Round 5 v Melbourne Storm (Team List)

[azsportza]

1. Tim Moltzen 2. Joel Reddy. 3. Blake Ayshford 4. Chris Lawrence 5. James Tedesco 6. Benji Marshall 7. Braith Anasta 8. Aaron Woods 9. Robbie Farah 10. Jack Buchanan 11. Bodene Thompson 12. Liam Fulton 13. Adam Blair

Interchange: 14. Ben Murdoch Masila 15. Ava Seumanufagai 16. Matt Bell 17. Eddy Pettybourne

​

1. Billy Slater 2. Matt Duffie 3. Will Chambers 4. Tafeaga Junior Sa'u 5. Mahe Fonua 6. Gareth Widdop 7. Cooper Cronk 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Cameron Smith 10. Bryan Norrie 11. Tohu Harris 12. Ryan Hoffman 13. Ryan Hinchcliffe

Interchange: 14. Jason Ryles 15. Lagi Setu16. Siosaia Vave 17. Kevin Proctor 18. Slade Griffin 19. Junior Moors​

Wests Tigers Holden Cup Team

1. Kurtis Rowe 2. Delouise Hoeter 3. Nathan Milone 4. Leva Li 5. David Nofoaluma 6. Curtis Sironen 7. Luke Brooks 8. Nathan Brown 9. Nofoa Leapai 10. Dallas Graham 11. Kyle Lovett 12. Salesi Funaki 13. Brenden Santi

Interchange: 14. Daniel Rakvin 15. Andy Figatusa 16. Jake Dooner 17. Manaia Cherrington 18. Andrew Vela
​

Melbourne Storm Holden Cup Team

1. Denny Solomona 2. Dane Chang 3. Niua Finau Puaka 4. Cade Umaga 5. Michael Butson 6. Kurt Mann 7. Cory McGrady 8. Rhys Kennedy 9. Alex Langbridge 10. Matthew Lodge 11. Christian Welch 12. Dean Britt 13. Pride Petterson-Robati

Interchange: 14. Herschel Gideon 15. Steve Liki 16. Brenden Treston 17. Francis Tualau 18. Matt McGahan 19. Billy Brittain​

 

[Shanghai Charlie]

This will destroy Miller. Four games and banished.

Dont like this side. Melbourne by 60.

 

[hybrid_tiger]

Honestly, it's like Sheens is still picking the side.

 

[macnaz]

Ok Miller gone..give it a few games and by inability to play wing or via being injured when getting smashed trying to score in the corner we will also say goodbye to Tedesco. And we shall live with the dynamic players such as Moltzen and Reddy and Utai.

 

[madunit]

Oh dear, weakened the halves to make no real improvement to the forwards.

Was hoping to see Tedesco at fullback.

 

[BrotherJim05]

positives and negatives about this side

Positives:
- We needed a stronger backrower starting in 11 jersey, Thomson can fill this role
- Say what you want about Anasta, he is a better defender than Miller and will not be targeted as much as Miller was.
- Anasta has more experience and will get much more involved than Miller did
- We finally get to utilize Anasta's deep kicking game (hopefully)
- Tedesco getting another run

Negatives:
- Anasta has been training all off-season as back rower. He will be out of position playing here and I am not convinced benji and himself will be good pairing (has Anasta ever played halfback? I thought he was purely 5/8 when in halves?)
- Round 5 and we are already switching halves....i can smell 2012 again
- Tedesco put on the wing. He looked way out of position here, although i'm willing to put it down to nerves.
- Miller was improving, I thought we should have given him more of a chance.

Will lose my shit if:
- Robbie is taken off field again
- Moltzen fails to do a kick-return
- Benji kicks before the fourth tackle

 

[nyx]

Great move, changing up the halves worked out well last season.


:?

 

[azsportza]

Will lose my shit if:
- Robbie is taken off field again
- Moltzen fails to do a kick-return
- Benji kicks before the fourth tackle

2/3 of those are going to happen without a doubt. Safe to say Farah won't be leaving the field unless he is injured

 

[BuffaloRules]

Just don't get it regarding Miller.

When was the last time Anasta played in the halves?

 

[macnaz]

Like ive said before. IS Potter calling the shots here? If he is then he is a hypocrite !!Dropping Miller has gone against everything he has publicly stated.

 

[Magpies Forever]

Does Miller have an injury? As to shifting Anasta to halfback with Benji at 5/8- sounds weird. Having said that, if they insisted on having those two in the 1/2- 5/8 roles I'd somewhat leaning on shifting Marshall of 1/2 and slotting Anasta to 5/8. I know I've been among the gang saying never put Marshall back in the 7 but I'm nervous about this placement by Potter and co. Could go great, maybe not.

For the record I expect us to be beaten by Melbourne- they are too well drilled, have a good forward pack with a good set of halves getting ball to a good backline. Average to good players held together by a few star performers- Slater, Cronk and Smith. Difference with WT? We don't have the number of good players in the mix, mostly just average, we have some stars in Marshall and Farah but that's it- also our fullback is nowhere in the league of Slater's ability.

 

[Matchball]

Oh no. Sheens has to be the puppet master using Royce to get into Potters ear.

 

[Shanghai Charlie]

Id say Miller has played two excellent games so far this season and two average ones. Much better than i expected. I thought he looked good. Will be interested in how Luke Brooks goes in the juniors.

Tedesco on the wing simply cant work, especially against Melbourne of all teams.

v Melbourne will be our lowest depth. Prediction 64-0.

 

[hutch]

Interested to see how anasta goes at half, but must say I'm surprised at dropping miller after he was meant to get a fair crack at it. He has been solid at times and pretty poor at others, can't see him coming back after this tho. Say what you like about anasta, he can control a game and has the best kicking game in the team. Whether he can play halfback, who knows.

Our bench looks pretty damn mean tho. Love four forwards on the bench, can't remember it happening all that often.

 

[Magpies Forever]

Wonder if Miller is doing anything over the ESL interest in him. I was trawling through some ESL fan sites and noticed there was still talk of clubs being interested in him. Could this be a cause for his disappearance?

 

[benched tiger]

For Anasta to work at 1/2 we need the mean guys on the bench to be on the field, if we have our usual go forward I doubt we will have success .

 

[macnaz]

Maybe not cause of his disapperance now but maybe to be in the future if this is how he is to be treated.

 

[benched tiger]

It will ne interesting to see how dominant Anasta is at 1/2.Miller looks to of paid the penalty for not being acertive ,considering the influence of Benji and Farah it may be easier said than done !

 

[Das Hassler]

To those still crapping on about Moltzen..howabout giving it a rest for awhile..who cares who runs the ball back..he has frustrated me as well in the past but he's done nothing wrong this season and been safe under the high ball..he's improving which is all he can do so he doesn't deserve the shit still being thrown at him ...and by the way which other FB in the NRL exactly IS in the league of Billy Slater? ..FFS...as for this week and beyond ..put Molzten at half (where he really can do some good) and Tedesco at FB and get on with it

 

[MacDougall]

Moltzen when not pressured does fine as a fullback. Whenever the offensive team attacks the ball his inability to jump or move forward at attacking kicks is shown up. He doesn't have the courage to play fullback imo. No jump, no attack. Melbourne won't be bombing Tedesco they will bomb straight through at Moltzen knowing he will stand still and try to catch without jumping and Slater will get over him all night. Expect multiple tries from kicks coming from Slater knocking the ball back or plain catching it.