Matt's Match-ups 2018

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The Nickman
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by The Nickman »

Finchy wrote: April 26, 2018, 12:23 pm I'm looking forward to WMS's contribution this week
I was contemplating creating a WPS account, but just couldn't be fudged.
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reptar
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by reptar »

Frank the Cat's Cat Of The Week

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Te Maire Martin, Frank the Cat's Cat of the Week
Gina Riley: Oh, come on, John. That’s a bit old hat, the corrupt IOC delegate.
John Clarke: Old hat? Gina, in the scientific world when they see that something is happening again and again and again, repeatedly, they don’t call it old hat. They call it a pattern.
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Matt
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by Matt »

Pigman wrote: April 25, 2018, 9:28 pm Also congrats Matt.

In case you were wondering, the Match-Ups go Baby Girl > First Boy.
:roflmao
:thumbsup

Im looking into the purchase of a shotgun :P
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Matt
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by Matt »

Thanks for the well wishes
The Nickman
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by The Nickman »

Okay, so in the absence of Matt's Matchups this week, I guess we need to all share the load. Which means... yep, you guessed it, it's time for...

NICKMAN'S PICK, MAN!!!

This week's Nickman's Pick Man for Round 8 vs the Northern Queensland Cowboys is ANTHONY HINGANO: three thumbs up

Image

Feel free to discuss if you agree or disagree with Nickman's Pick, Man.
Relax-init
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by Relax-init »

The Nickman wrote: April 26, 2018, 1:35 pm Okay, so in the absence of Matt's Matchups this week, I guess we need to all share the load. Which means... yep, you guessed it, it's time for...

NICKMAN'S PICK, MAN!!!

This week's Nickman's Pick Man for Round 8 vs the Northern Queensland Cowboys is ANTHONY HINGANO: three thumbs up

Image

Feel free to discuss if you agree or disagree with Nickman's Pick, Man.
Hingano? no skin there... will be drier than a fresh gozleme. Wetter than water on the sun. skin so crispy the duck will eat itself. Be lucky to see any Raider get a skin this weekend. Rapana is probably the only one as he will run some serious meters from dummy half.
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reptar
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by reptar »

The Nickman wrote: April 26, 2018, 1:35 pm Okay, so in the absence of Matt's Matchups this week, I guess we need to all share the load. Which means... yep, you guessed it, it's time for...

NICKMAN'S PICK, MAN!!!

This week's Nickman's Pick Man for Round 8 vs the Northern Queensland Cowboys is ANTHONY HINGANO: three thumbs up

Feel free to discuss if you agree or disagree with Nickman's Pick, Man.
I do feel free to agree or disagree, but I will decline at this time.
Gina Riley: Oh, come on, John. That’s a bit old hat, the corrupt IOC delegate.
John Clarke: Old hat? Gina, in the scientific world when they see that something is happening again and again and again, repeatedly, they don’t call it old hat. They call it a pattern.
Relax-init
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by Relax-init »

reptar wrote: April 26, 2018, 3:11 pm
The Nickman wrote: April 26, 2018, 1:35 pm Okay, so in the absence of Matt's Matchups this week, I guess we need to all share the load. Which means... yep, you guessed it, it's time for...

NICKMAN'S PICK, MAN!!!

This week's Nickman's Pick Man for Round 8 vs the Northern Queensland Cowboys is ANTHONY HINGANO: three thumbs up

Feel free to discuss if you agree or disagree with Nickman's Pick, Man.
I do feel free to agree or disagree, but I will decline at this time.
Hi Switzerland :cmon
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reptar
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by reptar »

Relax-init wrote: April 26, 2018, 3:21 pm
reptar wrote: April 26, 2018, 3:11 pm
The Nickman wrote: April 26, 2018, 1:35 pm Okay, so in the absence of Matt's Matchups this week, I guess we need to all share the load. Which means... yep, you guessed it, it's time for...

