NRL General Discussion Thread

[Sproj]

Deadset, James Graham has apparently been bagged out for his comments on concussion. He spoke deeply and honestly and he should be APPLAUDED for what he said. What the heck is wrong with people!

 

[tommy]

Wonder if the reaction would be the same if it were a woman saying she was going out to crush some dick or if she would be applauded for being a strong independent woman

I wonder if the reaction would be the same if a player said he was going home to Get drunk and **** his wife.

 

[Wolfie]

What a joke the NRL are pulling up Tobes for that comment.

 

[Big Pete]

What Toby Rudolf said was completely unnecessary and really stupid - which is why he said it. I don't think he needs counselling or whatever the NRL is angling for, just a clip across the back of the head from the Shark's media manager and away we go.

If the NRL were serious about this, they should throw their weight around and get Fox to clean their act up. Fox aren't even reporting the game anymore, they're promoting their own WWE storylines like the Phil Rothfield/Cooper Cronk debacle. They're just mud rakers and they do such a poor job of covering the sport they have to book their own storylines, it really is a sad indictment on the state of sports journalism in Australia.

Personally I find myself watching Denan Kemp and Justin Horo's podcast. If the game survives, that's going to be the future with more players following in the foot-steps of Pat McAfee and doing their own coverage.

 

[scobie]

What a joke the NRL are pulling up Tobes for that comment.

A joke. What exactly did he say that was offensive? Players are used all the time to give interviews and promote the game, and if the NRL give him a slap on the wrist for this, you could see all interviews just turn into a boring pile of clichés and nothing responses to stupid questions.

 

[Sproj]

What Toby Rudolf said was completely unnecessary and really stupid - which is why he said it. I don't think he needs counselling or whatever the NRL is angling for, just a clip across the back of the head from the Shark's media manager and away we go.

If the NRL were serious about this, they should throw their weight around and get Fox to clean their act up. Fox aren't even reporting the game anymore, they're promoting their own WWE storylines like the Phil Rothfield/Cooper Cronk debacle. They're just mud rakers and they do such a poor job of covering the sport they have to book their own storylines, it really is a sad indictment on the state of sports journalism in Australia.

Personally I find myself watching Denan Kemp and Justin Horo's podcast. If the game survives, that's going to be the future with more players following in the foot-steps of Pat McAfee and doing their own coverage.

I’m sorry but I can’t completely agree with a lot of this post and I feel sick I will defend 360 here, though I do agree with parts.

Don’t get me wrong, they Cronk thing WAS horrible and should never have happened and I still feel a bit annoyed about it. I also hate that someone like Hooper is even on the show, he’s rubbish as a commentator on anything league.

I think they do cover league mostly but they do tend to go for some sensationalism but even just this week, the segments on concussion have been excellent. There are parts of the show that are horrible but I quite like watching it, even if I disagree with a lot of what’s said at times, I don’t see how it isn’t mostly about football?

As for Rudolph, I don’t even think he should have been warned. His comments were taken out of context and out of proportion. As I mentioned previously, they could easily have been taken as a comment against what used to happen after games, this isn’t a stretch at all.

Also, apparently his comments were made after 10pm on a show more targeted toward an adult audience. He didn’t single out men or women and he very quickly stated he was joking. He could have been privately told to be a bit more careful with his words in the future privately and everyone moves on.

I’ve sure made some jokes where I almost immediately thought, hmm that could have been taken the wrong way, I hope I didn’t offend anyone and hope no one will hold it against me.

Absolute rubbish he’s been given an official warning for it, I hear far worse at work from men and women.

 

[broncos4life]

I’m sorry but I can’t completely agree with a lot of this post and I feel sick I will defend 360 here, though I do agree with parts.

Don’t get me wrong, they Cronk thing WAS horrible and should never have happened and I still feel a bit annoyed about it. I also hate that someone like Hooper is even on the show, he’s rubbish as a commentator on anything league.

I think they do cover league mostly but they do tend to go for some sensationalism but even just this week, the segments on concussion have been excellent. There are parts of the show that are horrible but I quite like watching it, even if I disagree with a lot of what’s said at times, I don’t see how it isn’t mostly about football?

As for Rudolph, I don’t even think he should have been warned. His comments were taken out of context and out of proportion. As I mentioned previously, they could easily have been taken as a comment against what used to happen after games, this isn’t a stretch at all.

