NRL 2024
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Worst performance of the Webster era.
After 12 minutes it looked like one team was going to get done by 20, and it wasn't the warriors.
But just like every week we don't score enough when we are on top, but this week or defence also fell apart.Awful all round really. I would like to say flush it and move on, but a few things that have bugged us all year became big issues tonight.
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Yeah errors amongst back three were huge, Shaun either was instructed or attacked only one side. Bench offered little which didn’t surprise me given injuries but disappointing nonetheless. Some worrying signs for sure, hoping flush it…
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Dolphins wow! Trai Fuller where have you been?!?!
Jack Bostock and Isaiya Katoa are also future stars of the game, and how good is Jeremy Marshall King going?! Might have to find a way to get him into the Kiwis lineup.
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remmeber the first year of the 6-again rules, and it turned out half the comp had teams fundamentally unsuited to that game style, and lopsided scores abound? Well this weekend reminded me of that, lots of teams got flogged.
We've already discussed Thursday, and the fact the Roosters are frauds
THe Warriors slipped on that banana skin
Then the dolphins buttfucked the Eels in Darwin. Fuck the Eels, and fuck "King" Gutho. Brad Arthur chucked his players under the bus afterwards, but that can't hide the fact he's probably sitting in the hottest seat in town. The Eels just got flogged by a Q-Cup team
Penrith of course beat the Tigers. Benji is a real coach now because he had a quick bunker whinge in the pressor.
Neither GC or Manly could be bothered tackling.
Brisbane put Canberra in their place.
The Bulldogs of all teams flogged the Knights who are in real trouble. Heaps of their players are out of form, they are reliant on Ponga who is hurt and tired. AOB back in the gun.
Then the Sharks showed the Cowboys exactly where they really are. Payton is now under pressure as well. Continuing to pick absolute spuds like Townsend, Feldt, Granville, while there has been a huge regression in Taumalolo's game as well. The Sharkies look like they did at this time last year though. They'll be hoping they've learned some lessons. -
Tough week watching league, I saw enough fight even in the Gold Coast to make me nervous after our poor effort last week, combined with a short turnaround and a massive injury list of middles.
I have thought for a while that performance from the Dogs was coming. Its funny how the season progresses and when injuries to many teams start occuring, the teams who bought players who can play in multiple positions rather than specialists, start having a greater impact! But seriously, I know they say, Ponga's injury couldnt get worse and was just pain management, but AOB playing him was the worst decision of the weekend, it led to another subsequent injury and likely out longer..
Cowboys have the worst away record at Shark Park of all teams in the modern era (dont know why, but they didnt turn up again)..flush it
Very even comp, only really Penrith and Melbourne showing any consistency. Everyone else is capable of brilliance and crap, the difference being the previous teams teams are also the same, but still find a way to win.
Origin 1 just around the corner, so a lot of these teams will lose players soon, traditionally this is where we make our move (and usually fall away at the end), hoping that loss last week lights a fire from our guys.
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Early team lists show last weekend's results haven't cost many their job
We're getting Walker back, the only casualty is injury enforced to Capewell.
For the Roosters Tedesco keeps his spot after mystifyingly avoiding suspension
The Eels dropped a nobody half for another nobody half
The Cowboys swapped Taumalolo to the bench for the similarly poor performing Neame.There are a few guys stealing a pay cheque in the NRL at the moment.
The Broncos get a heap of high end talent back to play the Tigers.
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We have a stack of forwards out still, Niukore, Bunty and Jazz probably the biggest impact for middles rotation. Hope Laban isn't defending Fifita, but gets a good chance to show his talent eitherway. SJ carrying injury but expect a strong hit back from the Warriors.
Unfortunately Tedesco only got a fine which Im surprised with, but sort of not..
As for the Eels, Sanders is actually a young halfback and Im surprised he hasnt been played so far, rather than stuffing Brown around. Doesn't help the lack of talent in their centres or their edge forwards. Interestingly hearing that Gutho's knees are completely shot but keeps playing, reminds me of Brett Stewart for Manly near the end of his career. BA on deaths door
If Melbourne rout Souths, which they should.. is JD back out the door?
The only team that didn't really need calvary thanks to a stack of talented juniors in Brisbane ..gets the big guns back lol.. poor tigers, however on ex-union watch Alaimalo gets his first run
Surely the Cowboys bounce back.. -
I would be happy if Jazz never played NRL for the Warriors ever again.
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@mariner4life said in NRL 2024:
I would be happy if Jazz never played NRL for the Warriors ever again.
he still gets himself in good positions and does some good work, but now has more jazz hands moments than not unfortunately, Niukore the biggest out right now for sure
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And in new news; Bulldogs are going to have to answer why Topine walked away from the club and the game. A lodging in the Supreme Court of deprivation of liberty, unlawful detainment amongst other claims will be interesting reading.
Unsurprisingly the smooth brains administering and coaching at the Bulldogs are circling the wagons again.
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@antipodean said in NRL 2024:
And in new news; Bulldogs are going to have to answer why Topine walked away from the club and the game. A lodging in the Supreme Court of deprivation of liberty, unlawful detainment amongst other claims will be interesting reading.
Unsurprisingly the smooth brains administering and coaching at the Bulldogs are circling the wagons again.
interesting tone, what is your take?
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@mariner4life said in NRL 2024:
@antipodean said in NRL 2024:
And in new news; Bulldogs are going to have to answer why Topine walked away from the club and the game. A lodging in the Supreme Court of deprivation of liberty, unlawful detainment amongst other claims will be interesting reading.
Unsurprisingly the smooth brains administering and coaching at the Bulldogs are circling the wagons again.
interesting tone, what is your take?
Given what's alleged, the smooth brains may have some uncomfortable questions to answer. Difficult to see how a player they've invested in over years all of a sudden is too soft to train hard.
More broadly it may open up a can of worms about some racist attitudes in some coaching staff and administration.
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are we reading the same case?
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Wow, I didn't see that take coming. From memory this is where RFM also raised the point about players and additional training and those that didn't like it, got told do the extra work or leave. There was a large amount of players who did leave last year too. Will be interesting to see what's in the players contracts though in regards to how far you can push certain things, probably a solid argument for no duty of care for someone's mental health, especially after this occured to just one player (that we currently know of), but cant see this getting to court though. Probably a payment of some kind incoming though and interesting to know if we ever get to hear the Bulldogs argument.
On the field though, Bulldogs look better for it this year though, interestingly also RFM looks better at the Dragons too
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paywalled, but i assume the same one
what's the racist undertones i have missed?
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@antipodean said in NRL 2024:
@mariner4life I'm reading this
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/weekend-australian-magazine/inside-the-bulldogs-wrestling-session-where-jackson-topine-was-forced-to-wrestle-squad/news-story/602c725bd73ac4324afc017d10b44bc7Reminds me a bit of when Bitchell would make players who dropped the ball in matches wear gloves all week and other frankly stupid stuff like that.
That wrestling stuff would have probably been par for the course 20 plus years ago but seems pretty counter-productive these days.
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@mariner4life The trope pushed in media reports about Pacific players being lazy and not putting in the work is common in rugby league.
Ravulo first heard it when he began working with the NRL 15 years ago.
“There’s a narrative they just want to get on the field and play but they don’t want to train,” he said.
“But if you had one or two white players who were reluctant trainers, would you then apply that trope to all white players?”.
