General Pick Your Team Rnd 21 - Warriors vs Sharks

[Ref]

Theres been enough dissing and most of it justified.
Rapira yes, clearly just a shadow of his former self.
Lousi just offered zero. Not poor but ineffective.
Chad, very indecisive with his decision making and some poor passing options. A defensive weakness too. Should we cut him now.
Just a solid foil for a class half.
Can't run the show.
He will stifle Tui.

Tomkins I feel may be also become less threatening with out his combo with Shaun so maybe he should come forward and start in the halves

I wonder if RFM is suited to start and play an 80 minute grinding role. Perhaps he is an impact bench specialist with his ball playing.
Kata I'm afraid seems to lack league nous. He should go to the wing.

We look way more likely on attack when Havili was at hooker

My ideal team, assuming Thompson out

1- Fish- not his fault the defence inside him didn't number up.
2- Kata
3- Fusitua
4-Hurrell
5-Manu
6- Lolohea
7- Tomkins
8- Lillyman
9- Friend
10- Matulino
11- Hoffman
12- Lisone
13- Manneing
14- Havili
15-Gubb
16-RFM
17-Vete

 

[unclesteve]

Fish drops back to FB, Tompkins and Lolo in the halves. Townsend on the next plane back to Sydney.
The rest can be made up of a) who ever is still walking and b) whoever may still give a shit

First time I can remember turning off a game with 15 still to go. I have the highest regard for Mannering as a player but i see that hung dog, WTF is going on, stunned mullet, woe is me look one more f*cken time my TV is in for some serious damage, and I really like my TV.

 

[enterthewarrior]

Our forwards are gonna get raped by the Sharks next week, heck our whole team are gonna get raped by the Sharks.

 

[Lousi-InBed]

1- Tomkins
2- Wright
3- Kata
4- Hurrell
5- Manu
6- Chad
7- Johnson on one leg
8 - Lillyman
9- Friend
10- Mutts
11- Hoffman
12- RFM
13- Mannering

14- Tui
15- Vete
16- lisone
17 - Mick fanning in a half warriors half red bull jersey to ensure his sponsors are happy

 

[Bluecat again]

I just watched the Sharks beat Canterbury. They are a very good team with a hell of a lot of talent and experience. It won't be a match for the faint hearted which worries me no matter what line up we manage to put together

 

[hman]

Step up Sam Tomkins. Time is running out. This is your moment to take the NRL by storm. Tell Cappy that 7 jersey is yours! Tell the Chad that you're going to run the show from here in. Then get these boys firing! Bully them around the park. Get your hands on the ball as much as possible, direct the attack and take the last tackle kicks. Give the boys a spray when they do something stupid.

Get that pommie niggle going and get under the opposition skin, little dirty cheap shots to unsettle them, hell, see how many fights you can start! The boys will rally around you! Let the ref know everytime he blows a bullsh*t penalty, don't let them get away scott free with that shit. Gee up the crowd.

You came here a winner, SuperLeague's best player. You wanting to test yourself in the NRL but Aussie commentators have been left overall underwhelmed. Now is your chance to prove them wrong. Keep us in the 8, lead us to the GF and go out a winner!

 

[Far North Forever]

1. Pomkins only because he's on a motza and we need to run him ragged before he gaps it.
2. Maumalo
3. Hurrell
4. Kata
5. Manu
6. Tui
7. Stacey
8. Matulino
9. Friend
10. Vete
11. Hoffman
12. Thompson
13. Mannering
14. Roache
15. Lillyman
16. Lisone
17. RFM

But I think they'll pick Wright, Chad, Lousi and that fat hooker fulla because Iro still wants to top gig.

 

[Diesel]

Assuming Vatuvei, Hoffman, Gubb are all fit and Thomson is not.

1.Lolohea (Swaps with ST, defends in the front line)
2.Fisiiahi
3.Kata
4.Hurrell
5.Vatuvei
6.Tomkins (Swaps with Tui, defends at FB)
7.Townsend
8.Matulino
9.Friend
10.Lillyman
11.Faitala-Mariner
12.Hoffman
13.Mannering

14.Gubb
15.Vete
16.Lisone
17.Maumalo

This is the team I'd go for as well. 2015 is pretty much fucked. Townsend is an afterthought now, he should make way for Tui at 6, or even have Fish at 1, Tui at 6, ST at 7 and Chad can play utility/hooker

 

[Stylez Davis]

Step up Sam Tomkins. Time is running out. This is your moment to take the NRL by storm. Tell Cappy that 7 jersey is yours! Tell the Chad that you're going to run the show from here in. Then get these boys firing! Bully them around the park. Get your hands on the ball as much as possible, direct the attack and take the last tackle kicks. Give the boys a spray when they do something stupid.

Love everything about this post!

 

[WellingtonOrca]

I'd like to see Roache get a go but even if he names Havili instead I hope Cappy actually uses him from the bench for decent minutes instead of having 70 minutes of Friend getting embarrassed by Ennis again. The refs will let the pest away with murder from marker, so Friend better be ready to pass that ball right quick!

 

[ryno]

Man not looking forward to this game.

Their forwards will monster ours, and they will be hurting after that loss we gave them earlier in the season..

