Team list Tuesday - Week 1 finals Eels v Knights | Sunday 4pm

[emjaycee]

well there is that option but I think the chances of both Stone and Smith missing out would be slim (to allow Matto to play) , Smith especially would be the only utility on the bench

I know Matto can be versatile but if he plays he's an edge forward

Don't forget Cartwright could provide coverage for a number of spots as well or perhaps Matto in and Stone and Carty miss out.
Anyway, it's moot at this point because of Lussick's injury.

 

[Twizzle]

BA must really have a thing for Carty which I don't get, after his numerous f**k up last week I thought he did more harm than good

 

[hindy111]

No I can't. On account of I don't recall ever having seen him play there.

The thing is here I'm not looking to say where or not Matto can play, or whether or not it's the right decision for him not to play, after all he's still on the reserves and he still could play anyways.

What I am doing is exploring the reasoning as to why the side picked has been picked, rather than just going off and disagreeing with it because.... reasons........

Matto is a better player than Lane is not a reason to pick him over Lane in all circumstances, because they do not fill the exact same role within the squad, their roles overlap, but again they are not the same. It can be more about the holes they fill in the squad when weakened, than the benefits they bring to the squad when the squad is at full strength.

He played his best and most footy at the Tigers at lock forward.

 

[hindy111]

Matterson had missed 4 tackles in his last 220.
His game against the Titans was perhaps the best individual performance of any player this season at our club in a game.
He is our 4th best forward in my opinion behind Rcg,Jnr,Papa

 

[Bandwagon]

He played his best and most footy at the Tigers at lock forward.

Again, being a lock, don't make you a prop.

I guess it's my own fault on account of I've only clarified what I meant by middle in this like about thirty f**king times.

 

[hindy111]

Again, being a lock, don't make you a prop.

I guess it's my own fault on account of I've only clarified what I meant by middle in this like about thirty f**king times.

Well I'd drop Makatoa for Matterson.
Start with Matterson and Marata.
We would bring Lane on and Papa as props. Keeping in mind.Marata can also be used as a prop. And Stone could give us 25min at hooker and 15 at lock.

Really Matto and Marata could quite easily go 80mins in the 2nd row. And Jnr and Rcg 50. N. Brown 60mins.
So we need 80 mins from the bench to cover forwards. Lane and Papa cover that with 40 mins each. And as I said we could still inject Bryce for 25mins and Marata plays a little prop. Stone would be good for 20min at lock also.

 

[hindy111]

Come game day I reckon Kafusi and Matterson will come in at expense of Bryce and Makatoa. Both at 18th and 19th men.

 

[yy_cheng]

Maybe its probably due to training.

Ba said that they looked energised in their training.

Probably matto was not showing enough enthusiasm

Probably during the bad weeks ba saw the stragglers and matto is still guilty whereas others have picked up

 

[Bandwagon]

Well I'd drop Makatoa for Matterson.
Start with Matterson and Marata.
We would bring Lane on and Papa as props. Keeping in mind.Marata can also be used as a prop. And Stone could give us 25min at hooker and 15 at lock.

Really Matto and Marata could quite easily go 80mins in the 2nd row. And Jnr and Rcg 50. N. Brown 60mins.
So we need 80 mins from the bench to cover forwards. Lane and Papa cover that with 40 mins each. And as I said we could still inject Bryce for 25mins and Marata plays a little prop. Stone would be good for 20min at lock also.

I reckon Stone does a stint at lock resting Nrown at any rate, and again I'd say Matto isn't being replaced by Lane ( which was the whole point of the conversation ) from what I see Carty's taking his spot, and the mix from there means Lane starts on the edge.

I still reckon there's a fair chance, unless there's a reason beyond a simple choice between Matto and whoever, that Carty drops out and Matto comes in.

 

[Joshuatheeel]

I doubt BA is going to change the side unless force to from injury. He has rarely ever made last minute changes.

He has basically picked the same side as the Storm game (where Kaufusi wasn’t picked). With RCG for hipgrave/Smith for lussick.

