1. Clint Gutherson (c)
2. Maiks Sivo
3. Will Penisini
4. Morgan Harper
5. Bailey Simmonson
6. Ethan Sanders
7. Dylan Brown
8. Reagan Campbell-Gillard
9. Joey Lussick
10. Junior Paulo
11. Shaun Lane
12. Ryan Matterson
13. J'maine Hopgood
Interchange:
14. Brendan Hands
15. Makahesi Makatoa
16. Joe Ofahengaue
17. Kelma Tuilagi
Reserves:
18. Sean Russell
19. Luca Moretti
20. Daejarn Asi
21. Wiremu Grieg
22. Blaize Talagi
INs: Maika Sivo, Ethan Sanders, Brendan Hands, Makahesi Makatoa
OUTs: Sean Russell, Daejarn Asi, Bryce Cartwright, Blaize Talagi
Referee: Gerard Sutton
Replies
Thought Sanders was leaving for Raiders
Russel dropped? Moretti dropped?
Sivo retuens at left wing and Simmonson has switched from left to right wing. Could have dropped Harper (Simmo back to left center) and kept Russel at right wing? Not sure either Harper or Russel deserved to keep their spot, so keeping Harper over Russell says a lot about the Eels' backline?
Makatoa in for Moretti. Too many dropped balls and penalties by Moretti?
Sanders is a left footed kicker? Will be chief kicker?
No Talagi or Asi (concusion?) ... does this mean BA has also admitted his team can't play another style and so BA is truing to go back to a game plan based on a big kicking game?
We know who the part timers were.
I said many weeks ago that Hands should be dummy half , much faster around the ruck in every thing he does and a few on here didn't agree but Authur has his favourites for all to see , i agree with you A E
Hands is just a simple, steady Hooker. Can be a knock on him but where we are at this stage it is a positive.
Do Harper and Kelma get their spots because they're ex-Manly players with a point to prove?
Of interest Sanders, Hands and Makatoa all played in reserve grade in that round when manly's reserve grade side, Blacktown flogged us. I also see none of the Blacktown players that destroyed us that day have managed to crack the Manly first grade side named this weekend.
Sanders might do well but he should have come in against tigers not against dce and turbo. Cherry koula and Saab are going to have a field day, watch manly spread it early with our compressed defence and lack of speed with Harper and sivo and cross field kicks, this could get very ugly.
Let's hope for a cowboys type effort and a spiking type game but at brooky Friday night I'm not holding my breathe.
As a general comment club comment I'm really concerned about our club overall, no other team has the lack of depth that we are seeing in particular with our backline. The dogs were able to buy every speedster on the market yet we got Harper, I'm not having a go at Harper I think he tries but he is too slow, has no footwork and isn't a powerhouse and centres these days need at least 1 or 2 of these assets. Our wingers are not acrobatic finishes, not metre eaters and have below average speed (sivo has when it suits him)
I see hands on the bench as coverage for sanders in case his defence doesn't hold up rather than just to relieve lussick.
Sanders defence in the halves is actually better than Hands. NSW Cup stats would back this statement up as well. Hands is actually a poor defender in the halves. He is barely cup quality in cup. Hands is an out and out hooker in my opnion.
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