Round 20 - Cowboys vs. Broncos - Pre Match Discussion

[Big Pete]

Unlike Norman, I can forgive Hoff. He's barely played centres all year and was beaten by a world class talent.

Hope we give him more time in the centres. I believe it'll provide us with more spark. However, I can see Oates staying in the centres with Hoffman/Kahu on the wing. Which works...but I like my way better. :tongue_smilie:

 

[_wwong]

There is absolutely no reason for Norman to play for the broncos ever again. Banish him to country rugby league for the rest of the year. Hook needs to stop being a pussy and build something for next year.

 

[Viti]

He missed Carney tonight, pretty costly error, cost us the game in fact.

Wasn't he marking up on his centre though? I thought it was up to the guy inside him to make the tackle on Carney

 

[_wwong]

Wasn't he marking up on his centre though? I thought it was up to the guy inside him to make the tackle on Carney

Yep. You could tell carney was going to slice through. P.wallace was pottering around on the inside leaving hoffman no chance.

 

[Coxy]

If I read

1. Corey Norman

I'm joining the 'sack Hook' immediately club. No way does he get to represent our club again, not on that effort tonight.

No more excuses, Origin is over. Season is over, time to go out there and just throw the ball around.

1. Joe Bond

and I don't care what kind of form he's in. Give him the opportunity to fulfill his dream playing first grade and I'm sure he'll lift to the location. The guy has speed and that's something we're sorely lacking and he'll give us some direction.

2. *insert QCup winger*

Don't care who whether it's Peter Gubb, Shea Moylan or Palmer Wapau on a diet. Maranta is so out of his depth right now he's easily the worst winger we've ever had.

3. Josh Hoffman

Defensively he looks ordinary but he showed some good zip out there and we need a proper backline player.

4. Justin Hodges
5. Jordan Kahu
6. Peter Wallace
7. Ben Hunt
8. Josh McGuire
9. Andrew McCullough
10. Ben Hannant
11. Alex Glenn
12. Sam Thaiday
13. Corey Parker

14. Kurt Baptiste
15. Lama Tasi
16. Matt Gillett
17. Corey Oates

18. David Stagg
19. David Hala

Stagg either starts or doesn't play at all.

Agree with most, but I'd keep Prince at 6, Hunt at 7. Wallace at 9. Macca 14.

Why? Wallace's strengths are his long kicking game, his organisation in our own half and his defence. His weakness is inside the attacking 20. He has NFI.

I think at 9, Wallace makes the most of his strengths and it removes his weakness. Macca can come on when forwards are tired. His running from dummy half last night wasn't bad. If he does it when he's fresh that could be good.

 

[Morkel]

TBH, the team looks pretty simple to me:

1) Kahu (Norman should never wear the jersey again, Kahu is our best option for the future. For now)
2) Hoffman (Far too valuable as a finisher to move right now)
3) Oates (Looked good and as opposed to Maranta, improved again in his second game. Defensively hit hard and positionally sound)
4) Hodges (Nuff said)
5) Kemp (Speed outside Hodges needs no argument)

6) Prince (Our best attacker. The only difference between him & Carney was a fullback who knows a good line)
7) Wallace (I don't care what people say. Good organiser, cool head)

8) Hannant (We need him badly)
9) McCullough (Still our best option)
10) McGuire (Played a phenomenal 80 minutes. No reason to bench him ever)
11) Stagg (Really solidifies the defence, Glenn unfortunately needs some time to work on his lines)
12) Thaiday (Where he belongs)
13) Parker (Our best forward)

14) Granville / Baptiste (Because McCullough still can't last a game and Hunt needs to practise being a half)
15) Gillett (Much better as an impact player, 40 - 50 minutes)
16) Dodds (Showed again that he is first grade quality and because the others produce big minutes, he just needs 20 - 30 minutes of smashings)
17) Tasi (Ditto Dodds, these two in combination defensively could bend the space/time continuum)

It'll never happen though. Glenn, Hunt, Hala (even if his injury is not bad), etc, are no longer the best players for their jobs. Maranta & Norman to never ever wear their jerseys again.

 

[Nashy]

If I read

1. Corey Norman

I'm joining the 'sack Hook' immediately club. No way does he get to represent our club again, not on that effort tonight.

No more excuses, Origin is over. Season is over, time to go out there and just throw the ball around.

1. Joe Bond

and I don't care what kind of form he's in. Give him the opportunity to fulfill his dream playing first grade and I'm sure he'll lift to the location. The guy has speed and that's something we're sorely lacking and he'll give us some direction.