NICKMAN'S PICK, MAN!!!

This week's Nickman's Pick Man for Round 8 vs the Northern Queensland Cowboys is ANTHONY HINGANO: three thumbs up

Feel free to discuss if you agree or disagree with Nickman's Pick, Man.
I do feel free to agree or disagree, but I will decline at this time.
Hi Switzerland :cmon
Image
Gina Riley: Oh, come on, John. That’s a bit old hat, the corrupt IOC delegate.
John Clarke: Old hat? Gina, in the scientific world when they see that something is happening again and again and again, repeatedly, they don’t call it old hat. They call it a pattern.
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Matt
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by Matt »

RedRaider wrote: April 26, 2018, 7:32 am
greeneyed wrote: April 25, 2018, 7:01 pm Congratulations to Matt and his wife on the arrival of a new baby girl! That means, however, that Matt's Match-ups is on hiatus this week.

Others should feel free to jump in with their own skins this week!
Congratulations Matt, I hope Mum and bub are well. "Another little Aussie, oi, oi, oi"
Both are healthy and well. Cheers RR
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Matt
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by Matt »

-PJ- wrote: April 26, 2018, 10:58 am
greeneyed wrote: April 25, 2018, 7:01 pm Congratulations to Matt and his wife on the arrival of a new baby girl! That means, however, that Matt's Match-ups is on hiatus this week.

Others should feel free to jump in with their own skins this week!
Why does Matt need time off ?

You'd think he gave birth..

Congrats to Matt and Mrs Matt and Matts kids.
Cheers
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reptar
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by reptar »

Congrats Matt!!
Gina Riley: Oh, come on, John. That’s a bit old hat, the corrupt IOC delegate.
John Clarke: Old hat? Gina, in the scientific world when they see that something is happening again and again and again, repeatedly, they don’t call it old hat. They call it a pattern.
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Matt
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by Matt »

reptar wrote: April 26, 2018, 6:09 pmCongrats Matt!!
Cheers
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gangrenous
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by gangrenous »

Congrats Matt! Best of luck with the sleep!

I hear small children find Haikus soothing...
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Matt
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by Matt »

gangrenous wrote: April 26, 2018, 10:51 pm Congrats Matt! Best of luck with the sleep!

I hear small children find Haikus soothing...
She is enjoying her big brothers singing, so why not?!?

Cheers Gangers
The Nickman
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by The Nickman »

Look, I don't want to claim ALL the credit, but does it seem like a coincidence to anyone else that the team had their best performance of the season in defence on the back of Nickman's Pick Man making its return?

Also, don't forget Frank's View From a Lap and Pigman is a ****.
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reptar
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by reptar »

The Nickman wrote: April 30, 2018, 10:14 am Look, I don't want to claim ALL the credit, but does it seem like a coincidence to anyone else that the team had their best performance of the season in defence on the back of Nickman's Pick Man making its return?

Also, don't forget Frank's View From a Lap and Pigman is a ****.
Most importantly, these were in Football Forums, not the Lime Lounge!
Gina Riley: Oh, come on, John. That’s a bit old hat, the corrupt IOC delegate.
John Clarke: Old hat? Gina, in the scientific world when they see that something is happening again and again and again, repeatedly, they don’t call it old hat. They call it a pattern.
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Matt
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by Matt »

Matt’s Match-ups Rd 9: Raiders V Titans

Image

Apologies for not being able to preview the Cowboys game last week, but as you probably know by now, I had a little Cowgirl who wasn’t going to wait any longer to join us. I've loved every minute of the past week getting to know her too.

Thanks to those who brought back some of my favourite Matt's Match-ups side blogs in my absence.

Anyway, enough about me, let’s see if we can Remember the Titans.

