Australian XVII

Never too early for these is it

Will be interesting to see how people's predictions change.

After 3 rounds given form and injuries I'd probably be picking something like this:

1. Inglis
2. Boyd
3. J. Morris
4. Will Chambers
5. Johnston
6. JT
7. Cronk
8. Scott
9. Smith
10. Tamou
11. Thaiday
12. Bird
13. Parker

14. Hunt/Morgan
15. McGuire
16. Fifita
17. Guerra

Certainly a lack of options in the backline compared to only a year or so ago. I wouldn't be against something like Tadesco/Coote at 1. and Inglis in the Centres, chambers to the wing and Johnston left out tbh.

Anyway what are your thoughts?

P.S I used to post on the sportal forums ages ago under the username scotty (not likely any of you remember me however, was quite a while ago), anyway saw that place was dead as now but some familiar names here so I thought I'd give this place a go!

abscott88 wrote:Never too early for these is it  

Will be interesting to see how people's predictions change.

After 3 rounds given form and injuries I'd probably be picking something like this:

1. Inglis
2. Boyd
3. J. Morris
4. Will Chambers
5. Johnston
6. JT
7. Cronk
8. Scott
9. Smith
10. Tamou
11. Thaiday
12. Bird
13. Parker

14. Hunt/Morgan
15. McGuire
16. Fifita
17. Guerra

Certainly a lack of options in the backline compared to only a year or so ago. I wouldn't be against something like Tadesco/Coote at 1. and Inglis in the Centres, chambers to the wing and Johnston left out tbh.

Anyway what are your thoughts?

P.S I used to post on the sportal forums ages ago under the username scotty (not likely any of you remember me however, was quite a while ago), anyway saw that place was dead as now but some familiar names here so I thought I'd give this place a go!

Hey Scotty good to have you back mate.

1. Tedesco
2. Semi
3. Inglis
4. Chambers
5. Boyd
6. Thurston
7. Cronk
8. Scott
9. Smith
10. Tamou
11. Gillett
12. Bird
13. Parker

14. Papalii
15. Klemmer
16. McGuire
17. Morgan

Personally I think Tolman deserves a spot but wont get one. Same with a few more guys at the raiders like Fensom and Croker. IMO Jarrod Croker could easily take the left centre spot with inglis on the right with chambers missing out.
There is a heavy QLD contingent in the side but prob still deservedly so.

Piemans team looks good to me but with Thaiday probs shading papali

And I'd have milf over Morgan, he is only suspended for qld and his form is ridiculous

leaguegod wrote:Piemans team looks good to me but with Thaiday probs shading papali

And I'd have milf over Morgan, he is only suspended for qld and his form is ridiculous

Milf is in electric form, I wouldnt complain if he was the 6 with Cronk missing out - JT at 7. But that wont happen.
Milf on the bench could be excellent though, but I think Morgan Pips him at a utility because of the amount of positions he can cover.

I wouldnt mind Jack De Belling getting a gig, hes been unreal this year so far.

On the bench is take Morgan over milf. And I
Wouldn't touch anyone over Cronk

Krump wrote:On the bench is take Morgan over milf. And I
Wouldn't touch anyone over Cronk

All of this! Cronk is equally as valuable as Smith, and sometimes just as invisible, but they're the cornerstones of the QLD and AUS success over recent years. They do their job, without fanfare, and everyone else gets a leg up to do the flashy GI-type stuff



Morgan running off JT against tired defenders.... he does that playing the full game at the moment.

I like Milf, and he's playing at least as well as Morgan, if not better, but I'd rather see Morgan on the bench. And that's from a Broncos supporter.

Milf's time will come.

Great to see more posters coming around.. Anyway my 17..

I agree with Piemans team though I think Dugan would be a better option on the wing over Semi Radradra (Is he eligible for Australia? If he is then Radradra.) and Fifita over Klemmer.

Announced officially:

The 2016 Kangaroos squad:

1. Darius Boyd
2. Semi Radradra
3. Greg Inglis
4. Josh Dugan
5. Blake Ferguson
6. Johnathan Thurston
7. Cooper Cronk
8. Matt Scott
9. Cameron Smith (c)
10. Paul Gallen
11. Josh Papalii
12. Matt Gillett
13. Corey Parker
Interchange:
14. Josh McGuire
15. Michael Morgan
16. James Tamou
17. Sam Thaiday
18. Aidan Guerra
19. Michael Jennings

Pretty solid team IMO. Tedesco is unlucky and probably paid for a couple of very ordinary weeks by his team-mates. I'm pretty happy. Would have had Tedesco in the team with Boyd on the wing instead of the Fijiian (who clearly deserves to be there if eligible, but imo shouldn't be eligible). I would probably also pick a different winger instead of Ferguson - maybe JMoz (either straight up on the wing, or with Dugan pushed to the wing), but i can live with that.

Would prefer Jennings at CTR and Dugan on the wing (would have preferred Oates on the wing TBH). I would also drop Tamou for Klemmer.

