Finals Week #3

[Super Freak]

Well, scans have revealed Cronk has a severe rotator cuff injury. I can't see how he can play with that.

Severe usually meaning a complete tear, the same thing Thurston suffered last year.

He can't play.

The only hope he has is that it's only a partial tear, but even then his shoulder function would be diminished.

 

[Battler]

Disagree. I thought Keary was brilliant in the second half tonight. He's been the best Roosters half for the majority of the season actually.

He still had Cronk on the field directing traffic. Matterson has only played in the halves with Cronk at HB. It will end in tears for the rorters if they try it in the GF.

The storm will know where every point of attack is coming from and will just target Keary all night in attack and defence. Not to mention the working over he'll get in the ruck from the undisputed WWE champions.

The Slater shoulder charge is very arguable IMO.

Feki knows Slater has the angle and tries to step inside.
If he continued on the same line Slater could have hit him and wrapped his left arm while driving with the shoulder but the change of direction by the attacking player , clearly seen in the slow mo, left no time to adjust.
I don't know how anyone could pull out of that when the attacker has some influence in the positioning .

Anyone who thinks otherwise clearly has never been in that situation on the field.

That looks like a shoulder charge, no doubt, but could he have avoided that type of collision?
Arguable, IMO.

There's no evidence that he was in the process of making a normal tackle. If he kept running on his line he would have ran into the stands shoulder first. The onus should be on the defender not to hit the attacking player with a shoulder charge.

EDIT: I agree that finals and rep games should have special weighting when it comes to suspension, but they don't so he should be gone.

 

[CaptainHook]

A couple of straw man arguments being tossed around here and there regarding this whole Slater discussion. Shall we knock them down one by one...

1.) Slater shouldn't have been charged by the MRC because there wasn't much in it and it wasn't a 'traditional' shoulder charge anyway...

As Greg McCallum said today: "...there would have been fairly significant eyebrow-raising if Billy wasn't charged. It's a clear-cut shoulder charge - you can't do what Billy did. He didn't use his arms, there's forceful contact."

2.) He'll be let off because Justin Hodges was cleared to play in 2015...

Completely different tackle under totally different circumstances. Maybe Hodges should have been suspended. Perhaps Guerra's testimony shouldn't have been used as they are QLD teammates and he was the victim in the tackle anyway?

Is it possible that Hodges deserved to play and Billy doesn't? Oppositely, is it possible Hodges should have been suspended and Billy should be cleared?

Rubbish argument that one. The case should be judged on its own merits.

3.) He doesn't deserve to miss a Grand Final for that and/or the judiciary should take into account the importance of his last game...

This one cracks me up. Let's take this idiotic point seriously for a second. Say the NRL do that and let him play because of the big occasion.

What happens if Slater head highs a bloke in the Grand Final? Or does another shoulder charge?

Do we just tack that suspension onto the one he's now already not serving and never will because he's retiring?

The NRL must, must put aside the big match and keep a level head. If they buy into this nonsense there will be carnage as players know they can get away with more in the lead up to big games.

4.) He deserves to play because other players have done similar tackles and escaped suspension...

Again, like the Hodges one - maybe those blokes should have been charged and suspended. The fact that they weren't doesn't make Slater less guilty.

Two wrongs don't make another wrong so let's stop perpetuating it.

That's not the sort of consistency we want in our game fellas.

Pity the NRL. They're damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Let's give them some credit here. They've charged him as they should have. They're not wading into the debate surrounding it and they're going to let the system do its work.

It's what we should all want from the game.

Personally, I don't care if he plays or not. If they fight the charge I don't see how they can get off it.

The 'other people have done it and got let off', the 'he's a good bloke' and the 'there wasn't enough time to make a good tackle' are all bad arguments for mine.

 

[PerthBrissy987]

 

[Steve-o]

My favourite defence for a player in trouble with the judiciary (usually said by former players/commentators) - “it’s not his go”

 

[ivanhungryjak]

My favourite defence for a player in trouble with the judiciary (usually said by former players/commentators) - “it’s not his go”

“What else was he supposed to do?” seems to be getting a fair old run so far this week.

 

[Sproj]

Are the two less liked teams that could be playing the GF?

And how good is it that the media are running with 'four-time premiership winner Cronk looks out.'

You can cheat the cap, introduce dodgy and dangerous tactics that go a long way to ruining a great game and even paralyse some dude but hey, all is forgiven.

And Fittler (a Roosters legend) coming out in the official media saying Slater should be rubbed out of the GF, yep no bias there whatsoever.

This GF week is going to suck.

 

[Morkel]

Are the two less liked teams that could be playing the GF?

And how good is it that the media are running with 'four-time premiership winner Cronk looks out.'

You can cheat the cap, introduce dodgy and dangerous tactics that go a long way to ruining a great game and even paralyse some dude but hey, all is forgiven.

And Fittler (a Roosters legend) coming out in the official media saying Slater should be rubbed out of the GF, yep no bias there whatsoever.

This GF week is going to suck.

It drives me nuts how they commercialise everything.

