While great news for Hayne, it absolutely astonishes me that the article questions where Hayne will play. Apparently, as Folau and Vatuvei are going to be the wingers and Slater the fullback, they're talking about Hayne on the bench.
Now, I'm sorry, but despite the fact that the Storm have been gifted 3 premierships in their short history in exchange for a favourable TV rights deal, and despite the fact that Qld are apparently flavour of the fucking month for the limp-wristed NRL - hence we have to have that myth Folau play, does ANYBODY really believe that Hayne - the current Dally-M fucking medalist - is the 4th best player in the company of Slater, Vatuvei or Folau??
Of course they bloody don't! Time to use a bit of common sense and relegate the League's most mistake prone fullback to the bench and promote Hayne ahead of Slater! Or play Slater on the wing instead of Folau!
Either way, it's an absolute insult to relegate the game's best player to the bench!
Replies
Hayne or Folau will start in the centres with the other on the wing.
I don't agree that Slater isn't the best fullback at the moment. Hayne is an absolute freak of a player but he is still learning the ropes positionally at fullback. His lack of positional play and urgency actually cost us a try in the Grand Final off that bomb, after it had been threatening to cost us a try all finals series.
Slater:
Appearances at fullback: 26
Trys: 18
Line Breaks: 22
Line Break Assists: 19
Try Assists: 19
Tackle Breaks: 165
Average Metres Made: 124.6
Average Missed Tackles: 1.9
Average Kick Return Metres: 62.5
Total Missed Tackles: 50
40/20's: 0
Errors: 43
Hayne:
Appearances at fullback: 19
Trys: 10
Line Breaks: 27
Line Break Assists: 7
Try Assists: 15
Tackle Breaks: 169
Average Metres Made: 194.4
Average Missed Tackles: 1.6
Average Kick Return Metres: 80.8
Total Missed Tackles: 30
40/20's: 4
Errors: 19
So, apart from Line Break Assists, the two players are close but Hayne pips Slater in most categories. I appreciate the argument that Slater has been doing this for the last couple of seasons and Hayne hasn't but the team isn't being picked on the strength of what happened in 2007 and 2008, it's being picked on current form!
Do you know who, according to the ICC, is the number 1 ranked batsman in Test cricket at the moment?? Gautam Gambhir. Why? Because he has hit 10 consecutive scores over 50 in his last 10 innings! Is he better than Ponting? Probably not, but if you were to pick a side right now, based on form, and it came down to 1 position, Ponting or Gambhir, who would you pick??
As much as I love the concept of this game there is no doubt the selection criteria is flawed and needs to have a few bugs swept out of it, if they are to run this bad boy on an annual basis.
I am just saying that fullback is a very, very important position in the team and a good fullback will also be a very good positional player and not only that, will also play a hand in positioning the entire team in defence.
That was the reason the experienced Luke Burt was picked at fullback over Hayne for a good part of last season (until Hayne's pure attacking genius left Anderson no choice) and will remain the reason for Slater being picked in the position for Australia until Hayne has a bit more experince under his belt, is a little more confident yelling at his pack about where to position themselves and is able to demonstrate at club level that he can do those things as well as Slater.
Slater is not far enough behind in terms of attack for that to be the decisive factor.
As for the likes of Burt being a safer option than Hayne early in the season, whilst I agree his positional play is very good and makes few errors, he's an absolute defensive liability. Full back is a very, very important position as you say, and not least important the ability to defend your line. As you pointed out little Luke Burt and little Billy Slater are less physically able to do that whereas Hayne famously stopped a rampaging Sam Thaiday one-on-one a season or two back.
Either way Slater and Hayne are great players - it just bugs me that Hayne must constantly deputise to Slater. Personally, if NSW had won the last Origin series or two, I don't think we'd be having this debate!
Its just that coaches think a little differently to fans and whist they appreciate a length of the field try or an amazing attacking play they tend to appreciate more the little things that we fans don't really focus on and how the team as a whole best gels togethor.
Anway its a great debate and one that will likely go on for a while yet.
By the way I agree that Folau is a myth, he looks like an unco - ordinated gumby whenver he gets into open spaces.
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