Test Match - A kiwi view

[Sheros los Deros]

I've always been a big Vanikolo fan & was impressed again last night. I'd love to see him back in the NRL.

The first half was great, the second lacked a little bit of intensity. We really need this to be a series, a one-off Test doesn't really do much for either country.

Cheers,
Ben S.

I thought Vanikolo was pretty ordinary. Slow, out of position, easily bundled into touch by Tate. Best winger in the world? No, I don't think so. There's several better wingers in the NRL.

 

[Sportsjock]

Ive always thought Clinton Toopi was a crap player. He is the biggest turnstile in defence in the game and I'd love everyone to go back to the Test Match last year in Sydney between AUS and NZ and get a copy of that game to see how he went.

I think Toopi is the most over-rated centre in the game ( if not player ).

He can do some magical things when in space with the ball, but he just doesnt have the mental ability to be a top class footballer.

You can be certain that if NZ werent two players down last night, Anderson would have dragged the stupid bastard off and replaced him after he bombed that certain try.

You just dont bomb tries like that at international level.

No wonder Warriors are in strife, and Anderson is having difficulty with the players when you have losers like Toopi running around doing what he did last night.

And we all tend to see all the good things he does in the highlight reels.

Fact is, he has been doing a great deal of shit things now for a great deal of years.

 

[Crusader]

He can do some magical things when in space with the ball, but he just doesnt have the mental ability to be a top class footballer...

Deja vu - Jonah

 

[Rudolph]

What about Toopi???He couldnt do a thing right.Bombed a certain try

I'm not sure if it was a certain try he had Sione outside of him who couldn't catch a cold last night.

I thought all the players that played badly last night shouldn't have been selected in the team.

Toopi - I don't care about what he did last season he's been shit this year.

Meli - crap player. Didn't make any yards taking the ball up when he tried. too slow and got brushed off easily in defense.

Vagana - Just hasn't played enough this year and playing out of position was too much for him.

Really it was poor selection that lost us the game. The Players who bad the worst shouldn't habe been there simply as that.

 

[Sportsjock]

I'm not sure if it was a certain try he had Sione outside of him who couldn't catch a cold last night.

Mate he had the big Volcano unmarked 15 metres out on his left hand side?! :? :? :? :? :? Not to mention the support inside.

He bombed it.

 

[innsaneink]

Yeah I agrre Sportsjock bout Toopi.....hes been looking very premier league for a while now.....reminded me of a nine year old that thinks scoring a try is the be all and end all, while setting one up or giving the final pass for one aint worth sh!t.

Paul going off early was the turning point.....he stays on we would have had a great test match with the result going who knows which way?

 

[Iafeta]

For 60 minutes, the Kiwis could feel justly proud of their efforts. It was supposed to be a massacre, 50 points as MG put it.

Yep, the Australians got away with it in the end, and well played, but the Kiwis did turn up to play. The forward pack is extremely good, the outside backs look a yard off the pace currently but eventually all rutts come to an end. Sonny Bill Williams played with real heart, I was proud of him at the beginning of the real tough sets when the forwards were knackered, coming off the line, Sonny Bill put his hand up and ground it out.

I was extremely proud to see the passion in the national anthem, particularly from Sione Faumuina and Nathan Cayless. I was happy to see Latu play okay and show his improvements. I was thrilled to see Robbie Paul and Lesley Vainakolo back in the Kiwis - would love to see Lesley back in the NRL, particularly back at Warriors HQ!!!!!!

Congratulations Australia, well played. Too much class in the end in the halves, but I tend to agree with Robbie Paul's end of match comments about how good these guys (the Williams, Latus, Vainakolos, perhaps Leuluais and Epalahame Lauaki, Benji Marshall etc.) will be at the money making stage of their careers. I think there are improvements in New Zealand Rugby League, brought on a lot by the Warriors through their development schemes. While its not the best time for the club at the moment, their desire to improve the junior ranks education on the game is to be commended and could pay dividends down the line.

 

[innsaneink]

Why did Kearney lead the haka? Shouldnt the captain do this? I thought Cayless was captain.

 

[Rudolph]

Mate he had the big Volcano unmarked 15 metres out on his left hand side?! Not to mention the support inside.

sure but it was more likely to go to Sione if he had passed it. Leuluai wouldn't have scored if it was passed to him.

but yes he did bomb a near certain try. Rememberin nothing is certain.

