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Re: Zimply the best

Posted: July 17, 2020, 8:01 pm
by zim
If pointless things are your thing then strap yourself in. I'm the titans of forum posting.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: July 22, 2020, 1:22 pm
by zim
Zimply the best Round 11: Canberra Raiders vs South Sydney Rabbitohs

Guidelines
1. Pick the strongest 17 you can by combining the Raiders and their opponents for this round.
2. If a player is listed in this week's 21 they can be in your 17.
3. Players can slot into any position you can realistically justify (eg played well there before / rep level / similar role already).
4. All players picked are considered fully fit. Someone coming back after being out for 6 weeks does not need to be nursed back in.
5. Having a bad 2 weeks shouldn't keep a test player making the 17.

This week's team lineups can be seen here:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=34133

Clearly Strongest 17
1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
2. Nick Cotric
3. Jarrod Croker (c)
4. Campbell Graham
5. Dane Gagai
6. Jack Wighton
7. George Williams
8. Josh Papalii
9. Damien Cook
10. Tom Burgess
11. John Bateman
12. Elliot Whitehead
13. Cameron Murray

14. Cody Walker
15. Siliva Havili
16. Joseph Tapine
17. Dunamis Lui

Spine
Charnze 2020 hasn't been as good as he would have hoped. He's had some issues under the high ball and his passing game hasn't developed like he would have wanted though it has improved. He continues to excel in defense and positioning which earns him the spot ahead of Johnston.
Walker and Reynolds have had periods of the year we're they've been on fire. Everything coming up trumps. The problem is when those attacking plays are off a bit there's not a lot that they offer. Walker has improved his defense since his origin debacle, Reynolds is always a target. Wighton and Williams have been playing well and their improved efforts, better defense and athleticism gets them in ahead of the flashier pair.
You could move Wighton to centre and have him protect one of Walker or Reynolds if you wanted to head in that direction. I'd be picking Walker ahead of Reynolds.
The faster game and the return of Cam Murray to lock are allowing Cook to thrive. He overplays the kicking game sometimes but he's a real danger with the ball in hand.

Backs
Cotric is a dog. Shame to lose a junior but hard to begrudge him opting for the 150k/year pay rise. Dane Gagai is lining up a centre on the team sheet but we all know he's a better winger than a centre.
Croker had a bad game against the Roosters. It's a blip in what has been an otherwise solid year. Campbell Graham is a better winger than a centre but he is the best centre remaining on the team sheet.
Allan is a depth player. Jaxson Paulo looks promising. We haven't seen enough of Semi Valemei to know how he'll turn out. Rapana has been too grabby in defense to get in the team.

Forwards
Papalii is back on top as the game's best prop. George Burgess has a few drops in his game but his handling has been better than in previous years. He's also spending significant periods of the game carrying that Souths pack. If he goes down injured or gets the dropsies we'll go right through them.

Back Row
Cam Murray has been a much bigger influence on the game since returning to the middle. He impacts the line much more than his size would suggest and plays the ball very fast allowing guys like Cook to work off the back of it. He's also a strong defender.
Elliot Whitehead continues to be everything you want in a second rower. You can pick him every week knowing you're going to get skillful hands, well run lines and hard defense.
Big Jonneh is back on the list! This is definitely earlier than we expected. He'd have to be a long shot to line up on game day but that's not what we worry about here. He's one of the better back rowers in the NRL, particularly in defense and with what he brings to the team culture.
Jaydn Su'A is returning to some of his best football but he's not in the same class as the other guys we've got lining up.

Bench
Walker is at his best playing eyes up footy and working in broken play. Coming in later off the bench allows him to do exactly that. He'd provide a real wild card if you were ever chasing points.
Havili played a hybrid role last week against the roosters spending time at hooker and in the forwards. He performed both roles well. It's exactly what you want in a bench player when you've got an 80min hooker.
Tapine is starting more often from the bench but he's playing 54mins. Back in the middle and back into form. He's looking really dangerous when he carries the ball.
Lui had probably his best ever game in green. Everything he tried came off including 2 strips. He really took it to his more talented opposition and on this occasion outplayed them.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: July 22, 2020, 1:46 pm
by greeneyed
I'll do the traditional match up, number by number...

