Team to play Tiggers

[Iafeta]

Team to play Wests Tigers

1 Brent Webb
2 Todd Byrne
3 Sione Faumuina
4 Clinton Toopi
5 Francis Meli
6 Lance Hohaia
7 Stacey Jones
8 Iafeta Paleaaesina
9 Nathan Fien
10 Steve Price (c)
11 Awen Guttenbeil
12 Wairangi Koopu
13 Monty Betham

Interchange

Karl Te Mata
Tevita Latu
Louis Anderson
Jerome Ropati

In: Louis Anderson, Brent Webb
Out: Richard Villasanti, Manu Vatuvei

 

[ThrashViking]

Hmm...
The line up will be changed before kick off AGAIN

 

[Martli]

Yeah, no doubt...

I'll take this line-up as a base but I guess we wont see the actual one 'till gameday.

 

[Lego_Man]

Keep Sione in the second row, give him Awen's spot.

Is Mannering fit? If so, why not give him a run in the centres, although Byrne did have a solid game there last week.

 

[Dirty Hoe]

i personally wouldnt use mannering this week...tigers have a very good kicking game and he could get found wanting.

 

[Martli]

Yeah, agreed Hoe. Put him up against newcastle, they're less of a threat.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Mannerinng Gornnnn 4-6 weeks

 

[mahanga]

Having Ropati sitting on the bench wont solve his problem.I'd put him in the centers with Toopi.

Put Faumuina back in the second row where he belongs.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Can't argue too much with that team, although I'd prolly swap Ropati with Hohaia. Lightweight bench but prolly a good thing against the Tiges, who won't be taking us on up the middle so we'll need speed to cover them. I'd say Vatuvei's out for that reason, a big, inexperienced winger is a big risk against a side lwith a good kicking game.

 

[Hulk Hogan]

The likes of Villasanti and other high profile players that miss the cut, do they get dumped to Bartercard, or whatever its called now for the weekend, or is it just the young guys?

Hohaia....hmmm.. :?

 

[Skinner]

Bartercard hasn't started yet. If it had, yes they would.

Cheers
Skinner

 

[AliN]

Feel sorry for young Jerome.
Playing fullback instead of standoff has cost him a spot.
Hohaia better pull his sox up and support his little mate in the halves otherwise we'll be gooorrrnne!!

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Lance didnt do much kicking last week. That was a good thing cos hes a crap kicker. He better have Joneses back cos Benji Prince will be a handful

 

[Shaun Hewitt]

no impact prop off the bench?? i'd have villasanti instead of temata unless hes injured?

Wheres Lauaki when you need him?

 

[ozbash]

from xtra,
Former Kiwi international Lance Hohaia has been named to start at standoff in the Vodafone Warriors' NRL encounter with Wests Tigers at Jade Stadium in Christchurch on Saturday.

Hohaia, who turned 22 last Friday, was a late replacement in each of the Vodafone Warriors' last two matches against North Queensland and South Sydney.

Both times he was brought in after injury ruled fullback Brent Webb out, pushing the first-choice standoff Jerome Ropati into Webb's position.
Once again Kemp has named Webb and expects he'll be fit to play after last appearing in the win over Brisbane - only this time Hohaia has been picked to wear the No.6 jersey.

"Webby's been coming along well (from his back injury) but that gave us a difficult decision about who to start at standoff," said Kemp.

"The fact is Lance has been really solid playing there for us in the last two matches. He has been showing plenty of attitude and fight to get back into the team after missing out against Brisbane.

"It's unfortunate for Jerome but he'll still play a big part in our plans. I've spoken with both Lance and Jerome and they're happy with what's going on."

Outside that selection issue, the Vodafone Warriors' run-on combination will be unchanged from the one that started in the 46-14 destruction of South Sydney last Sunday.

But Kemp said choosing the interchange players was a challenge. Louis Anderson came straight back into the frame after serving a one-match suspension but the coach said he couldn't fault anyone who has been used so far this season.

"Bringing Louis back was automatic because he was one of our best players in the first three games of the year," he said.

