Wow. Besides 2023 he’s been a plodder
Pick Your Team Warriors v Tigers - [Round 19, 2025]
- Thread starter mt.wellington
- Start date
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Assuming LM and CNK are out and no one else is returning from injury (I wouldn't be rushing DWZ in either for this game, looked well down on form before this latest injury and could benefit from a run or two in cup) this is the team I'd pick. It will put 30+ points on the tigers and set us up for a really promising run home.
RTS is the best option now at fullback. Has spark, ultra competitive, defensively strong, churns out the metres as well as creating with his speed and footwork. Also less likely to be targeted with as many bombs as he does when on the wing where he has looked shaky.
Wings are TT and MGT. TT on the right with Berry (was poor against the Broncos and certainly not the goat any longer. Probably 3rd choice center when all available) I felt TT was really good for us and the team with DWZ out. MGT is my preferred option on the left wing with Pompey as his centre. Good finisher, enough speed, will take some good hitups to start sets and I think he will not be exposed as much defensively as he was when he played centre and as much as Kosi.
TMM and Boyd in the halves. I'm sure there will be comments about this but it makes the most sense to me despite it being tough on CHT who has played at a level above most people's expectations. These two however seem to have formed a good combo, give us great balance, organisation and threat. I believe it would open up our attack which has been a bit lacking all season and struggling to convert when in the opposition 20. Boyd has the kicking game, goal kicking and organisation. TMM provides the play making, short kicking options and creativity. in 10 minutes at 7 against the Broncos he would have had a well created try assist if Kosi could position himself and have some anticipation. Love to see if TMM can put Halasima into gaps or one on one close to the line too.
Forwards and bench mostly pick themselves. An underperforming Niukore makes way for Ale who deserves his chance after his NSW cup form this season. Capewell (will back up from Origin possibly starting on the bench) and Halasima in the second row complement each other. Ford, Demetric and Laban are a good bench rotation. CHT fills in the utility 14 role, currently he is basically a player with a hookers skill set playing in the halves (I'd actually prefer Healy for his xfactor but that might be a step too far completely dropping CHT). Egan does need to be given at least 20 minutes rest a game. The coach talked about this prior to the season, about easing key player workloads. Doesn't look like we have done that. Also still seems to prefer favourites even if injured. Metcalf was obviously carrying a leg injury and surely with a 6 point lead on the table to 5th place and a bye next game it was the perfect opportunity to give him a chance to freshen up. (To be clear I'm not suggesting his ACL injury was because of this) We are heading in to the back part of the season now with a fairly tired looking squad on the back of two fairly flat performances and losses.
IMO we should be making these changes now for the longer term benefit, and this team makes us less one dimensional, giving us a better chance of going deep in to the finals. Our defence has been very good for the most part. Our attack has never really clicked with a lot of our tries coming from kicks or some individual brilliance. Which is fine, but those should be the icing on the cake not the cake itself. Against the better teams it gets found out. We can't just rely on out enthusing other teams, especially with opposition matching us, we don't seem to have a plan B
Mr Conservative Andrew Webster is likely to go with a Boyd CHT halves combo though. It's a bit too vanilla and lacking balance for me. We will probably still be good enough to beat the Tigers with it but I don't have much confidence it will get us as far as we should with the team named above. The reality is we have been a 6th - 12th placed team that has managed to get a few more wins than we probably should have.
The team is probably more likely to be something like the following
If this is closer to Cuddle's thinking then I would prefer TMM at 7 (TMM and CHT have some very good runs on the board as a combo last season and in arguably a poorer team, often make shift ones) and Healy/Boyd as the 14. We have seen that the better teams have several xfactor players and usually they are in the spine. How do we best replicate this ourselves? RTS at fullback, TMM in the halves, Egan at 9, Healy at 14 does that. The good news is we do have options and competition points in the bank if things aren't working in the next month and changes are needed. The selections next game could well be the difference between finishing top 4 or not. One thing is for sure, Teamlist Tuesday in 10 days time will be the most anticipated since round 1.
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Bit harsh for last year. 20+ games, 15 tries and 150m a game.
Hardly plodding, for me he's had 2 great seasons out of the last 3, with injuries souring this year to date.
