Who would your Round 1 team be?

[madunit]

Considering these injuries

Mitchell Moses (Shoulder, Round 1)
Curtis Sironen (Foot, 12 weeks)
Liam Fulton (Pectoral, 1 week)
Sauaso Sue (Shoulder 1 week)
Tim Simona (Shoulder, Round 1/2)
Dene Halatau (Ankle, 12 weeks)
Tim Moltzen (Knee, indefinite)

I'd go

1 - Tedesco
2 - Nofoaluma
3 - Richards
4 - Lawrence
5 - Koroibete
6 - Anasta (shudder)
7 - Brooks
8 - Woods
9 - Farah
10 - Blair
11 - Paterson
12 - Taupau
13 - Fulton

14 - Murdoch-Masila
15 - Galloway
16 - Ava
17 - Buchanan

I'm not a fan of Anasta being in the halves with brooks and I'm not a fan of Richards in the centres, but i'd want us to have fast men on the edges, which is why I chose him at centre instead of Nofoaluma, and we need his goalkicking.

Back row is going to be a problem all year. I'm tempted to give Taupau a run there to see how he goes. he showed good agility in the 9's and has a good offload.

 

[Ron's_Mate]

I'm OK with that side but would have Austin rather than Anasta. i know you don't like Austin, but Anasta is so crap he just shouldn't be there. I'd rather give Austin a few weeks to show what he can do.

 

[DanOz]

If Simona is fit I would drop Koro out

 

[The Rosco]

I like that side with one small change . . . . .. To not include Gavet would merely deprive us all of seeing his impact for another week.
Based solely on his Camden form, of course.
He was something we have been sorely missing for a long time. He was damaging in both defence and attack. He was running through them harder than Tapau.
While I reckon Buchanan has done a fair enough job for us, I would value his maximum contribution to the game far below that of Gavet.

And good old Banasta. Again, he went OK at that game. Whether it was because he had more space/less Benji/freedom of choice/a capable alternative 2nd option . . . . I don't know. But he played OK.
I also might have got carried away with our 14-0 lead after 8 minutes !. The heavily tinted rose coloured glasses might have been on . . . . you tend to get a bit ahead of yourself !

 

[DanOz]

Give Brown a few weeks for match fitness and he will hopefully be pushing for a spot

 

[Shanghai Charlie]

Considering these injuries

Mitchell Moses (Shoulder, Round 1)
Curtis Sironen (Foot, 12 weeks)
Liam Fulton (Pectoral, 1 week)
Sauaso Sue (Shoulder 1 week)
Tim Simona (Shoulder, Round 1/2)
Dene Halatau (Ankle, 12 weeks)
Tim Moltzen (Knee, indefinite)

I'd go

1 - Tedesco
2 - Nofoaluma
3 - Richards
4 - Lawrence
5 - Koroibete
6 - Anasta (shudder)
7 - Brooks
8 - Woods
9 - Farah
10 - Blair
11 - Paterson
12 - Taupau
13 - Fulton

14 - Murdoch-Masila
15 - Galloway
16 - Ava
17 - Buchanan

I'm not a fan of Anasta being in the halves with brooks and I'm not a fan of Richards in the centres, but i'd want us to have fast men on the edges, which is why I chose him at centre instead of Nofoaluma, and we need his goalkicking.

Back row is going to be a problem all year. I'm tempted to give Taupau a run there to see how he goes. he showed good agility in the 9's and has a good offload.

Austin over Anasta
Gavet over Buchanan

 

[Perth Tiger]

With the injuries we have already there isn't really anyone else that would be consider at the moment apart from those listed in MU's team. Maybe Gavet from the hype I have read but I haven't seen much of him.

Austin has never impressed me much from what I have seen and am not expecting much more than him being a fil in utility player filling the role that Moltzen or Halatau would of filled if not for injury.

 

[Tigers Tale]

Very similar, I'd go:

1. Tedesco
2. Nofo (right)
3. Richard (right)
4. Lawrence (left)
5. Koro (left)
6. Anasta
7. Brooks
8. Woods
9. Farah
10. Blair
11. Paterson
12. Fulton
13. Gavet

14. Tapau
15. Galloway
16. BMM
17. Ava

Maybe...

 

[Matchball]

Anasta can at least defend. Maybe we just need a running 5/8 that can tackle. Let Brooks run it with Farah.

 

[joel caine number 1 fan]

anasta will have a good year with no benji around he will help out brooks a lot

 

[benched tiger]

It looks like our team is taking shape,Anasta most likely will get first go at 5/8 and maybe the same could be said for Lulia in the centres until Simona comes back.The new forwards Patterson,Taupau and Gavet all add some size and power to our pack which has been missing in the past.

 

[DanOz]

Anasta can at least defend. Maybe we just need a running 5/8 that can tackle. Let Brooks run it with Farah.

Have to agree. Anasta can play himself out of a spot or Austin in, but I would start this way.

 

[Das Hassler]

I like MU's team....on the issue of 5/8 , i know this one will receive howls of laughter from some but i would really have liked to have had Moltzen start the season as Brook's partner ...Moltzen is still young and has shown glimpses of his natural talent..i really believe they could form a deadly pairing...howl away

 

[ucantseeme]

Looks like people want Galloway coming off the bench. It sort of makes sense considering the injuries and been piling up over the years. Cocoon him from the roughness of the opening 20 minutes then hopefully he will play more games.

