NRL Grand Final - Sydney Roosters vs. Manly Warringah Sea Eagles

Read this morning that Daniel Tupuo is another Parramatta junior that the Eels let go. Jesus how many great juniors does that club ignore? I've lost count.
 
Aye Tupou played for their NYC team in 2009-10.

Other alumni from last night...

David Williams
Jamie Lyon
Justin Horo
Jamie Buhrer
James Maloney
Daniel Mortimer
 
KingWebcke said:
Roosters fans were idiots for wanting to get rid of him though. Friend had a lot of potential last year too and was still ahead of McCullough in my view.

I think the differing opinions of Friend in 2013 and pre-2013 shows the ridiculous extent to which people base their judgements of hookers on their dummy-half running. The Roosters didn't have a particularly strong pack for years so Friend didn't get much opportunity to scoot; instead he just tackled and passed most of the time. Then in 2013 the pack starts rolling and with that extra time and space and the quick play-the-balls, we get a better exhibit of Friend's running and creativity and suddenly everyone is slavering over his natural ability.

2013 was an exceptional year for him but he was a good player before that too. people just didn't bother to watch him carefully enough to notice
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Yeah, I dunno what Roosters fans actually wanted him gone. Probably the ones who think Mini is a great player these days. I can see why a couple of years ago people would still wonder who would come out on top between Friend and McCullough. It's pretty clear now though. And it's hard to see it changing, as the speed of the modern game seems to move towards favouring hookers who can get the ball away quickly and are smart out of dummy half, not hookers who are trying to emulate Cameron Smith.

Anyway, as for the Grand Final, it's funny how Manly seem to have made a complete 180 in terms of re-signings David Williams. He was terrible, and now that he left his contract extension talks until after the GF, he's no longer really wanted.
 
Alec said:
Yeah, I dunno what Roosters fans actually wanted him gone. Probably the ones who think Mini is a great player these days.
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maybe I just talk to really dumb Sydney fans (actually I'm certain that I do) but quite a few wanted him gone/thought he should move to lock. they complained about his lack of creativity and I'm sure his off field stuff didn't help either
 
Alec said:
And it's hard to see it changing, as the speed of the modern game seems to move towards favouring hookers who can get the ball away quickly and are smart out of dummy half, not hookers who are trying to emulate Cameron Smith.
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I can still see the Cam Smith style of hookers succeeding. hookers who play flat and fast are obviously in vogue right now but there is still a place for dummy halfs who try to engage the marker and who scuttle across field before picking up runners closer to the line. with a lot of teams playing left/right halves, a hooker who runs out of dummy half and plays the ball close to the defensive line can help create space for his outside men. It can be quite important to a team if they don't have backrowers or fullbacks with great passing games. I noticed Melbourne and Wests do that a bit these days.

I think the important thing is that if a hooker tries to play that style, you also have to move the ball on quickly at times. That is where McCullough falls down: he tries to emulate Cam Smith 100% of the time, without realising that Cam Smith does vary his style and move the ball quickly when the time is right.
 
Pfft Friend isn't a very good hooker - he doesn't even play 80 minutes.

Please activate sarcasm detection.
 
A question for the Queenslanders.

If you were a Queensland selector and an Origin game was to be played tomorrow and Cameron Smith just broke his leg and was unable to play and you had to pick Friend or Ballin to replace him who would it be?. I would pick Ballin because he has Origin experience and performed really well in his Origin game from memory.
 
I'd pick Friend. Ballin is great, but he's only 1 year younger than Smith. Friend is the future, and I think he's probably better than Ballin now. Gets him some experience too.
 
Broncoman said:
A question for the Queenslanders.

If you were a Queensland selector and an Origin game was to be played tomorrow and Cameron Smith just broke his leg and was unable to play and you had to pick Friend or Ballin to replace him who would it be?. I would pick Ballin because he has Origin experience and performed really well in his Origin game from memory.
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6 months ago I would have agreed. But after how Friend has played, my mind has changed. As to Ballin's Origin game, at best he held the fort.
 
On the penalty try - It really goes to show how tough the referees have it. I can see an argument for the call being discretionary and it just becomes a case of damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Can understand b4l's frustration really. Thread has nothing to do with McCullough yet people just can't help themselves. Nothing wrong with Jake Friend, deserves all the praise in the world for this season but surely it can be done without criticising one of our own?
 
The interpretations of rules seem to change every week, I honestly don't even know what the correct ruling on the Lyon try should be. Maybe that's how they are trying to grind us down into submission.
 
Alec said:
The interpretations of rules seem to change every week, I honestly don't even know what the correct ruling on the Lyon try should be. Maybe that's how they are trying to grind us down into submission.
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I don't think the interpretations change every week, certainly not with respect to Lyon's penalty try.

there would have only been a handful of incidents in the entire year that were similar to Lyon's penalty try. It's not like rulings on penalty tries/sin-binning vary every week; they happen so infrequently.
 
Just like to point out that I've been blowing the Jake friend whistle for going on three years now, and as usual I've been told that I don't know what I'm talking about. One of these days maybe some of you will pay attention to what I'm saying rather than just who is saying it.

on the game, was great to see the refs continue their idiocy streak all the way to the end of the season.

When the roosters player clearly kicked out at Lyons grubber and hit it, why didn't they overturn the decision?
How did none of the 4 officials see Maloney forward pass to minichiello in that try?
What about Lyon being taken out while chasing a bomb by Jennings? Then to top it off they give the roosters another typically ridiculous hand on the ball penalty.

I was just praying one of the horrible decisions would cost a team the game, might actually get something changed if it happened to one of their golden teams. Anyway just glad this pathetic season is over.
 
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