ozboy said:Kingytek said:ozboy said:Tonga and Rooney overated :? :?
Tonga is the best centre weve got while Rooney is as good under the high ball as anyone else.
O'Meley on form deserves a bench spot but for mine (and probably Bennett as well) is to small and skinny and would be monstered by the kiwis just like he was in the GF. Civoniceva on the other hand is a huge man who is a man you dont run at.
Only three kiwis would make this roo team, Utai, Puletua(bench) and Sonny Bill while the Roos dominate every where else.
Compared to last years team this one is 10 times better, while people questioning the addition of Ryles and Kennedy, yes they have been injured a lot but both of them when in form and full fitness (as they are now) are the best in their position in the world.
O'Meley - Small and Skinny
Am I reading right? That cant be right? You cant be serious? :lol: :? :lol: :? :lol:
Yes he is, you saw what happened in the GF, the Roosters forwards smashed him. While i cant dispute O'Meleys work rate and toughness, he is just too small and is too easily dominated by opposition class forwards, as the Kiwis have got.
Broncodroid said:Anthony Minichiello, Luke Rooney, Shaun Berrigan, Willie Tonga, Matt Sing, Darren Lockyer (capt), Craig Gower, Shane Webcke, Danny Buderus, Jason Ryles, Willie Mason, Nathan Hindmarsh, Tonie Carroll. Interchange: Craig Wing, Petero Civoniceva, Ben Kennedy, Andrew Ryan.
18th man: Shaun Timmins.
Hmm...I will share my opinion, to say I am p#ssed at the non selection of Mark O'Meley is a massive understatement.
The Backline
Pretty much what I had selected barring the selection of Berrigan who was in and out of the Bronco lineup this season and failed to play an Origin game due to injury from memory (or did he partake in game 3 ? I am certain he was a non event).
In place of Berrigan, I had Brent Tate who was solid this season and deservs to be in there ahead of Berrigan. Defensively, Tate is the equal of any outside back and in attack will always be a chance to score from anywhere on the park given his acceleration. Wayne Bennett just proved my selection theory right for when we look at the Broncos in 2005, Tate WILL BE on the wing with Hodges in the centres with Berrigan.
The Forwards
[Massive spray coming for Bennett &, post: the selectors"]
Ok, Craig Fitzgibbon was always in doubt for this one as reported last week, I have no problems with the inclusion of Mason though IMO, if you include Andrew Ryan in the 17, start Ryan and bring Mason off the bench where his impact will be ideal and has been in the past when used in this manner.
Tony Carroll will not let the side down at 13. (No, I did not have him in there as I, like many, thought he was a kiwi. Moving on, old news not needed to be rehashed)
Ok, the non selection of Mark O'Meley! What a f'ing joke this is.
Some blokes in the selection room at rep time are blessed, Nik Kosef was one, Kimmorley springs to mind of late, Ryles could be another. Don't get me wrong, Ryles when fit is amongst the best at his position, but if we are selecting this side on form, Mark is in there before Webcke or Ryles ! Ryles did come on strong late in the season, but he was not better than Mark, though I would give you the nod if you wanted to argue he was better than Webcke who struggled with injury.
The sad thing for O'Meley is this, Ryles will not let us down. He is a proven prop who has struggled with injury, when fit, again, he is amongst the best in the 8 or 10 jersey. Mark will now struggle to earn a birth in the side unless injury occurs. This is a selection where Ryles has more fans that Mark...so be it, politics has always played apart in the League sadly. I was hoping Wayne Bennett would rise above that and put his foot down calling for the form player...with regret, he has not.
Shane Webcke is one of my favourite players in the game, with good reason as well being a Bronco fan. But I was disappointed with Shane in the Origin series were he was upstaged by Mark O'Meley quite simply. The passing of the torch had started in my book.
In the late rounds the big fella' was injured admittedly as well, but one of my theory's in League is this, a player leaves excuses in the dressing room the minute he walks onto the field...Webcke is not excluded. If I was picking a side on form, he is not ahead of Mark, Petero or Jason Ryles. Some big time players earn the right to be selected on past performances, Webcke fits that billing and I would of had him partnering Mark.
The bench is fine by me, admittedly, I did not have the human OH & S hazard known as Ben Kennedy in my 23 man squad. If he is fit, he will add some aggression that will be needed.
Australia will win, I have no doubt on the back of good go forward and classier backs in key position.
To the selectors, Bennett and whoever else has a say... :roll: You nearly got this right in my book.
My side based on the above:
1. Anthony Minichello
2. Luke Rooney
3. Brent Tate for Shaun Berrigan
4. Willie Tonga
5. Matt Sing
6. Darren Lockyer (c)
7. Craig Gower
8. Shane Webcke
9. Danny Buderus
10. Mark O'Meley for Jason Ryles
11. Nathan Hindmarsh
12. Andrew Ryan for Willie Mason
13. Shaun Timmins for Tony Carroll.
14. Craig Wing
15. Petero Civoneceva
16. Willie Mason for Andrew Ryan
17. Jason Ryles for Ben Kennedy
borat said:And as Tonga has been marginally better throughout the year he is perfect to be paired with our most experienced centre in Berrigan.
borat said:O'Mealy biggest problem seems to be that he is too alike Webcke & Civo and unproven at test level. Ryles offeres something completely different then the other Front Rowers with far more of a passing game and footwork rather than the bash it up style of the other three mentioned. Although O'Mealy's form has been outstanding his size an inexperience come against him when comparing him to Webcke and Civo.
borat said:Tonnie Carroll on form would be 7th or 8th best lock in the comp and offers nothing more than tackling as his attacking slkills are non existant.
shiznit said:yeah, where is price? surely he will be fit enough for the whole series.
ozboy,
In terms of being a top class prop, he is. Compare him to the likes of Webcke, Ryles and Civoniceva and he looks like a dwarf.
ozboy,
Yes he is, you saw what happened in the GF, the Roosters forwards smashed him. While i cant dispute O'Meleys work rate and toughness, he is just too small and is too easily dominated by opposition class forwards, as the Kiwis have got.
