Pick Your Team Pick Your Team 2021 Rnd 15 - Knights vs Warriors

[eudebrito]

Brown needs to chill out a bit with this revolving door forward pack, take it back to basics, start Addin Fonua-Blake (longer minutes) and Evans (short minutes), sub them with Afoa (short minutes) and Ah Mau (longer minutes)

Harris plays 13 and maybe a stint on the edge, start one of Murchie or Katoa who can be subbed by Ben Murdoch-Masila - he works as an impact player, don't overthink it.

Then the other edge spot is either Curran or Sironen, like with Murchie and Katoa you can't shoehorn both into the team, just pick one.

Would start the game with Tevaga and bring on the rookie 9 when its loosened up a bit.

You basically have to choose between 1 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck-6 Walsh-7 Kodi or 1 Walsh-6 Kodi-7 Sean O'Sullivan ..... the first option it worked in the first cowboys game, again don't get too cute.

8. Addin Fonua-Blake
9. Tevaga (was dropped this week, so under strict instructions not to do anything dumb)
10. Evans
11. Sironen (don't really care, like the balance with big backrower on one side with a smaller fitter one)
12. Katoa (murchie has bad hands, don't like fumblers, just tell Katoa not to throw stupid offloads)
13. Harris

1. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
2. Kosi knights can't really attack the edges without Ponga and Pearce, they have to plow through the middle, so could be a good game for young Ed to get his first try, he did alright yesterday.
3. Pompey (assume Berry injured)
4. Aitken
5. Montoya
6. Walsh
7. Kodi

14. Otukolo
15. Ah Mau
16. Afoa
17. Ben Murdoch-Masila

18. Murchie

 

[WellingtonOrca]

1. Walsh is the most important for me, give him a role and let him stick with it.

If they stick him at 6 brown will have him defend at FB anyway which will be too much moving around of people. Keep it simple.

 

[Sup42]

Our seasons in a bit of trouble here with Egan down.

Given we were meant to start digging our way out of the doldrums in these coming winnable games....it is likely there will be no finals appearance now.

Egans Head injury is very serious. He has a big cut....cuts heal....but the blurred vision part is brain injury material.

No hooker, no finals.

Our team is terribly clunky due to the spine as it is.

However CHTs departure should have fixed that if Sean O'Sullivan came in.

But all of that is in ruins with the hooking problem. Back to clunkyville.

And the dam shame is that we will not get a measure of Sean O'Sullivan without a hooker.

Probably lucky that we kept Jazz just now, even though he is a rotten hooker, he is more of one than anything else we have, beggars and choosers.

Hopefully Egan is just heavily concussed. Get well soon young man, and not for the footy...for your future.

 

[ArtySubs]

1. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
2. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
3. Pompey
4. Aiken
5. Berry
6. Walsh
7. O’Sullivan
8. Addin Fonua-Blake
9. Kodi
10. LAM
11. Ben Murdoch-Masila
12. Curren
13. Harris

14. Jazz
15. Katoa
16. Evans
17. Sironen
Just let Roger Tuivasa-Sheck go anywhere like Turbo, Jazz to cover Hooker lock, Siro as back cover our 4th prop is a big issue, Bunty fallen away last few weeks.
If we get Dallin Watene-Zelezniak is he our new FB if he is play him there now.

 

[defensivebomb]

The thing that frustrates me about Egan's injury is that we all knew we had a hooker depth issue at the start of the season, and we were vulnerable to Egan's health.

Hopefully Brown puts Otukolo at hooker and POS gets out the chequebook. We have a few areas that now need solving with money.

Walsh to FB, so he can own it.
Sean O'Sullivan & Kodi halves for the rest of the season.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck on the wing for the rest of the season.

 

[playdaball]

We will miss Egan's defence vs Newcastle .

 

[6Again]

1. Walsh
2. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
3. Berry
4. Aitken
5. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak/Pompey
6. Nikorima
7. Sean O'Sullivan
8. Addin Fonua-Blake
9. Tevaga/Sironen
10. Ah Mau
11. Katoa
12. Ben Murdoch-Masila
13. Tohu Harris

14. Otukolo
15. Evans
16. Afoa
17. Curran

Doubtful on the Dallin Watene-Zelezniak foot injury spin, small chance he could line up for us if there’s an announcement today/tomorrow. Katoa should make his return, despite a couple of brain snaps he provides more punch out wide than Sironen who depending on whether Jazz is selected or not could find himself at Hooker.