1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
2. Nick Cotric
3. Jarrod Croker
4. Dane Gagai
5. Semi Valemei/Jaxson Paulo
6. Jack Wighton
7. George Williams/Adam Reynolds
8. Josh Papalii
9. Damien Cook
10. Thomas Burgess, if I take the season as a whole... Dunamis Lui if I take the last two weeks
11. Hudson Young/Jaydn Su'A
12. Elliott Whitehead
13. Cameron Murray

14. Tom Starling, Nicolls is obviously a very different player, but I can't leave Starling out after last week
15. Joe Tapine
16. Ryan Sutton
17. Harley Smith-Shields/Jack Johns

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: July 22, 2020, 1:50 pm
by zim
If you swapped Nicolls for Jack Johns to do the utility comparison you'd still be easily picking Starling. No arguments there.
I would have picked Su'A over young. He's a more damaging edge player and I think Jaxson Paulo is better than Valemei but we haven't seen much of either so understandable draw.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: July 26, 2020, 1:51 am
by zim
Round 11 The Fallout

A touch unlucky not to be further ahead in this one. Tough injuries on both sides. Both fullbacks went down. Jack had some absolute shockers. John Bateman didn't play.

Adjusted for game day 17:
1. Jordan Rapana
2. Nick Cotric
3. Jarrod Croker (c)
4. Campbell Graham
5. Dane Gagai
6. Cody Walker
7. George Williams
8. Josh Papalii
9. Damien Cook
10. Tom Burgess
11. Joseph Tapine
12. Elliot Whitehead
13. Cameron Murray

14. Jack Wighton
15. Siliva Havili
16. Ryan Sutton
17. Dunamis Lui

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: July 28, 2020, 8:06 pm
by zim
Zimply the best Round 12: North Queensland Cowboys vs Canberra Raiders

Guidelines
1. Pick the strongest 17 you can by combining the Raiders and their opponents for this round.
2. If a player is listed in this week's 21 they can be in your 17.
3. Players can slot into any position you can realistically justify (eg played well there before / rep level / similar role already).
4. All players picked are considered fully fit. Someone coming back after being out for 6 weeks does not need to be nursed back in.
5. Having a bad 2 weeks shouldn't keep a test player making the 17.

This week's team lineups can be seen here:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=34146

Clearly Strongest 17
1. Jordan Rapana
2. Kyle Feldt
3. Jarrod Croker (c)
4. Nick Cotric
5. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
6. Jack Wighton
7. George Williams
8. Josh Papalii
9. Siliva Havili
10. Josh McGuire
11. John Bateman
12. Elliott Whitehead
13. Jason Taumalolo

14. Reece Robson
15. Corey Harawira-Naera
16. Francis Molo
17. Joseph Tapine

Spine
There's a lot of injuries on both sides this week. Rapana filled in well for us at fullback last week especially in defense. That gets him the starting fullback spot over the 18 year old "Hammer" who looks very promising but is understandably not quite there yet in defense. You could and should rotate Rapana and Hamiso during the match to make use of his extra speed.
Wighton had a real mixed bag last week. Some real top shelf plays in the second half preceded by some absolute stinkers in the first. George was his usual dependable self. The Cowboy's halves let their forwards down against Manly and at full strength both might miss out on their starting side.
Can't ask for any more from Havili as a fill-in for Hodgson. There's a few sides that could use him as their main hooker. The Cowboys are one such side. We're lucky to have him as a backup.

Backs
The "unlucky" left has should have played origin Feldt team up with should have played origin Croker. Both players are excellent in the air and should be an attacking target all night.
Cotric moves to the right to cover the centre spot. O'Neill hasn't had a woeful year but it hasn't been great. Scott likewise is down on form.
The battle of the rookies sees Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow grab the last spot with genuine pace.

Forwards
Papalii and McGuire could end up in the starting middles for QLD. Not much needs to be said about why Papa is here.
McGuire is one of a few cows that is turning up every single week. He's defending well and making an impact with the ball in hand.

Back Row
Bateman was on the extended bench last week but this week is starting. Looks like we'll finally get to see him back in action. It's a huge boost to be able to get 8 weeks of footy into him as we look to set up a finals campaign. He's a class (probably 2) above the Cowboys starting second rowers.
Jason Taumalolo needs to be studied for sports science. As he's approaching 200 games he's averaging 224 damaging metres.
Whitehead is to second rowers as Papalii is to front rowers. You just want to boof him.

Bench
Reece Robson makes the bench over Tom Starling as he's more of a danger with the ball in hand. Both have slight issues with their service but Robson is keeping the markers more honest and is capable of playing big minutes if required, though we do have some hooker cover in McGuire and Bateman.
Corey Harawira-Naera is a huge addition to our squad. He hasn't played any football but we don't care about that here. The NZ international provides impact off the bench at either lock or second row and cover at centre.
Jordan McLean might feel a bit dudded not to be here but I think his front row partner Francis Molo has been out performing him for most of the year including racking up 205m against a strong Manly pack last week. He brings a lot of impact off the bench.
Tapine has been playing his role really well these last few weeks. He's playing good minutes off the bench and ensures that when Papalii is off the field we are still going forward and still hitting hard.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 5, 2020, 11:12 am
by zim
Zimply the best Round 13: Penrith Panthers vs Canberra Raiders

Guidelines
1. Pick the strongest 17 you can by combining the Raiders and their opponents for this round.
2. If a player is listed in this week's 21 they can be in your 17.
3. Players can slot into any position you can realistically justify (eg played well there before / rep level / similar role already).
4. All players picked are considered fully fit. Someone coming back after being out for 6 weeks does not need to be nursed back in.
5. Having a bad 2 weeks shouldn't keep a test player making the 17.

