Why don't we try and mix the team around with ponga being selected for origin with a weakened Newcastle side
1. Gutho
2. Sivo
3. Opacic
4. Niukore
5. Dunster
6. Brown
7. Moses
8. RCG (Kaufusi if selected for NSW)
9. Mahoney (Lussick if selected for QLD)
10. Papali'i (Paulo - NSW)
11. Lane
12. Matterson
13. Brown
14. Carty 15. Greig 16. Stone 17. Hipgrave
Would love to see Dunster get a go with Niukore back in the centres
Replies
With suspensions and origin our foward pack will look shit. I think Niukore will have to stay in the middle. Wouldn't mind Oldfied to be given a go. Blood Penesini and have an experiences Oldfield on his outside?
I don't think we're going to be hit that hard by Origin.
Mahoney will be the QLD 9 but i think our NSW boys have played themselves out of a spot. Gutho was a fringe utility who came into the frame with Paps out but his last fortnight has been poor and other utilities have been better.
Junior has been very poor for 5 weeks and it's a hidden story in our season at the moment. He went completely off the boil in that Dragons game and has been terrible since. Tonight was one of his worst games since he rejoined us . RCG has been our best prop by lengths.
I 100% agree with everything you just said. But with so many injuries and suspensions, I think Paulo will be selected and N Brown (as long as not suspended) will make the blues camp.
I really don't understand what has happened to Paulo.
For the first 5 rounds he was just about the best prop in the game.
His offload has completely disappeared and his runs are ineffective.
As for next week's team we will be without N Brown due to suspension and also Mahoney due to suspension or SOO.
Other than that RCG is the only other player in with a shot of playing SOO but I don't believehe will be picked.
1. Guth
2. Sivo
3. Opacic
4. Niukore
5. Waqa Blake
6. Dylan Brown
7. Moses
8. Kaufusi
9. Mahoney (Lussick if Mahoney is out)
10. RCG
11. Papali'i
12. Matterson
13. Cartwright
14. Smith
15. Paulo
16. Lane
17. Hipgrave
18. Greig
19. Dunster
In the first 4 games, Paulo broke 13 tackles and made 11 offloads. In the last 8 games, Paulo has broken 8 tackles and made 11 offloads. He makes the occasional good run in a game. I thought Paulo was the best prop in the game early in the year, but now he looks like shit if you compare him to Haas and JFH. All ex-players and others have him as a certainity for origin, but he has actually played well below his standard of late. Paulo is making very shit first contact of late as well in defence. Even with his offloading gone quite, I have not seen Paulo use his brilliant passing game.
I reckon Paulo has backed off because of these ridiculous rules being introduced every 2 weeks and abused by corrupted refs. RCG will follow suit shortly. The players will be wearing skirts soon.
Don't mention netball ..LOL
Reminds me of last season .. Paulo and Gillard started the season well . Best prop pairing in the league , they then died in the ass
If BOTH Paulo and RCG are selected, we are toast, because our go forward is impacted by just one of Paulo/RCG being out.
I'll be surprised if QLD don't use Grant and Hunt at 9 with one on the bench. I like Mahoney but his running game can go missing when the forward contest is tight. Good luck to Reed if he is selected of course, as it would help develop his game to have SOO experience. But if Mahoney is out we lose a lot of our attack as his wide passing game gives our attack some width. And our attack has already stalled.
With Dylan back that will help. Will Smith was handy off the bench.
Knights will smell blood and I'm not confident BA knows how to get the team "up", because whenever they're not "up" he says he has no idea why not, so that suggests he has no idea how to get them up for a fight and leaves it to luck and chance. The Eels slid to mediocrity half way through 2020 and two losses in a row see them on that path agains
I think your being a tad harsh of Mahoney's ability in regards to his "running game can go missing when the foward contest is tight." Any hookers running game will struggle when their fowards are dominating. Unlike Cook, Mahoney provides a great passing game and kicking game. His kicking game can really change momemtum in games.
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