Pick Your Team Pick Your Team 2018 Rnd 23 - Bulldogs vs Warriors

[bruce]

Is the dogs pack really that big anymore? They've lost most of their biggest, most effective middle men (Kasiano, Graham and Woods). Sure Klemmer is still a threat but I think we've beaten bigger packs this year. Same team (hopefully Jazz and Pulu are fine) should do the job.

When they turn up the Warriors can cope with any pack in the NRL. The Dragons was a fearsome pack and we have beaten them twice, fair and square. The Knights are not a bad pack and actually played pretty well last night. You could sense the disappointment in Nathan Brown's post match when he said they were strangled. So I cannot see how the Dogs will be any different. The trick for the Warriors is realising that any drop in intensity is fatal. Our back three are lethal but they cannot replace a forward pack.

 

[bruce]

Geez one Tohu Harris returns the bench will be mean!
Mannering
Afoa
Pulu
Hiku

When you have depth like that it in finals time you get respect.

 

[Mr Bob]

Hypothetically if we wanted a defensive center capable of feeding the winger, the most qualified would actually be Ayshford.

Ash who?

Name sounds familiar

 

[bruce]

Ash who?

Name sounds familiar

When you have a guy like that in reserve grade you are starting to get somewhere e.g. Melbourne and Penrith

 

[Gizzyfan]

Same team but imo they are all one step too shallow meaning they either crab across field or stop.

Watching the game I thought the running was generally towards the sideline. I think this might be causing it.

Funnily enough the best at straightening the attack is Kata. The attack is nesrly there. Keep the completions at a high percentage. The start yesterday put unnecessary pressure on themselves.

 

[Aman]

I’m just loving the culture and direction this club is going in. We’re not preparing just for one season we’re buldomg something great here I can feel it. The send offs to retiring players and then the ref last night, the amazing goal line defence, the development of young players and improvement of recruits, the grit and determination just everything - it’s the kind of stuff that changes people opinions and perceptions of everything that was wrong with us in the past and I can’t think of to many other clubs that you can proudly support year in year out except the Storm. It’s early days but I’m already looking forward to watching us next year with anticaption and excitement and not a nervousness wreck.

 

[xWarrior]

Is it time for Pulu to start on the edge?

 

[Fearmuss]

I’m just loving the culture and direction this club is going in. We’re not preparing just for one season we’re buldomg something great here I can feel it. The send offs to retiring players and then the ref last night, the amazing goal line defence, the development of young players and improvement of recruits, the grit and determination just everything - it’s the kind of stuff that changes people opinions and perceptions of everything that was wrong with us in the past and I can’t think of to many other clubs that you can proudly support year in year out except the Storm. It’s early days but I’m already looking forward to watching us next year with anticaption and excitement and not a nervousness wreck.

Yeah the culture in the first grade team is a real strong point at the moment. One of those things I hope they can cement into the club long term, not just as a gimmick.

Also excellent for culture that the grannie robber Watson and crazy old Glenn don't own the club anymore.

 

[Vancent]

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Fusitua
Beale
Kata
Big Bad Ken (BBK)
Greeny
Sj7
Gavet
Luke
Paasi
Papali’i
Mannering
Blair

Jazz
Afoa
Pulu (foot) / Satae
Hiku

I’m not sure how creative that is, looks like the team we just played with but so be it.

 

[dantheman]

Is it time for Pulu to start on the edge?

No need to change a team that seems to be playing pretty well over the last couple of weeks. I think Kearney is still easing Pulu back into longer minutes. He didnt play for that long against the Knights.

 

[Sup42]

No need to change a team that seems to be playing pretty well over the last couple of weeks. I think Kearney is still easing Pulu back into longer minutes. He didnt play for that long against the Knights.

Fingers crossed the scans come up clear.

It is the same injury again which is a bit ominous.

 

[bruce]

When is Harris back?

 

[Swanny]

When is Harris back?

They ruled out a return this coming week but are hoping for the Panthers game

 

[xWarrior]

Geez cant catch a break with all these injuries. Fully fit Pulu/Tohu Harris on the edges and im confident we can beat any team out there.

 

[Run_it_str8]

Our edge attack depends on our edge forwards.

Blair getting comfortable on the edge resulted in 2 tries. When Harris comes back the edge will work just as effectively.

I'd like to see Blair on the right this weekend and see if Ken goes over. Because if that's the case, Blair/Harris 11 at 12 could be the final piece in the puzzle.

Blair on the right.
Papali'i on the left.
Mannering in the middle.

When Tohu Harris is ready

Blair left
Tohu Harris right
Mannering middle

Pulu bench
Papali'i bench
Bunty bench
Jazz bench

 

[Run_it_str8]

Is it time for Pulu to start on the edge?

No. Blair left edge. Tohu Harris right.

More experience. Both good in different ways.

Pulu and Papali'i to the bench with Jazz and Bunty.

 

[Blain]

Pulu looked buggered on the weekend, surprised he played TBH. Only got a quick spell.

I'm worried that we haven't put many decent scores on teams this year, most our wins have been close or a couple tries in it. We just really need a good 30-40 point game to get the confidence up a bit, we still look a little rusty IMO. PD is also key, could be the difference between 5th and 8th.

I'd play the same team, maybe Satae in for Hiku.

 

[WellingtonOrca]

Commentators during the game mentioned Green was carrying a chest injury - guess that explains Hiku on the bench then. If we see him again then we know Green hasn't quite got over it, hopefully not too serious.

 

[letsgonewarriors]

Pulu looked buggered on the weekend, surprised he played TBH. Only got a quick spell.

I'm worried that we haven't put many decent scores on teams this year, most our wins have been close or a couple tries in it. We just really need a good 30-40 point game to get the confidence up a bit, we still look a little rusty IMO. PD is also key, could be the difference between 5th and 8th.

I'd play the same team, maybe Satae in for Hiku.

In the press conference Kearney said Pulu may have reinjured his foot, hope it's not too serious. He a has the potential to add aggression when fully fit.

 

[Run_it_str8]

Fusitua isn't scoring as freely outside Beale was he was outside Hiku, mind you he scored a blinder tonight. IMO both wingers would be dynamite with better feeding centres. I cannot think of any winger in the comp I would rather have than Fusitua or Ken.

Just reflecting on the last 2 games. Beale has shown some good defensive reads and also helped out with the early hit ups quite well too.

Hiku right
Beale left

Kata left right out

Beale on the left means Ken won't score anyway unless Beale can pass left.