Not a fan of Ben Murdoch-Masila at prop, has never really performed in that role in the ESL so didn’t expect much against the Storm, one for the trainspotters and for Brown to put a line through hopefully.

Much hinges on Sean O'Sullivan who has been influential for the Dolphins in their winning run with 6 try assists and 5 line break assists in his last 4 games, different level but should come in with some confidence if selected.

 

[Wrighty]

1. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
2. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
3. Pompey
4. Aiken
5. Berry
6. Walsh
7. O’Sullivan
8. Addin Fonua-Blake
9. Kodi
10. LAM
11. Ben Murdoch-Masila
12. Curren
13. Harris

14. Jazz
15. Katoa
16. Evans
17. Sironen
Just let Roger Tuivasa-Sheck go anywhere like Turbo, Jazz to cover Hooker lock, Siro as back cover our 4th prop is a big issue, Bunty fallen away last few weeks.
If we get Dallin Watene-Zelezniak is he our new FB if he is play him there now.

I would also play Kodi at 9 effective immediately.

 

[Wrighty]

Pearce and Ponga and Klemmer all due back

She will all be on for young and old, Waiting to hear if Bradman Best will play.

Their props are massive. Good news is that Origin is Thursday night so their origin guys will be backing up quite soon given our game is Saturday night.

 

[Bangbros 2023]

1 R T Sheck
2 M Montoya
3 E Aitkin
4 R Berry
5 A Pompey
6 R Walsh
7 K Nikorima
8 A F Blake
9 J Tavaga
10 E Katoa
11 J Murchie (with Nikorima)
12 B M Masila
13 T Harris
14 T Otukolo
15 L A Mau
16 B Afoa
17 B Sironen

If we don't win this game it's season over, so sorry Brownie you must play walsh at 6!

 

[Billyspleen75]

Pearce and Ponga and Klemmer all due back

She will all be on for young and old, Waiting to hear if Bradman Best will play.

Their props are massive. Good news is that Origin is Thursday night so their origin guys will be backing up quite soon given our game is Saturday night.

No Origin this week mate, next game is Sunday 27th when all teams have a bye

 

[Nangsy]

1 R T Sheck
2 M Montoya
3 E Aitkin
4 R Berry
5 A Pompey
6 R Walsh
7 K Nikorima
8 A F Blake
9 J Tavaga
10 E Katoa
11 J Murchie (with Nikorima)
12 B M Masila
13 T Harris
14 T Otukolo
15 L A Mau
16 B Afoa
17 B Sironen

If we don't win this game it's season over, so sorry Brownie you must play walsh at 6!

Gun side, I like the idea of a Katoa at prop. I’d have Evans and Ale on the bench thou if he’s not injured

 

[Dixpat]

No charges from our game so Ben Murdoch-Masila seems to have gotten away with the forearm drop in the tackle

Having said that both the Cheese and Munster (another fine) have escaped suspension as well

 

[DallyM]

Ben Murdoch-Masila played 45 minutes and did a paltry 6 hit ups.
Was pumped up about him playing prop and thought it was a creative answer to our lack of go forward at prop. However he seemed to hang of the fringe of the ruck and wasn;t trucking it up with many prop-like hit ups.

I knew we were in trouble when Ben Murdoch-Masila went missing first twenty minutes, I to was looking forward to seeing him up front, thought he might have been told to go hard for twenty but was nowhere to be seen..... Anyway he's best on the edge but damn that was weak from him

 

[Jwoodzy02]

I don't want Sean O'Sullivan being our starting half for the rest of the season ngl

 

[6Again]

I don't want Sean O'Sullivan being our starting half for the rest of the season ngl

If it’s any consolation with Sean O'Sullivan we probably won’t notice too much difference tbh. Slightly better kicking game, bigger voice, more direction hopefully.

 

[Wrighty]

I knew we were in trouble when Ben Murdoch-Masila went missing first twenty minutes, I to was looking forward to seeing him up front, thought he might have been told to go hard for twenty but was nowhere to be seen..... Anyway he's best on the edge but damn that was weak from him

Yeah...couldn't have said it better myself. I thought we might even win when noticed him at prop. Thought how innovative. What a great move. But he didn't do a single hit up I can recall and his one or two carries in the first twenty minutes were of the variety where Kodi scooted to an edge and then pop passed to him just before the gain line. And no stage did Ben Murdoch-Masila truck it up with an actual legit hit up you would expect from a prop. It was a move that backfired completely.

