2024 State of Origin - Game I Discussion

[Dash]

Pure nonsense. I think players/coaches would be sued into oblivion if they intentionally went out and did this. It's assault.

He doesn't say they intended to knock him out, he says they intended to bash him. Which they 100% did. If someone gets badly hurt while you're only trying to hurt them a bit, that's not an accident.

 

[McHunt]

How is this idiot a commentator!?

His shoulder struck Walsh's chin sending his neck whiplashing backwards. Not even a remote benefit of the doubt here:



That said, the way Walsh often bends his knees so deeply when he passes, it won't be the last time this happens.

 

[Midean]

He doesn't say they intended to knock him out, he says they intended to bash him. Which they 100% did. If someone gets badly hurt while you're only trying to hurt them a bit, that's not an accident.

Exactly this.
I have no doubt whatsoever their plan was to limit Walsh through physicality.
Sua'li'i just got it very very wrong and took it way too literally.


And for anyone who still thinks this shouldn't be a send off.
Take a good look at this angle that wasn't shown in the game.

 

[Renegade]

He doesn't say they intended to knock him out, he says they intended to bash him. Which they 100% did. If someone gets badly hurt while you're only trying to hurt them a bit, that's not an accident.

There's a difference between bashing him in the sternum (which was the intended target) and bashing him in the head.

There's nothing wrong with going out to rough him up. But the insinuation that the end result was what they were really after - nope.

 

[Mr Fourex]

I'm still picking him for Origin 2, though. QLD doesn't have anyone better.

You'd agree that Billy W is knocking on the door...surely.

 

[Culhwch]

Exactly this.
I have no doubt whatsoever their plan was to limit Walsh through physicality.
Sua'li'i just got it very very wrong and took it way too literally.


And for anyone who still thinks this shouldn't be a send off.
Take a good look at this angle that wasn't shown in the game.

Hammer draws Teddy and passes to Dearden that's a a try under the posts. We were carving them up when they had thirteen.

 

[Midean]

There's a difference between bashing him in the sternum (which was the intended target) and bashing him in the head.

There's nothing wrong with going out to rough him up. But the insinuation that the end result was what they were really after - nope.

Nope, they were most certainly not after that result.
I don't think they wanted Walsh knocked out cold, or to lose a guy for the entire match, but they for sure had intent to **** him up more than a regular club game, because often that's allowed in Origin.
The coach probably pushed the "take him out at all costs" angle, and Sua'li'i took it too literally and got careless.
Add the pressure of expectation on Sua'li'i with his Origin debut, and wanting to leave his mark before going off to Union and this sort of thing can happen.

I don't think there was malicious intent to seriously hurt Walsh, From the Coach or Sua'li'i but i think they were trying to hammer him as hard as they could to the very edge of whats legal and they pushed it too far.

I could almost put money on Walsh having a far easier time in game two on the back of all this.

 

[Renegade]

I'd agree with most of that (just not the take him out at all costs angle, but not far off either - hurt him and his confidence, limiting his impact). It's not malicious, just reckless. From a guy that's on debut and with a bit of a point to prove on whether he should've even been selected in the first place with him going to union next year.

Just got it completely wrong and he paid the ultimate price in the moment. Sent off after 7mins, in the history books forever, costs his state the game and probable series, and now misses a month of club football in his final year. No doubt if he had his moment again he'd do it differently.

 

[McHunt]

You'd agreed that Billy W is knocking on the door...surely.

Do you forsee some kind of Lynyrd Skynyrd hooker extinction event?

I have Reed Mahoney next in the queue. He plays near 80 minutes most weeks:

Official NRL profile of Reed Mahoney for Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | NRL.com

The NRL profile of Reed Mahoney including career statistics, season stats, games, tries, goals, tackles and fantasy scores.

www.nrl.com

 

[Nashy]

Sports photographers can be scum too - obviously taking photos is their job, but distributing one of him in that state is classless. The one on the left was enough.

