Round two vs the Dragons.

[Girds89]

Least depth? We have plenty of second rowers.

Im more concerned about our lack of experience in the middle.

Martin can always move back to an edge on his second stint, but I think we need some experience to hold the middle early.

Just my opinion. No doubt Ivan will see it different

Yes 100% it is where we have our oeast depth..

Lindsay smith is a prop
Fish prop
Leota prop
Spencer prop
Eiso prop
Hopgood prop
Sorensen is an out and out middle so prop
Eddie blacker whilst not fg standard is in the top squad and is a prop

For 2nd row we have
Kiks
Martin
C smith
Riki whose playing today in nsw cup of the bench and is a while of fg
Maverick geyer whose a rookie and is injured and needs a year of cup..

Than we have other blokes like salmon....who isnt a 2nd rower but could play there if we had injuries.

So as i said. Prop we can cover..moving 2nd rowers only seriously weakens that spot with no depth..

Whilst eiso, is no jfh hes a reliable worker who doesnt miss tackles and he gets through hes work.

I liked what i saw from hopgood and lindsay last year and i think they are ready to kick on.
Hopgood might have been named as a edge player in cup last week but that was purely to squeeze all the guns into the starting 13 to give them big mins. Hes purely a middle.

Spencer is a great impact player.

Sorensen has been brilliant for us and never lets us down..

So with sorensen and eiso starti g you have two really reliable blokes who dont miss tackles.. and sorensen gives strong carries with quick play the balls.

Than off the bench we still have spencer and hopgood/smith.

 

[Girds89]

Kenny cannot cover the backs. Salmon can cover the backs but cannot do 20+ tackles in the middle, which will be sorely needed if Fish is out. So basically we are running a 16 man side, with 2 players needed to do what one should be able to do.

Salmon is 187cm and 96kgs..
Got a fair bit on kenny.
Spent the off season largely training at 2nd row.

Yes he could make 20+ tackles in the moddle if he had to.. im not hes biggest fan but hes a solid defender.

 

[Iamback]

You are delusional, you really are.

We are in round 2, who the f**k knows how things will be after round 3, never mind semis.

I have been very conservative from the get go, you were the one talking up no losses, we’ll be 9-0 far to good for any other side. Just BS mate.

Im all for being positive but you take it to levels beyond stupidity. Zero commonsense.

Do you watch Football?

Have you looked at our draw?

Knights - We have a great record v them at Bathurst where we play well too

Souths - we have won 11/12 v team. At home where we haven't lost since July 2019. Getting Cleary back

Dogs - trying to build combinations. Learning to play for the full 80. We have the best spine, best left side and best player in comp in Yeo still in

Broncos- At home going for 20 in arow. See above with them building

Canberra - At home being the biggest here

GC - See Bulldogs and Broncs. Very young spine and up and down stars in Tino and Fifta

Parra - the fact we are home gets us home

After that is where it gets harder

Storm
Roosters
Then Origin period

So on basis of the evidence we have. 9-0 going into magic round isn't a crazy statement

 

[murraymob]

Would like to see May come in for To'o, but Ivan would put Jennings there you'd think

Jennings to me is the pick big body our go forward is vital early in the count.we look to be with out fish so we need meter eaters and no To’o is even worse

 

[Luke Bowden]

Yes 100% it is where we have our oeast depth..

Lindsay smith is a prop
Fish prop
Leota prop
Spencer prop
Eiso prop
Hopgood prop
Sorensen is an out and out middle so prop
Eddie blacker whilst not fg standard is in the top squad and is a prop

For 2nd row we have
Kiks
Martin
C smith
Riki whose playing today in nsw cup of the bench and is a while of fg
Maverick geyer whose a rookie and is injured and needs a year of cup..

Than we have other blokes like salmon....who isnt a 2nd rower but could play there if we had injuries.

So as i said. Prop we can cover..moving 2nd rowers only seriously weakens that spot with no depth..

Whilst eiso, is no jfh hes a reliable worker who doesnt miss tackles and he gets through hes work.

I liked what i saw from hopgood and lindsay last year and i think they are ready to kick on.
Hopgood might have been named as a edge player in cup last week but that was purely to squeeze all the guns into the starting 13 to give them big mins. Hes purely a middle.

