View Full Version : The Tri Nations Kangaroos train-on squad!
DIEHARD
22-09-05, 10:59 PM
LAST UPDATED 26.9.05
St George-Illawarra Dragons:
Jason Ryles, Luke Bailey, Mark Gasnier, Matt Cooper, Trent Barrett, Ben Creagh
Parramatta Eels:
Nathan Hindmarsh, Timana Tahu
Newcastle Knights:
Andrew Johns
Melbourne Storm:
Matt King
Brisbane Broncos:
Darren Lockyer, Petero Civoniceva, Brent Tate and Justin Hodges.
Sea Eagles:
Ben Kennedy
Sydney Roosters:
Craig Fitzgibbon, Anthony Minichiello, Craig Wing
Penrith Panthers:
Joel Clinton, Craig Gower, Luke Lewis, Luke Rooney, Trent Waterhouse
New Zealand Warriors:
Steve Price
Canterbury Bulldogs:
Willie Mason, Mark O?Meley, Andrew Ryan
Newcastle Knights:
Danny Buderus, Andrew Johns, Steve Simpson
LAST UPDATED 19.9.05
Melbourne Storm:
Matt King
Brisbane Broncos:
Darren Lockyer, Petero Civoniceva, Brent Tate and Justin Hodges.
Sea Eagles:
Ben Kennedy
Sydney Roosters:
Craig Fitzgibbon, Anthony Minichiello, Craig Wing
Penrith Panthers:
Joel Clinton, Craig Gower, Luke Lewis, Luke Rooney, Trent Waterhouse
New Zealand Warriors:
Steve Price
Canterbury Bulldogs:
Willie Mason, Mark O?Meley, Andrew Ryan
Newcastle Knights:
Danny Buderus, Andrew Johns, Steve Simpson
Quite a Strong team. Though i still do not feel that Willie Mason deserves to be there. He hasnt been in the greatest form since coming back from injury.
Thanks for starting this off DIEHARD.
An intersting TRAIN-ON Squad thus far. The two most notable ommissions are from Brisbane in Shaun Berrigan and Toni Carroll.
Both players (like the rest of the Brisbane team with a few exceptions) tapered off after Origin and once again suffered a below par back half of the season.
Question, where is Braith Anasta? I have been tied up with a few things for the Gold Coast though Anasta being ommitted is something I would remember :p
Put it this way, if the side was selected on form, he is there in the first team ahead of Darren Lockyer who was not the Darren Lockyer we have to come to know. Lockyer's so-so form has been on show since the 2005 Origin series started.
DIEHARD
22-09-05, 11:41 PM
Thanks for starting this off DIEHARD.
No problem, international rugby league is my forte.
Lockyer may not have been in his best form, but his Kangaroos captaincy assures him of the 5/8th position.
Anasta scored a try for the Australian Prime Minister's XIII against the PNG PM's XIII in a game the he was hoping would push his claim to being a Kangaroo.
Anasta to push his claim
It is essentially a promotional game but Braith Anasta's trip to Papua New Guinea with the Prime Minister's XIII serves another purpose.
He still feels the disappointment at missing out on selection in the Kangaroos' Tri-Nations train-on squad. The ARL will add to the squad as players finish their finals commitments, or injury or form force a change of personnel.
Anasta hopes Sunday's game against PNG in Port Moresby will be another chance to catch the selectors' eyes.
"Definitely. I'll be going hard and hopefully play a good game and that something might come from it," Anasta said as the team, coached by former Test captain Mal Meninga, assembled in Sydney yesterday.
It will also be Anasta's first chance to play alongside his new partner at the Roosters, halfback Brett Finch.
Anasta was a member of the 2002 Kangaroos who played against PNG en route to England.
"It was an unbelievable experience. I didn't know how big of a deal rugby league was up there or how much they appreciated us playing there," Anasta said.
"We had thousands at the airport, let alone the game. They treated us like kings."
The prominence and influence which rugby league players have in PNG led to the game's involvement in the federal Government's developing nations program, Aus-AID, to spread the message of how to combat HIV-AIDS.
