- Thread starter
- #881
sorry yeah too many kicked off...sorry ignore for now...im not sure if the selection frustration should have kicked off so early...just ignore those please (DO NOT ACTION)
Social Introducing NZW Ultimate Team
- Thread starter tajhay
- Start date
@wizard of Tauranga I see the Devils got hit with the infamous ‘Fiji coding curse’. 13 penalties, 13 errors, 30 missed tackles and a 30 point loss. @Inruin knows what that’s like, I’m up next. Might just play a second string team if there’s no chance anyway.
- Thread starter
- #883
No changes for next week?
- Thread starter
- #885
Im not sure how you are doing the equation because the first part of the equation is not correct. ? + 1 = 2?
I’ll be honest
This one’s on me
I’ve seen a result that didn’t happen
My bad team
All previous statements are respectfully retracted.
- Thread starter
- #887
If you had received the selection frustration and trade rejection spam events this week, they have all been deleted. It should not trigger so many....but please be warned that they will be coming soon
Pretty random that ehhh…
Couple of questions - 2 weeks in a row my highest rated players (Mannering and AFB) have woeful meters. How do I fix that?
Only 2 of my reserves came on. The rest must have been off partying at Denerau. I am sure I had the rotation set up properly. What went wrong there?
- Thread starter
- #889
Havent had a chance to look through games or subs. Did u use simple or stints? Any injuries in game?
I think my own fired ok despite injury, but yeah ill check all teams subs tomorrow.
Everyone shoukd be using custom stints though as far more control
Yeah Brett Seymour far too good, makes complete sense…
- Thread starter
- #893
- Thread starter
- #894
Had a look. you have issues with your interchange strategy due to how loose it is.
For example you have 2 props on bench, each targetting both 8 and 10...and auto...
Before i go further, simple mode theoretically should be called lazy mode. Its for people who dont want to put much thought into interchange and just want a quick and easy way of doing things. It will never be the best way to make interchanges. Stated a few times if you want control, you need to do custom stings.
The timeline of the interchange strategy it shows you is INDICATIVE, not what it will do. There are other factors involved ie how much defending/attacking your players have been doing and how involved they have been. Also when evaluating which players to sub/come on it checks who would be the better player to come on. Its important to understand that.
Lets break down your interchange strategy....
#14 Okesene — come on for props (#8 or #10), auto
#15 Heremaia — come on for the hooker (#9), auto
#16 Murchie — come on for the lock (#13), auto
#17 Vaimauga — come on for props (#8 or #10), auto
If you wanted just a tiny bit more control you could have atleast identified you want 14 to come on for 8, and 17 to come on for 10 etc...but anyway
These are how the interchanges happened.
IC 1 18m — Okesene on, Fisher-Harris off (prop spot)
Matches the plan. Fisher-Harris was getting tired at prop, Okesene came on to cover. Exactly what you wanted.
IC2 25m — Fisher-Harris on, Fonua-Blake off (prop spot)
NOT in your plan. Vaimauga was your candidate based on your prop rotation you had...but JFH who had 7 mins break was the better option after that recover....simple mode goes for best suitable players. His recovery after 7 mins made him a better effectiveness player despite still fatigued compared to Demi due to the huge variance in their attributes for prop role.
IC3 30m — Heremaia on, Betham off (hooker spot)
Matches the plan. Betham was tired, Heremaia came on as planned. Clean swap.
IC4 36m - Betham on, Walker off (lock spot)
NOT in your plan. This is where it got murky. Sim calculated Murchie(your intention) vs Betham, and thought 'WTF is this guy doing...Murchie is not even a lock at primary or secondary, but Betham is...lets override this noob coach), and so it did.
There are improvements made each week and fixes, so dont expect luck to be present from prior week. TBH your interchange plan was really lacking. Specifically if you really want to continue using simple interchange, atleast target just one position, not multiple, use actual numbers not auto. You are basically handing the keys to the engine to make the decisions on who are the better options because you dont trust yourself in making them.
TLDR; Use Custom Stints if you want more control, use Simple mode for lazyness, but understand you are handing over the keys.
I can actually make the simple mode better but do not want to reward lazy coaching as this is exactly what coaches who do not submit a gameplan for the week get. The makeup of your players starting and bench (huge variance between the quality) is going to be an issue if you dont switch to custom stints.
- Thread starter
- #895
Reviewed everyone's interchanges to see if they were working. Here is the full report. Probably be a few pointers for some users too.
