What I like is that there is none of this nonsense in your coaching rankings Pig... it would take something momentous to knock Rick from the #1 spot - I can’t see it happening myselfPigRickman wrote: ↑March 28, 2019, 1:26 pm God bless Matt.
Lee > Cotric and SKD > Rapana... i mean you could just bottle that. Perfection.
*kisses fingers*
This is why his system sucks.
You could ask anyone in the knights org to do a direct trade, either of theirs for either of ours. And everyone to a man, including SKD and Edrick themselves would take that deal.
This is what i keep saying... have your system and decide the skins when it is close based on your silly 2 week rule... but when it is clear, it's clear. Just award the skin accordingly.
Matt's Match-ups 2019
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
-
- John Ferguson
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
This could be the start of a movement.Matt wrote: ↑March 28, 2019, 1:15 pmRuben Daley wrote: ↑March 28, 2019, 10:49 am I agree with Matt. No doubt Cotric and Rapa are streets ahead of Eddie and SKD - and are two of my faves - but the Knights’ wingers have them covered over the first two weeks.
Very confident that’ll change tomorrow though.
Someone read my blurb and gets it.
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
Given time you could rival the Rick Clique as a GH powerhouse
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
The sig says it allRickmando wrote: ↑March 28, 2019, 1:53 pmWhat I like is that there is none of this nonsense in your coaching rankings Pig... it would take something momentous to knock Rick from the #1 spot - I can’t see it happening myselfPigRickman wrote: ↑March 28, 2019, 1:26 pm God bless Matt.
Lee > Cotric and SKD > Rapana... i mean you could just bottle that. Perfection.
*kisses fingers*
This is why his system sucks.
You could ask anyone in the knights org to do a direct trade, either of theirs for either of ours. And everyone to a man, including SKD and Edrick themselves would take that deal.
This is what i keep saying... have your system and decide the skins when it is close based on your silly 2 week rule... but when it is clear, it's clear. Just award the skin accordingly.
Top 2 and he ain’t 2
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
Glad you read my explanation this week mate.PigRickman wrote: ↑March 28, 2019, 1:26 pm God bless Matt.
Lee > Cotric and SKD > Rapana... i mean you could just bottle that. Perfection.
*kisses fingers*
This is why his system sucks.
You could ask anyone in the knights org to do a direct trade, either of theirs for either of ours. And everyone to a man, including SKD and Edrick themselves would take that deal.
This is what i keep saying... have your system and decide the skins when it is close based on your silly 2 week rule... but when it is clear, it's clear. Just award the skin accordingly.
"...This will be a super popular skin, and I'm sure I'll see a new addition to Pigman's signature..."
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Matt's Match-ups 2019
Matt’s Match-ups Rd 4: Raiders V Cowboys
It’s taken more than a decade, but Raiders fans, we have a team that can defend. They can defend the field, defend their line and defend the repeat sets from referees. There is no giving up, no dropping their bundle, just a wiliness to dig in and battle it out.
The Cowboys have had a bad start to the year. They have chopped and changed their side, and they are missing a once in a lifetime player. They are at home though, in the heat of Townsville, conditions which are very hard to play in.
Cowboys V Raiders
Te Maire Martin 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
Nene McDonald 2. Nick Cotric
Jordan Kahu 3. Jarrod Croker C
Ben Hampton 4. Joseph Leilua
Javid Bowen 5. Jordan Rapana
Jake Clifford 6. Jack Wighton
Michael Morgan C 7. Sam Williams
Matthew Scott 8. Josh Papalii
Jake Granville 9. Josh Hodgson C
Jordan McLean 10. Dunamis Lui
Gavin Cooper 11. John Bateman
Coen Hess 12. Elliott Whitehead
Josh McGuire 13. Ryan Sutton
Interchange
Mitchell Dunn 16. vs 14. Siliva Havili
Corey Jensen 15. Hudson Young
John Asiata 14. vs 16. Sia Soliola
Francis Molo 17. Corey Horsbough
Extended Bench
Shane Wright 18. Joseph Tapine
Justin O’Neill 19. Jack Murchie
Peter Hola 20. Bailey Simonsson
Enari Tuala 21. JJ Collins
(Bolded players are the winners of the skin. The extended bench is excluded.)
*Skins altered to suit utilities.
Match-ups:
Fullbacks:
Right now, I believe Charnze Nicholl-Klokstad is the form fullback of the competition. He has been a top three performer in all three of the Raiders games so far. Yes, this is a big call, with Tuivasa-Sheck very good in a beaten side last week, Tedesco returning to form last week, and Tom Trbojevic hitting the ground running in his first outing. Te Maire Martin is another in a long line of players making a spine switch, though this time it’s from five-eighth to fullback. He has been in good touch, with a couple of tries this year, but the Cowboys’ attack has yet to really click.
Wingers:
Nick Cotric has had a slow start to the year, but that last minute run against the Knights shows he might yet kick the funk. He took the speculator chip and chase, turned, beat the first man, found the space, and pinned the ears back. With Pearce to beat, Cotric in full flight takes him on one on one and like wins that battle. This time Cotric kicked for Whitehead - which, to be fair, nearly came off. Nene MacDonald was massive in Round 1, consistent with the big game the Cowboys had. He has come back to the pack a bit in the past two weeks. This one is marginal, but I’ll give it to Nene because he has had one standout performance in the three rounds so far.
