NRL Round 1 - Knights Vs Cowboys - 1:15pm Sunday 1st March (AEDT) - Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas

My round 1 w/reasons

  1. Kalyn Ponga
  2. Dom Young
  3. Dane Gagai
  4. Bradman Best
  5. Fletcher Sharpe
  6. Dylan Brown
  7. Sandon Smith
  8. Jacob Saifiti
  9. Phoenix Crossland
  10. Trey Mooney
  11. Dylan Lucas
  12. Tom Cant
  13. Tyson Frizell
Bench
14. Matt Arthur
15. Lachlan Crouch
16. Pasami Saulo
17. Jermaine McEwen
18. Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana
19. Fletcher Hunt

Reasoning:
Matt Arthur:
Showed great ability in his first trial about to bring our forwards onto the ball but could also dart out, can come in to replace Crossland and allow Crossy to rest or rotate to lock

Saulo and Crouch:
For obvious reasons I’d have these two as our rotation, both impressed in their first trial and complement each other with Crouch’s safe play style and Saulos arms and legs running style.

Thomas Cant:
Now the big one that o suspect to have the most pushback on, I pick Cant for a very simple reason… defence, Jermaine is obviously much better in attack but he gets out done easily by Cant in defence and him being played on the right next to Smith who has a really bad 85% tackle efficiency last year, it would be a danger zone to put two players not great in defence next to each other. So Cant edges it on defence and rotates with McEwen until he gets his defence sorted.

Fletcher Hunt:
Obviously as a security measure to the backline.

ESL:
To be rotation option in lock, second row and prop if needed depending if we lack punch id bring ESL in as a prop and keep Crouch on the bench, so ESL would just be used as a “as we go” rotation.

Fletcher Sharpe:
Put him outside of Bradman that we we have to speed demons on the wing, I don’t believe Sharpe will ever become a top line halfback or five-eighth but he could easily be a top line winger and he would be first choice replacement for Brown, Smith, Ponga if injury hits, seems like the most logical choice and gets Marzhew out of the team.

Cody Hopwood:
Not in here but if injury free, I’d bring him in for Cant, push Frizell to second Row and can either deploy him as a lock (as he did perfectly in the u19s blues) or put Saulo/Mooney at lock and use Hopwood as a rotation

List subject to change depending on how trial 2 goes.
 
HarVeeGee13 said:
Predicted round 1 team:

1. Kalyn Ponga
2. Dominic Young
3. Dane Gagai
4. Bradman Best
5. Greg Marzhew
6. Dylan Brown
7. Sandon Smith

13. Tyson Frizell
12. Jermaine McEwen
11. Dylan Lucas
10. Trey Mooney
9. Phoenix Crossland
8. Jacob Saifiti

14. Fletcher Sharpe
15. Matthew Croker
16. Brodie Jones
17. Pasami Saulo
18. Thomas Cant
19. Fletcher Hunt

Only real wrinkle I can maybe see with this is Justin may be tempted to start someone like Brodie or Cant on an edge and bring McEwen off the bench for 50.

I suspect his thinking with the 14 spot is that he wants to get a high motor, skillful player in there for a big stint as a way to solve the depth issue in the forwards, whether that ends up looking like Fletcher playing 40 minutes in a Connor Watson like role, or Sandon coming off the bench after 20 mins to play out the game at hooker while Phoenix shifts to lock between mins 20 and 60 to tackle himself to a standstill. I don't love this as a solution to a depth crisis in the forwards but I think that's his thinking, if you don't have an impact middle like Xavier Willison, the next best thing is a very fit, mobile guy who can add to your offensive threat.

As I've stated before I hate asking this of Fletcher, but I'm not doubting his toughness and ability to perform in that role. Ryan Papenhyuzen basically did this when he first came into grade and he's shorter and lighter than Fletch. I still just think we should play Fletcher on the wing over Greg and seriously think about carrying Matt Arthur at 14.

I'm not ruling out that Sharpe ends up getting the nod at 7, I just think that after a pre-season with mostly Sandon/Dylan training in the halves, something would have to seriously go wrong for them to **** the bed badly enough in the trial that there's then a change for round 1.
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I would like to see a place in the 19 for Crouch who made an immediate impact when he came on in last week’s trial against the old Drag Queens.
 