This week's team lineups can be seen here:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=34161

Clearly Strongest 17
1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
2. Nick Cotric
3. Jarrod Croker (c)
4. Stephen Chricton
5. Brent Naden
6. George Williams
7. Nathan Cleary
8. Josh Papalii
9. Apisai Koroisau
10. James Fisher-Harris
11. Viliame Kikau
12. Elliott Whitehead
13. John Bateman

14. Jack Wighton
15. Isaah Yeo
16. Joseph Tapine
17. James Tamou

Unfortunately I didn't have time this week to get through the whole explanation but I'll mention the highlights.
Naden is much improved from his time with us and offers genuine pace on the wing. Rapana has been great but his main asset which is that big ol' whale heart is not as important for a winger in this side brimming with quality players.
Wighton's form has dropped off a bit earning Williams the call up but I was tempted to keep Wighton in the 6. Having a genuine 7 with him would make him more relaxed.
That back row is just beautiful.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 5, 2020, 12:04 pm
by greeneyed
The traditional, position by position:

1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
2. Josh Mansour
3. Jarrod Croker/Brent Naden
4. Stephen Crichton
5. Nick Cotric
6. Jack Wighton
7. Nathan Cleary
8. Josh Papalii
9. Apisai Koroisau
10. James Fisher-Harris
11. John Bateman
12. Elliott Whitehead
13. Issah Yeo

14. Tom Starling
15. Joe Tapine
16. Ryan Sutton
17. Zane Tetevano

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 5, 2020, 12:18 pm
by zim
Malaki Watene-Zelezniak over Nick Cotric wasn't a choice I was expecting!

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 5, 2020, 12:45 pm
by greeneyed
You're right, got confused there, fixed!

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 5, 2020, 4:16 pm
by Seiffert82
Either way we've got them covered.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 5, 2020, 5:24 pm
by Northern Raider
greeneyed wrote: August 5, 2020, 12:04 pm The traditional, position by position:

1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
2. Josh Mansour
3. Jarrod Croker/Brent Naden
4. Stephen Crichton
5. Nick Cotric
6. Jack Wighton
7. Nathan Cleary
8. Josh Papalii
9. Apisai Koroisau
10. James Fisher-Harris
11. John Bateman
12. Elliott Whitehead
13. Issah Yeo

14. Tom Starling
15. Joe Tapine
16. Ryan Sutton
17. Zane Tetevano
Mansour is lucky to be playing 1st grade at the moment. At full strength I don't think he's in the top 2 wingers at Panthers. No way would I be picking him here ahead of Naden or Rapana. Also think Starling is an unnecessary inclusion on the bench. I'd be leaving Koroisau on for the full 80.

Pretty stunned you couldn't find a spot for Kikau in your top 17.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 5, 2020, 6:36 pm
by greeneyed
I’m not following the rules... I’m doing the traditional skin, number by number.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 11, 2020, 10:28 pm
by zim
Zimply the best Round 14: Canberra Raiders vs Brisbane Broncos

Guidelines
1. Pick the strongest 17 you can by combining the Raiders and their opponents for this round.
2. If a player is listed in this week's 21 they can be in your 17.
3. Players can slot into any position you can realistically justify (eg played well there before / rep level / similar role already).
4. All players picked are considered fully fit. Someone coming back after being out for 6 weeks does not need to be nursed back in.
5. Having a bad 2 weeks shouldn't keep a test player making the 17.

This week's team lineups can be seen here:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=34174

Clearly Strongest 17
1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
2. Nick Cotric
3. Jarrod Croker (c)
4. Kotoni Staggs
5. Herbie Farnworth
6. Jack Wighton
7. George Williams
8. Josh Papalii
9. Siliva Havili
10. Payne Haas
11. David Fifita
12. Elliott Whitehead
13. John Bateman

14. Tom Starling
15. Patrick Carrigan
16. Joseph Tapine
17. Dunamis Lui

Spine
Charnze has had his issues. Little Darius Boyd has had issues for a couple of years. I'll be taking effort and defense over the odd good pass and hand wave.
The Broncos halves have struggled nearly the entire year. Dearden has been the best of them but he's not performing up with Wighton and Williams. The faster game really doesn't suit halves that have trouble defending one on one.
Turpin hasn't had the form this year that he had last year. Him and Paix have had their issues at both ends of the field.
Havili should have been coming off earlier when he got he first got his knock. Fully fit him and Starling are offering more in attack and defense.

