NRL General Discussion Thread - 2016

[Big Pete]

That was therapeutic, but it also reminded me of how brutal the media coverage was in 2015.

Or at least the first three months of last year's season.

I watched through every single program - the Matty Johns Show, NRL 360, Sterlo etc. and for the first three months, they always had to touch on DCE.

 

[broncos4life]

It will last three weeks, at which point a game will go down to the wire, a big name player will play the ball incorrectly and everyone will blow up at the referee because he did his job.

This is how it usually goes

*indiscretion happens*
Phil Gould: Well, this is unbelievable. We've been here for 77 minutes? 78 minutes and the man with the whistle decides he has to decide the game.

*replay airs*

Awwwww no, no, no, no! That's not a penalty Rabbits. Fans don't come to the game to watch the referee! They come to the game to watch two teams go at it! And I can't blame the men with the whistle. They're just following orders. It's the out-of-touch administration that doesn't know the first thing about football.

Disgraceful.

Media: Trent, what did you make of that penalty with two minutes to go.

Robinson: You know I can't comment on those calls. However, I doubt we'll see those type of calls for the rest of the season.

Phil Rothfield: The NRL is a disgrace! Poor lil Timmy travelled 500 miles to watch his beloved Roosters lose, not at the hands of the Cowboys but by the incompetence of the officials and the asinine rules.

*Wednesday*

Sterlo: Earlier today the NRL announced that they would be scrapping the controversial play-the-ball ruling, in what I feel is the best move for the game moving forward. I know we've got to respect the officials, but by the same token, a bit of leniency and discretion is required so that the fans at home get to enjoy the game. Moving forward, and I'm sitting here with the magnificent Manly #7, Daly Cherry-Evans and now Daly, can you please tell us what happened to your team-mate Nate Myles on the weekend?

It's like clockwork.

2007 and 2013 with obstructions, 2011 with kicking behind the line, 2009 and 2014 with ruck interpretations. Unfortunately the game seldom commits to anything and by the time July rolls around, the game is completely different and all the usual suspects are doing well.

And yet, silly rules like the torso try and the seven tackle restart remain.

This is so accurate it's scary.

 

[Fozz]

I predict this crackdown will last exactly as long as the last one, three months.

 

[abashii]

Forcing players to use their feet to play the ball would be great. I rewatched our game vs the Bulldogs (rd 23ish 2015) earlier this week and it was a constant game of tunnel ball. Worst bit was the ref yelling at them "use your foot" a few times then just ignoring the infringements from then on because he didn't want to blow a bunch of penalties and cop shedloads from the media over it.

 

[Morkel]

So, the NRL said they will crack down on players that don't play the ball properly. You either play it with the foot or get penalised.

If they do, I wonder how much that will hurt the Roosters?

I was even thinking this at the start of the week. Their success is entirely dependent on how this rule is dealt with. Their forward pack, their "power play", it all comes down to fast PTB's. Illegal PTB's. Half the time they're not even standing up - in the one motion they start to get up with one arm as they roll the ball back with the other. So Friend has the ball before even the markers have had a chance to get up. The next runner can then come right next to the ruck, with the pass being not even a metre (which is why they're so often forward, as it requires precise timing), knowing that the markers won't get to them, and the defensive line has to slide in to the gap where the markers should have blocked. By the time the 3rd or 4th tackle comes around the defensive line is heavily back-tracking and the ball-runners are almost getting to the ref marking the 10 before the defensive line does. It's a great tactic, but entirely illegal. It's not really the Roosters' fault though - they're just exposing yet another weak area in the game's reffing.

And this of course is why it won't last. The Roosters will be penalised maybe once or twice in the first few weeks. And that's it. Every other team will cop it. Easy-beats like the Titans and Tigers will get hammered, and they'll just say "well it's their own fault they're losing games, they need to work on their discipline". We'll cop it for sure. Thaiday and Wallace will get stung, you can bet on that. Sticky's Raiders will cop one and he'll blow up (kind of making it all worthwhile). But just like Slater and the legs-first crackdown, it's designed to placate the irate fans of other clubs.