Round 1 Lineup + Reasoning:
1. Kalyn Ponga (c)
2. Dominic Young
3. Dane Gagai
4. Bradman Best
5. Greg Marzhew
6. Dylan Brown
7. Sandon Smith
8. Jacob Saifiti
9. Phoenix Crossland
10. Trey Mooney
11. Dylan Lucas
12. Thomas Cant
13. Mat Croker

14. Fletcher Sharpe
15. Tyson Frizell
16. Jermaine McEwen
17. Pasami Saulo
18. Mat Arthur
19. Jones/Hopwood/Hola/Crouch/ESL

Reasons:
1-11: Explains itself imo, Marzhew is the only one up in the air but I think he will get first crack and still can offer plenty, need his big carries this year with our smaller pack.
Cant - I have him over McEwen just from Trial 1 form and the fact he has the 12 in Trial 2 plus the new deal, just gives me the idea that Holbrook is impressed.
Crokes - I have him at 13 over Friz, just think he has it in him to be an effective ball playing 13, strong performance this weekend will get his nose in front. Also don’t like how only one start prop has to be out for us to move friz from 13.
Sharpe - I think his versatility and leg speed off the bench will prove hard to handle, covers all backline positions and adds X Factor if needed.
Friz - Leg speed off the bench plus experience, he’s our top 3 prop according to lineups so leave him in that rotation instead of the lock one.
McEwen - Shared minutes with Cant, think he will eventually be the run on 12 but just going to start off on the bench after missing trial 1.
Arthur - Genuine 9 coverage if Crossy goes down early, quite crafty around the ruck if needed too.
19 - Can just be alternated to who is in form / suited to the certain side we are playing. No real stand out for this spot.
GK - Kicking shootout between Ponga, Smith and Cant imo.
 
Junior said:
Round 1 Lineup + Reasoning:
1. Kalyn Ponga (c)
2. Dominic Young
3. Dane Gagai
4. Bradman Best
5. Greg Marzhew
6. Dylan Brown
7. Sandon Smith
8. Jacob Saifiti
9. Phoenix Crossland
10. Trey Mooney
11. Dylan Lucas
12. Thomas Cant
13. Mat Croker

14. Fletcher Sharpe
15. Tyson Frizell
16. Jermaine McEwen
17. Pasami Saulo
18. Mat Arthur
19. Jones/Hopwood/Hola/Crouch/ESL

Reasons:
1-11: Explains itself imo, Marzhew is the only one up in the air but I think he will get first crack and still can offer plenty, need his big carries this year with our smaller pack.
Cant - I have him over McEwen just from Trial 1 form and the fact he has the 12 in Trial 2 plus the new deal, just gives me the idea that Holbrook is impressed.
Crokes - I have him at 13 over Friz, just think he has it in him to be an effective ball playing 13, strong performance this weekend will get his nose in front. Also don’t like how only one start prop has to be out for us to move friz from 13.
Sharpe - I think his versatility and leg speed off the bench will prove hard to handle, covers all backline positions and adds X Factor if needed.
Friz - Leg speed off the bench plus experience, he’s our top 3 prop according to lineups so leave him in that rotation instead of the lock one.
McEwen - Shared minutes with Cant, think he will eventually be the run on 12 but just going to start off on the bench after missing trial 1.
Arthur - Genuine 9 coverage if Crossy goes down early, quite crafty around the ruck if needed too.
19 - Can just be alternated to who is in form / suited to the certain side we are playing. No real stand out for this spot.
GK - Kicking shootout between Ponga, Smith and Cant imo.
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If Marzhew starts the season, he will be given a very short leash. One game of him struggling under the high ball and defensively, and sharpe come straight in.
 
Sheent14 said:
If Marzhew starts the season, he will be given a very short leash. One game of him struggling under the high ball and defensively, and sharpe come straight in.
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i think the marzhew we seen was an unfit and unconfident marzhew in a side who was always on the back foot plus he’s the last man in the defensive line… if he’s the only one we are calling out for bad defence then we need to wake up, different coach, hopefully different results, bring back the old marz
 
