NRL 2024
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Goddam it Andrew....
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This kicks off soon and since I haven’t seen the build up don’t really know how this has been played out this year.
I expect fox would be in overdrive as the season begins with the NRL trying to get more gambling pie by playing 2 games in Vegas.First bet should be who goes to morgue first(looks fun for diving wingers)
Followed by who goes to jail post game
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And that’s with the smaller field size
It is 94.5 metres from goalpost to goalpost and 64 metres wide as opposed to 100 metres by 68 metres. The in-goals have also been cut down from eight metres to six-and-half. As for where the length has come off from, foxsports.com.au confirmed with NRL officials that each 10-metre block on the field is instead 9.45 metres — and the referees will adjust the defensive line’s position to ensure it is still at 10 metres. -
NRL in Vegas crowd making rugby crowd in Victoria look like 3rd grade Park football
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@mariner4life said in NRL 2024:
NRL in Vegas crowd making rugby crowd in Victoria look like 3rd grade Park football
Is that really all that relevant? A one off special event from a hugely wealthy organisation against a round that most rugby fans agree shouldn't happen, in an area about to lose their team, and in a country that doesn't give a shit about rugby.
Anyway round 1 doesn't kick off properly until 6pm Friday.
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Lol what?
One off? It's locked in for 5 years
Super Round should exist It's an awesome concept
In a country that doesn't give a shit about rugby? Unlike the huge rugby league community of the USFact is people will travel for hours to watch the NRL in the states but won't fly for 3 hours to watch their team play rugby.
It's totally relevant. Rugby as a public drawer in australasia is fucked. No one can be fucked.
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Anyway the game is turning it on, bunnies v manly is high quality for round 1.
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Just rereading my post, I'm not down on Super Rugby, it's been really good to watch. But people just will not go and watch live.
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Luke Brookes loving life
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Sitting in LAX, if they were hoping for an impact, they may have wished for local coverage. Nothing going around here. Still at least vpn working
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@mariner4life said in NRL 2024:
Just rereading my post, I'm not down on Super Rugby, it's been really good to watch. But people just will not go and watch live.
The Chiefs v Brumbies game is a good watch, your home team are playing some nice rugby ... you're watching two Sydney teams playing each other in the states.
@mariner4life said in NRL 2024:
Lol what?
One off? It's locked in for 5 years
Super Round should exist It's an awesome concept
In a country that doesn't give a shit about rugby? Unlike the huge rugby league community of the USFact is people will travel for hours to watch the NRL in the states but won't fly for 3 hours to watch their team play rugby.
It's totally relevant. Rugby as a public drawer in australasia is fucked. No one can be fucked.
I didn't know it was locked in for 5 years, until a few days before the All Stars game I genuinely thought it was that game being played up there (I tend to switch off league news when the Warriors are out or the Kiwis aren't playing). Anyway, it's a one off until it's run again next year.
Either way I still don't think the crowd in a exhibition match in the US is hugely relevant to the malaise that Super rugby is in in Australia (especially). As you acknowledge the rugby is good, but the crowds are fucked (NZ has good ratings though despite all the Warriors hype we've been smacked over the head with for the past year).
(By exhibition I mean for the US fans, not the level of competition).
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@mariner4life He was aways a good player, wasn't suited to guiding a team full of duds around.
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we skipped ladder predictions, and now we get to cheat having seen 4 teams play
Penrith enter the season looking for 4 on the bounce. They've lost a few guys again, and Luia is off at season's end. Surely the losses are starting to take a toll? Spencer Leniu might be the loss that finally pulls them back (He's already a loss to the Roosters too lol), their prop rotation was relentless, and Leniu from the bench was a key in big finals. They lost their backup half as well. Will still win an awful lot of games, but surely, surely, they can't go the well again? Surely.
