08-20-2023, 06:28 AM
I have been picking next weeks Blues team every week since I became a Blues fan in 1968 and I don't recall a tougher selection task than this coming week. First up are the inter-related philosophical questions - 1 do we rest tired/banged-up players? and 2 do we prioritise getting miles into the legs of returning players? North failed to overrun the tigers in the seconds, so no-one outside the 23 are getting any match practice. The remaining unknowns at time of writing are whether top 4 is still a chance and conversely who we'd be playing week 1 of the finals on either a round 23 win or loss scenario. The former will be clear tonight, the latter by match time. If top 4 is on offer we play our strongest side, likewise if the results make a win imperative. Otherwise I am more open to being dictated by the opportunity to get miles into the legs of returning players.
To my mind we rest Cripps, Docherty and Hollands on any scenario. All would benefit from the 2 weeks off and all are struggling at the moment such that fresh legs would be a benefit to the team this week anyway – not to denigrate what they bring to the table. Incoming I would expect all of Cerra, McGovern and Walsh to come in. Also Kennedy and Silvagni if they are fit. Perhaps Boyd, though Fisher has been better than I thought he could be in the loose defender role. However I wonder whether we can afford his lack of defensive application when it comes to finals. Boyd and Cincotta to me are more defensive, more physical, better overhead and in Boyd’s case a better kick than Fisher. McGovern is a different type of defender and Marchbank and Kemp are the obvious 2 he potentially replaces, unless you want to play all 3 in which case one of them plays small and one of the small defenders goes out. That doesn’t effect our run that much and gives us flexibility if one of our tall defenders goes down.
On ball Ed Curnow I think is cooked. Cuningham has not been setting the world alight despite his obvious gifts and may be at risk. Cottrell is not the most skilled player going around but I like his versatility and team ethic and his incredible running power is crucial to the way this team plays. He stays for mine. Lastly, if there is not much hanging on the game I say we blood Binns. He has been excellent all year in the 2s and deserves a run. If he turns it on we have another selection dilemma, otherwise we have 1 natural out for the final. Win/win in my view and an investment in the future.
At this stage assuming we will prioritise getting miles into the legs of returning players and assuming Kennedy and Silvagni are fit to play my line-up is:
BOYD WEITERING MARCHBANK
FISHER McGOVERN SAAD
ACRES DOW WALSH
BINNS McKAY MARTIN
SILVAGNI/PITTONET C CURNOW OWIES
DE KONING KENNEDY/CINCOTTA CERRA
COTTRELL HEWETT KEMP MOTLOP / FOGARTY
EMERGENCIES CINCOTTA HOLLANDS YOUNG
IN BOYD McGOVERN WALSH BINNS (NEW) SILVAGNI KENNEDY CERRA FOGARTY
OUT NEWMAN DOCHERTY CRIPPS HOLLANDS (RESTED) E CURNOW CINCOTTA PITTONET CUNINGHAM (OMITTED)
LOCKS TO RETURN CRIPPS DOCHERTY NEWMAN
PUSHING TO RETURN CINCOTTA CUNINGHAM HOLLANDS
CHANCE TO RETURN PITTONET
BACKUPS E CURNOW COWAN HONEY O'BRIEN PLOWMAN YOUNG
To my mind we rest Cripps, Docherty and Hollands on any scenario. All would benefit from the 2 weeks off and all are struggling at the moment such that fresh legs would be a benefit to the team this week anyway – not to denigrate what they bring to the table. Incoming I would expect all of Cerra, McGovern and Walsh to come in. Also Kennedy and Silvagni if they are fit. Perhaps Boyd, though Fisher has been better than I thought he could be in the loose defender role. However I wonder whether we can afford his lack of defensive application when it comes to finals. Boyd and Cincotta to me are more defensive, more physical, better overhead and in Boyd’s case a better kick than Fisher. McGovern is a different type of defender and Marchbank and Kemp are the obvious 2 he potentially replaces, unless you want to play all 3 in which case one of them plays small and one of the small defenders goes out. That doesn’t effect our run that much and gives us flexibility if one of our tall defenders goes down.
On ball Ed Curnow I think is cooked. Cuningham has not been setting the world alight despite his obvious gifts and may be at risk. Cottrell is not the most skilled player going around but I like his versatility and team ethic and his incredible running power is crucial to the way this team plays. He stays for mine. Lastly, if there is not much hanging on the game I say we blood Binns. He has been excellent all year in the 2s and deserves a run. If he turns it on we have another selection dilemma, otherwise we have 1 natural out for the final. Win/win in my view and an investment in the future.
At this stage assuming we will prioritise getting miles into the legs of returning players and assuming Kennedy and Silvagni are fit to play my line-up is:
BOYD WEITERING MARCHBANK
FISHER McGOVERN SAAD
ACRES DOW WALSH
BINNS McKAY MARTIN
SILVAGNI/PITTONET C CURNOW OWIES
DE KONING KENNEDY/CINCOTTA CERRA
COTTRELL HEWETT KEMP MOTLOP / FOGARTY
EMERGENCIES CINCOTTA HOLLANDS YOUNG
IN BOYD McGOVERN WALSH BINNS (NEW) SILVAGNI KENNEDY CERRA FOGARTY
OUT NEWMAN DOCHERTY CRIPPS HOLLANDS (RESTED) E CURNOW CINCOTTA PITTONET CUNINGHAM (OMITTED)
LOCKS TO RETURN CRIPPS DOCHERTY NEWMAN
PUSHING TO RETURN CINCOTTA CUNINGHAM HOLLANDS
CHANCE TO RETURN PITTONET
BACKUPS E CURNOW COWAN HONEY O'BRIEN PLOWMAN YOUNG