KPGreatness said:
My round 1 w/reasons

  1. Kalyn Ponga
  2. Dom Young
  3. Dane Gagai
  4. Bradman Best
  5. Fletcher Sharpe
  6. Dylan Brown
  7. Sandon Smith
  8. Jacob Saifiti
  9. Phoenix Crossland
  10. Trey Mooney
  11. Dylan Lucas
  12. Tom Cant
  13. Tyson Frizell
Bench
14. Matt Arthur
15. Lachlan Crouch
16. Pasami Saulo
17. Jermaine McEwen
18. Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana
19. Fletcher Hunt

Reasoning:
Matt Arthur:
Showed great ability in his first trial about to bring our forwards onto the ball but could also dart out, can come in to replace Crossland and allow Crossy to rest or rotate to lock

Saulo and Crouch:
For obvious reasons I’d have these two as our rotation, both impressed in their first trial and complement each other with Crouch’s safe play style and Saulos arms and legs running style.

Thomas Cant:
Now the big one that o suspect to have the most pushback on, I pick Cant for a very simple reason… defence, Jermaine is obviously much better in attack but he gets out done easily by Cant in defence and him being played on the right next to Smith who has a really bad 85% tackle efficiency last year, it would be a danger zone to put two players not great in defence next to each other. So Cant edges it on defence and rotates with McEwen until he gets his defence sorted.

Fletcher Hunt:
Obviously as a security measure to the backline.

ESL:
To be rotation option in lock, second row and prop if needed depending if we lack punch id bring ESL in as a prop and keep Crouch on the bench, so ESL would just be used as a “as we go” rotation.

Fletcher Sharpe:
Put him outside of Bradman that we we have to speed demons on the wing, I don’t believe Sharpe will ever become a top line halfback or five-eighth but he could easily be a top line winger and he would be first choice replacement for Brown, Smith, Ponga if injury hits, seems like the most logical choice and gets Marzhew out of the team.

Cody Hopwood:
Not in here but if injury free, I’d bring him in for Cant, push Frizell to second Row and can either deploy him as a lock (as he did perfectly in the u19s blues) or put Saulo/Mooney at lock and use Hopwood as a rotation

List subject to change depending on how trial 2 goes.
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Yep happy with that
 
I'm turning in the membership if we're naming Tom Cant as a starter for the fully fit, round 1 team.

I'll also eat my hat if Holbrook names that side...
 
He still gets stopped dead upon contact at the line when carrying the ball. He isnt particularly strong defensively either. Hes kinda just high energy, high involvement and max effort, which is exactly the sort of attitude we need but he still comes up short on the fundamentals imo
 
Holbrook’s comments about Cant praised his versatility & that’s why I think he’ll make the 19, positional cover. But I don’t think he’ll be in the first choice 13 or be one of the four subs without there being an injury. I get a very strong impression he’s a great trainer and it sends a message to others if he’s rewarded with a spot in the 19 even if he doesn’t play.

Also suspect Saulo and either Sharpe or Smith will be eating up a lot of the available bench minutes. It looks to me based on who Justin is picking that Croker and Jones are still next in the pecking order for rotational forwards but I’m not exactly going to fall off my chair if guys like ESL and Hopwood leapfrog them.
 
frankLauda said:
I was just checking, a lot on here saying he is to small. He’s 181cm 96kg. The try he scored was all strength.
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He is a similar size to other small forwards like Cameron Murray, Victor Radley and John Bateman.
All those guys are able to have a high workrate for long minutes because of their smaller build.
He isn't at the same level as those guys, but no physical barrier to him getting there - all are about 6' and under 100kg.
 
Billy said:
He is a similar size to other small forwards like Cameron Murray, Victor Radley and John Bateman.
All those guys are able to have a high workrate for long minutes because of their smaller build.
He isn't at the same level as those guys, but no physical barrier to him getting there - all are about 6' and under 100kg.
Click to expand...
Liam Martin is who Cant reminds me of....potentially.

After a spoon last season, which AOB ensured much to his discredit by giving up, I'm not too fussed what Holbrook does...it's another rebuilding year but hopefully one that's going somewhere for a change.

That said, V the Cows, I'm concerned about Marz, given that he will be relentlessly targeted by Dearden and Drinkwater.
 
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For the reading challenged, I did say "potentially"...no reason why Cant continue to develop if he continues to work hard. Clearly, the club sees his potential. I fail to see how comparisons to Murray (also an Origin player) are reasonable, but Martin isn't. Surely becoming a player like Martin, given their similar builds and position, is the goal we hope Tommy has set himself.
 
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