Team List NRL 2018 Round 1 - Warriors vs Rabbitohs TEAM LIST

[mt.wellington]

Belief isn't reality. Some of you guys must have taken too much away from those preseason docos. The reality is our forward pack is now much worse than last year. We have replaced Jacob Lillyman, Ben Matulino, Bodene Thompson and Ryan Hoffman with Adam Blair, Leivaha Pulu, Ligi Sao and Isaiah Papali'i. We still have Solomone Kata and Ken Maumalo on one edge. Even worse is the thought that Anthony Gelling might replace Kata. Add to that the injury to Simon Mannering, Blake Ayshford, Agnatius Paasi and Gerard Beale and those rose tinted glasses are starting to turn a shit coloured brown.

Our club has been utter shite for a long long time now. The sudden introduction of Alex Corvo and Brian Smith isn't gonna change that overnight. Even Corvo said exactly that himself.

I'll happily eat humble pie if we part the Red Sea in Perth...

 

[Danpatmac]

Belief isn't reality. Some of you guys must have taken too much away from those preseason docos. The reality is our forward pack is now much worse than last year. We have replaced Jacob Lillyman, Ben Matulino, Bodene Thompson and Ryan Hoffman with Adam Blair, Leivaha Pulu, Ligi Sao and Isaiah Papali'i. We still have Solomone Kata and Ken Maumalo on one edge. Even worse is the thought that Anthony Gelling might replace Kata. Add to that the injury to Simon Mannering, Blake Ayshford, Agnatius Paasi and Gerard Beale and those rose tinted glasses are starting to turn a shit coloured brown.

Our club has been utter shite for a long long time now. The sudden introduction of Alex Corvo and Brian Smith isn't gonna change that overnight. Even Corvo said exactly that himself.

I'll happily eat humble pie if we part the Red Sea in Perth...

I agree entirely.

Our pack is not much above NSW Cup quality. The youngsters are not anything special, certainly not at this stage.
As for our backs, they have proven over enough games that hey are flakey at best.

I simply do not see where we are going to improve enough to remotely threaten the 8

 

[bruce]

I thought Wigan looked excellent when u factor in the points you have made....and especially if you compare their cohesive and tough effort against the bunnies in an exhibition match.

Mate, do I have to go back to last century when a a poor Warriors side went to England as the cellar dwellers and beat the pants of everything they had up there. I recall it was St Helens and Bradford. The English game was once so strong, but not now.

The only things I am hanging on for this weekend are:

Increased fitness.
Massive defence shown against the Titans compared with last season.
Blair in for Lillyman
Green freeing up Shaun Johnson
A cohesive forward pack
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Fusitua looking out of this world.

My worries:

Ken and Kata are not up to it, yet.

 

[Snoopy]

Impact wise our forward pack is better

Harris, Blair, Pulu add more then we have lost and the young forwards are hopefully ready for 1st grade. If we are competitive upfront Green will make the difference

That’s how I like to think the season will go until I see different. No point suffering more then needed by being negative before the season starts

 

[stacky18]

I do not expect a win. We have been a bottom 4 side for quite some time and not much has changed in the past 6 months.
Our club is currently at rock bottom, only hard work and smart decisions will get us out.
All I want to see is our boys not give up and drop their heads after a mistake. If they do this then I can see some light, if not it is a case of "same old Warriors" and a very long season ahead of us.

 

[Defence]

I'd like to see us kick early- on 3rd or 4th- and turn their big boys around.
First time since Maloney left that we've had two long kicking options which takes a lot of pressure off Johnson kicking game- they can't just rush him anymore (this is a big advantage that hasn't really been talked about).
The key is the chase- a good chase can make a bad kick good and a good kick great.
Best case scenario is a 40/20 worst case- theyre bringing it back out of their own end while their big boopers are still trudging back.
Try it a couple of times in the first half forcing their wings to drop back early later in the game which opens up the opportunity to run it on the last and catch them out.
On paper it doesn't look flash but round one always throws up a few suprises.
Good luck boys.

 

[WarriorBall]

I'd like to see us kick early- on 3rd or 4th- and turn their big boys around.

Like that idea, they were making 50+ meters on most of their sets against the Dragons in the Charity Shield so if we can turn them around and make them bring it out through Johnston and their wingers it may help limit the damage.

Green’s got a good raking punt on him so it’s a tactic that could work.

 

[Sup42]

Bit of a look at the enemy :

 

[Warrior]

The reality is our forward pack is now much worse than last year. We have replaced Jacob Lillyman, Ben Matulino, Bodene Thompson and Ryan Hoffman with Adam Blair, Leivaha Pulu, Ligi Sao and Isaiah Papali'i.

Really? That list doesn't include Harris or Paasi but even without them, those lists seem pretty even to me. Hoffman and Lilyman offered no impact and Thompson was a shadow of the player he was year 1.

We will miss Matulino big time though - he copped a lot of flak but the reality is he's been our best prop for years now. I can't see Blair making half the metres he did last year.

 

[Weno]

Under the radar to shock the world like Joseph Parker baby.

