SQUAD v STORM

[Waylander]

ROOSTERS SQUAD v MELBOURNE STORM

Finals Week 2 - Friday 15th September
7:50pm AAMI Park, Melbourne


Well here we are. The biggest game of the year and once again we are seriously busted. How the Fark does this keep happening?

Missing our entire first choice 3/4 line and several of our best (and more physical) pack members. But those forwards left have REALLY stood up for us over the last 6 weeks. Collins, May, Nat, Rads & Cheese have all been great. Even Gus has come back looking strong and engaged. Having him firing is a big plus. That said, they will all need to lift another gear this week. If we are going to beat the Storm with a Teddy Bears backline we need the pigs to dominate.

The Storm were diabolical last week, which only serves to worry me more. They just don't play like that 2 weeks in a row. They will be more comfortable at home, and they know our backline is on life support. They'll bring their A game, and look to exploit our patchwork backs. Look out for big NAS attacking on the edges.

The bookies don't give us a hope. The "experts" tip Melbourne. We are pretty much friendless. Ours & Buckley's.

Won't it be *SO* bloody good when we knock them off?

Too many changes to comment on individually, but it is what it is. Next man up. Nothing to lose. Let's go!!

We get Klein, of course. Butler in the Bunker.

GO EASTS !!


ROOSTERS:
1. Teddy
2. Pauga
3. Momirovski
4. Allan
5. Paulo
6. Keary
7. Walker
8. Baker
9. Smith, Brandon
10. Collins
11. Wong
12. Butcher, N
13. Radley

INTERCHANGE:
14. Smith, Sandon
15. Butcher, E
16. May
17. Crichton

RESERVES:
18. Hutchison
19. Whyte
20. Dockar-Clay
21. Turpin
22. Brown


Match Officials

Referee: Ashley Klein
Touch Judge: Chris Sutton
Touch Judge: Drew Oultram
Senior Review Official: Chris Butler

[Waylander]

STORM

1 Nick Meaney
2 Will Warbrick
3 Marion Seve
4 Justin Olam
5 Reimis Smith
6 Cameron Munster
7 Jahrome Hughes
8 Tui Kamikamica
9 Harry Grant
10 Christian Welch
11 Trent Loiero
12 Eliesa Katoa
13 Josh King

Interchange:
14 Alec MacDonald
15 Tom Eisenhuth
16 Nelson Asofa-Solomona
17 Tariq Sims

Reserves:
18 Grant Anderson
19 Bronson Garlick
20 Tepai Moeroa
21 Tyran Wishart
22 Sualauvi Faalogo

[Vasco]

Tupou still a while off if he's not even in the 22.

So are all of the Storm players coming off HIA queries in the squad?

[Rooster89]

I'm sure its the same with every fan on this forum but Warbrick/Seve coming up against our Paulo/Allan makes me pretty nervous.

And Olam up against Momo who hasn't played since round 9.

We need to play through the middle in attack and rush their halves every opportunity in defence. A bit of grub will be required, someone needs to get Munster off his game. C'mon B Smith!

[zac]

no guarantee that 17 takes the park, although robbo always has the double bluff up his sleeve.
hard to know what team is best unless you've seen the boys training - how good are momi and paulo playing? better to play players in position but i wouldn't be against wong being moved to centres, maybe even crichton as well. it's not just about picking players in position but also picking your best available 17 players - moving forwards to the centres means whyte and brown could come into the team

[Team Evil]

I think this is probably the best we could come up with.
I could just imagine the melt down on this place if Hutch went into centre.
‘It is what it is and let’s just hope we are able to be competitive.
So disappointing, I truly believe we were building momentum but our entire backline is out bar Teddy.
I just think that backline will leak to many points and not have enough in attack.
I still have hope, you just never know but I can’t see the Storm being that bad two games in a row.

[HunchoRooster]

I mean I could think of worse outside backs to go up against. Seve and Reimis Smith aren't superstars, Warbrick is rocks and diamonds and Olam has been playing reserve grade for half the season.

If this is the team we run out with, kudos to Robinson for actually picking players in their natural position. Allan is very meh but he was brought to the club for this very reason. Same applies to Jaxson Paulo.

Momorovski scares me a bit but its still better than putting Hutch or Wong out of position there. Just need to hope he can pull off a good game like he did when he played for the Riff. Do a job.

[B2B]

It gets worse Klein the clown is the ref . Tough night

[HunchoRooster]

It gets worse Klein the clown is the ref . Tough night

We are now no chance.

I would be more confident if we had 17 Drew Hutchison's taking the field than having Ash Klown as ref.

[Roosterfarian]

I'm just glad Robbo decided against playing a forward in the centres. That's probably the best backline available tbh. Bummer Toops wasn't fit.

Hopefully the coaches give these new guys a simple game plan and we focus on beating Melbourne in the forwards.

[Carlos Parra]

KKKlein will kill us. Put your house on it.

[BraveTheWorld]

Really glad to see Coates isn't playing, and that we have at least named genuine backs in their positions.

We won't score many on the flanks, but if the backline defends well and particularly if we don't give them an excess of opportunities on our line (be more disciplined with our possession and where we turn the turn ball over) we may win in a grind.

[DP1990]

F*ck it and f*ck those that don't believe in us !


That's the side we've got then so be it ... bite down on the mouth guard and go hard for 80mins, boys !


Let's f*ck shit up at AAMI Park on Friday night !

[Bates]

I'm good with that line up. No Hutch and Wong plays in the back row.

[Qld Chook]

My biggest worry is Momo.

Which on one hand sounds crazy given he is relatively proven in big games (GF for the riff in 21 and that prelim for us against Souths in 18). But he hasn’t played for an age, and when he has he has been far from impressive.

I know it’s slim pickings and Robbo froths a late change but I’d prefer Whyte/Brown in the 17 I think.