The World Cup

[The Rocket]

32 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

when in reality he is a bang average NRL player who has been one of the common denominators of bang average NRL teams for the last 10 years.

Except of course where he went within a whisker ( according to many good judges ) of being named man-of-the-match in Brisbane`s Grand Final loss to the Cowboys in 2015.

So poor in fact that Bennett chased very hard to re-unite with him at the Dolphins.

[Dunbar]

Just now, The Rocket said:

Except of course where he went within a whisker ( according to many good judges ) of being named man-of-the-match in Brisbane`s Grand Final loss to the Cowboys in 2015.

So poor in fact that Bennett chased very hard to re-unite with him at the Dolphins.

So you rate him as an international class player?

[Mojo]

8 minutes ago, SydneyRoosters said:

I want to change the subject

Tonga’a Halfbacks, With Hingano and staggs injured Tonga’s depth at halfback is very weak they only named 3 halfbacks in an entire 38 man squad(not including Staggs).

Lolohea is Very Good and will be one of  Tonga’s most important players at the world cup, Amone is good too But his kicking game is quite average and doesn’t offer much more than his running game. The only other player they have is 18 year old isiaya Katoa who looks very talented and plays a similar game to Talatau Amone, but he has only just made his nsw cup debut and I doubt he will be able to adjust to international level that easily.

I’ve been searching for a while and the only other guy who could play in the halves for Tonga would Samisoni Langi and he is mostly a centre but can cover 5/8 if needed.

It will certainly be a big worry especially if they have any injuries, let me now if there’s any obvious players that I’m forgetting but I’m pretty sure there is none.

Samisoni Langi is playing for France at the world cup and no I'm not joking

[SydneyRoosters]

4 minutes ago, Mojo said:

Samisoni Langi is playing for France at the world cup and no I'm not joking

I heard that he was taken out of Frances plans as he has left Catalans. but either way I’m sure he would take up the opportunity to be in the Tongan squad once again.

[Mojo]

Well to be fair tonga never really relied on halves to win games. But this time I think they do because the Kiwis figured them out. But now that they've got time to prepare and have some senior players back and the coaching staff they might find a way to play with lolohea and amone. I definitely won't count out Tonga

[The Rocket]

1 minute ago, Dunbar said:

So you rate him as an international class player?

With all due respect Dunbar that is a stupid question, but you keep on asking it so I`ll attempt to answer it. Rugby League has a relatively small player pool, the number of players that would be called elite or international class, as you put it, is a relative question, and if you put those players in a list on their own it would be lucky to fill three teams, probably two actually. The rest are very good, above average or just good club players with all their strengths and weaknesses. The majority of World Cup teams will be made up the latter two categories, a fair few out of the first and a handful world class.

Anthony Milford probably fits into the `above average` category and in a team with its` fair mix of all categories. A good enough mix I believe to trouble any team made up of a similar mix of players.

[Dunbar]

10 minutes ago, Mojo said:

Milford has performed well everytime he played for samoa so yes. Most of those games they won was due to Milfords playmaking skills and kicking game.

So, let me get this right because it is a big point.

What you are saying in the above is that the wins that Samoa got when Milford was playing were due to him playing well?  Not just that he played well but that the actual wins were because of him?

[glossop saint]

8 hours ago, Mojo said:

Nanai playing for samoa now. England is definitely getting beaten

 

1 hour ago, Mojo said:

Would Nanai and Tino committing change your mind? English should be the favourites I agree but no way they'll win it comfortably.

Make your mind up.

Or are you just on the wind up?

[Mojo]

Just now, The Rocket said:

With all due respect Dunbar that is a stupid question, but you keep on asking it so I`ll attempt to answer it. Rugby League has a relatively small player pool, the number of players that would be called elite or international class, as you put it, is a relative question, and if you put those players in a list on their own it would be lucky to fill three teams, probably two actually. The rest are very good, above average or just good club players with all their strengths and weaknesses. The majority of World Cup teams will be made up the latter two categories, a fair few out of the first and a handful world class.

