Your team for 2012!

[jk13]

I agree with most positions listed. But to me Hayne has to be fb, and unfortunately I think Roberts will continue on his injury prone way meaning he will be swapping with morts or maguire on a regular basis at 5/8

 

[Poupou Escobar]

but I definately agree Ben Roberts is a John Morris clone.

John Morris - strong defence, high workrate, reasonable speed and footwork, strong runner, average kicking and passing

Ben Roberts - average defence, average workrate, average speed, good footwork, strong runner, good kicking and passing

Other than average speed and strong running I'd say they're very different players.

Also, John Morris started as a hooker, moved to the halves and went back to hooker.

Ben Roberts came into first grade in 2006 and switched between halfback and five-eighth.

In 2007 he started at halfback, playing five games there before shifting to five-eighth and playing the rest of the season.

In 2008 he started at 6, played a couple of games at 7 and off the bench in the middle of the season, then moved back to 6 and finished the year there.

In '09 he played every game at 6 except for one game off the bench (round 3) and halfback in week 1 of the finals.

Then last year he played the first 7 games at five-eighth, got injured, came back off the bench in rounds 21 and 22, and then finished the year at 6. By the time he came back from injury the Dogs had signed Kris Keating.

To be honest, I'm surprised the Dogs keep picking him, with him leaving next year. They obviously still think they're a chance of making the finals.

 

[Joely01]

1. Hayne
2. Burt/Sio
3. W.Tonga
4. E. Tonga
5. Loko
6. Roberts
7. Sandow
8. Poore
9. MK
10. Mannah
11. Hindy
12. Smith
13. Maitua

14. McGuire
15. Horo
16. Fui Fui
17. Shackleton

Im tipping Hayne to have a massive 2012 and go close to being the Dally M, going back to a more relaxed, pop up when he wants fullback will suite him alot better.

Im not saying Poore and Mannah are better the Fui, but i think we could get the most out of Fui next year if we bring him on after 25min and let him have a massive 15min spell before halftime. Then either push the whole 2nd half out or a 25min stint either at the start of the 2nd half or with 25min to go.


Also havent heard anything official regarding Vai Vai, have we official let him off next years contract to stay with Penrith?

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Represented NZ as a utility player and has played at hooker, halfback and 5/8 in his time at the Bulldogs. Has even lined up at fullback. Hasn't nailed down one position in his time in first grade. He is a utility player rather than a specialist.

Really?

To your first point, he has played three games for the Kiwis - once at 7 and twice at 6. Considering he has to fit into the team with Benji Marshall, you can't exactly call his appearance at 7 a utility appearance. Even Kieran Foran has to wear 7 in the Kiwi team - someone has to; they split their halves.

To your second point, he has started 85 times (6 off the bench) in his career but never once at hooker. I understand his bench appearances may have been at dummy half but if he was seen as a hooker you'd think he would have started there at least once in 85 starts.

Finally, of his 91 first grade appearances, he has played centre twice, come off the bench 6 times, played 14 games at halfback, and started 69 games at five-eighth.

That's over three-quarters of his games at the one position. In the last three years he has played 89% of his games at five-eighth (39 of 44 with one at halfback and four off the bench).

http://www.rleague.com/db/player/r/roberts_ben/index.php#stats

I think he's nailed down his position. If he hasn't he will next year.

 

[caylo]

Also havent heard anything official regarding Vai Vai, have we official let him off next years contract to stay with Penrith?

I think it was quoted that he never actually put pen to paper and both parties were happy to part ways.

 

[Eels Dude]

Fair points Poupou. Morris started his career as bench utility though, when he did get a starting spot it was actually as a winger for the Knights. Let's not talk about 2008 for Roberts. The Bulldogs were wooden spooners that year.

 

[caylo]

Really?

To your first point, he has played three games for the Kiwis - once at 7 and twice at 6. Considering he has to fit into the team with Benji Marshall, you can't exactly call his appearance at 7 a utility appearance. Even Kieran Foran has to wear 7 in the Kiwi team - someone has to; they split their halves.

