2024 State of Origin - Game I Discussion

[Midean]

NRL will be fuming at Sua'li'i and Madge over all this, its a terrible look for the game on its biggest stage.

The front page of all the sports news sites right now, is a close up of Ben Hunt tending to Walsh, who's eyes are rolled back in his head with his arms stiffened out in front of him.

 

[Battler]

So that's twice this year. v Penrith they tackled his head (not much action) and now they've done it again. I get that he's slipping, and that he's a small boi. Onus on protection of the player is on the tackler. We know, and they know, Walsh feints close to the line to throw the ball and slumps a little - its not a surprise at this point.

Will there be a 3rd time? Will the NRL be happy their poster child is rubbed out of the game? Will it take a career ending neck injury for the NRL to wake up?

Absolutely furious.

If there’s evidence that NSW were coached to take Walsh out of the game through illegal tactics (late hits included) then Madge should be suspended for origin 2 imo

 

[Super Freak]

I'm not sure if this has been posted but these are Haas' thoughts on the tackle.

"I thought Reece slipped into it," he told AAP. "I hope Walshy's all right, he's my teammate at club, so I hope he's all right.

"(But) I feel sorry for Joey, it's a bit of a hard one. We've all got his back and I'm sure he'll be back. I'm not sure what he's supposed to do there to pull out."

 

[Santa]

How is this idiot a commentator!?

 

[Aldo]

Walsh said this morning it got him flush on the chin

 

[Nashy]

How is this idiot a commentator!?

He must have forgotten to glance down at the monitor when the replay popped up.

 

[Nashy]

NRL will be fuming at Sua'li'i and Madge over all this, its a terrible look for the game on its biggest stage.

The front page of all the sports news sites right now, is a close up of Ben Hunt tending to Walsh, who's eyes are rolled back in his head with his arms stiffened out in front of him.

The photo:

 

[Jedhead]

Beyond horizontal is the definition .
What part of that didn`t it meet ?

I`ve seen a few lately that could`ve ended in disaster . More good luck than good management that the player landed on his shoulder rather than his neck .

There were a few leg pulls / lifts that were ignored last night that have been a penalty in NRL this season too .

Not sure who it was who hit Tuilagi square across the chops when he was carrying it out from our end. Normally that would be 10 in the bin, but it never even drew a penalty. By the looks of him after the tackle it stung too.

 

[Aldo]

Not sure who it was who hit Tuilagi square across the chops when he was carrying it out from our end. Normally that would be 10 in the bin, but it never even drew a penalty. By the looks of him after the tackle it stung too.

Crichton's kick out at Selwyn was dangerous too..... nothing said

 

[Aldo]

The photo:

View attachment 28191

That photo on the right is pretty sickening

 

[JayPee]

I think the whole Walsh conversation has gone a bit overboard mainly because he is a Broncos player and alot of you are very protective. Like you should be. I would be if he was a cowboy but the notion that he is getting unfair treatment and getting taken out of games and targetted unfairly and deliberately is a bit far.

I agree with Del. This has happened for years on all the greats. Tedesco has been knocked out on numerous similar plays. JT got hammered going to the line constantly. It what makes them and Walsh so great. Gun fullbacks get targeted like this every week outside in by centres and wingers. Sometimes it goes wrong and in this case it got punished accordingly. They got this one right. He got sent off but it wasnt deliberate. You can see his eyes fixed on the target just before impact and late walsh drops maybe 6 inches and he clocks him. Thats the difference between an all time hit and a high shot and thatd the risk you take. I was expecting 10mins because of the history and the mitigating circumstances but the extra force and launch is what has got him sent and why he is only going to get 4 weeks by the looks.

After sleeping on it Im not sure the mcguire and trbojevic criticism on their comments is fair either. Not many coaches or players are saying much different. Do I think Slater says the same thing Madge said last night if that is Holmes or Cobbo getting sent off for taking out Tedesco. Yeah I do honestly. Coaches stand up for their guys and team and even wrongly in front of the press. Its based in what team you are on and what goes against you. Very rarely will you see a coach say yeah my Player X deserved to be sent off there and it is totally fair. There is a few but not very many.

 

[JayPee]

Not sure who it was who hit Tuilagi square across the chops when he was carrying it out from our end. Normally that would be 10 in the bin, but it never even drew a penalty. By the looks of him after the tackle it stung too.

That was Yeo. If they catch that one early its probably a sin bin. If Taulagi stays down straight away then the spotlight is on it. Thats why we have so much issues with diving. Its a hard balance.

 

[Dash]

That photo on the right is pretty sickening

Pretty low class by the newspaper to run that image blown up on the front page.