Anthony Milford probably fits into the `above average` category and in a team with its` fair mix of all categories. A good enough mix I believe to trouble any team made up of a similar mix of players.

Summed that up perfectly. Well said

[Mojo]

2 minutes ago, glossop saint said:

 

Make your mind up.

Or are you just on the wind up?

Keep scrolling and that would answer your question 

[glossop saint]

16 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

So you rate him as an international class player?

Some of the inconsistencies of our southern hemisphere posters are confusing/comical/predictable.

[glossop saint]

Just now, Mojo said:

Keep scrolling and that would answer your question 

Ah. So the wind up then.

[Dunbar]

2 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

With all due respect Dunbar that is a stupid question, but you keep on asking it so I`ll attempt to answer it. Rugby League has a relatively small player pool, the number of players that would be called elite or international class, as you put it, is a relative question, and if you put those players in a list on their own it would be lucky to fill three teams, probably two actually. The rest are very good, above average or just good club players with all their strengths and weaknesses. The majority of World Cup teams will be made up the latter two categories, a fair few out of the first and a handful world class.

Anthony Milford probably fits into the `above average` category and in a team with its` fair mix of all categories. A good enough mix I believe to trouble any team made up of a similar mix of players.

I have watched Anthony Milford play many times and there is absolutely nothing that I have seen to suggest he should be above your 'good club player' level.  In fact, the fact that he keeps getting moved on / dropped from some of the underperforming NRL teams suggests he may not even belong in that category.

[Mojo]

1 minute ago, glossop saint said:

Ah. So the wind up then.

If you kept scrolling the nanai comment was a mistake thinking it was nanai that has pledged his alliance to samoa but it was actually Taulagi which I later apologized for, which is why I said keep scrolling. So Nanai hasn't pledged his alliance to samoa yet. But if he did with tino I don't think the English will beat Samoa.

[Mojo]

Just now, Dunbar said:

I have watched Anthony Milford play many times and there is absolutely nothing that I have seen to suggest he should be above your 'good club player' level.  In fact, the fact that he keeps getting moved on / dropped from some of the underperforming NRL teams suggests he may not even belong in that category.

The only team that didn't wanna sign him was the broncos and he left the Raiders for the broncos. The knights signed him and they were fighting to keep him this year but he elected to join Benett. So basically only one team didn't want milford

[SydneyRoosters]

10 minutes ago, Mojo said:

Well to be fair tonga never really relied on halves to win games. But this time I think they do because the Kiwis figured them out. But now that they've got time to prepare and have some senior players back and the coaching staff they might find a way to play with lolohea and amone. I definitely won't count out Tonga

I think There starting halves pairing of Lolohea and Amone is pretty solid but it’s the players behind them which is a real concern. they genuinely have no depth at halfback with staggs and hingano injured. if Lolohea or Amone were to go to down it would be a catastrophe.

[UTK]

Milf has a 50% win rate for Samoa, those wins have come against PNG, the CIs and France. 

He's an okay 5/8 now, was an absolute superstar fullback when he burst onto the scene and a brilliant 5/8 during the early stages of his Brisbane tenure - nothing he's done since has even remotely resembled that player but he's a competent first-grade 5/8. 

He has never and will never be a passable first-grade halfback, pairing him with another 6 in Nikorima was the start of his demise at Brisbane and he never recovered - he's also a terrible defender as he's as lazy as they come. Luai is a great player but we face the same problem for Samoa here, it's why I'd be very tempted to start with Mason Lino as the 7, Samoa don't need any of the spark that Milford could potentially provide but they do need someone who can play the halfback role competently.

[UTK]

Just now, SydneyRoosters said:

I think There starting halves pairing of Lolohea and Amone is pretty solid but it’s the players behind them which is a real concern. they genuinely have no depth at halfback with staggs and hingano injured. if Lolohea or Amone were to go to down it would be a catastrophe.

