NRL 2019
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@kiwiinmelb When have the Kiwis ever had 4 halves to choose from?
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So Taupau has ditched the Kiwis, which is a surprise because he's always been pro NZ.
It's all getting a bit silly now, it's a risk for the NZRL to pick an PI heritage player these days.
Maybe it's time for one country for life. If a PI player wants to play for the PI teams all well in good, but let's do away with the switching.
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Unbelievable scenes at the end of the Warriors game.
Warriors score to go 10 up with 6 to go.
Titans score, Warriors up by 4 with 4 to go.Warriors player stripped in 2 man tackle on their own 30m line and the penalty goes to the Titans with 2 to go.... WTF????
Adam Blair sinbinned with 40 seconds to go.
Warriors hang on to win.
Fuck the NRL and fuck their refs.
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So Taupau has ditched the Kiwis, which is a surprise because he's always been pro NZ.
It's all getting a bit silly now, it's a risk for the NZRL to pick an PI heritage player these days.
Maybe it's time for one country for life. If a PI player wants to play for the PI teams all well in good, but let's do away with the switching.
I stopped watching international league - the PI guys can all change whenever they want, so nobody seems loyal to any country unless you don’t have a choice. It’s a waste of time.
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We did everything we could to lose that game but credit to us for holding on.
We just don’t seem to be getting the punch from our forwards.
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Congratulations to Adam Blair on making it to 300 games and fitting that in his 300th game he is sin binned
Nothing wrong with his tackle and his sinbinning in the final seconds actually gave the Warriors time to catch a breather and shut down the Titans.For probably only the second game this season Kearney got his game management right. He started Karl Lawton (who by the way should be the starting hooker the rest of the season) and brought on Bunty Afoa in the second half to take advantage of the tiring Gold Coast forward pack.
The three stars of the night were Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Blake Green and Ken Maumalo while Jazz Tevaga had a shocking game although it is his first back from injury. Tohu Harris should probably take two-three weeks off to rehab that knee injury he has and Leivaha Pulu can take his spot during that time.
I'm noticing Tuivasa-Sheck spending more time up in the line this year and it's looking like he will transition into the halves in the coming seasons ala Darren Lockyer. If fullback Hayze Perham continues to develop in the lower grades I'm more than ok with that happening.
Isaac Luke had a better game last night but the Warriors need to give all the minutes to Karl Lawton and upgrade his contract. They're not going to acquire Brandon Smith from the Storm and Karl Lawton offers what the Warriors need at the hooker position - quick play the ball and solid defence. Plus he will be cheaper than Brandon Smith or Danny Levi (who isn't that good anyway).
Overall our forwards need an upgrade with subtractions (Adam Blair) and cheaper additions (more NSW Cup forwards like Lachlan Burr).
Gold Coast Titans will probably be moving on from halfback Ash Taylor soon as that Jacks/Roberts halves pairing is pretty good.
In some good news for Warriors fans, it appears that Solomone Kata will be joining former teammate Albert Vete at the Storm for the rest of the season.
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NSW ring the changes, panic button pressed
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NSW team
- James Tedesco
- Blake Ferguson
- Tom Trbojevic
- Jack Wighton
- Josh Addo-Carr
- James Maloney
- Nathan Cleary
- Daniel Saifiti
- Damien Cook
- Paul Vaughan
- Boyd Cordner (c)
- Tyson Frizell
- Jake Trbojevic
- Dale Finucane
- Tariq Sims
- Cameron Murray
- Wade Graham
Not a bad side but yes, Freddy is fiddling too much.
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More importantly it appears that Benji and Foran are back in the mix to play against Tonga this weekend.
New Zealand squad
(19-man team in alphabetical order)Leeson Ah Mau (Warriors)
Nelson Asofa-Solomona (Storm)
Jesse Bromwich (Storm)
Kenneath Bromwich (Storm)
James Fisher-Harris (Panthers)
Kieran Foran (Bulldogs)
Jahrome Hughes (Storm)
Shaun Johnson (Sharks)
Isaac Liu (Roosters)
Joseph Manu (Roosters)
Benji Marshall (Wests Tigers)
Esan Marsters (Wests Tigers)
Ken Maumalo (Warriors)
Briton Nikora (Sharks)
Brandon Smith (Storm)
Zane Tetevano (Roosters)
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Warriors)
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Roosters)
Dallin Watene-Zelezniak - captain (Bulldogs) -
I expect the 17 to be:
1 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (c) 2. Jahrome Hughes 3. Joseph Manu 4. Esan Marsters 5. Ken Maumalo 6. Benji Marshall 7. Kieran Foran 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Brandon Smith 10. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 11. James Fisher-Harris 12. Briton Nikora 13. Isaac Liu
Bench: 14. Shaun Johnson 15. Kenneath Bromwich 16. Zane Tetevano 17. Leeson Ah MauDon't think Tuivasa-Sheck (knee) plays this game since DWZ is named captain and the Warriors want him rested just like Tohu Harris (knee).
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@Sneakdefreak said in NRL 2019:
NSW team
- James Tedesco
- Blake Ferguson
- Tom Trbojevic
- Jack Wighton
- Josh Addo-Carr
- James Maloney
- Nathan Cleary
- Daniel Saifiti
- Damien Cook
- Paul Vaughan
- Boyd Cordner (c)
- Tyson Frizell
- Jake Trbojevic
- Dale Finucane
- Tariq Sims
- Cameron Murray
- Wade Graham
Not a bad side but yes, Freddy is fiddling too much.
the more i look at this, the weirder it is. They got smoked through the middle in teh last game, so now they have even less props in the side? There is a grand total of 1 prop. A thousand back rowers though.
Morris answers the call for game 1, is just about the best player for the Blues, and gets the rissole, for Blake Ferguson?
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@Sneakdefreak I would have thought they wouldn’t have named RTS if he want going to play?
Apparently it’s going to be Benji and Johnson in the halves and Hughes on the bench which would make Foran the unlucky one.
I’m still pinching myself we’ve named a Kiwis team with more than two halves to chose from. Lucky since our back up half Harris is only fit for games in Warriors jerseys and not in a Kiwi jersey.
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Does Jesse have an "I'll only play if you pick my brother clause" in his contract? Otherwise, how is he starting?
Not a bad lineup really. Stoked for Benji, he really deserved more caps over the past few years, hopefully his old man body is up to it.
Crazy that we can select a team with a fit Foran (in decent form) available and he can't make the 17.NAS isn't going anywhere:
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No idea why Kenny is starting, James Fisher-Harris is the better secondrower to take on the Tongans when it comes to the smash and bash stuff.
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@Sneakdefreak Maybe they want Fisher-Harris to come on fresh and rattle some cages with his hard defence?
Fifita is suspended so will miss the match.
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Kiwis up 16-4 at halftime. Smith scored an awesome try and Johnson scored the exact same try twice. Kata managed to catch the ball and score for Tonga.
Kiwis halves are clearly a step above Tonga's. Maumalo has been carting the ball up well and the Kiwi props Bromwich and JWH have been matching the Tongan's - who are all having a decent match. Kiwis seem to be running at Taumalolo trying to get him making tackles.
Great halftime show by Fox, the longest ads ever, then they talked about Origin and then Fiji.
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