The disease is rampant in PNG and Aus-AID officials will have a lengthy briefing with the Australian players in Cairns today to explain the problem and arm them with facts and figures.
"A lot of people worship them up there," Meninga said of his team of NRL stars.
"Rugby league is the number one sport up there so we can use that to get across some very important messages about safe sex and what HIV-AIDS can do to an entire nation."
Test prop Steve Price is mindful of the significance of the trip.
"Obviously, being a guy with kids I'm pretty passionate about it," said Price, who is in the Tri-Nations train-on squad.
Source: FoxSports.com.au
No problem, international rugby league is my forte.
Lockyer may not have been in his best form, but his Kangaroos captaincy assures him of the 5/8th position.
Anasta scored a try for the Australian Prime Minister's XIII against the PNG PM's XIII in a game the he was hoping would push his claim to being a Kangaroo.
I honestly feel that Braith could make a solid Contribution playing Lock Forward for this team, as an extra ball player.
But then again, with the fact that Ben Kennedy and Trent Waterhouse will likely tour, id say Braith's chances are very limited.
Lockyer may not have been in his best form, but his Kangaroos captaincy assures him of the 5/8th position.
Don't me wrong, Lockyer WILL BE picked as captain and stand off, though as per the norm at selection time, the team/squad selected is not always that of the form team/squad.
At the moment, Trent Barrett is the form five-eight available to selectors yet he is likely not to play a test.
Back to Anasta, for mine, he is an ideal tourist and has played well this season for a pretty ordinary Bulldogs team. I would take Anasta before Mason.
J-Storm
23-09-05, 01:35 AM
Anasta probably deserved a look in just for utility sake but looks like he has no hope of making it now the Dragons are in the final 4 (ie Barrett) and the 'Dogs missed the finals completely, but I'm sure he'll live and move on...
I still can't believe Smith missed out for the Storm and how did Luke Lewis get a run??? Rooney is the better option of those 2 yet Lewis still gets a chance despite his drop off in form! Glad I'm not a selector is all I can say...
i think Lockyer should drop back into the fullback postion he was more lethal when he was a fb
Queenslander
23-09-05, 09:11 AM
One thing that has worried me about the train on squad is no Shaun Berrigan......he played in the Anzac Test and he is one of the top try scorers for the NRL
My ideal scrum base sorta.
(Once BK retires)
Lock - Anasta
Half - Johns
5\8 - Barrett
Fullback - Lockyer.
Quality and size.
PARANoIR
23-09-05, 07:03 PM
Shaun Berrigans exclusion is an interesting one. Expecially considering he is the incumbent and Bennett is the coach. That basically guarantees Mark Gasnier and Matt Cooper will be the centre pairing in the green and gold now aswell.
Personally, I'm glad Berrigan isn't there as I think he is highly over rated, but it's still a surprise to see his non-inclusion.
It's about time Tonie Carroll wasn't selected, it's a joke that he has even played for Australia, I don't care how good of a defender he is.
I think they could do worse than Gasnier and Cooper with Cross/King/Tahu? as back up. Wingers?
PARANoIR
23-09-05, 07:45 PM
I think they could do worse than Gasnier and Cooper with Cross/King/Tahu? as back up. Wingers?
I dare say Matt King will get a good look in as a Winger after his Origin performances.
After watching Matt Sing play for the Cowboys against the Storm the other night, I'm saying that he MUST be one of the wingers. He is an awesome player and will not let anyone down.
IMO, the other wing spot will be fought out between Matt King, Eric Grothe Jnr, Timana Tahu and Luke Rooney. If Pat Richards wasn't headed to England at the end of the season, he would've got a look in aswell. The fact the King and Tahu can play both Centre and Wing will weigh in their favour in that they are versatile players.
I am a little surprised that they included Lewis in the train on squad - I would have thought Grothe, King, Tahu, Sing gave them plenty of wing options without choosing someone not in that great form.
PARANoIR
23-09-05, 07:53 PM
Yeah I'm a little bewildered with the Lewis selection. My theory is that he is only there incase one of the more in form wingers gets injured during the finals series.
