Rd4: EELS v Panthers GAME DAY THREAD @ Commbank Stadium 23/3/2023

[Gazzamatta]

Comrade111

But Mik is real Im sure. He just knows his footy that guy much more than a spam bot ever could.

 

[King-Gutho94]

When he was at Penrith I used to hate seeing him in their colours because he’d always carve us up.

His best game for us was probably against Penrith in the covid year.

When he tore Crichton a new one in a 5 min burst and we scored 3 tries off the back of it.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I agreed with you. f**king up half his tackles is really effective

Given the limited involvement of his oposite number, maybe they were some other merkin's tackle?

#effortAreas

 

[84 Baby]

Given the limited involvement of his oposite number, maybe they were some other merkin's tackle?

#effortAreas

FFS Waqa stay on your man!

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Want to talk about bad faith analysis?

I would say the premise of your post is itself a bad faith proposition for the following reasons:

1) 14 refers to the utility/dummy half position on the bench - you know this but in true Pou fashion you take your little pot shot to undermine the position of others with semantics;

I made clear my point wasn't about the numbers but about your expectation that the bench needs to follow some cookie cutter composition. There's no 'number 14' because it's not a position. The bench just needs to meet the requirements of the game plan and the starting team. Assuming you carry one bench player for contingencies (whether jersey 14, 15, 16 or 17) then it depends on the most likely and also the worst case situation. We were told that Moses was carrying an injury last year, and given the importance of long kicking to our game, it made sense that we could carry a kicker on the bench. The fact his front on defence is strong, and he has a high work rate (plus passing skills) meant Arthur could play some token minutes at hooker in the off chance Mahoney needed a rest, or if the scoreboard meant we could just afford to get some minutes into a promising youngster.

2) we needed a utility last year and we need one this year

No we didn't and no we don't, since we have enough utility value in the 17 already. What we need this year is a second dummy half to complement the one starting. Last year we didn't, which is why Canterbury doesn't use one. To be fair, Frown could play there but he doesn't.

- Hands should have been the guy last year and many called for it, including myself -

And you were wrong. Reed Mahoney was effective over 80 minutes, and still is at his new club with his new coach.

his form in lower grades was not much different last year to this year. The fact is that he has always been a guy capable of giving capable relief as a utility;

Sure but we didn't need a utility, we needed someone capable of covering Moses, including taking the long kicking responsibilities. This year we don't. Moses is defending and running much better this year, lending credence to reports he played injured in 2022. It also explains (better than your bad-faith nepotism fairy tale) why Arthur was on the bench last year and not this year.

3) So what if jake is "carving" in reserve grade? When has he ever provided a performance as a utility like Hands did the other night? Every performance Jake has had is mediocre at best and poor in the main.

His game against Manly (in his preferred position) was as good as Hands' performance in his preferred position, but again, it's apples vs oranges. If we still had Mahoney, Hands still wouldn't be required this year, so his performance is irrelevant. If Moses was healthy all last year we wouldn't have needed Arthur.

Nothing has been debunked - if anything, the performance of Hands on Thursday has shown that the critics of BA's bench policy for the past year have been proven correct - he wasted a bench spot on his son when there was at least one better option right under his nose all along!

The fact Hands was picked proves nepotism isn't a factor. It also proves Arthur picks the bench to suit the situation. You have been proved wrong twice by this and now you're trying to claim you were right all along? It's 2023 ffs. It's a new year with new challenges. The solutions to this year's problems don't negate the solutions to last year's problems, which incidentally got us to a grand final. This year's problems currently have us 1 from 4, with our only win coming against a team that has also only won one game.

 

[hindy111]

But Mik is real Im sure. He just knows his footy that guy much more than a spam bot ever could.

Of course Mik is real. Miks my mate and a bloody good bloke

 

[Poupou Escobar]

I don’t believe you have a mate named mik, but I do believe he’s a good bloke.

 

[hindy111]

I don’t believe you have a mate named mik, but I do believe he’s a good bloke.

You'd love Mik.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Maybe I already did.

 

[Gronk]

Noice

 

[Pazza]

Noice

Is he playng next week?

 

[the phantom menace]

Nah, will probably end up dropped after that effort.. #rotationpolicy

 

[Gronk]

Raiders five-eighth Jack Wighton, Parramatta prop Junior Paulo and Cowboys back-rower Jeremiah Nanai will all spend the next two weeks on the sideline after pleading guilty to their Round 4 charges.

Judiciary Report: Young, Mitchell, Donoghue accept bans

Roosters winger Dom Young has entered an early guilty plea to a Careless High Tackle charge and will miss two matches while Latrell Mitchell is out for three games on a Dangerous Contact charge.

www.nrl.com

 

[the phantom menace]

8. Campbell-Gillard
10. Makatoa

17. Murchie... I guess?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Murchie works very hard and makes his tackles. I’d be stunned if he wasn’t in the 17.

 

[Gazzamatta]

Finally home and just watched the game. My MOTM is Hopgood. What a player. Tireless. Many outstanding efforts. RCG, Penisini and Moses. Gutho so reliable. Waqa still needs a new home if we are to proceed. We just cant continue to carry this guy. Yes a couple of bright spots but holy fu*k hes an accident waiting to happen.
Fox commentary was ok except for Ennis. If that bloke hasnt got an axe to grind Im a Dutchman. He should be sacked after that performance. What an A grade knob.

 

[hindy111]

Murchie works very hard and makes his tackles. I’d be stunned if he wasn’t in the 17.

What about our best 17 if everyone's fit?
It's tough cause I'd go like this

8 jnr
9 Hodgson
10 Rcg
11 Lane
12 Bryce
13 Hopgood

14 Hands
15 Matterson
16 Doorey
17 Makatoa

I think Matalele comes in the side by about rnd 12 but where do you fit him?

 

[hindy111]

Watching the NSW CUP highlights and Haze put on a great turn of foot to score. I also think Russel could play centre as could Simmonson.
Waqas days are numbered and I wouldn't be auprised if he is offloaded to the superheated by rnd 10 if those two younger guys start to fire.

 

[the phantom menace]

What about our best 17 if everyone's fit?
It's tough cause I'd go like this

8 jnr
9 Hodgson
10 Rcg
11 Lane
12 Bryce
13 Hopgood

14 Hands
15 Matterson
16 Doorey
17 Makatoa

I think Matalele comes in the side by about rnd 12 but where do you fit him?

I agree with the 17 - however I don't see Matalele coming into NRL early at all. Maybe a few games before the end of the season, if we are facing injuries in teh forwards.

Only change to "first choice" I'm predicting might be moving Hands to 9, and the "game breaker" to 14, with Hodgson to NSW Cup about round 12.

 

[84 Baby]

What about our best 17 if everyone's fit?
It's tough cause I'd go like this

8 jnr
9 Hodgson
10 Rcg
11 Lane
12 Bryce
13 Hopgood

14 Hands
15 Matterson
16 Doorey
17 Makatoa

I think Matalele comes in the side by about rnd 12 but where do you fit him?

I concur, with caveat Bryce/Matterson dependent on opposition