 

[Renegade]

I think the whole Walsh conversation has gone a bit overboard mainly because he is a Broncos player and alot of you are very protective. Like you should be. I would be if he was a cowboy but the notion that he is getting unfair treatment and getting taken out of games and targetted unfairly and deliberately is a bit far.

I agree with Del. This has happened for years on all the greats. Tedesco has been knocked out on numerous similar plays. JT got hammered going to the line constantly. It what makes them and Walsh so great. Gun fullbacks get targeted like this every week outside in by centres and wingers. Sometimes it goes wrong and in this case it got punished accordingly. They got this one right. He got sent off but it wasnt deliberate. You can see his eyes fixed on the target just before impact and late walsh drops maybe 6 inches and he clocks him. Thats the difference between an all time hit and a high shot and thatd the risk you take. I was expecting 10mins because of the history and the mitigating circumstances but the extra force and launch is what has got him sent and why he is only going to get 4 weeks by the looks.

After sleeping on it Im not sure the mcguire and trbojevic criticism on their comments is fair either. Not many coaches or players are saying much different. Do I think Slater says the same thing Madge said last night if that is Holmes or Cobbo getting sent off for taking out Tedesco. Yeah I do honestly. Coaches stand up for their guys and team and even wrongly in front of the press. Its based in what team you are on and what goes against you. Very rarely will you see a coach say yeah my Player X deserved to be sent off there and it is totally fair. There is a few but not very many.

Agree with most of this. I think the edict is to go out there and make him feel uncomfortable, rough him up so he's less likely to go to the line. This isn't the 80's where they're going to do a Boyd on Brohman type of attack.

Suaalii had basically lined him up to smash him legally, Walsh slips as he's coming into the line and therefore his body position is a lot lower than it was 1.5 seconds prior, Suaalii cannot adjust in that time (no one can) and he smashes him in the head.

Yes it was a bad hit, yes it was a send off. Do I think they went out there to do exactly what transpired? I very much doubt it.

 

[Midean]

I think the whole Walsh conversation has gone a bit overboard mainly because he is a Broncos player and alot of you are very protective. Like you should be. I would be if he was a cowboy but the notion that he is getting unfair treatment and getting taken out of games and targetted unfairly and deliberately is a bit far.

I agree with Del. This has happened for years on all the greats. Tedesco has been knocked out on numerous similar plays. JT got hammered going to the line constantly. It what makes them and Walsh so great. Gun fullbacks get targeted like this every week outside in by centres and wingers. Sometimes it goes wrong and in this case it got punished accordingly. They got this one right. He got sent off but it wasnt deliberate. You can see his eyes fixed on the target just before impact and late walsh drops maybe 6 inches and he clocks him. Thats the difference between an all time hit and a high shot and thatd the risk you take. I was expecting 10mins because of the history and the mitigating circumstances but the extra force and launch is what has got him sent and why he is only going to get 4 weeks by the looks.

After sleeping on it Im not sure the mcguire and trbojevic criticism on their comments is fair either. Not many coaches or players are saying much different. Do I think Slater says the same thing Madge said last night if that is Holmes or Cobbo getting sent off for taking out Tedesco. Yeah I do honestly. Coaches stand up for their guys and team and even wrongly in front of the press. Its based in what team you are on and what goes against you. Very rarely will you see a coach say yeah my Player X deserved to be sent off there and it is totally fair. There is a few but not very many.

I agree there is some bias.
I'm still angry this happened because its Walsh, and probably wouldn't be this wound up if it was Tedesco.
However.
There is a pattern here, and not just with Walsh, but players like Ponga as well, who are targeted because of their ability (rightfully so) but it is often ending with them concussed and missing from one or more games of footy, AND potentially shortening their careers.
Two games this year Walsh has been taken out of the game with head shots (which the NRL are trying to crack down on) and the start of last season with Ponga was the same.

Newcastle are a far easier side to beat without Ponga, and the Broncos for sure lose a lot of sting in their attack without Walsh.
Now im not saying coaches are telling their players to injure or maim these guys, but they are 100% coaching them to smash them hard in order to shut them down, and its going wrong often enough to be of concern.

 

[Allo]

Pretty low class by the newspaper to run that image blown up on the front page.

Also the media:

why aren’t parents letting their kids play footy anymore?!

 

[Xzei]

The other thing. They need to sack the whole nine commentary team. Throw the kitchen sink at vossy to come commentate origin. No excitement or anticipation built all game and absolutely no humour.

screw voss biggest merkin going round

 

[Midean]

Yea i heard a snippet of Vossy saying there was no head contact from Sua'li'i.
Bloke is a clown.