Pick Your Team NZ Warriors v St George Illawarra Dragons - [Round 12, 2026]

[CWC]

The kicking metres always need to be given context with how many tackles you had in the opposition 20, as that will result in short kicks at the end of sets.
If CHT is doing the majority of the long kicking going forward it will probably fall more towards AKP, Roger and Capewell to lead the way.
I also don’t think you can discount how well that right edge is now defending with Ali and Leka spending a number of wees there. I wouldn’t want to go upsetting that at this stage

Cape is a gun chaser

 

[sup42]

because of his kick-chase? Maybe. But he needs some time in cup because he hasn't earned the right to his jersey. Putting him back immediately at center and demoting Ali is something Ciraldo would do, not Webby. Linane looks like more of a long term project- I can't see how he can be ready this year. Next cab off the rank if something happens to either CHT/TMM is Hanson imo.

No argument about Rocco needing reserve grade miles in the tank. That only takes two games then it is all on.
Linane was meant to be someone who is rusty, have conditioning issues, maybe half a step slowed, and unproven in NSW cup.

Already he looks too good for cup footy. Other clubs certainly wouldn't let him sit there too long if he keeps looking the way he did this week (good defence, fast, vision, pushing in support. Some will say it is too early to call, forget that, this is someone Cappy called a Star signing, we are supposed to me going ooo ahhh this kids good coz Cappy doesn't talk like that ordinarily).

 

[sup42]

The kicking metres always need to be given context with how many tackles you had in the opposition 20, as that will result in short kicks at the end of sets.
If CHT is doing the majority of the long kicking going forward it will probably fall more towards AKP, Roger and Capewell to lead the way.
I also don’t think you can discount how well that right edge is now defending with Ali and Leka spending a number of wees there. I wouldn’t want to go upsetting that at this stage

Good argument.

I have my doubts about someone like Ali finishing the season fit and well, we seem to be breaking centers faster than we can make them.

Mind you he is bigger, and he is hitting and running harder ergo he is less likely to snap in the wind.

 

[watcher]

I was impressed with Linnane, he is a good size and doesnt look out of place at Centre. A bit early for FG but I can see him giving AKP some room and backing up the 2nd Rowers. Specific instructions to concentrate on kick chase. However, you only drop players if they are out of form and the challenger is clearly better overall.

 

[CWC]

No argument about Rocco needing reserve grade miles in the tank. That only takes two games then it is all on.
Linane was meant to be someone who is rusty, have conditioning issues, maybe half a step slowed, and unproven in NSW cup.

Already he looks too good for cup footy. Other clubs certainly wouldn't let him sit there too long if he keeps looking the way he did this week (good defence, fast, vision, pushing in support. Some will say it is too early to call, forget that, this is someone Cappy called a Star signing, we are supposed to me going ooo ahhh this kids good coz Cappy doesn't talk like that ordinarily).

Think he did his ACL Jan last year? So 16 months for the return, pundits were saying you need 18 months to get back to full strength, the coaches probably took time for Jye to tune to prime condition

 

[Sammyw]

i remember a few years ago, penrith lost to the tigers (their first win that season) in heavy rain around the same time of the year. we need to be careful, but if we lose, we will still win the comp

 

[CWC]

i remember a few years ago, penrith lost to the tigers (their first win that season) in heavy rain around the same time of the year. we need to be careful, but if we lose, we will still win the comp

Penrith can’t play in the rain like us in 2023

 

[Tragic]

Taine might have the longest kick of anyone. Maybe we look at him as a kicking optikn on the last?

 

[CWC]

Taine might have the longest kick of anyone. Maybe we look at him as a kicking optikn on the last?

He wasn't great in a game last year and they stopped trying it, but they can train and try again, I was thinking Pompey used to take kick offs maybe he has a boot, but he's now depth so. Maybe they try AKP or Ali when they're struggling to start the set and RTS is vital now for metres

 

[skinnydippng]

thought chanel's short kick-offs were good last week from where i was sitting (yes the moment i saw him holding the ball i said to my friends they're going short and i was right)
but also i'm not a fan of the short kick anyway, the kinda thing i would only want maybe once or twice a game

 

[Dannevegas]

Good argument.

I have my doubts about someone like Ali finishing the season fit and well, we seem to be breaking centers faster than we can make them.

Mind you he is bigger, and he is hitting and running harder ergo he is less likely to snap in the wind.

Ali is building Beutifully, he can’t be dropped. But you’re right we can’t have a player of Linnanes calibre sitting around in cup for too long.

I don’t think we can change the current centre pairing of Ali and Roger. The obvious position for mine is Tauapikis spot. Linnane looks star quality, and all respect to Taine but he’s a journeyman type player doing a really simple job running down hill atm.

We aren’t even half way through the season yet and as good as we’re going with these rule changes, once finals time comes around I think we’ll see the refs chill out a bit and there won’t be one sided blow outs, games will be a lot stiffer and we’ll need every bit of xfactor we can get.

 

[sup42]

Ali is building Beutifully, he can’t be dropped. But you’re right we can’t have a player of Linnanes calibre sitting around in cup for too long.

I don’t think we can change the current centre pairing of Ali and Roger. The obvious position for mine is Tauapikis spot. Linnane looks star quality, and all respect to Taine but he’s a journeyman type player doing a really simple job running down hill atm.

We aren’t even half way through the season yet and as good as we’re going with these rule changes, once finals time comes around I think we’ll see the refs chill out a bit and there won’t be one sided blow outs, games will be a lot stiffer and we’ll need every bit of xfactor we can get.

Taine is not a journeyman, he is an older player that hasn't had exposure and a break out season, he is having one as I type. That guy is a brilliant defensive fullback, he is killing the ruck (like a young CNK used to dummy half run and get us rolling through superior ptb speed) and he is earning us a shit ton of penalties because he is low to the ground and keeps getting taken high.

I think if Geronimo Doyle, a player that is never going to play NRL, is still at fullback on the next muster after this round, and Linane has not been called into fullback, or even a few minutes in the halves 'for a coaches look' that you have your answer staring you in the face (he is not going to be a fullback).

Can it be any clearer? Not only is Doyle not an NRL prospect, he is not even a good NSW cup fullback.

My point about Rocco really, is that he is a player Webster is fond of, for technical reasons.

Obviously Ali's form in the last game edged Roger and Berry. So personally I would not want Ali swapped for Rocco. I am just raising the point that Webster may.

And we have to remember that a player like Ali, that has a lazy bone, can drop off because of the grind, and his worst if we see it again, will look so dark in contrast to his best, that the bells of NSW cup will be calling him home.

Berry will get a run this year, Roger and Ali are gonna be out for either an HIA or suspension or other hopefully at worst minor injury (and or depending on the ladder spacing a rest game at the end of the season).