|
Post by hoskotafe3 on Apr 28, 2021 22:23:58 GMT
NRL talking about conferences. A Sydney conference and an Everybody Else conference. Not crazy about a second kiwi team. They've had 25 years to get one right and haven't. 18th team should be in WA to open up that time zone. The actuak mechanics aren't bad: play each team in your conference twice and the secondary conference once for a total of 25 games. Unequal numbers for home games is obviously not ideal.
Anyways, on field a big game tonight with Souths hosting the struggling Raiders. Could be now or never for the Green Machine to take a scalp and show some premiership credentials. For Souths, they need to win games like these all year round if they want to go to the next level.
In AFL on Friday, Richmond are undermanned and underdogs against the unbeaten Bulldogs. Don't think it's the end of the world for Richmond if they lose as expected, while Bulldogs need to win that comfortably if they're the real deal this year.
Titans play the Hapless Broncos in Brisbane and The Storm play the free-falling Sharks in the other Friday games.
|
|
|
Post by weststigersbob on Apr 29, 2021 0:46:09 GMT
Not terribly keen on the conference idea in the NRL, but I won’t have a concrete opinion on it until it is a concrete plan. At the moment, it’s little more than a spitball idea.
On the field, South’s might put up a large score against the out of form Raiders.
Speaking of out of form, I wonder which Tigers will play the Dragons on Sunday ? The have a go, give a shit vs South’s Tigers ? Or the vsRoosters/Manly/Cowboys WTF!?! Tigers ?
|
|
|
Post by hoskotafe3 on May 1, 2021 7:51:10 GMT
Well, very poor loss for the Titans. We know exactly what their problem is: they're one way runners. They'll run hard forward if they're attacking but they won't run hard to get back on defence. They'll probably over correct in the near future and run hard back but have no go forward. Until they learn to just run hard regardless of who has the ball they'll remain an inconsistent team.
Penrith found a way to stop the Turbo Charged Manly: it's called being comfortably the best team in the comp. Very good game which finished with Penrith winning by 12, which I'm sure is further mathematical proof of how one sided the games are this year...
For Collingwood I must really question betting agencies: look at how Collingwood have been playing then look at Gold Coast since that horrendous wake up call of a first half against the Bulldogs and explain to me why Collingwood were favourites? I didn't bat an eyelid at that result. Team is clearly blooding youngsters and dropping veterans. Bucks is well aware this is a rebuilding year and has debuted more players than any other club.
As for the Bulldogs: they failed their first real test losing meekly to an understrength Richmond. Not putting a line through them, but they need to beat, or at least seriously challenge Port in Adelaide in two weeks or they're profiling like pretenders at worst and the dreaded "fourth best team" at best.
|
|
|
Post by hoskotafe3 on May 7, 2021 12:47:27 GMT
Melbourne and Penrith taking the piss at the moment. They're having a cold war where they are both trying to see who can beat up on their opponents worse each week. 50-nil for Melbourne beats out 48-nil for Penrith in Round 9.
Other two games this week are more interesting. Parramatta had to beat an undermanned Roosters and did it pretty handily in the end.
Geelong didn't just defeat an undermanned Richmond: they blew them off the paddock. Not the end of the world for Richmond, but statement game from Geelong. Will be interesting to see how quickly Richmond can get players back. With trips to Brisbane and Perth in the next 4 or 5 weeks, they may maintain their WLWLWLWL start for another month at least.
|
|
|
Post by hoskotafe3 on May 17, 2021 4:45:48 GMT
Made my way to the SCG to watch The Pies on Saturday and they faded badly after a good start, managing just one goal after quarter time. Real lack of quality forwards and very thin in the midfield. Swans looked sharp out of defence.
Magic Round, apart from the name, is not a bad concept but this was a very unremarkable round of games. The annoying thing being they were all unremarkable match ups on paper too. Canberra managed to continue their slide and win at the sane time and it was fun watching Manly thrash Brisbane I guess.
I'm sure you would have enjoyed the first 60 minutes of the Tigers-Knights game. Some very ordinary football in the last 20 minutes of that one from both teams.
|
|
|
Post by weststigersbob on May 17, 2021 5:07:57 GMT
I’m not getting carried away with the Tigers. 1 step forward, 3 back for us. I like the magic round concept. Better this year with the 3 days, instead of the 4.