Javid Bowen is shoe filling until Kyle Feldt returns. He has been okay, with one try in 2019, but he hasn’t been very impressive. Jordan Rapana looked short of a run against the Storm, but he was far more confident last week, as the 185m gained proves. I expect there will be even more improvement over the next 2-4 weeks - by which time I think we will see the Rapana and Leipana of old. Involvement is the key here, Rapana wants the ball, and Bowen just does a job.
Centres:
Jarrod Croker has led from the front in 2019. His defence has been awesome, he has bagged a couple of tries, and it looks like his goal kicking radar is on point. Jordan Kahu made the last minute move from the Broncos to the Cowboys when Ben Barba’s contract was torn up. In a not too dissimilar situation to Nicholl-Klokstad, he was thrust into the fullback role with very limited time to gel with the team. With the Cowboys struggling, Paul Green shook up the team last week, which meant a move back to the centres. Kahu hasn’t been impressive, and right now I think his goal kicking is what is keeping him in first grade. Feldt and Clifford are other options going forward there.
Ben Hampton had a cracking 2018 at centre for the Cowboys, but was moved from that position when there were troubles with the team. He found his way back to centre last week, and was okay. Joseph Leiliua has been pretty good so far this year. He still has a brain snap in him, but the power running, ad lib footy and ability to sniff out an opportunity are all there. Had Lee not held him up last week this would have been even easier to call.
Halves:
Jack Wighton had a ‘licorice all sorts’ sort of game. A pair of bad kicks, some dropped ball, and a bad miss on Jesse Ramien. Then there were a couple of good kicks, where he led the kick chase. Apart from the try cause, he wad otherwise sound in defense, giving the players around him confidence. I really rate Jake Clifford as a footballer. I’ve thought he should have been Michael Morgan’s halves partner from Round 1. He is a true half, an organiser, a kicker, a ball player and probably more importantly, a leader. One game isn’t enough to win this skin, especially when Wighton is showing so much promise.
Micheal Morgan... Origin player and it’s his show at the Cowboys now. Sammy Willliams was very solid last week, especially late in the second half. However, one good game isn't enough.
Prop:
Another mouthwatering skin for the two No. 8’s. Origin player versus Origin player, but this time it’s Origin teammate versus Origin teammate. Matthew Scott is the old warhorse, with Josh Papalii the younger buck. Scott’s age and recent injury history has taken its toll, but, never write off a champion. Josh Papalii has produced slightly more though. Scott has three more total tackles, but Papalii is averaging 20m more a game, which is the most important thing in a prop.
Jordan McLean has been outstanding in 2019. He is averaging 129m a game, which is five more than Papalii. I’d argue he is the best prop in the contest this week, and has been a fantastic addition to the Cowboys since leaving the Storm a couple of years ago, despite one injury affected year. Dunamus Lui role is that of an experienced steady hand, but that’s about it.
Sia Soliola is so valuable to the Raiders. I say it every week, but it’s the intangibles that are more important than his output. However, that too is very good at the moment, averaging 123m and 25 tackles a game. John Asiata is a very skilled middle. I mean how many props could play five-eighth at NRL level? He is an important member of this team, especially with Scott Bolton still out injured. However, his output is less than that of his opponent.
Francis Molo is getting rookie type minutes, but it’s the actual 2019 rookie, Corey ‘Big Red Fire Engine’ Horsbough, who is playing the bigger part. Horsbough averages 82m and 17 tackles a game.
Hooker/utility:
This year, Jake Granville hasn’t hit the heights he did in the Premiership tilts for the Cowboys. Josh Hodgson plays to that level week in week out. He was very good on the weekend.
Siliva Havili is a very handy backup hooker, and is turning into a very handy, and reliable running forward. His minutes have increased in the last couple of weeks too. Mitchell Dunn is a backrower who is being asked to spell Granville ahead of former Raider Kurt Baptiste, a genuine hooker. It’s a strange selection in my opinion.
Backrow:
There isn’t one backrower in the NRL currently playing at the same level as John Bateman. I said it on The Greenhouse Live after the game on Friday, but right now he is our best player. I can see him being the 2019 NRL buy of the year - but more interestingly, I can actually see him pushing for the Dally M. Gavin Cooper who?!
Coen Hess and Elliott Whitehead had their best games in week one. They have been a little forgettable in the last two rounds. As such I can’t split them this week.
A task doesn’t get much bigger than filling the shoes of Jason Taumalolo, but who better than the current Australian lock, Josh McGuire. McGuire has been very good, but it’s impossible to fill that void. Ryan Sutton looked very good in his first start for the club, and gave us the go forward we needed against the Storm the week before. One start isn’t enough to win the skin though.
Corey Jensen and Hudson Young have only played one game this year. However, Im going to apply the debutant rule a little more liberally here, and give Jensen credit for his experience.
Result
The tally is Cowboys five and Raiders 11, plus a draw. I don’t think I have ever made a call against the Cowboys that is this one sided, maybe during an Origin period. They are struggling, while the Faiders seem to have bucked that tag; the 2019 Raiders hang tough. The other nice thing is that the 2019 Raiders can kick a field goal, two in three games.
Result: The Raiders to pinch a win against the JT less Cowboys (by 6-12).
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It’s taken more than a decade, but Raiders fans, we have a team that can defend. They can defend the field, defend their line and defend the repeat sets from referees. There is no giving up, no dropping their bundle, just a wiliness to dig in and battle it out.
