to throw up.

Agreed. Souths will have the best pack in the NRL next year. Burgess and Taylor are both proven back-rowers as well as props. If Souths don`t do something big next year, they never will.

 

[slammingsam]

Also if you play Ross and Geddes/Stuart up front and have Asotasi/Burgess/Taylor etc in the backrow.. LOL yeah goodluck.

 

[strider]

it always amazes me how quickly someone who supports another team jumps in and posts something when their team is discussed in the parra forum :? .... do people spend forever browsing other team's forums? :-s

 

[yy_cheng]

it always amazes me how quickly someone who supports another team jumps in and posts something when their team is discussed in the parra forum :? .... do people spend forever browsing other team's forums? :-s

It's because the other forums are dead

 

[Stagger eel]

Also if you play Ross and Geddes/Stuart up front and have Asotasi/Burgess/Taylor etc in the backrow.. LOL yeah goodluck.

it's finally taken you 20 years to field a team worthy of following so I'm looking for the excuses at the end of the year, I'm sure refs and super league will get a notable mention...

 

[slammingsam]

This is an open forum as are the other teams forums on League Unlimited.
If I or anyone else for that matter feels the need to post then that is okay..

Im not baiting anyone here or saying anything out of the ordinary..
Im argueing my team has a fairly red hot backrow...

I would call Mateo a very good lock and Hindmarsh a player every team needs...
Not too sure about Smith though.

 

[Stagger eel]

This is an open forum as are the other teams forums on League Unlimited.
If I or anyone else for that matter feels the need to post then that is okay..

Im not baiting anyone here or saying anything out of the ordinary..
Im argueing my team has a fairly red hot backrow...

I would call Mateo a very good lock and Hindmarsh a player every team needs...
Not too sure about Smith though.

you're exactly right you have an amazing backrow, but one which I believe we have the ability to compete with but when a team like ours carries outside backs with the size, strength and about twice the speed of any forwards in the comp than I'm sure you'll realise that you'll need to do a little more than just carry a formidible forward pack.

 

[slammingsam]

I dont think everything is as good as it seems for you guys.
Depth wise - its thin.
Your halves - Rookies.

Your style of footy last year ? No set game plan - it was more offload the ball and support the carrier..i dont think thats going to last again this year.

Robson is now 28 ? and has had 1 solid/good year in grade.

 

[slammingsam]

Its going to be very very hard for Hayne and Mortimer - espically Hayne to show the form they showed from about Round 13 and onwards in 2009.

Whilst it was great to watch for im sure you guys and people like me who dont support the Eels - it was spur of the moment footy - i think there needs to be some sort of game plan in place.

 

[Stagger eel]

I dont think everything is as good as it seems for you guys.
Depth wise - its thin.
Your halves - Rookies.

Your style of footy last year ? No set game plan - it was more offload the ball and support the carrier..i dont think thats going to last again this year.

Robson is now 28 ? and has had 1 solid/good year in grade.

Depth wise - we have 4 world class frontrowers but we can probably do with another backrower of first grade experiance.

Halves - we'll be more than fine!!...Kris Keating, Daniel Mortimer, Jeff Robson and Tom Humble will assure we'll be well covered all year! don't be surprised that out of those 4 mentione, Tom Humble emerges as the find of the season.

 

[slammingsam]

Those 4 halves you mentioned are all Rookies.
Keating and Mortimer have played minimal NRL footy.
Robson is 28 and last season only really found some sort of form.
Humble doesent even deserve a mention - dont care whats hes done in QLD cup.

Please name me the 4 world class frontrowers..

 

[Stagger eel]

Its going to be very very hard for Hayne and Mortimer - espically Hayne to show the form they showed from about Round 13 and onwards in 2009.

Whilst it was great to watch for im sure you guys and people like me who dont support the Eels - it was spur of the moment footy - i think there needs to be some sort of game plan in place.

the addition of Peter Sharp in the coaching department will assure that there will be more structure in the side than last year even given the sort of players we have in the side right now..

 

[Stagger eel]

Those 4 halves you mentioned are all Rookies.
Keating and Mortimer have played minimal NRL footy.
Robson is 28 and last season only really found some sort of form.
Humble doesent even deserve a mention - dont care whats hes done in QLD cup.

Please name me the 4 world class frontrowers..

you're f**king kidding aren't you????

Poor, Mannah, Fui and Caylo...

Humble was promised a fg spot at the Cowboys to cover for Bowan just before he agreed to terms at Parra..he will be more than capable.

 

[slammingsam]

Cayless and Mannah are WORLD class front rowers ? LOL !
Price and Petero are world class front rowers..Webcke was a world class front rower..

A 1 season Rookie and an ageing Cayless are no world class front rowers..
Poore is not a world class front rower - i would call him a very good NRL prop.

 

[Stagger eel]

Cayless and Mannah are WORLD class front rowers ? LOL !
Price and Petero are world class front rowers..Webcke was a world class front rower..

A 1 season Rookie and an ageing Cayless are no world class front rowers..
Poore is not a world class front rower - i would call him a very good NRL prop.

completely and utterly disagree, the last 2 months of the premiership proved that those guys will be more than capable of competing with any front row combination in the comp..

answer me this, will Burgess be able to handle the week to week grind of NRL footy??

 

[slammingsam]

Burgess has proven himself at the International Level.
He showed that with his strong performances.

Im not saying he is going to dominate from Round 1..
I think his first year will be abit patchy - but from then on i think yes he will.