Round 11 - Melbourne v North Queensland

[Storm Spirit]

I thought our defensive effort was good considering they got thrown a curveball on Wednesday with the serious injuries to Billy and Coops. Our gameplans would have had to change. HOW GREAT WAS CAMMY.. MASSIVE EFFORT FROM OUR CHAMPION CAPTAIN. GAVE HIS ALL.
no wonder thurston was so fit and ready for this game as he was MISSING IN ACTION in soo.

As a good mate of mine so aptly put it....

"Cam proved beyond all doubt that he has all of the makings of a future Immortal...

He should be fed grapes by a dozen Virgins while sitting on a Throne made from every other NRL player....."

Comment of the year in my opinion....

[Kya]

Thanks for sharing that comment Storm Spirit, still making me laugh. Lol.

stormy
I admire JT but I think this year in particular, he is trying to do everything all the time. Watched a few cowboys games this year and at times has been a little selfish in trying to win the game instead of looking for better options, they should have won the warriors game but he was trying to do too much and missed better options much like in SOO.

I pray Qld upset NSW in Sydney, it's been wonderful listening to how self righteous the nsw media are every time they have lost the series, if they win the series, it will be unbearable.
I didn't think it was possible that RL media could be more biased but it would be worse if they do (most likely) win.

Just hope we have no more injuries from here on out.

[Ice]

All in all i thought it was a commendable effort from the boys last night. As Blazza said the effort was there which is all you can ask and it make a loss like that a bit more palatable as opposed to if they didn't put in.

Hampton and maybe Walker are available for selection this week and Jordon is back as well which should provide more punch up the guts making metres which is where we really struggled last night.

[Inglis#3]

I'd go:

1. Hampton
2. Waqa
3. Chambers
4. Mann
5. Tonumaipea
6. Roberts/Munster - If they go with Munster, Hampton and Cam could rotate sporadically.
7. Walker
8. Bromwich
9. Smith
10. Norrie
11. Harris
12. Hoffman
13. Hinchcliffe

14. Proctor - needs a rocket up him. Maybe starting him from the bench could be the answer.
15. Bromwich
16. McLean
17. Rose

[blazza18]

I do like the look of that side.

[Mattpoet]

I'm thinking

1.Munster/Mann
2.Waqa if fit, if not Robinson
3.Chambers
4.Mann/Munster
5.Tonumaipeia
6.Hampton
7.Walker
8.J.Bromwich
9.Smith
10.Norrie
11.Proctor
12.Hoffman
13.Harris

14.Hinchcliffe
15.K.Bromwich
16.Garbutt (offers so much more than Rose)
17.McLean

[blazza18]

Do we rush McLean back or let him play some second grade for a few weeks ? Rose has been decent the last few weeks I though. Seems to have gotten over not wanting to be in Melbourne.

[brisbanestorm]

I think bring McLean back in. It's not like an injury he's atleast been able to train with the team over his suspension. Plus the fact that it is a home game as well as being Old Boy's Day (I think) would ensure that he runs out in front of a supportive crowd

[sallymay]

I talked to Jordan at training about a week ago and he said he was told he would proberly play QCup or nsw cup first...he was hoping it would be qcup as he didn't want to have to go to Newcastle to play first up (I think he was told shark played the knights that week they don't they play Illawarra ) but I'd be worried too

So I hope Bellamy has changed his mind and does bring him back

[storm77]

Cam was man of the match and is the greatest hooker ever.... However I also think he has become a little bit overrated by many.
He really isn't a guy who can run your offense. He was actually terrible last night. I know we are down players and we were never going to win and we will struggle offensively for the rest of the year but Cam is not a HB. He is a hooker. He is a very good play maker when someone else is running the show.
CC runs our show. He orchestrates everything we do. I actually think CC influence is underrated at times because of Cam and Billy and the whole big 3 thing. CC has been by far our MVP for a long time. Last night highlighted that.
Had you switched out CC for CS then we would have been much better on the offensive end.
Perhaps we lose something defensively, or perhaps not, but there is no doubt we would have been far superior with the ball in our hands.

[glennb]

I agree with you storm 77. Cronk is underrated when he plays for Australia and Queensland as well. Everyone always talks about JT, but Wednesday night showed without Cronk organization he is not as good. That is what Cronk does best, he might not be as flashy as some halfbacks and he does have good players helping him. But he tells players where to stand, run and what to do next and it works. A number of so called expert have said, if Cronk was on the field late on Wednesday night Queensland would have sored in final minutes.

[blazza18]

I agree that Cronk is underrated, I disagree that Smith is overrated though. Smith controls the ruck better than any other player in the nrl. He was off last night because he had just played origin + he's carrying an injury + our other halves were Roberts, Proctor and Harris. Can't really put all of that on Smith. If you think we'd have been better with Cronk instead of Smith, just go watch any game we play without Smith over the past 4-5 years. He is the heart and soul of this team.

[stormy]

the joke of the year....."Cameron Smith overrated" ARE YOU KIDDING...WHAT ARE YOU ON?
Cooper Cronk is awesome and a game organiser and if he finished the game on Wed (instead of crab cherry evans) he would have given QLD better options.. c.c.e I feel lost the game for qld with his last kick options and jt wasn`t as good without COOPER telling him what to do.
It proves to me that Cammy is the best hooker,captain and team man.
Coops is the best halfback and organiser.
Billy is the best fullback and a very dependable player to have in your team.

I thought Cammy was awesome against cowboys 50+ tackles WHAT more could he do?

[storm77]

Overrated as playmaker. He is very good but I don't think he is at the level people think he is.

[TC]

Cam was man of the match and is the greatest hooker ever.... However I also think he has become a little bit overrated by many.
He really isn't a guy who can run your offense. He was actually terrible last night.

I think you are being a bit harsh there.
The problem was that Cameron was expected to run everything! Normally, Cam directs general play and chimes in as occasional playmaker, with Coops doing the fine detail and Billy the general in defence (watch a game from behind the posts one day with a focus on Slater. It's a real education. Belly reckons he's the best defensive organiser he has ever seen, and in over thirty years of playing and watching I have certainly seen none better).
Instead, he had to run everything with minimal support; defence, general offence and playmaking. He had a rookie at fullback, a lock at hooker and a journeyman centre at 5/8 (who was soundly beaten in the playmaking stakes by Tohu - a second rower). Smith didn't drop the balls, give away the penalties or miss the tackles that kept Melbourne under pressure.