The Broncos were my early pick but they, according to the weekend, are still working out how to replace the guys they lost to the Dolphins. Still a loaded side though, will win heaps of games at Suncorp, and should be at the pointy end. I think they live and die by how many Reece Walsh and Ezra Mamm hero plays come off, and how many become nothing more than dumb errors at dumb times.
Melbourne. Why won't you fucking die? They finished 3rd last year despite being dogshit most of the season. They were a mile off the top 2 sides, but so were everyone else. Bellamy won't let them finish any worse than 6th by virtue of pure rage alone.
Cronulla looked good all year then collapsed. They've lost a little depth and stability. Is their spine any good? Are their middles> I think they are a chance to fade out
Newcastle rode a wave home, but that doesn't look sustainable. Ponga is a freak though. They will have to replace Young's huge number of tries. Out of the 8
The Raiders get worse every year, but hang around because the team is as stubborn and grumpy as their coach
The Roosters will not be that bad again, and that bad was a miracle play from a prelim. But i still question their two midget halves. Cheese looked twice the player he was last year in their R1 game which is a massive boost. Losing Leniu to a probably long suspension is not helpful.
Souths can't defend, and actually have some plodders in the backline while their injuries are around. Latrell is the best guy int eh comp to watch, but is simply not fit enough to play fullback all season in a team with championship asperations.
Manly will rise, Brooks is a good buy, not least because it ends the Schuster at 6 experiment. Again, as every year, does Turbo stay fit?
Everyone else sucksTo the Warriors
Good year last year, thus expectations have been raised. So, history tells us, 6 win season coming up
But maybe not? We have a calm, settled, organised coach who appears to have the boys playing hard for him, and what stood out last year was the repeated efforts, and the belief to come back when things go wrong, where in the past we just folded. Big question mark is, is this actually sustainable?
Will Shaun Johnson's Indian Summer go another year? Is this relaxed, happy, confident Shaun here to stay? Who partners him in the halves to take some of the slack? Do we have have the edge players to take advantage of what was last year a great set of middles? Can Capewell and Harris exist on teh same field? And can they last the year? Did rugby ruin RTS or did it round out his skills? Can the soul glow enigma again score more than he lets in?
The complete lack of chat from inside the camp, and the absence of "fittest ever" headlines etc is certainly heartwarming. A few pundits here pushing us for a big year. I'm not sold, i think we finish 5th or 6th.The entirely wrong ladder
Penrith
Roosters
Brisbane
Melbourne
Warriors
Manly
Souths
Cronulla
Cowboys
Eels
Newcastle
Gold Coast
Raiders
Tigers
Bulldogs
Dolphins
St George -
@mariner4life said in NRL 2024:
and the absence of "fittest ever" headlines etc is certainly heartwarming.
Great write up, but I actually think there was an interview with Webster where this was mentioned - so that does feed into your early 6 win predictions.
From the trial I've watched rugby has improved RTS's defence.
Ever the pessimist/nationalist (in a sports sense
) I'm concerned our somewhat Oz journeyman starting pack aren't going to be up to it, especially if we have a disinterested AFB who wants to be back in Sydney. -
goddam it Webbie
know your history
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Well, I've had no time to watch the games so far, so my attempt is probably going to be worse, however here is my attempt at the entirely wrong ladder.
Biggest failure from last year.. faiders.
Biggest improver from last year...Eels (better draw, no impending suspensions currently)
*assumes Turbo plays only half a season, else top eight.
Yes I think the Warriors can make the eight regardless. Egan's HIA count for me the biggest watch out here, one of the best hookers currently in the game when fit.Penrith
Brisbane
Cronulla
Melbourne
Roosters
Eels
Warriors
Newcastle
*Manly
Souths
Cowboys
Gold Coast
Bulldogs
Raiders
Dolphins
St George
Tigers -
So Spencer Leniu is alleged to have called Ezra Mam a “monkey’’ in Las Vegas. Apparently that's racist and no audio exists to substantiate the allegation.
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@antipodean Well he's admitted it now.