I don't mind it. Good to see he's got a mate there looking after him given the asshole that caused it didn't even take a second look to make sure he was ok.

 

[Midean]

I don't mind it. Good to see he's got a mate there looking after him given the asshole that caused it didn't even take a second look to make sure he was ok.

The same asshole put a post out on Instagram this morning saying he is disappointed he let his team down, no concern for Walsh whatsoever.

 

[Finbar]

How good was it watching Luai switch off not even 5 minutes into the match and get bamboozled by DCE down the shortside. After he got wrong-footed he didn't chase hard enough, giving DCE just enough space to throw that offload to Hunt.

 

[Battler]

Paul Crawley has pretty much said that the Suaalii hit on Walsh was not an accident but part of an intentional campaign to bash Walsh.

This is what he said:

"It was obvious from the get-go the Blues had gone out to bash Walsh and this was not an accident, it was a reckless and avoidable tackle and Suaalii and the Blues have paid the price for their obvious intentions."

If it was a deliberate tactic then it's just robbed the Broncos of our best player for the next two rounds. Assuming it was a pre-planned tactic, there is no accountability on the NSW coaching staff for coaching their players to illegally, per the rules of the game, inflict serious injury on an opposition player. IMO the coaching staff brought the game into disrepute if it is true and ought to cop some sort of penalty.

 

[1910]

The same asshole put a post out on Instagram this morning saying he is disappointed he let his team down, no concern for Walsh whatsoever.

That's not true.

“I hope he’s doing all right. I hope his family is doing well. I didn’t mean to hit him in the head.

“I haven’t reached out yet, but it’s something that I’ll do.”

 

[Battler]

His shoulder struck Walsh's chin sending his neck whiplashing backwards. Not even a remote benefit of the doubt here:



That said, the way Walsh often bends his knees so deeply when he passes, it won't be the last time this happens.

Won't be the last time we see an opposition player sent off either if they keep screaming out of the defensive line to put a shot on him with zero regard for his safety. Also won't be the last time we see the media meltdown over it

 

[Fernando]

Won't be the last time we see an opposition player sent off either if they keep screaming out of the defensive line to put a shot on him with zero regard for his safety. Also won't be the last time we see the media meltdown over it

This is why Kev needs to be very vocal about it right now, he can heap enormous scrutiny on defenders on Walsh going forward if he blows up big time.

 

[BroncsFan]

This is why Kev needs to be very vocal about it right now, he can heap enormous scrutiny on defenders on Walsh going forward if he blows up big time.

His media presser will be tomorrow (I think?) and one of the first questions will be "Do you think Reece gets targeted by opposition teams?"

Clearly he does get targeted... but all playmakers do... but he can also say something about playmakers needing to be protected (we already do it with kickers) and about Reece being out for the next 2 weeks so fans wont get to watch him... and something about if the NRL dont protect their star players then they wont be around for as long as they should be.

That would be a fuckton of ammunition to put pressure on the NRL

 

[1910]

Paul Crawley has pretty much said that the Suaalii hit on Walsh was not an accident but part of an intentional campaign to bash Walsh.

This is what he said:

"It was obvious from the get-go the Blues had gone out to bash Walsh and this was not an accident, it was a reckless and avoidable tackle and Suaalii and the Blues have paid the price for their obvious intentions."

Honestly.

If it was a deliberate tactic then it's just robbed the Broncos of our best player for the next two rounds. Assuming it was a pre-planned tactic, there is no accountability on the NSW coaching staff for coaching their players to illegally, per the rules of the game, inflict serious injury on an opposition player. IMO the coaching staff brought the game into disrepute if it is true and ought to cop some sort of penalty.

Do you honestly think John Cartwright is going to sit there and be part of a plan to maim Walsh?

Do you think Haas is going to say let me do it I will take his head off?

They would have spoken all week about pressure on Walsh and getting up quick and cutting down his time- the same as Queensland did.

If you were going to give instructions to get at Walsh and get sent off do you pick the private school winger to be your hit man?

Come on.