NRL 2023 + Internationals
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@Higgins from what i hear its a nothing story. They weren't fighting, they were wrestling, someone called the cops
The suspicious part of me says someone called the cops specifically so they could film the arrest.
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@mariner4life said in NRL 2023:
@Higgins from what i hear its a nothing story. They weren't fighting, they were wrestling, someone called the cops
The suspicious part of me says someone called the cops specifically so they could film the arrest.
Who knows what to believe, but cops usually aren't going to go in guns blazing if it's just a play fight.
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So, St Helens upset the applecart and Penrith's walk in the park to the world championship wanders off ...
Kind of amused at how much of a foregone conclusion this was, given Penrith are favourites to win the toughest competeetion in tha Wooorld... again
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And so the preseason is done, and the NRL is a week away.
The mickey mousest of mickey mouse preseason comps is completed, with Manly winning because they chucked more offloads than Cronulla.
We all know preseason form means less than dogshit, but if you are looking for hot takes
Penrith are cooked. The salary cap and Gus Gould buying everyone has eroded them. Write them off.
Manly, by virtue of winning the preseason, are now premiership favourites
The Warriors will make the 8 or battle for the spoon depending on which week you pay attention toIn a slightly more nuanced view
Cronulla look good, and should push in to the top 4. Not a huge leap as they were good last year as well. Moylan and Hynes, for a couple of fullbacks, seem to forming this great halves combination.I think Penrith will come back to the pack. Kikau and Koroisau are big losses. They have also lost May for the season. And their reliable backup in Staines is gone too. Penrith are built on metres from the back 3, and leveraging that in to smothering linespeed. Losing a couple of metre-eaters will definitely hurt that. Kikau leaves a huge hole on the left, and will mean the wildly overhyped Luai will have more to do. They are still a lock for the top 4 unless their luck with injury reverses, because Yeo, Cleary, and Edwards, as well as their prop rotation remains among the best out there.
The Roosters will be fucking good as well, as long as their midget halves stay on the park. Cheese will add a bit to them. How do they use Joey Manu, who has become too good to stash at centre? Same with Sua'ali'i.
The Cowboys have retained everyone they wanted, but if they want to push on they can't have a bunch of guys get 2nd year syndrome, a bit more luck with injury, and for Townsend to keep playing at the same level.
Souths are the other big danger i think. But their particular game plan has way more risk of a shit performance than the way the other main contenders play.
Surely Melbourne are dead? They lost their pack. Their super fragile fullback will miss 2 months, and probably get hurt again when ever he returns?The battle for the Spoon will be epic. The Dolphins are odds-on, even the wildly over-hyped Wayne Bennet can't help them. The Knight's are a disaster zone, and their coach will be first sacked. Unless the Dragons pull the trigger first. The Warriors are in this as well. They is a lack of quality all over the squad, and as the season grinds on, and the injuries mount, so will the losses. There were some green shoots of positivity in preseason, and i am less secure in my Spoon bet on them than i was 3 weeks ago.
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Haven't watched much pre season so big predictions might be a bit tough.
Agree about Penrith but will still be top four
Melbourne with team raided and Paps still broken will still be top four
Cronulla will be up there
Roosters who unbelievably manage to stay under salary caps will round it out
Cowboys could be top four again but saying they make the 8 for bold predictions
Doggies will have to be the most improved team this year but wont make top four, but should be in the eight.
Not convinced on who rounds out the eight, injuries to star players probably will have an influence..Latrell and Turbo the obvious contenders. If they stay fit then the top eight includes both.Hard to pick the order of the rest and as @mariner4life suggests Dolphins should be odds on for spoon, but usual contenders cant be far away. Newcastle the closest for me.
As for the warriors, the team actually looked pretty good against the storm minus the woeful halves who created no pressure and no creative attacks. If the halves do click, we may win a few, the forward pack especially looking a lot more solid. Not enough to be a top team in my opinion though
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@bayimports said in NRL 2023:
Hard to pick the order of the res
got to have a go though aye?
