CROSS FORUM NRL Round 1 - Las Vegas

[Battler]

Agreed. When you are legit in conversation of who would you prefer - Cameron Smith, Darren Lockyer or Nathan Cleary, you are an all time great.

Smith is the best when looking at his overall career and how completely ahead he is of the 2nd best hooker (whoever that is), but nobody touches 2006 Lockyer. Locky carried qld that year and won a comp with a qld cup 7 and a spine that had a makeshift (for lack of a better word: they weren’t first choice from memory) 9 and 1 against a side that was egregiously over the cap.

 

[Mightybroncs2k17]

The thing with Cleary is how he knows exactly what needs to be done at what stage of the game. But then he goes and executes it to perfection.

Team is in trouble and needs possession and good position? Just wacks a 40/20 no worries at all. But if his team are in front he knows how to just control it and play safe footy.

I remember when Thurston was playing I would never feel comfortable against the cows because you knew he was capable of anything and there was nothing you could do to stop it. Cleary gives me the same vibe. Anytime the Panthers are trailing you just wait for him to take control because you know he will.

I feel like the best way to beat the Panthers is to take the lead in the last 5 mins so he only has 5 minutes to Work his magic. As we've seen, 14 point lead with 10 to go or whatever the grand final lead was, just doesn't work.

 

[Allo]

The thing with Cleary is how he knows exactly what needs to be done at what stage of the game. But then he goes and executes it to perfection.

Team is in trouble and needs possession and good position? Just wacks a 40/20 no worries at all. But if his team are in front he knows how to just control it and play safe footy.

I remember when Thurston was playing I would never feel comfortable against the cows because you knew he was capable of anything and there was nothing you could do to stop it. Cleary gives me the same vibe. Anytime the Panthers are trailing you just wait for him to take control because you know he will.

I feel like the best way to beat the Panthers is to take the lead in the last 5 mins so he only has 5 minutes to Work his magic. As we've seen, 14 point lead with 10 to go or whatever the grand final lead was, just doesn't work.

Because they’re allowed to. I’d like to see them not given advantage from the refs every week and see how they go for a while.

I know it sounds like refs fault-ing but I refuse to believe they’re reffed the same way as every other team, even as simple as something like the 10m defensive lines in both attack and defence

 

[Big Pete]

Finally the Tigers have some Hope @1910.

Christmas has come early.

 

[Lostboy]

Finally the Tigers have some Hope @1910.

Christmas has come early.

What do you mean by this?

 

[Allo]

What do you mean by this?

Tigers bench

 

[Big Pete]

Ryley Smith to debut as well.

 

[Fozz]

Tigers bench

 

[1910]

Finally the Tigers have some Hope @1910.

Christmas has come early.

Pattie last week, Hope and Smith this week- if Mozer was playing it would be all my hooker dreams from the last five years come true.

 

[JayPee]

Because they’re allowed to. I’d like to see them not given advantage from the refs every week and see how they go for a while.

I know it sounds like refs fault-ing but I refuse to believe they’re reffed the same way as every other team, even as simple as something like the 10m defensive lines in both attack and defence

Yeah refs are definitely trying to make their 10m shorter defensively and larger when they have the ball. Absolute geniuses to do this on the run every tackle. It definitely can't be that they are better than everyone....

 

[Big Pete]

I'm genuinely happy for Hope.

He was a member of the Broncos U/20s squad and came through the same time as Hetherington, Smoothy, Saitaua and you always knew if he was on the field.

Hope is the type of player who never dies wondering and if he senses an opportunity he's going to take it. The team may have only had one set of six in the past ten minutes, but if Hope sensed he could put his prop forward through a gap, he was going to take it.

He's had to work extremely hard to get this opportunity. Made his way through the Redcliffe colts, then the BRL, Q Cup and he gets one opportunity at the NRL and he's straight into the team.

It may only be one game, but it's been a long journey.

 

[Big Pete]

The quality teams understand that the officials are never going to blow 30 penalties against a team so they'll push the envelope as often as possible and back their defence in a set environment.

With that said, it was Ashley Klein. Cronulla generally received a good whistle, but the big game-changing calls went the Panthers way (McInness being unable to challenge, a penalty in possession for a push and shove etc.)

 

[Foordy]

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but the Phins match with Souths has been moved to Sydney.

The reverse fixture in round 17 will now be a Dolphins home game