 

[mt.wellington]

Really? That list doesn't include Harris or Paasi but even without them, those lists seem pretty even to me. Hoffman and Lilyman offered no impact and Thompson was a shadow of the player he was year 1.

We will miss Matulino big time though - he copped a lot of flak but the reality is he's been our best prop for years now. I can't see Blair making half the metres he did last year.

Totally forgot about Tohu Harris. He's looked the goods during the trials.

While Lillyman and Hoffman might not have offered much impact the same can be said about Blair, Papali'i and Bunty.

I still believe our pack overall is worse than last year. Only glimmer of hope is that this years pack has a higher ceiling with Blair being the exception but that isn't going to peak this weekend or even this year...

 

[AlexM]

Totally forgot about Tohu Harris. He's looked the goods during the trials.

While Lillyman and Hoffman might not have offered much impact the same can be said about Blair, Papali'i and Bunty.

I still believe our pack overall is worse than last year. Only glimmer of hope is that this years pack has a higher ceiling with Blair being the exception but that isn't going to peak this weekend or even this year...

Matulino> Blair
Hoffman > Harris
Bodene> Pulu
Lillyman > Paasi

Gubb was expendable.
We still have Simon. Ligi , Lisone , Vete , Papalii and Bunty should all improve this year hopefully.

3/4 of those are good trades.
I would argue 4/4 are good.

 

[Worried2Death]

Matulino> Blair
Hoffman > Harris
Bodene> Pulu
Lillyman > Paasi

For mine:
Blair > Matulino of last 2 seasons
Harris > Hoffman
Pulu = Brodene
Lillyman > Paasi atm, but Iggy has a higher ceiling to surpassi him.

Glass half full, probably of shit.

 

[wallacenz]

For mine:
Blair > Matulino of last 2 seasons
Harris > Hoffman
Pulu = Brodene
Lillyman > Paasi atm, but Iggy has a higher ceiling to surpassi him.

Glass half full, probably of shit.

I get the feeling AlexM wasnt using the > sign to represent who was greater, it didn't match his conclusion at the end

 

[Gizzyfan]

Really? That list doesn't include Harris or Paasi but even without them, those lists seem pretty even to me. Hoffman and Lilyman offered no impact and Thompson was a shadow of the player he was year 1.

We will miss Matulino big time though - he copped a lot of flak but the reality is he's been our best prop for years now. I can't see Blair making half the metres he did last year.

Miss Matulino.?, I can see that but I always thought he did enough to earn his pay but no more. I never saw him as someone that would raise his game when required. He always seemed to be within a comfort zone.

The thing is not the individuals in the pack, it is how they combine as a pack, A team is always better than a group of individuals, despite the quality of the individuals. A pack with individuals owining their core roles, committing to the strategies and preparing properly will be hard to stop. I don't expect miracles but I expect improvement.

 

[Raw Power]

Beatles going to have to work hard to displace hiku.

You say "Goodbye" and I say "Hello, hello, hello"

 

[WarriorBall]

Miss Matulino.?, I can see that but I always thought he did enough to earn his pay but no more. I never saw him as someone that would raise his game when required. He always seemed to be within a comfort zone.

The thing is not the individuals in the pack, it is how they combine as a pack, A team is always better than a group of individuals, despite the quality of the individuals. A pack with individuals owining their core roles, committing to the strategies and preparing properly will be hard to stop. I don't expect miracles but I expect improvement.

Hoffman excluded I think you’ve hit on the common denominator between Lillyman, Bodene and Matulino.

We could all argue the merits of which players are upgrades/downgrades but when you look at Tohu Harris, Blair and Pulu complacency isn’t something that comes to mind.

 

[bruce]

Like that idea, they were making 50+ meters on most of their sets against the Dragons in the Charity Shield so if we can turn them around and make them bring it out through Johnston and their wingers it may help limit the damage.

Green’s got a good raking punt on him so it’s a tactic that could work.

Last year the Warriors had one of the best kick metres in the NRL...surprise, surprise I know. Shows how much Shaun Johnson did on his own. With Green to balance him, and arguably a better kicker, the yards might even increase. The forwards won't mind that at all.

 

[AlexM]

Last year the Warriors had one of the best kick metres in the NRL...surprise, surprise I know. Shows how much Shaun Johnson did on his own. With Green to balance him, and arguably a better kicker, the yards might even increase. The forwards won't mind that at all.

Green has one of the best short kicking games in the comp. Forces heaps of repeat sets. Kicks 40/20s too as we all know.
We should have a great kicking game this year with Luke included.

 

[bruce]

Green has one of the best short kicking games in the comp. Forces heaps of repeat sets. Kicks 40/20s too as we all know.
We should have a great kicking game this year with Luke included.

Yes I forgot about Luke who I am sure is going to perform to his capabilities this season.

Belief isn't reality. Some of you guys must have taken too much away from those preseason docos.

Can't accuse me of that Welly

The reality is our forward pack is now much worse than last year.

Well if that is true we are headed for the wooden spoon, but I am sure we are not. They are keen and fit, just a little inexperienced in places.