The Football (all sorts) Thread

[i_amtrunks]

Go for it Paulbot.

I see Brisbane falling a lot. Parramatta and Tigers again not living up to expectations, St George being a possible top 8 side (same as Newcastle and the Bulldogs). Cronulla is a side that will do well, but it all comes down to how the utilise Barrett, if the overpaid hack plays to suit the team, they will be a top 4 side. If the team is changed to suit his bad playing style, then Cronulla will be spoon contenders with the Tigers and Parra (and if Prince gets injured, the Titans). It's that Premiership curse, win the comp, 4 years later you win the spoon.

The Aussie team is a strong one, all the better for no O' Meley, no Mason, no Gasnier and would be better if Gallen was also overlooked, Laffranchi, Price and Civoniceva will do the job. Hopefully Inglis will be used as a centre, as Prince, Lockyer and Thurston more than cover the halves. My team would read:
Slater, Folau, Inglis, Hodges, Monaghan, Lockyer, Prince, Kite, Smith, Fitzgibbon, Civoniceva, Price, Laffranchi, with Gidley, Perry, Watmough and Thurston on the Bench.

[Rampage]

i'd love to know how Fitzgibbon gets selected for Australia & Nathan Hindmarsh, Luke O'Donnell, Chris Heighington cant get a run

same with Thurston he is nothing without Matt Bowen. Orford/Cronk/Kimmorley all had better seasons than him

the team will probably be

1-B.Stewart
2-Slater
3-Inglis
4-Hodges
5-Folau
6-Lockyer
7-Thurston
8-Price
9-Smith
10-Civonaceva
11-Gallen
12-Laffranchi
13-G.Stewart

14-Kite
15-Crocker
16-Perry
17-Gidley

hopefully Steve Matai knocks Cam Smith's head off in the first match & Robbie Farah gets a run

[jacksplatt11]

The Aussie team is a strong one, all the better for no O' Meley, no Mason, no Gasnier and would be better if Gallen was also overlooked, Laffranchi, Price and Civoniceva will do the job

mason is as useless as they come, just a big unit with a big mouth, and not much skill.. o' meley has gotten too big, he can't run anymore, a couple of years ago he could get some good runs going, but now with some added weight he can't move with much pace... gasnier is a good player, but if he didn't have the last name that he has, i dont think he would be rated as highly... even at their age, price and civoniceva are still the best probs available for AUS, which is a testament to their staying ability and skill..

i'd love to know how Fitzgibbon gets selected for Australia & Nathan Hindmarsh, Luke O'Donnell, Chris Heighington cant get a run

same with Thurston he is nothing without Matt Bowen. Orford/Cronk/Kimmorley all had better seasons than him

agreed, i don't know how good fitzgibbon was a few years ago, but at the moment there are far better players than him... how come hindmarsh doesn't get any love anymore? he's only 29, played a dozen or so tests and origin matches, still in great form, but doesn't get a look in? granted parra struggled a lot this year, but he still gives everything week in week out like the workhorse that he is.. plus he's one of my favs so

i would love for cronk to get more AUS games or maybe even QLD, but while thurston is fit, i don't think you can pick against him.. he is like adam goodes in the AFL, when fully fit they can do some pretty amazing stuff..

my team would look like:
1-Hunt
2-Tate
3-Inglis
4-Hodges
5-Folau
6-Lockyer
7-Thurston
8-Price
9-Smith
10-Civonaceva
11-Laffranchi
12-Crocker
13-G.Stewart

14-B.Stewart
15-Slater
16-Kite
17-Hindmarsh

[Bartrim]

I agree with everyone here about Fitzgibbon. Yes he is a good player but one thing Australia aren't short on is backrowers.

Anyway IMO the likely side would read
1. Slater
2. Folau
3. Tate
4. Hodges
5. Inglis
6. Lockyer
7. Thurston (although Price should be there)
8. Price
9. Smith
10. Petro
11. Gallen
12. Crocker
13. Fitzgibbon

14. Gidley
15. Kite
16. Laffranchi
17. Either G. Stewart or Perry

Rampage, as much as I'd like to see Farah get a run I'm certain they would use Gidley if anything happened to Cam Smith.

Once again the Tigers get rorted for reps in Australia. Come on New Zealand, Ireland or any other country that has Tigers in it!!!

[i_amtrunks]

No love for the ever versatile Gidley Splatt?

