Team List Tigers vs Warriors - [Round 4, 2025]

[Wahs_Ultras]

So.. Healey or Te Maire to 14? lol

Knowing Webby he’ll chuck Lussick in there and mould him into a 13

 

[Inruin]

so, Tigers favourites huh?

 

[sup42]

Guys let's have a wee bit of perspective...I'm a big Ali fan and I think he's going to have a big future with us, but he's hardly set the world on fire this year. He's nowhere near the 'we can't move him' form yet.

3 tries and a try assist is fantastic, but he hasn't been carving up. His tries were largely running straight and hard close to the line. Imo most centres score those tries, including Rocco. Ali can do all of that from left centre and leave the finesse and setting our winger up to our number one centre, Rocco

Good post. I bolded the part that I think we disagree.

I would replace your word selection "would score those try's" with "could". The thing is, that in todays block shaped - highly overcoached systems, the centers who pin their ears back and use power and speed as a first instinct - while looking as though they are keeping the pass to the wing option live - are not as common as they once were.

Joey Leilua is the last of that old school center breed that really stood out as a center that places fear in the opposition backlines minds because he had the size, speed, power, the hands, and most importantly the swagger (this is the Clinton Toopi mention I made) - Rocco does not have that essence, that confidence, that flare to genuinely create a threat as an individual unit in a team structure.

As for Rocco being able to score those hole running Try's, yes he could, but would he? perhaps, it is not as certain, since he is just as likely to run a line to draw his marker (nothing wrong with that unselfish Centers are important/I would take one over a greedy Center any day) but you cannot argue Rocco arrived in the NRL with a natural instinct to gun it himself for the line and back his confidence in his own athletic ability to score - that would be the way Ali has arrived in the NRL.

They are different player types, both useful, but Leiataua has looked on the cusp of breaking out since he landed, but either through injury, or through not being given the ball, we have only had teasers.

So I take your points about him not being a Super player yet...and his Try's being straight runs to the line but...he has shown the footwork in other parts of the field, given us hints beating defenders, that there is more there to come - moving him around certainly won't let us find out his true potential.

Rocco can learn left Center, hey we got Roger on a Wing Taine of a Wing what makes Rocco so special? (throw away comment).

BTW I don't really care as much about all this as it may read, just debating the issue with some vigor. What else are we here for...up the Wahs.

 

[roguei]

Walker leaving is pretty bad news here if you look at how they came back into and won that dolphins game. Which was all via targeting a very tried dolphin's lock player who was out there for to long. Scored 3 of the 5 tries that way. So we will need someone to swap clark off, who isn't also playing big mins.

 

[Inruin]

I am really at a loss with this Dylan Walker leaving announcement. Just weird being three rounds in to the season. He has very much been integral to our attack over the last few years. I don't think he can be replaced easily at all, certainly not with our current roster. I guess TMM to 6 and CHT to 14 makes the most sense at the moment in order to get CHT to fill that 14 role as close as possible to Walker. The concerns I have around that are that TMM has been killing it in cup with a very good organising half and Luke Metcalf isn't that 7 at all. CHT has also been playing very well at 6, probably been carrying that halves pairing if we are being honest. Has he been training as a 14 in the off season? Essentially we would be moving a 6 who has been playing well for another 6 who plays well with an organising half like Boyd and not addressing the two glaring issues we have which are Metcalf isn't that guy (IMO) for 7 and we cant replace Walker easily even if CHT goes there.

My thoughts are that we cant replace Walker's play so AW should keep LM 7 and CHT 6 for at least another 3-5 rounds. That was his plan initially and losing our 14 shouldn't change that.

I'd look at bringing Lussick or Healey on to the bench as the 14 and utilise them for 20minutes to spell Egan and then use them as a hybrid lock/hooker while Egan is back on, to speed up our play.

It's a change in our approach but could end up being a needed one.

 

[WahsaurusRex]

I'd reckon throw Martin in there for this week at least to bridge the gap for the playmaking that we thought we'd have in Walker, and reward the game he had in Cup last weekend.

Go into the bye and get a week to sus how we are going to go about it for the rest of the season.

The idea of changing a halves pairing to fill a hole in 14 is ass backwards, esp when Chanel is going as well as he is

 

[Inruin]

I'd reckon throw Martin in there for this week at least to bridge the gap for the playmaking that we thought we'd have in Walker, and reward the game he had in Cup last weekend.

