Four Nations Week 2

[Big Pete]

New Zealand vs Samoa
Saturday 1st of November 2014
Toll Stadium, Northland.
1pm on GEM

1. Peta Hiku 2. Jason Nightingale 3. Dean Whare 4. Shaun Kenny-Dowall 5. Manu Vatuvei 6. Kieran Foran 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Issac Luke 10. Adam Blair 11. Simon Mannering 12. Kevin Proctor 13. Jason Taumalolo
14. Lewis Brown 15. Suaia Matagi 16. Martin Taupau 17. Tohu Harris 18. Bodene Thompson

1. Peta Hiku 2. Jason Nightingale 3. Dean Whare 4. Shaun Kenny-Dowall 5. Manu Vatuvei 6. Kieran Foran 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Issac Luke 10. Adam Blair 11. Simon Mannering 12. Kevin Proctor 13. Jason Taumalolo
14. Lewis Brown 15. Suaia Matagi 16. Martin Taupau 17. Tohu Harris 18. Bodene Thompson


Australia vs England
Sunday 2nd of November 2014
AAMI Park, Melbourne
2pm on Nine

1. Greg Inglis 2. Josh Mansour 3. Michael Jennings 4. Dylan Walker 5. Sione Mata'utia 6. Daly Cherry-Evans 7. Cooper Cronk 8. Aaron Woods 9. Cameron Smith 10. Sam Thaiday 11. Beau Scott 12. Greg Bird 13. Corey Parker
14. Boyd Cordner 15. Robbie Farah 16. Aidan Guerra 17. Ryan Hoffman 18. Ben Hunt 19. David Klemmer 20. Josh Papalii

1. Sam Tomkins 2. Josh Charnley 3. Kallum Watkins 4. Michael Shenton 5. Ryan Hall 6. Gareth Widdop 7. Matthew Smith 8. George Burgess 9. Josh Hodgson 10. James Graham 11. Liam Farrell 12. Joel Tomkins 13. Joe Westerman
14. Daryl Clark 15. Brett Ferres 16. Thomas Burgess 17. Chris Hill

 

[Big Pete]

DCE has been diagnosed with a minor hip tear.

It appears he'll miss Sunday's do or die clash with England. Ben Hunt is considered the favourite to make his debut, a huge achievement and something that was a total pipe-dream before a ball was even kicked this season.

 

[Alec]

As much as it still is a joke of a selection, surely Klemmer has to come into the side. Beau Scott shouldn't be in the team, he's pathetic at anything above NRL level. Parker to start. Thaiday to go into the 2nd row, and perform or finally be dropped.

Of course who knows what will happen with Sheens.

 

[Harry Sack]

As much as it still is a joke of a selection, surely Klemmer has to come into the side. Beau Scott shouldn't be in the team, he's pathetic at anything above NRL level. Parker to start. Thaiday to go into the 2nd row, and perform or finally be dropped.

Of course who knows what will happen with Sheens.

6. Farah/Smith
7. Cronk
9. Smith/Farah

Because Sheenius.

Agree regarding Klemmer and I'm still stumped how he wasn't in the side for what would likely be the most physical encounter. If I was to drop someone after last night though, I'd have to go with Hoffman not Scott. Horrendous is an understatement.

 

[Cult]

6. Farah/Smith
7. Cronk
9. Smith/Farah

Because Sheenius.

Agree regarding Klemmer and I'm still stumped how he wasn't in the side for what would likely be the most physical encounter. If I was to drop someone after last night though, I'd have to go with Hoffman not Scott. Horrendous is an understatement.

Bird was the worst player on the field. He gave away too many penalties and errors. Then he comes out and called for his team to improve. What a dick head.

 

[Super Freak]

Bird was the worst player on the field. He gave away too many penalties and errors. Then he comes out and called for his team to improve. What a dick head.

Bird was one of the very few Aussies trying his heart out to get them back into the game, and he definitely wasn't the worst on field. But he gave away 1 penalty and made 1 error. He needs to fucking go.

 

[Big Pete]

Well, he actually came up with two bad plays that won't count as errors but they should.

