Matt’s Match-ups Rd 6: Raiders V Broncos
The pressure is on at Red Hill, the Bronco’s greats are turning on their team.
While in the Capitol, we hit them, and they see green. Ask Blake Ferguson. I'm hoping for plenty of green Easter Eggs this Sunday...
Broncos V Raiders
Darius Boyd ©
1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
Corey Oates 2. Nick Cotric
Kotoni Staggs
3. Jarrod Croker ©
Jack Bird
4. Joseph Leilua
Jamayne Isaako
5. Jordan Rapana
Anthony Milford
6. Jack Wighton
Kodi Nikorima
7. Sam Williams
Payne Haas
8. Josh Papalii
Andrew McCullough
9. Josh Hodgson ©
Joe Ofahengaue 10. Dunamis Lui
Alex Glenn
11. John Bateman
Matt Gillett
12. Elliott Whitehead
David Fifita
13. Ryan Sutton
Interchange
Gehamat Shibasaki
14. Siliva Havili
Jaydn Su’A 15. Hudson Young
Thomas Flegler
16. Sia Soliola
Patrick Carrigan 17. JJ Collins
Extended Bench
Shaun Fensom
18. Aidan Sezer
Patrick Mago
19. Corey Horsbough
James Roberts
20. Jack Murchie
Richard Kennar
21. Bailey Simonsson
(Bolded players are the winners of the skin. The extended bench is excluded.)
Match-ups:
Fullbacks:
How good is Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad? This guy is fearless and faultless. We have found a tough young Kiwi, and diamond in the rough. Darius Boyd has been a shadow of himself in 2019. He has looked lazy and disinterested at times. Easy skin, so sorry Rickman, I know I promised Darius for you.
Wingers:
Corey Oates can certainly provide a clanger, equal top of the errors leading into Round 6, however in 2019 he is equal second on the try scorers list and averaging a tick under 160m a game. Nick Cotric is starting to look like the boom rookie of a couple of years ago, but there is still a little room for improvement.
The 2018 Dally M Rookie of the Year, Jamayne Issako, is certainly having second year syndrome. To be honest, it’s just a reflection on his team as a whole. Jordan Rapana looks very close to hitting full flight. His involvement was very high against the Eels, he made a couple of key plays to get out of the in goal, and that metre eater is back.
Centres:
Jarrod Croker is on fire in 2019. Like the rest of the Raiders, it’s stemming from strong defence. However, he picked Paulo’s pocket on Sunday night and nearly raced the 90m to score. Kotoni Staggs’ trial form was exceptional and was probably unlucky not to get a start in Round 1. In his first game deputising for the injured James Roberts he was very good, however, last week he was a non-factor. Staggs has great potential, but still has plenty to learn.
Joseph Leiliua is in great form. Like Rapana his involvement was high against the Eels, his strength in the tackle evident, and he is still one of the best support runners in the game. Jack Bird was on fire early in 2019, but in consecutive weeks he has bombed tries, dropping the ball over the line. His trademark cross field searching run is the thing to watch for. I believe his preference to run in field, will assist the Raiders’ defensive structure.
Halves:
Jack Wighton continues to improve at five-eighth. His bomb is proving a bit of a weapon, but his defence is better, and stinging; I’m sure Blake Ferguson can attest. I think his running game is starting to build too. He does need to find a way to cut the bad error in his game though, as there are still two or three a game at the moment, and a reason why he is equal top in errors with Oates. I feel a little sorry, just a really little bit, for Anthony Milford, as his confidence and stats would look far better if Jack Bird could ground the ball. A lot has been said about his pay cheque to performance ratio in recent weeks, and it’s justified. It’s strange to see the ‘game management’ issues not being in a sentence about the Raiders’ halves.
Sam ‘field goal’ Williams has been backed by Ricky Stuart to again hold his spot. Ricky said in the press conference after the Eels game that the halves’ role was for Wighton and Williams to lose, and that Aidan Sezer would have to bide his time. It’s also worth noting that Williams is holding his own in the defensive line in 2019. Kodi Nikorima, like his halves partner, is under enormous pressure to hold his spot. I read a tweet the other day that said coach Siebold is giving his halves until Round 8 to prove themselves, with Nikorima likely to become the utility should the Broncos performances not improve.