The Cowboys have had a bad start to the year. They have chopped and changed their side, and they are missing a once in a lifetime player. They are at home though, in the heat of Townsville, conditions which are very hard to play in.
Cowboys V Raiders
Te Maire Martin 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
Nene McDonald 2. Nick Cotric
Jordan Kahu 3. Jarrod Croker C
Ben Hampton 4. Joseph Leilua
Javid Bowen 5. Jordan Rapana
Jake Clifford 6. Jack Wighton
Michael Morgan C 7. Sam Williams
Matthew Scott 8. Josh Papalii
Jake Granville 9. Josh Hodgson C
Jordan McLean 10. Dunamis Lui
Gavin Cooper 11. John Bateman
Coen Hess 12. Elliott Whitehead
Josh McGuire 13. Ryan Sutton
Interchange
Mitchell Dunn 16. vs 14. Siliva Havili
Corey Jensen 15. Hudson Young
John Asiata 14. vs 16. Sia Soliola
Francis Molo 17. Corey Horsbough
Extended Bench
Shane Wright 18. Joseph Tapine
Justin O’Neill 19. Jack Murchie
Peter Hola 20. Bailey Simonsson
Enari Tuala 21. JJ Collins
(Bolded players are the winners of the skin. The extended bench is excluded.)
*Skins altered to suit utilities.
Match-ups:
Fullbacks:
Right now, I believe Charnze Nicholl-Klokstad is the form fullback of the competition. He has been a top three performer in all three of the Raiders games so far. Yes, this is a big call, with Tuivasa-Sheck very good in a beaten side last week, Tedesco returning to form last week, and Tom Trbojevic hitting the ground running in his first outing. Te Maire Martin is another in a long line of players making a spine switch, though this time it’s from five-eighth to fullback. He has been in good touch, with a couple of tries this year, but the Cowboys’ attack has yet to really click.
Wingers:
Nick Cotric has had a slow start to the year, but that last minute run against the Knights shows he might yet kick the funk. He took the speculator chip and chase, turned, beat the first man, found the space, and pinned the ears back. With Pearce to beat, Cotric in full flight takes him on one on one and like wins that battle. This time Cotric kicked for Whitehead - which, to be fair, nearly came off. Nene MacDonald was massive in Round 1, consistent with the big game the Cowboys had. He has come back to the pack a bit in the past two weeks. This one is marginal, but I’ll give it to Nene because he has had one standout performance in the three rounds so far.
Javid Bowen is shoe filling until Kyle Feldt returns. He has been okay, with one try in 2019, but he hasn’t been very impressive. Jordan Rapana looked short of a run against the Storm, but he was far more confident last week, as the 185m gained proves. I expect there will be even more improvement over the next 2-4 weeks - by which time I think we will see the Rapana and Leipana of old. Involvement is the key here, Rapana wants the ball, and Bowen just does a job.
Centres:
Jarrod Croker has led from the front in 2019. His defence has been awesome, he has bagged a couple of tries, and it looks like his goal kicking radar is on point. Jordan Kahu made the last minute move from the Broncos to the Cowboys when Ben Barba’s contract was torn up. In a not too dissimilar situation to Nicholl-Klokstad, he was thrust into the fullback role with very limited time to gel with the team. With the Cowboys struggling, Paul Green shook up the team last week, which meant a move back to the centres. Kahu hasn’t been impressive, and right now I think his goal kicking is what is keeping him in first grade. Feldt and Clifford are other options going forward there.
Ben Hampton had a cracking 2018 at centre for the Cowboys, but was moved from that position when there were troubles with the team. He found his way back to centre last week, and was okay. Joseph Leiliua has been pretty good so far this year. He still has a brain snap in him, but the power running, ad lib footy and ability to sniff out an opportunity are all there. Had Lee not held him up last week this would have been even easier to call.
Halves:
Jack Wighton had a ‘licorice all sorts’ sort of game. A pair of bad kicks, some dropped ball, and a bad miss on Jesse Ramien. Then there were a couple of good kicks, where he led the kick chase. Apart from the try cause, he wad otherwise sound in defense, giving the players around him confidence. I really rate Jake Clifford as a footballer. I’ve thought he should have been Michael Morgan’s halves partner from Round 1. He is a true half, an organiser, a kicker, a ball player and probably more importantly, a leader. One game isn’t enough to win this skin, especially when Wighton is showing so much promise.
Micheal Morgan... Origin player and it’s his show at the Cowboys now. Sammy Willliams was very solid last week, especially late in the second half. However, one good game isn't enough.
Prop:
Another mouthwatering skin for the two No. 8’s. Origin player versus Origin player, but this time it’s Origin teammate versus Origin teammate. Matthew Scott is the old warhorse, with Josh Papalii the younger buck. Scott’s age and recent injury history has taken its toll, but, never write off a champion. Josh Papalii has produced slightly more though. Scott has three more total tackles, but Papalii is averaging 20m more a game, which is the most important thing in a prop.
Jordan McLean has been outstanding in 2019. He is averaging 129m a game, which is five more than Papalii. I’d argue he is the best prop in the contest this week, and has been a fantastic addition to the Cowboys since leaving the Storm a couple of years ago, despite one injury affected year. Dunamus Lui role is that of an experienced steady hand, but that’s about it.
