Internationals Spoilers and Match Talk: Australia v New Zealand

[holy smokes_old]

Just curious are there any refs who aren't Aussie's?

 

[Northern_Union]

There Leon Williamson, he's a Kiwi, he refed the Scotland v France match. There is 2 pom refs, however thats a joke because Ashley Klown is a dinky die dead set aussie selected as a pom ref.
Not sure on the others.

 

[Mone_old]

Whats with all the criticism towards Blair he made 93m the most of all our forwards and made a huge 44 tackles,gave away 0 penalties and made 0 errors, what more could he do?

 

[Northern_Union]

Make 120 metres?

I agree, i though Blair played well.

 

[Mone_old]

Make 120 metres?

I agree, i though Blair played well.

Touche.

 

[Kid-Dynamite_old]

Just curious are there any refs who aren't Aussie's?

Steve Ganson!

 

[bigstuboy_old]

of course oz could field more teams that would beat us thats just stupid just look how big the comp is and how many teams nz have in the nrl just one maybe we would have more depth if all our players stayed playing for nz instead of just using the kiwis jumper to up there pay checks then go play for the island teams.

 

[garyhobson_old]

because kearney said he owes thomas and he was one of the first people picked when he named this squad....because he made himself available for the kiwis anzac test giving him only 2 days to get here and play a game.

id rather have fien at halfback anyday.

interesting comment from gould(game just starting here in brisbane)...matai playing out of position on the other side to accomodate....ropati....

Thomas? One of the first people picked in the squad? You got to be joking. He's not even up to NRL standard for a halfback, im suprised he can even hold down a halfback spot in the UKSL. He's played 2 awful anzac tests in a row against australia, and he did nothing last night other than pass on responsibility to other players to take kicks. He's got to go, your better off playing a ball playing forward at five eight and Benji at Halfback.

You can't take the test match 4 or 5 years ago which Thomas won for the Kiwis away from him. But its just wishful thinking that he can emulate that sort of form playing against australia again. I dont know, its as if Thomas doesnt want the responsibility that comes with halfback, several times in the match he got into dummy half to pass on the last play. He just acts as a distrubtor.

Everytime I see him play a test match I think it will be his last, but he keeps getting selected. Two days training before this years anzac test, 2 days or 10 days he was never going to play well. Kearney owes him nothing. Thomas had good players to work with especially a good forward pack on the anzac test this year and he produced nothing. Preparation wasnt to blame.

 

[daj3_old]

I think you guys all overestimate the role/impact of a halfback in a game.

 

[Mone_old]

Nah its obvious look at the Knights without Joey, Gold Coast (and the Tigers for that matter) without Prince, Cowboys without Thurston, Warriors without Jones, Sea Eagles without Orford, the list goes on.
The halfback has so much influence because besides the dummy half, he touches the ball the most, directs all the play, usually does the field kicking (which if poor has a huge impact) and generally is a link between forwards and backs.
You cant downplay the influence a halfback has on a team.

 

[garyhobson_old]

I think you guys all overestimate the role/impact of a halfback in a game.

Benji is the best halfback in the team, who else can you pick? Thomas is clearly not up to it, he has been given a lot of opportunities to prove himself.

 

[garyhobson_old]

Nah its obvious look at the Knights without Joey, Gold Coast (and the Tigers for that matter) without Prince, Cowboys without Thurston, Warriors without Jones, Sea Eagles without Orford, the list goes on.
The halfback has so much influence because besides the dummy half, he touches the ball the most, directs all the play, usually does the field kicking (which if poor has a huge impact) and generally is a link between forwards and backs.
You cant downplay the influence a halfback has on a team.

Who would you pick at halfback then? Benji is the best half we have, he needs to play at halfback. Thomas is just playing a distributing, organising role, and easing the pressure off Benji so that he can concentrate on attack. But Thomas isnt doing this with much success. What halfback goes into dummy half to pass to someone on the last play?

 

[Mone_old]

I dont know what you mean, I was responding to Daj3 saying that the halbacks role is not as important as its made out to be.
But to answer the question, right now I would play Fien there.
Benji is a floater he gets flustered if he has to be the organizer, thats why him and Prince worked so well, Fien isnt ideal either but Tommy is imo is not even close.
But if our forwards get stopped like that again it wont matter who is there.

 

[garyhobson_old]

I dont know what you mean, I was responding to Daj3 saying that the halbacks role is not as important as its made out to be.
But to answer the question, right now I would play Fien there.
Benji is a floater he gets flustered if he has to be the organizer, thats why him and Prince worked so well, Fien isnt ideal either but Tommy is imo is not even close.
But if our forwards get stopped like that again it wont matter who is there.

Benji has the best kicking game out of everyone in the team. Your right, about Scott Prince and Benji working together. Benji was always going to struggle with Scott Prince leaving. I'd still move Benji to halfback, he needs to improve on his oganisational skills. Basically hes doing that already, because Thomas isnt. Neither Nathan Fien or Tommy is the answer at halfback. If Benji is going to stay at five eight, and Isaac Luke isnt picked as hooker, Isaac could play halfback where he played for the Rabbitohs this year with limited success, but still better than Tommy and Nathan Fien.

