2021 - Best 22

[BloodySwan]

That is possibly quite true. Blakey is one that could be left out, though not sure if Kennedy or Cunningham comes in for him. Campbell, I know he is young but I just love the way he goes about it. I love how he kicks and attacks when he has the ball.

Campbell is a gun, he will have a long career and I love what I have seen from him, but based off of what he has done this season Cunningham is best 22 - Campbell is not at his level yet IMO. Difference in picking the best 22 based off form vs the best 22 off potential

 

[RUNVS]

Campbell is a gun, he will have a long career and I love what I have seen from him, but based off of what he has done this season Cunningham is best 22 - Campbell is not at his level yet IMO. Difference in picking the best 22 based off form vs the best 22 off potential

I would argue that Campbell's best game this year has been better than Cunningham's best game this year, though I would agree and say that Cunningham is more consistent.

 

[Kiama Chris]

Been a couple of months and we are well into the season. Assuming everyone is fit who is our best 22?

B: McCartin, Rampe, Reid
HB: Lloyd, Campbell, Dawson
C: Hewett, Florent, McInerney
HF: Heeney, McDonald, Hayward
F: Papley, Franklin, Gulden
FOLL: Hickey, Mills, Parker
I/C: Wicks, Rowbottom, Warner, Blakey
Emg: Fox, McLean, Amartey, Kennedy, Melican, Cunningham

Big call leaving Kennedy out I know, but the other option is leaving one of Warner or Rowbottom out and when they are both fit I just can't.

Reid is not a permanent backman unless used as a loose man. Fully fit, he is still a better player than McDonald, Amartey or McLean. At the moment Fox fills this spot down back.
Cunningham is one of the league's best small defenders. Regularly closes down the best small forwards.
Campbell isn't in the back 7 unless someone moves forward.
Ultimately we're not that far apart.
Cunningham, Fox in.
Blakey, Campbell out
Tough call on Joey but it's getting close.

 

[RUNVS]

Reid is not a permanent backman unless used as a loose man. Fully fit, he is still a better player than McDonald, Amartey or McLean. At the moment Fox fills this spot down back.
Cunningham is one of the league's best small defenders. Regularly closes down the best small forwards.
Campbell isn't in the back 7 unless someone moves forward.
Ultimately we're not that far apart.
Cunningham, Fox in.
Blakey, Campbell out
Tough call on Joey but it's getting close.

I actually think if left there Reid would be a very solid Key Defender and could mark the bigger opposition forwards. Plus we don't really need him in the forward line now we have McDonald who can do almost as good a job, may as well stick him where he is needed.

 

[Ticky009]

I would argue that Campbell's best game this year has been better than Cunningham's best game this year, though I would agree and say that Cunningham is more consistent.

Cunningham is having his best year for us and Campbell has a lot to learn still, also his fitness base needs to be built back up again after injur.y.

Cunningham by a country mile is best 22

 

[RUNVS]

Cunningham is having his best year for us and Campbell has a lot to learn still, also his fitness base needs to be built back up again after injur.y.

Cunningham by a country mile is best 22

You admit though that Campbell is a far better attacking weapon than Cunningham though don't you? He may not be as good defensively but Campbell is much better ball in hand.

I think that is where I am with the best 22, I went into the selections with an attacking mindset, going with the players who I think are more likely to make things happen when they attack.

 

[BloodySwan]

Is our back 6 best suited to a zone defence or man on man these days? I feel like we don't have the cattle at the moment to get everyone locking down 1 person but are more than well equipped to have everyone close down their space.

Reid, Fox, Dawson have all shown they're best when they can play loose. Even McCartin has been shown wanting when playing the lockdown role.

 

[RUNVS]

Is our back 6 best suited to a zone defence or man on man these days? I feel like we don't have the cattle at the moment to get everyone locking down 1 person but are more than well equipped to have everyone close down their space.

Reid, Fox, Dawson have all shown they're best when they can play loose. Even McCartin has been shown wanting when playing the lockdown role.

I would agree with that. We don't really have a Grundy, Richards or Bolton down back anymore. I think Maibaum could have been that but he got really unlucky a few times.

 

[Ticky009]

You admit though that Campbell is a far better attacking weapon than Cunningham though don't you? He may not be as good defensively but Campbell is much better ball in hand.

I think that is where I am with the best 22, I went into the selections with an attacking mindset, going with the players who I think are more likely to make things happen when they attack.

No I don't. Campbell has the potential to be a better attacking weapon but has no consistency to back it up.

 

[Jewelsbon]

You admit though that Campbell is a far better attacking weapon than Cunningham though don't you? He may not be as good defensively but Campbell is much better ball in hand.

I think that is where I am with the best 22, I went into the selections with an attacking mindset, going with the players who I think are more likely to make things happen when they attack.

The thread title is 2021 - best 22 and in 2021 Cunningham is the better player.

 

[RUNVS]

The thread title is 2021 - best 22 and in 2021 Cunningham is the better player.

and I am arguing that I am not sure that is the case. It could be, but I don't think it is as cut and dry as that.

 

[S120]

Cunningham's defensive play is not only far and away better than Campbell's at this stage, but I'd say it's also more valuable than Campbell's disposal at this point in time. And I think Campbell's disposal is better than Cunningham's but not by that much at this stage. Campbell is an 18 year old who has played less than 10 games, it's not imperious just yet.

Campbell's disposal I have little doubt will be excellent in time, but right now it's no contest imo. Cunningham is not just best 22 but would be one of the very first selected every week.

 

[RUNVS]

Moving off Campbell though.