The other one really missing out is Matterson. I wouId have picked him, but he is probably rewarding Maka for his form/why change a winning side.

 

[jk13]

so if Lussick is available, he comes in for Stone, Matto still misses out

or matto can get in line behind the bern and wait his turn

 

[hindy111]

I doubt BA is going to change the side unless force to from injury. He has rarely ever made last minute changes.

He has basically picked the same side as the Storm game (where Kaufusi wasn’t picked). With RCG for hipgrave/Smith for lussick.

The other one really missing out is Matterson. I wouId have picked him, but he is probably rewarding Maka for his form/why change a winning side.

Matterson is above average. Even with form down he is still above average. Not origin level. Origin level players are consistently in your top 5 on the field every week. Above average guys are a lot of the time also in your top 5. And still capable of being best player on field.

Lane,Elliot,Jackson is what's I'd call an average NRL level player. On their day they can be in your top 5 players but it isn't consistently. Rare they'd pull a MOM performance.
In your top 17 there is also guys who are below average. Stone and Makatoa fit in here. Maybe even Bryce based on his dumb play.. They are good back ups and ok benchies. But they are not capable of changing a game or ever having a MOM performance. It would even suprise if they made the top 5 players on the field.

If Matterson had an off day he probably fall in the category of Average. If he fires he is capable of MOM.

LANE,BRYCE,STONE,MAKATOA can all give a solid performance. I'd give 200-1 on all of them to ever being MOM. Matterson would be 20-1

 

[TheRam]

You lot will put 50 on the knights even with several of your guys out .training run

Depends which Eels and which Knights turns up.

 

[TheRam]

Well I’ve seen lane attempt to play there and the edges. Matto can’t be worse

For mine, Matto is a natural ball playing lock.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Middle as in prop.

Do you play him at prop over Lane or Papali'i or Marata?

Assuming Papali'i stays in the middle, Lane or Marata will also play some middle.

Cartwright over Matto is the head scratcher for mine though, 'cause no matter how they line up / start it's really Carty that has taken Matto's spot in the seventeen.

Anyways it could be that BA's playing a bit of ducks and drakes, 'cause you drop Carty from that line up and start Matto on the edge, with Lane to the bench and the side looks pretty different.

I agree with all that, except the assumption that you need two 'props' and one 'lock' on the field at any given moment. JFH is more of a lock, for example. And plenty of teams only have one big man on the bench.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Smith especially would be the only utility on the bench

Cartwright?

 

[IFR33K]

Why would Matterson have to play in the middle? There is no conceivable reason.

If he is on the bench, is there any possible reason that he would need to cover the middle?
No. Wouldn't they just move Lane or Marata or Papa into the middle (as has been done all year).
Unless we had 5 guys injured/ sent off, he could stay on the edge....

Perhaps he sneaks onto the bench as the week goes on?
Or, perhaps BA sees him as a right edge only option?

The only comment I would make against him is that the left attack looked great vs Storm, and on his usual right edge Marata has looked a world beater. Every game he is wide (at C or 2R) the defence looks safer on that side. So possibly BA rewarding the Storm effort?

I would have Matto on the bench at the very least....

Who said he’d have have to? What I said was is he’s capable. Big difference. And I wasn’t talking as a prop. I was talking a ball playing lock.

 

[oldmancraigy]

Who said he’d have have to? What I said was is he’s capable. Big difference. And I wasn’t talking as a prop. I was talking a ball playing lock.

Maybe I read the thread badly. It seemed people were saying Matto misses the 17 because he can't play in the middle.

I was saying I can't think of any reason he would be moved off an edge - pretty much every other forward we have can play the middle

 

[Bandwagon]

I agree with all that, except the assumption that you need two 'props' and one 'lock' on the field at any given moment. JFH is more of a lock, for example. And plenty of teams only have one big man on the bench.

I don't assume you need certain numbers, because lock can be some very different types of players with different skills. As long as you have the numbers to cover the right bloke taking the fourth tackle settler, I don't think much else matters.

 

[Gary Gutful]

As Jack Gibson used to say “Worry about the numbers on their back first and then the rest will take care of itself”.