Sia Soliola is so valuable to the Raiders. I say it every week, but it’s the intangibles that are more important than his output. However, that too is very good at the moment, averaging 123m and 25 tackles a game. John Asiata is a very skilled middle. I mean how many props could play five-eighth at NRL level? He is an important member of this team, especially with Scott Bolton still out injured. However, his output is less than that of his opponent.
Francis Molo is getting rookie type minutes, but it’s the actual 2019 rookie, Corey ‘Big Red Fire Engine’ Horsbough, who is playing the bigger part. Horsbough averages 82m and 17 tackles a game.
Hooker/utility:
This year, Jake Granville hasn’t hit the heights he did in the Premiership tilts for the Cowboys. Josh Hodgson plays to that level week in week out. He was very good on the weekend.
Siliva Havili is a very handy backup hooker, and is turning into a very handy, and reliable running forward. His minutes have increased in the last couple of weeks too. Mitchell Dunn is a backrower who is being asked to spell Granville ahead of former Raider Kurt Baptiste, a genuine hooker. It’s a strange selection in my opinion.
Backrow:
There isn’t one backrower in the NRL currently playing at the same level as John Bateman. I said it on The Greenhouse Live after the game on Friday, but right now he is our best player. I can see him being the 2019 NRL buy of the year - but more interestingly, I can actually see him pushing for the Dally M. Gavin Cooper who?!
Coen Hess and Elliott Whitehead had their best games in week one. They have been a little forgettable in the last two rounds. As such I can’t split them this week.
A task doesn’t get much bigger than filling the shoes of Jason Taumalolo, but who better than the current Australian lock, Josh McGuire. McGuire has been very good, but it’s impossible to fill that void. Ryan Sutton looked very good in his first start for the club, and gave us the go forward we needed against the Storm the week before. One start isn’t enough to win the skin though.
Corey Jensen and Hudson Young have only played one game this year. However, Im going to apply the debutant rule a little more liberally here, and give Jensen credit for his experience.
Result
The tally is Cowboys five and Raiders 11, plus a draw. I don’t think I have ever made a call against the Cowboys that is this one sided, maybe during an Origin period. They are struggling, while the Faiders seem to have bucked that tag; the 2019 Raiders hang tough. The other nice thing is that the 2019 Raiders can kick a field goal, two in three games.
Result: The Raiders to pinch a win against the JT less Cowboys (by 6-12).
Plus follow The Greenhouse on Facebook: The Greenhouse Forum and Twitter: @TheGHRaiders
- gangrenous
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
I am nowhere near as upset this week.
Though interestingly I thought all 4 wingers were kept quite quiet last week...
Though interestingly I thought all 4 wingers were kept quite quiet last week...
Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
Pretty much on the money.
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
Them not selecting Baptiste is quite odd. Agreed.
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
That's better Matt.
Raiders..EVERY SINGLE TIME !!
Raiders..EVERY SINGLE TIME !!
3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment..Old Faithful
#emptythetank
#emptythetank
- Matt
- Don Furner
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
Rapa ran for 185m last week. I couldnt believe it, coz I thought the same thing.gangrenous wrote: ↑April 2, 2019, 8:45 pm I am nowhere near as upset this week.
Though interestingly I thought all 4 wingers were kept quite quiet last week...
Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
I can hardly believe it either... but the stats are the revised stats, so they will have been checked.Matt wrote: ↑April 3, 2019, 8:43 amRapa ran for 185m last week. I couldnt believe it, coz I thought the same thing.gangrenous wrote: ↑April 2, 2019, 8:45 pm I am nowhere near as upset this week.
Though interestingly I thought all 4 wingers were kept quite quiet last week...
Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
No tuamololo is a massive out for them.
- -PJ-
- Mal Meninga
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
I'm on simmer until you give Brendan Elliot the skin over BJ...
Then you're on ya own.
3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment..Old Faithful
#emptythetank
#emptythetank
Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
The games where the Raiders win the skins over the opposition by a country mile concern me greatly, as these are the games we tend to lose.
As much as Ricky tells us there's no complacency, the past two years have shown these are the exact games we are complacent in.
Hopefully with some new blood and being a new season, we can actually show up and beat a team we're expected to beat, and should beat comfortably.
I won't hold my breath though.
As much as Ricky tells us there's no complacency, the past two years have shown these are the exact games we are complacent in.
Hopefully with some new blood and being a new season, we can actually show up and beat a team we're expected to beat, and should beat comfortably.
I won't hold my breath though.
Ata Mariota’s #1 fan. Bless his cotton socks.
Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
Spot on. This is a game we should win and the result will say a lot about how we are different this year. This game is more telling than the Storm game for me.Finchy wrote: ↑April 3, 2019, 11:11 am The games where the Raiders win the skins over the opposition by a country mile concern me greatly, as these are the games we tend to lose.
As much as Ricky tells us there's no complacency, the past two years have shown these are the exact games we are complacent in.
Hopefully with some new blood and being a new season, we can actually show up and beat a team we're expected to beat, and should beat comfortably.
I won't hold my breath though.
- dubby
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
I'm with you Finchy.Finchy wrote:The games where the Raiders win the skins over the opposition by a country mile concern me greatly, as these are the games we tend to lose.
As much as Ricky tells us there's no complacency, the past two years have shown these are the exact games we are complacent in.
Hopefully with some new blood and being a new season, we can actually show up and beat a team we're expected to beat, and should beat comfortably.
I won't hold my breath though.
I love this team beyond comprehension. But recent experiences.....
Yet every bloody week I live in hope.