To your second point, he has started 85 times (6 off the bench) in his career but never once at hooker. I understand his bench appearances may have been at dummy half but if he was seen as a hooker you'd think he would have started there at least once in 85 starts.

Finally, of his 91 first grade appearances, he has played centre twice, come off the bench 6 times, played 14 games at halfback, and started 69 games at five-eighth.

That's over three-quarters of his games at the one position. In the last three years he has played 89% of his games at five-eighth (39 of 44 with one at halfback and four off the bench).

http://www.rleague.com/db/player/r/roberts_ben/index.php#stats

I think he's nailed down his position. If he hasn't he will next year.

Time like this it good to have Poupou on your side. It should also be mentioned that the times he played halfback were along side Anasta (correct me if im wrong Poupou) but even in the jnrs he was a 5-8 and they tried to turn him into a make shift halfback. You can essentially say that he played in the halves 83/91 (91%) in which his role would have been very similar (and he would have been at 5-8 if they had a player more capable of playing halfback).

IMO Roberts is a 5-8, watch him play and you should see it. He plays a couple wide of the ruck (or down the short side) and runs the ball to the line and kick/pass. He is very much a 5-8 in the traditional sense.

 

[Avenger]

If Ben Roberts can play at 6 like John Morris did for us in 2005 I will be very happy.

 

[jason taylor]

John Morris - strong defence, high workrate, reasonable speed and footwork, strong runner, average kicking and passing

Ben Roberts - average defence, average workrate, average speed, good footwork, strong runner, good kicking and passing

Other than average speed and strong running I'd say they're very different players.

Also, John Morris started as a hooker, moved to the halves and went back to hooker.

Ben Roberts came into first grade in 2006 and switched between halfback and five-eighth.

In 2007 he started at halfback, playing five games there before shifting to five-eighth and playing the rest of the season.

In 2008 he started at 6, played a couple of games at 7 and off the bench in the middle of the season, then moved back to 6 and finished the year there.

In '09 he played every game at 6 except for one game off the bench (round 3) and halfback in week 1 of the finals.

Then last year he played the first 7 games at five-eighth, got injured, came back off the bench in rounds 21 and 22, and then finished the year at 6. By the time he came back from injury the Dogs had signed Kris Keating.

To be honest, I'm surprised the Dogs keep picking him, with him leaving next year. They obviously still think they're a chance of making the finals.

Wrong.

John Morris started on the Wing at Newcastle

 

[SDM]

I think it was quoted that he never actually put pen to paper and both parties were happy to part ways.

Didn't he play for Penrith on the weekend?

 

[Eels Dude]

Time like this it good to have Poupou on your side. It should also be mentioned that the times he played halfback were along side Anasta (correct me if im wrong Poupou) but even in the jnrs he was a 5-8 and they tried to turn him into a make shift halfback. You can essentially say that he played in the halves 83/91 (91%) in which his role would have been very similar (and he would have been at 5-8 if they had a player more capable of playing halfback).

IMO Roberts is a 5-8, watch him play and you should see it. He plays a couple wide of the ruck (or down the short side) and runs the ball to the line and kick/pass. He is very much a 5-8 in the traditional sense.

I'll save him the time and correct you instead. Anasta was already playing for the Roosters when Roberts made his first grade debut for the Bulldogs.

 

[caylo]

Didn't he play for Penrith on the weekend?

yep he has been at penrith for a while, apparently they were in discussion for 2012 before he got the punt from souths. There was an article a few weeks ago about it, parramatta said 'officially' that they were happy to have him at in 2012 but since he moved to penrith the deal fell through.

 

[Eels Dude]

Didn't he play for Penrith on the weekend?

He's been playing for Penrith for a couple of months now.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Fair points Poupou. Morris started his career as bench utility though, when he did get a starting spot it was actually as a winger for the Knights.

Outplayed Wendell Sailor didn't he?

