Kangaroos Selection - 2024 including Pong-gate

[Dunbar]

24 minutes ago, GeordieSaint said:

Love how Ponga hasn’t been picked. Talk about causing a hurricane of a non-issue…

Especially since half the Samoan team looks like they just decided not to bother with international Rugby League this year and no-one is suggesting fining or banning them.

[StandOffHalf]

I think it's a fair call to drop DCE after being outplayed in Origin. The NSW halves had more creativity I thought.

I don't think it's the correct call to drop Tedesco though. He was immense in the back-half of 2024, after the Origin question-marks. Edwards has been solid, but Teddy has been considerably better all-round.

The Aussie props aren't exactly massive. I think there are question-marks over how that team will go.

[Dunbar]

47 minutes ago, StandOffHalf said:

I think it's a fair call to drop DCE after being outplayed in Origin. The NSW halves had more creativity I thought.

I don't think it's the correct call to drop Tedesco though. He was immense in the back-half of 2024, after the Origin question-marks. Edwards has been solid, but Teddy has been considerably better all-round.

The Aussie props aren't exactly massive. I think there are question-marks over how that team will go.

I think DCE can actually consider himself unlucky.  He was in good form at the back end of the year and helped Manly into the week 2 of the finals.

Meninga has gone for Mitch Moses.  Now, he had a good Origin but two things.  One, he is 30 now and so he isn't a dominent half who you would absolutely bring into the team if fit.

And two, he hasn't played since the 22nd of July.

I guess he has Hunt available if Moses doesn't work out.

[StandOffHalf]

48 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

I think DCE can actually consider himself unlucky.  He was in good form at the back end of the year and helped Manly into the week 2 of the finals.

Meninga has gone for Mitch Moses.  Now, he had a good Origin but two things.  One, he is 30 now and so he isn't a dominent half who you would absolutely bring into the team if fit.

And two, he hasn't played since the 22nd of July.

I guess he has Hunt available if Moses doesn't work out.

I agree that he ended the season quite well, but I think it's time to move on. DCE is 34-35.

[Dunbar]

2 hours ago, StandOffHalf said:

I agree that he ended the season quite well, but I think it's time to move on. DCE is 34-35.

And Moses is already 30 and Ben Hunt 34.

It shows that despite the size of the NRL player base, they are not flush with world class players in some positions.

Edited October 7 by Dunbar

[Sports Prophet]

On 05/10/2024 at 20:39, Dunbar said:

Yes, I agree.  As I have said on here before, my daughter is both British on my side and Italian on my wife's side and absolutely is connected to both.

 

Yeah, but you are forgetting that some people may feel equally Samoan and Australian because they have parents from each of those countries, so they have every right to represent both countries.

Edited October 7 by Sports Prophet

[Sports Prophet]

4 hours ago, GeordieSaint said:

Love how Ponga hasn’t been picked. Talk about causing a hurricane of a non-issue…

I reckon he would have been picked had he not declared himself unavailable at the beginning.

[StandOffHalf]

4 hours ago, Dunbar said:

Especially since half the Samoan team looks like they just decided not to bother with international Rugby League this year and no-one is suggesting fining or banning them.

Yeah, hypocrisy at its finest. I haven't heard a peep.

I don't think a player should be banned for deciding not to play. If that's the axe they were holding to Ponga though, then they should absolutely apply the same threatened sanctions to the Samoan drop-outs.

[DavidM]

Not saying it’s surprising but it’s interesting to hear Mal openly saying how Origin is front and centre in his thinking . Three games a long way from the end of the season .

[Hopie]

2 hours ago, StandOffHalf said:

Yeah, hypocrisy at its finest. I haven't heard a peep.

I don't think a player should be banned for deciding not to play. If that's the axe they were holding to Ponga though, then they should absolutely apply the same threatened sanctions to the Samoan drop-outs.

It was all very performative though, dropping out of internationals is a generally accepted practice, it was the way he did it publicly that meant they had to make noises about some kind of action, but it was never going to happen. 

[StandOffHalf]

4 minutes ago, Hopie said:

It was all very performative though, dropping out of internationals is a generally accepted practice, it was the way he did it publicly that meant they had to make noises about some kind of action, but it was never going to happen. 

Yeah, you are probably right.

All a bit dispiriting, but that's what you get when you treat internationals as a post-season add-on. Players are taught that mindset. I don't blame the players as much as the administrators.

[Dunbar]

6 hours ago, StandOffHalf said:

I don't think it's the correct call to drop Tedesco though. He was immense in the back-half of 2024, after the Origin question-marks. Edwards has been solid, but Teddy has been considerably better all-round.

I agree with this.

I rate Edwards, he is a very good player but I think he excels in the Panthers team and their very specific game plan where he carries on the 5th play for a yardage carry and a quick play the  ball for a tactical kick.  A play that a lot of sides are starting to replicate. 

This is one area where I think stats are misleading as Edwards racks up huge metres but Tedesco outperforms him in tackled busts, tries and try assists... these are areas that are more important for a rep team that doesn't have the disciplined game plan of a club side.

Edited October 7 by Dunbar

[StandOffHalf]

15 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

I agree with this.

I rate Edwards, he is a very good player but I think he excels in the Panthers team and their very specific game plan where he carries on the 5th play for a yardage carry and a quick play the  all for a tactical kick.  A play that a lot of sides are starting to replicate. 

