Culhwch
NRL Captain
- Mar 28, 2008
- 3,895
- 9,875
Though perhaps warranted on form through the first four games, I don't think wholesale changes would do anything but create further instability and guarantee a continued string of losses. It also looks like we don’t have that many options for change in any case. Nevertheless I would like to see a few adjustments across the coming weeks, barring a massive and unlikely reversal of form and/or attitude. I know a lot of this is repeating what’s already been said in this thread and others, but that’s kind of this forum’s thing, isn’t it…
Bird has been one of the standouts so far, and I'd love to see him move to fullback. We desperately need someone more dynamic at the back, and I think he’d shore up the defense as well. Staggs has earned a chance to stay at starting centre. I don't think that you can drop Boyd entirely at this point, so move him to centre while Roberts is out and then push him to the wing and let Isaako find some form in the lower grades unless he tears it up before Roberts gets back. It might even be worthwhile replacing Isaako right now.
At some point we need to drop Nikorima back to the bench to spell McCullough at the end of each half. I think this is Niko’s best position, unless he finds himself playing five-eighth on a team with a dominant half. I’d bring O'Sullivan in at halfback in the first instance, as he seems to be the most experienced of a very inexperienced bunch, but with an eye to get Dearden in there sooner or later.
Immediate changes in the forwards will be dictated by Pangai’s imminent suspension, and I suspect Gillett moves back to lock, Fifita comes back into the starting side, and Haas comes on to the bench. It’s not ideal but it is what it is, and will revert once Pangai comes back. Lodge is the cornerstone of this pack so thank god he’s back. While he hasn’t been setting the world on fire I think Offa is the best option alongside him for now, but if Flegler keeps improving Offa should be very worried. I’d also like to see Carrigan get a chance somewhere just because it seems every second poster talks him up.
Even if none of these changes happen, I think Boyd needs to be stripped of the captaincy and have it given to Gillett. I wish there was a better option, and maybe that’s Lodge in the long term depending on how he develops, but for now I do think that it might work to lift Gillett to another level, and it might even relieve some of the weight from Boyd’s shoulders and spur him to improve his effort and finish his career on a high note. Even if you don’t make significant changes to the makeup of the seventeen, a change like that would emphasise that the status quo is no longer good enough. That change and dropping one or two established players would be even more emphatic…
Bird has been one of the standouts so far, and I'd love to see him move to fullback. We desperately need someone more dynamic at the back, and I think he’d shore up the defense as well. Staggs has earned a chance to stay at starting centre. I don't think that you can drop Boyd entirely at this point, so move him to centre while Roberts is out and then push him to the wing and let Isaako find some form in the lower grades unless he tears it up before Roberts gets back. It might even be worthwhile replacing Isaako right now.
At some point we need to drop Nikorima back to the bench to spell McCullough at the end of each half. I think this is Niko’s best position, unless he finds himself playing five-eighth on a team with a dominant half. I’d bring O'Sullivan in at halfback in the first instance, as he seems to be the most experienced of a very inexperienced bunch, but with an eye to get Dearden in there sooner or later.
Immediate changes in the forwards will be dictated by Pangai’s imminent suspension, and I suspect Gillett moves back to lock, Fifita comes back into the starting side, and Haas comes on to the bench. It’s not ideal but it is what it is, and will revert once Pangai comes back. Lodge is the cornerstone of this pack so thank god he’s back. While he hasn’t been setting the world on fire I think Offa is the best option alongside him for now, but if Flegler keeps improving Offa should be very worried. I’d also like to see Carrigan get a chance somewhere just because it seems every second poster talks him up.
Even if none of these changes happen, I think Boyd needs to be stripped of the captaincy and have it given to Gillett. I wish there was a better option, and maybe that’s Lodge in the long term depending on how he develops, but for now I do think that it might work to lift Gillett to another level, and it might even relieve some of the weight from Boyd’s shoulders and spur him to improve his effort and finish his career on a high note. Even if you don’t make significant changes to the makeup of the seventeen, a change like that would emphasise that the status quo is no longer good enough. That change and dropping one or two established players would be even more emphatic…
