WA State of Origin Team
I missed this yesterday. But apparently the WAFC or whoever has named the 2006 Western Australian State of Origin team. I saw this in the West yesterday and thought it was their team. Not so, it is the SOO team.
Eight Eagles made the grade -
Reigning Brownlow medallist Ben Cousins, vice-captain Andrew Embley, ruckman Dean Cox, midfielders Daniel Kerr and Tyson Stenglein and key position players Lynch, Adam Hunter and Darren Glass were also crowned in what has been a successful campaign for the West Coast Eagles, sitting in top spot after 20 rounds.
The team in it’s entirety:
2006 State of Origin side
Backs: James Clement (Collingwood), Darren Glass (West Coast), Nathan Carroll (Melbourne)
Half-backs: Tyson Stenglein (West Coast), Michael Johnson (Fremantle), Shane Parker (Fremantle)
Centres: Daniel Kerr (West Coast), Simon Black (Brisbane), Joel Corey (Geelong)
Half-forwards: Ben Cousins (West Coast), Adam Hunter (West Coast), Des Headland (Fremantle)
Forwards: Jeff Farmer (Fremantle), Quinten Lynch (West Coast) Mark Williams (Hawthorn)
Ruck: Dean Cox (West Coast), Josh Carr (Fremantle), Peter Bell (Fremantle)Interchange: Aaron Sandilands (Fremantle), Steven Dodd (Fremantle), Andrew Embley (West Coast), Daniel Wells (Kangaroos)
Coach: John Worsfold (West Coast)
Umpire: Dean Margetts
I know his season has been interrupted by injury but I think Mark Nicoski was a bit stiff. Great season from him (18.5 disposals a game, plenty of dash) up until his ankle injury. And if Nicoksi is unlucky I reckon Chad Fletcher has some right to complain.
Ok, I know everyone rags on his disposal but seriously he was an AA two seasons ago and his disposal hasn’t changed. Maybe our perception of him has, but not his disposal. He’s been getting it 23 times a game in 2006 which still has him as one of leading ball winners in the league. I know they play different sorts of roles but you’d be hard to compare Steven Dodd’s output with Fletchers wouldn’t you? Or Wells for that matter.
Aug 24th 2006
The problem with Fletcher is that he simply hasn’t improved since he was All-Australian. Whereas Cousins, Judd and Kerr have taken their game to another level, Fletcher seems to think he plays for the opposition based on the number of times he turns the ball over. Thankfully, the selectors seem to recognise that sheer number of possessions is quite meaningless in today’s game. Being “one of the leading ball winners in the league” is useless if you simply turn it over.
Quality, not quantity!
I do agree that Nicoski’s omission was a bit harsh though.
Aug 24th 2006
Errors per game - Fletcher 4.1, Kerr 3.8
http://www.pro-stats.com.au/psw/web/player_rankings?yr=2006&rt=LA&fc=E10
Not a huge difference there…
Aug 24th 2006
Is “error” defined anywhere on that website?
Aug 24th 2006
No but from what I can work out it seem synonymous with clanger.
Aug 24th 2006
The most telling statistic with regard to Kerr and Fletcher is the number of contested possessions:
Kerr 3.9
Fletcher 0.9
It’s forgivable if an error is made in a contested situation, which Kerr finds himself in far more often than Fletcher.
And Kerr still makes fewer mistakes.
Aug 25th 2006
I wasn’t suggesting Fletcher is better than Kerr. It just a way of showing how our perceptions aren’t always spot on. ie no one talks about how many errors Kerr makes when he doesn’t make that many less than Fletcher.
Aug 25th 2006
Comparing Fletcher with Kerr isn’t really relevant in terms of this discussion anyway (where Fletcher was initally compared with Dodd/Wells).
Total Pos / CPos / Errors(%)
Fletcher: 23.1 / 0.9 / 4.1 (18)
Dodd: 15.2 / 0.9 / 2.0 (13)
Wells: 18.0 / 1.0 / 2.3 (13)
Fletcher obviously has more of the ball than the other two, and more clearances and first possessions, but makes more errors and has less 1%ers. Interestingly he’s marginally ahead of both Dodd and Wells in tackles laid.
Lineball call for me, but given that both Cousins and Bell are probably similar types of players to Fletcher except better (on form this year), I can’t really argue with his omission.
Aug 27th 2006
I would have thought Buddy Franklin and possible Bateman might of been considered.
Molly
Aug 28th 2006
Lynch at Full Forward in that side is a joke. J. Longmuir or Franklin are much better.
Aug 28th 2006
And Yobbo, that is based on what? a whim? you’re superior sense fair play? or what?…
Aug 31st 2006
Well, it’s not based on performance, that’s for sure.