Pick Your Team Dragons v Warriors - Round 7, 2024 PICK YOUR TEAM



Team Tips: Jack Bird is set to sit out for a week after suffering a head knock, however the Dragons could challenge grading with Shane Flanagan explaining Bird was “fine in the dressing room, absolutely nothing wrong with him”. Flanagan has multiple options to replace him, with Zac Lomax a chance of moving back to the centres. That decision seems unlikely considering his form on the wing, meaning Savelio Tamale could be in line for an NRL debut or Max Feagai could earn a call-up.


Team Tips: Jazz Tevaga is set to be sidelined for an extended period with a hamstring injury, meaning the Warriors need a bench forward. Zyon Maiu’u, who started at prop in NSW Cup, could be in line for selection, while Tanner Stowers-Smith is also an outside chance with Bunty Afoa and Marata Niukore sidelined.
 
he was bad today but he wasn't the only one. If we take a hollistic approach, I think Ford has been our most consistent, improved performer over the last 2 years under webby. He now runs some of the best, most straightest lines off SJ I have ever seen. He deserves his starting spot imo. If he continues to have these clangers, then that's a conversation worth revisiting however.

This is a great post, there are a few highly regarded players on our team with multiple cold drops this season (at extremely crucial times).

One of Fords drops was a poor pass by SJ behind his shoulder.
 
The concern with Zyon Maiu’u is he comes in and gets sent off again lol, I'm also guessing Going will get a go since he got a taste at the end of last year

Maybe putting CHT on is also doubling as a trial for his ability to fill in for Jazz/Walker, which becomes a real scenario this weekend, he did alright so maybe CHT/Ale/Laban as the 3 forwards and Going as a back up Webby doesn't have to use if we stay injury free in the game


Our injury status is so dire that all we can do is wish these boys well because they are going to have to play, ready or not.

It could still get worse, the Zyon Maiu’u generation could get injured too.....
 
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Blame everyone's lord and Saviour LORD VLANDYS. precovid Fox sports was looking to revolutionize how the NRL was broadcast. They were going to have lines and camera angles showing the 10 meters and if referees were consistent with it. They had been working on technology based on something to do with cricket to show how far the ball travelled forward and if it was a forward pass. They had looked at how things were done in the USA in regard to both baseball and NFL coverage. that was shot down as it didn't want to expose referees to more scrutiny and the NRL believed the average fan didnt want that. You have to understand with the NRL they do not care about existing fans they because they believe they will watch no matter what. They want to attract new fans.

The NRL digital content team was working on having something similar to what the NFL network is right now. they had a bunch of incredible stuff that was going to come out before vlandys Sh1t canned them all. thankfully most of those great people found better places to work.

when it comes to different camera angels and the like, well the smaller suburban grounds wouldn't be able to support that

I wouldn’t mind thermometer and ultra edge snicko for challenges, heck add an AI pressure meter to determine if enough pressure was applied to grounding, chip in the ball for grounding in obscure areas and a lie detecter for stripping

“Marata did you play at the ball”

“Ah….no?”

TMO: “Heart rate blew up, we have a decision
 
I wouldn’t mind thermometer and ultra edge snicko for challenges, heck add an AI pressure meter to determine if enough pressure was applied to grounding, chip in the ball for grounding in obscure areas and a lie detecter for stripping

“Marata did you play at the ball”

“Ah….no?”

TMO: “Heart rate blew up, we have a decision
Where exactly are you sticking the thermometers?
 
This is a great post, there are a few highly regarded players on our team with multiple cold drops this season (at extremely crucial times).

One of Fords drops was a poor pass by SJ behind his shoulder.
He necessarily takes the ball at pace to beat opposition players around him. He has the pace to break the line but I think Shaun should use him as a decoy more often before swinging it out to Roger.
 
Happy to eat my hat on this, but I don't think Going and Roache are NRL quality players and I'd be surprised to see them playing more NRL games unless there was an absolute crisis (not there quite yet... but boy we're close on the middle forwards front...). They are very good quality Cup players, and I'm sure great blokes too, but I think that we'd prefer blooding our young / development players over them. My thinking was that their debuts in the last round game of last year, when Webby rested half our side, was a nice gesture to those guys who had given a lot to the NSW Cup team in our rather successful return to the comp.

Bring on another very interesting Team List Tuesday!
 