Prop:
I’ve been getting some stick about underrating Josh Papalii, or perhaps overrating his opponents in recent weeks, however, Papalii was fantastic against the Eels. He laid the platform through the middle and was rewarded with a try. Matthew Lodge is out with a throat injury, so Payne Haas has moved from lock to prop this week. Payne Haas had a massive first game back from suspension, he was arguably the best player on the ground in a losing side last week, but you can’t win a skin with one week of form.
Dunamus Lui continues to play his role. He runs hard, makes his tackles, and doesn’t make mistakes. Joe Ofahengaue has had to take on a larger and more senior role this season with the retirement of Sam Thaiday and the loses of Korbin Sims to the Dragons and Josh McGuire to the Cowboys. He is doing his bit, matching Josh Papalii’s output, averaging 125m and 26 tackles a game.
Sia Soliola’s impact off the bench has been fantastic. Sia only knows one way, that to run hard and straight, and provide some extra starch in defence. Thomas Flegler is doing a reasonable job in his rookie year but has looked a little out of his depth in my opinion.
JJ Collins, formerly known as JJ Felise, gets a Raiders debut this week. He faces a Round 5 debutant in Patrick Carrigan. I will go strictly by my rules this week, after fan outrage, and give the one gamer the skin.
Hooker/utility:
Andrew McCullough might be the incumbent Queensland Origin hooker, but right now something doesn’t quite seem to be right. The team is not gelling, and his game isn’t to create. Josh Hodgson overplayed his hand against the Eels, but his leadership and control has gone a long way to the Raiders being 4-1.
I said it last week, but Siliva Havili has been doing a job for the Raiders as a middle forward. His speed and impact on the game against the Eels was massive. Had he not picked up a knee injury, I think the Raiders roll through the Eels a little earlier. Gehamat Shibasaki has been named to play his third game of NRL, but his first for this year. It’s worth noting he was also named for Norths this week, so there’s a good chance James Roberts plays, and Staggs becomes the utility.
Backrow:
John Bateman had a quite game by his standards, and still pumped out 121m with seven tackle busts and 27 tackles. Another backrow opponent I feel sorry for, Alex Glenn, has probably been the Broncos’ best in 2019. The experienced backrower has been strong defensively and has sniffed out a try.
Elliott Whitehead had his best game a fortnight ago, but against the Eels he was just as fierce defensively. He was better running the ball this week and sniffed out a sneaky try. I think he was a little unlucky not to feature on people’s best on grounds last weekend. Matt Gillett also got on the score sheet last week, however, he left the field for an HIA and didn’t return. Like his backrow partner, he has been defensively strong. However, he has basically been a tackle bot in 2019, which is a poor use of his abilities, even if it’s probably what the team needs.
Ryan Sutton has been a bit of an unsung hero in the last few weeks. His go forward has been especially important. He has raked up nearly 300m and over 100tackles in three weeks. This sort of output is fantastic. David Fifita is being criminally under used by Siebold. This guy could be Angus Crichton 2017 if he would just play him for 80 minutes on the edge. He has shown in short stints that he has exceptional ability. With a small personnel reshuffle, he could fit Alex Glenn, Matthew Gillett and Fifita in the starting backrow.
Hudson Young had to play a few more minutes against the Eels with Joseph Tapine getting injured. I think he has potential, but as yet I haven’t seen anything to say he has a long career ahead of him. I haven’t been hugely impressed with Jaydn Su’a this year. I don’t think he has really stepped up since debuting in, would you believe, 2016? That said, given he is getting better minutes, and therefore more game involvement, it’s no surprise his production is better, and you have to give him the skin.
Result
The tally is Broncos 4 and Raiders 13. I don’t think I can remember ever seeing a skin ratio like this versus the Broncos, nor do I remember a time where the Broncos were on the receiving side of alternate results; Raiders 4-1 vs 1-4. Despite all the rocket talk aimed at the Broncos, I’m feeling confident in the Raiders newly discovered ‘shield wall’. I don’t see this as a blow out, with the Raiders attack not yet clicking though.
Result: Raiders to continue their winning ways at home (by 6-12).
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