Backs
Staggs almost hasn't put a foot wrong since his return. He's a damaging young player in attack and defense. Outside him we've got some speed in Farnworth. I opted for him over Rapana as Jordan has been a bit all over the place lately. Needs to find some consistency. Farnworth is a more solid player than Coates.
We'd like to see a little more involvement and a little more application from Cotic and Croker but they're doing enough to round out the other edge. Croker in particular wouldn't be happy with getting caught upright so often.

Forwards
In a perfect world Payne Haas is partnered with an experienced forward and capped at 50mins a game. He also likely drops back for a spell every 4-5 weeks to freshen up. Instead the broncos run him into the ground and you can target him in defense as the game wears on. He's a massive talent and won't have to do all the work himself alongside one of the games best props in Papalii.

Back Row
Everyone named in the second row had their problems last week. Whitehead and Bateman got caught ball watching and made to look silly. Fifita made himself look silly with a bit of sledging while down by 3 converted tries.
At their best all 3 are easy picks in the side this week.

Bench
Tom Starling works with Havili in the hooking role. There's a bit of a question on his left to right passing but he certainly changes things up when he comes on the field and hits hard in defense.
Tapine provides that familiar punch off the bench to keep the momentum going. He was quiet last week. Whether he's flat or carrying an injury I'm not sure but I hope he sorts it out soon.
Like Haas, Carrigan finds himself forced to fulfill a role a few years too early but the young captain is making a good fist of it. Easily the second best middle at the broncos.
The remaining broncos forwards, though much hyped, have all turned in a **** of a 2020. I'm struggling to remember the last time Flegler, Lodge or Ofahengaue had a good performance.
Lui on the other hand has had a number of excellent performances this year and is a better defender than all of them earning him the last prop spot.
We've got some big minute middles if we choose to play them that way so there's certainly an argument for a specialist impact player on the bench or bringing Haas off the bench after 15 minutes, but I've chosen to go more vanilla this week.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 12, 2020, 7:33 am
by Seiffert82
You know it will be an interesting game when half your bench makes the cut.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 12, 2020, 8:21 am
by Northern Raider
Wouldn't you love to combine Darius' ball skills into CNK's competitive attitude. You would have an elite fullback right there.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 12, 2020, 10:00 am
by zim
His passing was top notch against the sharks.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 12, 2020, 11:17 am
by bonehead
zim wrote:His passing was top notch against the sharks.
always was a class ballplayer just appeared to lose his nerve in contact along the way but must remember he was an outstanding fullback in his prime

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk


Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 12, 2020, 11:46 am
by Northern Raider
bonehead wrote: August 12, 2020, 11:17 am
zim wrote:His passing was top notch against the sharks.
always was a class ballplayer just appeared to lose his nerve in contact along the way but must remember he was an outstanding fullback in his prime
His recent form and general weirdness has distracted many away from this fact. Don't think it's much coincidence his performances have gone down the toilet since his surrogate dad went to Souths. This is the first time he's played under anybody else as coach.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 12, 2020, 12:31 pm
by zim
Seiffert82 wrote: August 12, 2020, 7:33 am You know it will be an interesting game when half your bench makes the cut.
In part it reflects how bad the Broncos season has been. Last year Turpin is definitely there somewhere and as much as I hate Lodge he was performing well last year too. They would force some rearranging with Starling and Lui falling off the bench.
Tapine is a bench player in number only.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 12, 2020, 1:37 pm
by Matt
Matts Strongest 17
1. Nicoll-Klokstad
2. Cotric
3. Croker
4. Staggs
5. Farnworth/ Coates (on the wing its a coin toss IMO)
6. Wighton
7. Williams
8. Papalii
9. Turpin
10. Haas
11. Fifita
12. Bateman
13. Carrigan

14. Starling/ Havili
15. Whitehead
16. Tapine
17. Lui

Lodge and Harawira-Naera unlucky to miss out TBH, but neither are match fit yet

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 12, 2020, 3:29 pm
by zim
How would you be using Whitehead off the bench?

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 12, 2020, 3:32 pm
by Hong Kong Raider
Besides Haas, Staggs and Fifita, I wouldn't put any Broncos in a combined line up based on season form.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 15, 2020, 11:30 pm
by zim
I don't do the fallout anymore, but if Croker was up against a quality centre pairing next week he'd be having a tough time getting in. That first half was close to the worst half I've seen from him.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 18, 2020, 6:21 pm
by zim
Zimply the best Round 15: Gold Coast Titans vs Canberra Raiders

Guidelines
1. Pick the strongest 17 you can by combining the Raiders and their opponents for this round.
2. If a player is listed in this week's 21 they can be in your 17.
3. Players can slot into any position you can realistically justify (eg played well there before / rep level / similar role already).
4. All players picked are considered fully fit. Someone coming back after being out for 6 weeks does not need to be nursed back in.
5. Having a bad 2 weeks shouldn't keep a test player making the 17.

