News Canterbury Bulldogs: 2019 Round 1 predicted team

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berries1935

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Soward has no idea. I’m telling you now ignore everyone is fit the back row will be RFM CHN and Jackson. Foran playing direct/ flat to the line is built for RFM and CHN running games
 

Jean-Claude Juncker

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I totally agree
That first 20 m is like watching the six million dollar man in slow motion
The teams will continue to target him all year with kicks into open space
We desperately need speed
Is Meaney fast? The footage I’ve seen doesn’t suggest it.
 

gbrussell

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The most difficult position to fill is going to be left centre, particularly in defence. JMOZ is the best defensive centre in the game. Knew when to come up quick and defuse the sweep plays by tackling the right man. That sort of skill does not happen overnight and it is where guys who have played a lot on the wing when they move in to cente struggle to adapt. Disregard attacking abilities and getting the ball earlier there is a target on their chest for the opposition to aim at. Olive showed last year he has a lot to learn in this area. He is more a winger at this stage IMO.
With regard to wing and fullback defensively they are different but need similar abilities in defusing kicks so a 1 2 or 5 of nrl standard should be able to interchange.

I would play CHN in the back row and only stick him in the centres if injury strikes during a game.

As others have indicated it is time for jj to play at 13 as we have enough back row depth to cover the edges.

Also as others have said Soward has NFI when he picks only 1 prop on the bench. 2 props 1 back rower and a utility is my bench. Under some circumstances i would think about another back rower instead of the utility.
 

Jean-Claude Juncker

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Our one genuine freak of an athlete is Reimis. He has more to offer than speed to burn on the wing. Maybe he could develop into a centre or fullback as well.
 

steeliz

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RTS isnt like any other run of the mill player he can excel anywhere on the field and thats why it worked so well. We arent in the same scenario with 2 world class fullbacks either...
Fucking Roosters, Mini, RTS, Gordon,Tedesco... they can always source a fullback, hopefully we have found a diamond in the rough in Meaney
I agree RTS isn't like any other player, but if Meany lives up to his reputation it could work.

Unfortunately if they can't make it work it is the sort of thing that would end up a spectacular disaster.
 

Alan79

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I want to see Meaney given first shot at fullback. Hoppa has patches of great form, but when he isn't in those patches his support play suffers. Meaney looked pretty active in support and we need that consistently. The rest of the backline isn't so hard to get support play right from. 2-5 is anyone's guess. Forwards are also anyone's guess.
 
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Dogna88

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At this stage
- Meany will get first crack at FB.
- JMK will be starting 9
 

CrittaMagic69

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Our one genuine freak of an athlete is Reimis. He has more to offer than speed to burn on the wing. Maybe he could develop into a centre or fullback as well.
Please no. Smith is the ideal winger in today's game, no need to shift him around anywhere else. He has previously played centre and probably could again, but I'm willing to bet he would have a better impact on the wing for us
 

Jean-Claude Juncker

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Please no. Smith is the ideal winger in today's game, no need to shift him around anywhere else. He has previously played centre and probably could again, but I'm willing to bet he would have a better impact on the wing for us
We need to keep an open mind while we have no strike centres, and Meaney won't be frightening any defences from fullback. Plenty of blokes were / could've been ideal wingers... Inglis, Hayne, Latrelle. Some blokes are just too talented to leave out there.
 

CrittaMagic69

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We need to keep an open mind while we have no strike centres, and Meaney won't be frightening any defences from fullback. Plenty of blokes were / could've been ideal wingers... Inglis, Hayne, Latrelle. Some blokes are just too talented to leave out there.
I agree to a point, but Smith is more of a Rapana or Ferguson than those guys imo. I also think the combo of Holland and Smith needs to be kept together at all costs with our current lack of creative spark, they worked stupidly well together in attack and it feels like forever since we've had a good centre/wing combo.
 

