RD 22: Parramatta Eels v Canberra at TIO Stadium Darwin 8.30pm AEST 9/8/14

[TheParraboy]

Who said anything about a hit up? He will be supporting his team mates on the fourth tackle, which means he could receive a pass. Unless we've only picked one half that can kick long. Then Hayne has to stand around on fourth tackle waiting for the fifth. Great use of the best fullback in the game.



No it's not what you said but it is the obvious implication of your statement. The only way to guarantee he isn't playing the ball on the fifth is to ensure he doesn't run it on the fourth you stupid bastard.

The best fullback in the game has the longest kick in the game. I suggest in Origin that would be a better weapon to use if we are camped in our 20-25 than worrying IF an offload or sweeping movement is gonna happen for him on the 4th, too friggin funny

Besides why are we assuming the long range relieving kick is on the 5th tackle, many times it is kicked on the 4th

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Why are you assuming it's only going to happen inside the 20? Are they going to chip it 30 metres out from their own line? And is a kicking game no longer important in the opposition half? Let's stick Bird or Lewis at left half even though they don't even play there at club level unless there's an emergency. Too f**ken funny! :lol:

 

[phantom eel]

A long kicking game is only relevent when there is room to put a long kick in... and Origin is hardly the environment where sweeping backline movements occur from your 30m line - unless you're throwing it around trying to play catch-up in the final stages.

Ergo, as TPB is saying, it is no problem having a fullback as one of your two long kicking options in Origin - especially when you can choose to long kick from your own half on any tackle other than the fifth as well.

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

I'll give you defensively solid. His long kicking was ok.
His kicking in the opposition 20 meanwhile was horrendous. We picked a bloke (Tupou) on the wing specifically to catch bombs in the opposition 20....and every one kicked to him from Hodkinson was off the mark.

His playmaking was completely non-existent. Our attack was nowhere without Hayne.
That's why I didn't say he was terrible...just invisible.

Pearce, while bad in just about every Origin he's played, is still a better player than Hodkinson.
But I wouldn't have either in the Blues team. Mullen is better than both of them.

No that was not the reason that Tupou was ineffective. Tupou was selected in the side because people thought he would be able to do an Israel Folau like job on QLD - but one he isn't as good as Folau in the air and two the game has changed significantly since Folau's days of flying over NSW.

Tupou is good in the air but not amazing, he actually struggled several times in defensive situations in the air against Brent Tate! Tate is good in the air but c'mon he should have had no chance if Tupou was as good as Folau.

Also notice how QLD were able to shield Tupou of the ball and not get penalised? You know why, because they're MUCH more lenient on shielding then a few years ago.

Hodkinsons play making was existent. If you watch game 1 he had 2 real good touches of the ball and in game 2 he had about 4. 5 including the try he scored of that run. He played better in those games then any other half on the field. When was the last time you could say that for Pearce who's just been terrible over the years? Hodkinson deserves to keep his jersey.

If I could choose the halves for next year, i'd go

6. Mullen
7. Hodkinson

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

Also, who the f**k goes for both the Eels and the Dogs?

That's just mindbogglingly insane!

Especially this week!

geez don't ask... i can't bare to watch this game.

 

[I'm a loser baby...]

Also notice how QLD were able to shield Tupou of the ball and not get penalised? You know why, because they're MUCH more lenient on shielding then a few years ago.

I've noticed this, too.

 

[T.S Quint]

No that was not the reason that Tupou was ineffective. Tupou was selected in the side because people thought he would be able to do an Israel Folau like job on QLD - but one he isn't as good as Folau in the air and two the game has changed significantly since Folau's days of flying over NSW.

Tupou is good in the air but not amazing, he actually struggled several times in defensive situations in the air against Brent Tate! Tate is good in the air but c'mon he should have had no chance if Tupou was as good as Folau.

Also notice how QLD were able to shield Tupou of the ball and not get penalised? You know why, because they're MUCH more lenient on shielding then a few years ago.

Hodkinsons play making was existent. If you watch game 1 he had 2 real good touches of the ball and in game 2 he had about 4. 5 including the try he scored of that run. He played better in those games then any other half on the field. When was the last time you could say that for Pearce who's just been terrible over the years? Hodkinson deserves to keep his jersey.

