]Will our spine's added cohesiveness be enough to get up over the Cows.
Edit - Sit back and enjoy this spine in action tomorrow night.
1
Reece Walsh - Origin Player
6
Chanel Harris-Tavita - Good Defender
7
Shaun Johnson - Former Golden Boot
9
Egan - in top 8 Hookers in the NRL*
Given the CBs are not struggling to score points like the Broncos (72 vs 45 over 4 games) and they have better defense than the Warriors. I think it will take more than our Spine cohesion. Defense across the board will have to be top draw. But Im hoping the cohesion/practise was a focus again.
Walsh is my main concern on defense, CBs have players quite capable of making his rather lackluster defensive vision and tackling really stand out.. I do hope he makes up for it in scoring, as long as he scores more than he lets in we are sweet.
Speaking of FBs, the FB I think we should be chasing, Drinkwater will be on show for the CBs, part of me wants him to fail, but then that might mean we go shy on the talks (unless more has progressed this week). He is a better balanced mix, if we had a gun FB no doubt
Walsh would be playing 6.
I actually would like to see
Kodi included in the 9 role, much like Brandon and Harry do for the Storm.
Kodi is faster off the mark and can give great passes to the half, but it could be one way we get broken field play for the likes of
Walsh to keep an eye out for.
Overall I hope we have continued to practise the players in motion and possibly added to it with dummy runners, hopefully this week
Katoa doesnt get in the way of one from
Chanel Harris-Tavita to
Shaun Johnson lol (know your role), he was just late on the run and then thought it was meant for him I think.
But yes, our spine is definitely shaping up where I expected, a real shame on
Walsh missing the first 2 and then
Shaun Johnson missing 2 and 3, but based on how smooth they appeared last week and how well the outside backs new their roles, I can only conclude they had spent a lot of time practising the offense.
Id like to see
Walsh and maybe
Egan/
Kodi backing up the ball playing forwards.
Addin Fonua-Blake,
Curran, possibly
Jazz, clearly
Tohu Harris, when hes playing.
Walsh could quite easily be a Papanhuzen just by backing up the offloaders in the team and scoring any number of tries or assists in broken field play.
Watch
Shaun Johnson show his under study (in 2 teams) in the opposition 7 how its done. I expect
Chad to be pin point with the kicks, this worries me a bit catching
Walsh out. But similar
Shaun Johnson could do the same, brilliant strategic kicking game last week, who do we not want to run the ball this week lol.
I hope
Chanel Harris-Tavita attacks the line again this week, hes turning into a real old school 6, a Fitler type, not slow, not quick, but runs damn hard and is damn strong. If he can get his centre in the game and a bit of catch and pass could see us overlap the wing. No doubt
Shaun Johnson will produce a couple of assists with his gorgeous running of the ball both hands out in front sprinting on the diagonal, offloading as soon as the opposition centre falls for it. I just wish we had some genuine pace in our outside backs for
Shaun Johnson to work with, we could create a lot of points with his ball running and a fast winger. Oh how times have changed, FBs are now the speedsters and often not the best defenders in the team (
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was clearly the best in the modern game as a traditional FB).
To be fair on
Walsh, hes not played a lot of FB still, but I expect who ever picks him up to play him in the 6 personally, unless they missing a FB and have an X factor halves pairing. So it will take time, but Reynolds kick last week was deliberately due to being out of place. But, hes there to look pretty and score points (or assists), any improvement week on week in D vision will be a bonus.
Has
Addin Fonua-Blake been ruled out yet officially?
Odds have tightened up to evens. I wish I hadnt wasted all my bookie backing the Warriors early season haha.
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