Sent from my SM-G960F using The Greenhouse mobile app powered by Tapatalk
The spiral of silence refers to the idea that when people fail to speak, the price of speaking rises. As the price to speak rises, still fewer speak out, which further causes the price to rise, so that fewer people yet will speak out, until a whole culture or nation is silenced. This is what happened in Germany.
If you do not speak, you are not being neutral, but are contributing to the success of the thing you refuse to name and condemn.
If you do not speak, you are not being neutral, but are contributing to the success of the thing you refuse to name and condemn.
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
Matt’s Match-ups Rd 5: Raiders V Eels
The NRL.com journalists beat me to it, but Raiders V Eels really feels like a battle of the backs. Have a look at this story, it’s actually a decent read! It’s a good segue into this week’s game too. So…
Eels V Raiders
Clinton Gutherson 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
Maika Sivo 2. Nick Cotric
Michael Jennings 3. Jarrod Croker ©
Brad Takairangi 4. Joseph Leilua
Blake Ferguson 5. Jordan Rapana
Jaeman Salmon 6. Jack Wighton
Mitchell Moses 7. Sam Williams
Daniel Alvaro 8. Josh Papalii
Reed Mahoney 9. Josh Hodgson ©
Junior Paulo 10. Dunamis Lui
Shaun Lane 11. John Bateman
Marata Niukore 12. Elliott Whitehead
Tepai Moeroa 13. Ryan Sutton
Interchange
Peni Terepo 14. Siliva Havili
Tim Mannah 15. Hudson Young
Kane Evans 16. Sia Soliola
Oregon Kaufusi 17. Joseph Tapine
Extended Bench
David Gower 18. Royce Hunt
Ray Stone 19. Aidan Sezer
Josh Hoffman 20. Bailey Simonsson
Bevan French 21. JJ Collins
(Bolded players are the winners of the skin. The extended bench is excluded.)
Match-ups:
Fullbacks:
Charnze Nicholl-Klokstad had his quietest game of the year last week against the Cowboys. I’m very happy that we stumbled upon him; he has been a superstar in green. However, Clinton ‘King’ Gutherson is on fire this season. King Guth is averaging 20 carries for 206m, has two tries and five try assists in 2019. That’s exceptional.
Wingers:
Nick Cotric has had a slow start to the year, but that last minute run against the Knights does seem to have kicked his funk. Last week against the Cowboys, Cotric seemed to be back to his bump and run best. He scored a try and also played his part in the Jarrod Croker try. Maika Sivo is a Radradra-style blockbusting Fijian winger. He is not yet in that class, and still has a long way to go to be that kind of try scoring machine - but there are certainly some similarities. The rookie is off to a very good start in 2019. He has two tries and is averaging 149m a game, to Cotric’s one and 100m.
Jordan Rapana was back to his best in game 100, grabbing two tries and raking up 178m. However, this week the 2017 Dally M winger faces the 2018 Dally M winger, Blake Ferguson. Ferguson was the greatest metre eater in 2018 too... and in 2019 he hasn’t skipped a beat. He is averaging 20 carries for 220m, has three tries and two assists. Ferguson’s game awareness was on show on the weekend with the 'making the ball out' play. Given his history, it pains me, but he is the form winger again this year.
Centres:
Jarrod Croker crossed for his third try of the year, and raised a personal tally of 14 points against the Cowboys. His defence has been top class. Michael Jennings has turned back the clock a bit in 2019, finding his try scoring form again (four, equal second in the NRL). He is also averaging 96m a game. Both players have been very good this season, and I can’t split them.
Joseph Leiliua is in fantastic form. I mean, how did he know to run in field while Rapana was flying down the touchline?! Leipana is back baby! I’ve been trying to find things to say about Brad Takairangi for years… ummm… yep. No contest.
Halves:
Jack Wighton is a work in progress, but the positives are looking really good. Bar a couple of shanks last week, his kicking game has been good. His bombs are apparently uncatchable and his chases of his own kicks are very under rated. His ball playing still needs work, as does the organisational part of his role... but it’s moving in the right direction. It’s all positive, though it is early days. Jaemon Salmon got a chance to play five-eighth last week with boom rookie, Dylan Brown’s, back injury. He has got past his suspension, and now he has a chance to play.
Sam Williams has held his spot this week, with Aidan Sezer named on the extended bench. As has been the case previously in his career, the consistency is not quite there. He rushed out of the line to put pressure on Michael Morgan on the weekend, and it backfired twice, leading to tries. That said, his defence has been better than previous years. Mitchell Moses has been the butt of many a joke since coming into the NRL, but he is on fire in 2019. He is relishing the chance to be the dominant half, and has his team at 3-1. He is the fifth most prolific general field kicker in the NRL right now.
Prop:
Another very tough contest in the No. 8 jumper, with Josh Papalii up against Daniel Alvaro. Papalii has the upper hand in metres gained per game (120m versus 100m), while Alvaro makes more tackles (31-24). Both play a different style, with Alvaro more of a big minute grinder, and Papalii more a big bodied impact player. I can’t split these two this week.
Dunamis Lui played his best game of the year against the Cowboys. His go forward was fantastic. Junior Paulo faces his former club for the first time, and he is in great form. He is averaging 117m, three offloads and 27 tackles a game in approximately 55 minutes. He is a real handful this year, as we saw in the trials. The Raiders must shut that offload down this week.