Happy to eat my hat on this, but I don't think Going and Roache are NRL quality players and I'd be surprised to see them playing more NRL games unless there was an absolute crisis (not there quite yet... but boy we're close on the middle forwards front...). They are very good quality Cup players, and I'm sure great blokes too, but I think that we'd prefer blooding our young / development players over them. My thinking was that their debuts in the last round game of last year, when Webby rested half our side, was a nice gesture to those guys who had given a lot to the NSW Cup team in our rather successful return to the comp.

Bring on another very interesting Team List Tuesday!

It's hard to disagree, they haven't featured in any lists as far as I'm aware so are a fair way down the pecking order.
 
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I'm sure Webby is going to go with Zyon Maiu’u for the call up. I'm fine with that because whoever is coming in is unlikely to play big minutes: AFB and Barney will be playing big minutes like they were last week. Let the kid, whoever it is, come in and experience first grade in what is surely a stop gap measure until walks comes back next week against the titans.

As for the game, we should definitely respect the dragons who are a fair side on their day. They will aim up because they view us as a genuine contender and thus a useful barometer of where they stand. But unless we turn up entitled to win like Manly did in rd 4, I really don't see how we lose this. We are just a much better team, both on paper and in terms of form. Our starting 13 is still essentially our full strength side. Anything other than a Wahs 13+ should be viewed as a disappointing outcome here.
 

Don’t worry we beat another hoodoo by scoring 8 points in 69 seconds in the showering rain 🤣

I'm sure Webby is going to go with Zyon Maiu’u for the call up. I'm fine with that because whoever is coming in is unlikely to play big minutes: AFB and Barney will be playing big minutes like they were last week. Let the kid, whoever it is, come in and experience first grade in what is surely a stop gap measure until walks comes back next week against the titans.

As for the game, we should definitely respect the dragons who are a fair side on their day. They will aim up because they view us as a genuine contender and thus a useful barometer of where they stand. But unless we turn up entitled to win like Manly did in rd 4, I really don't see how we lose this. We are just a much better team, both on paper and in terms of form. Our starting 13 is still essentially our full strength side. Anything other than a Wahs 13+ should be viewed as a disappointing outcome here.

Dragons are actually 3:3 hope Webby talk up the boys. Here comes the first potential “banana skin” game of the year
 
Don’t worry we beat another hoodoo by scoring 8 points in 69 seconds in the showering rain 🤣



Dragons are actually 3:3 hope Webby talk up the boys. Here comes the first potential “banana skin” game of the year
They are not as bad as they seem and can score points in patches quickly. They are strong on scoring tries via Kicks. They have out and out pace. This is NRL every team can beat you on their day. We should be too strong but nothing is a given.
 
Halasima has the strength and aggression but has a LONG way to go attitude wise after watching that game in the weekend. Attitude and discipline very poor. He was lucky he didn't get binned, would have in first grade. Easily a year+ off first grade unless a miracle happens to his brain.

Going or Zyon Maiu’u. I feel like if we don't play Going when we're this shredded for depth, what's the point of keeping him around?
 
Happy to eat my hat on this, but I don't think Going and Roache are NRL quality players and I'd be surprised to see them playing more NRL games unless there was an absolute crisis (not there quite yet... but boy we're close on the middle forwards front...). They are very good quality Cup players, and I'm sure great blokes too, but I think that we'd prefer blooding our young / development players over them. My thinking was that their debuts in the last round game of last year, when Webby rested half our side, was a nice gesture to those guys who had given a lot to the NSW Cup team in our rather successful return to the comp.

Bring on another very interesting Team List Tuesday.
A lot of people thought Taine Tuaupiki was not an NRL quality player. And they thought that could never change because he is so small.
Ed Kosi was the same, but the thinking was he was too big and slow and too old to learn to adapt.
The same is true of Rocco Berry who genuinely really struggled and I thought he did not have what it takes.

The problem seems to be more about the players not being ready, until they are forced into the NRL, where they have to go through a gauntlet of fire and struggle - before we see their quality emerge.

Our history is one of blooding these types of players, seeing them fail in their opening game, and sending them off to the ESL or club scene....never to be seen again, the odd one gets a contract at an NRL club and turns out to be wayyy better than we realised (Saliva Havili would be pretty handy as a back up hooker right now).

So I agree those boys do not look ready, but the Webster ball NRL system finds ways to turn the ugly ducklings (some of them late bloomers) into NRL replacement options that function a lot better than anyone is expecting.

As you say, we are on the cusp of a crisis.

We often lose two forwards a game, the time is now to back these guys to the hilt because they look like all we have.
 
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