They were poor. I've got no idea why Sironen is so highly regarded as a five-eighth, honestly. I think he's going to be a good player - hell he could be a good player right now - but he's clearly a modern ball playing second rower. The sort of player who, if you have him in the second row, can allow you to have a more traditional fullback.. like Tedesco. The composition of the WT team is really starting to piss me off.
Bird attacking in the middle and defending on the fringe is arse-backwards IMO. Well, it's half-arse-backwards. I don't think Bird should play middle third period. I also don't like the idea of running Mason on a fringe and then asking him to shift in-field to defend middle-third. You may be right about Mason being past fringe running but I still think he'd create havoc. Anyway, there's no way he's going to be picked and if he does it certainly won't be to play on the fringe. What would your pack be? Actually what would your pack be if Fensom isn't there (because we know he's no shot).
8 Gallen 9 Farah 10 Tamou 11 Bird 12 Sims 13 Fensom 14 Gidley 15 Merrin 16 Grant 17 Lewis/Watmough Fensom is obviously no chance though given he didn't even make the Country team. With no Fensom I'd pick a different side altogether: 8 Grant 9 Farah 10 Tamou 11 Bird 12 Lewis 13 Gallen 14 Gidley 15 Merrin 16 Mason 17 Watmough Weird to have two such different sides I guess but Fensom really changes the balance.
Thanks dudes. Keen to see 1. Tedesco 6. Moltzen 7. Miller + Sironen in the 2nd row when Anasta/Marshall are out. would carve.
Well, I would probably have Fensom too but when I sat down to type, I thought what would I do from Daley's position right now? Fensom is no chance. Mason doesn't sound like much of a chance but may scrape in. I don't think it's so much that Fensom changes the balance. It could be any lock. Gallen is the game changer. But why does that effect Lewis/Sims?
And why no love for Tolman? Ryles used to get driven backwards more than Gemmell's girlfriend. This metres per run stuff is poppycock IMO.
Fensom's really effective in attack at club level - his middle third runs are really under-rated - but I have my doubts over how they'd go working it out from our own end in Origin. If he's starting at lock I want a bit of hit-up insurance from Sims. If we're starting with with all three of Tamou, Grant and Gallen then I don't think we'll need that insurance so we can just pick two specialist second rowers to play second row.
Yes that is absolutely what should happen when Marshall is out. 100% spot on. 0% chance of actually happening though.
Given Daley said Gallen will be in the backrow & that 4 props for QLD has worked well (lol) I reckon the 4 props will be Grant/Tamou/Merrin/Woods
It's strange to say but I think save any major error on Daley's part that NSW probably have the stronger pack. It's a far cry from the days of White and King and Perry. Gallen/Tamou/Grant (or Mannah) vs Scott/Shillington/Myles is about as close a match up as any in Origin history. Merrin and Hannant are also very close in terms of Origin performances. And Bird/Lewis/Watmough/Hoffman (who by all accounts will be there) is right on par with Harrison/Thaiday/Parker/Taylor (or Papalii or Te'o). The difference ^^^ Yeah, you know it. You all know it.
Doing something just because the opposition has done it and they've won is definitely lolworthy IMO. Four props should be picked because you need four fucking props. If you think you can get away with only picking two props then go ahead but don't put Creagh or Watmough in the front row for parts of the game if you do, because that's just an admittance that you got the balance wrong. It's not "utilising NSW's mobility advantage".
That it working well for QLD is when the finally penny dropped. There's just no plausible justification for picking a 4th second rower imo.
