team next week

[~knights~]

YES !!! Abes was back to his best

 

[roopy]

I don't get the calls to drop Carmont - have we been watching Tighe? He is average at best. I agree with the calls to drop Tighe and bring up Uate.

And to all those saying that Abes wouldn't be back - eat your words

I agree. Carmont is a very honest firstgrader now. He is about the middle of our firstgraders in quality but paid about the least.

As to Abes - i thought he wouldn't be back and i'm over the moon that he is. The off season training of our forwards has got every one of them into very close to the best shape i have seen them in. Tolar, Abes, White, Simmo - even Tanner, Laban, etc.

I just hope the training during the season is just as effective as the off season training, and i see no reason why it shouldn't be.

 

[Yosh]

I don't get the calls to drop Carmont - have we been watching Tighe? He is average at best. I agree with the calls to drop Tighe and bring up Uate.

And to all those saying that Abes wouldn't be back - eat your words

I feel Tighe will get better, Carmont wont I feel and bringing in Uate seems like a better opition with Doogs playing centre. Thats how I feel thats why.

 

[TooheysNew]

Why does Carmont not have room for improvement? Look at how much he has improved so far.

 

[roopy]

Why does Carmont not have room for improvement? Look at how much he has improved so far.

True - people think because he is in his late 20's he must have peaked, but he has only been playing the game seriously for the last 4 years or so. Tighe has had the best coaching etc and played in a dozen rep teams since he was 14 or so, so he has had ten times the coaching of Carmont.
Carmont was thrown into firstgrade after one year of playing with his brother as his centre and captain/coach at Terrace. He wasn't nearly ready and was the worst player in the NRL arguably for his first 18 months or so, and possibly the least experienced player in the NRL in the last 20 years,
His attacking abilities are a god given talent, but his defence, positioning, passing game etc etc is all stuff he had to learn and he has improved and improved and improved.
He isn't working well with doogs just now - but doogs is as much or more at fault than George, because doogs has maybe 20 times the experience. We are talking about one of the most experienced players in the NRL and one of the least experienced, and blaming the guy with the least experience.

 

[Farva]

I guess that, if in doubt, pick Carmont over Tighe. However, Tighe is more likely to win a game for us through attack than Carmont ever is. Remember the game in 05 against Penrith when we won our first game? Tighe brushed past a panther and ran 40m to score a pretty handy try. He hasn't looked too flash so far, but he hardly played first grade last year. He has the talent.....we've seen it. Just hope that he can find it again.

 

[Jono078]

I dont get all the Carmont talk tbh.

I still dont think he has what it takes to aim up against the quality teams.

He got shown up a bit in the finals last year and a few other key games.

This year his combo with MacDougall has been awful so far, defence has been ok, otherwise I havnt noticed him much.

 

[bluesbreaker]

I was responding to a stupid negative comment from a stupid negative person in a stupid negative way. Seriously, anyone who thought Perry was "one of our best" the other night, and then suggests Woolnough get dropped (who was himself one of our best forwards) but has the audacity to question Roopy's ideas for the best positions for our juniors deserves it. Have a waltz over to the cricket forum to see what kind've posts BIHK makes on a regular basis, he cyber stalks lockyno1 worse than lockyno1 stalks Watson/Hauritz. It is my mission on this forum to point out any BIHK idiocy from now on. In conclusion, Farva (whoever the f**k you are?), Johns Magic, anyone else, you can suck me sideways!

 

[K-Man]

I honestly don't think Tighe is going that badly. The 2 biggest criticisms levelled at him are:

1. lack of involvement/goes missing in action: I think with Johns and Buderus back this could change as the ball finds it's way to the flanks more often. It's not Tighe's fault that we have been playing a fairly conservative game so far, but when he does actually get the ball he is doing some good things (scored a very important try, threw the last pass to McManus in another, provided the off-load that set up try against the dogs) so that's an involvement in 3 of our 8 tries this season. He has good pace and footwork, and has good passing skills too (enough to have played 5-8th, and he threw some magic passes back in 2005).

2. poor defence - definitely his weakness and I admit that, but has it really been that bad this season? It's not like we are leaking points down his side of the field. Willie Tonga is a pretty fair attacking player and he certainly wasn't brushing Tighe off every time he got the ball.

I will just never get George Carmont. In my opinion the guy just offers nothing in attack at all. Because he doesn't have much creativity or spark with the ball, you would expect him to be extremely solid, but he still produces some absolute brain explosions (running the ball down sideline and being taken into touch, throwing ridiculous passes like the one to Mad Dog against the Dragons etc).

Tighe over Carmont easily, but hey that's just my opinion.

1. Kidley (to move into his rover position - basically a "lock" - when a backrower goes off after 20-25mins such as Newton, with Thaiday coming on as fullback)
2. McManus
3. Tighe
4. MacDougall
5. Uate (would benefit from playing outside such an experienced player, especially in defence. It could become a lethal combination of size and speed on the left side)

13. Abraham (looking great, so nice to have a lock with some ball skills back)

14. Thaiday (takes Polglase's position. He can do the same rotating job with Kidley, but can do it a lot better than Polglase imo. Just too good to be in premier league, could be the difference between "pretty good" and "premiers" for us).
15. Paterson

So Abes, Paterson and Thaiday can cover backline positions if there are injuries.

