What is our best team

[whatisthejava]

Hey , so we have a new coach who has won 2 from 2, sitting 5th in the world, some of the best attackers in the northern hemisphere but what is our best team and what should Toonies target be for the end of the year.

Firstly target

We have 4 games left this year

NZ
Australia
Samoa
Fiji

Well its 3/4 for me, NZ wont underestimate us but I think Toonie needs to go all out attack against NZ and push them all the way.

Best team


Front Row
(Reid, Brown, WP) (Dickinson, Ford, ZFG) (Dell, ????, Welsh) <

2nd Row
(JG, RG) (Toolis , Swinson) (Gilchrist, ???)

6
Barclay, Bradbury, Harley

7
Watson, hardie, Fusaro

8
Wilson , Straus, Denton

9
Price, Laidlaw, Pyrgos

10
Russell, Horne, Weir, Jackson

11
Seymore, Visser, L Jones

12
Taylor, Dunbar, Scott

13
Jones, Bennett, ???

14
Maitland, Hoyland, ???

15
Hogg, Tonks, Kinghorn


I think that list above is the reason we actually are better than we were, thats almjost 3 deep in every level before your picking a new welsh lion

[Big D]

I think I'd go with a "depth chart" of (assuming fitness and return to some form and having players cover more than 1 position as I think that is what would happen):
Dickinson, Reid, Sutherland, Dell - I have a hunch that Reid may drop away at LI though.
Brown, Ford, Rambo, Turner - Grim after Ford though.
Nel, ZJRF, Rae, Welsh
Gray Squared, Toolis, Swinson, Cummings, Gilchrist,
Barclay (captain), Wilson, Strauss, Bradbury, CdP
Watson, Hardie, Barclay, Wilson
Wilson, Strauss, Denton, CdP - Depends on opponent.

Price, Laidlaw, Pyrgos, SHC, Kennedy, Steele - after Pyrgos is gets a bit less clear.
Russell, Horne, Jackson, Weir
12: Taylor, Dunbar, Scott, Horne
13: Jones, Taylor, Scott, Bennett, Dunbar
Wing: Seymour, Maitland, Visser, Hoyland, Jones, Hughes - I hope Graham will make an impression quickly too.
Hogg, Maitland, Kinghorn, Tonks

[Mikey Brown]

Lots of encouraging stuff there. Some real depth/quality issues at 2/8/9/wing/fullback still, but at least some options to look at there. We seriously need another backrower to step up either with some big ball carries or running the fringe defence, where we have looked vulnerable at times. Strauss seems the most likely to be able to do both but has been inconsistent so far. Wilson is a great player to have but doesn't really fill either of those roles. As much as I love Barclay that's not particularly his game either, I'd happily have him at either 6 or 8 if we can get a bruiser in there somewhere.

Taylor has taken the 12 shirt in half a game?

[whatisthejava]

Wilson deserves to keep the shirt, he may not be a gigantic unit but the rest of his game and work rate offers more, he also seems to be our "bit of a dick" player

Id love a big Billy V but we dont have anyone with the size or skill to play it

[Mikey Brown]

Yep, totally. I more meant that somebody really needs to be demanding the shirt off of him by offering a similar all around game as well as some real physicality. I'm just disappointed we've not gotten more out of Strauss/Denton/Ashe/Beattie. I'd actually love to have a prime Strokosch back right now, not that he offered much in attack. How is Bradbury in fringe defence?

[General Zod]

What's happening with Adam Ashe at the moment?

[hp18]

What's happening with Adam Ashe at the moment?

Probably lunch.

[Big D]

Wilson deserves to keep the shirt, he may not be a gigantic unit but the rest of his game and work rate offers more, he also seems to be our "bit of a dick" player

Id love a big Billy V but we dont have anyone with the size or skill to play it

There is a fine line between "bit of a dick player" and "bit of a dick penalty magnet" and at times on Saturday he was the latter (he made the right decision to take a yellow though). 6 out of 15 penalties is too high for one player.

I still think it needs to be a horses for courses call at 8. Strauss was excellent off the base of the scrum on Saturday and times where we will be under pressure in the scrum he is the more skilled at the base of the scrum.