Cullen and Parker to start this week

[The Royal Soup]

Apparently a calf injury and back next week. I think we are just managing the cattle a little bit coming into the finals.

However he came off against the Tigers not long after copping a knee to the ribs in the last 15 minutes

Thanks mate

Hope it's only a week

 

[pjayz]

Hastings misses very few tackles. If you look at his time at the roosters when he was starting half, he averaged 0.8 missed tackles per game. The issue is that he can't hit hard like Api who misses more, but when he hits, he hits hard and stops their momentum quickly. Hastings takes longer to bring them down, so post contact metres are the concern.

I think he can handle it and would be better placed than Cullen to manage the workload.

 

[Simonmyers11]

We wont win without api. Hooker is too vital and api has been one of the main reasons we are doing so well this year with his tackling, smart dummy half running and combinations he has with the halves and forwards. Cullen imo offers nothing. Horrible passer and will really cause our attack to be disjointed.

Cannot beleive hastings is not the starting hooker. Better passer and can organise and kick. Weird selection? I woukd keep brown out of the 17 altogether. His defence this year has been atrocious.

 

[effnic]

Api is the most under rated player in the NRL. I honestly see us losing this game without his dummy half runs. he just reads the defence line so well.

 

[Midnight Rambler]

Api is the most under rated player in the NRL. I honestly see us losing this game without his dummy half runs. he just reads the defence line so well.

I agree...

 

[Fluffy]

I wanted to see Hastings start with Api coming on fresh as a change.

Not really sold on Cullen as hooker, so far his passing is the worst of the lot.

 

[CBreeagles]

Is Hastings really on the outer with the coaching staff?

 

[Fluffy]

@Turbo1 you can disagree all you want but I am pretty sure I know what I am thinking.

But please tell me what I was thinking, interested to hear?

 

[Holmsey]

@Turbo1 you can disagree all you want but I am pretty sure I know what I am thinking.

But please tell me what I was thinking, interested to hear?

You want api to start off the bench!? Why? Api is one of the main reasons we started so well against tigers. He keeps the pack rolling and handles the defence fine.

 

[desreturnoftheking]

I wanted to see Hastings start with Api coming on fresh as a change.

Not really sold on Cullen as hooker, so far his passing is the worst of the lot.

hastings to start over api? have u been watching the games this year? Why hastings? you all call for hastings like he's such a good player truth is he's a good back up that's it. He was at the roosters and is at manly. If green or dce get injured he can slot in but starting hooker me thinks you've been mixing 2 types of tea bags again

 

[desreturnoftheking]

We wont win without api. Hooker is too vital and api has been one of the main reasons we are doing so well this year with his tackling, smart dummy half running and combinations he has with the halves and forwards. Cullen imo offers nothing. Horrible passer and will really cause our attack to be disjointed.

Cannot beleive hastings is not the starting hooker. Better passer and can organise and kick. Weird selection? I woukd keep brown out of the 17 altogether. His defence this year has been atrocious.

you might find brown starting if fit. hastings is gonna cop it from the likes of Vaughn packer Frizzell etc brown is bigger and should defend better in the middle with help of course. We were exposed down the middle last week the dragoons will try the same. I don't think hastings can start but happy to be proven wrong. keen to see how Barrett plays this one out.

 

[Kevinward777]

you might find brown starting if fit. hastings is gonna cop it from the likes of Vaughn packer Frizzell etc brown is bigger and should defend better in the middle with help of course. We were exposed down the middle last week the dragoons will try the same. I don't think hastings can start but happy to be proven wrong. keen to see how Barrett plays this one out.

Just a quick question, and I'm not being a troll, but have you been watching Brown's defence over the last two years. I know he's a bit bigger than Cullen, but I seriously cannot remember a single game that I would be able to say "great defensive effort by Lewis today, he really shored up the middle third with some solid defence" It could be just me, but my recollections are me screaming at Brown to get out of the ruck as he comes second or third man in. When he tries to defend high, far too often he Arm grabs, and he has got a stupid penalty in him. Then there is his attack and running game where he offers basically nothing (he's thrown one pass that has led to a try in two seasons.) Cullen offers much more in attack, and I feel if he's any worse than Brown in defense, it wouldn't be by much.