Spencer is a great impact player.

Sorensen has been brilliant for us and never lets us down..

So with sorensen and eiso starti g you have two really reliable blokes who dont miss tackles.. and sorensen gives strong carries with quick play the balls.

Than off the bench we still have spencer and hopgood/smith.

Soro plays edge
Hopgood plays edge
Salmon plays edge
Tago plays edge
Martin plays edge
Kiks plays edge
Chris Smith plays edge
All have NRL experience

Available Middles:

Yeo
Matty
Spencer
Lindsay Smith
Eddie Blacker

With the two injuries we lack experience in the middle.

 

[Girds89]

Fish wasn't on ice. Nor in a sling post game

That should mean it is minor. So for that reason I would keep Tago out there because he needs time

Tago has been great both weeks.
Didnt miss a tackle last night up against lomax who is a very good player and been in the origin set up the last few years.
He was really strong with ball in hand too and was a handful even up against ravawala and lomax who are both really big bodies.

Suprised not more has been said from all on this forum about how good he did last night.

I cant remember the last time one of our centres made 188m in a game. Thats huge meters for a centre. Throw in 23 tackles with no misses....

And he shut down turbo last week too. They tried a few times down his side and he was too good.

The kids built for fg and is ready and was terrific again last night..well done tago

 

[Iamback]

Without looking at stats he didn't seem much. Reliable for what he was. That's better than I thought.

People want to much. If a 14 was good at any one thing they would be starting

You need your bench to cover all scenarios. Will they cover all positions as good no chance. Just plug a gap

Take the SOS HIA

Putting Salmon there allowed Api and Luai to stay in their roles. Both got try assists that they don't get if in 7

Someone

 

[Smug Panther]

People want to much. If a 14 was good at any one thing they would be starting

You need your bench to cover all scenarios. Will they cover all positions as good no chance. Just plug a gap

Take the SOS HIA

Putting Salmon there allowed Api and Luai to stay in their roles. Both got try assists that they don't get if in 7

Someone

Api to 7 and Kenny to 9 is FAR better than the move Ivan made

 

[Girds89]

Soro plays edge
Hopgood plays edge
Salmon plays edge
Tago plays edge
Martin plays edge
Kiks plays edge
Chris Smith plays edge
All have NRL experience

Available Middles:

Yeo
Matty
Spencer
Lindsay Smith
Eddie Blacker

With the two injuries we lack experience in the middle.

Haha. Have you watched any footy the last few years?

Sorensen has played middle for us since he got here... not sure what your on about.
All hopgoods time in fg has been at middle and that has been where he has played coming through the grades.
Salmon is a half or centre whose not really good enough for either in fg so is a mr fix it.

As for tago, sure he can play edge 2nd row but its clearly not going to happen as he has trained all off season at centre and is doing really good there so far to start the year. Besides...we arent stacked for centres.....

So as i said. Leaves c smith, martin and kiks..

 

[Iamback]

Tago has been great both weeks.
Didnt miss a tackle last night up against lomax who is a very good player and been in the origin set up the last few years.
He was really strong with ball in hand too and was a handful even up against ravawala and lomax who are both really big bodies.

Suprised not more has been said from all on this forum about how good he did last night.

I cant remember the last time one of our centres made 188m in a game. Thats huge meters for a centre. Throw in 23 tackles with no misses....

And he shut down turbo last week too. They tried a few times down his side and he was too good.

The kids built for fg and is ready and was terrific again last night..well done tago

Roosters have Keary and Manu on the right. Tedesco likes coming around that side

Storm have moved Coates over there. Remis Smith inside him. Again Papenhuyzen likes that side.

The whole left need to be on their game come finals time. They are a new combination and need time together

Sua's try is fine at this stage but concerning if it is happening later in the year

 

[Iamback]

Api to 7 and Kenny to 9 is FAR better than the move Ivan made

No way Kenny sets up Spencer

by that stage JFH was in his team polo so Kenny was needed in the middle

 

[Smug Panther]

I know I was Tyrone's biggest critic (because he's a plodder and a terrible human being) but Salmon makes him look like a star.