If I could choose the halves for next year, i'd go

6. Mullen
7. Hodkinson

Just because he played better than Pearce doesn't mean he should keep his spot.
He isn't one of the two best halves in NSW. He should never have been picked to begin with.

And Tupou was able to be easily shielded from the kicks because the kicks were way off target. Most of them came up so short that Tupou couldn't create any momentum to get around the blockers.

I hate the shielding that is allowed to happen these days.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

A long kicking game is only relevent when there is room to put a long kick in... and Origin is hardly the environment where sweeping backline movements occur from your 30m line - unless you're throwing it around trying to play catch-up in the final stages.

What's all this strawman 'sweeping backline' shit you fools are coming up with? Hayne will run from dummy half on the fourth tackle inside his own 20 if he has to:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0CprqT3rVo&feature=player_detailpage#t=742

If you'd watched Origin this year you'd know that.

We want him first and foremost to run the ball. Anywhere on the field. If he's free to kick on the fifth (or earlier if there's an opportunity) then he can do it but kicking is what halves are in the team for, otherwise we may as well stick Bird or Lewis in the 6 jersey.

Ergo, as TPB is saying, it is no problem having a fullback as one of your two long kicking options in Origin - especially when you can choose to long kick from your own half on any tackle other than the fifth as well.

Whichever tackle they choose to kick on, Hayne can't be the one playing the ball. That means you don't want him running. Great f**king gameplan.

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

Just because he played better than Pearce doesn't mean he should keep his spot.
He isn't one of the two best halves in NSW. He should never have been picked to begin with.

And Tupou was able to be easily shielded from the kicks because the kicks were way off target. Most of them came up so short that Tupou couldn't create any momentum to get around the blockers.

I hate the shielding that is allowed to happen these days.

Well who's better then Hodkinson? Pearce - NO. Reynolds - no. Wallace - no. Brooks - too young. Kelly - too many injuries.

Most of them DIDN'T come of target, a few did in the first game but that was it. It doesn't matter if you can create momentum coming in, if someone if standing in your way you can't do anything.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

All this who's-better-than-whom bullshit is a bit pointless. It's impossible to definitively rank two players of similar ability, as is the case with all these NSW eligible halves. None of them are any more or less than solid first graders, with the exception of Brooks who is a talented rookie. He might end up better than all of them, but at the moment he lacks the strength and experience to be considered a genuine first grader.

The rest of them though, all good players. None is definitively better than any other. so trying to rank them is stupid. Their form shifts from week to week and is largely determined by the quality (and form) of their club mates. Give it a rest.

 

[hineyrulz]

Robson for NSW halfback!!!!

 

[TheParraboy]

A long kicking game is only relevent when there is room to put a long kick in... and Origin is hardly the environment where sweeping backline movements occur from your 30m line - unless you're throwing it around trying to play catch-up in the final stages.

Ergo, as TPB is saying, it is no problem having a fullback as one of your two long kicking options in Origin - especially when you can choose to long kick from your own half on any tackle other than the fifth as well.

Yup that's the thing, he has a long range boot on him, Origin demands a great kicking game , particularly getting out of your red zone. All this crap Hayne standing around doing nothing is laughable. The world is ending, :lol:

Whatever halves we have in Origin we should use Haynes long range kicks at times when the opportunity arises

 

[TheParraboy]

Robson for NSW halfback!!!!

smartest post in this thread

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

All this who's-better-than-whom bullshit is a bit pointless. It's impossible to definitively rank two players of similar ability, as is the case with all these NSW eligible halves. None of them are any more or less than solid first graders, with the exception of Brooks who is a talented rookie. He might end up better than all of them, but at the moment he lacks the strength and experience to be considered a genuine first grader.

The rest of them though, all good players. None is definitively better than any other. so trying to rank them is stupid. Their form shifts from week to week and is largely determined by the quality (and form) of their club mates. Give it a rest.

If I was selecting an origin team I wouldn't care too much about club form. those that have performed at origin deserve a spot because it's difficult finding players who can transfer there club form to origin. Given that Hodkinson has played much better then Pearce at origin, I would therefore say he is better when it comes to origin and select him over Pearce any day.