I still believe Sia Soliola has been Canberra's best prop in 2019. What he brings to this side off the bench is fantastic. Kane Evans is having a decent year himself, but his 90m a game doesn’t come close to Sia’s 125m per match.
Hooker/utility:
Reed Mahoney is proving to the Eels that the faith they have put in him - in the wake of Kaysa Pritchard’s indefinite leave - is well placed. Josh Hodgson, well… you know the rest.
Siliva Havili has been doing a job for the Raiders as a middle forward. What he does goes a little unnoticed. However, his utility value is not unnoticed by me. That said, since returning from suspension, Peni Terepo has been fearless. He charges at the defensive line with reckless abandon, and I love it. He is a very good off the bench impact forward, and certainly capable of starting. The Eels don’t carry a utility these days, but given Raiders only carry one as an injury safety net, I'm marking these two on their middle forward credentials. On that basis, Terepo is superior.
Backrow:
Four games in the NRL, and John Bateman Bay could be the new name for Canberra’s favorite beachside holiday destination. Yep, it’s fair to say he is going well. I really like Shaun Lane as a player, but he is at his fourth NRL club and none have seemed to worked out how to use his strengths. Lane runs a great line, can offload and can score a try. Proof of that is that is he was equal top try scorer with Tom Trbojevic at Manly last year. Despite this, both the Sea Eagles, and now the Eels, have decided that decoy runs and dirty hit ups are his go.
Elliott Whitehead easily had his best game of the year in Townsville. He rounded up and hog tied a whole pile of cows last weekend. He was a defensive demon - and another of the Raiders' slow 2019 starters is getting his mojo back. Marata Niukore is playing very well in 2019 himself. Nuikore has two tries and is averaging 102m and 33 tackles a game. He is doing a great job deputising for the injured Manu Ma’u.
Ryan Sutton holds his spot despite Joseph Tapine returning to the side. I think this is a positive sign in two respects. It is forcing Joe Tapine to earn his spot back, but it is also showing faith in the job Sutton has done over the past fortnight. Sutton has produced two games with 30 odd tackles and over 130m run. That’s a fantastic effort. Tepai Moeroa has played at prop, lock and briefly on the edge in season 2019. I thought he would play the long minute tackle bot role for the Eels, but that has not happened. He has actually been playing brief minutes. I have never really been a fan of the guy once dubbed as Hindmarsh 2.0.
Hudson Young is another who has had a bit of faith shown in him this week. He managed to hold his spot on the bench, while Corey Horsbough dropped back to Mounties. I think this is just Ricky Stuart putting a rotation policy into effect for his younger players. Give them a taste, but also keep them fresh and hungry for more. I like what Young brings to the table, but as yet he hasn’t had the minutes to really impress. Tim Mannah is averaging 121m off the bench, and really providing some go forward in the middle third of the game for the Eels.
Oregon Kaufusi has played two games this year, but only has 44m and 25 tackles to his name. Normally this would be an injury win skin in his favor, but these numbers are so low I’m not giving him the credit for just punching his cap card. He can have a draw with Joseph Tapine who returns from injury.
Result
The tally is Eels 8 and Raiders 6 plus three draws. Both teams are 3-1. Both teams have beaten teams who are struggling, while not really being in the contest against the one good side they faced. This week both teams get a great chance to see where they are at.
Result: Raiders to continue their winning ways at home (by 12-18).
Plus follow The Greenhouse on Facebook: The Greenhouse Forum and Twitter: @TheGHRaiders
The NRL.com journalists beat me to it, but Raiders V Eels really feels like a battle of the backs. Have a look at this story, it’s actually a decent read! It’s a good segue into this week’s game too. So…
Eels V Raiders
Clinton Gutherson 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
Maika Sivo 2. Nick Cotric
Michael Jennings 3. Jarrod Croker ©
Brad Takairangi 4. Joseph Leilua
Blake Ferguson 5. Jordan Rapana
Jaeman Salmon 6. Jack Wighton
Mitchell Moses 7. Sam Williams
Daniel Alvaro 8. Josh Papalii
Reed Mahoney 9. Josh Hodgson ©
Junior Paulo 10. Dunamis Lui
Shaun Lane 11. John Bateman
Marata Niukore 12. Elliott Whitehead
Tepai Moeroa 13. Ryan Sutton
Interchange
Peni Terepo 14. Siliva Havili
Tim Mannah 15. Hudson Young
Kane Evans 16. Sia Soliola
Oregon Kaufusi 17. Joseph Tapine
Extended Bench
David Gower 18. Royce Hunt
Ray Stone 19. Aidan Sezer
Josh Hoffman 20. Bailey Simonsson
Bevan French 21. JJ Collins
(Bolded players are the winners of the skin. The extended bench is excluded.)
Match-ups:
Fullbacks:
Charnze Nicholl-Klokstad had his quietest game of the year last week against the Cowboys. I’m very happy that we stumbled upon him; he has been a superstar in green. However, Clinton ‘King’ Gutherson is on fire this season. King Guth is averaging 20 carries for 206m, has two tries and five try assists in 2019. That’s exceptional.
Wingers:
Nick Cotric has had a slow start to the year, but that last minute run against the Knights does seem to have kicked his funk. Last week against the Cowboys, Cotric seemed to be back to his bump and run best. He scored a try and also played his part in the Jarrod Croker try. Maika Sivo is a Radradra-style blockbusting Fijian winger. He is not yet in that class, and still has a long way to go to be that kind of try scoring machine - but there are certainly some similarities. The rookie is off to a very good start in 2019. He has two tries and is averaging 149m a game, to Cotric’s one and 100m.
