NRL 2017

[kiwiinmelb]

what is surprising for me , is how passive our forwards look , playing into their hands IMO with a lack of aggression,

the reason the kiwi forwards are rated highly going into the game , in australia as well , not just NZ , is their individual club form
'
Right now , its looking like Mal has instilled that ingredient he had in the QLD side , where the lesser fancied pack , dominates the more fancied pack

[Sneakdefreak]

Well, if true, it is safe to say that positive culture in the Kiwis is well and truly gone:

May 6, 2017

Man allegedly sold cocaine to Kiwis players in Canberra after Anzac Test

A man faces court for allegedly selling cocaine to two players from the Kiwis, captain Jesse Bromwich and back-rower Kevin Proctor, after the Anzac Test in Canberra.

[booboo]

@Sneakdefreak said in NRL 2017:

Well, if true, it is safe to say that positive culture in the Kiwis is well and truly gone:

May 6, 2017

Man allegedly sold cocaine to Kiwis players in Canberra after Anzac Test

A man faces court for allegedly selling cocaine to two players from the Kiwis, captain Jesse Bromwich and back-rower Kevin Proctor, after the Anzac Test in Canberra.

Sky news reporting Bromwich and Proctor on CCTV "consuming white powder"

[mariner4life]

Footy players in doing coke shocker.

I am shocked. Shocked.

[Sneakdefreak]

@mariner4life said in NRL 2017:

Footy players in doing coke shocker.

I am shocked. Shocked.

In their defence it's not like this stuff comes up in the news, they have more important things to report on. Nope, can't recall the last time a player was named in the media...........

[Chris B.]

@mariner4life said in NRL 2017:

Footy players in doing coke shocker.

I am shocked. Shocked.

I am lost for words, it is indescribable - since seeing how "horrified" got used up.

[Virgil]

Oh look whats that in the background?..someones kiwi captaincy career perhaps..

[Sneakdefreak]

@Virgil He's done as captain (but not as player), the coach is done, Kevin Proctor could be done because he was terrible last night and there are other secondrow options for the RLWC.

[kiwiinmelb]

Cocaine for sale outside nightclubs in Canberra ,

Maybe its not as boring there as we are led to believe

[Gunner]

I'd like to say I'm surprised and shocked, but alas nothing surprises or shocks me any more when it comes to league.

Still extremely disappointing that the captain ex captain of the Kiwis can be so fucking dumb, seriously seriously fucking next level dumb.

And before I'm jumped on for bashing league, I know shit goes down in other sports too. But shit going down in league is more common than a Sunday roast.

[Gunner]

What are the eligibility rules in league?

Serious question, there seem to be some guys in the Fiji Tonga game that might be there only because they missed selection for NZ or Oz?

[Nepia]

@Gunner said in NRL 2017:

What are the eligibility rules in league?

Serious question, there seem to be some guys in the Fiji Tonga game that might be there only because they missed selection for NZ or Oz?

I think there is a system where you can play for a PI and Oz/NZ team up until a WC when you have to pick one and then you're locked in for X amount of time. Sneak would know it better than me..

The dodgy Aussies are also letting PI qualified Origin players play for the PI and not lose Origin eligibility.

[Sneakdefreak]

Something along the lines of you can represent a "second-tier nation" if overlooked for a "first-tier nation". So basically Oz, NZ & England get first dibs. Example: Andrew Fifita was overlooked for Australia and was set to play for Tonga, but Australia recalled him into their squad for last night's game no questions asked.

There is a five-year waiting period that is suppose to be enforced at some point to stop Aussie making players like Semi Radradra eligible straight away, but it won't.

[Gunner]

I can see why, they want to make the PI teams more competitive.

But it's also shithouse, fly your flag to one mast you fluffybunnies and stop waiting for a better offer.

[hydro11]

@Gunner said in NRL 2017:

I can see why, they want to make the PI teams more competitive.

But it's also shithouse, fly your flag to one mast you fluffybunnies and stop waiting for a better offer.

It's short term versus long term. You might make Tonga better in the short term by giving them Vatuvei but I wonder if it helps in the long term. It harms the credibility of the sport and allows good players to leave the weaker teams if they get a better offer.

[Sneakdefreak]

@hydro11 It's about making sure there are plenty of NRL and Superleague players in this year's RLWC, and not teams filled with players from the lower divisions (NSW Cup etc). I suspect they'll revisit the issue in 2018.

[akan004]

Looks like Vunivalu will be representing the Roos in a year or so when he could have been potentially playing for the All Blacks. Damn, that was a poach that totally backfired on us.

[Sneakdefreak]

@akan004 Not really as it was an Australian club that took him so we had to know that the Aussies would shift the goalposts. And to be fair, an Auckland high school poached him from Fiji first so in some ways it's a lesson.

[Sneakdefreak]

@akan004 Ah, I get what you mean....Auckland rugby poaches Fijian only for Aussie league to swoop in and poach from the poacher.

[akan004]

@Sneakdefreak That's what I meant. We poached him from Fiji and it backfired on us.