2017 Premiership 22 compared to improving 2019 best 22

[Rimmer]

We are nearing full strength after a wretched year of injuries and its happening just in time. As I watched our team consolidating I wondered how it would compare to our recent most successful team.

2017 Premiership 22

B: Rance, Astbury, Grimes
HB: Houli, McIntosh, B. Ellis
C: Prestia, Edwards, Vlastuin
HF: Cotchin, Rioli, Townsend
F: Riewoldt, Lambert, Butler
R: Nankervis, Grigg, Martin
IC: Broad, Castagna, Caddy, Graham

The 2 highlighted are not available ... Rance is out for the season and Grigg retired ... the rest of the 2017 team are still available and 18 I think would be in our current best 22.

New - Sydney Stack, Tom Lynch, Shai Bolton, Jayden Short are all now first 22 choices.


My current best 22

B: Short, Astbury, Grimes
HB: Houli, McIntosh, B. Ellis
C: Prestia, Edwards, Vlastuin
HF: Cotchin, Rioli, Lambert
F: Riewoldt, Lynch, Stack
R: Nankervis, Bolten, Martin
IC: Broad, Castagna, Caddy, Graham

Would you have anything different for your current best 22?

So how do you think your best 2019 team on paper compares to our premiership team?

 

[TigerMoz1973]

For me I think we operate better with 2 rucks so I would keep Chol and it would unfortunately be at the expense of Graham.

Changes from 2017
Rance - Short ... loss
Grigg - Chol ... loss
Graham - Bolton ... gain
Townsend - Lynch ... gain
Butler - Stack ... gain

The backline are all playing better than 2017. The mids and forwards are at around the same level with exception of Martin Caddy and Rioli but all of those three could well peak by finals.

If the boys make incremental Improvement leading into the finals and hit the ground running like they did in 2017 then we could well do it again.

 

[AuntyBlindEye]

Always happy to see Shorty in there. I'm pretty happy with that 22 to be honest.

 

[AuntyBlindEye]

Always happy to see Shorty in there. I'm pretty happy with that 22 to be honest.

I feel that the 2019 best 22 is a more talented team for sure, we just don't quite have that chemistry or continuity yet. YET. It'll come.

 

[Black Child]

My current best 22

B: Short, Astbury, Grimes
HB: Houli, McIntosh, B. Ellis
C: Prestia, Edwards, Vlastuin
HF: Cotchin, Rioli, Lambert
F: Riewoldt, Lynch, Stack
R: Nankervis, Bolten, Martin
IC: Broad, Castagna, Caddy, Graham

Would you have anything different for your current best 22?

So how do you think your best 2019 team on paper compares to our premiership team?

Needs a second ruck.
Chol in for someone else.

 

[Marcel Proust]

I feel that the 2019 best 22 is a more talented team for sure, we just don't quite have that chemistry or continuity yet. YET. It'll come.

the team with lynch is miles better

doesnt mean we will win though

 

[AuntyBlindEye]

the team with lynch is miles better

doesnt mean we will win though

Nah having talented players doesn't immediately grant you a premiership but having talented players in every area of the ground, a game plan that works, a decent coach and a cohesion that is hard to break goes a long way. And it isn't even just lynch, the development we have had over the past couple years has been outstanding and completely unexpected for me.

That said, even with our success of late I still feel like I'm stuck in the early 2000 mindset of "gee how will the Tiges * it up this week". I don't think I'll ever feel comfortable having absolute confidence in Richmond.

Maybe that's smart though.