Brooks ins't the only talented rookie half coming through. there's Moses, Cornish and Keary (who doesn't want to play for NSW).

 

[T.S Quint]

Well who's better then Hodkinson? Pearce - NO. Reynolds - no. Wallace - no. Brooks - too young. Kelly - too many injuries.

Most of them DIDN'T come of target, a few did in the first game but that was it. It doesn't matter if you can create momentum coming in, if someone if standing in your way you can't do anything.

In normal week-to-week footy yes, Pearce is better. But he just shits himself when he puts a blue jersey on. Good kicking game and excellent passing game. Decent defence.
Adam Reynolds is about on par in terms of defence and long kicks, but his short kicking game is miles better. Neither is very creative with the ball in hand though. Neither can run the ball very well.

Wallace may not be better, but also isn't any worse than Hodko.
Brooks already has shown more creativity in his little finger than Hodko has in his whole body. But as you say, he is still young and his defence isn't up to scratch just yet. In a couple of years though he will probably be the best half in NSW.

Mullen (excellent passing and long kicking), Sutton (good defence, decent long and short kicking, excellent running game), Soward (excellent long kicking, good passing game) are all better than Hodkinson imo.

But all that being said, Hodkinson wasn't the big problem with the NSW halves - it was Reynolds. If we had a more creative half on the other side instead of the mildly geniused one we got we should be ok to carry a solid half like Hodko.

But hey, that's just my thinking.

 

[T.S Quint]

Give it a rest.

No.

 

[T.S Quint]

If I was selecting an origin team I wouldn't care too much about club form. those that have performed at origin deserve a spot because it's difficult finding players who can transfer there club form to origin. Given that Hodkinson has played much better then Pearce at origin, I would therefore say he is better when it comes to origin and select him over Pearce any day.

But that's like saying "Mitch Allgood played better for Parra than Carl Webb...so we should re-sign him."
It doesn't matter if he was only better than the one who came before, he still isn't the best choice we can make.

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

In normal week-to-week footy yes, Pearce is better. But he just shits himself when he puts a blue jersey on. Good kicking game and excellent passing game. Decent defence.
Adam Reynolds is about on par in terms of defence and long kicks, but his short kicking game is miles better. Neither is very creative with the ball in hand though. Neither can run the ball very well.

Wallace may not be better, but also isn't any worse than Hodko.
Brooks already has shown more creativity in his little finger than Hodko has in his whole body. But as you say, he is still young and his defence isn't up to scratch just yet. In a couple of years though he will probably be the best half in NSW.

Mullen (excellent passing and long kicking), Sutton (good defence, decent long and short kicking, excellent running game), Soward (excellent long kicking, good passing game) are all better than Hodkinson imo.

But all that being said, Hodkinson wasn't the big problem with the NSW halves - it was Reynolds. If we had a more creative half on the other side instead of the mildly geniused one we got we should be ok to carry a solid half like Hodko.

But hey, that's just my thinking.

You probably haven't watched much of the Bulldogs games this year. Hokko has been playing really well, which is why he actually got selected. Who's doing better out of his and Pearce is debatable. Adam Reynolds was awful for the majority of the year which is why his name wasn't even in consideration. It's only now that souths is on a role and suddenly he's playing really well again.

I've kept an eye on Brooks and although he's got good vision, that wasn't really his main weapon. What he had was an outstanding combination with tedesco and now that he's gone, Brooks has struggled a little bit, even though Moses replaced him.

Mullen isn't a halfback, even a Knights fan can tell you this. Sutton? Hell no. Too slow off the mark and not agile enough. Soward? I've always rated Soward but who played better in SOO out of him and Hokko? Hodkinson wins that one. Who's playing better in the NRL is also debatable considering that Panthers are not a one man team.

 

[DOGS AND EELS!!!]

But that's like saying "Mitch Allgood played better for Parra than Carl Webb...so we should re-sign him."
It doesn't matter if he was only better than the one who came before, he still isn't the best choice we can make.

No it's not. It's more like saying Mitch Allgood has always done the job for us in first grade as opposed to someone in the NYC, so we should focus on signing him first.