Titans V Raiders

Michael Gordon 1. Jack Wighton
Anthony Don 2. Nick Cotric
Brendan Elliot 3. Jarrod Croker ©
Konrad Hurrell 4. Joseph Leilua
Phillip Sami 5. Jordan Rapana
Bryce Cartwright 6. Blake Austin
Ashley Taylor 7. Aidan Sezer
Jarrod Wallace 8. Sia Soliola
Mitch Rein 9. Siliva Havili
Ryan James © 10. Junior Paulo
Kevin Proctor 11. Joseph Tapine
Will Matthews 12. Elliott Whitehead
Jai Arrow 13. Josh Papalii

Interchange
Max King 14. Ata Hingano
Jack Stockwell 15. Shannon Boyd
Keegan Hipgrave 16. Luke Bateman
Ryan Simpkins 17. Dunamis Lui

Extended Bench
Leilani Latu 18. Liam Knight
Moeaki Fotuaika 19. Michael Oldfield
Brenko Lee20. Brad Abbey
Kane Elgey 21. Jack Murchie

(Bolded players are the winners of the skin. The extended bench is excluded.)

Match-ups:

Fullbacks:
If there is one player in the Raiders that polarises fans, it’s Jack Wighton. Love him or not, Wighton has been one of the Raiders' best in 2018. Michael Gordon is a very solid player, no doubt, but he isn’t a match winner anymore.

Wingers:
Anthony Don can score a try, and Philip Sami has some this year. Neither are particularly big metre eaters and they rely on their strike rate. However, their points have been drying up for both of late. Nick Cotric and Jordan Rapana are two of the best wingers in the competition. They can finish, however, if they aren’t getting across the stripe, they are usually making big metres - something they did in spades against the Cowboys.

Centres:
Jarrod Croker might not be having the greatest of years, but he can certainly handle the skin against Brendan Elliot. I can’t believe that Elliot is keeping Brenko Lee out of first grade. The worry is, Croker will actually have to line up against Konrad Hurrell.

Joseph Leilua has managed to put that terrible offload away this year, and instead gone for power running over all else. It is working a treat for him and the Raiders. He looks dangerous carrying the ball every single time. Hurrell is cut from the same cloth. However, his error rate in 2018, has left him in the ‘rocks and diamonds’ category. Last week’s game was testament to that.

I know people will ask, so if I were pairing them with their opposite on field the skins would be:
Konrad Hurrell 4. v 3. Jarrod Croker ©
Brendan Elliot 3. v 4. Joseph Leilua

It’s quite simple, Hurrell has had the wood on Croker for years, and Round 1 was no different.

Halves:
Blake Austin hasn’t exactly been in the greatest of form, but at least he has fired some shots in 2018.

Ash Taylor is a special young player. He is the one guy that is keeping the Titans afloat. Aidan Sezer is certainly ‘turning back the clock’, back to the days when he was in Taylor’s place at the Titans. I really hope for his sake, and that of the Raiders, that he has truly found his mojo again. I for one love his rediscovered confidence.

Prop:
I love the way that Sia Soliola is playing the game at the moment - with ferocity. However, that isn’t always enough. Jarrod Wallace is an Origin level prop, with a fantastic work rate. His 127m and 26 tackles a game is proof of it.

In Round 1, Ryan James played on the edge, but he was ineffective. He has since moved back into the front row, and his numbers have skyrocketed. He now averages 109m and 37 tackles a game. Junior Paulo has the talent to be an Origin level prop. However, he has not been consistent.

Jack Stockwell produced some good form while at the Dragons, but has never really reproduced it. Shannon Boyd has been one of the Raiders' better players in 2018. He changed the momentum of the game when he came on against the Cowboys. He punched holes in the Cowboys’ defence all night. I hope the rumours of him leaving are untrue.

Keegan Hipgrave looks like he can play. However, he needs to fix his discipline. He kind of reminds me of Nathan Brown, a young bull with a hot head, but plenty of potential. I don’t think Luke Bateman can match his talent, but right now that doesn’t matter, as Hipgrave can’t stay on the field. A lot has been said about Bateman, and his place in the side, but while he is playing low minutes off the bench, I think he is being used correctly.