Blake fergusson has been poor


others in the team have been too but they've all got enough runs on the board, how the hell does an out of form player who has consistently fucked up off the field get rewarded with a test debut, there are several better options. surely he needed great form to get a test birth

i'd rather any of(some with positional changes) tedesco, coote, jennings, Jmoz, oates, mansour, roberts etc


you can nit pick over other parts but the fergy selection is the only terrible one for me

leaguegod wrote:Blake fergusson has been poor


others in the team have been too but they've all got enough runs on the board, how the hell does an out of form player who has consistently fucked up off the field get rewarded with a test debut, there are several better options. surely he needed great form to get a test birth

i'd rather any of(some with positional changes) tedesco, coote, jennings, Jmoz, oates, mansour, roberts etc


you can nit pick over other parts but the fergy selection is the only terrible one for me

Very much agree.

Haha, Darius Boyd. Couldn't make it past the first player and I'm already cheering for NZ.

Jennings to CE, Dugan to wing and Ferg nowhere near the side I agree with too. Though I can see Ferg cashing in bigtime when surrounded by decent players, like literally anyone could (eg. Boyd on the wing for QLD).

Tedesco should be there, but Meninga obviously not wanting to give the kid some high-level experience or recognition.

leaguegod wrote:Blake fergusson has been poor


others in the team have been too but they've all got enough runs on the board, how the hell does an out of form player who has consistently fucked up off the field get rewarded with a test debut, there are several better options. surely he needed great form to get a test birth

i'd rather any of(some with positional changes) tedesco, coote, jennings, Jmoz, oates, mansour, roberts etc


you can nit pick over other parts but the fergy selection is the only terrible one for me

100% agree

Ferguson in the side is a joke. Agree with others. His side has one win all year and what has he done to deserve a Aus jumper. I could probably cop him in the NSW side as we are desperate and need to make some changes and he has performed for NSW, but he hasn't earned an Australian Jersey. How an under performing centre gets a gig on the wing over a guy like Jennings, a performing centre, or Mansour/Oates, in form wingers or Tedesco, an inform FB beggars belief, and Mal said he would be reluctant to give those in form debutants a shot, so what does he do, he goes with an OUT OF FORM debutant. Great start Mal, no really, fucking great start, you've set a really good tone and a great message there.

Semi is a must so good to see the big Aussie selected now that he IS eligible and has shown a commitment to this country.

Though Boyd is blessed to have been with the players he has been with, I am comfortable enough with him at FB given the woeful Inglis form and I am fine with a player of Inglis' calibre, an incumbent, retaining his spot in the centres.

Only other changes would have been Gallen to the Bench for Tamou (or Gillett). Gallen deserves to retain his spot, but I don't know why you wouldn't stick with starting Scott and Tamou.

Jennings, the form centre in the comp at the moment the unlucky one, though he is 19th man.

Does Mal consider Semi a NSWelshman for he purpose of balance ?

SO thats what you get when you take the QLD for 10 years and give him the Aus job.
12 of the 17 are qlders. Now, considering the dominance of QLD over that time, thats all well and good but fuck me...

Leaving Tedesco out of the side is atrocious.
He said he wouldn't pick Aus rookies and what does he do?

Picks Boyd at FB
Picks Dugan at CTR
Picks Semi on the wing
Picks Fergo on the wing

Sure, Boyd and Dugan arent rookies but they havent played in those positions before for Aus have they??

How the FUCK is boyd a better fullback than Tedesco. Just how?
How is Dugan one of the top 2 centres for aus?
Why is fergo on the wing? What has he done to deserve it? He doesnt even stand out in his own shit team, unlike tedesco.

Just wow. WOW.

Wouldnt have a problem with the entire team being QLDers if they all deserved their spots.

So which of the QLD'ers selected in the 17 aren't deserved? I'd say Thaiday is probably lucky, and personally I'd have picked Klemmer, but I think him (and Papalii and McGuire, who are probably the other 2 marginal choices) are far better options than the likes of Jackson, Bird, Hoffman, Scott etc. Merrin is probably next in line but in terms of a bench role, Thaiday has done that as well as anyone this year IMO.

For sure Tedesco is unlucky (and Jennings to a lesser extent), but Fergo then Dugan are the ones in line to be cut.

Your Name wrote:Does Mal consider Semi a NSWelshman for he purpose of balance ?

When you factor in Inglis and Tamou, the 17 has 4 Blues, 11 Cane Toads, a Fijiian and a Kiwi.

Pieman wrote:
How the FUCK is boyd a better fullback than Tedesco. Just how?

Origin Jerseys - 23 v 0
Australian Jerseys - 17 v 0
Representative Points Scored - 116 v 0
Premiership Rings - 2 v 0
Minor premierships - 2 v 0
RLIF FBotY - 1 v 0
Dally M FBotY - 1 v 0

Glad we cleared that up.