This is one area where I think stats are misleading as Edwards ranks up huge metres but Tedesco outperforms him in tackled busts, tries and try assists... these are areas that are more important for a rep team that doesn't have the disciplined game plan of a club side.

Yeah, Teddy is a much more creative player. Edwards is so consistent and solid, but he doesn't have the ball-playing ability of the man he has replaced.

One can only think that Meninga is punishing players for the 30-0 loss last year. Not something I would endorse. I think Tedesco has been very good in 2024 and should have been retained as FB and captain.

[Dunbar]

7 minutes ago, StandOffHalf said:

Yeah, Teddy is a much more creative player. Edwards is so consistent and solid, but he doesn't have the ball-playing ability of the man he has replaced.

One can only think that Meninga is punishing players for the 30-0 loss last year. Not something I would endorse. I think Tedesco has been very good in 2024 and should have been retained as FB and captain.

I don't see Tedesco as a ball playing full back, his strength is his running amd tackle busting. 

The best all round full back with creativity and running is Ponga (although Trbojevic at his best is probably still the best full back in the competition but his injuries are really catching up with him).

[StandOffHalf]

32 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

I don't see Tedesco as a ball playing full back, his strength is his running and tackle busting. 

The best all round full back with creativity and running is Ponga (although Trbojevic at his best is probably still the best full back in the competition but his injuries are really catching up with him).

Yeah, sorry. I used that term rather lazily. I meant his busts and offloads, his support, his running, his try assists and finishes through being there to capitalise. He's not a FB who is like a third half, picking the final ball. His energy and influence all throughout the game just creates and finishes opportunities.

I think 2024 was one of his best years. For me he is still the best FB in the game.

I probably would have gone with Ponga at stand-off and Teddy at FB. I don't know who I'd have at scrum-half. Maybe Hunt (or DCE), although Hunt is well suited to the bench role of half/hooker cover. I REALLY don't like this picking-up of players who have represented other countries, as is the case with Moses. It completely undermines the Lebanese jumper IMO. Although Teddy was an Italian rep, LOL...

Edited October 7 by StandOffHalf

[Llangennech]

Fullback - D Edwards

Wingers - Z Lomax, X Coates

Centres - T Trbojevic, H Tabuai-Fidow

Five-eighth - T Dearden

Halfback - M Moses

Front-rowers - L Collins, M Barnett

Rake - H Grant

Edge-forwards - A Crichton, L Martin

Loose-forward - I Yeo

Interchange - Hunt, Smith, Cotter, Murray

 

Edited October 8 by Llangennech

[stookie]

16 hours ago, StandOffHalf said:

Yeah, Teddy is a much more creative player. Edwards is so consistent and solid, but he doesn't have the ball-playing ability of the man he has replaced.

One can only think that Meninga is punishing players for the 30-0 loss last year. Not something I would endorse. I think Tedesco has been very good in 2024 and should have been retained as FB and captain.

With Tedesco, yeah, second half of this season was very good, but he was poor the 2 previous years, especially at rep level. I maintain that close to the opposition's line he wasn't even neutral, but a liability.

Also, this is a great time to move on players that won't be around for the next world cup, and Tedesco is certainly in that category.

[StandOffHalf]

35 minutes ago, stookie said:

With Tedesco, yeah, second half of this season was very good, but he was poor the 2 previous years, especially at rep level. I maintain that close to the opposition's line he wasn't even neutral, but a liability.

Also, this is a great time to move on players that won't be around for the next world cup, and Tedesco is certainly in that category.

He'll be 33 in 2026. He's coming off one of the best years of his career. It just seems to me to be a pre-planned demotion, that doesn't take account of the season past.

[Llangennech]

Tedesco won't be in the next WC squad, so...

[StandOffHalf]

26 minutes ago, Llangennech said:

Tedesco won't be in the next WC squad, so...

Looks that way, alright. I'm just saying he'll be 33 then, so not exactly an ancient crock.

[Llangennech]

1 hour ago, StandOffHalf said:

Looks that way, alright. I'm just saying he'll be 33 then, so not exactly an ancient crock.

Ok, but IMO he's not the best fullback in the NRL.  For the way the 'Roos have been playing for the last 15 years, I think that S Drinkwater would be best suited for the role.  He's the closest thing to B Slater in the NRL.  As has been said, the 'Roos don't have the most powerful forwards in the world, so when chances arise, especially with a play-the-ball in the oppositions 20 metre area, they need to convert those chances like they did when they had Slater, Cronk, Thurston and Smith in their spine. 

When did the 'Roos fail to score a try during a match before that awful result in NZ last year? 

[StandOffHalf]

19 minutes ago, Llangennech said:

Ok, but IMO he's not the best fullback in the NRL.  For the way the 'Roos have been playing for the last 15 years, I think that S Drinkwater would be best suited for the role.  He's the closest thing to B Slater in the NRL.  As has been said, the 'Roos don't have the most powerful forwards in the world, so when chances arise, especially with a play-the-ball in the oppositions 20 metre area, they need to convert those chances like they did when they had Slater, Cronk, Thurston and Smith in their spine. 

When did the 'Roos fail to score a try during a match before that awful result in NZ last year? 

I like the Drinkwater/Slater analogy. I can see a bit of that. I'd be interested to see him in the Green and Gold, but he seems to be down the pecking order for rep selection.

[Anita Bath]

Yes, he learned from Billy Wiz during his time in the Storm organization.