2017 Line-up

[Morepudding]

Ps team will be

Boyd
Oates
Kahu
Roberts
Mead
Milford
Hunt
Sims
Macca
Blair
Gillett
Thaiday
McG

Marshall/knick
TPJ
Ofa/Herman Ese'ese (aka easy e)
Glenn

Yeah this will be it.

Only possible change I can think of is Bennett decides we've got to find a place for Su'a. Either Glenn or the utility are the only possible spots. But dropping Glenn would leave no experience on the bench so the only way that could work is if Thaiday was benched for Su'a. Maybe a bit of a long shot compared to Niko/Benji losing their spot, but I think something along the lines of either is a possibility.

There is Bennettfits (started as a typo but I like it) for Su'a being thrown in the deep end for the first game of the season - it's a chance to see him in a game with more of a 'big match' feel then the rest of the regular season.

Gillo/Glenn/Thaiday to lock is the other possibility to get Su'a in, but all signs seem to point to Moose getting it.

Agree with the team fully although i don't think there is any chance of Glenn being dropped. I'd say less than 1% chance. I'm sort of a fan of the idea of no Marshall/Nik and using Macca for 80 minutes. Glenn can slot in to any position really in the forward pack and can play centre if need be. Surely that is enough utility value for injuries?

 

[Pushkin]

I thinks sims gone play from bench starting few rounds. He is new to the team. Fullback is most important position in back line. Just like that hooker is most important position in front line. Sims never player with whole time in the match. So that means starting position is still available. Let see who performe will world club challenge. Kahu and opacic different type of player. Kahu got decent footwork and quick passing game. Opacic is good defender. He is solid player. Opacic had bad game against cowboy. He got one shoulder issue before the game and both shoulder during the game.

 

[Super Freak]

You mean when we had a heap of injuries and Bennett didn't want to disrupt the right side. Opacic is back up at best .

Yeah, a couple of injuries in the forwards..

Bennett has shown he is more than willing to bring up a rookie winger and we had one in the ranks that would have done the job just fine. If Bennett didn't think he couldn't handle first grade, he never would have been selected.

And having Kahu at centre would have benefited us more attacking wise than having Opacic at centre, but still Opacic was selected ahead of Kahu.

To say that Opacic has no chance.. Well, I wouldn't put money on that. Especially after Kahu's incredible finishing ability in the 9's and the fact that Opacic is a better defender than Kahu.

If Reed were still playing, he would be left centre ahead of both of them. Because Bennett likes those type of centres.

 

[BroncsFan]

Kahu and mead really did have some sensational highlights together. I know Roberts probably didn't net the individual accolades I and most may have expected last year, but his presence really creates opportunities for his outside men if nothing else.

It seems inevitable kahu will start at centre which seems most logical, but damn can he finish (as seen there and nines). I hope, and am hopeful we don't lose anything by having mead outside Roberts

Mead is a great finisher have you not seen the one handed pick up against the sharks. We will lose nothing with Mead on the wing, may even pick up some speed

 

[Morepudding]

Yeah, injuries in the forwards..

Bennett has shown he is more than willing to bring up a rookie winger and we had one in the ranks that would have done the job just fine. If Bennett didn't think he couldn't handle first grade, he never would have been selected.

And having Kahu at centre would have benefited us more attacking wise than having Opacic at centre, but still Opacic was selected ahead of Kahu.

To say that Opacic has no chance.. Well, I wouldn't put money on that. Especially after Kahu's incredible finishing ability in the 9's.

If Kahu is fit he will 100% be in the team ahead of Opacic every day of the week. Opacic wasn't selected above Kahu. Kahu maintained his position. Opacic was selected because there were no other centres available, and creating a full backline reshuffle would have been retarded. Not to mention, the game against cowboys where Opacic was so bad was also with out Roberts, where Kahu played right centre. Opacic will not play 100 first grade games. Honestly, don't think he will play 50.

 

[Morepudding]

I'm not even sure opacic would be next in line. if an injury to a centre it would be out of Benji/moga/Opacic and I'd say at least Benji would be above him. As for an injury to a winger, Pearson is likely first choice winger replacement, followed by potential kahu shift and then one of aforementioned centres coming in.