If we have a fully fit Mills, Parker, Hewett, Kennedy, Warner and Rowbottom but we can only play 5 of them, who do we leave out?

 

[caesar88]

You admit though that Campbell is a far better attacking weapon than Cunningham though don't you? He may not be as good defensively but Campbell is much better ball in hand.

I think that is where I am with the best 22, I went into the selections with an attacking mindset, going with the players who I think are more likely to make things happen when they attack.

You've come down with a case of Shiny New Toy Syndrome!

Cunningham is plenty attacking enough. The guy wants to run and create rebounds constantly from defence. He and Lloyd have been our two most aggressive defenders when it comes to using and moving the ball from the back half this year.

I also think you can't have a team of 22 attacking players. I subscribe to the often-maligned Horse quote that attack starts with defence, and more often than not when an attacking player pulls off a highlight, you can pause the video and isolate a teammate making a more selfless act nearby that gives said attacking the player the freedom to do his thing. Look at how Mills has benefitted from Hewett in the midfield, being able to hunt the ball at will as Hewett takes another mid out of the equation and the pressure off Mills. Or how Wicks is able to use his defensive pressure to cause turnovers inside 50 that result in scoring opportunities.

I am a huge Campbell fan and think it's very possible he has a better career than Cunningham's to date (though hopefully as a mid), but sometimes it's easy to fall into the trap of young + fast = attacking, when there's a lot more to it than that. He's just a long way from being that reliable attacking option yet, and that's OK.

 

[Jewelsbon]

Moving off Campbell though.

If we have a fully fit Mills, Parker, Hewett, Kennedy, Warner and Rowbottom but we can only play 5 of them, who do we leave out?

NOT JOEY, NOT JOEY, NOT JOEY, NOT JOEY, NOT JOEY, NOT JOEY NOT JOEY

 

[caesar88]

Moving off Campbell though.

If we have a fully fit Mills, Parker, Hewett, Kennedy, Warner and Rowbottom but we can only play 5 of them, who do we leave out?

I don't see why we'd only have to play 5 of them, given Parker can rotate forward and the two kids can rotate on a wing.

But if Horse isn't into rotating any of them in different roles and just wants that set inside rotation, then sorry JPK...

 

[Olian]

Been a couple of months and we are well into the season. Assuming everyone is fit who is our best 22?

B: McCartin, Rampe, Reid
HB: Lloyd, Campbell, Dawson
C: Hewett, Florent, McInerney
HF: Heeney, McDonald, Hayward
F: Papley, Franklin, Gulden
FOLL: Hickey, Mills, Parker
I/C: Wicks, Rowbottom, Warner, Blakey
Emg: Fox, McLean, Amartey, Kennedy, Melican, Cunningham

Big call leaving Kennedy out I know, but the other option is leaving one of Warner or Rowbottom out and when they are both fit I just can't.

Kennedy still offers more than Rowbottom who has been ok this year but nothing special.

 

[RUNVS]

Kennedy still offers more than Rowbottom who has been ok this year but nothing special.

I think because Rowbottom is playing somewhat injured. Fully fit I think Rowbottom offers more.

 

[Olian]

I think because Rowbottom is playing somewhat injured. Fully fit I think Rowbottom offers more.

So can’t be best 22 if he’s injured.

 

[RUNVS]

So can’t be best 22 if he’s injured.

Well my assumption when creating the best 22 was everyone was fit.

 

[MF]

Moving off Campbell though.

If we have a fully fit Mills, Parker, Hewett, Kennedy, Warner and Rowbottom but we can only play 5 of them, who do we leave out?

On current form... Rowbottom. Having said that you could probably shift one of he or Warner elsewhere and drop a fringe player from another position.

 

[TheMase]

I actually think if left there Reid would be a very solid Key Defender and could mark the bigger opposition forwards. Plus we don't really need him in the forward line now we have McDonald who can do almost as good a job, may as well stick him where he is needed.

The idea that Reid can be placed in a best 22 as a defender when he has barely ever played there and isn’t exactly known for his one on one body work is laughable… particularly when you’ve got Melican in the emergencies.

As for McDonald, given Reid’s recent spot has included rucking, do you expect him to do this? If not they are not vying for the same role.

Currently Amartey is playing Reid’s current role.

I can’t see Reid being selected as anything than a forward or forward/ruck. Selection as a permanent defender is fanciful I reckon…


(Sorry I just went through couple of threads before this one and saw Reid as a defender a number of times which culminated into this post)

 

[Grand Uncle Horace]

NOT JOEY, NOT JOEY, NOT JOEY, NOT JOEY, NOT JOEY, NOT JOEY NOT JOEY

That made me laugh! It brings me no joy to see his decline and have called it. It always feels like I have shot Bambi or an Albatross.

'ah wretch said they
the bird to slay
that made the breeze to blow'

 

[FreeAgent1]

So Best 22 update:
-I’m swapping Amartey for Reid.
- Warner in for Bell
- Robottom in for ….wicks??

hard to add back Campbell for any in the backline….Fox has been super solid.

Also unlucky is Stephens….. especially now Blakey is looking good on HBF and Dawson immense on the wing.

 

[Dangas]

So Best 22 update:
-I’m swapping Amartey for Reid.
- Warner in for Bell
- Robottom in for ….wicks??

hard to add back Campbell for any in the backline….Fox has been super solid.

Also unlucky is Stephens….. especially now Blakey is looking good on HBF and Dawson immense on the wing.

Wicks has been pretty good the past two weeks. He has some go about him. Rowbottom is still in the 22 tho, just not for Wicks