PRE-GAME Round 4 - Warriors vs Broncos

[K-Style]

Me too. I habitually check out other team's forums for perspective. Generally interesting. Except the Kennel which is like diving into the shallow end of the gene pool.

They're right about Hannant though. I wanted to keep him given his experience, but he's been pretty pedestrian for them. If they want to point fingers at anyone though, should be Tamou.

Oh they are though. Tamou and Hannant to ISC.
I went in to find out what they think of Granville.

 

[rnabokov]

Bit of a random thought, but I'll post it anyway, if we wanted to improve our go forward, could we consider starting J.Wallace once Gavet gets back from suspension? We'd need to mix the starting line-up up a bit.. it's probably not going to happen, ever, but it's just worth considering.

This move would improve our metre gains from the starting line-up, and improve our right edge defence with Blair over Gillett.

8. McGuire
9. McCullough
10. Wallace
11. Glenn
12. Blair
13. Parker

14. Thaiday
15. Gillett
16. Gavet
17. Ofahengaue

My take is that Blair is a key player for us at prop. He is starting to add starch up the middle. Moving him to the back is a bad move in my view. I also think Wallace still needs experience off the bench and I like his impact from there.

Gillett for mine should be the starting back rower with Glenn: Glenn and Milford, and Hunt and Gillett seem to be developing good understandings and growing their combinations. I like what I saw on Friday night.

I also think Niko is now an essential part of our starting 17. I thought his speed getting the ball out from dummy half was impressive and that played a large part in Kahu's try. The variety he adds to Macca's style adds to our variation in attack. He's made me revise my opposition to the "2-hooker" team.

 

[Alec]

I remember when Glenn was considered to be one of our better defenders a few years back.

 

[jarro65]

My take is that Blair is a key player for us at prop. He is starting to add starch up the middle. Moving him to the back is a bad move in my view. I also think Wallace still needs experience off the bench and I like his impact from there.

Gillett for mine should be the starting back rower with Glenn: Glenn and Milford, and Hunt and Gillett seem to be developing good understandings and growing their combinations. I like what I saw on Friday night.

I also think Niko is now an essential part of our starting 17. I thought his speed getting the ball out from dummy half was impressive and that played a large part in Kahu's try. The variety he adds to Macca's style adds to our variation in attack. He's made me revise my opposition to the "2-hooker" team.

Agree 100%

I also didn't like the idea of 'wasting' a spot on the bench for another dummy half, but now see the benefits after Nikorimas solid performance the other night.

He will be a handful against the Warriors no doubt.

 

[Huge]

That earlier comment about Gillett and his bad shoulder makes me wonder why he was being selected by Griffin who must have known. I know players carry injuries but better a fit player selected, even if not your finest, than a liability.

 

[Cult]

Hannant hasn't been to bad for the Cowboys

Hannant has been terrible. There's not many players you can rely on to make an error on his first few touches of every game. He drops it at really important times too. When the Cowboys need an experienced prop to take a hit up on their own 40m line is usually when it happens.

 

[Unbreakable]

We really dodged some bullets by letting Hannant, Kennedy & Barba go, they've all been non-existent or woeful for their respective teams.

 

[rnabokov]

Agree 100%

I also didn't like the idea of 'wasting' a spot on the bench for another dummy half, but now see the benefits after Nikorimas solid performance the other night.

He will be a handful against the Warriors no doubt.

Macca has to be on top of his game in this one. Despite the various and criticisms of his "slow" service from dummy half, he is developing combinations with players, like Milford and Hunt and his defence for mine can't be ignored. He topped the tackle count on Friday night from memory and missed none. He is my choice for starting hooker - I think he integral to the team - and Nikorima for a change of pace, and variation.

Just as long the ball is moved out quickly to the edges, hopefully with Kahu lurking around behind the line. I think the Warriors are brittle on the edges and out wide and we should exploit that.

BTW, my dream for this one has Milford side stepping Johnson, breaking through their line and sprinting at least 40m to score a sensational match winning try, running around Tomkins in the process.

 

[Big Pete]

That earlier comment about Gillett and his bad shoulder makes me wonder why he was being selected by Griffin who must have known. I know players carry injuries but better a fit player selected, even if not your finest, than a liability.

Griffin could have definitely managed Gillett's injury better. I believe Matt injured his shoulder during the Origin period and spent a month on the sidelines after he damaged it early against the Warriors in NZ.

He wouldn't return until that diabolical game against Melbourne at Suncorp where hardly anyone played well. Still my memory maybe faulty but I recall a few games where he was still among our most dangerous players so I definitely think you've got to find a place for somebody like Matt in the 17, I just disagreed with the notion that he should have started every game.

In saying that, he shouldn't have played in the finals. I understand the temptation but he wasn't right and even Griffin admitted that he got it wrong on the night.

 

[Morkel]

Agree 100%

I also didn't like the idea of 'wasting' a spot on the bench for another dummy half, but now see the benefits after Nikorimas solid performance the other night.

He will be a handful against the Warriors no doubt.

I'm still withholding judgement until we see how Niko goes when we have to defend for the majority of his time on the field. Not just a couple of repeat sets, but sets under pressure. We've remained quite composed the last two games, but it's only a matter of time until a team starts to split us up the middle and that's when Nikorima is going to be tested.

 

[rnabokov]

I'm still withholding judgement until we see how Niko goes when we have to defend for the majority of his time on the field. Not just a couple of repeat sets, but sets under pressure. We've remained quite composed the last two games, but it's only a matter of time until a team starts to split us up the middle and that's when Nikorima is going to be tested.

I agree with you. I'm still withholding judgement on Kahu. The team is a work-in-progress. My hope is that both prove to be the real deal.

The question of teams splitting us up the middle remains a worry. Marker defence was a weakness over the last few seasons as was a slow, of uneven defensive line. Johnson Friend Leuluai and to an extent Tomkins will exploit every lapse in the middle with their speed.

This is not just Nikorima's mettle, but marker defence in general ... and cover defence. This is a real Warriors strength- exploiting slow marker defence.

 

[subsbligh]

Agree 100%

I also didn't like the idea of 'wasting' a spot on the bench for another dummy half, but now see the benefits after Nikorimas solid performance the other night.

He will be a handful against the Warriors no doubt.

He needs just one or two more games and a few line breaks. A couple of times there were half gaps around the ruck and he choose to take the conservative option versus the Cowboys.

 

[subsbligh]

I don't expect to see any changes to the team.

Just quietly, Wallace has been a bit of a revelation this year. Always had promise, and IMO in a Lillyman sort of mould.

But he's taking the silly penalties and mistakes out of his game and making a vital contribution off the bench. Just need Ofahengaue to keep quietly building his experience and all of a sudden we've got a killer bench with the likes of Gavet and Garbutt keeping them honest.

PS - How good is it that, even though WB has been trialling are we 2-1 start this year :-) ...

 

[Morkel]

Wallace his really, really surprised me TBH. I was leaning towards Dodds previously because his defence, but Wallace's running game has improved out of sight and he is the clear frontrunner for the bench now.

 

[noisetheory]

Tomkins is OUT

 

[Porthoz]

Tomkins is OUT

Dammit, was looking forward to seeing him left behind as road kill, after Gillett or Glenn trampled all over him.

 

[I bleed Maroon]

Tomkins is OUT

Big loss for the Warriors. That should blunt their attack against our solid defence

 

[Morkel]

Worries me TBH. Rookie kiwi speedsters frighten me as you can't do too much homework on them. One of them will go to the back I assume.