I think if that happens they run with someone like Hopoate in the halves, less than ideal but they actually lost a half during the mid-season test and Soni Luke slotted in there - not sure if he has experience in the halves but he did okay during that limited time.

[The Rocket]

1 minute ago, Mojo said:

The only team that didn't wanna sign him was the broncos and he left the Raiders for the broncos. The knights signed him and they were fighting to keep him this year but he elected to join Benett. So basically only one team didn't want milford

Exactly and he remains the highest paid Bronco ever. You don`t chase someone that hard and pay him that much if he is questionable. There`s a very good footballer somewhere inside Anthny Milford, his fitness always looks questionable to me, but to the question at hand, in a tournament of only half a dozen games, in squad of his Samoan peers, it would be foolish to dismiss him.

[SydneyRoosters]

5 minutes ago, UTK said:

I think if that happens they run with someone like Hopoate in the halves, less than ideal but they actually lost a half during the mid-season test and Soni Luke slotted in there - not sure if he has experience in the halves but he did okay during that limited time.

Would there be an argument to be had for taumalolo to slot in at 6 if someone went down. He is a remarkable ballplayer and definitely has the skill set to play there.

[glossop saint]

13 minutes ago, Mojo said:

If you kept scrolling the nanai comment was a mistake thinking it was nanai that has pledged his alliance to samoa but it was actually Taulagi which I later apologized for, which is why I said keep scrolling. So Nanai hasn't pledged his alliance to samoa yet. But if he did with tino I don't think the English will beat Samoa.

So at the moment you think England are favourites but if Nanai plays for Samoa then England are definitely getting beaten? Quite a turn around based on one player, who has no international track record. Or just a bit of hyperbole?

[Mojo]

14 minutes ago, UTK said:

Milf has a 50% win rate for Samoa, those wins have come against PNG, the CIs and France. 

He's an okay 5/8 now, was an absolute superstar fullback when he burst onto the scene and a brilliant 5/8 during the early stages of his Brisbane tenure - nothing he's done since has even remotely resembled that player but he's a competent first-grade 5/8. 

He has never and will never be a passable first-grade halfback, pairing him with another 6 in Nikorima was the start of his demise at Brisbane and he never recovered - he's also a terrible defender as he's as lazy as they come. Luai is a great player but we face the same problem for Samoa here, it's why I'd be very tempted to start with Mason Lino as the 7, Samoa don't need any of the spark that Milford could potentially provide but they do need someone who can play the halfback role competently.

Milford games he lost in a Samoan jersey was against tonga and Mason Lino played that game at 7 and he was average and he got exposed on defense against tonga.

 

Another loss was against England. Milford played fullback and he had a solid game but the English were too good. All the other losses was at the 2013 world cup and milford was the star of that team basically carrying the samoan team every game.

 

I get the lazy defender in the nrl level but milford for some crazy reason is a great defender for the samoan team. If you watch games he puts on alot of hits and covers alot of players on the defensive end.

[Mojo]

3 minutes ago, glossop saint said:

So at the moment you think England are favourites but if Nanai plays for Samoa then England are definitely getting beaten? Quite a turn around based on one player, who has no international track record. Or just a bit of hyperbole?

One of the weakness I see in the samoan team is a elite second row or lock with Nanai's skills. So yes he would make a huge difference for that samoan forward pack. I see too many power forwards but samoa need a forward type that actually plays a bit like radley or murray

[MattSantos]

25 minutes ago, SydneyRoosters said:

Would there be an argument to be had for taumalolo to slot in at 6 if someone went down. He is a remarkable ballplayer and definitely has the skill set to play there.

No. 

[Pulga]

I'm interested to know what everyone thinks would happen if Samoa beat England. 

Would the press destroy England? 

Would the fans riot in the streets?

Would anyone care?