Zakar said:
Brumbieman said:
Foley isn’t creative enough to have two boshers in the centres. If we go Kerevi/TK, Cooper or Lilo are 10.
If Foley is 10, he needs a second playmaker - Beale/LILO at 12.
I’d also be starting Hooper for sure - Pocock doesn’t have the running game to start games, he’ll be much more effective closing games out when oppositions are too slow to the breakdown to try and rip his head off. Use Hoopers speed and energy early, let The Cock destroy breakdowns late in the game and give us those psychological boosts with 10/15mins to go and under pressure.
Turnovers then are far more important.
Foley should be fine with Beale at 15 to work as a second playmaker.
I agree with Hooper though. His biggest strength is workrate. It doesn't make sense to bring him on for 30mins.
Poey can turn the game in that time...provided it's still in the balance.
Kerevi is our best 12, hands down. TK our best 13, hands down.
They start, simple.
Question is then, which 10 would suit that pairing the best?
Cooper, hands down. Lilo second, George Smith 3rd, Foley 4th.
Foley needs a second playmaker at 12, he's been too conditioned by Cheika to just shovel it on to Beale and let Beale try and set Folau up. Unless Beale plays 12, or Lilo plays 12, then Foley shouldn't start. If he's not starting, I don't see how on form he's in the matchday squad - Lilo covers 10/12 better than him and is in better form, is much better defensively, is the captain of the team that just shit all over the Tahs and has an equally good kicking % this year (not saying much because he's not been great).
9. Genia
11. Koirobete
10. Cooper
12. Kerevi
13. TK
I'd go Banks and Beale as 14/15 (they're interchangeable these days). DHP isn't better at anything than either of them, but he'd be next cab off the rank. Beale's defence is worse than Cooper and Foley's, but he at least can create tries as well as Cooper so his playmaking gets him in. Banks can't be left out, so that rounds out my starting backline.
14. Banks
15. Beale.
Tight five is locked in and only a f**king imbecile would select anything other than
1. Sio/Slipper (tag team them like they have all year)
2. Fainga'a/Uelese
3. AAA/Thor
4. Rodda
5. Arnold
Simmons is too liable to just randomly king-hit the referee because he had a brain fart, Coleman isn't in form and for some reason no one stills rates Carter, so LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) is my bench 2nd rower. He's not a backrower, he isn't dynamic enough and for once we actually have enough options there.
All those are for me, locked in unless something drastic happens.
Backrow is up in the air. I'd be going with
6. Jones
7. Hooper
8. Naisirani
19. LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto) can at a pinch cover 6 if required but it's not ideal, so depending on the bench balance....(Plus, Jones could cover second row if there was an injury, so I think my tight five/bench tight five are sorted).
20. Pocock, obviously off the bench (there's nothing more psychologically crushing than trying to build momentum chasing a game only to turnover the ball and have it hoofed 50m back down into your own territory - that shit wins matches, and Hooper won't provide it off the bench - Pocock will). Plus he's easier to jerk off to in such moments - Hooper's eyes are just....off-putting.
5/3 bench - those are my options.
If it's 6/2, the McCaffrey gets included. He's a footballer, not a gym-star, and has been awesome this year. Closely shades Samu, Dempsey and Sir George Smith for the extra backrower position.
Hanigan has played better this year (and I was a fan early on), but he's still not having enough impact. I still rate Higginbotham, he's got everything required for a great blindside but I think has been let down by the balance of the backrow's he's played with in gold over the years. Clearly knows how to score a try, is one of the best lineout operators in the game, hits hard, is fast and rangy.....but....hmmm.
Backs bench options depends on the split, and is horses for courses.