In Kidley and Simpson you have 2 players that will play nearly 80 minutes in the back row, meaning Abraham, Newton and Paterson can be rotated well for strong bursts.

 

[Johns Magic]

In conclusion, Farva (whoever the f**k you are?), Johns Magic, anyone else, you can suck me sideways!

Only when you're finished with roopy.

 

[roopy]

Only when you're finished with roopy.

ok - i'll just stop reading this thread and then i won't have to wonder how my name keeps coming up in the most peculiar ways.

 

[Johns Magic]

ok - i'll just stop reading this thread and then i won't have to wonder how my name keeps coming up in the most peculiar ways.

:lol:

Not a shot at you mate. I admire your work.

It was directed purely at BB and the way he seems to think that no one's opinion can differ from yours.

If a Big_Bad_Roopy_Fan registers soon, I'll know who to look at :lol:

 

[Yosh]

I honestly don't think Tighe is going that badly. The 2 biggest criticisms levelled at him are:

1. lack of involvement/goes missing in action: I think with Johns and Buderus back this could change as the ball finds it's way to the flanks more often. It's not Tighe's fault that we have been playing a fairly conservative game so far, but when he does actually get the ball he is doing some good things (scored a very important try, threw the last pass to McManus in another, provided the off-load that set up try against the dogs) so that's an involvement in 3 of our 8 tries this season. He has good pace and footwork, and has good passing skills too (enough to have played 5-8th, and he threw some magic passes back in 2005).

2. poor defence - definitely his weakness and I admit that, but has it really been that bad this season? It's not like we are leaking points down his side of the field. Willie Tonga is a pretty fair attacking player and he certainly wasn't brushing Tighe off every time he got the ball.

I will just never get George Carmont. In my opinion the guy just offers nothing in attack at all. Because he doesn't have much creativity or spark with the ball, you would expect him to be extremely solid, but he still produces some absolute brain explosions (running the ball down sideline and being taken into touch, throwing ridiculous passes like the one to Mad Dog against the Dragons etc).

Tighe over Carmont easily, but hey that's just my opinion.

1. Kidley (to move into his rover position - basically a "lock" - when a backrower goes off after 20-25mins such as Newton, with Thaiday coming on as fullback)
2. McManus
3. Tighe
4. MacDougall
5. Uate (would benefit from playing outside such an experienced player, especially in defence. It could become a lethal combination of size and speed on the left side)

13. Abraham (looking great, so nice to have a lock with some ball skills back)

14. Thaiday (takes Polglase's position. He can do the same rotating job with Kidley, but can do it a lot better than Polglase imo. Just too good to be in premier league, could be the difference between "pretty good" and "premiers" for us).
15. Paterson

So Abes, Paterson and Thaiday can cover backline positions if there are injuries.

In Kidley and Simpson you have 2 players that will play nearly 80 minutes in the back row, meaning Abraham, Newton and Paterson can be rotated well for strong bursts.

No more truer words have been said

 

[RABK]

ok - i'll just stop reading this thread and then i won't have to wonder how my name keeps coming up in the most peculiar ways.

You're pretty damn hot.

 

[Burwood]

14. Thaiday (takes Polglase's position. He can do the same rotating job with Kidley, but can do it a lot better than Polglase imo. Just too good to be in premier league, could be the difference between "pretty good" and "premiers" for us).
15. Paterson

Thaiday won't get a bench spot ahead of Polglase. When Polglase came in to the match against the Dragons he was there to defend in the frontline- he didn't go anywhere near fullback. Remember, Kidley's rover role means that he stays at fullback in defence, and I can't see Smith putting a liability like Thaiday in the direct line of front rowers.

 

[Alex28]

Why would we want to drop Polglase for Thaiday? What has he done wrong in the last few weeks to warrant dropping? As a bench player he has played damn well - he offers alot more than a guy who can play 1, 2 or 5 at best.

Carmont is an honest first grader who has worked hard to improve his defence and attack. He doesn't play or act as though he is owed his spot - thats how Tighe has played his last few matches. Brad probably deserves one last shot - lets hope he doesn't waste it and shows what he can really do.

 

[Jono078]

I didnt think much of Polglase on Friday, where was he actually playing? Unless he has a spot from 1-5 I dont think he should be in the team.

Thaiday would play just to see what he can offer, if Smith just wants Polglase in there to fill in any role, get Thaiday in there, he can create something out of nothing.

 

[Burwood]

Polglase covered for Seu Seu at hooker.

 

[Stranger]

You're pretty damn hot.

Only when on a motorbike.

 

[CJKnight]

Why would we want to drop Polglase for Thaiday? What has he done wrong in the last few weeks to warrant dropping? As a bench player he has played damn well - he offers alot more than a guy who can play 1, 2 or 5 at best.

Carmont is an honest first grader who has worked hard to improve his defence and attack. He doesn't play or act as though he is owed his spot - thats how Tighe has played his last few matches. Brad probably deserves one last shot - lets hope he doesn't waste it and shows what he can really do.

Some excellent points mate.

IMO Carmont and Polglase has been two of our best players in the past 2 weeks. Nothing they have done that warrants dropping. This is exactly what we want to see- battle for positions from PL players.

Tighe has been quiet if anything, but hasn't really done anything stupid. Was nice to see him score a try last week, perhaps he could improve his defence a little though. But he desereves another week or two to prove himself.