Riddell is the new Kouparitsas

[Guest]

Well said Mark, unlike some of the people here who would like to see an entirely different 17 picked every week, you seem to be able to balance all the facts and not go into panic mode after a loss.

Well, thank you. But you're not accusing me of being Piggy himself are you?

It's true I'm even older and slower, but my girlfriend does assure me my mug does not suggest I've been packing down into scrums all my adult life.

[Guest]

Not as cunning as I used to be.

And lo, the reason why all the ladies of Hong Kong turn to more cunning linguists.

[Guest]

And lo, the reason why all the ladies of Hong Kong turn to more cunning linguists.

lol..how are the cunning linguists in kuta?

[Guest]

lol..how are the cunning linguists in kuta?

They're all listening to Gamelan and staying in the Melasti hotel.

[Guest]

They're all listening to Gamelan and staying in the Melasti hotel.

might drop in there when i get there

[Guest]

But Kouparitsis could never write amusing newspaper articles.

[Guest]

I just watched a replay of the first half against the Dogs and even though he was reputedly playing with a niggling injury, Piggy didn't go nearly as badly as people are making out. He certainly isn't flash. He certainly isn't a high class dummy-half anymore. But he is more than competent. Our go forward was strong the whole time he was out there, and he contributed to it. His passing is very accurate; he makes good choices about which side of the ruck to go to, and whether to pass short or long or flat. He doesn't telegraph it either, which is what you always see from a makeshift dummy-half when a team's regular dummy-half goes down injured. The idea that we can just "manufacture" a dummy-half to play like that with the season already in full swing is a complete fantasy. It is one of the most specialised positions in the game, and opposition defences would read an amateur in the role far too easily. Our go-forward would suffer and there would be less pressure on the defence to compress, giving us less opportunites to use our flair out wide.

If Riddell doesn't play; Friend must play for 80 minutes. It's just a question of how much extra impact Jake has by coming off the bench. Probably a fair bit, given that he is a guy who throws himself into a game with frenetic involvement rather than pacing his play.

Yes, but Symonds/Conn offer so, so much more.

Go forward > Friend's impact, in terms of importance.

[Guest]

Yes, but Symonds/Conn offer so, so much more.

Go forward > Friend's impact, in terms of importance.

Symonds won't help our go-forward. He's a talent, and when Maubs is in the centres he should be an automatic selection. But we don't need another wide running second-rower when Maubs and Anasta are both in the backrow, augmented by the versatility of FPN.

An extra frontrower such as Conn instead of Riddell is certainly a viable option.

[redwhiteandbluester]

Hate to agree with the OP but it's shaping up that way. I don't really see Piggy's role in the team.

[Guest]

Hate to agree with the OP but it's shaping up that way. I don't really see Piggy's role in the team.

Mate I was waiting for your opinion on the Pig. Any suggestions for a new acronym? FONK was special!

[Guest]

Mate I was waiting for your opinion on the Pig. Any suggestions for a new acronym? FONK was special!

SHIT...Sack Him Instantly Today

[redwhiteandbluester]

Mate I was waiting for your opinion on the Pig. Any suggestions for a new acronym? FONK was special!

Well I don't want to tar him with the same brush as my old mate Kouparitsis but, from a footballing point of view, he is playing an identical role - stumbling around for half an hour at the start then making way for the proper hooker.

FONK was great, I keep it in my sig as a homage to the great man, and I don't want Piggy to FO just yet. I'd love for him to really go well at the Chooks because he seems like such a great bloke.

[Guest]

SHIT...Sack Him Instantly Today

Not bad Punky ... but I think we need to work his name in there somewhere.

By the way - glad to see you back today. I thought you might have committed suicide after our defeat on Sunday

[redwhiteandbluester]

SHIT...Sack Him Instantly Today

If I had to come up with an acronym, maybe POP - Piss Off Piggy?

[Guest]

Symonds won't help our go-forward. He's a talent, and when Maubs is in the centres he should be an automatic selection. But we don't need another wide running second-rower when Maubs and Anasta are both in the backrow, augmented by the versatility of FPN.

An extra frontrower such as Conn instead of Riddell is certainly a viable option.

That's a big call.

He has bulked up a lot over the off season, and against Souths, he ran 8 times for 93 metres, which is Mose-esque.

He does a shitload more than Riddell, anyway.