I’m finding the hilarious reactions to the crack down on head high contact a bit much though. I hate saying it, but it really pushes home just how low-brow most Rugby League fans truly are. Head high tackles, by definition, are attacking the head - and this has been illegal since 1908. What is different today, is that referees are showing less, to zero, tolerance for it. This goes back to what I’ve always said is wrong with rugby league refereeing. It has been more about ‘managing’ the game than ‘refereeing’ it. And the usual suspects are still harping on about uneven penalty counts. When will these pelicans learn - if team A offends twice as much as Team B, then it stands to reason that the penalty count is double.
|
|
|
Post by hoskotafe3 on May 21, 2021 21:10:55 GMT
Good call on the Tigers, though the Warriors are a decent team and it was quite an entertaining game. Dragons are definitely flattered by their 4-1 start now. Sharks are improving, but that had to be a W from St George's POV.
Richmond lose again in the AFL. Not an overly concerning loss on the road against a team who's knocked them off there recently. They probably would have liked to have gotten closer. I'll keep them as favourites unless they keep losing consistently at the MCG.
|
|
|
Post by hoskotafe3 on May 27, 2021 20:25:54 GMT
RIP Bob Fulton. A legend of two clubs I absolutely detest. Well before my time as a player but I do remember him as Manly's coach, particularly in the 1995-97 period where Manly dominated the comp for three years but somehow won only the 96 premiership. Also helmed the 1987 Manly premiership team. Also helmed two of the worst Grand Final chokes in NRL history in 1980 and 1995.
35 tests for Australia and 269 club games for Manly and Easts and national coach for a decade. They don't make scrubs Immortals.
|
|
|
Post by hoskotafe3 on May 27, 2021 20:48:00 GMT
Melbourne started another week of the Cold War by putting up 40 on Brisbane in a 28 point win. Penrith are playing Canterbury this week though so 60+ is on the cards.
Big games this round are Parra vs Souths for the title of Best of the Rest and I also think Roosters v Canberra should be good. And the Dragons play the Tigers on Friday apparently. Not a bad time to get us.
Some big games in the AFL this round: 1v2 (in front of nobody due to yet another Vic lockdown and may get canned pending covid tests for Dees players) and Brisbane vs the Gints. Richmond will have to head to Gints stadium to 'host' Adelaide. Pity about the rescheduling as this is the Indigenous Round where home teams show off some pretty groovy alternate jerseys.
|
|
|
Post by hoskotafe3 on Jun 4, 2021 22:59:45 GMT
Tigers did what they needed to do, which was put away a vulnerable Penrith missing SoO stars. I think there's a lot to ve said for winning games you should.
On the penalty try: clearly a high shot and therefore a penalty, but I'm not 100% sure the contact caused the fumble. Still, I think penalty tries have been under utilized for years and like the fact they're less shy to award them the last couple of years.
In the AFL, the Dees continued on their merry way, overcoming a 20 point deficit to best Brisbane by 4 goals.
|
|
|
Post by weststigersbob on Jun 5, 2021 14:21:09 GMT
Gold Coast blew about 5 tries to lose by 6 to Melbourne. They might regret losing that one come SF time.
|
|
|
Post by hoskotafe3 on Jun 5, 2021 19:50:32 GMT
Saw the last 20 minutes that Titans game. Very frustrating team.
Pies beat Adelaide by 5 in a fun, error riddled, game. Good to see some of our kids play well.
Swans beat St Kilda in a hugely entertaining game. Former Tiger Jack Higgins the villain for the Saints missing 2 late set shots in a 9 point loss.
|
|
|
Post by weststigersbob on Jun 6, 2021 12:19:42 GMT
Newcastle got mashed by Parramatta, as the top tier continues to pull away from the chasers. The eels had lost 2 in arrow previously but never looked like losing right from the opening whistle.
Origin on Wednesday - NSW have the team on paper to really do a number on Queensland. It is literally a backline full of points. But it’s origin. So NSW by a point in a scrappy game.
|
|
|
Post by hoskotafe3 on Jun 13, 2021 18:43:06 GMT
Some close finishes in both codes made for a fun round of games.
Penrith fans will be cursing Origin after they just dropped their second in a row while Melbourne and Parra keep winning. Real fun was the Titans v Roosters. GC started so badly they had no business winning, then got in such a good position they had no business losing and then lost.