Firstly, he basically killed our set early in the game, throwing an offload to nobody that went about 10m backwards. Then to make up for it he got dominated in the next tackle, giving Cronk nothing to work with which allowed Foran to take the ball with relative ease.

Second was when Farah put him through the gap and he threw a speculator to Cronk when he was well marked.

Not really all that fussed by the penalty he gave away. Was just a ruck penalty off a goal line drop out. However, he was lucky not to give away a penalty on Foran when he went a little OTT in the ruck.

Overall, thought his first stint was ordinary.

Second was good though outside of the pass to Cronk.

He wasn't the worst player on the field. In fact, he was one of the better players for Australia in the second stint.

I don't disagree with anything in the media. The Australians attitude wasn't good enough, they've got to improve. Don't understand the umbridge other than Bird's reputation - I would if he came out and said that the rest of the team has to chip in but everything he said was 'we'.

 

[Alec]

Bird playing lock is ridiculous. He went well, and he's much better on the edges.

 

[Porthoz]

I'd still have Bird as the utility, with Thaiday on the right fringe and Scott on the left, where he won't be a turnstile at least, like Hoffman, who should get the boot out of the team altogether.

 

[Battler]

6. Farah/Smith
7. Cronk
9. Smith/Farah

Because Sheenius.

Agree regarding Klemmer and I'm still stumped how he wasn't in the side for what would likely be the most physical encounter. If I was to drop someone after last night though, I'd have to go with Hoffman not Scott. Horrendous is an understatement.

If Farah or Smith start in the halves to accommodate Farah in the starting side I may just barrack for England... Farah seriously stunk it up last week, and should have his papers stamped never to play again. DCE is starting to wear thin on me as well, the bloke is seriously selfish trying to play through an injury; it didn't work in origin, it isn't going to work in a crunch test.

EDIT: My side would be:
1. Inglis
2. Johnston
3. Jennings
4. Walker
5. Mansour (Tupou is swiftly maneuvering his way into the lofty position as the most overrated player in the game. Farah still edges him out.)
6. Hunt
7. Cronk
8. Woods (should be Lillyman)
9. Smith
10. Klemmer? He hasn't started at prop for his club, another dumb selection from Sheens
11. Guerra
12. Bird
13. Parker
14. Moylan/ Hoffman/ Papalli/ Jackson. Again, shit squad to choose from. Hoffman doesn't deserve to get picked after last weekend.
15. Thaiday
16. Scott
17. Cordner (don't really rate him, but no one else to choose from).

 

[Harry Sack]

If Farah or Smith start in the halves to accommodate Farah in the starting side I may just barrack for England... Farah seriously stunk it up last week, and should have his papers stamped never to play again. DCE is starting to wear thin on me as well, the bloke is seriously selfish trying to play through an injury; it didn't work in origin, it isn't going to work in a crunch test.

I'm just hoping it doesn't happen. We all saw what happened during Origin when DCE was given up to kick off to prove his fitness. If he insists on starting DCE, at least have Hunt on the bench this time.

6. Hunt
7. Cronk
9. Smith

is 100% what I would go with. Woods and Klemmer both need to be in the team as well. We got molested by the Kiwis....the poms won't be much better.

 

[Danoz Direct]

Twelve months after putting himself through a gruelling pre pre-season program Broncos halfback Ben Hunt is set to be rewarded with a first Test cap in Australia's must-win Four Nations clash with England in Melbourne on Sunday.


On the back of their 30-12 defeat at the hands of the Kiwis on Saturday night Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens will name his team to play England on Tuesday afternoon with the uncertainty surrounding five-eighth Daly Cherry-Evans paving the way for Hunt's international debut.


Cherry-Evans suffered a minor muscle hip tear during the first half against the Kiwis and although he will be given every opportunity to prove his fitness, any doubt that he could complete the game would pave the way for Hunt to replace Farah on the bench as cover.


Controversially edged out by Cherry-Evans as the Dally M Halfback of the Year, Hunt's breakout season for Brisbane was built on an opportunity to make the No.7 jersey his own together with a commitment to get his body in the best physical shape possible.


He was a leader throughout much of the pre-season torture sessions at Red Hill and caught the eye of senior players such as Corey Parker upon their return from World Cup duties.


