Your 2016 Rnd 1 team

[betcats]

If that(Kilkennys) is the team then we will pretty much have either Bryce or Peach in the game at all times and the same with Merrin/Latimore. There is quite a bit of second phase and attacking footy between the four of them I don't think we need anymore X factor in the forwards especially if Latu continues as he started last season.

 

[The yak]

The papers I have read along with online speculation are predicting
Hiku for Fullback to allow Blake in the centres.
Merrin prop.
Taylor lock.
JFH a big chance for a bench spot.
And a whisper of Will smith snaring the last bench spot to spell Segeyaro.

Lets see how close they get.

 

[mxlegend99]

The papers I have read along with online speculation are predicting
Hiku for Fullback to allow Blake in the centres.
Merrin prop.
Taylor lock.
JFH a big chance for a bench spot.
And a whisper of Will smith snaring the last bench spot to spell Segeyaro.

Lets see how close they get.

I can see us being right in the game and then we bring on Will Smith. He drops a ball early in the tackle count near our line. Raiders score not long after. Then our next set he kicks it out on the full. Leading to another try. Atleast based on his trial form this is what I see happening.

Pre-season form must not count for much. He killed so many attacking opportunities in the 9's and the Eels trial yet is somehow ahead of TMM who was our absolute best against the Bulldogs and had no real big mistakes through the trials like Will Smith did. Not that I think we should waste a spot on a utility anyway. Peachey, Cartwright, Yeo and Hiku have us covered for all spots.

 

[billypilgrimnz]

Well our new coach has a history of geniused hooker selections, so Smith would make sense.....

 

[franklin2323]

No need to play a hooker when you have 4 80 min backrowers in the comp

 

[TheFrog]

The papers I have read along with online speculation are predicting
Hiku for Fullback to allow Blake in the centres.
Merrin prop.
Taylor lock.
JFH a big chance for a bench spot.
And a whisper of Will smith snaring the last bench spot to spell Segeyaro.

Lets see how close they get.

I'd expect DWZ to be the fullback but maybe he and Hiku will switch at times so its just a case of who is in what jumper. Smith on the bench would be a peculiar move indeed with the reduced interchange and the match expected to be played in sauna bath conditions.

 

[hindy111]

I reckon canberra will blow penrith off the park tbh... 30+

Not sure why just a gut feeling. I reckon Canberra are going to be one of the top teams this year

 

[TheFrog]

I reckon Canberra are going to be one of the top teams this year

I don't. However, this is a tough assignment first up and it'll be a nice surprise to take the points off a side whose supporters seem a little too confident given what they've achieved. Realistically, with Moylan out, we'd be satisfied to be competitive at this stage, with a long season ahead.

 

[betcats]

The raiders defence is the question, they can score points as good as any team.

 

[isaiah]

Not a raiders fan but they are top 4, imo.

 

[franklin2323]

I'd expect DWZ to be the fullback but maybe he and Hiku will switch at times so its just a case of who is in what jumper. Smith on the bench would be a peculiar move indeed with the reduced interchange and the match expected to be played in sauna bath conditions.

Whare would be in doubt. Smith may just be on standby for him

 

[hindy111]

will smith in - fullback

 

[Buzzard Breath]

I reckon canberra will blow penrith off the park tbh... 30+

Play nice on here Hindy. Don't be another Rynob.;-)

 

[mxlegend99]

Smith seems to be the favorite for fullback. Lets reward the worst player on the field against the Eels with the #1 jersey ahead of DWZ or Hiku. Him and Wallace in the spine... our attack is going to be just awesome.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

Early mail

Panthers: Christian Nicolussi reports that Will Smith will wear the No. 1 jumper for Penrith, with coach Anthony Griffin preferring him ahead of Dallin Watene-Zelezniak and Peta Hiku.
Smith steps in for the injured Matt Moylan, who will miss at least a week with back stiffness.
Watene-Zelezniak and Hiku will play right wing and left centre respectively.
Trent Merrin is also tipped to play at lock, with Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Sam McKendry the starting front-rowers.
Meanwhile, Dean Whare is likely to miss Penrith’s opening-round NRL clash due to a calf injury.
The Kiwi centre has been all but ruled out of the match, with Waqa Blake likely to be called into the Penrith side for the game at GIO Stadium.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...s/news-story/f6a21d4500d084a2eeb547a6a27dc818

 

[umina panther]

Raiders 13+

 

[betcats]

Well that is extremely disappointing.

 

[umina panther]

I wonder where DWZ will sign?

 

[abpanther]

What a f**ken joke

 

[snickers007]

Devils Advocate here:
I don't see us having any choice but to play Smith at FB this game if Whare is injured.

If DWZ moves from Wing to FB, who plays on the Wing? From our top 25, we have Gennings (injured) and Rennings (hasn't trialed with the NRL team, and does not play Wing).

If Hiku moves from Centre to FB, we either move DWZ into Centre (and see above for consequences), or put Yeo as a stop gap.

The other alternative is to look outside our Top 25, however I think it's a bad idea to start eating into your second tier cap in Rnd 1.

Notwithstanding a man of the match performance from Smith this weekend, when Whare comes back in, Smith will be gone. The decision to play Smith says much more about our injured backline than it does about Smith's standing.


IMO Smith has played his best footy in the NRL at fullback, and finished last season extremely strong. He may have been underwhelming in the trials, but he was playing in the halves/hooker, which is not his strong suit.

For mine, Hook has made the right call in this case. Hopefully he has a blinder, and we get the win, regardless of which 17 are named.