It's what the NRL does. They don't want to fix anything. They have their own plans and their own way of doing things and don't give a shit about fairness or sticking to the rules. All the NRL wants to do is stop fans bitching. To look like they're on the fans' side and agree when something is being taken advantage of.

 

[ivanhungryjak]

Shane Richardson heading back to the Rabbits.

So, what's to become of his eagerly anticipated report?

 

[ivanhungryjak]

From Travis Meyn on Twitter:
BREAKING: The @GCTitans have poached @sydneyroosters boss Brian Canavan. Big coup for the Gold Coast. #NRL


This is a step in the right direction for the Tits.

 

[Sproj]

What?? Why the hey would he leave such a successful club for a basket case with little improvement in sight?

 

[Super Freak]

So I wonder if the Hayne to Titans rumours will start now..

The rumours were spreading after he was seen with Canavan.

 

[1910]

That's the Titans best ever signing.

Great administer and he has filled every role you can imagine. He understands football clubs.

Valleys trainer and saved Wally's life.
Qld trainer and strength and conditioning
Broncos first and only full time staff member with Bennett.
Roosters- assistant coach, football manager, and CEO.

 

[Big Pete]

Was also kind enough to answer one of my emails when I was studying the effects of shoulder charges.

Hopefully it isn't too late on the Gold Coast.

 

[Foordy]

What does that mean for Annersley?

 

[Fozz]

What does that mean for Annersley?

He'll have less to do, he's still CEO while Canavan will be COO.

 

[Super Freak]

So, apparently Keary got upset because Crowe told him he didn't earn his money in 2015..

Bit of a sook. Crowe was right. He didn't earn his money.

Apparently it all started when Crowe said to McInnes that the Rabbitohs never should have let Luke join Warriors.. And he is right. Keary tried to stand up for McInnes and that's when Crowe told him.

Keary got upset at Burgess because he didn't stand up for the younger players.

So, Crowe was brutally honest and the younger guys couldn't handle it.

Jesus christ.

 

[tommy]

So, apparently Keary got upset because Crowe told him he didn't earn his money in 2015..

Bit of a sook. Crowe was right. He didn't earn his money.

Apparently it all started when Crowe said to McInnes that the Rabbitohs never should have let Luke join Warriors.. And he is right. Keary tried to stand up for McInnes and that's when Crowe told him.

Keary got upset at Burgess because he didn't stand up for the younger players.

So, Crowe was brutally honest and the younger guys couldn't handle it.

Jesus christ.

Yeah but it's up to the coaching staff to tell the players off . Crowe's job is to write cheques . The story I read said the entire team copped it from him, except for the Burgess twins who were both praised .

 

[tommy]

And now there's another story doing the rounds that Sam Burgess saved someone's life but everyone reckons it's just Russell Crowe trying to get some good publicity for Souths.

 

[Rhino1001]

And now there's another story doing the rounds that Sam Burgess saved someone's life but everyone reckons it's just Russell Crowe trying to get some good publicity for Souths.

A fish eating contest accident good preseason training:takdir:

http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/sam...d/news-story/beec9df88e8170fd4ba166e6db054c4b

 

[Big Pete]

That was really unprofessional from Crowe.

He invited the squad over as guests, everything was going fine and then he thought he could deliver some cold hard truths when everyone was drinking.

Firstly, I think it's cowardly to make those sorts of comments when you're under the influence. If you thought you had to make that comment, then surely you'd give the player enough respect to say it while sober? To lull somebody into a false sense of security is the wrong way to go about it.

Secondly, it's McInnes' first year as the starting dummy half. He's one of the better hookers coming through the grades so to throw him under the bus like that is completely out of line.

Keary was obviously sticking up for a team-mate and instead of handling the situation appropriately, Crowe decided to dig even deeper and escalate the situation.

No wonder Souths sent the SOS out to Richo.

What a shambles.