Also, apparently his comments were made after 10pm on a show more targeted toward an adult audience. He didn’t single out men or women and he very quickly stated he was joking. He could have been privately told to be a bit more careful with his words in the future privately and everyone moves on.

I’ve sure made some jokes where I almost immediately thought, hmm that could have been taken the wrong way, I hope I didn’t offend anyone and hope no one will hold it against me.

Absolute rubbish he’s been given an official warning for it, I hear far worse at work from men and women.

Surely you realise there is a difference between what randos at work say or what you say to your mates and what someone says on national television yeah?

 

[theshed]

What Toby Rudolf said was completely unnecessary and really stupid - which is why he said it. I don't think he needs counselling or whatever the NRL is angling for, just a clip across the back of the head from the Shark's media manager and away we go.

If the NRL were serious about this, they should throw their weight around and get Fox to clean their act up. Fox aren't even reporting the game anymore, they're promoting their own WWE storylines like the Phil Rothfield/Cooper Cronk debacle. They're just mud rakers and they do such a poor job of covering the sport they have to book their own storylines, it really is a sad indictment on the state of sports journalism in Australia.

Personally I find myself watching Denan Kemp and Justin Horo's podcast. If the game survives, that's going to be the future with more players following in the foot-steps of Pat McAfee and doing their own coverage.

His comments were completely inline with the endless lowest common denominator humour that’s been league media culture since the games inception. To pull Rudolph up for making a joke that was just a water downed version of the same humour Fatty, Matty Johns, Fittler, Andrew Johns, Hindmarsh, Finch, Fletcher etc etc have been doing for decades is a bit unfair.

The Cheese and Munster were applauded by the team of man children at Fox for their unashamed post GF bender candidness.

 

[Sproj]

Surely you realise there is a difference between what randos at work say or what you say to your mates and what someone says on national television yeah?

See the comment above this one. B.Smith went on about getting drunk after the GF and everyone was like ahh what a champion. Rudolph comes out and says something completely tongue in cheek and as already mentioned, could easily be taken as a commentary on how things have changed, and you want to get up in arms about it?

Andrew Johns says far worse things when talking about ‘the good old days’ on any of his shows and gets applauded for it. He often sits there staring down the top of his female co-presenter and nothing gets said.

I’m not saying what Rudolph did wasn’t stupid, I’ve already said that repeatedly. What I’m saying is is that it has been blown way out of proportion because we live in a society that is constantly looking to be offended. Anyway, I’ve said my piece probably too many times and I stand by it, I’ll leave it there.

 

[Foordy]

on a different note, the AFL has just introduced a medical substitute for concussion and game ending injuries, could somethin like that work in the NRL and is it worth considering?

details from AFL.com

• all clubs will be able use 23 players for each game instead of the regular 22, but that extra 23rd player will only be able to take the field after club doctors have assessed an injured or concussed player as 'medically unfit' to continue in the match.
• To be eligible for a medical substitution, the club doctor must decide that an injured player will be unable to play a game in the next 12 days.
• Club doctors must provide the AFL with a medical certificate on the first working day after the match as evidence the substituted player sustained the injury.
• Should a subbed-out player recover from an injury other than concussion before the next match, he may be granted to play provided his return is ticked off by the AFL Medical Officer.
• Any club found to be breaking the medical substitute rule can be sanctioned "for conduct unbecoming, or prejudicial to the interests or reputation of the AFL, or to bring the game of football into disrepute".
• Clubs will name a 'normal' squad of 22 players and four emergencies the evening before the game, but they won't have to name the 23rd 'medical substitute' player until final teams are confirmed an hour before the first bounce.

 

[broncos4life]

See the comment above this one. B.Smith went on about getting drunk after the GF and everyone was like ahh what a champion. Rudolph comes out and says something completely tongue in cheek and as already mentioned, could easily be taken as a commentary on how things have changed, and you want to get up in arms about it?

Andrew Johns says far worse things when talking about ‘the good old days’ on any of his shows and gets applauded for it. He often sits there staring down the top of his female co-presenter and nothing gets said.

I’m not saying what Rudolph did wasn’t stupid, I’ve already said that repeatedly. What I’m saying is is that it has been blown way out of proportion because we live in a society that is constantly looking to be offended. Anyway, I’ve said my piece probably too many times and I stand by it, I’ll leave it there.

