Your 4 midfielders for the Lions
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@Kirwan said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
Ben Smith is a massive x-factor player, he makes exciting breaks regularly and some of his high ball takes are crazily skillful.
Not sure when x-factor became an insult.
When you're from Canterbury and nobody has any ...
@booboo said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
@Kirwan said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
Ben Smith is a massive x-factor player, he makes exciting breaks regularly and some of his high ball takes are crazily skillful.
Not sure when x-factor became an insult.
When you're from Canterbury and nobody has any ...
Are you fucking serious? Thorne, Blackadder, Ralph... shall I go on?
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@ACT-Crusader Ability to break the advantage line isn't.
@Tim said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
@ACT-Crusader Ability to break the advantage line isn't.
Exactly. I wouldn't class those types of players as x-factor.
Not sure why Nepia has thrown the toys out of the pram....
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@booboo said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
@Kirwan said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
Ben Smith is a massive x-factor player, he makes exciting breaks regularly and some of his high ball takes are crazily skillful.
Not sure when x-factor became an insult.
When you're from Canterbury and nobody has any ...
Are you fucking serious? Thorne, Blackadder, Ralph... shall I go on?
@Crazy-Horse said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
@booboo said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
@Kirwan said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
Ben Smith is a massive x-factor player, he makes exciting breaks regularly and some of his high ball takes are crazily skillful.
Not sure when x-factor became an insult.
When you're from Canterbury and nobody has any ...
Are you fucking serious? Thorne, Blackadder, Ralph... shall I go on?
This retort almost made me spit out my beer. So good.
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@Tim said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
@ACT-Crusader Ability to break the advantage line isn't.
Exactly. I wouldn't class those types of players as x-factor.
Not sure why Nepia has thrown the toys out of the pram....
@ACT-Crusader said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
@Tim said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
@ACT-Crusader Ability to break the advantage line isn't.
Exactly. I wouldn't class those types of players as x-factor.
Not sure why Nepia has thrown the toys out of the pram....
Haha, I just feel that you and John Mitchell underrate x factor.
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My money would be on Crotty, ALB, SBW and Fekitoa being "the four" injury permitting. However it wouldn't surprise me to see Rieko Ioane in the squad also given Dagg, NMS and Naholo are all currently injured and may not get much rugby before the Lions arrive.
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And why not ALB, SBW, Crotty and Jordie B ? The AB need a reliable goalkicker and Jordie could be the answer.
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@Bones His goal kicking is also untested under test match pressure. He'll probably be good under those conditions, but you never know until you try ...
@Tim said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
@Bones His goal kicking is also untested under test match pressure. He'll probably be good under those conditions, but you never know until you try ...
Not only that he's a shoe in for an all time AB 'tall XV'
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@Tim said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
@Bones His goal kicking is also untested under test match pressure. He'll probably be good under those conditions, but you never know until you try ...
Not only that he's a shoe in for an all time AB 'tall XV'
@MN5 said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
@Tim said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
@Bones His goal kicking is also untested under test match pressure. He'll probably be good under those conditions, but you never know until you try ...
Not only that he's a shoe in for an all time AB 'tall XV'
Do we have a picture of him doing a handstand next to Beauden yet? Can't really comment on his height until we do.
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My four midfielders would be
ALB
Crotty
Fekitoa
ProctorALB and Crotty an absolute lock to start, I'll be very disappointed if they don't. Fekitoa provides great impact off the bench smacking guys backwards, and Proctor very good injury cover as a like-for-like replacement for ALB or Crotty.
I'm disappointed Moala hasn't kicked on, though I don't think 12 is his best position. Starting to think 11 is his best position given his lack of distribution skills.
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My four midfielders would be
ALB
Crotty
Fekitoa
ProctorALB and Crotty an absolute lock to start, I'll be very disappointed if they don't. Fekitoa provides great impact off the bench smacking guys backwards, and Proctor very good injury cover as a like-for-like replacement for ALB or Crotty.
I'm disappointed Moala hasn't kicked on, though I don't think 12 is his best position. Starting to think 11 is his best position given his lack of distribution skills.
@No-Quarter said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
My four midfielders would be
ALB
Crotty
Fekitoa
ProctorALB and Crotty an absolute lock to start, I'll be very disappointed if they don't. Fekitoa provides great impact off the bench smacking guys backwards, and Proctor very good injury cover as a like-for-like replacement for ALB or Crotty.
