Our second row...

[ozcrusader]

...is almost completely useless.

Graham, O'Neill, Sattler - all similar kind of players. Make lots of tackles, have lots of heart etc - zero impact in attack.

It's obvious we need an impact player in the second row - someone like Viane/Manu who can hit the line hard, offload and run straight. This is SORELY lacking at the moment.

Scott Sattler is inspirational to the team and has made tackle after tackle when it counts. Graham gives us options as a ball playing forward. O'Neill doesnt really do anything at all.

I would drop O'Neill and put someone else in there who will make a difference. We cannot afford to have zero impact in attack. I would also have Halatau off the bench playing in the second row as well - he hits the line hard and runs straight.

As for Laffranchi at prop - you have got to be effing kidding me. Gibbs at prop for mine, and get Paterson the hell out of there. Lima on the bench as well. What is Sheens thinking?

 

[Snide the Tiger]

Goan - it is rare that I agree with you - but I have been saying for some time now that the lack of balance in the back row needs to be addressed!!!

What we need is bullocking - line-breaking back-rowers to complement the hard-working ball-players!!

Your assessment of Buckets is typically one-dimensional and ignorant - but I agree he is out of form!! However - Graham has done little to suggest he offers more!

No-one is suggesting that Graham simply should not be in no. 11 or 12 because he is intrinsically a lock and that position is taken by the more consistenct Sattler!!!

You mentioned Manu as the type of player we need - but if you check his form for Souths you might be convinced otherwise! However - I do believe we miss the likes of both he and Luke O'Donnell - who can make a genuine impact from the bench!!!

As for Laffranchi - I agree wholeheartedly!!! He is a back-rower pure and simple - and could excel in this position!! But the fact is we have bugger all quality props and he is forced to play there because he is all class and as such is the best man for the job!!!

 

[simon says]

I think that Graham has been the most consistent of our backrowers.If you look at the stats,Sattler and Buckets are missing plenty of tackles.Graham gets 40 a game with no(or few) misses.

I think he should be the last bloke dropped or put shit on.

Even though Satts has been inspirational,he had dropped off a few tackles that have led to tries(last one against Fittler was a shocker) as has Buckets.

Lets just hope that with Payten and Boof back and firing we will have more oomph up front.......

 

[bonstonker]

last week i did a post on our backrow stats and all 3 were making 6m per hit up.
sattler makes more offloads followed by buckets.
buckets misses less tackles followed by graham.prior to last week buckets had missed something like 6 out of 176 attempts.

but what i don't understand is that alot of people pick a team they want and put one of those starters back on the bench.how the f**k does that help :?
if they are not making an impact,i just don't see how putting them on the bench will help.
either you are an impact player or you are not.

 

[Eye_Of_The_Tiger]

I think Elford and O'Neill were two of our worst players against the Roosters but i'm willing to give them a chance to redeem themselves. Maybe a kick up the butt by putting them on the bench is the incentive thay need to regain some form

 

[Nook]

I think he should be the last bloke dropped or put sh*t on.

Re Graham:
Could not disagree more. Keep an eye on him during the game, and note how many of his 'tackles' involve flopping on a semi-tackled man or a pissweak 3rd-tackler effort. He doesn't do the hard stuff in defence. And his attack has been woeful. Its all very well to do the one-two shimmy with a dummy down the left hand side every now and then, as long as you put in a bit of an effort elsewhere. He doesn't. I had high hopes for him this year, but from what I have seen they were completely misguided.

Goangod is 100% Right.
Cleary, we lack someone in the second row who can make an impact. O'Neil, as much as we all love him, offers little in attack and is out of form. Sattler is fine in his role, but realistically it is pretty limited. Graham I have discussed.
Halatau and Viane must be added to the backrow, or to the bench as interchange forwards, if this team is to improve. Graham gone, O'Neil hanging on by virtue of his being O'Neil - a sacrifice which may prove as costly as it is necessary.

 

[holla4amarshall]

look v's the roosters o0n the weekend he had a very good game