NRL General Discussion Thread

[Horseheadsup]

I was just thinking some stuff through (read: conspiracy theories) and I joined some dots that either we've all missed or I'm late to the party for:

* We don't have a Video Ref anymore. We have a Review Official and a Senior Review Official. Now since the Bunker was brought in, these guys aren't on-site, they're holed up in the Bunker, obviously deep underground and guarded by heavies.

* Not long ago it was revealed that the "Video Ref", who are actually those Review Officials, don't just intervene when called upon, but effectively manage the game from afar. There is a constant line of communication between him (them?) and the on-field ref, giving tips on anything from on-side, to ruck speed, to how content Thurston is with the calls.

Up until now, when we've copped someone like Patten as the "Video Ref", even though some of the calls we've seen have been shockers, at least they've still had to work in the relatively tight constrains on what the Video Ref can adjudicate on. So really, only in-goal / try-scoring situations. But in reality, that's not the case. With the communication between the RO and the on-field ref, a person like Patten actually has complete control of the game - able to tip the ref off on any situations they see fit. So all of those obviously arbitrary penalties, like off-sides, ruck penalties, etc, are potentially getting fed to the on-field refs by Patten.

Does anyone else feel really disturbed by this? That even though we often joke about conspiracies, about refs having a mandate to placate certain teams, to even up penalty counts, about keeping the contest close, for that to be even remotely true you'd have to have a lot of people complicit, in terms of all all the on-field refs, touch judges, for all games, we'd be talking maybe 30 - 40 people? However, by introducing the Bunker, this technology that is supposed to make things fairer and more consistent, and by allowing those in the Box to manage games remotely, all of a sudden we're talking less than 10 people, maybe as little as 4 or 5, who can influence the entire competition, effectively every play of every game, from Round One all the way through to the GF. So, again, are we still calling this consistent incompetence?

This is unnerving. What would it take to scrap the bunker ?

 

[Morkel]

This is unnerving. What would it take to scrap the bunker ?

Scrapping the bunker will do nothing. It's just a means to an end. We need to get rid of the dinosaurs from Ye Old NSW, as well as the current administration that continue to whore the game out.

I don't know how to do that. I'm putting all my efforts in to having a whinge every time we lose or get a dodgy call. That'll show them.

 

[Foordy]

This is unnerving. What would it take to scrap the bunker ?

The Bunker is not the issue IMO ... in fact the technology is quite good. however as i have said before the Bunker does have one major flaw ... it relies on people to operate the technology.

and since we have the same old incompetent people in the bunker as we did in the old video ref box, nothing was ever going to change.

 

[Super Freak]

I wonder why Woods is allowed to play this week after what he did to Semi after he scored.

That was completely unnecessary.

 

[Harry Sack]

Media darling.

 

[tommy]

I wonder why Woods is allowed to play this week after what he did to Semi after he scored.

That was completely unnecessary.

What did he do? Got any footage?

 

[Super Freak]

What did he do? Got any footage?

 

[tommy]

meh. Nothing in it.

 

[gordjw]

It's not his go.

 

[ivanhungryjak]

He was just bracing....

 

[ivanhungryjak]

The final cap figure moves up again

The governing body sent an email to all 16 clubs on Thursday telling them to prepare for a spend of $9.14 million, including allowances for a squad of 30 players and six development list players.
While it appears the NRL and Rugby League Players’ Association are edging towards finalising the figure, it’s stressed the $9.14m mark is only a guide for clubs to help them prepare their rosters.
But the RLPA stressed negotiations are ongoing.
“The RLPA has been made aware of correspondence sent by the NRL to clubs in relation to the salary cap for 2018,” an RLPA spokesperson told foxsports.com.au.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...s/news-story/56ec90c1e2d8b778f54b3285c4fc8b6e

 

[Sproj]

9.14, very general number. :notsureifserious:

 

[Harry Sack]

RLPA won't be happy with anything under 10 apparently.

 

[Sproj]

Tigers have pulled their offers for Woods and Tedesco, so both are gone. Great work Tigers, let go any players that were half decent, let go of your own good half who actually wanted to stay and lose your two NSW reps. You can't write a comedy as good as this about incompetence!

 

[broncos4life]

Tigers have pulled their offers for Woods and Tedesco, so both are gone. Great work Tigers, let go any players that were half decent, let go of your own good half who actually wanted to stay and lose your two NSW reps. You can't write a comedy as good as this about incompetence!

So the equivalent of the whole "you can't fire me, I quit!"

 

[Morkel]

So the equivalent of the whole "you can't fire me, I quit!"

Technically "you can't quit, you're fired".

 

[ningnangnong]

I think it's absolutely fucking ridiculous that we're nearly halfway through the 2017 season, and the cap for next year hasn't been decided.

 

[BruiserMk1]

Nearly half way through the season and we have the same old transfer signing debacle.
I cannot understand why these "free agent" signings are not done in the off-season, just like in NFL, AFL etc?
It makes our great game look inept and unprofessional.
Is there any talk of this being changed?