I think Anasta will offer more playmaking now that Benji has moved on. He will get to play his own game rather than be another forward who wears #7. But if things don't click in the first few rounds I would be trying Blake Austin sooner rather than later.

 

[dumpy]

Wearing football boots has and never will make a footballer out of Timid Moltzen. Leotards and ballet slippers would be much more suited.

 

[madunit]

Looks like people want Galloway coming off the bench. It sort of makes sense considering the injuries and been piling up over the years. Cocoon him from the roughness of the opening 20 minutes then hopefully he will play more games.

I think Anasta will offer more playmaking now that Benji has moved on. He will get to play his own game rather than be another forward who wears #7. But if things don't click in the first few rounds I would be trying Blake Austin sooner rather than later.

I see bench players as those who can provide impact.

I think it's fair to say that Galloway would provide more impact off the bench than Blair would.

 

[Vic Mackey]

I'm happy with Galloway coming of the bench, but only because now we finally have some other quality. I'm very excited to see Taupau, was stoked when we signed him, I think he will be fantastic for us this year.

 

[DanOz]

I like MU's team....on the issue of 5/8 , i know this one will receive howls of laughter from some but i would really have liked to have had Moltzen start the season as Brook's partner ...Moltzen is still young and has shown glimpses of his natural talent..i really believe they could form a deadly pairing...howl away

Agreed mate. A chance to play 6, where he was best suited, with a real 7 outside him, I would have given him a shot as well. It covers the experience side of things which is the main thing Braith has in his favour.

I hope Moses comes through but he really needs some size, and then its a matter of seeing does that size slow him down like it did Benji or can he still move like Teddy.

 

[Old Time Tiger]

My bolds

Wests Tigers centre Chris Lawrence lauds Braith Anasta's calming influence

Wests Tigers centre Chris Lawrence said one advantage in having perhaps the NRL's most maligned players - veteran Braith Anasta - on his club's books was the sense of "calm" and "patience" he provided the club's youth brigade.

Anasta, 31, suggested 2014 would most be likely his last in a career that has spanned 275 games with Canterbury, Sydney Roosters and the Tigers. He has also represented NSW in 10 Origin matches, four Tests for Australia, won a grand final with the Bulldogs and he even played a starring role in Greece's 90-0 victory over Hungary last October.

Lawrence said the fact Anasta had "been there and done it" helped during a tense match or at training when drills didn't go to plan.

"His leadership is great, he has a calmness about him," said Lawrence. "Even at training when things might not be going right, and some blokes are clearly frustrated, he calms everyone down and gets his points across. It happened a few times in games last year but it's more so at training. Even during the build-up to this season when they try to put pressure on us when we're doing skills work, when people stuff up, and they're feeling the heat, he calms them down and I think it's been really good for the young guys to see that side of him."

While Anasta had been savaged by critics throughout his career, Lawrence said he gave substance to coach Michael Potter's roster.

"He is a great player," said Lawrence. "He's great to play with, he's really competitive, he competes on every play and apart from his experience that calming influence is great and it'll rub off on some of the young guys."

Lawrence, an Australian representative, said the younger and impressionable players had also benefited from Robbie Farah's presence, saying the skipper's success at Origin level was testimony to his values of hard work and sacrifice.

"Nothing he's achieved has been a fluke," Lawrence said. "Everything he's achieved over the last three years – recalled to the Origin team and named captain last year – has been through hard work. The young guys, and the older ones for that matter, see how he leaves no stone unturned and does all the extras he needs to."

Lawrence, who battled a run of frustrating injuries last year, said there was a "quiet confidence" in the team but added it was crucial the Wests Tigers did well in their early matches to bolster that belief.

Meanwhile, one of the players expected to challenge Anasta for the team's famous No.6 jumper, which was vacated when Benji Marshall switched to rugby at the end of last season, was former Penrith player Blake Austin. After impressing in the trials he credited an old-school remedy for giving him an edge.

He revealed how he wore a garbage bag under a number of shirts and jumpers during his road runs around Blacktown during the summer heat for sweating kilos from off his frame.

"I did a lot of long-distance running to get some kilometres in my legs and to drop a bit of weight," he said. "I pulled out the garbage bag to wear on my road runs and dropped seven kilos in four weeks. I called it the 'garbage bag route' and I'd run anywhere between three to five kilometres . . . you sweat up, feel terrible, but the benefits were tremendous."

Austin, who played in the Windsor Wolves team that finished runners-up to Cronulla in last year's NSW Cup, added extra depth to the halves and will be in contention with Anasta, teenager Mitchell Moses and the injured Tim Moltzen for the five-eighth spot.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...g-influence-20140226-33hba.html#ixzz2uObzftSI

And that folks is why he will be at 5/8 at least for the start of the year. No doubt Lawrence has been coached in what to say so we'll hear the same thing from others. IMO I do think and I have said this before, that he will be better for Brooks, than Benji would have.

I also believe that he will be better because he no doubt knows that he will be at 5/8 and not a utility player like last year.

 

[Radical Rat]

It amazes this new found ground swell of support for Anasta around here. Perhaps people have forgotten how truly horrible he was last year. Yes it sounds good in theory having him provide experience and a cool head for Brooks, I have very grave doubts if it will turn out the way. He was finished last year, I fail to see how he is going to somehow improve a year older.