This week's team lineups can be seen here:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=34185

Clearly Strongest 17
1. Alexander Brimson
2. Nick Cotric
3. Jarrod Croker (c)
4. Brian Kelly
5. Jordan Rapana
6. Jack Wighton
7. George Williams
8. Josh Papalii
9. Siliva Havili
10. Moeaki Fotuaika
11. John Bateman
12. Elliott Whitehead
13. Joseph Tapine

14. Tom Starling
15. Corey Harawira-Naera
16. Jaimin Jolliffe
17. Dunamis Lui

Another busy one for me so I'll keep it short.
Brimson is a great fullback. Defense not quite as good as CNK but he's got all the passing and running you want.
Mo Fo is a beast. Kelly has been dangerous in attack and double J has put up some impressive numbers for a young starter.
The rest aren't really worth mentioning.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: August 25, 2020, 5:07 pm
by zim
Zimply the best Round 16: Canberra Raiders vs Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

Guidelines
1. Pick the strongest 17 you can by combining the Raiders and their opponents for this round.
2. If a player is listed in this week's 21 they can be in your 17.
3. Players can slot into any position you can realistically justify (eg played well there before / rep level / similar role already).
4. All players picked are considered fully fit. Someone coming back after being out for 6 weeks does not need to be nursed back in.
5. Having a bad 2 weeks shouldn't keep a test player making the 17.

This week's team lineups can be seen here:
https://www.thegh.com.au/forum/viewtopi ... =2&t=34198

Clearly Strongest 17
1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
2. Nick Meaney
3. Jarrod Croker (c)
4. Will Hopoate
5. Nick Cotric
6. Jack Wighton
7. George Williams
8. Josh Papalii
9. Siliva Havili
10. Dunamis Lui
11. John Bateman
12. Elliot Whitehead
13. Joseph Tapine

14. Tom Starling
15. Jordan Rapana
16. Ryan Sutton
17. Dylan Napa

Spine
The doggies spine just doesn't have the fire power to match us. Individually they have their positives. Foran has a smart kicking game and a good short ball when he's in form but he's not a line breaking threat or holding up well in defense when under pressure. Hopoate is a great all-rounder but lacks the penetration in attack and defense that CNK has.
Lachlan Lewis defends well but has been very poor otherwise. Marshall King has his moments but has been playing behind a losing forward pack and has no kicking game at all.

Backs
Cotric has been playing well but expect him to go up a gear against his future club. Croker partially benefits this week from the dogs centres being some of the worst in the league. Absolutely terrible. He needs to really pick up his form if he wants to remain in the side. Scott has been on the improve for a few weeks now. Just seems to be lacking that break out performance or that reigning in of the silly hero play.
Hopoate is Mr Dependable. He's not going to destroy teams but he'll defend well and has good hands which he can use to provide Cotric with early ball and provides more than adequate fullback cover if you cop an injury. He's got an engine like CNK.
Meaney is one of the few dogs that can hold his head up every week. He's good in the air and can break tackles. He's been finishing well in recent weeks which gets him the spot over Rapana. Jordan is either having trouble adapting to the left side, a metre slower in pace or maybe just a combination of both.
I thought about moving Wighton into the centres and playing Foran in the halves but Jack has been too good at 5/8 and Foran just hasn't been playing well enough.

Forwards
Fogarty will be having nightmares for the rest of his career about the big shadow chasing him down. Never did I think Papa would be setting land speed records at his current size. What a player.
There's an argument here for having Napa start alongside Papalii but Lui has been a better all round player this year and Napa can add more impact off the bench.

Back Row
The dogs have an odd back row combination of guys who are past their best, guys that haven't lived up to the hype and guys that are yet to consistently find their feet.
We've got a pack of international studs. Whitehead's hands last week were superb and Tapine is really maturing into our second best middle, if he's not already.

