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Not surprises as such, but more things I’m looking at:
I mentioned in a previous thread that TMM to fullback is a signal of Taine playing wing long term (with DWZ out). With a lack out outside backs I reckon it's safe to expect TMM as next up after Charnze to avoid moving our wingers. What I don't see is if he still plays 6 to start or notThat's why I thought the TMM to fb was a bit of a waste of time....imo Webby has the majority of the team selections sorted, and while TMM at the back looked pretty good, I doubt he's going to throw Plan A out the window based on a 40 min stint from TMM at fb.
Maybe if we're struggling and aren't winning games he might mix it up, but I'd be pretty shocked if he ran with TMM as fb in game one.
Time will tell, do we know if the team is named on Tuesday this week like normal, or a bit different with the team leaving for Vegas today?
We were pretty lucky with Hohaia with the amount of positions he could fill as a utilityStill think the Ivan 2011 is the platonic ideal of a bench.
2 props (packer & Lillyman), 1 back rower who can also play lock (Elijah Taylor), 1 dummy half (hohaia) and one of them can legitimately play in the backs.
And all of them get 20+ minutes
Which this year is something like bunty*, walker, halasima, healey
*unless Demetric can legitimately play prop. I.e hes an option to start there if required.
Walker does not seem like a bench prop, but his stats say he can put up 90m and 20 tackles in the middle off the bench. He’s also the backs cover.
Go back and watch those games. Was his stats good? Yes. Was some of the try assists pretty shithouse (balls on the ground or pathetic D) also yes. I felt like when SJ was out the whole team felt the need to lift instead of being carried which made him look good. Not saying he was shit but definitely operate during that period. He was horrendous after a few games also.Yeah I can see that happening.
Tbh, I get the feeling that Webby doesn't have faith in TMM. Has played 2nd fiddle to SJ the whole time he's been here, so we never really got to see how he goes as the dominant play maker. SJ gets injured, TMM goes to 7 and goes gangbusters, scores a bunch and sets heaps of tries up, while forcing many repeat sets. Only to be dropped when SJ returns, and then overlooked as the starting 7 this year.
He then goes really well at FB for us in a trial, yet likely won't come in to the equation as a fb unless we have significant injuries in the backline.
Mate, stop trolling, you are better than this.Go back and watch those games. Was his stats good? Yes. Was some of the try assists pretty shithouse (balls on the ground or pathetic D) also yes. I felt like when SJ was out the whole team felt the need to lift instead of being carried which made him look good. Not saying he was shit but definitely operate during that period. He was horrendous after a few games also.
I think he’s been better than Capewell, but both have been poor imo. I wonder if Demetric should shift back to the edge as well he looks much more destructive there. I like the idea of Halasima and Demetric hitting lines and picking there moments on the edges.
I figured Clark would start at 13 because it seems the team prefer Walker to come on around the 25min mark. For that first stint role Clark seems well suited.I find it interesting this obsession with having Clark (or more accurately, a “ball playing 13”) starting in almost every team I’ve seen.
1. He’s not an 80 minute player, so there’s absolutely NOTHING he can do that he can’t do off the bench.
2. He’s played off the bench almost his entire career. (With Tino out all last year btw) and now he starts for us? Because he had 2 good trials, especially the one against a storm C team……. OK.
Maybe I’m wrong. But doesn’t every team get 8 interchanges per game? (Excluding head knocks/ foul play)
Who are our 80 minute forwards?
JFH and Barnett off/on, that’s 4
Egan off/on, that’s 6
That leaves 2 for the 11,12,13. You probably want to keep 1 spare for an injury. So practically you only have 1.
Capewell can play 80, but not week in week out though.
So Clark or Niukore have to play 80?
Good luck lol…… I can see Ford in there somewhere. (Hopefully Laban if he’s capable of playing 80)
I want Ali Leiataua to play left centre.
1. It gives a genuine threat on our left.
2. If Berry is our long term right centre, what’s the point of putting Ali there, especially when Pompey (or CNK) can play there. When he can get reps on the left and build combos on the left.
I wouldn’t be opposed to TMM being fullback. That would move CNK to centre.
So you still get the Mahi from CNK and RTS.
I feel it’ll help move away from the “ball playing 13”
I can certainly see the logic, but wouldn’t it be better to tighten up our middle and the double barrel Walker and Clark? (Like Walker and Jazz). I realise that leaves a fairly light bench but Clark seems almost guaranteed to play come match day. So he’s got to be somewhere.
I kinda agree.
So 13 for me would be either Barnett, Vaimauga or Ford. With two 80 minute (capable) players in the 11, 12 and 13.Hmm someone's getting a little upset at Tohu's replacement it seems?
No one's replacing Tohu @Tohu’s_Knees!
Haha but no, Clark seems the obvious choice for me at 13.
Who would you have at 13 and what's your run down of our 8 interchanges? I think it still works quite well as it's likely a few players - Barnett, Niukore and Ford included - often means we are swapping players to different positions mid game so instead of it being 4 interchanges for both Barney and JFH, it often turns to 2 or 3 ( Niukore subs off, Barny to edge, then later when Barny sins off JFH comes on as a middle for example)