No one gives a **** about him saying he was going to have 1000 beers or that he was going to try and pull a chick. The problem some have is referring to women as 'things' and 'any will do'.

Not the crime of the century and he has simply been warned, the fact is that whether you agree with the way the world is currently or not he shouldn't say that on TV which is why he has been warned and nothing else.

 

[Browny]

on a different note, the AFL has just introduced a medical substitute for concussion and game ending injuries, could somethin like that work in the NRL and is it worth considering?

details from AFL.com

• all clubs will be able use 23 players for each game instead of the regular 22, but that extra 23rd player will only be able to take the field after club doctors have assessed an injured or concussed player as 'medically unfit' to continue in the match.
• To be eligible for a medical substitution, the club doctor must decide that an injured player will be unable to play a game in the next 12 days.
• Club doctors must provide the AFL with a medical certificate on the first working day after the match as evidence the substituted player sustained the injury.
• Should a subbed-out player recover from an injury other than concussion before the next match, he may be granted to play provided his return is ticked off by the AFL Medical Officer.
• Any club found to be breaking the medical substitute rule can be sanctioned "for conduct unbecoming, or prejudicial to the interests or reputation of the AFL, or to bring the game of football into disrepute".
• Clubs will name a 'normal' squad of 22 players and four emergencies the evening before the game, but they won't have to name the 23rd 'medical substitute' player until final teams are confirmed an hour before the first bounce.

I’m confident that clubs wouldn’t exploit this at all

 

[Foordy]

I’m confident that clubs wouldn’t exploit this at all

i agree that the NRL clubs would 100% try to exploit this, which is why if i was introducing something like this i would consider a black and white rule that if you use the medical sub, the player that comes off can not play for 12 days, no exception

 

[Sproj]

i agree that the NRL clubs would 100% try to exploit this, which is why if i was introducing something like this i would consider a black and white rule that if you use the medical sub, the player that comes off can not play for 12 days, no exception

Funnily enough, that is the rule the AFL have bought in as well.

 

[tommy]

on a different note, the AFL has just introduced a medical substitute for concussion and game ending injuries, could somethin like that work in the NRL and is it worth considering?

details from AFL.com

• all clubs will be able use 23 players for each game instead of the regular 22, but that extra 23rd player will only be able to take the field after club doctors have assessed an injured or concussed player as 'medically unfit' to continue in the match.
• To be eligible for a medical substitution, the club doctor must decide that an injured player will be unable to play a game in the next 12 days.
• Club doctors must provide the AFL with a medical certificate on the first working day after the match as evidence the substituted player sustained the injury.
• Should a subbed-out player recover from an injury other than concussion before the next match, he may be granted to play provided his return is ticked off by the AFL Medical Officer.
• Any club found to be breaking the medical substitute rule can be sanctioned "for conduct unbecoming, or prejudicial to the interests or reputation of the AFL, or to bring the game of football into disrepute".
• Clubs will name a 'normal' squad of 22 players and four emergencies the evening before the game, but they won't have to name the 23rd 'medical substitute' player until final teams are confirmed an hour before the first bounce.

It will be exploited by teams. If we were to adapt it I would expect at least roosters and storms will add “acting concussed” to their training regimes.

 

[Foordy]

Funnily enough, that is the rule the AFL have bought in as well.

Players in the AFL can apply for an exemption if it's not concussion ... from their website

Should a subbed-out player recover from an injury other than concussion before the next match, he may be granted to play provided his return is ticked off by the AFL Medical Officer.

 

[BroncsFan]

Funnily enough, that is the rule the AFL have bought in as well.

Except they have a caveat equivalent to a medical "things change bro"

 

[BroncsFan]

It will be exploited by teams. If we were to adapt it I would expect at least roosters and storms will add “acting concussed” to their training regimes.

They already do... watch for a player to be "concussed" at around the 20min mark tonight... hell they dont even have to look concussed NAS will just disappear from the field and the commentators will tell us
"NAS has passed his HIA and will return"
"Well that's good news for them"
"I dont even remember when he went off... what incident was that for...."
"No time for that fatty!! PAPENHUYZEN IS OFF DOWN THE SIDELINE!!!...."