5/8 back up

[EagleRock40]

Junior footy is a lot different to NRL. Either Lyon or Gift to 5/8

 

[Brookie]

we lose too much strike power with Lyon at 5/8.
why weaken more than one position?

 

[God]

Could brett play 5/8 with hiku at the back.

Seems like the way forward.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Could brett play 5/8 with hiku at the back.

He can if You say he can 😉

 

[southsideeagle]

Could brett play 5/8 with hiku at the back.

Seems like the way forward.

Snake has the best passing game going around and would be sensational at 5/8. Hiku in the centres is not best option. Have him at FLB and lyon best left where he is ..in other words .. I agree!!!

 

[FlyingHigh]

Team has been named with Hiku at Centre and Lyon at 5/8.

 

[Bearfax]

Team has been named with Hiku at Centre and Lyon at 5/8.

Ho hum. What a surprise.

 

[EagleFromMay1967]

Yes, Snake has the running, passing, probably kicking game suited to 5-8th. The attack side of things is not a problem. But every time i think of this idea, i just become nervous about all the necessary front-on defence - and his knees, hamstrings. Playing in the middle would suit the brains, and the attacking flair.

Snake is too valuable at FB, to be risking him in a more 'exposed' position. He is untested in this position defensively and the front rowers, knowing this, would run at him all day, and the likelihood of significant injury recurrence is highish.

Are any of you prepared to be without the Best passing strategist full back in the business for weeks and weeks, for the sake on an 'experiment' ?

 

[Stevo]

Why did we bother signing Mania Rudolph if we dont plan to use him? Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo frustrating watching our right side attack fall to pieces because Jamie Lyon ha been moved. No wonder Matai is scoring all the points.

 

[HoldenV8]

I know he's won a premiership at 5/8 but to my mind I would keep Killer in the centres where he is much more effective and have it one of two ways. Either play Hiku at 5/8 or I would play Gifty there, bring Buhrer in to play lock and move Hiku to the bench (I wouldn't drop Peta to NSW Cup though, I'd definitely keep him in the top 17 somewhere). My own preference says just swap Killer and Peta from last weeks positions and leave Gifty at lock.

Living in Adelaide there is no coverage of the NYC or NSW Cup so I haven't seen anything of Rudolph to have an opinion.

Snake is more valuable to us at FB than anywhere. Yes he has the skills to play in the halves, but I also remember how that went when Parramatta played Jarryd Hayne at 5/8. It totally restricted his running game as he basically had no room to move. He turned into nothing more than a catch and pass player there and both he and the Eels suffered for it. I fear moving Snake to 5/8 would have almost the same effect (I also remember back in 1994 we tried Matthew Ridge at 5/8 one time, I think in the first round against the Scumdogs. That experiment lasted what, one game?). And besides, as many of his team mates have said, Snake organises the defence from the back and with his experience he see's things from back there that others wouldn't have. Didn't someone say over the weekend that it was Snake who saw that the Cows right side defence was the one to target? We scored all 5 of our tries on Friday night down that side. Peta is a good young player and makes a lot of ground playing FB, but at this stage of his career would he have spotted the Cows right side weakness like Snake did?

My team while Foz is out (provided no one else gets injured or even suspended) would read something like:

B. Stewart, Williams, Lyon (c), Matai, Taufua, Hiku, Cherry-Evans, Starling, Ballin, Lawrence, Watmough, Horo, G. Stewart. Reserves: Hasson, Lui, Buhrer, King

The only change from the announced side is Hiku and Killer swapping positions.

 

[susan]

Foz is out for 3 games.Leave one of the greatest fullbacks of his era to do his stuff in the 1 jumper and hammer out a tough win.We do it all the time.Cant see the need for all these "experiments"- we are leading the comp,are people missing that point?

 

[Stevo]

No, But why not use a half in the Halves? The right hand attack is non existent without killer at centre and a rookie half could at lest run the plays.

 

[SeaEagleRock8]

Judging from the write up of the NSW cup side in the other thread, defence may be the thing Littlejohn and Rudolph have to keep working on before they get the chance to strut their stuff on the big stage. I hope they do improve as they seem to have something to offer in attack.

 

[God]

Is littlejohn related to friartuck?

 

[TagMonster]

You all well know of course that it will be Lyon at 5/8, Hiku in the centre, Williams or Blair on the wing full stop. What I'd like to soon see though is young Gutherson given a go. I think his performance would improve playing with the firsts on the wing.

Gutherson will be a great player. Just not yet. At 190cm tall but only 83kg he is too slender at this point. If he can hit 90kg he will be a great winger or fullback for manly going forward. Just not yet.