Super 12 Final - Tips

[Te Kaha]

By the same token you could say a team with the likes of Cannon, Waugh and Lions is bound to WIN a title...

Why is that? The only title they will win is chokers as usual.... None of those three is the best in their position... oh and its Lyons

 

[ThrashViking]

Cannon, Waugh & Lyons are all easily matched by Flynn, McCaw & Tuiali'i.
Somerville & Hewett are going have christmas against the Woeful, horribly over weight and lazy NSW front row

 

[Resident Warrior]

My prediction: it will be close first half and Tahs may even go into halftime leading but 2nd half Crusaders to run away withit Crusaders by 15.

 

[lockyno1]

Well thank goodness the Crusaders EVENTUALLY won, even though they had an afternoon sleep for the last 15 minutes!

 

[strong_latte]

Why is that? The only title they will win is chokers as usual....

Chokers? When have they choked this year? In the final today they were completely outplayed by what was basically an All Blacks side in black and red, but other than that they have only lost 2 games all season! the only team who has done better is the Crusaders! Which means if the Tah's are chokers, then so are the other 10 teams who didn't get any where near the final!

 

[Te Kaha]

Chokers? When have they choked this year? In the final today they were completely outplayed by what was basically an All Blacks side in black and red, but other than that they have only lost 2 games all season! the only team who has done better is the Crusaders! Which means if the Tah's are chokers, then so are the other 10 teams who didn't get any where near the final!

Stop talking nonsence.. Basicaly an All Black side????? There will be only five or six crusaders in the All Blacks starting 15 to take on the lions.

And by chokers I mean every year they are talked up an up and up only to come up short... until the crusaders clocked off with 15 to go the Tahs were being thrashed.

 

[strong_latte]

Stop talking nonsence.. Basicaly an All Black side????? There will be only five or six crusaders in the All Blacks starting 15 to take on the lions.

And by chokers I mean every year they are talked up an up and up only to come up short... until the crusaders clocked off with 15 to go the Tahs were being thrashed.

Almost all of their starting 15 have played in black and a fair proportion are still incumbant. Also, if you choke it means you get beaten by a side that is clearly inferior to you. Are you saying the Crusaders were clearly an inferior side to NSW? If so I don't know if they'd agree with you.

 

[Iafeta]

Gee, Matt Dunning's side of the scrum was SMASHED!

And Peter Hewitt was shown up positionally several times.

Big wrap for one of the sometimes All Blacks in the Crusaders, Aaron Mauger. Best I've seen him play in yonks in a big match. Possibly pushed Mehrtens out of a bench spot for the ABS v the Lions.

 

[ThrashViking]

I think Mehrtens will miss out & will Evans will be selected ahead of him or Mauger will be on the bench with Conrad Smith starting.
I though Hewitt was bad last week but Canterbury set up most of there tries by targeting him & Grey who couldnt do a thing right all game.
NSW wont win a title until Dunning is thrown out of the squad, Somerville was having a blinder and had no need to put in a big effort.
Im also glad Harrison will leave Australia like the thug & loser that he is.

 

[Iafeta]

I think Mehrtens will miss out & will Evans will be selected ahead of him or Mauger will be on the bench with Conrad Smith starting.
I though Hewitt was bad last week but Canterbury set up most of there tries by targeting him & Grey who couldnt do a thing right all game.
NSW wont win a title until Dunning is thrown out of the squad, Somerville was having a blinder and had no need to put in a big effort.
Im also glad Harrison will leave Australia like the thug & loser that he is.

Friggen oath. Harrison is the biggest cat in any code of football.

 

[skeepe]

For those questioning my attack on Dunning, watch the game. Or, if you like, I'll run through his list of failings:

Overweight and unfit
Lazy
Terrible scrummager - for someone so heavy he should more than hold his own but he gets smashed time and again.
Never gets to the break down - always seems to be loafing somewhere in the backline
Rarely takes the ball up
Misses tackles

Basically Dunning is crap in every aspect of the game. What has he done? Taken intercepts and kicked a drop goal. Fine if he's a back, but he's a prop. Look at the intercepts that he has taken - horribly out of position every single time.

Despite all this, the Daily Telegraph said that Dunning's performances have been so strong he should be the starting Wallabies prop. God help us all.

 

[ThrashViking]

It'll help NZ retain the bedisloe cup so im all for it.
I can just imagine it...Carl Hayman v Matt Dunning with nz having an attacking scrum 5 metres out from the Australian line!

 

[skeepe]

It'll help NZ retain the bedisloe cup so im all for it.
I can just imagine it...Carl Hayman v Matt Dunning with nz having an attacking scrum 5 metres out from the Australian line!

 

[strong_latte]

It'll help NZ retain the bedisloe cup so im all for it.
I can just imagine it...Carl Hayman v Matt Dunning with nz having an attacking scrum 5 metres out from the Australian line!

I'm really interested to see how this years Bledisloe and TN turn out... There are 2 possibilities in my opinion:
1. After the lions tour the kiwi's will be so battle hardened and in form that they'll clean sweap the Tri Nations
2. They'll cop a thumping in the Tri Nations due to injuries in key positions and lower performances from players who have had to endure a very tough series.

 

[ThrashViking]

Australia really need a much better front row.
Recruit from league, soccer or afl, hell - it doesnt matter but Australias front row depth is really woeful. Bill Young is the only Australian prop who would get a place in a NZ NPC side.
I think if McCaw doesnt suffer from another head knock The All Blacks should (I say should!We tend to lose close games, kinda like the Warriors) win the tri nations if theres no injuries to key areas especially at lock.
Imreally cringing that Ali Williams is going to walk into the starting 15 against the Poms.

 

[strong_latte]

Australia really need a much better front row.
Recruit from league, soccer or afl, hell - it doesnt matter but Australias front row depth is really woeful. Bill Young is the only Australian prop who would get a place in a NZ NPC side.

A bit of exageration there I think... But your right, a couple of blokes like Webke or O'Meley wouldn't go astray... Basically us Aussies still have too many punsy private school boys playing the game, we need more public schools getting into so we can get some "tough as nails" forwards to start appearing in union! Guys like that are abundant in league, but rare in union for us.

 

[skeepe]

That's a bit harsh on Jeremy Paul, although I suppose he's not the player he was say 3-4 years ago and seems to struggle when it comes to a test match, so perhaps it's fair after all.

The problem is that we really don't have anyone coming through that I can see either. Moore, Freier and Palavi are pretty average hookers, I shudder to think that in the future one of them will hold a role once held by the likes of Phil Kearns. When you come to the props, the situation is even more bleak - Henderson and Sheperdson from the Brumbies are powder-puffs in reality, but still new so they might mature, then you have the likes of Baxter and Dunning and the Waratahs - Baxter I might concede but Dunning? Get him as far away as possible. Queensland's props I don't know much about. It's looking pretty bad.

 

[bayrep]

Whos coming through for the Force ? i.e who has been signed for the hookers, props ?

 

[skeepe]

I know David Fitter has been signed by the Force, but he's entering his late 20's now. He's a big bopper but doesn't have the stamina to go long enough in my opinion.

They've also picked up Gareth Hardy, a player I know not all that much about but I believe he comes from the Waratahs. Other than that, I don't know of anyone they have signed.

The obvious big name signing for hooker is Brendan Cannon, with Tai McIsaac as the backup (as long as he is a hooker - my memory is not so good).

Other than that, I don't know.