1. Darius Boyd. V Jordan Kahu.
Boyd specialist fb over our make shift choice.
2. Valentine Holmes V Jason Nightingale.
I'm giving this one to the old fullah. Test match Wingers are defenders and finishers on the right edge. Right edge outside backs require polish....in boxing parlance the right side is your Jab, the left is a hay maker. As exciting as Holmes is, Nightingale is exactly the sort of communicator you mark up on a flashy kid. Nighty is gonna fuck him up.
3. Greg Inglis V Kata.
Ingliss is the hardest thing to stop in all of International outside backlines closely matched by Jarod Hayne. On international paper Kata is on a hiding to nothing to be fair. Inglis is a true test match game breaking beast. All the more reason to mentor Young Solomone with Nightingale, if those two communicate, and Inglis can't score.....the Kiwis go a long way to winning this. Buy yeah Inglis all day over Kata.
4. Josh Dugan V SKD.
Didn't Mal watch any of Dugans games as a test player?
HE IS NOT A Test Match outside back.
Dugan thrives in space. He won't see as much as he is used to in the NRL.
Well he might do in the warm up....but as the Kiwis have shown in every four nations and the England series, we get tighter the more we play. SKD is a hit and miss player in the NRL, for the Kiwis he will yet again dominate his opposite in the four nations.
5. Blake Ferguson V Rapana. Call it even coz no one realistically knows. Rapana has been Killing it in the NRL, Ferguson has been one of the Kiwis new kids to bully up till now.
Knowing Kidwell he will tell Rapana to continue the Bullying.
6. Johnathan Thurston V Tommy. Thurston.
7. Cooper Cronk V
Johnson.
Johnson.
8. Matt Scott V JWH.
Even.
9. Cameron Smith (c) V Luke.
Smith.
10. Shannon Boyd V Bromwich.
Bromwich.
11. Matt Gillett V Proctor.
Slight advantage Proctor. They are both great defenders.....but at test match level Proctor grows an extra leg. Side show Bob doesn't score much for the Storm.
Put black and white colours on him and he runs great lines and poses a genuine threat to the goal line defence. He might not have the footwork of a Fillet or a beastwood to open the game up in any area of the feild....but being a true Bellamy disciple he is drilled in all aspects....so when tasked with running off
Shaun Johnson's Shoulder....he goes nuts.
12. Boyd Cordner V
Tohu Harris.
Even.
13. Trent Merrin V Jason Taumalolo.
The Man in black. Yet to have a break out test....somewhat like JWH and SBW....none have owned the Jersey...all three have somewhat ridden on reps and dissapointed. But our JT has been one of the most targeted NZ forwards after twin threats Luke and Bromwich.
So yeah no excuses in this test....he is surrounded by guys that out play him in 'one offs'......if he can't Alpha dog it in this series....he needs to look in the mirror and find a love of this country (Kidwell will be on his case and many others....especially Waerea Hargreaves).
14. Michael Morgan V Lewis Brown.
I'm calling it even. NRL form says Morgan. Test match form can only say Brown.
Brown is a fire cracker on attack in any team with
Shaun Johnson in it. Like Proctor, Brown thrives in attack running lines off
Shaun Johnson. Brown knows that shit better than any Kiwi forward....thanks to defeating the Melbourne Storm in combo with
Johnson to get to a GF.
That was ages ago....but when those two rep in a Black and white Jumper, they play with the same cockiness.
15. David Klemmer V Martin Tapau.
Tapau. Klemmer is an amazng player but....
Test Mact impact doesn't come any more horrific than Tapau.
Tests are nuts flexing contests with a hidden game of Chess underlaying the posturing.
Tapau grows that extra leg when you play him an anthem and get him performing a Haka. He is the David Kidwell of this team....except this time he won't have to do all the wrecking ball work with Vatuvei......
what I am looking forwards to most is seeing how a team without a Prop on the wing goes.
This series under Kidwell promises forward purity.
It is the opposite to the Warriors.
Ergo we will have the Manu / Roger Tuivasa-Sheck/ Outside back meter eating roles compared to old fashioned stacking your forwards in the fashion Kidwell has.
16. Sam Thaiday V Manu Ma'u.
Thaiday. While not as good as
Blair this season for the Broncos....he is not an unknown....he's been pretty handy his whole career for club and country.
Ma'u is the nobody of that Kiwi pack in terms of Rep form. He is exactly the type of player that needs a David Kidwell quiet talk. Ma'u is feared in the NRL. If Kidwell can niluture him to bring that against Aussie, the Kangaroos are fucked.
17. Tyson Frizell V Adam Bait.
I've always liked Frizell, as a Blues supporter I was rapt he made Origin on form (for a change.....fk reputations)
He deserves his cap.
But the thing is.....he has no test match form (I think he will go well).
But head to head with
Blair they are fairly even at club footy with
Blair having the mileage and experience at the international stuff.
So in Summary. If you take out the players I called evens....and weigh up what is left over....NZ have the advantage Seven to three .....that mostly comes about by forward Power and Assuming
Johnson will do his usual with all that space.
Never the less...if every test player lives up to his text Rep.....we are significantly stronger than the Roos.