Jordan Rapana was back to his best in game 100, grabbing two tries and raking up 178m. However, this week the 2017 Dally M winger faces the 2018 Dally M winger, Blake Ferguson. Ferguson was the greatest metre eater in 2018 too... and in 2019 he hasn’t skipped a beat. He is averaging 20 carries for 220m, has three tries and two assists. Ferguson’s game awareness was on show on the weekend with the 'making the ball out' play. Given his history, it pains me, but he is the form winger again this year.
Centres:
Jarrod Croker crossed for his third try of the year, and raised a personal tally of 14 points against the Cowboys. His defence has been top class. Michael Jennings has turned back the clock a bit in 2019, finding his try scoring form again (four, equal second in the NRL). He is also averaging 96m a game. Both players have been very good this season, and I can’t split them.
Joseph Leiliua is in fantastic form. I mean, how did he know to run in field while Rapana was flying down the touchline?! Leipana is back baby! I’ve been trying to find things to say about Brad Takairangi for years… ummm… yep. No contest.
Halves:
Jack Wighton is a work in progress, but the positives are looking really good. Bar a couple of shanks last week, his kicking game has been good. His bombs are apparently uncatchable and his chases of his own kicks are very under rated. His ball playing still needs work, as does the organisational part of his role... but it’s moving in the right direction. It’s all positive, though it is early days. Jaemon Salmon got a chance to play five-eighth last week with boom rookie, Dylan Brown’s, back injury. He has got past his suspension, and now he has a chance to play.
Sam Williams has held his spot this week, with Aidan Sezer named on the extended bench. As has been the case previously in his career, the consistency is not quite there. He rushed out of the line to put pressure on Michael Morgan on the weekend, and it backfired twice, leading to tries. That said, his defence has been better than previous years. Mitchell Moses has been the butt of many a joke since coming into the NRL, but he is on fire in 2019. He is relishing the chance to be the dominant half, and has his team at 3-1. He is the fifth most prolific general field kicker in the NRL right now.
Prop:
Another very tough contest in the No. 8 jumper, with Josh Papalii up against Daniel Alvaro. Papalii has the upper hand in metres gained per game (120m versus 100m), while Alvaro makes more tackles (31-24). Both play a different style, with Alvaro more of a big minute grinder, and Papalii more a big bodied impact player. I can’t split these two this week.
Dunamis Lui played his best game of the year against the Cowboys. His go forward was fantastic. Junior Paulo faces his former club for the first time, and he is in great form. He is averaging 117m, three offloads and 27 tackles a game in approximately 55 minutes. He is a real handful this year, as we saw in the trials. The Raiders must shut that offload down this week.
I still believe Sia Soliola has been Canberra's best prop in 2019. What he brings to this side off the bench is fantastic. Kane Evans is having a decent year himself, but his 90m a game doesn’t come close to Sia’s 125m per match.
Hooker/utility:
Reed Mahoney is proving to the Eels that the faith they have put in him - in the wake of Kaysa Pritchard’s indefinite leave - is well placed. Josh Hodgson, well… you know the rest.
Siliva Havili has been doing a job for the Raiders as a middle forward. What he does goes a little unnoticed. However, his utility value is not unnoticed by me. That said, since returning from suspension, Peni Terepo has been fearless. He charges at the defensive line with reckless abandon, and I love it. He is a very good off the bench impact forward, and certainly capable of starting. The Eels don’t carry a utility these days, but given Raiders only carry one as an injury safety net, I'm marking these two on their middle forward credentials. On that basis, Terepo is superior.
Backrow:
Four games in the NRL, and John Bateman Bay could be the new name for Canberra’s favorite beachside holiday destination. Yep, it’s fair to say he is going well. I really like Shaun Lane as a player, but he is at his fourth NRL club and none have seemed to worked out how to use his strengths. Lane runs a great line, can offload and can score a try. Proof of that is that is he was equal top try scorer with Tom Trbojevic at Manly last year. Despite this, both the Sea Eagles, and now the Eels, have decided that decoy runs and dirty hit ups are his go.
Elliott Whitehead easily had his best game of the year in Townsville. He rounded up and hog tied a whole pile of cows last weekend. He was a defensive demon - and another of the Raiders' slow 2019 starters is getting his mojo back. Marata Niukore is playing very well in 2019 himself. Nuikore has two tries and is averaging 102m and 33 tackles a game. He is doing a great job deputising for the injured Manu Ma’u.
Ryan Sutton holds his spot despite Joseph Tapine returning to the side. I think this is a positive sign in two respects. It is forcing Joe Tapine to earn his spot back, but it is also showing faith in the job Sutton has done over the past fortnight. Sutton has produced two games with 30 odd tackles and over 130m run. That’s a fantastic effort. Tepai Moeroa has played at prop, lock and briefly on the edge in season 2019. I thought he would play the long minute tackle bot role for the Eels, but that has not happened. He has actually been playing brief minutes. I have never really been a fan of the guy once dubbed as Hindmarsh 2.0.
Hudson Young is another who has had a bit of faith shown in him this week. He managed to hold his spot on the bench, while Corey Horsbough dropped back to Mounties. I think this is just Ricky Stuart putting a rotation policy into effect for his younger players. Give them a taste, but also keep them fresh and hungry for more. I like what Young brings to the table, but as yet he hasn’t had the minutes to really impress. Tim Mannah is averaging 121m off the bench, and really providing some go forward in the middle third of the game for the Eels.
