An examination of the NRL All Stars teams
Roar Guru By ScottWoodward.me, 1 Feb 2010 ScottWoodward.me is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Indigenous All-Stars, NRL, NRL All Stars, Rugby League
Storm player Billy Slater skips away from Andrew McCullough during the Rugby League, NRL Round 2, Brisbane Broncos v Melbourne Storm at Suncorp Stadium, Friday March 20, 2009. Broncos won 16 - 14. (AAP Image/Action Photographics, Colin Whelan)
Our first taste of real Rugby League in Australia for 2010 is the much-hyped NRL All Stars game to be played at Skilled Park on February 13.
Below is a list of the likely line ups and a heads up on my early thoughts.
NRL All Stars:
1. Billy Slater – Melbourne Storm
2. Israel Folau – Brisbane Broncos
3. Michael Jennings – Penrith Panthers
4. Matt Cooper – St George Illawarra Dragons
5. Manu Vatuvei – NZ Warriors
6. Darren Lockyer* – Brisbane Broncos
7. Benji Marshall* - Wests Tigers
8. Adam Blair* – Melbourne Storm
9. Cam Smith* – Melbourne Storm
10. Dave Taylor – South Sydney Rabbitohs
11. Anthony Watmough – Manly Sea Eagles
12. Gareth Ellis – Wests Tigers
13. Luke O’Donnell - North Queensland Cowboys
Others
14. Kurt Gidley – St George Illawarra Dragons
15. Anthony Tupou – Newcastle Knights
16. Nat Myles – Penrith Panthers
17. Alan Tongue – Canberra Raiders
18. Luke Bailey – Canterbury Bulldogs
19. Josh Morris – Brisbane Broncos
20. Jarryd Hayne – Parramatta Eels
* Indicates automatically selected players
PSYCHOLOGY: The general consensus is that the Indigenous team has the advantage as this game means more and they will play the game of their lives. I don’t accept that. Every one of the 20 All Stars are world class, and many have a rare opportunity to play with a childhood hero and be coached by the master Wayne Bennett.
Do you really think Billy Slater will not try his heart out knowing that he has Hayne and Gidley on the bench? Folau has topped the voters poll and Vatuvei is excited to be representing his club, while Benji Marshall achieves a life time goal by playing with his idol Lockyer. I have no concerns with a team that includes Gidley, Myles, Tongue, Bailey, Ellis, Watmough and O’Donnell not being revved up.
TEAM SELECTION: Jennings and Cooper are both left centres, and so bench-man Morris will play out of position unless Folau is handed his preferred position of right centre, which would mean Hayne will start at left wing. It’s a very mobile pack and not oversized with an imbalance of too many left-side runners.
Indigenous All Stars team:
No. Player Club
1. Preston Campbell* – Gold Coast Titans
2. Wendell Sailor – St George Illawarra Dragons
3. Greg Inglis – Melbourne Storm
4. Jamal Idriss – Canterbury Bulldogs
5. Nathan Merrit – South Sydney Rabbitohs
6. Jonathon Thurston – North Queensland Cowboys
7. Scott Prince – Gold Coast Titans
8. Carl Webb – North Queensland Cowboys
9. PJ Marsh – Brisbane Broncos
10. George Rose – Manly Sea Eagles
11. Sam Thaiday – Brisbane Broncos
12. Tom Learoyd- Lahrs – Canberra Raiders
13. Joel Thompson - Canberra Raiders
Others
14. Jamie Soward – St George Illawarra Dragons
15. Cory Patterson - Newcastle Knights
16. Daine Laurie – Penrith Panthers
17. Travis Waddell – Canberra Raiders
18. Yileen Gordon - Canterbury Bulldogs
19. Jharal Yow Yeh - Brisbane Broncos
20. Blake Ferguson - Cronulla Sharks
* Indicates automatically selected players
PSYCHOLOGY: No problems as this game will be like a grand final for the passionate Indigenous team, and in fact will be the swansong for champion Wendell Sailor.
TEAM SELECTION: The three wingers all prefer to play on the right-side. Thurston and Prince are likely to be the next Maroon 6 and 7′s but are both weak in defence. The forwards offer a size advantage but lack workers. Marsh and Waddell are a mismatch against Cam Smith
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February 3rd 2010 @ 2:23pm
ScottWoodward.me said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:23pm | Report comment
On the sporting front, there is not a great deal between both teams which makes for a competitive game. Imagine if the Yanks tried to do this with basketball or even Gridion.
February 3rd 2010 @ 2:30pm
Big Steve said | February 3rd 2010 @ 2:30pm | Report comment
Are you being serious Scott? The NFL all star game was last Monday our time. NBA and MLB have one each year and hockey every 3 years(not on winter olympic year). Except they are a whole weekend event and have differnt skills sessions on the 1st day and a game on the sunday. THe ice hockey one is exceptionally interesting as they have a young stars game on the weekend as well. Would have been a good curtain raiser to have an indigenous under toyota cup vs an all stars toyota cup side.
