Pick your core NSW side to build around

[ANTiLAG]

1 Gidley (can kick goals from touch so HAS to be there)

6 Gasnier (It was toss up between him and Lyon but I feel Lyon can play first receiver better)

7 Lyon (The most passionate person since Matty Orford in the blue jumper and displayed promise in the halves)

9 Tongue (I know most people say Ennis or Farah but Canberra fans tell me he is awesome and NSW just have too many backrowers at the moment).

14 Matt Cooper - he is experienced and you can cover left and right centre

I actually think Campese is the biggest joke I could include - but some people wouldn't get the humour.

 

[RHCP]

1 Gidley (can kick goals from touch so HAS to be there)

6 Gasnier (It was toss up between him and Lyon but I feel Lyon can play first receiver better)

7 Lyon (The most passionate person since Matty Orford in the blue jumper and displayed promise in the halves)

9 Tongue (I know most people say Ennis or Farah but Canberra fans tell me he is awesome and NSW just have too many backrowers at the moment).

14 Matt Cooper - he is experienced and you can cover left and right centre

I actually think Campese is the biggest joke I could include - but some people wouldn't get the humour.

I'm assuming Cooper is also captain?

 

[ANTiLAG]

I'm assuming Cooper is also captain?

Nah mate don't be ridiculous - was gonna be Gids mate but I think they should take it to the next level as I hear Barrett will play one more year so...

18 Barrett (c)

 

[Yosh]

From 2011:

1. Dugan

6. Mullen/Hayne
7. Pearce

9. Farah
10. TLL

Mullen been playing well lately, keep this up or best part of a year and spot is yours son. I am also tempted to put Hayne into 5/8th. Yes call me crazy and won't work for a million reasons but when I watch him attack really reminds me of creative 5/8th.

Ennis is terrible all the time. Farah will be terrible sometimes but least he offers something in attack sometimes. No other stand out candidate. I remember before Buderus quit they were talking about the hooker battle between Ennis vs. Farah. Who would have thought both of them were going to be so crap!

Other key players:
Lewis
Snowden
Gallen
Watmough

Wealth of options for backs:
JMorris
BMorris
Jennings
Uate
Gasnier


Never Again:
White
Weyman
Creagh

Sux we don't have any stand out players in any positions... Maybe Watmough for a backrow position but everyone else is meh.

 

[perverse]

Mullen has to string some genuine form together before he should even be a blip on the radar. i agree he's finally coming good lately, but has been completely MIA for the rest of the year. doesn't help that he's behind the softest front row i've seen in years at NRL level... but it's not like he's been playing poorly, he's literally barely been playing at all out there some matches.

he needs to finish this year strongly and begin next year in the same vein before his name should even come up. has the ability... but is a massive myth at this stage in his career. hopefully we put a good pack in front of him next year and he snaps back into gear.

i think Hayne may well end up at 5/8th one day. it will depend on how much he improves his actual fullback play over the next year or so... or how much he even tries to improve it. it's hard to say that his profile hasn't gone to his head a bit since last year... but i would imagine he will come crashing back down to earth eventually and realise that he has a lot to work on. picking the right times for his razzle dazzle, off the cuff plays would be a nice place to start... along with positioning as a fullback... work harder under the high ball... increased urgency in all facets of his game... etc...

 

[mrpwnd]

So you're saying Sutton for NSW #6 because Campese is too inconsistent? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black...

Campese is struggling because there are no other decent playmakers to take the pressure off him or give him quality ball in space. Shift him out to second receiver, taking the line on and suddenly he'll be a hell of a lot better.

6. Campese
7. Pearce

Pearce has a great kicking game, good vision and is a good distributor. Campese is best when taking on the line - he's not an organiser. Put them together and you've got a combination that will pay dividends in years to come, as well as probably the best defensive halves pairing in NSW.

No...Pearce prefers and plays mostly as 2nd reciever, as does Campese.
When you have 2 halves that work as 2nd recievers it is just gay.
If NSW wanted to keep Pearce then Soward would've been the best option to accompany him.

 

[mrpwnd]

1. Dugan/Coote

7. Pearce

9. Ennis

13. Lewis


That is the core.

Wing spots - Kevin Gordon, Akuila Uate, Brett Morris and Chris Lawrence should fight for these. All of them are big, great in the air, lightning fast, strong and top finishers.

Centre spots - Joel Thompson and Jamal Idris fighting for one spot, Josh Morris and Michael Jennings fighting for the other spot. One side will have a sizable and powerful line-running centre, and the other will have a speedier strike centre.

Five-eighth - the two smaller options are Soward and Carney. Both are in decent form with nippy running games and big boots, but their tackling is questionable. Sutton and Campese are the larger options, but their creativity on a consistent basis under pressure isn't confirmed yet either. Bird is another option if Gidley is the utility.

Props - must pick four strong props. Snowden is a definite starter, and Mannah is a definite benchie, leaving two empty spots. For the workhorse prop to start with Snowden, I think King was a pretty poor option, and I feel that Douglas or Tolman would have been a better option. As for the impact man to partner Mannah on the bench, I don't mind TLL but I think Galloway might have been worth a shot.