NZWarriors.com
Te-Maire Martin
Roger Tuivasa-Scheck
Sio Kali
Rocco Berry
Taine Tauapiki
Channel Harris-Tavita
Tanah Boyd
James Fisher-Harris
Sam Healey
Tom Ale
Kurt Capewell
Jacob Laban
Erin Clark
Wade Egan
Jackson Ford
Demetric Vaimauga
Leka Halasima
Roger Tuivasa-Scheck
Sio Kali
Rocco Berry
Taine Tauapiki
Channel Harris-Tavita
Tanah Boyd
James Fisher-Harris
Sam Healey
Tom Ale
Kurt Capewell
Jacob Laban
Erin Clark
Wade Egan
Jackson Ford
Demetric Vaimauga
Leka Halasima
For what it's worth, if Dallin is back next week the team isn't really looking that much different despite all our recent injuries:
1. Tuaupiki / TMM
2. Dal
3. Berry
4. Pomps
5. Roger
6. CHT
7. Boyd /TMM
8. Fish
9. Egan
10. Marata
11. Capewah
12. Laban
13. Clark
14. TMM / Healey
15. Demi
16. Ford
17. Leka
I'd personally go TMM to fb, and Healey on the bench (am also happy for us to give TMM a run at half) and have Tauapiki there, with Healey on the bench.
It will be interesting to see how we move forward after Metcalf. We have a couple of weeks to see if TMM or Tauapiki at fb, with Healey on the bench can help pick up some of the attacking plays that we lose with Metcalf gone.
If we're able to get Pompey, Berry and Dallin to pick up the extra meters we lose from CNK not playing, I think there's some very good opportunities to see a new style of attack from us
1. Tuaupiki / TMM
2. Dal
3. Berry
4. Pomps
5. Roger
6. CHT
7. Boyd /TMM
8. Fish
9. Egan
10. Marata
11. Capewah
12. Laban
13. Clark
14. TMM / Healey
15. Demi
16. Ford
17. Leka
I'd personally go TMM to fb, and Healey on the bench (am also happy for us to give TMM a run at half) and have Tauapiki there, with Healey on the bench.
It will be interesting to see how we move forward after Metcalf. We have a couple of weeks to see if TMM or Tauapiki at fb, with Healey on the bench can help pick up some of the attacking plays that we lose with Metcalf gone.
If we're able to get Pompey, Berry and Dallin to pick up the extra meters we lose from CNK not playing, I think there's some very good opportunities to see a new style of attack from us
NZWarriors.com
Did I miss something? Tmm at fullback?!? Cht/tmm seems the obvious next up halves pairing, with either taine or rts for the wing/fb.
My out there pick would be to put Leka on the wing if he’s quick enough (and he may be). He’s got shades of manu about him and we are playing the bob to manu play at him a lot lately
My out there pick would be to put Leka on the wing if he’s quick enough (and he may be). He’s got shades of manu about him and we are playing the bob to manu play at him a lot lately
Out there alright. But given our outside back depth, a couple more injuries and we might have to play Leka at centre and Laban on the wing.
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NZWarriors.com
That is pretty out there. He's doing so well where he is it's doubtful they'd shift him. We have a solution no one is talking about who can play every position including prop - step on up Freddy Lussick.
Where would you play Big Freddy, lock/hooker/prop/wing cover?
All of the above, and assistant coach.
NZWarriors.com
Like your team bro
[/TEAMLIST]
Plays every game like it's his last.
Where's his heart on his sleeve.
Always thought he could be a lock.
If Cotter and McInnes can.
So can Freddie.
Don't mind him aye.
Plays every game like it's his last.
Where's his heart on his sleeve.
Always thought he could be a lock.
If Cotter and McInnes can.
So can Freddie.
They’re legitimately both quicker than Edward, so who knows.
Na surely give the young fulla Kali a crack, reminds of a quicker Wing version of Halasima, with aggression and a bit of ego
NZWarriors.com
TT at fullback for me. I prefer X factor in attack who can appear anywhere on the field; I don’t think TMM has got that, or at least to the degree Taine has.
Cup team mirrors first grade strategy so step right up Tanwah
Cup team mirrors first grade strategy so step right up Tanwah
- Tuwahpiki
- Wahtene-zelezniak
- BERRYSIAH
- Pompwah
- Rogwah
- Tavitwah-Harris
- Tanwah
- Fishwah
- Egwah
- Mawahta
- Lekwah
- Capewah
- Clark
- Heawah
- Fwahd
- Demwah
- Tanwah Stowers-Smith
- Wah Marie Martin
Good thing DWZ is back otherwise I would've been debuting Kali without hesitation.
Taine as fullback is a no brainer.
The only question is whether they opt for the kicking game of Boyd or go with the game management of TMM?
We've seen how well TMM has gone at 7 last year when he has full control, I'd be going with him to replace Metcalf. What a time for TMM to go out and earn his next contract.
Healey to replace TMM on the bench
Taine as fullback is a no brainer.
The only question is whether they opt for the kicking game of Boyd or go with the game management of TMM?
We've seen how well TMM has gone at 7 last year when he has full control, I'd be going with him to replace Metcalf. What a time for TMM to go out and earn his next contract.
Healey to replace TMM on the bench
NZWarriors.com
DWZ is out until round 22 on NRL injuries page?
It’s not really a question when you look at the NSW cup line up. Boyd is 7.
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