 

[desreturnoftheking]

Just a quick question, and I'm not being a troll, but have you been watching Brown's defence over the last two years. I know he's a bit bigger than Cullen, but I seriously cannot remember a single game that I would be able to say "great defensive effort by Lewis today, he really shored up the middle third with some solid defence" It could be just me, but my recollections are me screaming at Brown to get out of the ruck as he comes second or third man in. When he tries to defend high, far too often he Arm grabs, and he has got a stupid penalty in him. Then there is his attack and running game where he offers basically nothing (he's thrown one pass that has led to a try in two seasons.) Cullen offers much more in attack, and I feel if he's any worse than Brown in defense, it wouldn't be by much.

I hate brown but he could be the best option. He barely plays anyway and if he does he's been 2nd row. being in the middle with Lawrence and taupau helping he could defend well as they will try run over him not around. out wide he has to deal with centers fbs wingers. I just think hastings will get smashed if he starts same with Cullen. Time will tell what the coaches do for this round I'm happy to be proven wrong with Cullen and Hastings but I just feel Barrett will go for Brown you know he loves the guy lol

 

[Class of 96]

Yeah, cause Lewis Brown has shown us what a wonderful defender he is over the last two years.

Didn't specifically mention Brown should get the gig. I was suggesting whoever of the trio has the best defensive capabilities should start.

 

[Fluffy]

You want api to start off the bench!? Why? Api is one of the main reasons we started so well against tigers. He keeps the pack rolling and handles the defence fine.

I would like to see if Hasting can handle the defence early on, he has shown he goes well against tired forwards defensively and has been fine starting in the halves before but has not started in the middle so it is a complete unknown.

The advantage of this would be that we start the match with crisp passing and our forwards able to hit the line at top pace, halves having plenty of time to get good kicks away meaning we turn the opposition big boys around more and tire them out, then when the opposition pack tires Api can come on and destroy them with his darts and broken play runs et al that he is best in our team at and one of the best in the comp. So trying to get him in the game at the best time to exploit his tenacious nature.

So I see this as the perfect chance to see if Hastings can handle it given Api is out and if it works give the option above a few tries, it could work wonders. It would also give Baz another string to his bow and complicate opposition coaches plans if there are multiple good options.

 

[Fluffy]

hastings to start over api? have u been watching the games this year? Why hastings? you all call for hastings like he's such a good player truth is he's a good back up that's it. He was at the roosters and is at manly. If green or dce get injured he can slot in but starting hooker me thinks you've been mixing 2 types of tea bags again

I must have missed all those games where he started as hooker.

How many times did you see him start as an NRL hooker?

 

[desreturnoftheking]

I must have missed all those games where he started as hooker.

How many times did you see him start as an NRL hooker?

where who started? your the one calling for hastings are you not?

 

[desreturnoftheking]

I would like to see if Hasting can handle the defence early on, he has shown he goes well against tired forwards defensively and has been fine starting in the halves before but has not started in the middle so it is a complete unknown.

The advantage of this would be that we start the match with crisp passing and our forwards able to hit the line at top pace, halves having plenty of time to get good kicks away meaning we turn the opposition big boys around more and tire them out, then when the opposition pack tires Api can come on and destroy them with his darts and broken play runs et al that he is best in our team at and one of the best in the comp. So trying to get him in the game at the best time to exploit his tenacious nature.

So I see this as the perfect chance to see if Hastings can handle it given Api is out and if it works give the option above a few tries, it could work wonders. It would also give Baz another string to his bow and complicate opposition coaches plans if there are multiple good options.

I simply won't happen. Barrett won't start hastings over Api he's been one of the best players in the comp. Cullen is getting chosen over hastings on the bench so... we should of tried it earlier in the year

 

[Fluffy]

where who started? your the one calling for hastings are you not?

You were the one who said he is a good back up and that's it. Based on exactly zero games of being a starting hooker.

and Api is not one of the best players in the comp, whilst his passing has improved this year it is poor for a hooker and the last few weeks have been getting worse again.

My point is neither of us know but it would be worth seeing how it goes.

Jake was a prop through his juniors and now plays lock - if we had never tried it we would have never known.

 

[Holmsey]

You were the one who said he is a good back up and that's it. Based on exactly zero games of being a starting hooker.

and Api is not one of the best players in the comp, whilst his passing has improved this year it is poor for a hooker and the last few weeks have been getting worse again.

My point is neither of us know but it would be worth seeing how it goes.

Jake was a prop through his juniors and now plays lock - if we had never tried it we would have never known.

Api is not one of the best players in the comp!? Haha lol now your just taking the piss haha