PRE-GAME Round 1 - Sharks vs Broncos

[Super Freak]

I remember a few of blairs games being just as weak ! Yet he is our starting prop !

Blair more than made up for those efforts.

 

[1910]

I want KNik to play 7 in the ISC as has been mentioned already by @Dash, give him the chance to be groomed for a shot at post-Hunt, see what he's got.

Murphy or Nikorima are going to have to play six.

 

[Morepudding]

To be fair on Offa here we were dominated while he was on the field and defended most of it from memory and the only player who had a reasonable game was Pangai Jr out of our entire 17. In all honesty I tried to not watch that one too keenly because I didn't want to throw my phone into a wall, again.

One would argue that we were dominated because our starting prop made 0 hitups. Just sayin.

 

[Porthoz]

Not that weak. Offa was non existent that game

Pretty sure Blair was non-existent in a few of his first games with us.

 

[Unbreakable]

After going back and forth on it a few times, my final prognosis is that I think we should go with Arrow, he's a better ball player and offloader than McGuire, he's not blind in one eye, and he's arguably a better defender as well. And he's just a smarter long term option, we haven't got many great locks coming through, but we have a lot of good props, so in a scenario where McGuire leaves after this season to chase the money, his departure would have less impact on the team if he's just playing prop.

1. Boyd (c)
2. Oates
3. Kahu
4. Roberts
5. Mead
6. Milford
7. Hunt
8. McGuire
9. McCullough
10. Blair
11. Thaiday
12. Gillett
13. Arrow

14. Glenn
15. Sims
16. Pangai Jr
17. Ese'ese

 

[BroncsFan]

After going back and forth on it a few times, my final prognosis is that I think we should go with Arrow, he's a better ball player and offloader than McGuire, he's not blind in one eye, and he's arguably a better defender as well. And he's just a smarter long term option, we haven't got many great locks coming through, but we have a lot of good props, so in a scenario where McGuire leaves after this season to chase the money, his departure would have less impact on the team if he's just playing prop.

1. Boyd (c)
2. Oates
3. Kahu
4. Roberts
5. Mead
6. Milford
7. Hunt
8. McGuire
9. McCullough
10. Blair
11. Thaiday
12. Gillett
13. Arrow

14. Glenn
15. Sims
16. Pangai Jr
17. Ese'ese

The issue with that kind of line up is when McGuire and Blair are off you then have sims and ESE/offa along with arrow out there defending the middle and we've seen how that works out.

Also you just know Bennett will take one of Benji/knik for whatever reason so either Glenn or TPJ would be left in reggies

 

[Dash]

After going back and forth on it a few times, my final prognosis is that I think we should go with Arrow, he's a better ball player and offloader than McGuire, he's not blind in one eye, and he's arguably a better defender as well. And he's just a smarter long term option, we haven't got many great locks coming through, but we have a lot of good props, so in a scenario where McGuire leaves after this season to chase the money, his departure would have less impact on the team if he's just playing prop.

1. Boyd (c)
2. Oates
3. Kahu
4. Roberts
5. Mead
6. Milford
7. Hunt
8. McGuire
9. McCullough
10. Blair
11. Thaiday
12. Gillett
13. Arrow

14. Glenn
15. Sims
16. Pangai Jr
17. Ese'ese

If we're expecting McGuire to leave, wouldn't we be better off playing him at lock? That way an extra young prop gets a year's worth of NRL experience.

 

[Sproj]

The other option is to get McGuire to start at lock and then switch him to prop when Arrow/TPJ comes on.

 

[Unbreakable]

The issue with that kind of line up is when McGuire and Blair are off you then have sims and ESE/offa along with arrow out there defending the middle and we've seen how that works out.

How have we seen how that works out? Sims is new to the club and Arrow has started one game in his career. We have ho idea how our lineup will look defensively this year, and if it becomes a major issue, we rotate interchanging Blair & McGuire so that one of them is on the field at all times.

 

[Unbreakable]

If we're expecting McGuire to leave, wouldn't we be better off playing him at lock? That way an extra young prop gets a year's worth of NRL experience.

No, because then we'll have to move someone to lock who has no NRL experience there. Plus in the scenario where McGuire leaves we probably replace him in the starting lineup with Sims, who already has plenty of NRL experience.

 

[Danoz Direct]

I don't think Arrow should be in the 17.

 

[Rally Towel]

I think we should go with Arrow, he's a better ball player and offloader than McGuire, he's not blind in one eye, and he's arguably a better defender as well.

The only thing we know in your analysis is that he's not blind in one eye. The rest is just conjecture at this stage.

 

[Mitch06]

The only thing we know in your analysis is that he's not blind in one eye. The rest is just conjecture at this stage.

I tell you what, Joshy is one hell of a player if he is only playing with one eye! I'm excited to see him take a bit more of a ball-playing roll at lock. I think he has it in him.

 

[Unbreakable]

The only thing we know in your analysis is that he's not blind in one eye. The rest is just conjecture at this stage.

The ball playing and offloading isn't conjecture, all it would take is you watching a couple of games of Arrow to know that he's far better in that department. McGuire has been and always will be a run hard style of player, moving him to lock isn't going to suddenly turn him in to Corey Parker.

 

[BroncsFan]

How have we seen how that works out? Sims is new to the club and Arrow has started one game in his career. We have ho idea how our lineup will look defensively this year, and if it becomes a major issue, we rotate interchanging Blair & McGuire so that one of them is on the field at all times.

Pretty sure Bennett put Sammy back to the bench either last year or 2015 because he didn't like the inexperienced guys all on the field at the same time... happy to be proven wrong

 

[Unbreakable]

Pretty sure Bennett put Sammy back to the bench either last year or 2015 because he didn't like the inexperienced guys all on the field at the same time... happy to be proven wrong

Why would all inexperienced guys be on the field at the same time?.. We have McGuire, Blair, Thaiday, Gillett, Glenn, Sims.. We certainly aren't lacking NRL experience in the forwards.

 

[1910]

The ball playing and offloading isn't conjecture, all it would take is you watching a couple of games of Arrow to know that he's far better in that department. McGuire has been and always will be a run hard style of player, moving him to lock isn't going to suddenly turn him in to Corey Parker.

Moving Corey Parker to lock made him Corey Parker. He certainly didn't offload or attack for a long time in his career.

When has Arrow balled played? I think Arrow's attack is under sold because his defence is so good and his strength. But I can't recall any ball playing.

Arrow off-loaded 55 times in the NYC in 2015 but was no where near that number last year in the ISC with it reduced to 38. He only had two off-loads in 12 NRL games.

 

[Big Pete]

I think Arrow is going to get the leap on McGuire at some point, but Josh deserves first crack.

I also think McGuire is the more skillful player without being outstanding. Arrow is an honest toiler who fights in every play. One moment that always stuck with me was during the 2014 Grand Final where he made a great tackle off a goal-line restart...but then had to finish it up with a cheap shot. He isn't satisfied until he's done absolutely everything he can in the play.