Anasta is our lock going forward

[Guest]

He isn't tough enough..

I wouldn't say he isn't tough enough....it's just his work rate....is ...low for want of a better word

[Cockadoodledoo]

I wouldn't say he isn't tough enough....it's just his work rate....is ...low for want of a better word

because he doesn't like to get too involved in the hard work.... No matter how much he bulked up, without the ticker it would not matter... Seriously we need to cut our losses with him.

[Guest]

because he doesn't like to get too involved in the hard work.... No matter how much he bulked up, without the ticker it would not matter... Seriously we need to cut our losses with him.

I'm not saying keep him...i just don't think toughness is an issue...having said that, he aint no P Gallen

[Rooster_6]

He is huge compared to Friend but Friend never takes a backward step when stepping up the defensive duties. Braith was caught defending behind the line twice last week when Manly scored tries.. He was out the back having a rest and we got caught short.. It doesn't matter how big he becomes.. I don't even know why we try to create him into something he clearly isn't at his age. For a novel idea we could play someone at Lock who actually is a Lock and is prepared to roll up his sleeves and do the work.. Maubs played his junior football there and starred their in the U20's.. He would be my choice.

Ignoring the sarcasm the whole point of playing Anasta at lock to is to get some balance back into the forward pack. Aubusson doesn't have the same potential to be as dominant in taking the hit ups, great hole runner but I'm not convinced he should be the one trying to get us going forward.

If you're going to play someone like Maubs at lock you need two hard working second rowers so we just end up with the whole unbalanced issue again. Plenty will say Anasta should just piss off but I'm being a realist here...

[Guest]

Ignoring the sarcasm the whole point of playing Anasta at lock to is to get some balance back into the forward pack. Aubusson doesn't have the same potential to be as dominant in taking the hit ups, great hole runner but I'm not convinced he should be the one trying to get us going forward.

If you're going to play someone like Maubs at lock you need two hard working second rowers so we just end up with the whole unbalanced issue again. Plenty will say Anasta should just piss off but I'm being a realist here...

The entire reason the forward pack is unbalanced is because we play Braith.

Accomodating him will not achieve balance; the only way to have a fully functioning forward pack is to piss him off.

Realism should be that we operate as a football club, not an institution for the untalented and uncaring run on sympathy alone.

[Rooster_6]

The entire reason the forward pack is unbalanced is because we play Braith.

Accomodating him will not achieve balance; the only way to have a fully functioning forward pack is to piss him off.

Realism should be that we operate as a football club, not an institution for the untalented and uncaring run on sympathy alone.

Not once have I talked about accommodating him, don't put words in my mouth.

As for the people you put so much blame on you're just as much of a bigot as them.

[Vasco]

Maubs should be given the number 13 jumper.

[Guest]

Not once have I talked about accommodating him, don't put words in my mouth.

As for the people you put so much blame on you're just as much of a bigot as them.

What?

You have just made a thread about playing Anasta at lock going forward... how is that not accomodating him?

Who are these 'people' I put blame on - and how does putting blame on someone making you a bigot?

Our on field performances suffer largely from our forwards being outmuscled. Every week, we play eighty minutes minus a true forward - instead, we allow Anasta to waste time out on the fringes, threatening nothing. A guy like Guerra sits on the benches so Braith can play. It is madness.

[Guest]

Anasta is a 5/8, not a very good one but that is what he is.

If Carney isn't here that's where he will play.

[Guest]

Leave Braith @ 5/8 where he does whatever it is he does best...

throw the book @ Carney tell him to go on a long holiday & clear his head for next year

[Funky Chicken]

Inspired by the Friend thread.

Start hitting the pies in the off-season mate.

190cm, 98kgs... he's not far off the frame for a good lock.

He's definitely got the temperament to play lock, Smith needs to get him out of this position where and I quote "he's the second 5/8". From lock he can pick and choose his runs (he doesn't have to be taking all the hard hit ups that's for the props), his leg speed on retreating defenders could be invaluable and he's already proven himself as capable defender, I've lost count of the amount of try savers he's pulled off this year.