 

[Iafeta]

Why did Kearney lead the haka? Shouldnt the captain do this? I thought Cayless was captain.

It is generally done by a Maori leader.

 

[Crusader]

I don't think it would be right to have a Pakeha do it :lol:

 

[Mr Angry]

Lockyer wears 6 black jersey, different result IMO.

 

[Crusader]

Did I miss something?

Mr A *blows platonic kiss*

 

[Anonymous]

Ive always thought Clinton Toopi was a crap player. He is the biggest turnstile in defence in the game and I'd love everyone to go back to the Test Match last year in Sydney between AUS and NZ and get a copy of that game to see how he went.

I think Toopi is the most over-rated centre in the game ( if not player ).

He can do some magical things when in space with the ball, but he just doesnt have the mental ability to be a top class footballer.

You can be certain that if NZ werent two players down last night, Anderson would have dragged the stupid bastard off and replaced him after he bombed that certain try.

You just dont bomb tries like that at international level.

No wonder Warriors are in strife, and Anderson is having difficulty with the players when you have losers like Toopi running around doing what he did last night.

And we all tend to see all the good things he does in the highlight reels.

Fact is, he has been doing a great deal of sh*t things now for a great deal of years.

hahaha, it's all coming out now. Remember when he was "the best centre in the world"?. I will say this until the day I die, Toopi is one of the worst centres I have ever seen play in the NRL. Not only because of the stupid things he does, but simply because he is nowhere near as good ball in hand as people think. Even if you go back to his so-called great performances late last year, you will see that all he did was back up. His one and only positive attribute is that he is a fairly good support player. Defensively he is keen but extremely loose and erratic, his hands are average, he is barely capable of throwing a pass, he has absolutely no clue about how to set up his winger (this is something the much maligned Matt Gidley does very well, although his detractors like to ignore it). Plus he is slowish for a centre. All of these things are true of Clinton Toopi in the past, present, and future.

 

[Rudolph]

hahaha, it's all coming out now. Remember when he was "the best centre in the world"?. I will say this until the day I die, Toopi is one of the worst centres I have ever seen play in the NRL. Not only because of the stupid things he does, but simply because he is nowhere near as good ball in hand as people think. Even if you go back to his so-called great performances late last year, you will see that all he did was back up. His one and only positive attribute is that he is a fairly good support player. Defensively he is keen but extremely loose and erratic, his hands are average, he is barely capable of throwing a pass, he has absolutely no clue about how to set up his winger (this is something the much maligned Matt Gidley does very well, although his detractors like to ignore it). Plus he is slowish for a centre. All of these things are true of Clinton Toopi in the past, present, and future.

And someone like Meli does any of these things better. Just something for you to think long and hard about.

 

[Anonymous]

he is barely capable of throwing a pass

Meli throws a very nice pass both ways

he has absolutely no clue about how to set up his winger

Meli IS a winger, but would still do a better job

but simply because he is nowhere near as good ball in hand as people think

Meli runs over the top of people

 

[ozbash]

you are right thairy, he wasnt flash at all.

i didnt think we went that well in the first 1/2, i thought the aussie defence was total shite and its probably the worst 40 i,ve seen the roos play.

cayless wasnt a huge loss,jerry stepped up
paul was a huge loss, he was steering the pack,his experience was vital and when he went off latu replaced RP,s experience with enthusiasm,-didnt work.

steve kearney should have spent more time on the field,, every time he was replaced we went flat/ter.

lockyers non try was a turning point, he was a mile offside and that blind prick mander wouldnt listen to his touchies..
that was when the heads went down.

to me the game was a non event.
i dont rate one-offs, they are an indication of SFA.

bring on the tri-series.

 

[Mark Rudd]

Best player was Williams surprisingly.

Wasn't even CLOSE! I can't beleive you guys forget about Storm's David Kidwell. He WAS the best player on the field for BOTH teams!!!!!!

If all players had've played like Kidwell with his power and desire, maybe the score would've been reversed. I was hoping anyway!

 

[Phillips]

i reckon the turning point was Puletua passing to Robbie Paul before he got smashed by buderus, if Puletua did'nt pass he surely would have scored

 

[Crusader]

I agree Oz, one offs are fairly pointless most of the time.