By the way, anyone who's feeling disillusioned by the NRL can either check out the Official BHQ Merchandise store here.

Or attend the BHQ gathering, details found here.

 

[Harry Sack]

Are the two less liked teams that could be playing the GF?

And how good is it that the media are running with 'four-time premiership winner Cronk looks out.'

You can cheat the cap, introduce dodgy and dangerous tactics that go a long way to ruining a great game and even paralyse some dude but hey, all is forgiven.

And Fittler (a Roosters legend) coming out in the official media saying Slater should be rubbed out of the GF, yep no bias there whatsoever.

This GF week is going to suck.

I have very little interest in the GF for the first time in a while. I really, really hope it's a replay of the game they played last time. With a different result

 

[Morkel]

I have very little interest in the GF for the first time in a while. I really, really hope it's a replay of the game they played last time. With a different result

+1

 

[_wwong]

I have very little interest in the GF for the first time in a while. I really, really hope it's a replay of the game they played last time. With a different result

Surely the game won’t be a sell out. It’s gonna be pitiful compared to the afl that’s for sure.

 

[PerthBrissy987]

Huge news :

 

[Harry Sack]

Surely the game won’t be a sell out. It’s gonna be pitiful compared to the afl that’s for sure.

They might have to sell tickets for $20 but it should be a sell out I think. Just a boring match up. If the Broncos can't make it at least get someone different in there. Sick of seeing the same teams at the end of the year

 

[CaptainHook]

Are the two less liked teams that could be playing the GF?

And how good is it that the media are running with 'four-time premiership winner Cronk looks out.'

You can cheat the cap, introduce dodgy and dangerous tactics that go a long way to ruining a great game and even paralyse some dude but hey, all is forgiven.

And Fittler (a Roosters legend) coming out in the official media saying Slater should be rubbed out of the GF, yep no bias there whatsoever.

This GF week is going to suck.

Yeah it's a beautiful disaster.

Cronk's injury and Slater's possible suspension have taken the focus away from the question of what do we actually think of the upcoming game and the two teams contesting it.

What do you make of it?

If you're a rusted-on conspiracy theorist then you'll probably think that the NRL have orchestrated events to manufacture the perfect grand final for the year...

...and yet Cronk will be ruled out with a shoulder injury and Slater will be suspended...thereby robbing the WWE of it's two most important storylines.

In the shadows, Cam Smith rolls the dice and it comes up snake eyes - the house always wins.

What an amazing, fucking ridiculous train wreck of a sport the NRL is.

Never change.

 

[GCBRONCO]

But remember boys and girls, it's the closest regular season and finals series ever(yes above the year before which apparently was the closest regular and finals series ever and so on) so the salary cap must be working and a quality competition is a result! *cough*. Melbourne were always going to be in the Grand Final, it was just a matter of who they were going to play and now your looking at the Storm becoming the first team in the NRL to go back to back since the Broncos in 1992-1993, something I'm sure we will see wanked over should it happen.

 

[Jedhead]

It is a sad indictment that Grand final week is given over to two stories concerning the shoulders of Cronk and Slater. The fact Cronk was purchased from the Storm to win the Rorters a GF and now (if he plays) he finds himself having to beat the team he played for most of his career to fulfil his purpose has hardly been mentioned.

I don't really care for either team. TheStorm are out and out cheats and I simply cannot believe the Rorters got there without 'tinkering' with the cap. So folks I ask you all - is there any positives for either team that would suggest they are worth following on Sunday? Can you name me one good reason support either of them?

 

[Morkel]

It is a sad indictment that Grand final week is given over to two stories concerning the shoulders of Cronk and Slater. The fact Cronk was purchased from the Storm to win the Rorters a GF and now (if he plays) he finds himself having to beat the team he played for most of his career to fulfil his purpose has hardly been mentioned.

I don't really care for either team. TheStorm are out and out cheats and I simply cannot believe the Rorters got there without 'tinkering' with the cap. So folks I ask you all - is there any positives for either team that would suggest they are worth following on Sunday? Can you name me one good reason support either of them?

I can offer no good reasons.

If pushed, in isolation I would prefer the Storm to beat the Roosters, however if the Storm do win they'll be the first ever team in the NRL era to win premierships back-to-back, and I don't know if I can stomach such cheating, arrogant scum possessing yet another record.

 

[Cult]

It is a sad indictment that Grand final week is given over to two stories concerning the shoulders of Cronk and Slater. The fact Cronk was purchased from the Storm to win the Rorters a GF and now (if he plays) he finds himself having to beat the team he played for most of his career to fulfil his purpose has hardly been mentioned.

I don't really care for either team. TheStorm are out and out cheats and I simply cannot believe the Rorters got there without 'tinkering' with the cap. So folks I ask you all - is there any positives for either team that would suggest they are worth following on Sunday? Can you name me one good reason support either of them?

Smith might retire if the Storm win and that would also mean the Roosters lost. Alternatively if the Roosters win that means the Storm lose and if O'Sullivan plays we might have a premiership winning half on the books next year. Or he could be broken. I tried to be positive