General Your 2024 lineup

[MrFrankWhite]

Can you talk me through your middle rotation? I reckon you’ve got one too many

Sorry I missed this,
AFB / Barnett / Ford
Bunty / Nuikore / Ale

Then between for who needs a spell. Tohu / Walker / Capewell / Egan. Those 4 can all play monster mins. And TBH im not hot on Lussick and the sharks will be sending Nikora at the middle edge all day.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

I’m coming around to a bench of:

Walker
Niukore
Lussick
Jazz (injury cover)

Example middle bench rotation:
20 min - Barnie > Walker
25 min - AFB > Niukore
50 min - Tohu > AfB
55 min - Niukore > Barnie
70min - Tohu > Barnie / Walker

5 interchanges, leaves you 2 to get Egan on and off for Lussick plus an injury sub.

If there’s an injury in the backs Walker fills it and Jazz moves to 13; if there’s an injury to an edge forward Niukore fills it and Jazz moves to prop.

I love the recipe but I hate the ingredients.

Walker - small man, plays like a big man. in great form
Niukore - big man, plays like a big man. in great form
Lussick - small man, plays like a small man. Shit form
Jazz - mall man, plays like a small man. Shit form

To me, that bench is how we lose. Thats the bench I want to see if I'm the Sharks coach.

 

[CWC]

I love the recipe but I hate the ingredients.

Walker - small man, plays like a big man. in great form
Niukore - big man, plays like a big man. in great form
Lussick - small man, plays like a small man. Shit form
Jazz - mall man, plays like a small man. Shit form

To me, that bench is how we lose. Thats the bench I want to see if I'm the Sharks coach.

Mall man?

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

Everyone has Walker as a lock in but I felt he started last year with a hiss and a roar and faded later in the season. Injuries and being moved positions probably didn’t help.

Definitely has a place but hopefully the pressure for spots gets him back into form as he has x-factor and is a game winner when on form.

 

[Warriorshopeful]

Mall man?

He likes his shopping.

 

[CWC]

Everyone has Walker as a lock in but I felt he started last year with a hiss and a roar and faded later in the season. Injuries and being moved positions probably didn’t help.

Definitely has a place but hopefully the pressure for spots gets him back into form as he has x-factor and is a game winner when on form.

We had an amazing run without him (even he said it lol) but I think Webby started tinkering with the bench time holding him off til 30-35th minutes and during playoffs he and Jazz together just got run over by the finalists pack

IMO Jazz is good enough against teams outside top 4 but we can’t afford 2 small props against big teams, just give his spot to Laban, Zyon Maiu’u, Ale etc and 1 of them might explode and be ready for playoff footy, and Jazz can be Tohu/Walker backups and Bunty prop backups, still plenty of game time in a season covering injuries and fill in for rests

 

[Fonzie]

I’m coming around to a bench of:

Walker
Niukore
Lussick
Jazz (injury cover)

Example middle bench rotation:
20 min - Barnie > Walker
25 min - AFB > Niukore
50 min - Tohu > AfB
55 min - Niukore > Barnie
70min - Tohu > Barnie / Walker

5 interchanges, leaves you 2 to get Egan on and off for Lussick plus an injury sub.

If there’s an injury in the backs Walker fills it and Jazz moves to 13; if there’s an injury to an edge forward Niukore fills it and Jazz moves to prop.

Refining this slightly:
Same bench:
Walker
Niukore
Lussick
Jazz (injury cover)

Example bench rotation:
20 min - Barnie > Niukore
25 min - AFB > Walker
50 min - Tohu > AFB
50 min - Niukore > Barnie
60 min (optional) - Niukore for Ford / Capwah
70min - Tohu > Barnie

Basically getting Niukore on and off a bit earlier so you have the option of getting him on again to give an edge backrower a rest

 

[Ref]

Egan is the new Cameron Smith.

 

[John Nick]

Egan is the new Cameron Smith.

A bit more delicate unfortunately

 

[ndp26]

Refining this slightly:
Same bench:
Walker
Niukore
Lussick
Jazz (injury cover)

Example bench rotation:
20 min - Barnie > Niukore
25 min - AFB > Walker
50 min - Tohu > AFB
50 min - Niukore > Barnie
60 min (optional) - Niukore for Ford / Capwah
70min - Tohu > Barnie

Basically getting Niukore on and off a bit earlier so you have the option of getting him on again to give an edge backrower a rest

I prefer this to your previous example rotation - the main reason being that you have ~5 mins with both AFB and Niukore on the field, after the defence has been blunted a bit.
Think a fresh Niukore charging into a retreating defensive line after an AFB run and quick PTB. Huge!