2. *insert QCup winger*

Don't care who whether it's Peter Gubb, Shea Moylan or Palmer Wapau on a diet. Maranta is so out of his depth right now he's easily the worst winger we've ever had.

3. Josh Hoffman

Defensively he looks ordinary but he showed some good zip out there and we need a proper backline player.

4. Justin Hodges
5. Jordan Kahu
6. Peter Wallace
7. Ben Hunt
8. Josh McGuire
9. Andrew McCullough
10. Ben Hannant
11. Alex Glenn
12. Sam Thaiday
13. Corey Parker

14. Kurt Baptiste
15. Lama Tasi
16. Matt Gillett
17. Corey Oates

18. David Stagg
19. David Hala

Stagg either starts or doesn't play at all.

Hala has to be in the team.

 

[Splinter]

My team for Cowboys

1. Byrnes. If old enough
2. Hoffman
3. Oates
4. Hodges
5. Kahu If Kahu injured replace with Opacic not Maranta
6. Wallace
7. Hunt
8. Hannant. If fit if not Dodds
9. McCullough
10. McGuire
11. Glenn
12. Thaiday
13. Parker

14. Granville
15. Gillette
16. Tasi
17. Dodds. If Hannant still injured Stagg to bench

I think Griffin is now at the point he cannot persist with the team in its current format and for this reason Norman has to go and plan for the future. Bond is not the future and neither is Prince. Wallace has kept his spot by default as there is not another playmaker available and I believe wholesale changes are not the answer
Macca can also feel lucky to keep his spot but I am unconvinced Baptiste and Granville are the answer so am giving one of them the chance to prove he is
Hala has lost his spot because of his lack of fitness, I never see him becoming a fully fledged NRL player unless he does something about it. He does not offer enough to keep his place? I would cut him free and bring Molo through next year

 

[Rabbir]

The changes people are calling for aren't going to be made this year.

 

[Splinter]

The changes people are calling for aren't going to be made this year.

I think you might be wrong.
if the players don't change I am sure Griffin is not silly enough to know he may then be he first change

 

[Mister Wright]

I reckon we'll see this:

1. Norman
2. Hoffman
3. Oates
4. Hodges
5. Kahu
6. Prince
7. Wallace
8. Hannant
9. McCullough
10. Thaiday
11. Glenn
12. Gillett
13. Parker
14. Hunt
15. Stagg
16 McGuire
17. Tasi

 

[Morkel]

I reckon we'll see this:

1. Norman
2. Hoffman
3. Oates
4. Hodges
5. Kahu
6. Prince
7. Wallace
8. Hannant
9. McCullough
10. Thaiday
11. Glenn
12. Gillett
13. Parker
14. Hunt
15. Stagg
16 McGuire
17. Tasi

That lineup reeks of Hook's thinking.

 

[broncos4life]

I think you might be wrong.
if the players don't change I am sure Griffin is not silly enough to know he may then be he first change

How sure are you that he's not that silly? Cos to me he has already gone full retard

 

[qlderxxxx]

I am feeling masochistic after our recent performances.

I hope Cowboys do us in a canter, the worse we perform the closer we become to being forced to change some things around our club.

 

[_wwong]

If tasi isn't in the first grade side the rest of this season, I am going to flip.

 

[coreyh88]

He missed Carney tonight, pretty costly error, cost us the game in fact.

No he didn't. He was sliding out as the line should have been but the guy beside was just standing there lazily as Carney ran the ball. Hoffman had to desperately try to 180 his momentum and dive at Carney while the player on his inside watched him waltz past not even attempting to move. To say Hoffman missed it is unfair. Same sort of thing happened with moose and Dodds a couple weeks back. I'd love to have seen the jersey number of the inside player.

 

[rnabokov]

That lineup reeks of Hook's thinking.

Yes it does, although I'd say he'll start Thaiday from the bench with McGuire starting.

It really doesn't matter any more as long as Oates, Tasi and Kahu get good game time

 

[Porthoz]

1- Insert good U/20 or Qcup player. I'd even take Maranta, as would at least return the ball with purpose and isn't even half bad under bombs, and might surprise us.
2- Hoffman
3- Oates
4- Hodges
5- Kahu
6- Prince
7- Wallace
8- Hannant
9- Macca
10- McGuire
11- Gillett
12- Thaiday
13- Parker

14- Baptiste or Granville
15- Glenn
16- Dodds
17- Tasi

Not gonna happen, but that's my team.