I'm disappointed Moala hasn't kicked on, though I don't think 12 is his best position. Starting to think 11 is his best position given his lack of distribution skills.
No SBW? Have you taken leave of your senses?
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My money would be on Crotty, ALB, SBW and Fekitoa being "the four" injury permitting. However it wouldn't surprise me to see Rieko Ioane in the squad also given Dagg, NMS and Naholo are all currently injured and may not get much rugby before the Lions arrive.
@pukunui said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
My money would be on Crotty, ALB, SBW and Fekitoa being "the four" injury permitting. However it wouldn't surprise me to see Rieko Ioane in the squad also given Dagg, NMS and Naholo are all currently injured and may not get much rugby before the Lions arrive.
Yep. It's hard to go past those four, with Ioane in the wings as a midfielder and, in the meantime, a decent chance to be selected on the wing.
The other guy that is coming is Jack Goodhue. If he kills Conrad Smith he can be his reincarnation.
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i think they will go for all out experience against the lions ,
And go with Crotty , ALB, Fekitoa and SBW,
With other promising midfielders such as proctor perhaps getting a look in later opportunities , such as the EOYT
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i think they will go for all out experience against the lions ,
And go with Crotty , ALB, Fekitoa and SBW,
With other promising midfielders such as proctor perhaps getting a look in later opportunities , such as the EOYT
@kiwiinmelb They may need injuries to open up places for them.
Midfield is hugely competitive - there's potentially a dozen midfield players who wouldn't look out of place in an AB backline - SBW, Moala, Ioane, Ngatai, ALB, Proctor, Laumape, Crotty, Goodhue, Tamanivalu, Fekitoa, Thompson, Buckman - and maybe a couple of others I'm forgetting.
Breaking in will be difficult.
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@kiwiinmelb They may need injuries to open up places for them.
Midfield is hugely competitive - there's potentially a dozen midfield players who wouldn't look out of place in an AB backline - SBW, Moala, Ioane, Ngatai, ALB, Proctor, Laumape, Crotty, Goodhue, Tamanivalu, Fekitoa, Thompson, Buckman - and maybe a couple of others I'm forgetting.
Breaking in will be difficult.
@Chris-B. Yeah crotty , fekitoa sbw have been in the system for some time now , alb was impressive last year ,
Unless someone gets injured or pisses shag off ( which is why I asked earlier in the thread about fekitoa signing beyond this year )
I can't imagine anyone getting past these 4 for an all important series -
@kiwiinmelb They may need injuries to open up places for them.
Midfield is hugely competitive - there's potentially a dozen midfield players who wouldn't look out of place in an AB backline - SBW, Moala, Ioane, Ngatai, ALB, Proctor, Laumape, Crotty, Goodhue, Tamanivalu, Fekitoa, Thompson, Buckman - and maybe a couple of others I'm forgetting.
Breaking in will be difficult.
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@Chris-B. I see what you did there, slipping a token northlander in the middle. Sneaky sneaky.
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@Bones its ok when a non-Northlander does it!
@taniwharugby not for rotated it's not.
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@kiwiinmelb They may need injuries to open up places for them.
Midfield is hugely competitive - there's potentially a dozen midfield players who wouldn't look out of place in an AB backline - SBW, Moala, Ioane, Ngatai, ALB, Proctor, Laumape, Crotty, Goodhue, Tamanivalu, Fekitoa, Thompson, Buckman - and maybe a couple of others I'm forgetting.
Breaking in will be difficult.
@Chris-B. said in Your 4 midfielders for the Lions:
@kiwiinmelb They may need injuries to open up places for them.
Midfield is hugely competitive - there's potentially a dozen midfield players who wouldn't look out of place in an AB backline - SBW, Moala, Ioane, Ngatai, ALB, Proctor, Laumape, Crotty, Goodhue, Tamanivalu, Fekitoa, Thompson, Buckman - and maybe a couple of others I'm forgetting.
Breaking in will be difficult.
Has NZ rugby ever been so rich in talent as far as midfield is concerned ?
Lock is another position where is depth is ridiculous (Retallick, Whitelock, Barrett, Romano, Tuipolutu, Bird, Franklin, Fatialofa, Fifita, Abbott plus emerging players like Cowley-Tuoti and Scrafton).
Actually, I think Nr.8 is the only position where there is no depth at all (the Chiefs are playing a Japanese international while the Hurricanes use A. Savea as a Nr.8, Luatua's leaving at the end of the season).