Bench
Tom Starling is improving each week. It was nice to see him take a bit more control last week and grab his first try. You can see some elements of Josh Hodgson's play creeping into his game with the feign stance in one direction and pass the other way. Look for him to get more minutes as Havili rotates back into the middle at some point.
Sutton had close to his best game in green last week and put up some great numbers for a guy that doesn't get a start that often.
Napa can give you the odd stupid play but you can't deny his impact in defense or attack. Having him come off the bench in this side he'll be fresh having opportunity provided for him rather than having to push passes.
There's not many pinch hitters left in the rosters to fill that final spot. You'd think a guy like Raymond Faitala-Mariner would be built for this role but his numbers really don't stack up. There was a time he was compared to Tapine but the difference in quality is very obvious as their careers have progressed.
Rapana can break tackles and ball play. Bringing him on late against a tired defense could cause them a lot of problems. We've already got big minute middles and Havili that can cover the ruck if needed.

I will say it was tempting just to list the raiders 17 and call it a day. There have been some good individual performances in the dog's side but they've just been so trash as a unit it's hard to sort the good from the bad. The consistency is lacking.
Watch for Aiden Tolman to look like a future immortal against us. As is tradition.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: September 1, 2020, 7:50 pm
by zim
Zimply the best Round 17: Canberra Raiders vs Sydney Roosters

Guidelines
1. Pick the strongest 17 you can by combining the Raiders and their opponents for this round.
2. If a player is listed in this week's 21 they can be in your 17.
3. Players can slot into any position you can realistically justify (eg played well there before / rep level / similar role already).
4. All players picked are considered fully fit. Someone coming back after being out for 6 weeks does not need to be nursed back in.
5. Having a bad 2 weeks shouldn't keep a test player making the 17.

This week's team lineups can be seen here:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=34206

Clearly Strongest 17
1. James Tedesco
2. Nick Cotric
3. Josh Morris
4. Joseph Manu
5. Brett Morris
6. Jack Wighton
7. Luke Keary
8. Josh Papalii
9. Jake Friend
10. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
11. Boyd Cordner (c)
12. Elliot Whitehead
13. John Bateman

14. Tom Starling
15. Corey Harawira-Naera
16. Joseph Tapine
17. Siosiua Taukeiaho

Busy busy so just the highlights.
Their back 5 are better than our back 5 but I think Nick has the edge on Tupou.
We're spoilt for choice with the pack and while Bateman is arguably not the best lock there he doesn't offer the impact off the bench that the likes of Tapine do. He can absorb some pressure early on then return later to probe around the ruck or spell Cordner.
SBW misses out as he hasn't played any good footy since 2014.

Edit: I've completely missed that Angus Crichton was on the extended bench for the Roosters. He'd probably find a spot on the bench for CHN.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: September 8, 2020, 7:20 pm
by zim
Zimply the best Round 18: St. George Illawarra Dragons vs Canberra Raiders

Guidelines
1. Pick the strongest 17 you can by combining the Raiders and their opponents for this round.
2. If a player is listed in this week's 21 they can be in your 17.
3. Players can slot into any position you can realistically justify (eg played well there before / rep level / similar role already).
4. All players picked are considered fully fit. Someone coming back after being out for 6 weeks does not need to be nursed back in.
5. Having a bad 2 weeks shouldn't keep a test player making the 17.

This week's team lineups can be seen here:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=34219

Clearly Strongest 17
1. Matt Dufty
2. Jordan Pereira
3. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
4. John Lomax
5. Nick Cotric
6. Jack Wighton
7. George Williams
8. Josh Papalii
9. Ben Hunt
10. Joseph Tapine
11. John Bateman
12. Elliot Whitehead
13. Cameron McInnes (c)

14. Tom Starling
15. Tyson Frizell
16. Ryan Sutton
17. Paul Vaughan

Spine
Charnze is back in form and Dufty isn't quite hitting his straps like he was last time we ran this match-up but he's still got the better passing and support game. This pack is going to create opportunities around the ruck and someone with Dufty's acceleration is going to take full advantage of that.
Adam Clune has been giving the dragon's good value for money. He can't match it with the likes of Williams and Wighton week in and week out but he's definitely locked up a spot for next year.
Corey Norman's stats don't look too shabby against Wighton's but this is one of those moments where the stats don't tell the whole story. Norman is losing game's for his team. Wighton is taking charge and winning them.
Ben Hunt is playing a lot better at hooker than he was at halfback. He's got all the tools. Good service, good kicking game and speed out of the ruck. There's still the odd decision letting him down but it's much less frequent than it has been earlier in the season.

Backs
Pereira's been playing well since his return. Strong carries, a lot of work out of trouble. Breaking lots of tackles. He'd like a few more tries but he's playing outside a guy that's more of a runner than a passer in Aitken. That's skewed even more as the dragon's tend to favour that right edge in attack.
This is not the first time Croker hasn't made the side. He didn't have the worst game last week and our strategy of crash balling him into the line wasn't ideal, even if it was part of setting up a later play. He just hasn't been producing like expected for a number of weeks now. Charnze was great against the chooks. He's got a bigger body and can leverage that strength rather than relying so much on agility. He's better suited to that 2nd or 3rd carry out of our own end. He just gives you effort on effort.
Lomax has been carving it up. The dragon's go to when they need something special. It probably helps to regularly have a 300kg Fijian tank running off your hip. In this side he's got an Australian winger in Cotric.
You could run Cotric at centre and bring Rapana on to the wing but he just hasn't been having the impact to match the guys that made it into the side.