If you need assistance on how to do what you want to do, DM me and explain in detail what you are trying to do(has to be logical obviously) and you will need to be able to send screenshots (i cannot view your screens).
Full review of every team's interchange plan vs what actually happened in Round 4. Custom stints vs simple replaces, injuries, what worked, and what to improve for Round 5.
Plan style: Mixed — custom stint for Fai (slot 14), simple replaces for 15–17. Protected: none.
Bench:
Notable starter flex: Wiki (Prop + SR), Lauiti'iti (SR + Prop, playing at #10), Harris-Tavita (5/8 + HB, playing at #7), Locke (FB + Wing, playing at #2).
Injuries: Walsh injured at 42m but played through (80m total — not removed).
What worked: Fai's custom stint executed to the minute. All four bench got real game time. Two bench props is the right headcount — starting props tire fastest. Afoa's Second-row secondary adds genuine flex.
For R5:
Plan style: Custom stints, all 4 slots. Protected: 1, 6, 7.
Bench:
Notable starter flex: Tuivasa-Sheck (FB + Wing + Centre), Leuluai (5/8 + Hooker), Matulino (Prop + SR), Green (HB + 5/8), Burr (Lock + Prop), Montoya (Wing + Centre).
Injuries: E. Tuimavave injured at 55m (3 min before planned stint end — played through). Matulino injured at 74m (late game, no plan impact).
What worked: Textbook. All four stints within ±2 minutes. Two bench props split by position AND time (Matagi covering #10 then #8, E. Tuimavave covering #8 from earlier) — ideal two-prop deployment. Distinct roles for every bench player with no overlap. Protected spine covers the right positions. Starter depth is the best in the league — Leuluai's Hooker secondary gives you emergency cover even if Luke gets hurt.
For R5: Keep doing exactly this. Optional: one late-game cameo slot (65–80) to lock down close finishes with fresh legs.
Plan style: Simple replaces with real target minutes set. Protected: 1–7.
Bench:
Notable starter flex: Tohu Harris (Lock + SR + Prop — triple flex), Ford (SR + Prop), Maloney (5/8 + HB). No starter has Hooker secondary.
Injuries: Lussick injured at 33m — genuinely removed (12m on field). Peyroux (#3 Centre) injured at 21m but played through (80m total).
What worked: Best-practice use of simple replaces — real targets on every slot. Three of four bench met or exceeded target; Lussick's shortfall was a genuine injury. Two bench props with overlapping coverage is reasonable since the targets controlled each one's minutes. Tohu Harris's triple-secondary gives elite flex in the pack.
For R5:
Plan style: Simple replaces with all targets on auto. Protected: 1–6.
Bench:
Notable starter flex: Hohaia (FB + 5/8 + Centre + Hooker + HB — most versatile player in the league), Swann (SR + Lock), Barnett (Prop + SR), Fusitu'a (Wing + Centre), Pompey (Centre + Wing), Alexander (HB + FB).
Injuries: Ngamu (#6 5/8) injured at 8m — genuinely removed (8m total).
What worked: Your bench has excellent versatility. When Ngamu was forced off at 8m, the sim correctly deployed Fien as emergency 5/8 cover via his secondary — not as hooker. That's why Fien played 72 minutes and Egan (starter hooker, OVR 91) was never rotated (played all 80m). Your two-prop bench is properly split: Paleaaesina covers #10, Paasi covers #8 — distinct roles, no overlap.
For R5:
Plan style: Custom stints, all 4 slots. Protected: 1–7.
Bench:
Notable starter flex: Death (Hooker + Lock), Ropati (Centre + 5/8 + FB), Lewis Brown (SR + Centre), Oudenryn (Wing + Centre).
Injuries: Tate (#3 Centre) HIA at 16m, failed at 28m — permanently removed (16m total). Campion (#13 Lock) injured at 52m — permanently removed (31m total: played 0–30, off for Sao's stint 30–50, returned 50m, injured 52m). Two permanent starter losses caused the cascade that kept Niukore and Sao on well past their planned 50m end.
What worked: Two prop stints (Lousi #8, Morgan #10) hit dead-on — props split by position, textbook. When Tate went off permanently, Lewis Brown's Centre secondary helped absorb the backline gap. Death's Lock secondary was available when Campion went down.
For R5:
Plan style: Custom stints, all 4 slots. Protected: 1–7.
