Internationals 2016 Australia v Kiwis Test, Perth

[Defence]

Well u will never see a bad Australian side but that would have to be one of the more beatable lineups ive seen.
We look to have an edge in the forwards.
I'd be looking to target the Dugan/ ferguson edge- think we could have some joy there.

 

[Brother Faisal]

So we've got

Boyd - Kahu
Holmes - Rapana
Inglis - SKD
Dugan - Kata
Fergo - Nightingale

I'll give boyd the win for fullback position.
Inglis and Holmes win v SKD and Rapana
Kata and Nightingale win v the Cruiser brothers

Thurston - Leuleuai
Cronk - Johnson

Definitely a win for Cronk and JT in the halves

Scott - Bromich
Boyd - JWH

Our boys win that battle but its close

Smith - Luke

Cam smith wins that one

Gillete - Harris
Cordner - Proctor
Merrin - Taumalolo

Our backrow wins that for mine.

Morgan - Brown
Klemmer - Blair
Thaiday - Ma'u
Frizell - Taupau

Give it slight edge to aussie, better prop in klemmer, better utility in morgan, thaiday better than ma'u taupauties with frizell, frizells a guy to watch out for.

Our starting forwards win but our bench isnt dynamic enough for mine and our backs aren't dynamic either, but still a good contest on paper.

 

[Wellington Warrior]

Love the NRL logic.... it's a sell out (but still some tickets available!)

 

[letsgonewarriors]

So we've got

Boyd - Kahu
Holmes - Rapana
Inglis - SKD
Dugan - Kata
Fergo - Nightingale

I'll give boyd the win for fullback position.
Inglis and Holmes win v SKD and Rapana
Kata and Nightingale win v the Cruiser brothers

Thurston - Leuleuai
Cronk - Johnson

Definitely a win for Cronk and JT in the halves

Scott - Bromich
Boyd - JWH

Our boys win that battle but its close

Smith - Luke

Cam smith wins that one

Gillete - Harris
Cordner - Proctor
Merrin - Taumalolo

Our backrow wins that for mine.

Morgan - Brown
Klemmer - Blair
Thaiday - Ma'u
Frizell - Taupau

Give it slight edge to aussie, better prop in klemmer, better utility in morgan, thaiday better than ma'u taupauties with frizell, frizells a guy to watch out for.

Our starting forwards win but our bench isnt dynamic enough for mine and our backs aren't dynamic either, but still a good contest on paper.

You don't need dynamic if your play the field position and possession game. If you have the right game plan you can beat the aussies, and also as the old saying goes you don't play the game on paper. By the looks of our outside backs you have some hard workers that will help out our forwards all day. Getting us in to the right position to challenge them in the right part of the field.

 

[Brother Faisal]

You don't need dynamic if your play the field position and possession game. If you have the right game plan you can beat the aussies, and also as the old saying goes you don't play the game on paper. By the looks of our outside backs you have some hard workers that will help out our forwards all day. Getting us in to the right position to challenge them in the right part of the field.

Yep cant wait to see the boys in action.

Kata is someone im sure the kiwis had earmarked for awhile. He seems to have the right attitude for the kiwis, whereas I feel hurrellwould have been a deterent even though he's a talent

 

[letsgonewarriors]

Yep cant wait to see the boys in action.

Kata is someone im sure the kiwis had earmarked for awhile. He seems to have the right attitude for the kiwis, whereas I feel hurrellwould have been a deterent even though he's a talent

Yeah I agree I think they have just been waiting to get his defence a lot more solid which I think he has done a lot more consistently in recent times. If he can get a combination going with his winger and actually get him the ball that will be a dangerous side of the field on attack.

 

[Sup42]

1. Darius Boyd. V Jordan Kahu. Boyd specialist fb over our make shift choice.

2. Valentine Holmes V Jason Nightingale.
Nightingale

3. Greg Inglis V Kata.
Ingliss

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.

12. Boyd Cordner V Tohu Harris.
Even.

13. Trent Merrin V Jason Taumalolo.
JT

14. Michael Morgan V Lewis Brown.
Morgan

15. David Klemmer V Martin Tapau.
Tapau.

16. Sam Thaiday V Manu Ma'u.

Thaiday.

17. Tyson Frizell V Adam Blair.

Blair.
Never the less...if every test player lives up to his test Rep.....we are significantly stronger than the Roos.

 

[jonno]

Luke running that forward pack is going to be tough to beat.

Shaun Johnson just needs a half chance and he will get the points.

 

[snake77]

Love the NRL logic.... it's a sell out (but still some tickets available!)

LOL. I suppose that isn't to bad at least they aren't doing the pro wrestling trick of putting all of the crowd on the side facing the camera and claiming it is a sell out and people were turned away only for a few other shots to show empty seats and area covered up.

It's good to see it's going to have a good crowd though. The Warriors games there have been well supported, even though the results have been shit. Hopefully some good crowds will see the Aussies start getting keen on international footy. Well one can hope right.

 

[Swanley]

Stupid question, but does anyone know why Tohu Harris is not playing? Is he injured? I'd have him over Proctor most days of the week.

 

[Danpatmac]

Stupid question, but does anyone know why Tohu Harris is not playing? Is he injured? I'd have him over Proctor most days of the week.

he is playing.

 

[Brother Faisal]

i hope the ref doesnt have a big part to play in this, i know cecchin can do make up penalties when the game is out of hand. Im just hoping he calls a fair 10metres. I forwards do dominate but it gets stifled when the aussies are given a soft 10metres. If we get fair share of calls and 50/50s we're in for a chance.

 

[Swanley]

he is playing.

Of course! just re-read the team list....it was a stupid question....thanks.

 

[Horriors2014]

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.

For mine, I think the performance of the forwards and halves will shape the outcome. If Aussies forwards come fired up and match us, I think Smith/Cronk will shut us out with their kicking game. And Maloney will come on to ice it. But if our forwards dominate, goodbye Aussie because our backs are solid enough to capitalise on a retreating defence. BUT, that comes with a small caveat that we don't come up with unforced errors/ref doesn't cheat us (the two unlucky factors that can tend to hamper us). Looking forward to seeing how we handle Ferguson and GI.

 

[Lord Gnome of Howick MBE]

Time for a game day thread?

 

[bruce]

Apart from Kata, they are mainly all experienced Internationals.

That might be the Aussies problem, newbies and old men in the forward pack.

 

[Sup42]

Time for a game day thread?

I would Add a Warning about the odd kick off time 9:50 PM.

I can see a lot of fans missing ten minutes of the game !

 

[janfin]

We will Win Can't wait So over Rugby

 

[Sup42]

Can't believe how big this game is being built up on Sports Media.

Some Warm up game.

The league World has woken up to the Transtamsman clashes.

Let's hope the boys play smoothly and at high speed.

That will sink the ROOS.

 

[Navigator]

I'm worried about the time to but the fact its like 5.50pm kick off in perth would rather it be an hour later as it would be cooler. then again if it rains like they are predicting bring it on.
Summary

Max 19
Shower or two.
Possible rainfall: 0 to 2 mm
Chance of any rain: 40%

Perth area
Partly cloudy. Medium (40%) chance of showers in the morning and early afternoon. Winds west to southwesterly 25 to 40 km/h turning southerly 15 to 20 km/h during the afternoon and evening.