Forwards
Despite a shoulder injury Papalii still punched out 110m in 31mins against the roosters. He really went up a gear in the Bulldogs game when we were down a man. Hopefully the injury doesn't hamper him too much because it looks like he is building up to peak exactly when we'll need him most.
Putting his hand up for a "rest" the 2 weeks previous to the Rooster's game by coming off the bench really shows how he's matured into a real leader.
Speaking of peaks one Joey Tarpine is in the best form of his career. Damaging carries, much smarter offloads than last year. Very hard to bring down. That controlled aggression we thought he might never reach.
He's doing enough to edge Paul Vaughan out of a starting spot who's let a bit of a lapse in attitude affect his on-field performance. He'll be hoping to hit the reset button and start fresh next year with a new coach after some excellent form earlier this year.

Back Row
Cameron McInnes took a few games to warm into his old back row position but is really hitting his straps now. The guy doesn't stop. 85mins last week for 205m and 56 tackles. Not only is he accumulating stats he's starting to make an impact as well. It can't be healthy to be putting yourself through that each week but the dragons really haven't had the quality or depth to back him up, particularly in recent weeks with Vaughan and Merrin out.
Bateman magic got us our only try last week. Not the same sting in his attack or defense as last year but he's dragging himself through it. There's a strong argument here for picking Frizell to start but I like the punch Frizell provides off the bench.
Whitehead offers that silky ball playing the other 2nd row options are lacking. I'd like to see a bit more involvement from him this week and some angled runs to mix it up. We're tending to drift a bit too left in attack at the moment and we need him and Jack to straighten it up every now and then.

Bench
Tom Starling is playing some great football at the moment. He doesn't quite have the complete game or experience that Hunt does yet but can provide some real impact off the bench. Look for him to come on with 15mins left in the half and provide some speed out of the ruck.
Tyson Frizell to enter the game at around the same time. Interchange him with Bateman or switch out McInnes it won't matter too much. He's born to play that human missile role.
Ryan Sutton has really impressed in recent weeks. Getting through the starting 40mins against a pack like the chooks and looking the part is no mean feat. The drops are now gone. The stopping in the line is now gone. His carries have more purpose. Let's hope this is the new normal for the big guy. If he keeps it up we've got an exciting juggling act on our hands in the middle next year with the likes of Guler, Horsburgh and Ryan James all competing for spots not to mention Sia and Lui.
Paul Vaughan has had some standout performances this year but the Dragon's spine juggling and lack of form meant they rarely took advantage of it. It looked like he may have been headed to another club with some rumored off field issues and agitation. Selfishly it would have been interesting to see him land here before we signed Ryan James, but that bridge has been burnt. It was a bit of a toss up between him and Tapine for starting. They're both great players. Joe's in a purple patch at the moment and his play the balls are faster.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: September 15, 2020, 10:00 pm
by zim
Zimply the best Round 19: Canberra Raiders vs New Zealand Warriors

Guidelines
1. Pick the strongest 17 you can by combining the Raiders and their opponents for this round.
2. If a player is listed in this week's 21 they can be in your 17.
3. Players can slot into any position you can realistically justify (eg played well there before / rep level / similar role already).
4. All players picked are considered fully fit. Someone coming back after being out for 6 weeks does not need to be nursed back in.
5. Having a bad 2 weeks shouldn't keep a test player making the 17.

This week's team lineups can be seen here:
https://thegh.com.au/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=34232

Clearly Strongest 17
1. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (c)
2. Nick Cotric
3. Jarrod Croker (c)
4. Peter Hiku
5. Adam Pompey
6. Jack Wighton
7. George Williams
8. Josh Papalii
9. Tom Starling
10. Joseph Tapine
11. Tohu Harris
12. Elliot Whitehead
13. John Bateman

14. Chanel Harris-Tavita
15. Hudson Young
16. Jazz Tevaga
17. Dunamis Lui

Spine
CNK misses out to RTS. Charnze hasn't done a lot wrong in recent weeks but Roger is on another level. He's got that extra tackle and line breaking ability. Better under the high ball. Always there in support. The only area CNK has the edge is in defense.
Wighton and Williams have been far more consistent than the Warriors halves. Nikorima still makes some really strange choices in attack. He's not a controlling half. Harris-Tavita is still learning how to play first grade but the kid has got a lot of talent. As he improves those big hits are going to get bigger and he'll really start to impose himself on the game.
Starling rounds out the spine. The Warriors hookers are more providers than they are guys to build an attack around. Starling at this stage of his career likewise isn't a focus but he is providing more than Lawton and Egan and more than that he is not making poor decisions that overshadow his good work.