Thats the only method behind it that I can see.
footyfan09
23-09-05, 10:39 PM
jeez just give Australia the trophey waste of time... but gottta love the footy fix
PARANoIR
23-09-05, 11:08 PM
jeez just give Australia the trophey waste of time... but gottta love the footy fix
Not true. I think the Poms and maybe even the Kiwis will put up much better performances this season.
Hyperion
23-09-05, 11:11 PM
Not true. I think the Poms and maybe even the Kiwis will put up much better performances this season.
I like what you're sniffin mate. Then again, the poms would have won, with a slightly better performance. That's the difference between success and nowhere.
Steve Dangerous
23-09-05, 11:17 PM
After watching Matt Sing play for the Cowboys against the Storm the other night, I'm saying that he MUST be one of the wingers. He is an awesome player and will not let anyone down.
He's still criminally underated. Such an awesome player. I know there are many flashy wingers out there doing the fancy stuff, but Sing beats them all with his outstanding defence. He's always three moves ahead of you.. great positional play and a great football mind.
PARANoIR
23-09-05, 11:27 PM
He's still criminally underated. Such an awesome player. I know there are many flashy wingers out there doing the fancy stuff, but Sing beats them all with his outstanding defence. He's always three moves ahead of you.. great positional play and a great football mind.
Exactly right. The other night I actually concured with Paul Vautin when Phil Gould posed the question "How many tries do you think Matt Sing has saved in his career", Vautin just blurted out "873" (or something like that) but to tell ya the truth I don't think he would've been far off with that estimation. lol. Any Australian side selected this year without Matt Sing in it would be a farce and an injustice.
I'm with everyone else, Berrigan should have made it.
I'm suprised with the amount of Penrith players getting a chance!
Has anyone commented about the two teams left and who will feature in the Kangaroos train on squad?
I think Hodson, Prince, Farah, Sing, Bowen, Thurston, Southern and O'Donnell all have chances!
Going by the squad Paranior quoted my team would be,
Fullback -Minichello
Wingers -King, Tahu
Centres -Gasnier, Cooper
5/8 -Barrett
Half -Johns
Lock -Kennedy
S. row -Hindmarsh, Creagh
Hooker -Buderus
Props -Ryles, Bailey
Bowen would have to get a run somewhere
O'Donnell also deserves a spot
By the way, Sing has been one of my favourite players for a long time now.
I just feel his attack wasn't as strong this year as it used to be.
[BroncosGirl]
26-09-05, 07:55 PM
Its a strong side.
Personally Im not worried or caring that Berrigan isn't there, we have better centres. He slacked of back end of season, he had no form, so its probably better he didn't get picked. Losing his test jersey - hopefully its a wake up call ... (and he learns to pass the fricken ball too :p)
PARANoIR
26-09-05, 08:01 PM
lol, I find it amusing that a former half back doesn't know how to pass a ball! :p
I agree on the Robbie Farah front, I personally think, dispite his age, he should be Second in line behind Buderus for the Hooking role. Hes an awesome player, he deserves his chance, but I must say, its highly unlikely that he'll be there because you don't get selected because you're in good form. *cough* Eric Grothe! *cough*
']Its a strong side.
Personally Im not worried or caring that Berrigan isn't there, we have better centres. He slacked of back end of season, he had no form, so its probably better he didn't get picked. Losing his test jersey - hopefully its a wake up call ... (and he learns to pass the fricken ball too :p)
True...Berrigan isn't the best passer of the ball but neither is Minichello. Berrigan is very good runner of the ball and hits the line well. He looked like he slackened off during the end of the year but that was a result from Darren Lockyer's poor form.
He would be in my team.
[QUOTE=PARANoIR]lol, I find it amusing that a former half back doesn't know how to pass a ball! :p
Good point...who would put a guy that can't pass into half back?
PARANoIR
26-09-05, 08:09 PM
lol. Bennett.
[BroncosGirl]
26-09-05, 08:38 PM
Well he knows how to pass it :p
He just seemed to forgot to do it alot... ball hog.
well i'm glad tonie carroll missed out,1 thing that bugged me last year was when carroll ran out in the green and gold last year,i mean c'mon guys his NZ 2000 world cup jersey is hanging in the broncos leagues club!
we ain't the ANZACS!