Sorry if I missed your joke.
February 3rd 2010 @ 3:38pm
Springs said | February 3rd 2010 @ 3:38pm | Report comment
I’m not sure but I took it to mean an Indigenous All Stars game for the americans. There would be no where near the amount of professional native americans as there is native australians.
February 3rd 2010 @ 9:50pm
ScottWoodward.me said | February 3rd 2010 @ 9:50pm | Report comment
Steve I believe their is going to be a curtain raiser with 2 Youth Teams which will be great.
We have have had a misunderstanding. I was referring to African Americans V Caucasians. There is no way a native American team would be competitive, but either way it would be a mismatch except as you say Ice Hockey or baseball would be.
February 4th 2010 @ 4:26pm
True Tah said | February 4th 2010 @ 4:26pm | Report comment
Would NZ ever have a Domestic Tri-Series between Maori, Caucasians and Islanders? That would probably be a lot more interesting than say an American football game between African-Americans and White-Americans.
February 4th 2010 @ 2:01pm
Big Steve said | February 4th 2010 @ 2:01pm | Report comment
Sorry for the misunderstanding, i completely missed the point. I read it that way now as well.
I think an african america v caucasian foot ball game would be close. The african american defensive backs and recievers would probably be the difference.
Hockey would be no contest i think the NHL would be over 99% white.I think it was Michal Jordan who when asked why more african americans dont play hockey said “we have to leave something for the medium size white guys to play.
The white guys would struggle in basketball.
And baseball would be difficult as a large precentage of players are latin.
Well done the the organisers for the 2 youth teams, great to go to an event where the curtain raiser is worth watching.
February 4th 2010 @ 3:29pm
mushi said | February 4th 2010 @ 3:29pm | Report comment
The Caucasians would get crushed in an NFL game. They’d have no defence save a few line backers, no running backs and a bunch of slot receivers.
February 4th 2010 @ 3:43pm
Big Steve said | February 4th 2010 @ 3:43pm | Report comment
Maybe but the African Americans would not have decent quarter back punter or kicker. Toby Gerhart from Stanford will get drafted this year and looks ok at running back and there are alot of good TE’s. There are enough caucasion line men on either side to get one team.
I did say they would loose it in the defensive backs and recievers.
February 4th 2010 @ 4:34pm
mushi said | February 4th 2010 @ 4:34pm | Report comment
Gerhart would be the best option at running back which says something. A guy who is ranked by scouts inc as the 7th best back in his draft would be the number one choice out of an entire professional league. Described a s a solid but not exceptional prospect
February 4th 2010 @ 11:00pm
ScottWoodward.me said | February 4th 2010 @ 11:00pm | Report comment
They would fly Jonathan Thurston in to kick…hahaha
February 4th 2010 @ 3:50pm
M1tch said | February 4th 2010 @ 3:50pm | Report comment
Caucasions would do well with offense and special teams, african amercians would dominate defence.
February 4th 2010 @ 4:22pm
mushi said | February 4th 2010 @ 4:22pm | Report comment
With no running back and only slot receivers how exactly do you move the ball agaisnt a defensive made up entirely of pro bowl players?
Then when the african amercians have the ball how does a defense with no defensive backs and no edge rush stop an offense made up entirely of pro bowl players?
February 4th 2010 @ 4:18pm
mushi said | February 4th 2010 @ 4:18pm | Report comment
You think they’d struggle at QB with McNabb backed up by Young and Gerrard?
If three pro bowl alternates is struggling then we need to invent a new word for what the white guy’s running backs, corners and edge rushers are going to do.
February 4th 2010 @ 5:58pm
Corey said | February 4th 2010 @ 5:58pm | Report comment
Just quickly LOTE is back baby. Hallelujah.
February 4th 2010 @ 11:03pm
ScottWoodward.me said | February 4th 2010 @ 11:03pm | Report comment
Jury is out for me on Lote, dont celebrate just yet…see my thread
February 4th 2010 @ 6:21pm
Springs said | February 4th 2010 @ 6:21pm | Report comment
Disappointingly 4 players have dropped out of the all stars team, including Gareth Ellis. The second most popular players for the respective teams better be the replacements. Daine laurie also dropped out of the Indigenous side.
February 6th 2010 @ 11:25am
Mick from Giralang said | February 6th 2010 @ 11:25am | Report comment
Bloody hell Tonguey’s out!
February 6th 2010 @ 11:41am
Springs said | February 6th 2010 @ 11:41am | Report comment
Burgess comes in. Don’t know how that works as he was excluded from voting.
February 6th 2010 @ 11:53am
ScottWoodward.me said | February 6th 2010 @ 11:53am | Report comment
Tongue is replaced by Shillington which is actually better as they need the extra size, and Farah comes in for Ellis which is ideal for the bench as he can play anywhere in the back line and give Cam Smith a rest at hooker.