Go into the bye and get a week to sus how we are going to go about it for the rest of the season.

The idea of changing a halves pairing to fill a hole in 14 is ass backwards, esp when Chanel is going as well as he is

so TMM to 14 for this game?

 

[roguei]

As people have said in another thread. Leka has been training at lock... You could bring on him to sub off clark, and then bring Laban onto the bench to sub off for the 2nd rowers like what leka already does. As much as attack is a worry, i think we can find points in the tigers without walker because they are just not great defensively. What i worry about is losing our defense, especially via the middle. Also has the side benefit of blooding in the youth of club that are FG ready.

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

I know I’ll probably get some eye rolls but…..

We ALREADY do this……..

Start Vaimauga, Leka or whoever at 13 and inject Erin later……

Walker was a better player than Erin…..
So it’s essentially the same gameplan, with different players.

 

[Inruin]

I know I’ll probably get some eye rolls but…..

We ALREADY do this……..

Start Vaimauga, Leka or whoever at 13 and inject Erin later……

Walker was a better player than Erin…..
So it’s essentially the same gameplan, with different players.

yeah, I'm one to give the eyeroll I think. The difference between Clark off the bench in round 1 to Clark starting at 13 for the following two rounds was chalk and cheese. I'd be very hesitant going back to Clark coming off the bench

 

[roguei]

Worst part about all of this is, knowing webster we probably won't get an updated team list till 24 hours before the game.

 

[sydneywarrior92]

Can we get Demitric to substitute for Erin in this game and bring Laban onto the bench? Wish Walker the best but I always felt that something was amiss with his performances so far this year. It was probably best for both parties as this seems like a good way to squeeze Laban into our set up now.

 

[Tohu’s_Knees]

yeah, I'm one to give the eyeroll I think. The difference between Clark off the bench in round 1 to Clark starting at 13 for the following two rounds was chalk and cheese. I'd be very hesitant going back to Clark coming off the bench

You do realise it’s a promotion right?

Erin started, then the better player in Walker comes off the bench and replaces him.

And on top of that Erin doesn’t play 80, so we lose absolutely nothing. We just move his output to the 20min mark.

It’s exactly the same gameplan with different players.

 

[WA Warrior]

You do realise it’s a promotion right?

Erin started, then the better player in Walker comes off the bench and replaces him.

And on top of that Erin doesn’t play 80, so we lose absolutely nothing. We just move his output to the 20min mark.

It’s exactly the same gameplan with different players.

Main reason I like Clark starting is he looks to set the tone on Defence.
He stiffens the middle next to Fish and Barney at the start of the game.

 

[Inruin]

You do realise it’s a promotion right?

Erin started, then the better player in Walker comes off the bench and replaces him.

And on top of that Erin doesn’t play 80, so we lose absolutely nothing. We just move his output to the 20min mark.

It’s exactly the same gameplan with different players.

I don't see it as beneficial for the team though. I think Clark is best starting and I don't think he provides anywhere near the ball playing that Walker does off the bench. I see it as losing two positions instead of one. The time those positions play may be the same but the gameplan would have to change

 

[sydneywarrior92]

so, Tigers favourites huh?

nope, we still have the better pack and hence can still grind out a win.

 

[kos]

nope, we can still win this.

Agree
No worries
We have lots of options
Tmm
The young guys
Laban

Shame Ale got injured

 

[sydneywarrior92]

Agree
No worries
We have lots of options
Tmm
The young guys
Laban

Shame Ale got injured

I want Laban. Leka, Demtric and Laban all on the bench from this week. Don't mind if there is a steeper learning curve as a result. We need to back our young forwards like the chooks are doing this year.

 

[BrisbaneWarrior]

Weird he couldn’t stay til after the Tigers game. Does Healey move into the reserves? Or TMM?

 

[snake77]

I'd like them to look at Healy to replace Walkers bench spot. It gives us a chance to spell Egan and also provides a different dynamic out of dummy half.

The other 3 forwards would need to cover the other middle substitution where Walker came on for Clark.

The passing in the middle was nice but the other options might provide something different. They were training with Halasima in the middle. Having his leg speed and power on after 25-30 minutes could give us some impact.