Team v Bulldogs

[Meth]

Very tough game this week. The Bulldogs looking sharp.

What's happening with Rapira? If so, Mateo back to the Vulcans for mine.

Definitely not keen on Locke off the bench, especially not if he is filling in at hooker. Would be keen for Leuluai off the bench, or Havilli.

 

[hitro]

Yes Mateo to England please. What about Leuluai (if fit) and Havilli as a hooker combo?

 

[Meth]

Yes Mateo to England please. What about Leuluai (if fit) and Havilli as a hooker combo?

won't happen

 

[Blair]

I'd imagine we'll be needing our biggest forwards on the park next week.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Id go

Tompkins
Laumape
Henry
Kardashian Hurrell
Vatuvai
Townsend
Johnson

Rapira
Friend
Lillytard
Mannering
Matulino
Ikahihifo

Bakuya
Mateo
Lousi
Havilli/Leuluai (if fit)

 

[JoeD]

What's happening with Rapira? If so, Mateo back to the Vulcans for mine.

Saw Sammy this morning but couldn't tell if he was limping or not. Also saw simon looking pretty relaxed at a cafe, as you would after a great win. Mangere Bridge Sunday mornings is good warrior spotting.

 

[Blair]

Saw Sammy this morning but couldn't tell if he was limping or not. Also saw simon looking pretty relaxed at a cafe, as you would after a great win. Mangere Bridge Sunday mornings is good warrior spotting.

I'm glad to hear they're spending time at Mangere Bridge cafes and not Ponsonby.

 

[vvvrulz]

If Leulaui & Rapira are back from injury (assuming Rapira was injured), I'd drop Locke and Martel.
Question marks on Lousi, Havili unlucky.

I'm a Locke fan but he just doesn't fit in this current setup unless they drop Townsend.

Don't fancy Fish coming back either to be honest, Laumape is doing a great job.

 

[sup42]

Thrilled we're playing the competition leaders this week.
Like us the Dogs have improved since we last met. That relentless crushing win over the Dragons was a master class in applying pressure to your opposition and strangling the life out of them....followed by Dog secound phase offloading and passing in the forwards.

Reports of Havili having pulled up with a shoulder issue might rule that option out.

 

[WellsNZ]

Why mess with things like the starting hooking position when the team is going well?

Changes should be kept to a minimum at the moment, probably just adjustments depending on what is happening with Rapira and Locke not being on the bench which wouldn't have been the plan to begin with anyway.

 

[reykaine]

Rapira is not being missed. Our completion rate is way better now that he isn't there to lose the ball in the hit up.

 

[vvvrulz]

Rapira is not being missed. Our completion rate is way better now that he isn't there to lose the ball in the hit up.

Not sure how this myth came about, Rapira has been strong this season.

 

[Meth]

We missed Rapira on the weekend when we took off Matagi and Lillyman and brought on a couple of second rowers.

 

[reykaine]

Rapira has been strong this season.

I disagree. Rapira would be considered a first tier prop (not a second stringer like Matagi) with the contract he is on.
Him, Matulino and Lilyman would be expected to run for 100m most games.
Lilyman has been doing this. Matulino has also been down on his best and also been converted to second rower.
Rapira is averaging 91m a game over 7 games. He has only got over the 100m mark once.
Lilyman is averaging 130m a game over 9 games. He has topped 100m every game.

Rapiras stats are those of a second tier prop. He needs to perform better. Is it a coincidence our 2 best performances of the season have been with him out of the team?
And that's another thing. Yes its tough work being a prop but Sam gets injured more than most. If its not a hand or arm injury its something else. So, yeah, maybe I am a little bit biased but my memory is long and yes, he did have a couple of really good seasons, but his role is to eat the metres and I think he has been average this year. So Far.

Remember our march to the final in 2011? Our 4 prop rotation was awesome and helped us win all those games in a row. Cleary had them humming. Hopefully McFadden can do the same.


Edit: Probably a little grumpy at the time when I said he isn't being missed. I would still play him if hes available as theres no one else around, assuming Matagi is playing as well. Isnt Lousi considered a prop this year as he was also average against Canberra. It would be Rapira over Lousi for the 4th slot.

