Your World XVII

Best team:

1.Billy Slater
2.Darius Boyd
3.Greg Inglis
4.Jamie Lyon
5.Brent Tate
6.Johnathan Thurston
7.Cooper Cronk
8.Matt Scott
9.Cameron Smith
10.Paul Gallen
11.Ashley Harrison
12.Sonny Bill Williams
13.Nate Myles

14.Kurt Gidley
15.James Tamou
16.James Graham
17.Sam Burgess

Best 17:

1.Jarryd Hayne
2.Darius Boyd
3.Greg Inglis
4.Jamie Lyon
5.Brent Tate
6.Todd Carney
7.Johnathan Thurston
8.Matt Scott
9.Cameron Smith
10.Paul Gallen
11.Sonny Bill Williams
12.Sam Burgess
13.Nate Myles

14.Kurt Gidley
15.James Tamou
16.James Graham
17.Greg Bird

 

Interesting, you'd class Hayne as a better fullback than Slater?

 

In a vacuum I think he is but there's no way I'd actually pick him in a team with Carney, Thurston and Smith. His creativity isn't needed. I can't see myself ever breaking up the Storm/QLD spine in an actual game.

 

Slater has three weaknesses in his game IMO. Firstly his fearless mentality leads him to drop a lot of bombs that he shouldn't jump for. He must've put down 10 over the last three Origin series. Several of which have cost us tries/points. Secondly, he can't pass left to right to save his life. He has great quick hands for the short pass but asking him to throw a cut-out is like asking Skippos to hop off EWS's knob - Does not compute. And thirdly, he makes some really poor choices when breaks are made. He doesn't play the percentages.

Hayne has weaknesses too. His positional play still leaves a lot to be desired. And he's a prima donna with a bad attitude. But he's very good with the basic skills of passing and kicking. He's just as good a ball runner. He's not quite as dangerous in broken play but they're both so good at it that that disparity is quite negligible. Slater's a better support player. Overall, I'd take Hayne. With Smith and Cronk though I'd have Slater.

 

Oh I'm familiar with all of Slater's weaknesses and I've been going on about them for quite a while. His risk-loving style of play has always made him a bit unreliable at higher levels and his defence isn't half as good as it is made out to be. But even with that I'd still put him over Hayne at this stage, even if the gap is narrowing.

 

I hate Hayne like poison. I think he's a dickhead and he's overrated. I'm not altogether fond of Slater either. Personally, I think Brett Stewart is the most complete fullback in the game. He's in between Slater and Hayne as a ball player/passer, but he's so much better than either of them in defence/reliability. Inglis is better than both of them too in that aspect. It just happens to be that the fullback position relies so much more on attack than defence that gives the Slater's/Hayne's/Inglis's the advantage.

 

I don't want him fullback ahead of Stewart if Carney is there. If Maloney is there, I do. Now that Stewart is gone obviously I would pick Hayne.

 

I don't think he has ever claimed that. In every discussion I've had about Stewart and Hayne with MF he has always stated that Hayne was the better fullback. The reason he would choose Stewart ahead of Hayne for NSW is because he doesn't think Stewart deserves to be dropped (an exception being made if Maloney is selected for obvious reasons). It is just a different attitude towards team selection, not an opinion that Stewart > Hayne.

 

Saying someone is more reliable and solid means that they are more reliable and solid. It doesn't mean they are better. Luke Patten was more reliable and solid than Hayne but that doesn't make him a better fullback. MF's argument isn't anywhere near as baffling as you seem to think it is.