The WORLD CUP discussion thread.

[Chris M]

I find that hard to grasp. Grant, Korisau, Cook, Robson are better #9s that Hunt. He is not even in my top 5 best half backs. The luckiest bloke in the squad in my humble view. Astounded Mal the mug has not found room for the Dally M winner.

Deserved to. You had Hunt a dead cert if he won the DM. Hynes has skills Hunt can only dream of.

Pleased for Teddie being handed the captaincy.

I just don't know. Due to his age, I'm skeptical about offering him more than 750k total for an extension. And I mean 750k total. Not any third party deals on top of that. But I feel you dramatically underestimate him. Cleary and DCE are better halfbacks. No doubt at all. Grant is probably a better hooker. Hard to judge because Hunt plays there so rarely but when he does, he usually seems to excel.

After those 3, I think at present Hunt is right up there for being the best halfback and best hooker.

 

[Chris M]

Panthers must be feeling a bit shat off, with only three in the squad. The runners up with the solitary one.

Still too much emphasis placed on SOO for selection rather than club form imo.

Plenty of skill in our pack.. tho by comparison to those hulking Kiwis and Pacific islanders we look small.

They have several in the Kiwi squad.

 

[jodragon40]

Panthers must be feeling a bit shat off, with only three in the squad. The runners up with the solitary one.

Still too much emphasis placed on SOO for selection rather than club form imo.

Plenty of skill in our pack.. tho by comparison to those hulking Kiwis and Pacific islanders we look small.

Panthers are predominantly islanders so didn't expect too many in the Australian squad but the Samoan squad has 6 Panthers in their team. Panthers stars Jarome Luai, Brian To'o, Stephen Crichton, Izack Tago, Spencer Leniu and Taylan May

 

[Chris M]

Panthers are predominantly islanders so didn't expect too many in the Australian squad but the Samoan squad has 6 Panthers in their team. Panthers stars Jarome Luai, Brian To'o, Stephen Crichton, Izack Tago, Spencer Leniu and Taylan May

To'o would be a certainty in the best 17 for Australia. Luai and Crighton would almost certainly be in the squad.

 

[RedVHeartbeat]

This is a joke. Top 5 league nations.
NZ
Tonga
England
Australia
PNG.

Kangaroos last match was in 2019 losing to Tonga.
Our 2019 squad. Josh Addo-Carr, Daly Cherry-Evans, Damien Cook, Boyd Cordner, Nick Cotric, Tyson Frizell, Wade Graham, Payne Haas, Ben Hunt, Luke Keary, David Klemmer, Latrell Mitchell, Cameron Munster, Cameron Murray, Josh Papalii, James Tedesco, Jake Trbojevic, Paul Vaughan, Jack Wighton.

Our '22 squad beats this one. Tho not sure why Tyson Frizell has since fallen out of favor.

 

[RedVHeartbeat]

What happened to Payne Haas.. sure could've used his size in our pack.

 

[Chris M]

What happened to Payne Haas.. sure could've used his size in our pack.

His mum is in jail so he's staying home, helping out with his child siblings.

 

[RedVHeartbeat]

His mum is in jail so he's staying home, helping out with his child siblings.

Recall reading that now. Pleased he has good family values, still prefer we had his services.

 

[Chris M]

Recall reading that now. Pleased he has good family values, still prefer we had his services.

The Kiwis must be on the verge of being favourites.

 

[RedVHeartbeat]

Cleary and DCE

..and Moses and Hynes. He receives far too many back slaps for what he delivers. No, I rate him as to his worth.

 

[RedVHeartbeat]

The Kiwis must be on the verge of being favourites.

Reckon with our WC winning history we have em done mentally, additionally their pack has a few veterans whereas we have a younger, probably more mobile and skillful pack. This may give us the edge in the clutch moments.

 

[RedVHeartbeat]

Now name our top 17.
Teddie, Holmes, Mitchell, Graham, Tuilagi, Munster, Cleary, RCG, Grant, Tino, Collins, Crighton, Murray.
bench: Hunt, Carrigan, J Turbo, Nanai/Martin/Yeo..

 

[Chris M]

..and Moses and Hynes. He receives far too many back slaps for what he delivers. No, I rate him as to his worth.

Moses I tend to agree with. Hynes, I'm 50-50. The point is that Hunt is up there with the best. Whether he's 3rd or 6th best.

 

[Illusion]

Ok I see it this way if Hunts form was like his other years forget his one good year , (and not sure if he can back that up again) I rate him average .....

 

[RedVHeartbeat]

I'm 50-50

Ws Hynes' first year playing half I heard.. and he killed em. Read his stats. Reckon he could play anywhere in the back line and still kill em. Odd Meninga and his selector mates could not see that.

 

[Eric]

Ok I see it this way if Hunts form was like his other years forget his one good year , (and not sure if he can back that up again) I rate him average .....

My personal opinion is that in the first year he was pretty good. The next 2 years, like the rest of the team he suffered from the JDB situation and poor coaching. Last year he was pretty good again. This year he was better than last year but JDB was still our best player.

Rightly or wrongly I've always defended Hunt but now I'm against re-signing him unless it's for 700k max, including 3rd party deals. He'll be 34 by the time his new contract starts. It's the right time for the Dragons to cut him loose. Not now but at the end of his present contract period. I think he'll still have a good year left in him but this isn't one of those touchy situations like with Coops, Honby, Young, Nightingale. No reason at all not to do what the good coaches do on a regular basis and cut players loose a year early rather than a year late.

 

[Chris M]

My personal opinion is that in the first year he was pretty good. The next 2 years, like the rest of the team he suffered from the JDB situation and poor coaching. Last year he was pretty good again. This year he was better than last year but JDB was still our best player.

Rightly or wrongly I've always defended Hunt but now I'm against re-signing him unless it's for 700k max, including 3rd party deals. He'll be 34 by the time his new contract starts. It's the right time for the Dragons to cut him loose. Not now but at the end of his present contract period. I think he'll still have a good year left in him but this isn't one of those touchy situations like with Coops, Honby, Young, Nightingale. No reason at all not to do what the good coaches do on a regular basis and cut players loose a year early rather than a year late.

I'm not against extending his contract because if Sullivan turns out how we hope, he's also going to want big money as well. But I agree about the money. 700k is probably a little cheap. Because I think after his good years as a halfback are done, he'll be good as an interchange utility, mostly interchange hooker for a year or two. So I think he still has 3 good years left in him.

 

[RedVHeartbeat]

'm against re-signing him

..period. If this was two years ago I'd say yes take the $700 grand. But we have given him five years and a barrel load of money in return for mostly mediocrity. Is he able to mentor our juniors. Have my doubts after he left a green Junior Amone to flounder last season, came good only after the 5/8 took on the onus for his own training.

 

[Chris M]

..period. If this was two years ago I'd say yes take the $700 grand. But we have given him five years and a barrel load of money in return for mostly mediocrity.

That's true. There are plenty of excuses. JDB, the coach, poor forwards and etc but at the end of the day, after 5 years and a truck load of money, he hasn't done a lot of anything really good.

 

[Illusion]

Piss him off , can't see him being dominant next year or the year after or the year after that ....