"Manu (Vatuvei) misses out this time but he'll play a lot of NRL football.
Basically I'm just really happy with the squad we have. Everyone has done their jobs to the best of their ability. That has made my job a hell of a lot tougher but that's pleasing."

The Vodafone Warriors lie seventh in the NRL after four rounds, showing a loss-win-loss-win pattern. They're one of only six teams to have scored more points than they've conceded; their 112 points for is the third best in the competition while their 84 against ranks them as the seventh best defensive side.

Wests Tigers, sitting just above the Vodafone Warriors in sixth place, have again brought their 'home' game to Jade Stadium, home of rugby union's Crusaders Super 12 franchise. The Tigers have six points from two wins and a bye.

Heading into the weekend's round, Vodafone Warriors halfback Stacey Jones is second on the NRL's points-scoring chart with 48 points while his 20 goals is the most in the competition so far.

Second rower Wairangi Koopu is closing in on becoming the next Vodafone Warrior to hit the 100-game mark in the NRL, Saturday night's match being his 97th.

Only two players weren't considered for selection. Prop Ruben Wiki has two more matches to serve in his four-game suspension while centre Tony Martin (shoulder-neck) was again ruled out.

The Vodafone Warriors travel to Christchurch on Friday afternoon and are due to have a training run on Jade Stadium as soon as they arrive.

 

[Lego_Man]

no impact prop off the bench?? i'd have villasanti instead of temata unless hes injured?

Wheres Lauaki when you need him?

Agreed, although Te Mata has been solid so far, considering our lighter forward pack this year i think we need another big bopper in the absence of Ruben.

Having said that, i don't really mind too much. (Checked the stats, Villa and Te Mata weigh the same anyway)

 

[ozbash]

The fact is Lance has been really solid playing there for us in the last two matches.

good grief :roll:

you look at any of the good teams and they have a good halves pairing ( yes folks, the tigers are included here) . there is a certain understanding between these 2 guys which i call 'magic' . pj and stace had it,, the going brothers had it, kearney and stacey had it. ropo and stace were quickly developing it.

hohaia, in his own right isnt a bad player ( as far as fat shortarsed players go) but there is absolutely nothing between him and stacey.

we saw against the broncs what a jones/ropo combo is capable of,, why the change ?

 

[SpaceMonkey]

no impact prop off the bench?? i'd have villasanti instead of temata unless hes injured?

Wheres Lauaki when you need him?

Agreed, although Te Mata has been solid so far, considering our lighter forward pack this year i think we need another big bopper in the absence of Ruben.

Having said that, i don't really mind too much. (Checked the stats, Villa and Te Mata weigh the same anyway)

I was really impressed with Te Mata last weekend, I think he earned another run. His defence was as brutal as always but he was a bit more ddamaging with the ball in hand, although he's still not a genuine yardage man.

 

[bayrep]

The fact is Lance has been really solid playing there for us in the last two matches.

good grief :roll:

you look at any of the good teams and they have a good halves pairing ( yes folks, the tigers are included here) . there is a certain understanding between these 2 guys which i call 'magic' . pj and stace had it,, the going brothers had it, kearney and stacey had it. ropo and stace were quickly developing it.

hohaia, in his own right isnt a bad player ( as far as fat shortarsed players go) but there is absolutely nothing between him and stacey.

we saw against the broncs what a jones/ropo combo is capable of,, why the change ?

The thing with Hohaia is that if the team is going well he looks good as hes a confidence player and will feed off Stace. Were as Ropo has the intiative to spark something for or with Stace which in turn sparks the team. I agree with you Stace and Ropo were the combo that was giving the team something special.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Hohaia is talented, but the problem is that his talents are almost exactly the same as those of Jones. He's got a great swerve and acceleration, an eye for the gap, and a clevr short kicking game. He's a running halfback like Stace, not a 5/8th. If Jones was injured or out of form he'd probably got quite well inside Ropati, but what we need now is a 5/8th who compliments Jones' style, not a clone of him.
That said at least as far as this week is concerned I guess Kemp is trying to reward good performances, Hohaia was pretty good against the bunnies while Ropati had an ordinay day (albeit partially because he was out of position)