admartian
First XV
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- Jul 2, 2009
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lol yeah. Genia was more puzzling to me.Why on earth their key tactic was to hide two of their best playmakers away from the action is beyond me, but the fact that Cooper needs to be hidden away on defence is the reason why I would never pick him. What he gives on attack in no way compensates for the liability he brings on defence.
Cooper's too much of a high risk which renders the reward he may bring a little moot. It's not like when his side/goosesteps work ,that they have always work (result into points or great position). Usually he'll get past 1 or 3 guys, make some yards and be the end of it. Yes, there are some highlight tries, but we see too many "nothing" games form him to warrant him as a viable "elite" first five.
If this were the NFL, and 10s were QBs, he wouldn't be in the top 10 for me. His upside isn't worth it - too many down games to matter. If you want a "hopes and dreams" XV that relies on potential and "what if" moments, then by all means, select him.
I'll take a solid, non-flashy 10 that knows when and how to direct a game any day.
Having Dagg as an option at first receiver is great. Wish the ABs would do it more, We'd then have the optoin of DC, Nonu, Dagg as possible first receivers.I wonder weather there is already stuff coming from Mckenzie on how he wants cooper to play in the test matches (assuming he selects him at first five). He was standing right there in the coaches box after all. Cooper did seem unusually subdued in this game compared to the game vs the lions.
Also on Genia he does the same stuff when he was playing the lions under deans. acting back quite a bit and sweeping the line even covering fullback at times.... its intresting as A Smith does abit of this which im sure is more due to his defensive frailty more than anything why Genia is doing this is a bit of mystery to me. They must not have much faith in the wings in Australia or something.
Its great that the Crusaders dismantled them so convincingly though it will make Mckenzie already start second guessing himself.
Notice how dagg sometimes comes in a first reciever for the crusaders and how that worked for them? Much better than anything cooper did.