Clayman wrote:
I am in Brisbane now ready to scream the roof off the Gabba tonight.
I am also concerned about the wet conditions especially with a forward line of Waite, Sentanta, Kruezer. For that reason I am expecting up to 2 changes before the game starts, otherwise their backline will run us off our feet.
I'm not sure that we'd be worse off than Brisbane. Fev's is very much a marking forward - he's not great below his knees when the ball's on the ground. His mercurial soccer kicks perhaps just serve to hide the fact that he can't pick the ball up as smoothly as you'd expect of a 190/1cm guy. Browny would also be better off on a fine day, though he's no mug below his knees.
I hope someone forces Santy to wear long stops. Last year at the Gabba, he slipped around like someone wearing leather-soled shoes on ice. But if he can keep his feet, then slippery conditions may work to his advantage. He's likely to draw Merrett, and he's fast. Merrett has to be careful not to slip when he takes off after Santy on the lead. As for Waite, I don't think he'll be bothered by the wet all that much. He's very much a straight-line player, and now he's recovering from the knee reco that's advisable. He's not likely to lose his feet trying to change direction as that's not his style.
But unless there's actually rain during the game or water on the ground, there's not likely to be much of an effect anyway. Modern grounds are so well drained that you wouldn't be able to tell if it rains on the day of the game.