As for his ability to ball play, he's a great ball player and playing middle field will just enhance that, playing in the second row he becomes far too predictable mainly because he's only got two options outside of him (the centre and the winger). His pass selection is great as he has shown this year when he played 5/8 in Carney's absence so why limit his options to a centre and a winger. Defences know just to hold off him and wait for the step. HOWEVER when he runs with the ball and has a second rower, centre, winger & a fullback or 5/8 out the back he starts to put questions into the defences minds and his left foot step starts to come into play again along with his great cut out pass and short ball or he could just play out back.

Not only is it the best thing for Anasta (I think it could prolong his career by 4-5 years at the Roosters which is where he wants to be) it's the best thing for our club going forward. There's no reason why he can't make 10-15 runs a game and make 30+ tackles a game he's a true competitor (tenacious, inspirational, determined the whole package) and if I was Smitty I'd be giving him videos of Bird and Gallen to watch all off season. I know it will take a lot out of his attack and Smithy is cautious of that it's the whole reason we're stuck in the situation we are now with an unbalanced backrow which will be further emphasised with the departure of Myles.

Aubusson and Guerra make enough tackles in tight anyway, we don't need a tackling machine in there although Friendy will no doubt put his hand up.

For me it's

11. Guerra
12. Aubusson
13. Anasta (c)

8. Ryles
9. Friend
10. Kennedy

For me that's a hard working pack with a great attitude and the rest are all awesome impact players at the start of their careers, it'll be a shit fight for backrow position on the bench but that's hardly a bad thing.

Funniest thing I have read for a while, Anasta is one of the slowest footballers going around. Guerra, now that boy has great leg speed. Anasta doesn't have the work rate, ability or the heart to play lock. Most locks are tackling machines with a bit of ball playing ability, Anasta has none of these attributes. Most weeks he could play in a dinner suit. Anasta could have converted into a decent lock in the last couple of years, but has spent most of it sooking that he can't play in his beloved #6 jersey. He's not a 5/8, he's not a lock and he's not a 2nd rower - he should just go work in the media as that is where his heart really lies (an he can go to work in a suit)

[Guest]

Aubusson, Guerra, Symonds, Nuuausala, etc are not the answers. What our team needs for balance is a tight-playing lock who can essentially function as a third prop, while racking up 30+ tackles in defense.

Aubusson is a right-edge linebreaker. Lowe, Guerra and Symonds are the options as the left-edge linebreakers. Arona, Cherrington and Nuuausala are the options as the tight-playing offloader off the bench.

8. prop
9. hooker
10. prop
11. Symonds (2014) / Guerra (2011) / Lowe (2012)
12. Aubusson
13. lock

14. hooker/utility
15. Nuuausala (2013) / Arona (2011) / Cherrington (2012)
16. prop
17. prop

That is a well balanced backrow IMO. Myles is the ideal style of player for the lock spot, as he not only has the defensive workrate of guys like Dallas Johnson, Ashley Harrison, etc, but also plays tight like essentially a third prop on the field, which allows our two fringe runners to pick and choose their runs rather than get stuck in.

I've said it a few times, and I maintain to this day, that Cordner is the man. He is the one who, if we persist with him for a whole season at lock, he will be the man to rack up 30+ tackles, 12+ hitups, and provide the aggression and mongrel that Myles did but with more discipline and youthful exuberance.

[Guest]

Corder - YES! Braith piss off. Sorry Rooster 6. Love your work but this thread was an epic fail.

[elo]

I've said it a few times, and I maintain to this day, that Cordner is the man. He is the one who, if we persist with him for a whole season at lock, he will be the man to rack up 30+ tackles, 12+ hitups, and provide the aggression and mongrel that Myles did but with more discipline and youthful exuberance.

Seems a bit of a waste of Cordner tbh, he's got the size to terrorize on the fringes, ideally the lock should be more like a Fensom/Johnson body type who can ran themselves ragged for 80 mins, Lou Goodwin would have been perfect

[crikey chris]

The old role of the lock forward is gone.
The current lock is basically a 3rd prop, with a good work rate and size.

Looking at who we currently have, I'd say JWH would be the go.
FPNumb nuts would be the other candidate, but his workrate is terrible, and is too soft at the moment. Like Anasta.
Cordner is more a backrower, hopefully stays injury free.
Cherro is the x-factor, if he ever gets back on the field!


Ryles
Friend
Kennedy
Aubbo
G-spot
JWH

Tasi/Mose
Cordner (in if G-spot stays)
Mitchell
FPN/Evens

jet's/20's: Lowe, Arona, Goodwin, Cherro, Symonds