NRL 2018
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Doesn't win style points but it does win two points.
It wasn't pretty: Last year's grand finalists are on the brink of missing the postseason and are trailing at half time, of course they're going to play lights out in the second half! It was messy but that defensive effort by the Warriors was impressive when watching the replay (not so much in real time). James Gavet came up big against Jason Taumalolo on a few occasions while Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is easily the best defensive fullback in the game.
The real MVP: Have to say Ken Maumalo. With David Fusitua out a lot more was expected of Maumalo and he delivered. He's become safe under the high ball, is essentially our main frontrower and is scoring tries when Kata isn't passing him the ball (because he never does).
What about the other guys?: One season too many. The North Queensland Cowboys have players who are too old or just have too many miles on the odometer. Jonathan Thurston really should have retired last season and handed the reins over to Michael Morgan and Te Maire Martin but he hasn't so North Queensland fans are watching a team that, unless desperate like tonight, have a rudderless attack. Expecting the Cowboys to bounce back in 2019 but first they need a few guys to hang up the boots.
Potential Kiwis: Good to hear the commentators saying that the Warriors will not be allowing Tuivasa-Sheck, Johnson or Luke to play for the Kiwis due to their injuries this season. I expect Peta Hiku to get the call since the Warriors have a number of outside backs in the NSW Cup (Gelling, Ayshford, Nicoll-Klokstad) who can step in. Tohu Harris will probably be named along with Adam Blair while Cowboys stand off Te Maire Martin will earn a call up too.
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@sneakdefreak Can't like your post match review for the probably the first ever time because of this comment:
@sneakdefreak said in NRL 2018:
Potential Kiwis: Good to hear the commentators saying that the Warriors will not be allowing Tuivasa-Sheck, Johnson or Luke to play for the Kiwis due to their injuries this season.
Am I the only one who cares about the Kiwis over a club team and boganpalooza? I want the best players in the Kiwis and if they're fit enough for club matches they're fit enough for the Kiwis.
I guess I'm just getting less and less interested in league because of the lack of support for the international game and the focus on origin. I used to watch a few of the bigger NRL matches a week (well in the 90s it was all of them) but now I only watch the Warriors.
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@sneakdefreak Can't like your post match review for the probably the first ever time because of this comment:
@sneakdefreak said in NRL 2018:
Potential Kiwis: Good to hear the commentators saying that the Warriors will not be allowing Tuivasa-Sheck, Johnson or Luke to play for the Kiwis due to their injuries this season.
Am I the only one who cares about the Kiwis over a club team and boganpalooza? I want the best players in the Kiwis and if they're fit enough for club matches they're fit enough for the Kiwis.
I guess I'm just getting less and less interested in league because of the lack of support for the international game and the focus on origin. I used to watch a few of the bigger NRL matches a week (well in the 90s it was all of them) but now I only watch the Warriors.
My old man was a staunch leaguee , I grew up watching the kiwis play at Carlaw park , in those days most of the players were picked from local comps in NZ , had a real us against them feel ,especially when the aussies came to town ,the place used to get packed out, its a shame whats happened to international league , it used to actually mean something.
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@sneakdefreak Can't like your post match review for the probably the first ever time because of this comment:
@sneakdefreak said in NRL 2018:
Potential Kiwis: Good to hear the commentators saying that the Warriors will not be allowing Tuivasa-Sheck, Johnson or Luke to play for the Kiwis due to their injuries this season.
Am I the only one who cares about the Kiwis over a club team and boganpalooza? I want the best players in the Kiwis and if they're fit enough for club matches they're fit enough for the Kiwis.
I guess I'm just getting less and less interested in league because of the lack of support for the international game and the focus on origin. I used to watch a few of the bigger NRL matches a week (well in the 90s it was all of them) but now I only watch the Warriors.
Normally I'm on that boat but not this year. After last year's shitshow in NZ league land, the best remedy is that the Warriors have a playoff appearance in 2018. So if that means putting it ahead of an exhibition game in Denver so be it. (Of course I would have a different tune if it was Kiwis playing Tonga at a sold out Mt Smart/Eden Park)
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Jamayne Isaako and Esan Marsters sound like computer-generated names in Madden....
Surprised the Warriors agreed to let Luke go. It means they will be without him for the Cronulla game.
Best line up from that squad is:
1.Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 2.Ken Maumalo 3. Peta Hiku 4. Jordan Kahu (gk) 5. Jamayne Isaako 6. Te Maire Martin 7. Kodi Nikorima 8. Martin Taupau 9. Isaac Luke (c) 10. Leeson Ah Mau 11. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 12. James Fisher-Harris 13. Joseph Tapine
Bench: 14. Slade Griffin 15. Isaac Liu 16. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 17. Raymond Faitala-Mariner -
Sheesh, at least the Samoan Kiwis/NZers want to play for us! But we must be able to come up with a better wing that Isaako? The Bromwich's injured or unavailable? Benji picked the wrong time to be injured! Also, do we not have any fullbacks?
Did I hear that Fonua-Blake defected to Tonga as well? Good, that prick should never have been selected last year anyway.
Congrats to Griffin for taking the Chester spot on the team. Good on Luke for being available.
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Good to see we're keeping with the Hyphen tradition.
There's a number of injured players unavailable in addition to the unreleased Warriors. This squad will be competitive for about 40 minutes. We lack a bit of class in there.
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@act-crusader The forward pack is pretty good, the backline is ok but the bench is kaka. I give them 60 minutes of good footy and then it will be a tough final 20 minutes. England has Widdop, Graham and three Burgess bros and that will probably be enough for them to win the exhibition game.
Got me thinking though: what is our best 17? Best I could think up was....
1.Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Peta Hiku 4. Dean Whare 5.Jordan Kahu 6.Te Maire Martin 7.Shaun Johnson 8.Jesse Bromwich 9.Isaac Luke 10. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 11.Joseph Tapine 12.Tohu Harris 13.Adam Blair Bench: 14.Kodi Nikorima 15.Martin Taupau 16.James Fisher-Harris 17.Corey Harawira-Naera
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@sneakdefreak if Rapana was fit, he wouldn’t make your 17?
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@act-crusader I guess Rapana would be in there ahead of DWZ (who has never impressed me) but how's his form been this season? I think he's currently injured.
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@sneakdefreak yes currently injured. Did his hamstring quite badly a week or so ago. Out for 8 weeks.
His form has been okay in what has been a tough season for the Raiders. Not as prolific as the past two seasons, but still a makes good yards. Try scoring opportunities have been few and far between. -
@Sneakdefreak
Have Levi and Takairangi been dropped or are they injured? -
@bovidae Think McGuire has moved on from a few of the older role players like Takarangi. Esan Marsters probably replaces him as the centre/secondrow option, plus Marsters is rated highly at Wests and can kick goals. Dunno why Levi missed out (maybe Newcastle refused to release him).
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What could possibly go wrong?
"Veteran hooker Robbie Farah is returning to the Wests Tigers after the Rabbitohs granted him a release from the remainder of the final year of his contract.
The Wests Tigers announced the deal via their website on Wednesday afternoon."
Farah seals deal to return to Tigers
Veteran hooker Robbie Farah is returning to the Wests Tigers after the Rabbitohs granted him a release from the remainder of the final year of his contract.
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why? just, why? What makes you sign the bloke?
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Well, we're slipping down the ladder anyway so why not make sure the season is a disaster?
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