Blue&whiteAxe

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Canterbury Bulldogs: 2019 Round 1 predicted team
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Chris Kennedy & Jamie Soward
Timestamp
Wed 26 Dec 2018, 08:01 AM
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Second-year coach Dean Pay will have a significantly overhauled roster at his disposal for round one 2019 as the club looks to build on a bright and encouraging finish to an otherwise frustrating 2018.

The Bulldogs recruited heavily over the 2018-19 off-season with fullback Nick Meaney, props Dylan Napa and Sauaso Sue and back-rower Corey Harawira-Naera the most likely to be in the 17 come round one.

A fit-again Kieran Foran will return to the halves alongside 2018 discovery Lachlan Lewis while Will Hopoate switches from fullback to centre to replace Josh Morris. A fit-again Marcelo Montoya will have competition from Christian Crichton for Brett Morris's vacated wing spot.


Resident NRL.com expert Jamie Soward says:

"It all depends on whether the young guys can keep that level of intensity and excitement they had at the back end of 2018. They've got plenty of talent in the back row. Can Rhyse Martin keep it up, we'll have to wait and see. I would have Marshall-King on the bench ahead of Fa'amanu Brown, he gives some excitement out of dummy half and a point of difference in their attack.

"It's a changing of the guard for the Dogs, they could have another couple of tough years but they've stripped it right back. They'll surprise a few teams but they will be down the lower end of the ladder."

NRL.com's predicted Round 1 team:

  1. Nick Meaney
  2. Marcelo Montoya
  3. Will Hopoate
  4. Kerrod Holland
  5. Reimis Smith
  6. Lachlan Lewis
  7. Kieran Foran
  8. Dylan Napa
  9. Michael Lichaa
  10. Aiden Tolman
  11. Josh Jackson
  12. Rhyse Martin
  13. Adam Elliott
  14. Fa'amanu Brown
  15. Sauaso Sue
  16. Corey Harawira-Naera
  17. Raymond Faitala-Mariner
Other squad members: Danny Fualalo, Christian Crichton, Jack Cogger, Jeremy Marshall-King, Ofahiki Ogden, Jayden Okunbor, John Olive, Zac Saddler, Chris Smith, Renouf To'omaga, Francis Tualau, Brandon Wakeham
Close Soward, but no cigar imo. More likely:

  1. Will Hopoate
  2. Marcelo Montoya/Christian Crichton
  3. New signing/Marcelo Montoya
  4. Kerrod Holland
  5. Reimis Smith
  6. Lachlan Lewis
  7. Kieran Foran
  8. Dylan Napa
  9. Michael Lichaa
  10. Aiden Tolmam
  11. Corey Harawira-Naera
  12. Rhyse Martin
  13. Josh Jackson
  14. Adam Eliott
  15. Sauaso Sue
  16. Danny Fualalo / JMK
  17. Raymond Faitala-Mariner
 

LordSidious66

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If we field Hoppa and Montoya on the same side. It will be disastrous.
 

LordSidious66

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I really think chn will start. 700 thousand dollar investment and has more points in him then most of our forwards. I really see martin or elliot playing a bit of isp. I think injuries will end up fitting them all in as season goes on.
I wouldn't put Martin in ISP. A value player for the side IMO.
 

Jean-Claude Juncker

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Well then elliot will miss out. We cant carry all these backrowers on bench we need the young props there.
Elliott will be there and as someone who can play middle and edge he is an ideal interchange. But given Pay loves him I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t start at 13 with Jackson still on the edge.
 

habibsta

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1. Meaney
2. Chrighton
3 Hopoate
4 holland
5 smith

6 Foran
7. Lewis

8. Tolman
9. JMK
10. Napa
11 Jackson
12 CHN
13 . RFM

14. Elliot
15. Chris Smith
16. Renouf
17. Ogden
 

speedy2460

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Most on here seem to agree that Hopoate is not the answer to the centre problem. I have suggested CHN as an alternative.
Another alternative might be Chris Smith. Hes played a lot of centre and wouldnt take much moulding into a centre.
He can tackle as well.
 
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