As you all know I don't know much about league despite being a massive fan, but consider myself an expert on Cricket having played senior mens cricket from the young age of 14 years old (I was an advanced player for my age) to my retirement at 45.
We often would think we had come up with a money ball idea in cricket by opening the batting with a tail ender with the idea that the tail ender would have a go and if even if they only hit one or two fours it would take some shine off the ball and throw off the bowlers lines and lengths. Such money ball tactics never worked. The promoted tail ender would decide that he didn't want to "look like a dirty un-cultured slogger" and would start leaving the ball outside off stump to show that he was a cultured batsman. Nek minute 5 overs had gone by we only had one run on the board then the tail ender would get out as they weren't equipped defensively to face new ball bowling.

After 5 or 6 attempts at promoting tail enders over about twenty years finally it worked one day and the tail ender who usually batted number 9 scored a decent 15 runs and got us off to a safe start with me a seasoned opener at the other end. I was bewildered that he had come off so sought him out after the game to inquire. "Thanks for the compliment Wrighty, the reason I had no trouble opening is that I have done it quite a few times before and opened for my team for a spell".
Moral of the story is that it takes time to learn a new position and throwing someone in there, at least in cricket, and in the case of Ben Murdoch-Masila on Sunday didn't work.

 

[Spudwebb]

Ben Murdoch-Masila played 45 minutes and did a paltry 6 hit ups.
Was pumped up about him playing prop and thought it was a creative answer to our lack of go forward at prop. However he seemed to hang of the fringe of the ruck and wasn;t trucking it up with many prop-like hit ups.

He can't Play in middle he's too slow, can't Play anywhere else!

 

[Sup42]

The thing that frustrates me about Egan's injury is that we all knew we had a hooker depth issue at the start of the season, and we were vulnerable to Egan's health.

I feel yah....

But at the rate that we have been releasing and signing players, I take it that the Warriors will have been trying to sign a hooker from the get go.

Seems to suggest that we just cant get one......yet.....

 

[DallyM]

Yeah...couldn't have said it better myself. I thought we might even win when noticed him at prop. Thought how innovative. What a great move. But he didn't do a single hit up I can recall and his one or two carries in the first twenty minutes were of the variety where Kodi scooted to an edge and then pop passed to him just before the gain line. And no stage did Ben Murdoch-Masila truck it up with an actual legit hit up you would expect from a prop. It was a move that backfired completely.

As you all know I don't know much about league despite being a massive fan, but consider myself an expert on Cricket having played senior mens cricket from the young age of 14 years old (I was an advanced player for my age) to my retirement at 45.
We often would think we had come up with a money ball idea in cricket by opening the batting with a tail ender with the idea that the tail ender would have a go and if even if they only hit one or two fours it would take some shine off the ball and throw off the bowlers lines and lengths. Such money ball tactics never worked. The promoted tail ender would decide that he didn't want to "look like a dirty un-cultured slogger" and would start leaving the ball outside off stump to show that he was a cultured batsman. Nek minute 5 overs had gone by we only had one run on the board then the tail ender would get out as they weren't equipped defensively to face new ball bowling.

After 5 or 6 attempts at promoting tail enders over about twenty years finally it worked one day and the tail ender who usually batted number 9 scored a decent 15 runs and got us off to a safe start with me a seasoned opener at the other end. I was bewildered that he had come off so sought him out after the game to inquire. "Thanks for the compliment Wrighty, the reason I had no trouble opening is that I have done it quite a few times before and opened for my team for a spell".
Moral of the story is that it takes time to learn a new position and throwing someone in there, at least in cricket, and in the case of Ben Murdoch-Masila on Sunday didn't work.

hey I been a league fan since I watched my first test series Kiwis v Aus early 80s as a teenager and tbh you prob no as much as me lol you have a lot of insight and stats/data that tbh I cant be bothered looking for so its good that you have them on hand... so I wouldnt sell yourself to short that you dont know that much..... I also loved my cricket as a teenager watching Wright, Hadlee, Cairns never played except backyard stuff but lost interest during the 90s when England came over and thrashed us... I never really watched much since but damn Im glad they playing some good shit now..... as for Ben Murdoch-Masila he still could have got involved more but cant blame him for the loss it was a team effort 😆