Your 4 midfielders for the Lions
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@Billy-Tell said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
Based on what Hansen has said and who he has selected, these seem to be the pool of players.
- Sonny Bill Williams (injured), Ryan Crotty (injured this week), Malakai Fekitoa, George Moala (injured), Anton Lienert-Brown, Seta Tamanivalu, Rieko Ioane, Charlie Ngatai (injured), and Hansen also named-checked Richard Buckman at one stage.
I consider NgÄtai totally unproven at AB level. At the moment, assuming everyone fit and 4 spots: SBW, Crotty, Fekitoa, Moala for me.
And bump. Laumape has been a revelation this season, whereas I thought he looked completely one-dimensional in 2016. Meanwhile Moala & Ioane haven't really put their hands up, Tamanivalu has been injured and was on the wing anyway, Ngatai remains unsighted, and Buckman is back. Some people have been impressed by Proctor.
Crotty, SBW and ALB seem certainties. And Fekitoa has been steadily improving.
But should be interesting times. Definitely not the massive weakness feared after the end of Nonu/Smith anyway.
- Sonny Bill Williams (injured), Ryan Crotty (injured this week), Malakai Fekitoa, George Moala (injured), Anton Lienert-Brown, Seta Tamanivalu, Rieko Ioane, Charlie Ngatai (injured), and Hansen also named-checked Richard Buckman at one stage.
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@Billy-Tell you fucker! I was reading all these posts not even mentioning ALB and becoming exasperated, only to realise they were almost a year old.
@Bones said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
@Billy-Tell you fucker! I was reading all these posts not even mentioning ALB and becoming exasperated, only to realise they were almost a year old.
Ha. Same here... and all these people suggesting Ngatai... OTT even by Fern standards.
Crotty, ALB, Williams for sure IMO. Probably Fekitoa to round out the 4. I can't see them bringing in Proctor, or elevating Ioane or Moala during a Lions tour.
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I'd like to see
ALB
SBW
Laumape
CrottyCrotty and ALB give you options at both 12 and 13. Laumape snakes Moala for me, and I just can't warm to Fekitoa. He has done pretty well for us in black, but I don't rate his distribution and decision making. He has played well this year though, I'd expect he's doing enough currently to hold his spot.
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@infidel said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
SBNZ
ALB
Crotty
FekitoaYep, me too. Moala is very close & probably next cab, but I don't buy the idea that in a Lions test they'd look at guys like Crotty & Fekitoa who have been in the system for years & are playing well & go "hmm.. maybe we should pair Laumape & Procter with Rieko on the bench?"
The selectors have never really once in 10 odd years been anything other than conservative & coinsistant bar the odd wing. I doubt they'll start tossing wild cards v Gatland. Plus, super form is a shit thing to go by.
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@infidel said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
SBNZ
ALB
Crotty
FekitoaYep, me too. Moala is very close & probably next cab, but I don't buy the idea that in a Lions test they'd look at guys like Crotty & Fekitoa who have been in the system for years & are playing well & go "hmm.. maybe we should pair Laumape & Procter with Rieko on the bench?"
The selectors have never really once in 10 odd years been anything other than conservative & coinsistant bar the odd wing. I doubt they'll start tossing wild cards v Gatland. Plus, super form is a shit thing to go by.
@gollum said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
@infidel said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
SBNZ
ALB
Crotty
FekitoaYep, me too. Moala is very close & probably next cab, but I don't buy the idea that in a Lions test they'd look at guys like Crotty & Fekitoa who have been in the system for years & are playing well & go "hmm.. maybe we should pair Laumape & Procter with Rieko on the bench?"
The selectors have never really once in 10 odd years been anything other than conservative & coinsistant bar the odd wing. I doubt they'll start tossing wild cards v Gatland. Plus, super form is a shit thing to go by.
Yep. As long as injury doesn't interfere I think you can ink Crotty in at 12. The incumbent 13s (Fekitoa and ALB) will battle it out for first shot.
That provides 3 midfielders and there is probably only going to be 4. SBW gets the last spot as he is not only always in the coaches plans they love using him for impact in the last 20.
I think selecting our bench is going to be one of the big keys in this series. The NH teams have finally caught up with the realisation that the bench shouldn't just be your next best cover player but someone that can take on the responsibility to keep the tempo up and better still someone with the vision to spot weak areas where tired players are grouped.Crockett, Faumuina, Squire, Ardie Savea, TJP, SBW are all proven in this regard. Nathan Harris was probably the guy they really wanted to sub on for Coles but Taylor fits for now. Biggest question would be whether they take a chance on DMac on the bench.
Back to the midfield options though the next in line players are probably Tamanivalu, Ioane, Moala, then the group that includes Ngatai, Proctor, Laumape and Buckman
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@MN5 said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
Umaga
McCallister
Smith
MaugerNo room for Bunce or Little?
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@MN5 said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
Umaga
McCallister
Smith
MaugerNo room for Bunce or Little?
@No-Quarter said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
@MN5 said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
Umaga
McCallister
Smith
MaugerNo room for Bunce or Little?
Stensness and E Clarke get a look in too.
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@No-Quarter said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
@MN5 said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
Umaga
McCallister
Smith
MaugerNo room for Bunce or Little?
Stensness and E Clarke get a look in too.
@MN5 said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
@No-Quarter said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
@MN5 said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
Umaga
McCallister
Smith
MaugerNo room for Bunce or Little?
Stensness and E Clarke get a look in too.
Surely Matthew Cooper, no?
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MacDonald, Mils, Cullen certainties. And Ben Smith to round out the four.....
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MacDonald, Mils, Cullen certainties. And Ben Smith to round out the four.....
@ACT-Crusader said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
MacDonald, Mils, Cullen certainties. And Ben Smith to round out the four.....
That one hurt.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
MacDonald, Mils, Cullen certainties. And Ben Smith to round out the four.....
That one hurt.
@Crucial it was a line ball call between Bender and Toeava
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On Proctor, it might be a longshot, but he does have that Milner-Skudder type game. Can create something from nothing, but then does all the basics to a high level.
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On Proctor, it might be a longshot, but he does have that Milner-Skudder type game. Can create something from nothing, but then does all the basics to a high level.
@ACT-Crusader said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
On Proctor, it might be a longshot, but he does have that Milner-Skudder type game. Can create something from nothing, but then does all the basics to a high level.
As does ALB or have we forgotten some of his touches last year?
You are right about Proctor and maybe he moves a few rungs up the order if injury occurs but other than that I can't see them swapping out like for like when one guy has no test experience. -
Remember when we worried about replacing Nonu and Smith? There is some real depth now, and excluding Fekitoa who doesn't fill me with ease on attack as the ABs need accuracy and critical decision making to work their magic and he has never demonstrated it to the best of my recollection
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For me, the best midfielders this year have been (in alphabetical order) : Buckman, Crotty, Laumape and Proctor.
But I think the selectors will go with ALB, Crotty and SBW. The fourth spot is more open to debate. Fekitoa is the best, defensively speaking. But as the Lions tests should be very close, I would take someone who could bring an X-factor off the bench. So, I'll take Rieko Ioane. He's been on tour with the AB last November so he's already in their environment. He is a player who can make things happen and cover centre and wing (as can Proctor but the latter is not capped yet so it is probable that Hansen and Co won't take too many risky choices).
