Benn Robinson gone ............................... 6 weeks min.

[Langthorne]

As I mentioned in the other thread - FUCK! or more appropriately, considering the highlights package - FUCK NO!

No way the Tahs can start with Tilse on at LHP - Palmer will have to come in and we just hope he contributes around the park too (if not, at least the scrum will be solid). I haven't seen much of Tilse, but what I have seen so far hasn't impressed me (apart from the fact that he is a very big unit, which is only mildly impressive).

TPN is a legend, but you don't just pick up playing LHP (or THP) in a week. Each front row position is a specialist position, so if he hasn't done it before we would be better off finding someone who has. The fact that Palmer can scrummage on both sides is testament to his enormous talent and, I assume, hours of practice.

Kepu should not be rushed back if he is not right, and even if he was fit I still think Palmer is the better scrummager.

 

[Gagger]

I'm gutted to lose Fat Cat. He shouldn't have played. Fucking ridiculous to rush him back.

We can thank our lucky stars that TPN doenst appear (yet) to have been more seriously injured and out for a few weeks. Yet again, piss poor management by those that are paid to know best - and fail with alarming regularity. WTF wasnt TPN taken off early in the second half? Job had largely been done and Fitzy isnt exactly a mug replacement. Dingo must be tearing his hair out the way his prize national assets are being driven into extended layoffs.

they passed fitness tests and it was a do or die game, any management is going to play them, any player can get injured at any time, just luck really.

No, you can't defend the decision to play him. Was a bad call.

you can defend it absolutely, and i say that pissed as shit that he is out again. If the tahs lost they were out of the finals race, they had fitness tests, TPN, Benn and Horne all did them, they all passed, so you play them, you dont sit around coming up with what ifs and whens, you just play em and hope for the best.

its like saying Beale might get injured next week and he is our best fullback so we shouldnt play him o the possibility of injury.

It wasn't just this game though. He's obviously not been right all season, yet has been playing regularly with a broken fucking arm

 

[Langthorne]

It wasn't just this game though. He's obviously not been right all season, yet has been playing regularly with a broken fucking arm

Ridiculous, but how fucking tough is he?!

 

[waratahjesus]

I'm gutted to lose Fat Cat. He shouldn't have played. Fucking ridiculous to rush him back.

We can thank our lucky stars that TPN doenst appear (yet) to have been more seriously injured and out for a few weeks. Yet again, piss poor management by those that are paid to know best - and fail with alarming regularity. WTF wasnt TPN taken off early in the second half? Job had largely been done and Fitzy isnt exactly a mug replacement. Dingo must be tearing his hair out the way his prize national assets are being driven into extended layoffs.

they passed fitness tests and it was a do or die game, any management is going to play them, any player can get injured at any time, just luck really.

No, you can't defend the decision to play him. Was a bad call.

you can defend it absolutely, and i say that pissed as shit that he is out again. If the tahs lost they were out of the finals race, they had fitness tests, TPN, Benn and Horne all did them, they all passed, so you play them, you dont sit around coming up with what ifs and whens, you just play em and hope for the best.

its like saying Beale might get injured next week and he is our best fullback so we shouldnt play him o the possibility of injury.

It wasn't just this game though. He's obviously not been right all season, yet has been playing regularly with a broken fucking arm

as i said, he did a fitness test on it and was passed, he also wanted to play or otherwise he wouldnt have, players do have the right when coming back from injury to sa there not comfortable, he isnt a slave. If the tahs had lost without him they wouldnt be a chance this week so its a gamble but if he comes through it there a pack of geniuses so you cant really complain about it in hein sight

 

[fatprop]

I think most of us don't/can't relate to how often players play wounded.

I remember the NRL coach Warren Ryan saying that the true test of a "quality" player is how well he plays wounded, because that is how they will be most of any year

 

[topo]

This is a big problem. Only option is to go with what they had for the Highlanders game. Baxter at THP, Palmer at LHP and Tilse on bench. Can't see Kepu being fit, props need intact calf muscles.
Don't see TPN as a prop alternative. Never played there in his life and it's not the time to start now.
The bench prop needs to be a LHP as Palmer can go to THP if Baxter goes off.
Ryan in the JWs is a good prospect, but has played mostly THP for the last 2 years, although played LHP before that (he was LHP for Aus schools in 06 with Palmer at THP and Nathan Charles at hooker). He is only 21 and I'm not sure if he's ready yet. Tilse will get the bench spot because he has played a lot more LHP. Despite what is said about him on these forums (?fora) he is up to it as a bench player. I think we would be in trouble if he was starting as the scrums are usually at their toughest at the start of a game, but with 20 to go they have usually become a rabble as all the replacements upset the apple cart and the ref starts becoming "random decision generators". His work around the park is as good as any prop.