 

[Porthoz]

I have to ask, can someone show me a video or anything of Kahu running at full pace last year? Not being a smart ass or anything, I just can't think of any.

The chase from the scrum in our 20 that Hunt kicked for the Jet to chase, Kahu was the second Bronco and ended up scoring the try.

 

[Cult]

The chase from the scrum in our 20 that Hunt kicked for the Jet to chase, Kahu was the second Bronco and ended up scoring the try.

With the ball..

 

[Brent81]

Agree with the team fully although i don't think there is any chance of Glenn being dropped. I'd say less than 1% chance. I'm sort of a fan of the idea of no Marshall/Nik and using Macca for 80 minutes. Glenn can slot in to any position really in the forward pack and can play centre if need be. Surely that is enough utility value for injuries?

Personally I'd prefer 4 forwards (Glenn, TPJ, Easy E and Ofa) on the bench but I suspect that Bennett wants the utility in Marshall/Kodi

If your going to do that I suspect Ofa and Easy E are ur centre forwards and TPJ and Glenn are edge runners.....probs initially need to ensure that you have two of Moose, Sims, Blair and Thaiday on at all times....

 

[Porthoz]

With the ball..

I don't think he even had the opportunity last season.
His returns are pretty good in general, more skill than brawl, but he almost always gets his nose through the line and a quick PTB.

 

[Morepudding]

I honestly don't know what some of you watch. People saying Opacic is better than Kahu, that Glenn should get dropped, that Ben Hunt's kicking game is anything other than garbage, that Offa should definitely start before Sims, even though he spent most of season in reserves.. Not sure if there is some blind loyalty to some players or some grudges against others or what but it baffles me.

 

[Cult]

I don't think he even had the opportunity last season.
His returns are pretty good in general, more skill than brawl, but he almost always gets his nose through the line and a quick PTB.

No. He had plenty of kick returns and hit ups in our half.

 

[Porthoz]

No. He had plenty of kick returns and hit ups in our half.

Yes, which I covered.
What's your point... nitpicking at another player because I rated him before FG?

 

[Super Freak]

I honestly don't know what some of you watch. People saying Opacic is better than Kahu, that Glenn should get dropped, that Ben Hunt's kicking game is anything other than garbage, that Offa should definitely start before Sims, even though he spent most of season in reserves.. Not sure if there is some blind loyalty to some players or some grudges against others or what but it baffles me.

Who said Opacic is better than Kahu?

I don't know what you're reading.

 

[Cult]

Yes, which I covered.
What's your point... nitpicking at another player because I rated him before FG?

When did this become about you? I simply asked if anyone could show me Kahu at full pace with the ball because he seemed to have regressed in 2016. When asking the question I accidentally left out that I meant running with the ball, but I rectified that by adding it afterwards. But you did say he wasn't given a chance and that his walk ups were more skill than brawl which was crap because his hit ups led to nothing and were not skillful. Therefore you looked past another negative for one of your favourites, so if the shoe fits..

 

[Wolfie]

You mean when we had a heap of injuries and Bennett didn't want to disrupt the right side. Opacic is back up at best .

At the moment he is backup no question, but he did well last season despite playing most of his games injured. I doubt many here would have seen much of him play fully fit tbh.

 

[Unbreakable]

I definietely noticed a loss of pace from Kahu last year, whether that was through injury or lack of effort, I'm unsure. But to be fair, he's never really been "fast", he has many other strengths as a player, luckily.

 

[Wolfie]

If Kahu is fit he will 100% be in the team ahead of Opacic every day of the week. Opacic wasn't selected above Kahu. Kahu maintained his position. Opacic was selected because there were no other centres available, and creating a full backline reshuffle would have been retarded. Not to mention, the game against cowboys where Opacic was so bad was also with out Roberts, where Kahu played right centre. Opacic will not play 100 first grade games. Honestly, don't think he will play 50.

Your criticism of Opacic against the Cowboys saying he was " so bad " is pretty harsh. Played with two busted shoulders, one of which he could barely even lift and which should have been operated on at least a month before that game. Not his fault really we had nobody else. He showed a lot of toughness even playing that game. Luckily, the people that matter at the club know all that anyway, its things like that why Bennett thinks highly of him.

I dont really see many people actually putting him above Kahu anyway. Most people know he is backup.