DIEHARD
26-09-05, 11:20 PM
well i'm glad tonie carroll missed out,1 thing that bugged me last year was when carroll ran out in the green and gold last year,i mean c'mon guys his NZ 2000 world cup jersey is hanging in the broncos leagues club!
we ain't the ANZACS!
I agree 100%.
And Thorn playing for Australia then representing New Zealand at Union...
Hunt, Thorn and Carroll, what do these three players have in common?
They are all Broncos, now I know Bennett is a massive internationlist and he was the father of the new Tri Nations but if he wants to help the international game he could start by trying to get these sort of players to actually play for their country!
I know I would never represent another country, especially if Australia needed me!
yeah that's why i admire blokes like benji,sonny-bill and adrian morley i mean i'm sure these guys would love a crack at origin and let's face it that's why blokes like carroll,thorn and hunt won't play for their respective countries,they're being told Qld need them by the man who is trying to save international rugby league.it's a joke really.
[BroncosGirl]
27-09-05, 12:02 PM
Hunt was never told he was needed by QLD, he made that decision himself, he feels loyal to QLD and Aus, because he feels he owes QLD and the BRoncos, there in nothign wrong with loyaltly. We cant question someone on where they feel home is. Hunt has said before, even if he never gets picked for AUs, or QLD, he'll still be loyal to them.
I wouldnt' care if he played for QLD, AUs, or if he decided to play for NZ, the choice is his though. I mean it would be great either way.
Isn't the rule you have had to have lived in AUs for 3 years or something, somethign I heard, but I don't know ..
I agree 100%.
Player should only be able to switch allegiances if they become citizens of their new country. Not be a citizen of one and play for the other. The only consideration to this rule should be with developing nations (Like Peterson for the USA) where this benefits the sport over the nation.
i think you'll find M.r B would have had a rather big influence on Karmichaels decision.
i mean you said it in your post,he owes the Broncos!
[BroncosGirl]
27-09-05, 12:16 PM
... Wayne Bennett was the one who said Hunt was off limits for Origin last year, hes not pushing K into anything, Wb has said its up to Hunt who he decides to play for, but he will back him in whatever decision. It was hunts own words that said hes loyal to aus, and owes the Broncos not Bennetts.
i think you'll find M.r B would have had a rather big influence on Karmichaels decision.
i mean you said it in your post,he owes the Broncos!
Shame isnt it - Hunt should be playing for NZ, Islands wherever he is from unless he truly considers himself Australian.
i love stirring up Broncos fans,GO THE TITANS and the New Zealand Maroons!!!
[BroncosGirl]
27-09-05, 12:41 PM
i love stirring up Broncos fans,GO THE TITANS and the New Zealand Maroons!!!
:mad: Thats not very nice lol
But its ok because you didnt' really stir me, because I've heard it all before :p ... numerous times too! :rolleyes:
But I do agree on Go the Titans :D
I've always thought the rep selection should be wear u r born not played fist grade or whatever the current rule is
[BroncosGirl]
27-09-05, 02:04 PM
I've always thought the rep selection should be wear u r born not played fist grade or whatever the current rule is
Problem is what if you get a great player, who was born in say England, lived their for only 6 months or a year, or possibly even 3 months, their family moved to Aus, and they're now 22, and wants to play for Aus, but can't because they were born in England? Thats a bit unfair considering, they've lived their whole life in Australia, was raised in Australia, played first footy in Austraila. You'd still say they have to play for England?
Well yes if born in england than play for england.
[BroncosGirl]
27-09-05, 02:14 PM
Thats a bit unfair to the Player, its not like they had a choice where they were born. I mean if you live in a Country for all your life, or the majority of it, you have the right to call it your home, and the right to feel like its your home.
Then to not be able to play for it (particulary in the situation I just said) would be unfair.
That your Opinion and i have mine. we could go round in circles all day but i have things to do
Super Cronk
10-10-05, 10:35 PM
The ref has been announced its british ref Steve Ganson.
Steelers
10-10-05, 10:51 PM
The ref has been announced its british ref Steve Ganson.
surprising that russell smith didn't get it.
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