Backrow - three slots; a workhorse, a linebreaker, and an allrounder. Workhorse slot should go to Heighington or O'Donnell, as they are well ahead of Waterhouse, Hindmarsh and Stewart on form. Linebreaker would go to Watmough because he is proven, but Mitchell Aubusson and Mark Minichiello would have to be pressing for his spot. Allrounder spot would have to go to either Gallen or Bird.

Utility - Bird or Gidley, no other real options out there.

So:

1. (Dugan/Coote)
2. (Gordon/Uate/Morris/Lawrence)
3. (Thompson/Idris)
4. (Morris/Jennings)
5. (Gordon/Uate/Morris/Lawrence)
6. (Carney/Soward/Campese/Sutton/Bird)
7. Pearce
8. Snowden
9. (Ennis/Farah)
10. (Douglas/Tolman)
11. (Gallen/Bird)
12. (Heighington/O'Donnell)
13. Lewis

14. (Bird/Gidley)
15. (Watmough/Aubusson/Minichiello)
16. (Learoyd-Lahrs/Galloway)
17. Mannah

Bird should be a priority pick though - if he doesn't get the five-eighth or backrow spot, he HAS to be on the bench at the expense of Gidley. Too good to be left out.

Therefore, a nice selection squad for NSW with plenty of youth, aggression and flexibility will be available.

Aubusson? Been average since his debut.
on the halves...The moment you mentioned 'tackling is questionable' you failed. Halves are in the team to initiate and organise the attacks...NOT the defense. Or have NSW become that pathetic that we need to rely on halves to defend around the ruck?
I question B Morris capabilities on the left wing in origin. Positionally he's been average, defense was horrible and attack well, he didn't get too much ball so i'll reserve judgement there.
Joel Thompson...Why mention him? Are you trying to make the selectors pull off another Steve Turner? I thought Monoghan was bad enough.
Chris Lawrence is a specialist centre...not a winger, i'd have no quarrel if he was in the centres for NSW.
Sutton and Campese, both incredibly inconsistent, Sutton flops during urgent parts of the game and Campese struggles to do anything once he's run through all his plays, in that regard he's like a Kimmorley.
Ennis will guarantee a solid play, but thats all he'll ever be at origin. When you have Pearce running off support plays from 2nd reciever and Soward organising the attacking line it leaves Farrah to add abit of creativity in the mix from the ruck. Also, if Hayne doesn't improve at fullback i'd have him 100% on the left wing, honestly, him and Watmough were the only reasons we had a fighting chance in 2009 and you dump him? LOL!
Greg Bird, good selection, personally i think he's been overhyped from his MoM from his prev origins(don't see how he got it).
And i'd take Gidley>bird sh*t.

 

[Deleted member 10972]

Aubusson? Been average since his debut.
on the halves...The moment you mentioned 'tackling is questionable' you failed. Halves are in the team to initiate and organise the attacks...NOT the defense. Or have NSW become that pathetic that we need to rely on halves to defend around the ruck?
I question B Morris capabilities on the left wing in origin. Positionally he's been average, defense was horrible and attack well, he didn't get too much ball so i'll reserve judgement there.
Joel Thompson...Why mention him? Are you trying to make the selectors pull off another Steve Turner? I thought Monoghan was bad enough.
Chris Lawrence is a specialist centre...not a winger, i'd have no quarrel if he was in the centres for NSW.
Sutton and Campese, both incredibly inconsistent, Sutton flops during urgent parts of the game and Campese struggles to do anything once he's run through all his plays, in that regard he's like a Kimmorley.
Ennis will guarantee a solid play, but thats all he'll ever be at origin. When you have Pearce running off support plays from 2nd reciever and Soward organising the attacking line it leaves Farrah to add abit of creativity in the mix from the ruck. Also, if Hayne doesn't improve at fullback i'd have him 100% on the left wing, honestly, him and Watmough were the only reasons we had a fighting chance in 2009 and you dump him? LOL!
Greg Bird, good selection, personally i think he's been overhyped from his MoM from his prev origins(don't see how he got it).
And i'd take Gidley>bird sh*t.

Hayne has been gutless this year and doesn't deserve his spot at all.

Gidley is rubbish, Bird is much better and offers more in general.

Lawrence to me is a lot like Matt King, his ability as a centre who can play wing, especially with his size and speed out wide, would be an asset.

Morris has been outstanding this year, earned his spot.

Mitchell Aubusson has been the best linebreaking backrower in NSW this year, the new Menzies.

Joel Thompson is big, strong, can break the line and has plenty of aggression. Hard to stop from 10 metres out too.

 

[Spot On]

So you're saying Sutton for NSW #6 because Campese is too inconsistent? Talk about the pot calling the kettle black...

Campese is struggling because there are no other decent playmakers to take the pressure off him or give him quality ball in space. Shift him out to second receiver, taking the line on and suddenly he'll be a hell of a lot better.

6. Campese
7. Pearce

Pearce has a great kicking game, good vision and is a good distributor. Campese is best when taking on the line - he's not an organiser. Put them together and you've got a combination that will pay dividends in years to come, as well as probably the best defensive halves pairing in NSW.