Dunamis Lui, while paired with Boyd, swung the game. These two changed the course of the game. Lui has also been one of the Raiders better players in 2018. I really hope we can hold onto him. Ryan Simpkins is an all effort player, but only has only played one game in 2018.

Hooker/utility:
Siliva Havili is one of the form hookers in the NRL. He has been a massive surprise, and I love every minute. Mitch Rein has some history against the Raiders, mostly from scoring dummy half tries while at the Dragons. He has got his shot because Nathan Peats has a rib injury.

Max King is not a utility. He is a prop, and a very good young one at that. He is off contract this year and I really hope the Raiders look to sign him, because he shows talent and toughness above his years. Ata Hingano is doing a reasonable job out of position, but it’s obviously a stop gap measure.

Back row:
Kevin Proctor is no longer the same player he was standing outside Cooper Cronk, however, it’s his Kiwi international teammate that is really ‘making noise’ at the moment. Joseph Tapine has been punishing in defence and a handful in attack. It really looks like he has kicked on as a result of the confidence he gained at the World Cup last year.

Will Matthews, like Jack Stockwell, had his best days at the Dragons. He didn’t last long last week, being ruled out by an HIA. Elliott Whitehead is in much better form and is a much better player.

Josh Papalii has looked quite good at lock the past fortnight. It is a role not totally unfamiliar to him, having played a lock at Origin level. However, in 2018 there aren’t too many forwards in better form that Jai Arrow. It was Jarrod Wallace last year, and now Jai Arrow this year. The Titans keep signing Broncos and turning them into representative quality players.

Result
The tally is Titans 4 and Raiders 13. This is a far more lop sided result than I would have suspected. The Titans wont roll over, not like the skins suggests, but the Raiders should be able to win this comfortably. If they show the defensive resolve of the past four or five weeks, they should be too good.

Result: Raiders (by 12-16).

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CJ42
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by CJ42 »

Absolutely nailed the highlighted skins there


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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by jozzas »

Matt wrote: May 2, 2018, 3:16 pm
Result
The tally is Storm 4 and Raiders 13. This is a far more lop sided result than I would have suspected. The Titans wont roll over, not like the skins suggests, but the Raiders should be able to win this comfortably. If they show the defensive resolve of that past four or five weeks, they should be too good.
Matt in crisis! Congrats on the new bub. Pretty fair assessment in general I have to say. We should beat Titans comfortably, just as we should have last time.
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by -PJ- »

PJ wins the skin over Brendan Elliot..every single time.
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by Finchy »

What happened to the "Carty Party has been a sausage fest" reference Matt?
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by Raiders666 »

That Titans bench though....
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by -TW- »

Who or what is a Keegan hipgrave
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Matt
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by Matt »

Finchy wrote: May 2, 2018, 5:40 pm What happened to the "Carty Party has been a sausage fest" reference Matt?
Looks like my senior editor is at work :lol:
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by Matt »

jozzas wrote: May 2, 2018, 3:48 pm
Matt wrote: May 2, 2018, 3:16 pm
Result
The tally is Storm 4 and Raiders 13. This is a far more lop sided result than I would have suspected. The Titans wont roll over, not like the skins suggests, but the Raiders should be able to win this comfortably. If they show the defensive resolve of that past four or five weeks, they should be too good.
Matt in crisis! Congrats on the new bub. Pretty fair assessment in general I have to say. We should beat Titans comfortably, just as we should have last time.
Put that down to baby brain.
Cheers Jozzas
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by Johno »

Matt wrote: May 2, 2018, 3:16 pm Matt’s Match-ups Rd 9: Raiders V Titans

Image

Apologies for not being able to preview the Cowboys game last week, but as you probably know by now, I had a little Cowgirl who wasn’t going to wait any longer to join us.


