Round 5 - What team would you run with?

[mxlegend99]

Injuries to depth limit the ability for some of the more desired changes.. but I think we could do well with a few changes both in position on the field and some new faces:

1. Matt Moylan (Not sure he would be a great first grader, but at the very least it allows us to move Whare to centre and drop Wes)
2. Josh Mansour
3. Dean Whare
4. Brad Tighe
5. Travis Robinson / Etu Nabouli (need some freakish try scoring ability on the wing... willing to take the risk with Nabouli. Would be happy with either just for some hope when the ball is spread)
6. Blake Austin
7. Tom Humble (trial form be damned, has showed more in his 2 first grade games this season then Luke Walsh in the last few seasons)
8. Sam McKendry
9. Kevin Kingston (just to soak up the defensive load in the first 15 to 20 minutes, then moving to lock/bench for Segayaro to play 60+ minutes)
10. Tim Grant
11. Matt Robinson
12. Lewis Brown
13. Nathan Smith (Would have Austin but we need him in the halves IMO, Docker or Robinson can move here when our front row injuries start to return)

14. Nigel Plum
15. Sika Manu (FR/SR in the same mould as Plum since all our front row depth seem to be injured)
16. Adam Docker
17. James Segayaro

It's not an ideal team. But seeing the Knights rejects gone would be a good start. Walsh, Ciraldo and Wes in reserves is a huge step in the right direction for first grade. Unfortunately it ruins the Wolves chances, but small price to pay for a decent first grade side.

 

[umina panther]

At least Clearly has to admit Whare at fullback doesn't and will not work. And same old Walsh f**k off

 

[chrisD]

1. Moss
2. Mansour
3. Whare
4. Wes
5. Nabouli
6. Cartwright
7. Humble
8. McKendry
9. Kingston (Coote if he was fit)
10. Plum
11. Manu
12. Brown
13. Austin

14. Sega
15. Grant
16. Robinson
17. Newton

Let them run over us, I'd worry about that after opposition teams have a reason to worry about us with the ball.

 

[greynurse]

We needed try something. I would blood some young guys now. I am sick of waiting to try the young guys when our season is done. I would use Eisenhuth or Tia killifi in the centres and Moylan at fullback is must .Drop Wes and Whare to the centres.

 

[maple_69]

Whare has to be moved to centre. Offers nothing from the back. Moylan is the option I prefer given he can take some of the playmaking pressures off the halves and has earned a chance. Matt Robinson would be the next change to make for Smith who does nothing and Austin for Ciraldo.
Sounds like John will come into the halves before Austin.

 

[Copperhead]

I don't want to see Smith Ciraldo or Newton again. Whare to replace Tighe (who NEVER uses Mansour, always hogs it). Moylan or Moss fullback.
Moylan
Mansour
Whare
Naiqama
Nabuli
Austin
Humble
Grant
Segeyaro
McKendry
Manu
Brown
Docker
Plum
Weston / Anderson /?
Robinson
VTK

 

[Big Mick]

1. Matt Moylan
2. Josh Mansour
3. Dean Whare
4. Brad Tighe
5. Travis Robinson
6. Blake Austin
7. Tom Humble
8. Sam McKendry
9. Kevin Kingston
10. Tim Grant
11. Sika Manu
12. Matt Robinson
13. Lewis Brown

RES:
14. Nigel Plum
15. Adam Docker/Vaipuna Tia-Kilifi
16. Mose Masoe
17. James Segeyaro

 

[PinkPanther]

I thought Moylan was being trained to play in the halves?

 

[franklin2323]

So people drop Walsh yet not Kingston who gives him terrible service? I would give him another shot with a decent hooker.

Humble
Mansour
Whare
Tighe
Robinson
Austin.
Walsh.
Plum.
John.
Docker.
Manu.
M.Robinson.
Brown:

Sege.
Cherrington.
Grant,
McKendry.

 

[mxlegend99]

So people drop Walsh yet not Kingston who gives him terrible service? I would give him another shot with a decent hooker.

Humble
Mansour
Whare
Tighe
Robinson
Austin.
Walsh.
Plum.
John.
Docker.
Manu.
M.Robinson.
Brown:

Sege.
Cherrington.
Grant,
McKendry.

I'm sorry, has he not had that when Segayaro is on the field? Or when Kingston was at his peak?

Walsh has played behind dominant forward packs, with great field position, excellent delivery from his hooker and still had nothing. Everyone comes up with excuses for him, but when do they face the fact that he is just shit?

Even if we do magically put in place the perfect crop of people to make him look good... I still believe just about any other halfback would look even better in the same circumstances. :crazy:

IMO Kingy should be phased out quickly, but at the moment I am happy to have him starting games and soaking up the early defence for Segayaro to come on and carve up. But Kingston needs to be gone by seasons end.

 

[franklin2323]

No he is shit no sugar coating it. Slow play the balls, poor service & a flat backline doesn't help. When Sege's on Kingston has no idea & is always in the way. I also named both the Windsor halves to see what they have.