At $500,000 a year Campo would want to make the play from anywhere and everywhere on the field, not having to rely on a so called "decent halfback" to be bought so he can then show his brilliance. Otherwise, Campo is in for the mother of all paycuts in two years time. He should be nowhere near origin on his past 18 months of form.

 

[perverse]

At $500,000 a year Campo would want to make the play from anywhere and everywhere on the field, not having to rely on a so called "decent halfback" to be bought so he can then show his brilliance. Otherwise, Campo is in for the mother of all paycuts in two years time. He should be nowhere near origin on his past 18 months of form.

that would be true if he didn't still have 4 more years on his contract to go. lol.

it was a 5 year, $500k deal. unbelievable.

edit - actually... thinking back... i'm not so sure it was a $500k deal. definitely $400k+ though... i distinctly remember a few clubs throwing that sort of $$$ at him. it was a huge, monumental, epicly massive contract.

 

[mrpwnd]

Hayne has been gutless this year and doesn't deserve his spot at all.

Gidley is rubbish, Bird is much better and offers more in general.

Lawrence to me is a lot like Matt King, his ability as a centre who can play wing, especially with his size and speed out wide, would be an asset.

Morris has been outstanding this year, earned his spot.

Mitchell Aubusson has been the best linebreaking backrower in NSW this year, the new Menzies.

Joel Thompson is big, strong, can break the line and has plenty of aggression. Hard to stop from 10 metres out too.

Morris earnt his spot, and rightfully earnt the right to lose it
I agree Gids is rubbish.
Aubusson the new Menzies? Please, go watch abit of what Menzies did before you compare him to an avg player.
Joel Thompson big, strong, can break the line? Um...I thought that was just about the standard for every centre nowadays, the way i look at it Chris Lawrence is stronger and around the same size and far as i'm concerned he plays better. Heck, using your philosophy of big and strong i'd rate Jamal Idris over him, but it's best not to go there i guess?
I'll take in the criticisms of Hayne being gutless, but again, you fall into the trap of the chop and change system the selectors have, far as i'm concerned he's probably the few, if not only, young talents that NSW have managed to breed and actually keep in consecutive origin series, i'm not even looking at it through blue and yellow goggles, i'm taking previous origins into account, he has delivered more consistently than all our backline and i certainly don't see Morris' performances the last 2 games worthy of pushing him out of left wing, but correct me if i'm wrong.
The only reason Matt King was considered for wing was because he was excellent in recieving kicks, Chris Lawrence doesn't have the same air skills in that regard, thus the reason we rarely ever see him on the wing.

 

[Spot On]

that would be true if he didn't still have 4 more years on his contract to go. lol.

it was a 5 year, $500k deal. unbelievable.

edit - actually... thinking back... i'm not so sure it was a $500k deal. definitely $400k+ though... i distinctly remember a few clubs throwing that sort of $$$ at him. it was a huge, monumental, epicly massive contract.

Perverse, I thought he signed up at the end of 2008 when he was in blistering form - still three years to go?? of a five year contract?? You're right - that is epic. Could end up being like one of those bad movies you just can't sit through but you must because you took the misses out on her birthday and you are hoping that later on it is going to turn into something worth remembering! You know - a return on your investment. Campo isn't giving off that warm and fuzzy feeling for Raiders fans at the moment. However, Campo will feel warm and fuzzy at the end of every month to see his balance grow by around another 30K.

 

[perverse]

Perverse, I thought he signed up at the end of 2008 when he was in blistering form - still three years to go?? of a five year contract?? You're right - that is epic. Could end up being like one of those bad movies you just can't sit through but you must because you took the misses out on her birthday and you are hoping that later on it is going to turn into something worth remembering! You know - a return on your investment. Campo isn't giving off that warm and fuzzy feeling for Raiders fans at the moment. However, Campo will feel warm and fuzzy at the end of every month to see his balance grow by around another 30K.

he was re-signed in '09. '10 is the first year of his current contract. he is signed up until the end of 2014. everyone was still buzzing about his late-'08 form at the time... very similar to the way everyone has been buzzing about Hayne this year up until recently.

and yeah, he's completely taking them for a ride at the moment. raiders fans will tell you that he needs a good halfback inside him. that may be true, but at $400k-$500k a year for a half... you would expect them to be able to carry a nuffy as their halves partner. you don't pay that much for a half and then need to spend another $250k-$300k on their partner.

Campese needs a massive rocket and injection of talent to live up to that price tag. 4 more years of this could get very painful for the raiders. you certainly can't blame their forward pack... they have a great pack that lays a pretty good platform every week. miles better than the knights have had this year, that's for sure.

 

[Grishnakh]

Okay...you all saw the game tonight. The Tigers were outplayed for 70 of the 80 minutes but managed to jag a win.

Exchange Farah for Ennis...would the Tiges have won?

I rest my case.

 

[Spot On]

Exchange those two props the Tigers have and it could have been a case of Tigers by how many! Piss weak and pathetic.

 

[R2Coupe]

Imagine Smith's position; knowing he has it over Ennis with the real threat not picked by NSW.