Backs
Hiku has wound back the clock in recent weeks. He's been dangerous in attack, solid in defense and has really provided his side with some options when they've needed it.
Young Adam Pompey is doing a great job in the absence of Fisiiahi and Maumalo in getting the Warriors sets off to a good start. His last month on the wing has improved on his previous month at centre.
Croker works his way back into the side this week. He had some nice touches last week against below par dragons but again this is another week where he will need to perform to erase the previous few game's issues.
The serbian acrobat pulled off something special with that intercept. I'd still like to see him come looking for more work but he's easily the pick of the backs.
Rapana's impact has decreased since moving to centre. He's playing a role for us at the moment and while he's certainly improved his defense at centre there's not enough there to make the cut.

Forwards
After the massive hit he put on Cam McInnes it's pretty safe to say Paps has recovered from his shoulder injury. Joseph Tapine had a big game against the Dragons. Safe to lock him in as the 2nd best middle in the side.
The warriors middles (with a few injuries) just don't offer the quality or stats you'd be hoping for. They rely on Harris, Tevaga and their backs to pick up the slack.

Back Row
Tohu Harris is that rare specimen of a player that leaves the Melbourne system and actually gets better. Much hampered by injury last year he's really finding some form this year. Injuries have forced him into the middle in that metre maker role for some games, so his attack stats are a little down but he's averaging 174m a game. He's got hands similar to Whitehead. Would have made an excellent replacement for Bateman if we could have swung it.
Speaking of big Jonneh he pushes into the middle to provide some mongrel around that ruck. Whitehead and Harris are both better providers. Bateman can use that turn of speed and unique running style to cause problems around the ruck.

Bench
Chanel Harris-Tavita is a bit of a wild card that we have the luxury of running with because of our big minute starters and backup hooking options (Tevaga, Williams, Bateman). Based on how the game plays out he might end up in different positions but you'd likely be bringing him on in the halves and either pushing Williams into hooker if Starling needs a rest or Wighton to line up at centre in defense and play a second fullback role in attack on both sides of the ruck. CHT is not just a ball player. He can run and hit. He'd be a nightmare for tired defenses also having to watch Wighton and RTS.
Hudson Young had his best game in green last round. Looks to have really found a home in the middle. Great footwork near the line and excellent lines back behind the play the ball.
Jazz Tevaga is a bit of a nutcase. There's a bit of Brandon Smith in the way he plays the game. Tough, uncompromising and aggressive. He knows how to break a tackle and has a good offload.
Lui provides us with a genuine prop on the bench. While Tevaga and Young are going to provide a bit of spark he is going to maintain that ruck defense and level head.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: September 16, 2020, 6:49 am
by The Nickman
You’re zimply the best
Better than Pig and Fergus
Better than Matt’s Matchups
Matt’s matchups are ridiculous

I’m stuck on your Strongest
I read every second word you say
And the final Fallout?
You’ve given up and gone away

You’re a pest!

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: September 16, 2020, 10:13 am
by zim
The Nickman wrote: September 16, 2020, 6:49 am You’re zimply the best
Better than Pig and Fergus
Better than Matt’s Matchups
Matt’s matchups are ridiculous

I’m stuck on your Strongest
I read every second word you say
And the final Fallout?
You’ve given up and gone away

You’re a pest!
:lol: That's beautiful.
The fallout stopped because it just seemed awkward the way I was doing it. Maybe it'll come back later in a simpler format.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: September 16, 2020, 10:41 am
by greeneyed
I've enjoyed the series. Maybe next year, bring back the old match-ups forumula... or maybe key match-ups.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: September 16, 2020, 11:57 am
by bonehead
just get off your rocker on pesticides like Matt did and have a crack

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk


Re: Zimply the best

Posted: September 16, 2020, 12:17 pm
by zim
greeneyed wrote: September 16, 2020, 10:41 am I've enjoyed the series. Maybe next year, bring back the old match-ups forumula... or maybe key match-ups.
Thanks. Yeah I've thought about doing the skins format. Seems like you get more discussion with a tighter rule set. Easier to follow and more polarising.

I think there's too many key Matchups floating around for me to justify a thread. Just about every site runs some form of that in their previews.

Re: Zimply the best

Posted: September 16, 2020, 12:21 pm
by zim
bonehead wrote: September 16, 2020, 11:57 am just get off your rocker on pesticides like Matt did and have a crack
😂 I'll have to get in touch with his dealer.