nah mate...a little Raiderette
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by Matt »

Johno wrote: May 2, 2018, 7:38 pm
Matt wrote: May 2, 2018, 3:16 pm Matt’s Match-ups Rd 9: Raiders V Titans

Image

Apologies for not being able to preview the Cowboys game last week, but as you probably know by now, I had a little Cowgirl who wasn’t going to wait any longer to join us.


nah mate...a little Raiderette
:clap:
I stand corrected.
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by Matt »

Matt’s Match-ups Rd 10: Raiders V Sharks

Image

This is an early heads up for all those reading, its Mother’s Day this Sunday. Don’t forget to do something special before you take her to the footy. As for this week’s game…

Sharks V Raiders

Valentine Holmes 1. Jack Wighton
Sosaia Feki 2. Nick Cotric
Jesse Ramien 3. Jarrod Croker ©
Ricky Leutele 4. Joseph Leilua
Edrick Lee 5. Jordan Rapana
Matt Moylan 6. Blake Austin
Chad Townsend 7. Aidan Sezer
Andrew Fifita 8. Sia Soliola
Jayden Brailey 9. Siliva Havili
Matt Prior 10. Shannon Boyd
Kurt Capewell 11. Joseph Tapine
Jayson Bukuya 12. Elliott Whitehead
Paul Gallen © 13. Josh Papalii

Interchange
James Segeyaro 15. vs 14. Ata Hingano
Joseph Paulo 14. vs 15. Luke Bateman
Ava Seumanufagai 16. Charlie Gubb
Jack Williams 17. Dunamis Lui

Extended Bench
Kurt Dillion 18. Liam Knight
Braden Uele 19. Michael Oldfield
Briton Nikora 20. Craig Garvey
Kyle Flanagan 21. Jack Murchie

I’ve manipulated the bench to compare like positions.

(Bolded players are the winners of the skin. The extended bench is excluded.)

Match-ups:

Fullbacks:
Valentine Holmes might have tickets on his ability, but a fullback he is not. His ball playing is poor, he can be suspect under the high ball, and does have a handling error in him. Jack Wighton is proving every bit the modern ball playing fullback. He was probably very unlucky not to bag a try of his own last week, he just needed to get a pass.

Wingers:
Last week we saw the very best of what Jordan Rapana and Nick Cotric can do. They scored tries, broke tackles and ran for miles. There is no better wing combination in the competition, the closest would be the Warriors pair, Fusitu’a and Maumalo.

Edrick Lee was a Raider only two seasons ago, and is actually playing some reasonable footy for the Sharks, but Cotric is a massive upgrade. Sosaia Feki can be a pocket rocket, and can score a try, but he hasn’t been doing that as much in 2018.

Centres:
I can only assume Jarrod Croker read my match-ups last week and steeled himself for a bruising, then decided to dish some out instead. He obviously wanted to atone for his performance on the Gold Coast, and did so. I like Jesse Ramien, he looks a very good young footballer, and grows with every game he plays.

Joseph Leilua went back to basics to start the year. He stuck to hard running and tackle busting to regain his mojo. Last week, we saw the flamboyance return. The flick pass, the short side raid and the one handed pickup for a dummy half run were all on show. Ricky Leutele might have a premiership ring, but he wishes he could do half the things Leilua can.

Halves:
Blake Austin has started to turn his season around in the past few weeks. He is looking more dangerous running the ball, he is popping up on both sides of the field, and he linking with his outside men. Matt Moylan in probably in the top three or four worst buys of the season. The Sharks trading Maloney for Moylan must really hurt.

This will probably be an unpopular pick, but I am quite surprised with how Chad Townsend is coping as the main man in the Shire. He is kicking well, both in general play and goal kicking. He is marshalling his troops, which has been especially important recently with so many big names missing. Then he has been finding ways to score points and win games too. I am very happy that Aidan Sezer has also started to regain that as part of his game, but Townsend has managed one more win for the year.

