Team v Storm

[Meth]

As always, we can only look forward to the next game from here

1 Fa'afili
2 Martin
3 Toopi
4 V. Anderson
5 Vatuvei
6 Hohaia
7 Jones

8 Villasanti
9 Betham
10 Temata
11 L. Anderson
12 Koopu/Lauaki
13 Guttenbiel

Res. Lauaki/Stowers, Paleaaesina, Tuimavave, Webb

 

[AliN]

That's right Steve, it's just the lottery as to whether they turn up on the day..one can only hope they do

Koopu will be missed on Saturday however Louie Anderson is startting to make his mark improving every week.

Go boys, the Storm don't enjoy playing us 8)

 

[budz]

Geez our forward pack is looking weak these days!
Here is the actual team.
1. Brent Webb
2. Henry Fa’afili
3. Vinnie Anderson
4. Clinton Toopi
5. Tony Martin
6. Lance Hohaia
7. Stacey Jones
8. Karl Temata
9. Monty Betham (c)
10. Iafeta Paleaaesina
11. Richard Villasanti
12. Awen Guttenbeil
13. Louis Anderson

Interchange:

14. Evarn Tuimavave
16. Epalahame Lauaki
17. Shannon Stowers
18. Thomas Leuluai
20. Manu Vatuvei
22. Jerome Ropati

 

[AliN]

lol, I didn't even look at Steve's list cos I'd put it up on the front page...duh!

It'll be interesting to see if Ropati is just travelling with the team or gets used..all newbies on the bench except Thomas. I thought what time he had he used well against the Cowboys, same with Stowers..

Is Martin fit enough yet to kick? Against his old club hopefully he'll go well.

We can win this one, please turn up to play Warriors..

 

[Phillips]

what position does Shannon Stowers play

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Te Mata at prop and Villa in the secondf row? #-o

 

[ozbash]

Te Mata at prop and Villa in the secondf row?

yea, thats what i said, almost a mistake ?

vatuvei at 2nd row 8)

 

[AliN]

what position does Shannon Stowers play

from the Hibiscus Coast Raiders stats:

HEIGHT - 180cm
WEIGHT = 115kg
POSITION - Prop
ALTERNATIVE - Second Row
CLUB - Raiders
DOB - 21/03/80
JOB - Lab Assistant

 

[Perenara]

I'd imagine Jerome will come off the bench after his broken jaw. I was speaken to oen of his family members soon after the injury occured and it was remarked that it was a particularly nasty broken jaw requiring steel plates and the like. Eventually he may play hooker while Monty plays 2nd row but at the moment I would think primarily a bench player. Leuluai put up an improved showing last week though still missed 4 tackles that ultimately aided Rod Jensens match winning run. Probably Leuluai and Stowers to miss out I would think.

 

[AliN]

Thomas is named in the Otahuhu Ellerslie Bartercard side this weekend and Stowers is named in the Raiders..time will tell if they travel to Melbourne..

btw, welcome aboard Perenara

 

[Iafeta]

I'd ommit Thomas Leuluai and Manu Vatuvei. That way you still have Stowers, Lauaki and Tuimavave to go at it in the forwards, and Ropati can shift into hooker and cover pretty much the entire backline. I rate Ropati higher than Leuluai anyhow.

The only problem we could have if we have both Shannon Stowers and Iafeta Paleaaesina on the bench is hardly either were used last week, only given very short stints. Thats fine if you have a Steve Price type player who goes the whole 80 minutes cutting out a couple of interchanges, but we don't up front.

 

[Meth]

I can see the potential in Vatuvei, but he hasn't lived up to the hype that he generated. Bombing that try on the weekend was unmerciful

I'd agree to agree with Iafeta's bench

 

[dazza]

is paleaasina fit?

why was he in his track suit on the bench last week?

cheers dazza

 

[ozbash]

I can see the potential in Vatuvei, but he hasn't lived up to the hype that he generated. Bombing that try on the weekend was unmerciful

I'd agree to agree with Iafeta's bench

agree but,,
what a season to start your nrl career,, i mean with all thats gone on with the warriors this year it must be hard for guys like vatuvai to focus as opposed to a season like last year or the year before.

not that im making excuses for him.... 8)

 

[Anonymous]

I actually thought he played his best game (not that that's saying all that much). What impressed me was the way he comfortably had Matt Sing for pace. Sing got outside him a few times but never threatened to outpace him. Vatuvei doesn't have instant acceleration but I think some people have incorrectly suggested that he lacks pace. He looks to have plenty to me.

 

[Earl]

Either that or Matt Sing has lost a considerable amount of pace due to injury and his age.

 

[Anonymous]

He didn't seem to be lacking too much pace last year. And I would suggest that he was a mere 1 year younger then.

 

[BrentWebb'sno.1fan]

is paleaasina fit?

why was he in his track suit on the bench last week?

cheers dazza

He got concussion in the first half last week

 

[Meth]

Either that or Matt Sing has lost a considerable amount of pace due to injury and his age

More to do with injury than age. He's not at 100%. Vatuvei makes a habit of coming in when it isn't always necessary, and allowing his man to get outside of him.

He may of been smart, knowing that he could gun down Sing, or he may have been lucky, as Sing did look a bit off the pace.

However, most wingers would be gone, given that much room IMO

 

[Auckland4ever]

If you dont have great acceleration(& he doesnt) you have to be on the money with your positional play & his inexperience has shown through at times. Is he really best suited to the backs? Looks more like yet another 2nd rower to me. Why the hell cant we produce as many quality halves in this country?