Kris_man,
Petero Civoniceva: i know he cleaned up the Broncos awards night, but big deal?? i haven't seen him do anything spectacular in any of the Brisbane games i've seen, as well as the origin games where he was quiet. O'Meley, on the other hand, has a scorcher every time i see him play. i know he got dominated in the grand final, but that's only cos the Roosters targeted him with about 4 defenders sprinting up on him. i'm sure Civoniceva or any other prop would suffer the same fate under the same circumstances.
Broncodroid said:Whilst Berrigan is our most experienced centre in terms of games played at all levels, it is Brent Tate and not Shaun Berrigan, is our most experienced representitive centre in the 25 man squad. Tate has represented QLD 7 times, Australia 5 times, whilst Berrigan has represented QLD 6 times and only made his debut this season for Australia vs NZ..
Broncodroid said:Whilst I will cop most of that in an argument as to why Mark was perhaps left out of the side, I will not accept his size as a factor in the non selection. Give me a break...this guy's size is not an issue week in week out in the NRL where he plays alot of bigger men which see's him come out on top. Inexperience at test level, fairly or unfairly, is in my mind the biggest factor in line with Ryles ability to get the arm free to ignite second phase play. I will point out, Mark himself has improved on this stat himself in 2004 and it only added to his game.
Bennett said the mobility of Dragons prop Jason Ryles had won him a place in the side ahead of Petero Civoniceva - who was named with Ryan, Craig Wing and Ben Kennedy on the interchange bench - and Mark O'Meley.
"He brings a point of difference to what Shane [Webcke] and Petero offer. They just work extremely hard and are great hit-up forwards but Jason has got an offload in him ... he can get around the park, defend really well and has got good footwork for a big man," he said.
Broncodroid said:Care too nominate the 6 or 7 guys before him ? :roll: I am not going on record to say he is the best option we have for the 13 jersey, but the above comment is way off the mark and I can only assume you did not watch all Bronco games in 2004 which is understandable given your a Dragons supporter.
As much as I am dirty on the selection of TC in the squad, the guy will not let us down. Apart from one of, if not the best front on defence in the NRL, TC is a tough man to pull down in attack. Running wide outside of Lockyer he still is a threat to bust the Kiwi's.
In 2004, TC was not at his attacking best, I agree, but he was being asked to do a different job making up for defensive weaknesses out wide which started in covering McGuire, Lockyer and even pushing as far wide to help out a guy like Kelly.
Care too nominate the 6 or 7 guys before him ?
What everyone else is saying though, is that O'Meley should be the first one picked. Would you disagree with that?borat,
What I was saying here broncodroid was that if Webcke is first man picked, Ryles is picked for his variety and that leaves Civo and O'Mealy. Comparing these two I would go for the size of Civo due to the size of the NZ pack. This is what bennett was quoted as saying in todays SMH.
i can't name 6, but i can name a few: Craig Fitzgibbon (injured, i know), Andrew Ryan, Trent Waterhouse, Ashley Harrison. certainly not Timmins though, i'd much rather Carroll in my team than him.Broncodroid said:Care too nominate the 6 or 7 guys before him ?
borat, surely you can admit in hindsight that these were silly comments? Berrigan has played only on test, off the bench, and i don't know if he's ever played a rep game at centre - hardly makes him an experienced centre. in saying that, i think Berrigan is a good selection, he's a top all-round player.borat said:On selections I think that Bennett got his backline 100% spot on. You could not go into this test with test debutants in the centres with Cooper and Tonga. And as Tonga has been marginally better throughout the year he is perfect to be paired with our most experienced centre in Berrigan. Bowen was never a chance for this test. He is far to inexperienced and it is unknown how he would hold up to the pressure in this game
Kris_man said:borat, surely you can admit in hindsight that these were silly comments? Berrigan has played only on test, off the bench, and i don't know if he's ever played a rep game at centre - hardly makes him an experienced centre. in saying that, i think Berrigan is a good selection, he's a top all-round player.borat said:On selections I think that Bennett got his backline 100% spot on. You could not go into this test with test debutants in the centres with Cooper and Tonga. And as Tonga has been marginally better throughout the year he is perfect to be paired with our most experienced centre in Berrigan. Bowen was never a chance for this test. He is far to inexperienced and it is unknown how he would hold up to the pressure in this game
On Matt Bowen: he handled the pressure of Nth Qld's finals extremely well, in fact he seemed to thrive on it. inexperience alone was not a good enough reason to keep him out of the team. i really think that Australia would have more to offer with him on the bench instead of Craig Wing, who's a top player but has struggled just a lil bit in '04.
on O'Meley: silly, if not absurd, to leave him out of the team because of his size. the only problem with lacking size is that you might get smashed and therefore dominated, but to suggest that that would happen to the best Australian front rower of 2004 - i just don't understand that logic.