2023 Pacific Championships

Spartan117 said:
Respect @Halbrowne61

I have long believed that he was our Bellamy. The only one to truly put Steel in our club.

It pains me that Pascoe and his group didnt have the nerve to stick to the Plan (Sheens Included).

Wonder what he would be achieving with this squad.
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Good points S117,
We’ll never know, but his time here was
unfortunate, maybe our boys were a bit soft for his methods.
We dont have very much steel , do we !
And that f…..g “Tales from TT,” what a coach killer.
 
Halbrowne61 said:
Good points S117,
We’ll never know, but his time here was
unfortunate, maybe our boys were a bit soft for his methods.
We dont have very much steel , do we !
And that f…..g “Tales from TT,” what a coach killer.
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!00% - They were soft.

I was thinking the Same.

Tales from Tigertown uncovered the poor culture here at the tigers and Thats when I truly became a Madge Fanboy.
 
crazycat said:
Mal is fine as a coach. You can't win consecutive series of origin and be crap.


Clearly there are a stack of good players that let their guard down. Munster, DCE, Hynes. The forwards also needing resting and getting caught off guard. Yet if were serious, it's the Australian Wingers that failed to defend their edge:
Valentine Holmes and
Dylan Edwards!

Remember Dylan is playing out of position. Hence he is not used to that edge defense and that's quite a different skill to fullback. Particularly as Dylan is a smaller guy Hammer is inexperienced vs the strength of Manu and speed of Issako.

Val Holmes ofcourse goes to sleep.

Yes Mal deserves the blame of not realising that his wings were weak. You remove Dylan Edwards for Hamiso on the wing with say Bradman Best in Center and that game becomes competitive.

All good coaches will make mistakes. Dylan though deserves a rep wakeup, Val Holmes deserves Rep exile. Lets lay blame where the blame needs to be laid. On the wings.
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The forward pack lost that game yesterday.
 
Spartan117 said:
!00% - They were soft.

I was thinking the Same.

Tales from Tigertown uncovered the poor culture here at the tigers and Thats when I truly became a Madge Fanboy.
Click to expand...
The last try was soft.
NZ just ran through them.

Honestly we saw Cam Munster demonstrate why he would have been a better Fullback then Tedesco.
For two of those tries he almost gets there from 6. He was clearly reading the plays defensively, but just could not make it.
Likewise DCE at 7 is covering the wing and doing it in defense. Both halves seemed to be watching the plays yet the entire team's positioning was a lot like ours. OUT OF PLACE>

Val Holmes totally AWOL.
Dylan Edwards was trying but NZ was creating overlaps and he was getting caught out having to mark the defender he is facing.

Yes that last try was soft and clearly the defense wasn't moving up.
 
Demps said:
What's the best 17 for Australia, moving forward ?

I think Teddy has to go.
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It’s an interesting question. We have a lot of guys in this team who are battle weary I.e. they play all rounds + origin + finals + Internationals. Year after year it takes its toll.

This is the current Kangaroo 17:
  1. James Tedesco - I think he is done. Too much footy has affected him and he looks tired. The energetic hard runner is disappearing. We need speed at the back and a ball player. Edwards is safe but not dynamic. Walsh is fast and dynamic, but is also a bit green and Penrith exposed him in the GF. He needs time. Turbo is too injury prone and Latrell is better at centre. Enter Ponga. He should be the next Australian fullback.
  2. Dylan Edwards - Not a winger. Really struggled there. I’d keep him on the hook for now as a backup fullback for Ponga until Walsh is ready but he should not play wing again for Australia. Cobbo is too casual for mine at this level. He works great at premiership grade but he doesn’t do enough at Test level. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is my choice for right wing moving forward.
  3. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow - Not in our best centres but his speed and game presence is required in the Kangaroo team. I’m a big wrap on Campbell Graham and he would be my right centre.
  4. Kotoni Staggs - I like him and he goes alright. Great aggression and committment. Needs to keep working on defence. For the time being, I would take him out and slip Latrell in there.
  5. Valentine Holmes - Wing is his position and the sooner he realises this, the better. 20 tries in 21 games…he should stay for now but I’d start getting Jason Saab ready to step up.
  6. Cameron Munster - This is a hard one. Cam has done well for a long time but IMO never hit the heights that many presumed him to have. He is one of the battle weary guys like Teddy. I’d look to phase him out ASAP, however his replacement needs time still. Munster to keep his position next year with Cody Walker as backup whilst Ezra Mam is being groomed to take over, playing Origin in 24 with an eye to International selection in 25.
  7. Daly Cherry-Evans - Been a warrior for a lot of years. A third member of the battle weary gang. A fit Nathan Cleary retakes the 7 jersey next year.
  8. Payne Haas - He stays. Far too good not to include.
  9. Ben Hunt - No.9 is our weakest position. Hunt and Harry Grant have done an admirable job between them but their efforts combined still falls short of what we were used to with Smith. Grant will probably be the 9 moving forward and I hate that. At this stage I don’t think he belongs at this level. That said his competition is too green - Mahoney, Brailey or too old - Hunt, Cook, Api. Grant it is.
  10. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui - He picks himself. The odd poor performance is so rare that he is an asset.
  11. Rueben Cotter - Great player, not a second rower. David Fifita is improving and is almost uncontrollable in beast mode. I’d push for him.
  12. Liam Martin - Goes hard and is worth persisting with. Needs to better his defence though.
  13. Isaah Yeo - Controversial as he is a warrior as well but I think he is winding down fast. Played a lot of footy the past 4 years. Cam Murray is younger and more dynamic. Lock position is his.
  14. Harry Grant - As he is to be elevated to starting hooker, we need a proper utility. For now I’d use Nicho Hynes.
  15. Lindsay Collins - is a great bench prop. Keep him there.
  16. Pat Carrigan - Has to be there. First choice replacement for Murray at lock as well if required.
  17. Reuben Cotter and Tommy Fleggler to fight out for spot 17.

So I’d go the following;
1. Kaylyn Ponga - train up Reece Walsh
2. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
3. Campbell Graham
4. Latrell Mitchel
5. Valentine Holmes - train up Jason Saab
6. Cameron Munster - transition in Mam in 25
7. Nathan Cleary
8. Payne Haas
9. Harry Grant - train up Blayke Brailey
10. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui
11. David Fifita
12. Liam Martin
13. Cameron Murray
14. Nicho Hynes
15. Lindsay Collins
16. Patrick Carrigan
17. Rueben Cotter
 
batboy said:
I hoped so as well….

I think listening to Madge for 3 weeks would be very different to 3 years…

Personalities that intense wear thin after a while - cost him his job more than once…
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Agree. He's the coach you bring in when you have a developed team and want to win a GF. Not a rebuild.

He'll be perfect as blues coach
 
batboy said:
I hoped so as well….

I think listening to Madge for 3 weeks would be very different to 3 years…

Personalities that intense wear thin after a while - cost him his job more than once…
Click to expand...
Not so sure,

players talk so highly of Craig Bellamy and how he pushed them to be the best version of themselves.

Case in point 1... WTs still the softest club in the league.

Case in point 2. Isaiah papalii was an absolute weapon for NZ. Here he is cruising and collecting pay cheques
 
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