Bench:
Notable starter flex: Koopu (SR + Lock + Centre), Faumuina (Lock + SR), Lillyman (Prop + SR), Vagana (Centre + Wing), Jones (HB + 5/8).
Injuries: Toopi (#4 Centre) injured at 48m — genuinely removed (48m total). Koopu's Centre secondary covered. Royal injured at 39m but played through (full planned stint completed). Anderson HIA 63–73m — removed for 10m during his 3rd stint.
What worked: Three of four stints hit exactly. Anderson's 3-position stint chain (pos 13 → 12 → 11) is ambitious and creative — it worked for the first two legs before the HIA interrupted leg three. Two-prop bench split by position (Vete #8, Royal #10) is the correct setup. Royal playing through his injury to complete his full stint shows resilience.
For R5:
Plan style: Custom stints, all 4 slots. Protected: 1–7.
Bench:
Notable starter flex: Micheal Luck (Lock + Second-row), Metcalf (5/8 + HB). All other starters are single-position.
Injuries: PJ Marsh (#9 Hooker) injured at 8m but played through (60m total — not removed, no substitution triggered). Luke Metcalf (#6 5/8) injured at 12m — genuinely removed (12m total).
The real story: Tevaga's hooker stint at 42m was his planned rotation, not emergency cover for Marsh. Marsh played through his 8m injury, stayed on field until 42m, came off for Tevaga's scheduled stint, and returned at 62m. The actual emergency was Metcalf's permanent removal at 12m — that's what forced Lauaki on 56 minutes earlier than planned.
What worked: Three of four stints executed to plan. Two-prop bench split by position and time (Malam #10 25–58, Temata #8 23–50) — textbook. Tevaga's triple-role rotation chain (hooker → lock → prop) ran near-perfectly — a sim-aware design that shows genuine tactical thinking.
For R5:
Plan style: Simple replaces, all targets on auto. Protected: 1–7 and 11.
Bench:
Notable starter flex:
Injuries/cards: Berry (#4 Centre) sin bin 16–26m (played 70m). O'Sullivan (#7 HB) injured at 19m but played through (80m total). Okesene HIA at 54m, cleared at 64m — removed for 10 minutes mid-game. Even that 10-minute window didn't get Vaimauga on.
What worked: Okesene and Heremaia covered their assigned positions and got real minutes. Protected list sensibly included #11 Mannering (OVR 96). Two bench props is the right headcount.
Why it underdelivered — this was a lazy approach to substitution:
For R5:
Starting props fatigue fastest — two bench props is the correct baseline for every team. The difference between good and bad is assignment:
If you need assistance on how to do what you want to do, DM me and explain in detail what you are trying to do(has to be logical obviously) and you will need to be able to send screenshots (i cannot view your screens).
Round 4 Interchange Reports
Full review of every team's interchange plan vs what actually happened in Round 4. Custom stints vs simple replaces, injuries, what worked, and what to improve for Round 5.
Las Vegas Knights (vs Hawks, lost 6–34)
@Billyspleen75Plan style: Mixed — custom stint for Fai (slot 14), simple replaces for 15–17. Protected: none.
Bench:
- #14 Sonny Fai (Centre, secondary Second-row) — stint pos 11 45–80
- #15 Talite Liavaʻa (Prop) — replaces [8,10,13] auto
- #16 Bunty Afoa (Prop, secondary Second-row) — replaces [8,10,13] auto
- #17 Karl Lawton (Hooker) — replaces [9] auto
Notable starter flex: Wiki (Prop + SR), Lauiti'iti (SR + Prop, playing at #10), Harris-Tavita (5/8 + HB, playing at #7), Locke (FB + Wing, playing at #2).
| Player | Plan | Actual | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fai | stint pos 11 45–80 (35m) | 35m | ✓ exact |
| Liavaʻa | auto replaces 8/10/13 | 50m | ok |
| Afoa | auto replaces 8/10/13 | 62m | heavy |
| Lawton | auto replaces 9 | 43m | ok |
Injuries: Walsh injured at 42m but played through (80m total — not removed).
What worked: Fai's custom stint executed to the minute. All four bench got real game time. Two bench props is the right headcount — starting props tire fastest. Afoa's Second-row secondary adds genuine flex.
For R5:
- Set protected positions. Empty protection means any back can be rotated. Minimum: [1, 6, 7].