In AFL, Adelaide managed to win after taking 11 minutes into the second quarter to record a score, a feat made easier by their opponents, St Kilda, not scoring a goal in the last hour. And West Coast kept the year interesting, coming from 22 behind in the last quarter to beat Richmond. Leaves the Tiggies 7-6 and 8th, but their draw opens up from here, with trips to Freo and GWS their only away games, and only tough home games are Geelong and Brisbane. If they lose all those I'll be very surprised.
|
|
|
Post by weststigersbob on Jun 13, 2021 23:05:25 GMT
Big game today Hosko. Dragons really need the W if they are a shot at finals. Tigers, well, we truly saw where we belong. And that is with no business competing with the Top 5. Parra jogged past us 40-12.
|
|
|
Post by hoskotafe3 on Jun 17, 2021 22:41:33 GMT
Well, the Beanies might help cure brain cancer but nothing's going to help cure the Broncos this year. Another abominable performance at home where they would have conceded the half ton yet again. Superb tackle from Xavier Coates aside, they were listless and pathetic.
|
|
|
Post by hoskotafe3 on Jun 25, 2021 21:09:37 GMT
Richmond do have something to worry about after last night's loss. I still contend that their draw opens up from here, but last night, against a struggling Saints who played like a struggling team, was as bad as it gets. How many wake up calls does this mob need? Or are they just off the pace this year? With 7 losses in the bank already and Geelong and Brisbane at home and GWS away on the run home, with a potential covid mandated trip to Perth to play Freo thrown in, they look no sure thing to play finals if they can't find some form fast.
|
|
|
Post by hoskotafe3 on Jul 1, 2021 21:09:50 GMT
You can put a fork in the Roosters Premiership chances if you hadn't already. Melbourne are looking like runaways to win it all right now, especially with Hughes playing like JT at half back. Unbelievable reaction to the sin bin late in the game. If you line up a bloke and get him late with your shoulder what do you expect?
And Richmond are in a weird situation. While they could be as low as 11th by the end of the round, I reckon they'll still be 8th...and no one ahead of them is running away with the comp. They could miss finals or they could still win the comp. Mind you, hard to see where they're going to get 4 or 5 wins from to even play in September if Gold Coast and St Kilda aren't automatics.
|
|
|
Post by weststigersbob on Jul 2, 2021 4:30:45 GMT
Ah Richmond, it’s been fun - but it’s back in your usual box now. And that’s the one where you lose games you shouldn’t and look a class below the heavyweights.
Melbourne were good, but the Roosters were very ordinary. It was like watching the Tigers from a few years ago. Tedesco trying his arse off, a couple of players putting in (Crichton particularly) and the rest leave you thinking “Really” ? I think the hype surrounding that Suaalii kid is a bit much. He will be a good first grader, but doesn’t have the speed needed to be a top line fullback or centre.
|
|
|
Post by weststigersbob on Jul 2, 2021 15:56:30 GMT
Dragons pull an unlikely win out of their derrière in a Golden Point thriller 19-18. Warriors will rue that one 8 think.
In the Western Derby, Penrith also won by a point 13-12, with Matt Burton banishing the demons of a year ago when he couldn’t hit a barn door against the Knights and Penrith had a draw. Mitchell Moses bottled a moderately difficult penalty goal on the siren to snatch an undeserved win for the Blue and Golds.
I saw an interesting article about how back in the bad old SL days, Parramatta and Penrith were spurned by prospective JV partners and Parramatta extended the olive branch toward Penrith. I know 100% that Balmain did the right thing in giving Parramatta the cold shoulder. The proposal offered was little more than a disguised takeover by Parramatta Leagues Club (not Football Club) and an attempt to get rid of the Eels moniker in a way that was acceptable to rusted on fans. If, and I’m sort of gathering I’m right, he proposal put to Penrith by Parramatta was similar, I’m not surprised the Panthers ignored them too. It’s interesting though, neither Penrith, nor Canterbury really pushed hard to get a merger with Wests through. I’ve heard many people state that the bullishness of the Campbelltown faction in demanding things was a bridge too far for both, and that faction wanted absolutely nothing to do with Parramatta. Balmain was seen as the least worst I guess.
|
|