Horriors2013
A sensible pick. Our attack lacked go forward from the first set of the game and never got better. Hurrell if nothing else will go forward and create chances. Laumape deserves to continue his progress. My only worry is that every time NZ league has flopped it's been because there were too many injuries and we inserted too many newbies. I don't haven't seen Matagi play much. Lillyman to lock sounds good but our four prop rotation is our biggest strength I would not risk losing. Vatuvei-Nielsen-Hurrell-Laumape has been our best combo in the quarterline this year IMO. I'm actually gutted Fish has not been retained at FB. He's looked better than Locke this year IMHO. He's one of a few players I think have not been given enough time to grow in their position. The trouble is there is a certain way to blood players. You insert them into the team when the team is going good and they have an old dog beside them. Since Cleary left we don't seem to ever have either of those conditions going for us.[DOUBLEPOST=1369386646][/DOUBLEPOST]
Taylor is a fine player. We were all singing his praises on our way to the GF 2011. However, as often happens with players who sign up with another club before the season even starts is motivation can be not quite there. TBH though, Lowrie is ordinary. Taylor should have been made lock from day one and told to give it everything this year or risk demotion to Auckland club footy if he doesn't. That method didn't do Rubes any harm.[DOUBLEPOST=1369387902,1369386007][/DOUBLEPOST]
If we had have kept John we would not have needed Leuluai (I know peeps will say we don't need him anyway the way he is playing). And Shaun Johnson would have a settled, experienced 5/8 to take some heat off him. My only criticism of John was his speed, but with Shaun Johnson, Fish, Locke in the team, the direction he gives a team would have made for a perfect balance IMO. Despite his lack of pace, he can control a game as well as any of the aussies. Now if I was to make lemonade out of the lemons we have, I would shift Locke to 5/8 now and Fish to FB. Why you ask?
1) His technique under the high ball, and his kamikazi style at FB has shortened his career by about 50% already.
2) He drops the ball in the air. The high jump for the ball has a 50/50 chance of coming off successfully, which is why FBs in Aussie normally don't do it EVERY time. The amazing thing is that he always beats the attacking player in the air. The bad side is that he ends up clutching some part of his body afterward and ends up on the sidelines for weeks. And the worst thing is he now spills the ball half the time in doing it. It came off almost every time in 2011, but not so now.
3) Fish, Locke and Shaun Johnson in the team sounds better than Locke 50% of the time on the field, Shaun Johnson, and Fish just a fill-in. We are far more dangerous with all 3 in th team. Not to mention Feleti or Manu. We are exactly where most Aussies predicted we'd be this year-at the bottom. So rather than just let the rest of the season peter out into a pathetic waste of time, might as well go all out attack and make teams fear us. They may score a few against us but we can at least make them work for it.
