Qualifier Team V Storm

[bad boy bubby]

I'm not so sure that DA will be 18th.
I think Fitz has been grooming him to be a "super-sub" ala Connor Watson type benchie.

He was originally a fullback, this year in firsts he has started in the halves, on the wing, and at centre.
On Sunday he came on and replaced McInnes at lock before finishing the game at hooker for Brails
I think Fitz may be playing horses-for-courses and feels that for this game DA is the better fit.

Edit: plus the fact he has shown he has a real ability to stay calm in a tight situation. That's invaluable at this time of year.

 

[coolumsharkie]

Plus he's nailed just about every single clutch play. We get ourselves into a field goal situation and we have Tricky, Hynes and DA as options. Pretty handy.

 

[Frenzy.]

I'm not so sure that DA will be 18th.
I think Fitz has been grooming him to be a "super-sub" ala Connor Watson type benchie.

He was originally a fullback, this year in firsts he has started in the halves, on the wing, and at centre.
On Sunday he came on and replaced McInnes at lock before finishing the game at hooker for Brails
I think Fitz may be playing horses-for-courses and feels that for this game DA is the better fit.

Edit: plus the fact he has shown he has a real ability to stay calm in a tight situation. That's invaluable at this time of year.

DA will be 14 for Queensland within 2 years. Soon as Hunt retires.

 

[DJDL]

I'm not so sure that DA will be 18th.
I think Fitz has been grooming him to be a "super-sub" ala Connor Watson type benchie.

Connor Watson is light years ahead of him as a super-sub.
He may get there in time, but not now. And not for an important finals match.
If Brails wasn't rested last week The Next Immortal would only have been give ~10 minutes.
I don't think we have the luxury of carrying a player like that into a game of this importance.

Edit: plus the fact he has shown he has a real ability to stay calm in a tight situation. That's invaluable at this time of year.

That I can agree with.

 

[Dragon Slayer]

It’s a genuine f**king outrage. The fact that Annesley deadshit can’t see that Gee is the best ref tells you everything you need to know about the leadership there.
It really does need to be blown up over the off season.

I think Gerard Maxwell is the referees boss.

He definitely loves Klein.

 

[bluefox68]

I’m not going to kick and scream - whichever way the Coach goes - we’ve got a good side, either way…

 

[bad boy bubby]

Connor Watson is light years ahead of him as a super-sub.
He may get there in time, but not now. And not for an important finals match.
If Brails wasn't rested last week The Next Immortal would only have been give ~10 minutes.
I don't think we have the luxury of carrying a player like that into a game of this importance.



That I can agree with.

Watson has been in the NRL for 8 years, you'd hope he would be better.
If Fitz goes this way then he has his reasons, hence why I said Horses for courses.
Look at the bench as a whole,
Is Hazelton fit?
Is BHU ready for finals footy?
He has Williams and Hunt as true middles, plus Sifa who has been playing as a middle, but can be used outside if needed.
Sifa and Williams offer a lot of mobility.
By adding DA in they can slot him in to a great deal more positions if needed, without too much disruption, especially the all important spine.
I'm seeing it more as a tactic for this particular game, and one maybe Fitz has kept hidden until now.
If it works it may be carried further.

Fitz has kept basically the same formula throughout the whole season, a surprise may be coming.
Then again the surprise may be that DA is in fact 18th man, and that was the real show.

 

[coolumsharkie]

More available than hidden I think. We recently played 2 games without Tricky or Hynes, and not long after was mentioned as a handy utility by Fitz at a press conference and around the playing group when asked about DA's future in the team when Hynes was becoming available once again. Slotted into centre.. He's there for the duration I think. Certainly worked last game, scored that try on his first touch of the ball. He's a gun.

 

[Mako-Ver]

Hes the best half in the club by far. Fast, steps, tackles, general play kicks are sizeable & strategic, goal kicking is very good, great field goal positioning & speed of kick, can close out a game & most importantly above all, is calm & collected & close out a game.

 

[sladden road]

For mine, keeping The Next immortal in the team is a show of connection, loyalty and team cohesion.
He is a popular merkin and has played his ring out for the team.10/13 winning record this year.
What kind of message would it have sent to the squad to not pick him. Although I do admit it’s team first. There is something about the fella that seems like a talisman for the team. I do go way over board on my admiration for him (that’s to keep the forum interesting and away from too munch Qantas threads and Those bloody Monte Carlao’s.
Atko is a winner and we all agree on his calmness.
He’s a competitor. Hope we sign him up cause his value keeps going up and he’s free to negotiate from Nov 1. He is not the making of the team but he makes the team. I reckon he’d be infectious to get around.
He will be better the Conner Watson in a couple of years.
It makes me laugh how we argue over certain players, but it also makes it fun.
Go Atko, DA, Ale, next immortal aka “the future”.
Carve Munster up this weekend, step Hughes for a try, smash Harry Grant and pash Paps on the lips!!!