 

[garyhobson_old]

Nathan Fien and Thomas Lauleui are not up to rep footy. Nathan Fien's performance last night proved that. Thomas performances over the last few years for the kiwis has also proved that. No point in picking them.

 

[daj3_old]

Fein overplayed it I feel... he needs to settle down, and focus on his job.

I dunno about Leuluai supposedly going MIA, I think it might just be a case of too many chiefs not enough indians. We had Fein, Hohaia, Marshall, even Matai, doing kicking and play making duties that Leuluai should have been left to do. Yes, he needs to stamp his authority on the game, but the rest of the team need to let him do that. I know how frustrating it can be.

I reckon Danny Brough was squeezed out of the game a bit by Hendo in the Scotland game, and he said something about it after the match... it's one of the most annoying things for a halfback. Having your team try and play without you, then copping the flack for their shite performance.

Kearney obviously has faith in thomas, the boys need to do the same.

Inu obviously in for Matai... the match review committee effectively made the call for us. I'd agree with Sa for Ropati... although Gleesen isn't going to pose quite the threat Folau did... Ropati might even be up for it. Folau makes any opposition flank look pretty shabs, we needed an old hand to knock the wind out of his sails (tough assignment, and nice kid to boot so it'd be hard to work up the animosity).

I wouldn't fret a switch at fullback either... Hohaia just doesn't attack the football like a fullback should. Just think how it'd change the game. It'd get us some fantastic roll on, Vatuvei would have some room to wind up against an unsettled d line... from there our forwards would be loving it. Inu or Perret to the back, Hiho to the bench.

 

[garyhobson_old]

Fein overplayed it I feel... he needs to settle down, and focus on his job.

I dunno about Leuluai supposedly going MIA, I think it might just be a case of too many chiefs not enough indians. We had Fein, Hohaia, Marshall, even Matai, doing kicking and play making duties that Leuluai should have been left to do. Yes, he needs to stamp his authority on the game, but the rest of the team need to let him do that. I know how frustrating it can be.

I reckon Danny Brough was squeezed out of the game a bit by Hendo in the Scotland game, and he said something about it after the match... it's one of the most annoying things for a halfback. Having your team try and play without you, then copping the flack for their shite performance.

Kearney obviously has faith in thomas, the boys need to do the same.

Inu obviously in for Matai... the match review committee effectively made the call for us. I'd agree with Sa for Ropati... although Gleesen isn't going to pose quite the threat Folau did... Ropati might even be up for it. Folau makes any opposition flank look pretty shabs, we needed an old hand to knock the wind out of his sails (tough assignment, and nice kid to boot so it'd be hard to work up the animosity).

I wouldn't fret a switch at fullback either... Hohaia just doesn't attack the football like a fullback should. Just think how it'd change the game. It'd get us some fantastic roll on, Vatuvei would have some room to wind up against an unsettled d line... from there our forwards would be loving it. Inu or Perret to the back, Hiho to the bench.

Thomas doesnt want the ball on the last play, i saw him on a number of occasions pass the ball to an unrecognised kicker to do something on the last play option, and he got into dummy half on the last play to pass, what halfback does that? He doesnt want the responsibility. Its not the other players responsibility to sit back and let Thomas do his thing, Thomas has to demand it.

 

[garyhobson_old]

Fein overplayed it I feel... he needs to settle down, and focus on his job.

I dunno about Leuluai supposedly going MIA, I think it might just be a case of too many chiefs not enough indians. We had Fein, Hohaia, Marshall, even Matai, doing kicking and play making duties that Leuluai should have been left to do. Yes, he needs to stamp his authority on the game, but the rest of the team need to let him do that. I know how frustrating it can be.

I reckon Danny Brough was squeezed out of the game a bit by Hendo in the Scotland game, and he said something about it after the match... it's one of the most annoying things for a halfback. Having your team try and play without you, then copping the flack for their shite performance.

Kearney obviously has faith in thomas, the boys need to do the same.

Inu obviously in for Matai... the match review committee effectively made the call for us. I'd agree with Sa for Ropati... although Gleesen isn't going to pose quite the threat Folau did... Ropati might even be up for it. Folau makes any opposition flank look pretty shabs, we needed an old hand to knock the wind out of his sails (tough assignment, and nice kid to boot so it'd be hard to work up the animosity).

I wouldn't fret a switch at fullback either... Hohaia just doesn't attack the football like a fullback should. Just think how it'd change the game. It'd get us some fantastic roll on, Vatuvei would have some room to wind up against an unsettled d line... from there our forwards would be loving it. Inu or Perret to the back, Hiho to the bench.

Nathan Fien needs to be dropped. I would rather have Masada Iosefa than him at hooker. But really Isaac Luke should have been hooker, Lance Hohaia on the bench, Benji Marshall at halfback, and someone else at five eight like Sa, Ropati or Inu. Or even Eastwood, but hes needed in the forwards. Sam Perrett - fullback.

 

[daj3_old]

I did see Thurston go into dummy half at one point on the fifth... and another time he crashed on the 4th... mind you, it's not like they're short of fifth tackle kick options... Thurston, Lockyer, Smith, Inglis, Gallen... Slater if it came down to it even.

Maybe you're right, and it's more up to Leuluai to assert his authority... any excuse that that's hard for him being an outsider is just another reason to drop him. Still, I think we'd see him do a fair bit more if the kiwis let him.