- Split Liavaʻa and Afoa. Both overlap on replaces [8/10/13], which is why Afoa absorbed 62m while Liavaʻa got 50m on identical roles. Position-split them (one covers #8, one covers #10) or add stint windows so both get balanced time.
- Interesting positional quirk: Harris-Tavita (5/8 primary) at #7 and Lauiti'iti (SR primary) at #10. Worth making sure those secondary tags are being used correctly by the sim.
Chatham Island Hawks (vs Knights, won 34–6) — Textbook
@CcesPlan style: Custom stints, all 4 slots. Protected: 1, 6, 7.
Bench:
- #14 Suaia Matagi (Prop) — stints pos 10 (29–58) + pos 8 (58–62)
- #15 Evarn Tuimavave (Prop) — stint pos 8 (22–58)
- #16 Tony Tuimavave (SR, secondary Lock) — stints pos 13 (28–58) + pos 11 (58–80)
- #17 Issac Luke (Hooker) — stint pos 9 (24–58)
Notable starter flex: Tuivasa-Sheck (FB + Wing + Centre), Leuluai (5/8 + Hooker), Matulino (Prop + SR), Green (HB + 5/8), Burr (Lock + Prop), Montoya (Wing + Centre).
| Player | Plan | Actual | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matagi | pos 10 29–58 + pos 8 58–62 (33m) | 34m | ✓ +1m |
| E. Tuimavave | pos 8 22–58 (36m) | 36m | ✓ exact |
| T. Tuimavave | pos 13 28–58 + pos 11 58–80 (50m) | 48m | ✓ −2m |
| Luke | pos 9 24–58 (34m) | 35m | ✓ +1m |
Injuries: E. Tuimavave injured at 55m (3 min before planned stint end — played through). Matulino injured at 74m (late game, no plan impact).
What worked: Textbook. All four stints within ±2 minutes. Two bench props split by position AND time (Matagi covering #10 then #8, E. Tuimavave covering #8 from earlier) — ideal two-prop deployment. Distinct roles for every bench player with no overlap. Protected spine covers the right positions. Starter depth is the best in the league — Leuluai's Hooker secondary gives you emergency cover even if Luke gets hurt.
For R5: Keep doing exactly this. Optional: one late-game cameo slot (65–80) to lock down close finishes with fresh legs.
Tohoku Salamanders (vs Hammerheads, won 30–10)
@rogueiPlan style: Simple replaces with real target minutes set. Protected: 1–7.
Bench:
- #14 Freddy Lussick (Hooker) — replaces [9] target 30m
- #15 Ukuma Ta'ai (Second-row) — replaces [11,12] target 40m
- #16 Leeson Ah Mau (Prop) — replaces [8,10] target 30m
- #17 Jamayne Taunoa-Brown (Prop) — replaces [8,10,13] target 30m
Notable starter flex: Tohu Harris (Lock + SR + Prop — triple flex), Ford (SR + Prop), Maloney (5/8 + HB). No starter has Hooker secondary.
| Player | Target | Actual | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lussick | 30m at #9 | 12m | Injured at 33m — removed |
| Ta'ai | 40m at #11/#12 | 50m | ✓ over target |
| Ah Mau | 30m at #8/#10 | 54m | ✓ well over |
| Taunoa-Brown | 30m at #8/#10/#13 | 32m | ✓ on target |
Injuries: Lussick injured at 33m — genuinely removed (12m on field). Peyroux (#3 Centre) injured at 21m but played through (80m total).
What worked: Best-practice use of simple replaces — real targets on every slot. Three of four bench met or exceeded target; Lussick's shortfall was a genuine injury. Two bench props with overlapping coverage is reasonable since the targets controlled each one's minutes. Tohu Harris's triple-secondary gives elite flex in the pack.
For R5:
- Split Ah Mau and Taunoa-Brown more distinctly. They partly overlap on [8/10]. Position-split (one covers #8, one covers #10) to make sure both hit their 30m targets without competing.
- Hooker depth is one-deep. No starter has Hooker as secondary. Once Lussick went off, only Henderson was available for the remaining 47 minutes without rest. A utility with Hooker secondary would be cheap insurance.
- Keep writing real targets — this is the benchmark for simple-replaces planning.
Hawaii Hammerheads (vs Salamanders, lost 10–30)
@InruinPlan style: Simple replaces with all targets on auto. Protected: 1–6.