Let's not talk about 2008 for Roberts. The Bulldogs were wooden spooners that year.

To be honest, he's been a bit of a loser with the Dogs - he's won just under half his games with them (45 from 91).

But that's as stupid as the argument that Hayne's only won a third of his games with the Blues. Rugby league's a team sport, and sometimes players are unfairly encumbered by shit teams.

Roberts isn't a match-winner, but he's solid with the ability to have a blinder here and there. My only concern for him is that he seems injury prone.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

Wrong.

John Morris started on the Wing at Newcastle

Yeah I know, I remember it. But he didn't come into first grade as a winger, he just played there out of necessity.

He was originally a hooker. I'm pretty sure Danny Buderus started as a fullback.

 

[caylo]

I'll save him the time and correct you instead. Anasta was already playing for the Roosters when Roberts made his first grade debut for the Bulldogs.

irrespective the point still stands, when he played H/B it was because Sherwin was injured and either he or Holdworth/Taumata played 5-8. Generally as the senior play maker he is moved to halfback, just as Dykes was moved to halfback when at parra.

He started the season at 5-8, moved to halfback and when Sherwin came back into the team he moved back to 5-8. The only other game after that at h/b was with stagg at 5-8 so clearly since 2008 he has been considered at 5-8 and not until barba emerged and his injury was he shafted to the bench.

 

[Bazal]

Sure why not

1-Jarryd Hayne
2-Luke Burt
3-Ryan Morgan
4-Willie Tonga
5-Esi Tonga
6-Ben Roberts
7-Chris Sandow
8-Tim Mannah
9-Matt Keating
10-Fui Fui Moi Moi
11-Nathan Hindmarsh (c)
12-Justin Horo
13-Reni Maitua

14-McGuire/Humble/Mortimer (in that order, depending who is contracted as at this stage Casey and Tom are not signed)
15-Justin Poore
16-Mitchell Allgood
17-Taulima Tautai

I think, at this stage, Morgan is the best right centre option we have. Loko is not a right centre at this stage. Hard to find room for Shack and Benny, as I think niether are benchies and Tautai (from what he's shown at the Sharks) offers a bit more grunt from there. Lasalo, O'Hanlon, Brien will benefit from the run this year and improve with Wenty. There looks like being a bit of competition for spots, which is awesome.

 

[Poupou Escobar]

He started the season at 5-8, moved to halfback and when Sherwin came back into the team he moved back to 5-8.

Yep. In '06 he debuted at five-eighth for one game, covered at 7 when Sherwin was injured (3 games) and then played centre in both the finals matches.

In '07 he started the year at halfback for 5 games (Sherwin was injured again), went back to reserve grade, and then in round 10 he replaced Daniel Holdsworth at five-eighth for the rest of the year.

In '08 he mostly played at 6 with Holdsworth at 7, except for a mid-year experiment where they swapped.

In '09 he played nearly every at five-eighth (played halfback when Noddy was injured in week 1 of the finals).

Since then every game he's started in has been at 6.

Also, in games where he started at 6 last year he shifted to edge forward when Barba came off the bench. But Roberts is a bit small for back-row, and his kicking game is wasted.

 

[bartman]

My round one guess:

1. Burt
2. Morgan
3. W Tonga
4. Hayne
5. Tautai
6. Roberts
7. Sandow
8. Mannah
9. Keating
10. Moimoi
11. Hindmarsh
12. Smith
13. Maitua
14. Maguire
15. Shackleton
16. Allgood
17. Horo
18. E. Tonga/Loko/Poore/Lasalo/Mortimer

 

[Parra Pride]

1. Hayne
2. Burt
3. W. Tonga
4. Loko/E. Tonga
5. Loko/E. Tonga/Sio
6. Morts
7. Sandow
8. Mannah
9. Keating
10. Moimoi
11. Hindmarsh (C)
12. Smith
13. Maitua

14. Roberts
15. Shackleton
16. Poore
17. Allgood/Horo