"I've seen him play and I've seen the talent he's got. I knew that was in him. For him to go to that next level he needed to do a few things different and he certainly did that and this year was fantastic," Parker told NRL.com.


"At the end of 2013 'Hook' (former Broncos coach Anthony Griffin) gave him an opportunity and said, 'You're going to play seven' and towards the back-end of last year he played some really good football.


"He had a fantastic off-season. I wasn't a part of it for most of it but by all reports he had a fantastic off-season. When I got back to training, his physique had changed, his demeanour and the way he approached things had changed like we saw this year in the way he played, the talent he's got.


"I get to train and see how talented he is but to see him do it week in week out for the Broncos is great. He got an opportunity to come in to camp with the Queensland side and just being involved with guys like 'Coops' (Cooper Cronk) and 'JT' (Johnathan Thurston), really helped him.


"He finished the year fantastic. He's not a shadow player anymore, he's in the squad and he's here to stay."


Known to enjoy a good time as much as a show-and-go, Hunt went on a self-imposed booze ban for much of the 2014 pre-season campaign and set about putting aside the disappointment of almost five years spent biding his time on the Broncos bench.


"It first really started in my off-season in my time away," Hunt said upon earning selection in the Kangaroos' Four Nations squad. "I put in a lot of work off by myself doing a lot of running and a lot of weights so kept fit for when I came back at the start of pre-season and laid off the drink for a while, changed my diet a bit and just working hard in pre-season put me in good shape.


"I spent a lot of years playing off the bench and had that burning desire to cement a starting spot and to get that at the start of the year felt really good for me and to finish off the year the way I have is definitely a dream come true."


Such has been Hunt's impact on the NRL in his first full season at halfback, England fullback Sam Tomkins expects him to take on a dominant role with regards to Australia's kicking game if he is to partner Cronk in the halves.


"They're all really good kickers of the ball. Cooper Cronk can kick the ball a really long way and as well as that you've got Cameron Smith so it's a bit of a headache if you're a fullback trying to cover three blokes that can kick the ball," said Tomkins.


"If Ben Hunt comes in he gets his foot on the ball quite a lot so I'd expect him to take over the main kicking duties."


Queensland's gamble to play Cherry-Evans in Game Two of the Origin Series despite being limited in how much training he could participate in back-fired and may lead Sheens to adopt a cautious selection policy in such a critical game.


His decision to play an ill Greg Inglis came back to bit the Kangaroos and captain Cameron Smith indicated on Monday that any question mark over Cherry-Evans would potentially be good news for Hunt.


"Even if [Cherry-Evans] was to get up and play I'd dare say Tim would be thinking of a utility spot for Ben given we were left short for a half on the weekend," Smith said.


"This might be Ben Hunt's chance to show everyone what he's got because he's had a great season so far."

 

[Super Freak]

I have a feeling DCE will be named with Hunt named on the bench.

 

[Morkel]

I have a feeling DCE will be named with Hunt named on the bench.

Yeah, but even then at least Hunt will be playing. If Farah is named I'm going to burn something significant.

 

[Unbreakable]

I'm pretty sure Farah will be named, Hunt will be named as 18th man as cover for DCE.

 

[Danoz Direct]

I'm pretty sure Farah will be named, Hunt will be named as 18th man as cover for DCE.

Seriously don't know why you would name Farah, he only covers 1 position and does not even make an impact when he comes on. On the other hand Hunt can cover multiply positions and would be explosive off the bench.

 

[Alec]

Seriously don't know why you would name Farah, he only covers 1 position and does not even make an impact when he comes on. On the other hand Hunt can cover multiply positions and would be explosive off the bench.

Farah covers hooker, and shit in the halves.
Hunt covers halves, and shit at hooker.

What's the big difference?

Not that I disagree with playing Hunt instead, but I can admit it's because I'm a Broncos fan, not come up with some weird reasoning.

 

[Morkel]

Farah covers hooker, and shit in the halves.
Hunt covers halves, and shit at hooker.

What's the big difference?

Not that I disagree with playing Hunt instead, but I can admit it's because I'm a Broncos fan, not come up with some weird reasoning.

That being said, our injury concern is where...?