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Round 18: SHARKS vs TITANS (2024)

The last thing we needed was a bye before this game. Anyone willing to roll the dice and predict a team list since we will have a couple of players coming back from injury. HSS, AJ, Jojo, Klese and big Mo all to return.
 
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I'll have a go but of course, deference to the Des Almighty.

1 Kini
2 Jojo
3 Kelly
4 Aj
5 Sami
6 JC
7 Foz
8 Mo
9 Randy
10 Pahulu / Palasia if he's injured
11 DF
12 Klese
13 Clark

14 Verrills
15 Beau
16 Palasia if Pahulu is fit / Iszac
17 Iszac / Alick

A couple of explanations:

I missed the Souths game so didn't see how bad Alick was but his stats looked poor. Either way, I love the different body type he brings and he's a tough bugger. Hopefully Des can smack him around the ears with a stick before kickoff.

Also, Palasia isn't doing it for me but we're short of troops. Pahulu is better if fit.

Clark has been great and I can see him being a first class 13 under Des eventually. I loved his run first approach today but then he was a prop for a lot of it. Beau can be good impact off the bench (if we've got the ball).

I also want to see more of Iszac and we're down on troops.

I thought the Randy + Verrills thing today was a great ambush but I don't think it'll work against the Sharks. Just tell Clark that McInnes stole his lunch money.

Do I need to explain dropping Lofi?
 
When I use the 😢 emoji everyone I really mean 😡.
AJ to Centre. Wow and Good Grief.

PS-I’ve already answered in the Warriors thread as to what I’d do.
 
It might only be for a week mate but I'm not dropping JC or Kini or Foz. AJ might benefit from a slower return in the centres and then a spot will open up for him.

But Des will know and whatever he decides will be good enough for me.
 
AJ 14 ease his way back then when he's had a couple games put him back at 1 and Kini to 14 or wing can't be any worse there defensivly then AKP
 
GCTTSD said:
AJ 14 ease his way back then when he's had a couple games put him back at 1 and Kini to 14 or wing can't be any worse there defensivly then AKP
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I think that's the problem for me. If you play AJ at 14, Lofi or HSS has to play or Sami/Jojo/Fermor in the centres. I'd prefer to avoid that but I'd love to see Jojo there at some stage this season. Maybe HSS at centre but I think we're better with AJ playing 80 and getting through that first game with a lesser load.
 
I have never seen so many options in my life. Everyone has got a different view on where JC, Kini, AJ and to and extent Foz should play. I thought it was bad coming into this year but it is crazy at the moment.
 
For the record I think brimmo will come back 9n the bench. Ease him back, I'd hate to see him go down again. That way you let campbell to continue to find his feet. Depending on fogs movement, longterm I'd love to see Kk at 1, JC and AJ in the halves. But des will have other plans.
 
It’s a development year so it’s not the end of the world
BUT
For the love of humanity please can JC’s hand be ok.
We need him to get plenty of games in the halves for the rest of the season in order to develop for next season and beyond.

Like I was saying actually the whole where to fit AJ/Foz/JC/Kini debate is mainly moot because probably 80% of the time one or more will be unavailable and for the other 20% you play either AJ/Kini at #14 to play some impact 9/13 and as backline insurance.
 
The Sharks aren’t the Warriors. If you are a statistician then assessing performance over time you’d likely disregard your best and worst performances. The Tigpies and Wahs fall into those categories, so we shouldn’t get over enthused.

If everyone is fit then surely AJ gets the 1 and Des can make a decision about who else plays where. Kini is playing well but at this stage he’s not our best fb. Would you pick Clark over Mo on the basis of a few games?

JC showed a lot more against the Warriors and has earned another crack at the 6. So that suggests Kini gets the 14 or the left wing at a stretch. However, with Haas, JC and Pahulu under possible injury clouds plus our weekly Des Lotto small forward rotation, it's anybody's guess.
 
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Though how many tries would foz set up if he had fermour running that line and mine cutting back infield or to AJ and Sami/JoJo on the wing no one's stopping that
 
If our middle is soft and we keep doing that shit bend don’t break passive d in the second half we will be blown away by the sharps middles imo

I have faith our edges can outpace theirs and we can find love on the scoreboard through Lofi on the left wing and Jojo on the right (if he’s healthy)

The main thing is if Campbell is healthy because the warriors weren’t ready for the game that jc brought to the halves. His read of the lines were very good on the left edge and he made the warriors bunch up to shut him down which left Lofi and BK unmarked a lot. Even fifi tore their edge apart running bks channel

There’s definitely something here with this left edge. The selfish man in me would replace BK with brimmo to force the opponents to send an extra man on overcommitting to that edge so that alick and a hard running Fermor would be unlocked by Foran on the right with easy line runs

Shift left, left then right channel quick and cause some carnage
 
AJ to 14? Come on… The All Blacks had a long standing theory that was if you are injured, you are still the incumbent and it is your jersey to lose once you are back from injury.

Kini has been going great. He’s certainly impressed me more than I thought he would, but he has to bide his time before that jersey is his. If he can’t be left out (which he must be close to) he goes to the wing. He’s good under the high ball and has a good kick return. Yes he’s been dynamic, but JC and AJ would have been equally dynamic against that opposition if they had the same reps under them.

AJ to centre was short sighted. He is one of our most experienced and influential players on the field. He has to be at either 6 (preferable) or 1. When things start to go against us, he’ll be there to stand up.
 
I don't know who should be fullback anymore, they're all great players. AJ might be our best fullback, but right now he is probably also our best centre. Kini is on fire, JC is on fire, I would be okay with AJ coming back at centre (then once fit he can duke it out with Kini for the FB spot).

Do we prioritise team first or player first mentality? AJ won't have the same freedom at centre, but he is great defensively. Think the key right now is just having all 3 of them on the field together. Interesting to see what Des does, it will give us some insight into his thinking for next year.

Either way I am very worried about the Sharks power game, they play a very aggressive run through your door style which our team doesn't generally play too well against. If it turns into a touch footy game, it goes in our favour. I think they might even have the heaviest pack in the competition.
 
According to NRL.com Casualty Ward we should have some calvary back.

www.nrl.com

Casualty Ward

Check the Official NRL Casualty Ward, which players are injured, and who is expected to make their way back onto the field and in the game.
www.nrl.com www.nrl.com

AJ, Jojo, Francis, Haas, HSS.
 
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