So a simple question Walsh doesn't play together another number 7 does but the rest is the same do we win??I say no. We the backline was too flat. Every time he or Humble got it the defence was there. When he did go wide the reciever would just stop or on one spread on the 5th Smith hogged it.

 

[mxlegend99]

Walsh has been here 4 or 5 years now and has shown no signs of improvement or that any set of circumstances can make him a first grade quality half back. The only success he has had is with the boot in 2010, and I think the other 3 or 4 years where that didn't work prove that it was just the side was ridiculously stacked for a strong kick chase... having a forward pack with guys like Luke Lewis, Nathan Smith and Gavin Cooper who started out or spent alot of time in the backs, ontop of Frank Pritchard who was pretty quick for a big man and a backline with Gordon, Jennings, Tighe, Coote etc. who did pretty well at kick chases. Aswell as ultra competitors in Burns and Graham mixing it up playing in the halves and also being quiet handy with the kick chase.

The only reason his kicking game looked good that year was the players chasing the ball. Go back and watch any of those games and a lot of the tries scored from kicks still required a ridiculous amount of talent, speed or luck to turn them into points.

There's no denying Kingston is in need of being phased out. But he offers the side more then Luke Walsh does... although that isn't saying much. I would happily ditch Kingston for another hooker to take the defensive load early on if we could, but there isn't really anyone better... and we don't want Segayaro being tired and not offering the same impact he currently does.

 

[Randy81]

1. Moylan
2. Mansour
3. Whare
4. Naqaima
5. Nabuli
6. Austin
7. Humble
8. Mckendry
9. Kington
10. Grant
11. Manu
12. Robinson
13. Brown
14. Segayaro
15. Masoe
16. Vtk
17. Plum

 

[chrisD]

Play Brown at hooker for the first 20, offensively he wouldn't be any worse than Kingston and better defensively, would allow us to run Robinson or Cartwright down the left.

 

[franklin2323]

MX. I agree about Walsh

Though we need to fix all of the problems.

Fullback change, no Walsh, No Kingston & size/Impact off the bench. We change just 1 won't make a difference. We are averaging 23 points a game so a few tweeks fixes that.

Dropping Kingston solves part of the defence as well. He plays lock when Seg comes on. A postion better taken up by an actual forward. A bigger fresher forward we contain them better and helps defence.

 

[abpanther]

Given the poor crowd also surely they need to try something different

No point playing safe and losing

 

[Abacus]

Interesting comment re VTK from a club official that he's not much of a trainer. Despite his talent, seems his attitude may be a fair way from first grade. As for next week's match, it's pretty obvious at least 3/4 of our spine is dysfunctional. Our best hooker starts from the bench, our fullback is still learning the trade (although I thought there were some promising signs today) and where do I start with our half. Whether it happens this week or not, I think eventually:
1. Roberts (pending return from injury) / Moylan
2. Mansour
3. Whare
4. Tighe
5. Robinson
6. Moylan / Humble
7. Humble / John
13. Docker
12. Manu
11. Brown
10. Grant
9. Segeyaro
8. McKendry

14. Robinson
15. Plum
16. Anderson
17. Austin

 

[marty65]

Play Brown at hooker for the first 20, offensively he wouldn't be any worse than Kingston and better defensively, would allow us to run Robinson or Cartwright down the left.

I like that idea! Dumping the team captain is a big call...but desperate times call for desperate measures. Robinson deserves a shot in 1st grade, and it will make our pack bigger.

Austin to come in at 5/8. Humble has to stay in the team (either as fullback or halfback). If as fullback, Whare goes into the centres. If as halfback, Walsh goes to Windsor.

Lets try that for a week or 2.

 

[mxlegend99]

1. Matt Moylan
2. Josh Mansour
3. Dean Whare
4. Brad Tighe
5. Travis Robinson
6. Blake Austin
7. Tom Humble
8. Sam McKendry
9. Kevin Kingston
10. Tim Grant
11. Sika Manu
12. Matt Robinson
13. Lewis Brown

RES:
14. Nigel Plum
15. Adam Docker/Vaipuna Tia-Kilifi
16. Mose Masoe
17. James Segeyaro

I would have had Mose Masoe in the team, but I thought he was injured until Round 6 or 7. Would help our front row rotation and keeping a strong second row if he was available (or Latimore).

But at the moment I think our only chance is making Sika Manu a hybrid FR/SR like Nigel Plum is at the moment. The second Masoe is available though, that starting 13 looks absolutely awesome until we welcome James Roberts back from injury. At which point Brad Tighe will hopefully be the weakest link and make way for him to play where he seemed to be destined in the pre-season.

Really impressed with Humble... his form in the trials was shocking and his selection ahead of Austin was disappointing. But his form in his two games has been very promising and makes me hopeful of having someone to get rid of Walsh for good.

 

[franklin2323]

Given the poor crowd also surely they need to try something different

No point playing safe and losing

Well people seem to be voting with their feet. It will get worse I will say

Even if they want to play safe both Robinson's, Eisenhuth, Austin, John, Weston & Cherrington have all played hooker.

Humble & Brown have played in numerous positions so we have plenty of options even without blooding rookies.