Oregon Kaufusi has played two games this year, but only has 44m and 25 tackles to his name. Normally this would be an injury win skin in his favor, but these numbers are so low I’m not giving him the credit for just punching his cap card. He can have a draw with Joseph Tapine who returns from injury.
Result
The tally is Eels 8 and Raiders 6 plus three draws. Both teams are 3-1. Both teams have beaten teams who are struggling, while not really being in the contest against the one good side they faced. This week both teams get a great chance to see where they are at.
Result: Raiders to continue their winning ways at home (by 12-18).
Plus follow The Greenhouse on Facebook: The Greenhouse Forum and Twitter: @TheGHRaiders
- Northern Raider
- Mal Meninga
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
I thought he was doing well till I got to no12
* The author assumes no responsibility for the topicality, correctness, completeness or quality of information provided.
Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
#12 would be a **** TREMENDOUS edition of "PigRickMan's Who the **** is that guy?"
but GE quashed segments so... y'know.
but GE quashed segments so... y'know.
Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
I'm trying to find something controversial here, and failing. This isn't how Matt's Matchups works! Needs more "Reed Mahoney > Josh Hodgson"
EDIT: Just saw the number 12 selection, business as usual....
EDIT: Just saw the number 12 selection, business as usual....
Ata Mariota’s #1 fan. Bless his cotton socks.
- Matt
- Don Furner
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
You blokes obviously haven't watched Nuikore play. The kids got skills and Smelly only started playing properly last wk.
Remember that 1 wk form rule u bang on about?!? Shoes on the other foot here chaps
Remember that 1 wk form rule u bang on about?!? Shoes on the other foot here chaps
Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
I dont know who he is.
Elliot Whitehead is an international.
Elliot Whitehead is an international.
- zim
- Laurie Daley
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NRLW: Grace Kemp - Location: Sydney
Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
Nice work Matt.
Although you decided to flout your own rules and still give taps a draw? Mate.
Although you decided to flout your own rules and still give taps a draw? Mate.
- Northern Raider
- Mal Meninga
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
Yep, seen Nuikore play and also seen Whitehead play. the kid is good Whitehead is better. Happy to go back a lot more than 1 week to base that assessment.
* The author assumes no responsibility for the topicality, correctness, completeness or quality of information provided.
Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
Good point about jack's bombs- he gives them a huge roost.
It has **** me to tears for years watching Sezer and Sam dink up little hand grenades (not really a bomb) trying to get placement perfect but with an easy ass backspin which makes the predicted path easy to read instead of a killer wobble or spiral.
Stuart and Daley used to just hook them up spiral or ugly as high as they could - hard to catch. let alone trying to worry about the in-goal and where you are.
I've enjoyed the return of the tower of terror bomb.
It has **** me to tears for years watching Sezer and Sam dink up little hand grenades (not really a bomb) trying to get placement perfect but with an easy ass backspin which makes the predicted path easy to read instead of a killer wobble or spiral.
Stuart and Daley used to just hook them up spiral or ugly as high as they could - hard to catch. let alone trying to worry about the in-goal and where you are.
I've enjoyed the return of the tower of terror bomb.
Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
Gee you mustn't watch much footy if you don't know who he is. Take it you don't play SC.PigRickman wrote: ↑April 9, 2019, 9:53 pm I dont know who he is.
Elliot Whitehead is an international.
Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
I am not a SC player. I find australia's version of fantasy sports to infuriatingly bad.Hazza wrote: ↑April 9, 2019, 10:37 pmGee you mustn't watch much footy if you don't know who he is. Take it you don't play SC.PigRickman wrote: ↑April 9, 2019, 9:53 pm I dont know who he is.
Elliot Whitehead is an international.
But i watch most games every week, or at least the ones i can when the kids are in bed
Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
Just because Whitehead isn't scoring tries, doesn't mean he isn't playing good. He's been doing all the hard work in defence.
Certainly a head scratcher for me.
Key defensive stats;
Whitehead plays 80 mins every game on the edge. 99 tackles.
3 ineffective tackles, 9 1-on-1 tackles, 0 Try causes, 0 linebreak causes, 0 penalties.
Niukore plays 80 mins every game on the edge. 126 tackles.
4 ineffective tackles, 7 1-on-1 tackles, 1 try cause, 3 linebreak cause, 1 penalty.
Certainly a head scratcher for me.
Key defensive stats;
Whitehead plays 80 mins every game on the edge. 99 tackles.
3 ineffective tackles, 9 1-on-1 tackles, 0 Try causes, 0 linebreak causes, 0 penalties.
Niukore plays 80 mins every game on the edge. 126 tackles.
4 ineffective tackles, 7 1-on-1 tackles, 1 try cause, 3 linebreak cause, 1 penalty.
-
- Mal Meninga
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
Yeah look, I don't even know what that #12 eel is, but I'm sure it tastes bad.
Matty, you've done it again!
- Matt
- Don Furner
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Re: Matt's Match-ups 2019
I did mention the injury rule, and I explained why Ive ignored it. Usually Id be canned for not being flexible with my rules, and I was on this one.
Then I get canned for picking Nuke over Whitey, despite most agreeing he had a slow start to the yr, but really killed it on the wkend. You know, a 1 wk form line.
Dammed if I do, damned if I dont.