Yeah I hear you.
If I am following correctly it’s like the “sexier” choice sometimes is not right for the team and you need the “stodgy” type player for the benefit of team dynamics.
I totally agree with that logic.
You brought up the Broncos though and that’s why I rebutted with the type of players they have.
It’s a small sample size though with Gosiseki and Shibasaki, 1 win against a Roosters team half guttered.
We seem to be in a bit of a hole and I do think our Stodgy players Capewell, Nikoure and CNK imo should make way for the youngsters if they don’t pick their games up in like the next 2 weeks.
Great response
@WA Warrior yes your synopsis of my theory is accurate and I think describes what I am trying to say better than how I put it across myself. As I said this is my first time road testing this esoteric theory on the forum so I appreciate some nuanced feedback to fine tune it.
Yes our stodgy player selections are
Capewell instead of
Laban,
Niukore starting ahead of
Leka, and
CNK at fullback ahead of
TMM or
Taine.
Ford would also qualify as a stodgy selection.
My points in my original post were despite picking those four we weren't stodgy enough -
1) At least by their jersey numbers we appeared to switch our 2nd rowers to different edges
2)
Metcalf should have been 6 and the coach just said no to his dream of being a 7.
3)
Metcalf should not have goal kicked. The Stodgy selection would have been
Pompey.
4)
Barnett should have been prop would have been the stodgy selection rather than being "tricky" and at the last minute playing games by shifting him to lock.
5)
Clark would have been the stodgy choice for lock.
I don't know what to say about our bench poor use of
Leka and Vaimauga that frustrated the whole forum and made us all pull our hair out. I guess that was stodgy not to choose to use them but then why on earth were they picked at all?
On a final tangent about the poor bench use of those two up and coming stars - I did a plus minus on everyone we gained and lost from 2024 to 2025 including
Tohu's retirement and
Dallin being out most of the season.
Our starting 13 has treaded water from last year. But our main improvement is our bench. Game 1 last year we had Ale and Bunty - this year Game 1 we replaced them for the future stars of
Leka and Vaimauga. Yet despite that being our key area of improvement from last year and might I add our bench is where we had it over the raiders last week when I sized up their 17 we chose not to leverage our bench advantage. We really only used half our bench. It was exasperating. So I don't know if that was Stodgy or just insanity. I think that was just too weird to fit into my Stodgy theory.
