Its between Super seasons, so I am bored.
Now the Force is 5 years old, we have had a reasonable number of players play with us.
What is the best team we could have put on the park?
Castle
Cannon
Fairbrother
Vedelago
Sharpe
Hodgson
Pocock
Brown
Sheehan
Giteau
Mitchell
OConnor
Cross
Staniforth
Shepherd
McIsaac
Cowen
Welborn
McCalman
Henjak (Or Chrisso?)
Hilgendorf
Ioane (Cummins?)
WOW, aren't there some tough picks in there.Quote:
Originally Posted by farva
I'll argue all day and all night that Matt Giteau took us backwards when he was playing 10. the only 10 with any real spark we've had was Jimmy, but he was pretty green. I reckon David Hill was probably the best we've seen through our doors (pretty dismal eh?)
It's a brave call putting Brownie in the start ahead of McCalman, sure Brownie's got runs on the board, but I reckon McCalman has pretty much eclipsed him in the international season, I'd swap those two (and have a good look at whether Brownie and Hodgeo would be better to retain. so either 6 McCalman, 8 Brown or 6 Hodgson, 8 McCalman.....I think I lean towards the latter.Giteau would have to take 12 against O'Connor if he wasn't 10, that would have O'Connor looking at 15 (instead of Shep) 14 (Instead of Spanner) or Bench, (instead of Utility). It'd be a tough call, but I'd go 15 with Shep on the bench as fist back in (check the versatility in the backline if you do that. Shep comes on at 11, 14 or 15 and you shuffle with Gits (10 or 12) Spanner (11-14) JOC (12-15 10 at a pinch) ou could even push Cross out to a wing if needed. what a backline!
I would put on Ioane in the place of Cross or Ioane in the place of Staniforth and move him into 13. Otherwise a good team.
I didnt pick Ioane as 13, or in the starting 15 as a wing as when he played for the Force he wasnt better than any of the players I did pick. Since then he is essentially the first pick wing for the Wallabies. But his Force days he was good but hadnt reached the level he did. If we are going on what players have done since, then Brock James would start at 10 easily.
There is debate about giteau at 10 now. But I think when he played for the Force he was the best 10 out there. Most Australians were talking of him as a real challenge to Carter going into the 2009 3N. He wasnt up to speed though. I still think he was an amazing 10 at Super level.
The backline is the strength of the team I think. The front row looks like the weakness to me. Im hoping that in the next 5 eyars, with Charles, Whittaker, PAE and CAN coming through, that is going to change however.
I'm with you there mateQuote:
Originally Posted by GIGS20
Brown to start at 8 with McCalman coming off the bench for impact in the second half.Quote:
Originally Posted by GIGS20
As if I wouldn't have a go...
As with farva, my choices are based on comparing the best a given player played for an extended period while at the Force.
Some may have been brilliant for a couple of matches but ordinary in others, they would be less likely to have been selected than someone who was consistently reliable to perform.
Giteau was selected at #12 because he is a crap #10 and I would have been lampooned by many for having him on the bench.
For the Force, the best #10-#12 combination we have run by far was Hilgendorf-Staniforth and the greatest set back during the teams history was splitting that up with the arrival of Giteau. No argument from me, as to me it is fact.
Pusey is another that may surprise, but I have him there for his consistency and his unheralded reliability at #2 in the lineout, especially in the first couple of seasons.
The Fava v Brown v McCalman decision was also a lineball. If it was next year then I think McCalman would be a clear selection and if it was two seasons ago it would have been Brownie, but Scotty awarded me his Melbourne Relay Baton last year so he gets it by a short head...
Also, I did eliminate any player with single caps, but this only really affected Sheehan who would otherwise be in for O'Young.
Some good players there, but also telling that such a list can be done justice in half an hour without too many arguments, a sure sign of the lack of true depth at the Force and in Australia.
Burgs' All Time Force XV
1 Hardy, Gareth
2 McIsaac, Tai
3 Fairbrother, Tim
4 Pusey, David
5 Sharpe, Nathan
6 Hodgson, Matt
7 Pocock, David
8 Fava, Scott
9 Henjak, Matt
10 Hilgendorf, James
11 Staniforth, Scott
12 Giteau, Matt
13 Cross, Ryan
14 Mitchell, Drew
15 Shepherd, Cameron
16 Cannon, Brendan
17 Scott, Angus
18 McCalman, Ben
19 Brown, Richard
20 O'Young, Chris
21 O'Connor, James
22 Ioane, Digby