Team vs Roosters

[MKEB...]

JJ, Who's Reuben Thorne? Any relation to Brad Thorne?

 

[Iron Lion]

Lion, we all know your opinion of Rapira and Bukuya, but a cold hard look at last week suggest Rapira actually went ok - certainly not the player he was, but I am surprised... and I'd be shocked if Peyroux gets a place ahead of Bukuya, again Bukuya has been ok - I am not sure what people expected of him, he
s a decent player, but was about the 6th backrower at Cronulla

Agree 100% on Townsend - Leuluai obviously has a fan in the coach, but for me he's offered next to nothing on the field (Canberra game aside, but I could have played that week and been effective), really not sure why he needs to be in the 17 each week... he's the Rueben Thorne of the Warriors at the moment...

Well they are stuck with Leulaui now with that long term contract. I agree he really hasn't added much at all on attack since he has been back.

Bukuya was amazing at the sharks so much so he was was stealing the show in many of the games he played. But it makes you realise he was working off such quality playmakers and ball players. The Warriors have offered him none of that which effectively took away the best aspects of his game. Bukuya could go to Manly, Souths etc and rediscover his form. I think he is a very good player but not at the warriors unfortunately. That to me is poor coaching. Having said that he has exposed his limitations with his stint here, which would drop his market value.

Having thought about it a bit more,Townsend being dropped is about having Leulaui there as the clean up on defense. McFadden will be worried about the backs and 2nd rowers cutting lose through Townsend. Lealaui is a very good defender and Mcfadden will be backing him to close those channels with Friend in tandem..

 

[Meth]

Yeah, the Townsend dropping surprises me. I doubted him a little at the beginning of the season, but we looked most likely when he and Johnson were together. Surely it'll be disruptive to the team dynamic to juggle the halves at this point in the season. I like Leuluai, but his reintroduction has been pretty disruptive overall.

 

[WithTheDawn]

Reserves had a 28-0 lead and blew it as well to lose 30-28. Right of the edge of the finals for all 3 grades now. Reserves lost 4 in a row, and seem to only have one game left.

I always thought dropping Chad was the plan once TL came back and got into form, but I just haven't seen the form from him yet. The Chad normally plays well as long as SJ has a good game, but has been pretty useless when he needs to control the game himself. I guess we have to trust Cappy, he gets to see everything behind the scenes, in training, etc. I'm sure we will all be calling it a great move if TL plays well and we win.

 

[Rich102]

Well they are stuck with Leulaui now with that long term contract. I agree he really hasn't added much at all on attack since he has been back.

Bukuya was amazing at the sharks so much so he was was stealing the show in many of the games he played. But it makes you realise he was working off such quality playmakers and ball players. The Warriors have offered him none of that which effectively took away the best aspects of his game. Bukuya could go to Manly, Souths etc and rediscover his form. I think he is a very good player but not at the warriors unfortunately. That to me is poor coaching. Having said that he has exposed his limitations with his stint here, which would drop his market value.

Having thought about it a bit more,Townsend being dropped is about having Leulaui there as the clean up on defense. McFadden will be worried about the backs and 2nd rowers cutting lose through Townsend. Lealaui is a very good defender and Mcfadden will be backing him to close those channels with Friend in tandem..

I can see why Bakuya was effective at the Sharks and not here. It's about the props putting in the hard work and the second row running off the back of it. Here the Second row are expected to be doing the props work, when Manu's isn't, which robs them of energy.

Also people are very pleased with Lillyman when last season quite a few were calling for him to go. He really only offers hit-up's. No offloads. And many of those metres come from the kick-off return. Very easy metres.
We really are wanting in the propping department.

 

[Cold Roses]

Also people are very pleased with Lillyman when last season quite a few were calling for him to go. He really only offers hit-up's. No offloads. And many of those metres come from the kick-off return. Very easy metres.
We really are wanting in the propping department.

Woah! Controversial. Better duck your head mate. I know you and I have been calling for an overhaul in the propping rotation for a long time before just this season, but I'll be interested to see the reaction to this one.

 

[Benek]

I can understand this as a defensive move, but it seems very late in the season to be messing with the halves pairing. When Johnson is going well Chad looked fine. TL never looked better in that role. I hope Johnson has lost the rust and TL makes some try saving tackles to prove this was a good decision.

 

[JJ]

JJ, Who's Reuben Thorne? Any relation to Brad Thorne?

No relation to Brad Thorn - former All Black and Canterbury captain...

 

[JJ]

Also people are very pleased with Lillyman when last season quite a few were calling for him to go. He really only offers hit-up's. No offloads. And many of those metres come from the kick-off return. Very easy metres.
We really are wanting in the propping department.

Agree we are wanting, but don't agree it's Lillyman's fault - I place the blame on McFadden and the Rapira/Matagi pairing

Lillyman's form has tailed off - I agree, I don't get the critique though - tbh I just wonder if the worklad has caught up with him... He's been the Lone Ranger all year, no other prop has done anything. He's not there for offloads (Matagi and Rapira offer little in that regard either), and hopefully with Matulino there at last we have a balance...

I think McFadden has stuffed up by playing Matulino on the edge and relying on Lillyman and Manu for pretty much all the go forward. Some heat needed to go on Matagi and Rapira to play like first grade props, and Matulino has to play in the middle with this squad, and the one we have next year...

 

[vvvrulz]

Rapira I can understand has been bogged with injury, but Matagi is only a shadow of what he was last year. Really good to see Matulino back in the #10

 

[Meth]

Lillyman has always offered little more than meter eating and a quick play-the-ball. It's just he is eating more meters these days.

 

[JJ]

Lillyman has always offered little more than meter eating and a quick play-the-ball. It's just he is eating more meters these days.

Yep, but that's the core business for most props... with Matulino alongside him it's pretty potent imo...

Matagi and Rapira need to deliver consistently, both are capable - surpised Sam was dropped, he went ok last week - for me the biggest issue (at the risk of being endlessly repetitive) was the fetish with playing Matulino wide - for that to happen, we need another prop... Ihikahifo doesn't offer the go forward, and that's not a criticism of him, just the way it is atm

 

[Meth]

Yep, but that's the core business for most props... with Matulino alongside him it's pretty potent imo...

Oh, for sure. I didn't get the criticism of Lillyman then, and I certainly don't get it now.

I am most disappointed with Matulino's year, of all of them.

 

[Rich102]

Agree we are wanting, but don't agree it's Lillyman's fault - I place the blame on McFadden and the Rapira/Matagi pairing

Lillyman's form has tailed off - I agree, I don't get the critique though - tbh I just wonder if the worklad has caught up with him... He's been the Lone Ranger all year, no other prop has done anything. He's not there for offloads (Matagi and Rapira offer little in that regard either), and hopefully with Matulino there at last we have a balance...

I think McFadden has stuffed up by playing Matulino on the edge and relying on Lillyman and Manu for pretty much all the go forward. Some heat needed to go on Matagi and Rapira to play like first grade props, and Matulino has to play in the middle with this squad, and the one we have next year...

Sorry. I didn't mean to imply Lillyman was the worst.
I think he is the best of our current crop, Matulino aside.
Doesn't say much for the rest.

 

[Iafeta]

I thought Sam Lousi did a good job v Parra... And then was promptly dropped. I think we need to get Benny playing longer minutes. I think he can go longer but gets dragged too early.

 

[WithTheDawn]

So I'm guessing both SBW and Jake Friend will be playing today? Can only hope they are being rushed back and aren't 100%. I'm sure SBW will have his best game of the season though, of course.