I think Fitzgibbon gets picked because like Price he can be used as an 80 minute player, he had a decent season (played better when he lost the captaincy), and his sharp shooting with goal kicking is an added bonus if for some reason the normal kickers are off the field.
Hindmarsh had another cracker season, but as great as he is in defence, his offence has been a little meh the last 2 seasons, his meters gained are low compared to other forwards, and his game reminds me most of Martin Lang in his Penrith years; predictable.

And Bartrim, how can the Tigers get Aussie reps from their side, when like Penrith and the Bunnies, most of their players are from the Pacific Islands and New Zealand???

[Bartrim]

And Bartrim, how can the Tigers get Aussie reps from their side, when like Penrith and the Bunnies, most of their players are from the Pacific Islands and New Zealand???

True. I guess I still haven't forgiven the selectors for snobbing John Skandalis after a fantastic 2005 season.

[jacksplatt11]

No love for the ever versatile Gidley Splatt?

haha yeah you could consider him unlucky in my team, you could probably switch either B. Stewart or Slater, probably Stewart..

Should be getting a ticket to the AUS vs ENG world cup match at telstra dome today, i don't get to watch much of the english league so i don't know any of the players, but apparently they have a pretty big forward pack..

Would love to see AUS vs NZ as it would be all NRL players, but unfortunately melb only get AUS vs ENG, should still be a cracker though

[i_amtrunks]

I'm thinking of going and watching games from the minnow pool, Tonga vs. Ireland or Scotland vs. Fiji for example. More likely to be close entertaining games!

Fiji and Tonga will both have fairly strong sides mostly full of NRL and Super League Players. I feel for PNG though, those guys have a slightly weaker team than Fiji or Tonga, yet get grouped with the big 3.
It's almost as if the pools are tiered, France, Scotland and Fiji are the 1st Division sides with Ireland, Tonga and Samoa the 2nd Division sides...

As long as England don't do so well I'll be happy!

[jacksplatt11]

I'm thinking of going and watching games from the minnow pool, Tonga vs. Ireland or Scotland vs. Fiji for example. More likely to be close entertaining games!

True that, unfortunately us Melbourne-ites only get the one match, so it'll have to do, its AUS though so i'm happy.. but i would love to see some of those other matches, practically every team features NRL players, especially the polynesian countries, so any match would be worth it...

Fiji and Tonga will both have fairly strong sides mostly full of NRL and Super League Players. I feel for PNG though, those guys have a slightly weaker team than Fiji or Tonga, yet get grouped with the big 3.
It's almost as if the pools are tiered, France, Scotland and Fiji are the 1st Division sides with Ireland, Tonga and Samoa the 2nd Division sides...

From what I've heard, that's exactly right... each group is meant to be the same division kinda thing... otherwise, if AUS were in A, NZ in B and ENG in C, they would pretty much dominate their groups... but by grouping those 3 together with PNG, then the others, there shouldn't be any big blowouts in the group stages and everyone gets a fair go pretty much..

To be honest I think it's a 3 horse race, if you have a look at the group and knockout stage and who goes through, i can't see the final being between anyone except obviously two of AUS, NZ and ENG.. I would love to see an upset though..

As long as England don't do so well I'll be happy!

haha i have nothing against them, go Aus though

and if anyone at all is interested in the AFL international rules series (i'll watch it, but it doesn't really interest me compared to normal AFL), here is the AUS squad, to be honest it's a waste of time, they shouldn't have brought it back, should bring back AFL state of origin...

Nathan Bock (Adelaide), Matthew Boyd (Western Bulldogs), Jared Brennan (Brisbane Lions), Campbell Brown (Hawthorn), Shaun Burgoyne (Port Adelaide), Matt Campbell (North Melbourne), Ryan Crowley (Fremantle), Michael Firrito (North Melbourne), Nathan Foley (Richmond), Brent Harvey (North Melbourne), Roger Hayden (Fremantle), Leigh Montagna (St Kilda), Daniel Motlop (Port Adelaide), Marc Murphy (Carlton), Michael Osborne (Hawthorn), Scott Pendlebury (Collingwood), Drew Petrie (North Melbourne), David Rodan (Port Adelaide), Max Rooke (Geelong), Brad Sewell (Hawthorn), Kade Simpson (Carlton), Adam Selwood (West Coast), Dale Thomas (Collingwood), Scott Thompson (Adelaide), Daniel Wells (North Melbourne).