*Official* NRL 2011 Season thread

[Craig]

1. Josh Dugan (Canberra)

2. Jarryd Hayne (Parramatta)

3. William Hopoate (Manly)

4. Mark Gasnier (St George Illawarra)

5. Akuila Uate (Newcastle Knights)

6. Jamie Soward (St George Illawarra)

7. Mitchell Pearce (Sydney Roosters)

8. Paul Gallen (c) (Cronulla)

9. Michael Ennis (Canterbury-Bankstown)

10. Tim Mannah (Parramatta)

11. Beau Scott (St George Illawarra)

12. Ben Creagh (St George Illawarra)

13. Greg Bird (Gold Coast Titans)

Bench: Trent Merrin (St George Illawarra), Kurt Gidley (Newcastle Knights), Anthony Watmough (Manly), Luke Lewis (Penrith).

Hopoate is leaving for two years, but they won't pick Idris?

 

[Burgey]

Hopoate will end up on the wing imo. Dugan very unlikely to play, Hayne to fullback, Hoppa to the wing (he's very good tbf) and bring in a centre (god knows who).

 

[Son Of Coco]

I like the look of that team...if we could just get Fittler and Johns in the halves we'd be a certainty!

 

[howardj]

My very strong Phillip Street mail is that if Dugan is out, Minichello will be drafted as a direct swap.

 

[Burgey]

Very concerned at the lack of props tbh. Got bashed up game one and now relying on two props and the likes of Ben Creagh to do the hard yards. Gallen I understand - he plays like a prop anyway.

But Creagh? Plays three wide in a dinner suit and runs away from centres. Petero must be shaking in his size 14s.

Hoppa is a gun tbf, but how much centre has he played at NRL level? It seems he'll stay there too, as Mini has been drafted in to cover Dugan. Having said that, happy for Mini. Pre-back injury he was just a superb player. A real traditional fullback.

 

[howardj]

Overalll a better NSW team with Gidley, Hayne and Lewis.

Will be looking to out-last Qld and attempt to finish over the top of them like they almost did in game one.

 

[Ausage]

Completely agree with Burgey re the forward pack and ol run away Creagh. The "lack of props is strange because I'm failing to see an actual shortfall going around. Snowden, TLL, Tolman? Surely one of those could come in for Creagh, shifting Gallen back to the backrow giving us a solid versatile pack. If you don't like those prop options bring G Stewart in for the softie, underrated player imo.

Not sold on the backline either, especially if Mini actually comes in for Dugan. Mini was a great fullback in his day, but his day was when Sticky last won a premiership, IE nearly a decade ago. Mini over Hayne or even B Stewart would be a farce, and a typical stubborn Sticky selection.

How did we go from making sure that we had everybody in the exact position they play in a club game, to Hayne on the Wing, a rookie playing out of his preferred position and Gallen at prop?

At least we don't have that pillow King softing up our starting front row.

 

[Prince EWS]

Tolman and Snowden are both injured.

 

[Ausage]

Tolman and Snowden are both injured.

Bah!

Still I watched the second half of the Cows/Raiders game yesterday and TLL was excellent and put in big minutes in a depleted Raiders team. Still a better option than Creagh.

 

[Craig]

I think this shows why QLD keep winning SOO. No moving of Hayne to fullback? ITSTL.

 

[iamdavid]

Stuart's an idiot, seriously, still playing favourites after all these years. As has been said Mini was a great player...in 2004...he's a liability for the Roosters most weeks. You've got the most dangerous attacking player in the NRL in your side, he plays fullback for his club every week, but rather than just bite the bullet and make the obvious shuffle you leave him to twiddle his thumbs on the wing and call in an injury-crippled 31-year-old.

I heard a rumour (unconfirmed at this stage) that Stuart's got Anthony Tupou on standby for Luke Lewis who has some sort of quad complaint, if true then that's just a step too far.

Why we pinned all our hopes on and gave sole responsibility for selection to a coach who was unwanted by all 16 NRL clubs I'll never know.

 

[howardj]

Yeah, he does seem very agenda-driven Rick. He makes calls based on a ****tail of emotion, agendas, bias and just plain stubborness etc.

As a coach, you've got to be like Leigh Matthews - pragmatic in all respects. WHere do I want to go, and what will get me there.

 

[iamdavid]

Exactly. At the end of the day I just don't think he's a very intelligent man. I know rugby league players/coaches are hardly noted for their intellect, but Stuart constantly seems confused and illogical in his thinking, not just in this role, but generally throughout his coaching career. Plus he's shown his propensity for stupid emotional outbursts in the past (the clash with the ref after RLWC '08). Combine this with the fact every side he's coached for the past six years has been rubbish....and I really don't understand why they gave him the job in the first place.

 

[Craig]

Uate on report for a spear tackle.

 

[howardj]

If Mr T is out, Ricky Reshuffle

- Hayne to Mr T's wing, Mini to Hayne's wing, Gidley off the bench to 5/8th, and Soward back to full back. Weyman the new bench utility.

 

[Smudge]

Warriors yet again get shafted by an awful video referee decision.

Although I wasn't exactly convinced by Mannering's "try".

 

[Ausage]

Roosters got pretty badly screwed with a "forward" pass decision toward the end there too.

Like the Warriors this year though. Mateo is going incredibly well which I like seeing. How that guy gets some of his offloads out I'll never know.

On SOO we're getting thoroughly boned by injuries/suspensions now. Thought this was our best chance in a while but we're just getting out after out.

 

[Smudge]

All the best to Rabs Warren for his prostate cancer surgery next week.

 

[howardj]

t minus eight hours and 15 minutes

Just smash 'em boys.

 

[duffer]

Oh man, that was paper soft.