 

[Fast Eddie]

I disagree. Rapira would be considered a first tier prop (not a second stringer like Matagi) with the contract he is on.
Him, Matulino and Lilyman would be expected to run for 100m most games.
Lilyman has been doing this. Matulino has also been down on his best and also been converted to second rower.
Rapira is averaging 91m a game over 7 games. He has only got over the 100m mark once.
Lilyman is averaging 130m a game over 9 games. He has topped 100m every game.

Rapiras stats are those of a second tier prop. He needs to perform better. Is it a coincidence our 2 best performances of the season have been with him out of the team?
And that's another thing. Yes its tough work being a prop but Sam gets injured more than most. If its not a hand or arm injury its something else. So, yeah, maybe I am a little bit biased but my memory is long and yes, he did have a couple of really good seasons, but his role is to eat the metres and I think he has been average this year. So Far.

Remember our march to the final in 2011? Our 4 prop rotation was awesome and helped us win all those games in a row. Cleary had them humming. Hopefully McFadden can do the same.


Edit: Probably a little grumpy at the time when I said he isn't being missed. I would still play him if hes available as theres no one else around, assuming Matagi is playing as well. Isnt Lousi considered a prop this year as he was also average against Canberra. It would be Rapira over Lousi for the 4th slot.

If you're going to use stats to try prove a point you may as well at least get into it a bit more rather than taking a very basic stat such as metres per game as an indicator (especially for a prop, which can easily be skewed by things such as easy metres off kickoffs or drop outs)

In terms of hitups, the bread and butter, they both average almost the exact same number of metres per hitup (8.2 v 8.3) The difference is in the number of hitups they take, Lillyman takes 11.5 hitups a game compared to Raprias 8. Lillyman also plays slighty more minutes a game. This is not including the Canberra game.

And on your other point of "Our completion rate is way better now that he isn't there to lose the ball in the hit up." 1 error in 8 games.

 

[reykaine]

8 hitups a game. I rest my case.
Not acceptable for a prop of his reputation.
Go and look at the prop stats for the Bulldogs. Then you will see why they are on top and we are sitting 11th. It all begins with the forwards.
Our home games at Mt Smart in the middle of the winter. Not generally condusive to running rugby league which we got on Sunday. Wet conditions, more likely to see balls being dropped, etc. Games at Mt Smart are going to be an armwrestle. If we want to win most of our games there, we want forwards fronting up week in and week out like Tolman and Graham do for the Bulldogs. This is what Cleary realised was needed for a ground like Mt Smart. He bought players to do that job. Sam is not leading the way like he should be.
Maybe I'm in the minority but Sam's star has been on the wane the last 2 seasons. I really hope Cappy can extract more out of him.

 

[vvvrulz]

Rapira was a standout player in our first few games, look back at our 3-2-1's

 

[reykaine]

Rapira was a standout player in our first few games, look back at our 3-2-1's

Lillyman 7.54
Mannering 6.09
Hurrell 5.07
Friend 4.54
Tomkins 4.34
Johnson 4.01
Matulino 3.9
Rapira 3.24

The point I am trying to get across is to have a chance of winning against the top teams we need 2 week in and week out excellent props.
At the moment we only have 1. Lillyman.

 

[Fast Eddie]

8 hitups a game. I rest my case.
Not acceptable for a prop of his reputation.
Go and look at the prop stats for the Bulldogs. Then you will see why they are on top and we are sitting 11th. It all begins with the forwards.
Our home games at Mt Smart in the middle of the winter. Not generally condusive to running rugby league which we got on Sunday. Wet conditions, more likely to see balls being dropped, etc. Games at Mt Smart are going to be an armwrestle. If we want to win most of our games there, we want forwards fronting up week in and week out like Tolman and Graham do for the Bulldogs. This is what Cleary realised was needed for a ground like Mt Smart. He bought players to do that job. Sam is not leading the way like he should be.
Maybe I'm in the minority but Sam's star has been on the wane the last 2 seasons. I really hope Cappy can extract more out of him.

:lol: I did. And Graham (one of the best props in the game) and Tolman (one of the hardest working props in the game) in the same minutes would average about 10-10.5 hitups a game. 2 extra hitups each. Shocking from Rapira.

 

[Fast Eddie]

Oh and both making less metres per hit up than Rapira.