Cronulla
Penrith
Roosters
Cowboys
Souths
Melbourne
Brisbane
Manly
Parramatta
Gold Coast
Bulldogs
Raiders
Tigers
Warriors
Dragons
Knights
DolphinsCowboys beat the Roosters in the GF
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@mariner4life for when we laugh at how far off we were
Roosters
Cronulla
Penrith
Melbourne
Cowboys
Souths
Parramatta
Bulldogs
Brisbane
Manly
Raiders
Warriors
Tigers
Dragons
Knights
Dolphins -
@bayimports do it every year. Never close
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@mariner4life nice write up, although I will watch 2 fifths of fuck all NRL still good to get the heads up.
BTW who was our previous league correspondent?
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@mariner4life nice write up, although I will watch 2 fifths of fuck all NRL still good to get the heads up.
BTW who was our previous league correspondent?
@Sneakdefreak ...
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@mariner4life nice write up, although I will watch 2 fifths of fuck all NRL still good to get the heads up.
BTW who was our previous league correspondent?
@Sneakdefreak ...
Yeah we miss his warriors run down
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- Roosters: win minor prem, then have it removed in a couple of years for salary cap breaches
- Storm: Because Bellamy. Also their team is still great even with 4/5 of their best players gone
- Panthers: Will struggle a little with out Koroisau or Kikau. Luai to get dropped at some point
- Sharks: Roosters v Shsrks GF with sharkies to pip it
- Cowboys: Taumalolo back to his rampaging best, but little go foward other than him
- Rabbitohs: because Mitchel and Walker can win games on their own (and loose them to)
- Broncos: continue to track up, even tho Walter's continues to get called a shit coach
- Bulldogs: sneak in to the top eight by a hair off kikau's head
- Raiders: Rickey Stuart's fucks more people off but somehow raiders stay ok
- Eels: Brad Arthur is a shit coach and they have lost basically an entire forward pack
- Sea Eagles: turns out seibold is still shit
- Tigers: better than last year but still crap
- Knights: O'Brian sacked late in the season, then go on a winning spree
- Titans: Tannah Boyd shouldn't be withing 3ks of halfback
- Dolphins: HOLY SHIT IS WAYNE BENNET GOOD. o wait they suck
- Warriors: busy being fucking thick shits
- Dragons: fucked up mentally, fucked up squad( bar Ben hunt), fucking shit coach
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This post is deleted!
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That sucks man. I know of a couple of people do suffer from it. It can really mess you up big time
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on money matters. The ongoing "negotiations" for the new CBA are being played out through the media. Talk that the players will strike for R1 (fat fucking chance), and the season launch event was cancelled.
And the Roosters' salary sombrero seems to have an infinite brim as they have signed the Knights' best player for 2024. But word is today he could be in Eastern Sydney by Monday. How they fuck the fit another international in to that team is beyond me. They'll medically retire some bloke at 29 on their list and say that frees up the cap space or some other bullshit. They've somehow managed to keep Matt Lodge as well? Added Cheese. Upgraded Radley's contract. And all under the cap. They have the best accountants.
I mean, fucking come on
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and also add Spencer Leniu..ole! <mariachi band plays> best part is they are still asking for salary cap dispensation for Chrichton.. law unto themselves
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@mariner4life Cheats, but don't worry, they're the media darlings so they'll get away with it as usual.
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@bayimports said in NRL 2023:
and also add Spencer Leniu..ole! <mariachi band plays> best part is they are still asking for salary cap dispensation for Chrichton.. law unto themselves
the expectation is JWH retires at the end of 2023 and this is the room for Leniu
Roosters supporters tie themselves in knots trying to explain why all this is perfectly reasonable
The bigger problem for the league i think is if it is all above board. That means that certain clubs can build incredible rosters within the equalisation measures, while struggling clubs have to pay huge overs for mid-tier talent. Basically if the Roosters can do this legitimately, it will show you can only compete if you are already at the top.
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@bayimports said in NRL 2023:
@mariner4life for when we laugh at how far off we were
Roosters
Cronulla
Penrith
Melbourne
Cowboys
Souths
Parramatta
Bulldogs
Brisbane
Manly
Raiders
Warriors
Tigers
Dragons
Knights
DolphinsYou left the Titans out
My contribution to the comic relief
Roosters
Penrith
Cowboys
Melbourne
Souths
Parramatta
Bulldogs
Cronulla
Raiders
Brisbane
Titans
Manly
Warriors - it’s our year
Tigers
Dragons
Dolphins
Knights -
Fuck!!
But for good reason. I expect them to push hard for the 8, so they'll probably come 15th
Harder to pick than a broken nose