Bench:
- #14 Nathan Fien (Hooker, secondary 5/8 + Halfback) — replaces [9] auto
- #15 Iafeta Paleaaesina (Prop) — replaces [10] auto
- #16 Agnatius Paasi (Prop) — replaces [8] auto
- #17 Adam Blair (Lock, secondary SR + Prop) — replaces [11,12] auto
Notable starter flex: Hohaia (FB + 5/8 + Centre + Hooker + HB — most versatile player in the league), Swann (SR + Lock), Barnett (Prop + SR), Fusitu'a (Wing + Centre), Pompey (Centre + Wing), Alexander (HB + FB).
| Player | Plan role | Actual | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fien | replaces #9 hooker | 72m | deployed as emergency 5/8 |
| Paleaaesina | replaces #10 prop | 55m | heavy |
| Paasi | replaces #8 prop | 39m | ok |
| Blair | replaces #11/#12 SR | 41m | ok |
Injuries: Ngamu (#6 5/8) injured at 8m — genuinely removed (8m total).
What worked: Your bench has excellent versatility. When Ngamu was forced off at 8m, the sim correctly deployed Fien as emergency 5/8 cover via his secondary — not as hooker. That's why Fien played 72 minutes and Egan (starter hooker, OVR 91) was never rotated (played all 80m). Your two-prop bench is properly split: Paleaaesina covers #10, Paasi covers #8 — distinct roles, no overlap.
For R5:
- Set real target minutes instead of auto. Suggested: Fien 30, Paleaaesina 30, Paasi 30, Blair 35.
- Egan playing 80m straight means your hooker never got a rest. With Fien deployed as 5/8 cover, nobody was left to rotate with Egan. In a closer game, that's a fatigue risk. Consider Hohaia's Hooker secondary as emergency hooker cover, or restructure the bench for two-role emergencies.
- Protected [1–6] but not #7 Alexander (HB). Worth including.
Taranaki Tortoises (vs Dictators, won 28–14)
@BarzakPlan style: Custom stints, all 4 slots. Protected: 1–7.
Bench:
- #14 Marata Niukore (Second-row) — stint pos 12 (30–50)
- #15 Ligi Sao (Lock) — stint pos 13 (30–50)
- #16 Sione Lousi (Prop) — stint pos 8 (25–50)
- #17 Justin Morgan (Prop) — stint pos 10 (25–50)
Notable starter flex: Death (Hooker + Lock), Ropati (Centre + 5/8 + FB), Lewis Brown (SR + Centre), Oudenryn (Wing + Centre).
| Player | Plan | Actual | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niukore | pos 12 30–50 (20m) | 64m | Injury cascade cover |
| Sao | pos 13 30–50 (20m) | 50m | Injury cascade cover |
| Lousi | pos 8 25–50 (25m) | 25m | ✓ exact |
| Morgan | pos 10 25–50 (25m) | 26m | ✓ +1m |
Injuries: Tate (#3 Centre) HIA at 16m, failed at 28m — permanently removed (16m total). Campion (#13 Lock) injured at 52m — permanently removed (31m total: played 0–30, off for Sao's stint 30–50, returned 50m, injured 52m). Two permanent starter losses caused the cascade that kept Niukore and Sao on well past their planned 50m end.
What worked: Two prop stints (Lousi #8, Morgan #10) hit dead-on — props split by position, textbook. When Tate went off permanently, Lewis Brown's Centre secondary helped absorb the backline gap. Death's Lock secondary was available when Campion went down.
For R5:
- All four bench players are single-position specialists (zero secondaries). That gives the sim no slot-shift flexibility when things go wrong. One bench player with a secondary would add coverage.
- Niukore and Sao's 20-minute planned stints are aspirational — in R4 both played 50+. Plan for 30–40 min windows to match reality.
- Two-prop split (Lousi #8, Morgan #10) is the right design — keep it.
Pyongyang Dictators (vs Tortoises, lost 14–28)
@Mr. BrownstonePlan style: Custom stints, all 4 slots. Protected: 1–7.