Up there mighties.

 

[DJDL]

Hes the best half in the club by far. Fast, steps, tackles, general play kicks are sizeable & strategic, goal kicking is very good, great field goal positioning & speed of kick, can close out a game & most importantly above all, is calm & collected & close out a game.

I remember the days when you said the same about Connor Tracey.

 

[DJDL]

For mine, keeping The Next immortal in the team is a show of connection, loyalty and team cohesion.
He is a popular merkin and has played his ring out for the team.10/13 winning record this year.
What kind of message would it have sent to the squad to not pick him. Although I do admit it’s team first. There is something about the fella that seems like a talisman for the team. I do go way over board on my admiration for him (that’s to keep the forum interesting and away from too munch Qantas threads and Those bloody Monte Carlao’s.
Atko is a winner and we all agree on his calmness.
He’s a competitor. Hope we sign him up cause his value keeps going up and he’s free to negotiate from Nov 1. He is not the making of the team but he makes the team. I reckon he’d be infectious to get around.
He will be better the Conner Watson in a couple of years.
It makes me laugh how we argue over certain players, but it also makes it fun.
Go Atko, DA, Ale, next immortal aka “the future”.
Carve Munster up this weekend, step Hughes for a try, smash Harry Grant and pash Paps on the lips!!!

Up there mighties.

If he'd shave that god damn moustache I might have a better opinion of him.

 

[sladden road]

If he'd shave that god damn moustache I might have a better opinion of him.

he’s Italian, how can you blame him?
He’s looks like Mario (from Nintendo ) nephew. He escaped the matrix and lives amongst us mere mortals.
If the game goes into extra time and it’s decided by Mario Cart. I know who I’m throwing the controller to.

 

[Special K]

Hes the best half in the club by far. Fast, steps, tackles, general play kicks are sizeable & strategic, goal kicking is very good, great field goal positioning & speed of kick, can close out a game & most importantly above all, is calm & collected & close out a game.

I agree mate. He has won a premiership, dally m, played for nsw and aus. Nicho is our guy!

 

[Cheese sandwich]

I'd have the Italian immortal over Connor Watson any day of the week. Never rated that guy

 

[bad boy bubby]

Hes the best half in the club by far. Fast, steps, tackles, general play kicks are sizeable & strategic, goal kicking is very good, great field goal positioning & speed of kick, can close out a game & most importantly above all, is calm & collected & close out a game.

I'm surprised you haven't picked up on his horrible left to right passes that were occurring earlier in the season. They seemed to have improved a little lately, but damn they were pretty woeful.

 

[sladden road]

I agree mate. He has won a premiership, dally m, played for nsw and aus. Nicho is our guy!
I so badly want to see Nacho rip the heart out of opposing teams.
So badly.

when we were over run by the Wahs Cronk mentioned the ability of a half to control, and or, wrestle back momentum.
Momentum is the biggest factor in “The man with feathers” version of the game.
Nico is awesome, great, amazing and very glad he is on our team BUT; the inability to control the pace is his kryptonite. A 40/20, a kick to the sideline 5 metres out etc etc.
As I write this it is his kicking game that needs the most work. I stake (removed ) my (already poor ) forum rep that he is a fullback. See Ponga.

The future 6, Trindall 7, Nacho 1. That’s the key.
Did anyone catch Riccio on the league talk podcast last week speaking about Kennedy and laying it bare.
Very insightful.
He basically said that he can’t see the Sharks winning with Kennedy at 1. Nacho is our full back and Tricky is the 7.
there is plenty of options coming through for 6, but we have one already in the future.

Anyways so hope I am wrong, next month will tell.
And it’s not all on Nacho. Team lifts to another level up from manly and plays “ball in play” we can win.
Funny thing about ball in play is that it is the exact opposite that Nacho needs to find. The ability to stop that shit.
He does ball in play or on the ball well. When a team like OAK daddy takes us there, it needs to be stopped cause we don’t have the skill to stop them.
Manly is not Daddy OAK , they take teams to deep water.
We Daddy OAKD manly, they couldn’t handle it , yet when the Wahs took us to SJS destiny, through that kind of game speed, we had no answer.
Once we unlock that, we will be very close.
It’s a different game these days.

Time takes time.

 

[Special K]

Just saw a stat saying nicho had the best goal kicking percentage of the season 87.1%.

What a player.