 

[Girds89]

Roosters have Keary and Manu on the right. Tedesco likes coming around that side

Storm have moved Coates over there. Remis Smith inside him. Again Papenhuyzen likes that side.

The whole left need to be on their game come finals time. They are a new combination and need time together

Sua's try is fine at this stage but concerning if it is happening later in the year

You cant seriously be suggesting that sua try was tagos fault lol....

They had an extra two numbers..we just numbered up poorly. Was literally nothing tago could have done and it was absolutley not his fault haha

 

[Girds89]

Do you watch Football?

Have you looked at our draw?

Knights - We have a great record v them at Bathurst where we play well too

Souths - we have won 11/12 v team. At home where we haven't lost since July 2019. Getting Cleary back

Dogs - trying to build combinations. Learning to play for the full 80. We have the best spine, best left side and best player in comp in Yeo still in

Broncos- At home going for 20 in arow. See above with them building

Canberra - At home being the biggest here

GC - See Bulldogs and Broncs. Very young spine and up and down stars in Tino and Fifta

Parra - the fact we are home gets us home

After that is where it gets harder

Storm
Roosters
Then Origin period

So on basis of the evidence we have. 9-0 going into magic round isn't a crazy statement

Mate just take it one week at a time.

We could lose 3 blokes to injury again next week and be up shit creek.

The whole attitide of going 9-0 is exactly not what the team would be doing. I promise you ic has the boys only focusing on one week at a time.

We saw last night teams are going to be coming after us. Being prems isnt a walk in the park and theres a reason its so hard to go back to back..have a target on your head every week.

 

[Luke Bowden]

Haha. Have you watched any footy the last few years?

Sorensen has played middle for us since he got here... not sure what your on about.
All hopgoods time in fg has been at middle and that has been where he has played coming through the grades.
Salmon is a half or centre whose not really good enough for either in fg so is a mr fix it.

As for tago, sure he can play edge 2nd row but its clearly not going to happen as he has trained all off season at centre and is doing really good there so far to start the year. Besides...we arent stacked for centres.....

So as i said. Leaves c smith, martin and kiks..

Im sorry matey, but you’re incorrect.

 

[Iamback]

You cant seriously be suggesting that sua try was tagos fault lol....

They had an extra two numbers..we just numbered up poorly. Was literally nothing tago could have done and it was absolutley not his fault haha

Did I say it was?

Sua strolled through a hole on the left. Poor communication was to blame not any single player

Time together fixes such issues. That is all I said. You can comment on stuff without it being an insult

 

[Iamback]

I know I was Tyrone's biggest critic (because he's a plodder and a terrible human being) but Salmon makes him look like a star.

Again I am still waiting for a viable alternative

 

[Girds89]

Did I say it was?

Sua strolled through a hole on the left. Poor communication was to blame not any single player

Time together fixes such issues. That is all I said. You can comment on stuff without it being an insult

Personally i just think you have to give the dragons credit.

I knew theyd turn up. They had a lot on the line with raper and co passing away and were at home..

They are a big physical side and griffin sides always start the year really strong.. they were at full strength too.

I knew theyd be tough and knew itd be a tough game..

That try sua scored the whole team was really fatigued at that point.

Youve been commenting on tago all preseason. So far hes been terrific. Early days but the signs are very promising and as i tipped before a ball was kicked i still think hes on for a huge breakout year.

Im expecting him to go to another level once nath is back and firing.

 

[betcats]

Sua’s try was definitely in part because of tagos bad read, not saying it’s solely his fault but he went out to the centre instead of going in to sua, it was a bad read for sure. It’s not a problem Burton came up with a few of those last year also inexperienced centres will usually have those moments I just find it funny that some don’t want to admit what was obviously a bad read from tago, Luai had the ball carrier Tago had cover the hole runner, if they go outside sua and score in the corner then so be it that is better then opening up a big whole further in.

 

[The_Frog]

Again I am still waiting for a viable alternative

I wonder would they have sacked Nathan for the same thing. Of course not, he is essential to the team. People thought we could replace TMay, but that so far hasn't been the case.