Bench:
- #14 George Gatis (Hooker) — stint pos 9 (50–80)
- #15 Louis Anderson (SR, secondary Lock) — stints pos 13 (35–50) + pos 12 (50–60) + pos 11 (60–80)
- #16 Albert Vete (Prop) — stint pos 8 (25–58)
- #17 Jesse Royal (Prop) — stint pos 10 (29–57)
Notable starter flex: Koopu (SR + Lock + Centre), Faumuina (Lock + SR), Lillyman (Prop + SR), Vagana (Centre + Wing), Jones (HB + 5/8).
| Player | Plan | Actual | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gatis | pos 9 50–80 (30m) | 30m | ✓ exact |
| Anderson | 3 stints 35–80 (45m) | 34m | Own HIA 63–73m lost ~11m |
| Vete | pos 8 25–58 (33m) | 33m | ✓ exact |
| Royal | pos 10 29–57 (28m) | 28m | ✓ exact (played through minor injury at 39m) |
Injuries: Toopi (#4 Centre) injured at 48m — genuinely removed (48m total). Koopu's Centre secondary covered. Royal injured at 39m but played through (full planned stint completed). Anderson HIA 63–73m — removed for 10m during his 3rd stint.
What worked: Three of four stints hit exactly. Anderson's 3-position stint chain (pos 13 → 12 → 11) is ambitious and creative — it worked for the first two legs before the HIA interrupted leg three. Two-prop bench split by position (Vete #8, Royal #10) is the correct setup. Royal playing through his injury to complete his full stint shows resilience.
For R5:
- Simplify Anderson to 2 stints (e.g. 35–55 pos 13, 60–80 pos 11). Same total, fewer breakable links.
- No bench back. Toopi's removal was covered by Koopu's Centre secondary, but that's your only backline flex. One utility with backline secondary would help.
- Keep Vete/Royal split across #8/#10 — correct design.
Fiji Kaiviti (vs Devils, won 42–10) — Sim-Aware
@tajhayPlan style: Custom stints, all 4 slots. Protected: 1–7.
Bench:
- #14 Epalahame Lauaki (Second-row) — stint pos 11 (68–80)
- #15 Brady Malam (Prop) — stint pos 10 (25–58)
- #16 Karl Temata (Prop) — stint pos 8 (23–50)
- #17 Jazz Tevaga (Lock, secondary Prop + Hooker) — stints pos 9 (41–60) + pos 13 (60–70) + pos 8 (70–80)
Notable starter flex: Micheal Luck (Lock + Second-row), Metcalf (5/8 + HB). All other starters are single-position.
| Player | Plan | Actual | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lauaki | pos 11 68–80 (12m) | 68m | Forced on at 12m — Metcalf cascade |
| Malam | pos 10 25–58 (33m) | 33m | ✓ exact |
| Temata | pos 8 23–50 (27m) | 27m | ✓ exact |
| Tevaga | 3 stints pos 9→13→8 (39m) | 38m | ✓ −1m, all per plan |
Injuries: PJ Marsh (#9 Hooker) injured at 8m but played through (60m total — not removed, no substitution triggered). Luke Metcalf (#6 5/8) injured at 12m — genuinely removed (12m total).
The real story: Tevaga's hooker stint at 42m was his planned rotation, not emergency cover for Marsh. Marsh played through his 8m injury, stayed on field until 42m, came off for Tevaga's scheduled stint, and returned at 62m. The actual emergency was Metcalf's permanent removal at 12m — that's what forced Lauaki on 56 minutes earlier than planned.
What worked: Three of four stints executed to plan. Two-prop bench split by position and time (Malam #10 25–58, Temata #8 23–50) — textbook. Tevaga's triple-role rotation chain (hooker → lock → prop) ran near-perfectly — a sim-aware design that shows genuine tactical thinking.
For R5:
- Extend Lauaki's stint to something like 50–80. A 12-minute cameo is under-planned — if anything goes wrong he plays 60+ anyway.
- Backline depth is your biggest gap. Nobody in the squad has 5/8 as secondary except Metcalf himself. If he goes down again you're improvising from scratch. One bench slot with 5/8 or Centre secondary would close that.
- Keep the two-prop split and the Tevaga chain — both are excellent.
Tauranga Devils (vs Kaiviti, lost 10–42) — Lazy Approach
@wizard of Tauranga @ShaunJohnson7Plan style: Simple replaces, all targets on auto. Protected: 1–7 and 11.