My thoughts:

Vete to start with Matulino, that way we have Lillyman coming off the bench to add some gusto to the forward pack. We always look like limp dicks when Big Ben and Lillyman both go off.

Moved Mannering to the right edge in place of Thompson, RFM can then run gang busters up the middle.

For the bench, hopefully Gubb city is back to add some defensive starch off the bench. Maumalo is wing cover and can also come on for 20 mins to run it up the middle.

Kind of like putting glitter on a turd really, our spine is still shit.

1. Tomkins
2. Fishy
3. Hurrell
4. Kata
5. Wright
6. Lolohea
7. Townsend
8. Vete
9. Friend
10. Matulino
11. Mannering
12. Hoffman (Please be back)
13. Faitala-Mariner

Bench
Gubb
Lillyman
Lisone
Maumalo

 

[ShaunJohnson7]

1 - Fish
2 - Maumalo
3 - Hurrell
4 - Kata
5 - Manu
6 - Lolohea
7 - Tomkins
8 - Vete
9 - Friend
10 - Mutts
11 - RFM by default is Bodene is out
12 - Hoff
13 - Mannering

14 - Roache
15 - Lillyman
16 - Lisone
17 - Seb

 

[Maraea]

I'd like to see them do more with the ball when they have it. Gubb to start with Matulino coming off the bench after 20 minutes. I'd prefer vete and rfm on the field when Matulino is, and havili to dummy half.

1. Lolohea
2. fish
3. kata
4. hurrell
5. manu?
6. Tomkins
7. townsend
8. Lilyman
9. friend
10. Gubb
11. Thompson if available
12. Hoffman
13. mannering

14. matulino
15. mariner
17. vete
18. havili

 

[WellingtonOrca]

There's word that Fifita could be banned for his junior league ref abuse - not sure if that's good news or bad news. Hopefully it doesn't cause the rest of the team to fire up like the Toovey news did for Manly.

 

[ryno]

There's word that Fifita could be banned for his junior league ref abuse - not sure if that's good news or bad news. Hopefully it doesn't cause the rest of the team to fire up like the Toovey news did for Manly.

Now we just need injuries to Gallen, Graham and Lewis and I might get a bit more confidence.

 

[Hadyn]

Lowie reckons time for Sam to step up with Tui and show us the way.He reckons Tomkins has the skills and experience to still lead us to the Grand Final.It's his time to shine.He apparently is not so sure we can win it without Shaun though.Way to go Lowie.
Gotta love Lowies positivity even though I am not too sure it's the medication that's talking.

 

[ko wai ra]

From memory!!
the best piece of onfield captaincy i can remember was whn a young ukama ta'i made his 1st grade debut....
His 1st hit up lead to an error but thats whn steve price stepped in & got n2 his ear,called him out in tha very nxt offensive set to get bak on tha horse.....
Its that type of leadership this very young team needs & would grow mor confidence from.....
So why cant we adopt a dual role with our on field rangatira......

 

[Warrior482]

With Shaun out we need to tweak our play a bit, although without a proper running hooker we struggle to go the direct route... Just sick of seeing the out the back plays at the wrong times/execution without a plan b.

Agree with ryno about Jake off the bench, hopeful gubb is right to go and maybe bring lisone back? Cappy seems the conservative type selection wise so we may not see anything too "risky".

Lolohea to the back for kick returns/defence, tomkins in the halves running the show, play direct and hope we win the metre game with decent kicks on the end of it... And less (way less) fucking errors
Sounds simple?

 

[Stone]

I agree with Graham Lowe's article & some poster's here, it is time for Sam Tomkins to step up to the halves & show everybody he is worth the mega bucks the Warriors spent to lure him here, because as good as a linking ball player as he is, I personally don't think he has lived up to the hype & I still don't think he has contributed anywhere near enough to justify the amount of coin he is on

That could all change though if Tomkins decides to take the initiative & basically lead this team deep into the finals, I personally think with Johnson gone our chances of winning a premiership are also a goner, but that doesn't totally rule the Warriors out of having some kind of say in the finals if they make it that far

I also think it would be a massive gamble to chuck Lolohea in the halves & expect him to lead this team around the paddock at this very early stage of his career, also that would most probably make Townsend our No.1 playmaker & if that happens we are no chance

Lolohea at the back, Tomkins & Townsend in the halves for mine, if I had more faith in the Fish I would go with Tomkins & Lolohea in the halves with Fish out the back, but as much as some cats seem to rate him, I personally am yet to really be convinced

If Cappy goes with a halves combo of Tui & Townsend then I am basically consigned to the fact that he has gone into damage limitation mode & is already starting to build for next season, essentially making this season a write off

I also agree with Lowe that it's time for Ben Matulino to shelve the offload game somewhat, go full beast mode & lead this pack up the middle with solid meters, ruthlessly brutal defence & a hell of a lot more talk out on the pitch

Big Ben has been one of the Warriors best so far this season, but if our forward pack really wants to bounce back from the two consecutive maulings they have just received, then imo Matulino needs to make some subtle changes to his game & become the outright leader of this Warriors pack

 

[Matulino's Left Shoulder]

Now we just need injuries to Gallen, Graham and Lewis and I might get a bit more confidence.

Gallen got put on report.