Prop:
I love the way that Sia Soliola is playing the game at the moment; however, Andrew Fifita is one of probably two forwards who can win a game by himself. He has proven that is the past couple of weeks too.

With Junior Paulo out long term, Shannon Boyd regains his starting spot. Last week he produced one of the best performances of his life. He bagged a try, made a massive line break and bent the Titans' line with every carry. Matt Prior is a workhorse prop. He plays big minutes and has good output. He only averages 10m a game less than Boyd, but nearly 10 tackles more. When it comes to props, I’ll take the impact guy over toiler more often than not.

A couple of easy skins to round out the props, with Ava Seumanufagai beating Charlie Gubb via the injury rule and Dunamis Lui beating former Raiders junior Jack Williams via the debut rule.

Hooker/utility:
Siliva Havili again proved he is one of the form hookers in the NRL. What more can we say than, he must be in contention for ‘2018 Buy of the Year’. Jayden Brailey is a solid young player who is doing his job well. He looks like he has a good future, but he isn’t setting the world on fire this year.

James Segeyaro was once hot property in the hooker market. However, after a few injuries, he seems to have lost a step, lost some confidence, and some ability. That said, Segeyaro has more to offer at hooker than Ata Hingano, who still looks a little lost and out of position.

Backrow:
Jason Bukuya has been a little bit of a ‘Mr Fix-it’ for the Sharks this year. He has played prop, edge backrow and lock this year. He returns from illness this week in place of the injured Wade Graham. His week off isn’t the reason he loses his skin though. Elliott Whitehead continues to be one of the best edge players in the game. He does so much work off the ball, and lots of the dirty unseen work. He makes a pile of tackles each week and is often the first forward back for a hit up.

Joseph Tapine is one of the form backrowers in the entire competition at the moment. He is playing with controlled aggression, and proving to be very effective. Kurt Capewell is a handy young player, but isn’t close to being in the international class of his opponent.

Josh Papalii versus Paul Gallen... it’s back again, for another season. This time it’s a little different, as both will be going head to head at lock. With Gallen returning from injury, Papalii gets the skin via the injury rule, but I don’t want to down play the significance of his form either. Papalii has dealt with the best lock in the game and an Origin hopefully in recent weeks.

Luke Bateman re-signed this week for another year. He is the kind of player than needs to be in every squad. However, in the successful ones, he is outside the top 17. His performances have been better in recent weeks though. Joseph Paulo has had to step up in the absence of Lewis, Graham and Gallen over the past month or so. He has done a great job for them too, both off the bench and starting at lock.

Result
The tally is Sharks 5 and Raiders 12. This is a far more lop sided result than I would have suspected. However, with a few injury changes and a rookie I’m not totally surprised. This is to be a gritty game, Raiders versus Sharks have been exactly that for the past three seasons. The home team has had an awful record in this contest over that period too. This week I think that changes.

Result: Raiders in a close one (by 4-6).

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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by SeeBee101 »

The bench says its all. We will lose this game once the first front row rotation occurs (just like every other year)...
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by zim »

@matt
Nice work. If we play like we have in recent weeks and keep Fifita under control we should have too much strike power for the sharks.
They've got nothing coming off that bench that can hurt us.
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Matt
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by Matt »

zim wrote: May 10, 2018, 3:28 pm @matt
Nice work. If we play like we have in recent weeks and keep Fifita under control we should have too much strike power for the sharks.
They've got nothing coming off that bench that can hurt us.
I agree. Contain Fifi and we can work them over
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by T_R »

I hope being marked by Lee will give Cotric the encouragement he needs to straighten up his running and take on his opposite number.
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by Sid »

Yeah, he has been running a bit sideways across the field a bit. Be good to see him play a little bit more direct, however other than that Cotric has been going great guns.
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2018

Post by Matt »

Guys, Edrick has been playing left wing. Its Rapa he is up against.
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