Bench:
- #14 Hitro Okesene (Prop) — replaces [8,10] auto
- #15 Aaron Heremaia (Hooker) — replaces [9] auto
- #16 Jack Murchie (Second-row) — replaces [13] auto
- #17 Demitric Vaimauga (Prop) — replaces [8,10] auto
Notable starter flex:
- #9 Betham (Hooker + Lock) — covers #13 via secondary
- #11 Mannering (SR + Centre + Lock) — protected, unavailable for rotation
- #12 Taylor (SR + Lock) — covers #13 via secondary
- Ellis (#2, Wing + FB), Fisiiahi (#5, Wing + FB)
| Player | Role | Actual | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Okesene | replaces 8/10 | 52m | heavy (also HIA 54–64m) |
| Heremaia | replaces 9 | 50m | heavy |
| Murchie | replaces 13 | 0m | plan fought squad design |
| Vaimauga | replaces 8/10 (dup of #14) | 0m | overlap with Okesene |
Injuries/cards: Berry (#4 Centre) sin bin 16–26m (played 70m). O'Sullivan (#7 HB) injured at 19m but played through (80m total). Okesene HIA at 54m, cleared at 64m — removed for 10 minutes mid-game. Even that 10-minute window didn't get Vaimauga on.
What worked: Okesene and Heremaia covered their assigned positions and got real minutes. Protected list sensibly included #11 Mannering (OVR 96). Two bench props is the right headcount.
Why it underdelivered — this was a lazy approach to substitution:
- All four targets on auto — no contract, no intent, every decision handed to the sim.
- Simple replaces on every slot — no stint windows, no time anchors.
- Both bench props assigned identical replaces [8, 10]. Two props is right; identical assignments is the problem. One was always going to sit. Even when Okesene went off for HIA (54–64m), the sim brought back a rested starter rather than give Vaimauga his chance — because with no stint window forcing him on, the sim's star-rested preference (FH at OVR 87, Fonua-Blake at OVR 93) correctly won.
- Murchie at replaces [13] was always going to lose to Betham and Taylor, who both have Lock as secondary. Murchie as SR is only "compatible" with lock (one tier below secondary match). The sim correctly preferred Betham. The slot didn't match the squad design.
For R5:
- Switch to custom stints. Stints with explicit windows force specific bench on at specific times.
- Keep both bench props but split them. Okesene stint pos 10 (20–45), Vaimauga stint pos 8 (25–50). Both play ~25m at their dedicated prop position.
- Reassign Murchie to replaces [11/12] (his SR primary match). Your starters Betham and Taylor already cover lock via secondary. Don't assign a bench player to a role your starters already fill.
- Consider one bench utility with broader secondary coverage instead of doubling up on pure positions.
League Summary
- Textbook: Chatham Island Hawks — precise stints, split props, distinct roles, best starter flex.
- Sim-aware: Fiji Kaiviti — Tevaga's triple-role chain plus clean prop split. Metcalf's removal exposed the one gap (no bench 5/8 cover).
- Disciplined: Tohoku Salamanders — real targets, plan honoured. Hooker depth is the one risk.
- Best bench versatility: Hawaii Hammerheads — Fien + Hohaia give unmatched positional flex. Just set targets.
- Ambitious but fragile: Pyongyang Dictators — three stints exact, Anderson's chain was creative but one HIA broke it.
- Solid but rigid: Taranaki Tortoises — prop stints dead-on, but zero bench secondaries left them exposed when two starters went off permanently.
- Unprotected: Las Vegas Knights — empty protected list, overlapping bench roles, but all four bench got game time.
- Lazy approach: Tauranga Devils — all on auto, identical prop assignments, redundant lock cover. Half the bench wasted.
How to Run Two Bench Props Properly
Starting props fatigue fastest — two bench props is the correct baseline for every team. The difference between good and bad is assignment:
| Good | Bad |
|---|---|
| Prop A covers #8, Prop B covers #10 | Both on replaces [8, 10] |
| Stint windows: A 20–45, B 45–70 | Both on auto with no time intent |
| Both play 25–35m | One plays 52m, the other plays 0m |
- Thread starter
- #897
For minor injury, no. their fatigue is not impacted. Their impact/effectiveness is.
For players with low fitness, yes they fatigue earlier (and lets assume they have same endurance rating) say you have a prop at 100 fitness, he can probably play 25 mins at full impact. For a prop that is at 50 fitness, that would probably drop to around 15 mins at full impact.
Cces
🎯
Does the estimated fatigue bars in Game Plan adjust based on the players current Fitness rating or does it remain unchanged?
- Thread starter
- #899
It does...but its weighted differently...there is a fatigue calculation and ALL players start with 100% energy so will show as green at the start irrrespective of what their fitness is...but will get to orange/red quicker. But do note that that the fatigue gradient chart is an approximation. What happens in the game can change things.
