Big Pete
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Not sure, hopefully Prozone release them later in the week.
Not sure, hopefully Prozone release them later in the week.
Rally Towel
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After Round 1, attacking powerhouse the Dragons are in first place on +32 points differential.
A new dynasty beckons!
A new dynasty beckons!
B
bb_gun
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Kek.
When your forwards outscore your backs you know it's an anomaly.
Credit to the Drags for sitting the Panfers on their arse but they'll miss the finals again this year
R
Rhino1001
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Ben Hunt must have loved watching that game.
ivanhungryjak
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Rapana gets a warning letter for flipping a double bird at the ref?
Hodgo must be spitting chips.
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/rug...ing-the-bird-to-referees-20170305-gur0wm.html
Nashy
Immortal
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A letter? It's like the NRL go out of their way to make sure rules aren't enforced, and officials aren't respected. Fine him, suspend him, make an example.
Fozz
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Big Pete
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It's just another example of the NRL officials being hung out to dry. They've got one of the most thankless jobs in the game and when you allow players to disrespect the officials without issuing them a sufficient penalty it just makes life harder on them.
What do you guys make of the Jarryd Hayne situation? Apparently he was fined a five figure sum for hopping a plane to Sydney without Henry's permission. I know we're only one game into the season, but this Titans-Hayne marriage already seems doomed, especially with the speculation that Hayne maybe on his way to French Rugby in 2018. I remember @Dexter wasn't fond of Hayne's involvement in 2016 and I tend to agree as he seems out of sync with the rest of his team. The most disappointing thing about Jarryd's performance the other night was how often he was taking the soft option and looking to play for penalties. There were at least three separate occasions where he either stayed down, dived like a soccer player or just whinged at the referee instead of doing what needed to be done for his side.
What do you guys make of the Jarryd Hayne situation? Apparently he was fined a five figure sum for hopping a plane to Sydney without Henry's permission. I know we're only one game into the season, but this Titans-Hayne marriage already seems doomed, especially with the speculation that Hayne maybe on his way to French Rugby in 2018. I remember @Dexter wasn't fond of Hayne's involvement in 2016 and I tend to agree as he seems out of sync with the rest of his team. The most disappointing thing about Jarryd's performance the other night was how often he was taking the soft option and looking to play for penalties. There were at least three separate occasions where he either stayed down, dived like a soccer player or just whinged at the referee instead of doing what needed to be done for his side.
Super Freak
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Titans made the right call. Hayne asked the wrong person. He asked one of the co-captains instead of the coach who calls the shots.. But that's just typical Hayne. He does what he wants.
I think Titans will be better off without him, to be honest.
When he came back, I noticed Taylor started to take less control of the team and it seemed he focused more on getting the ball to Hayne whenever Hayne wanted it instead of taking control and giving it to Hayne when he wanted Hayne to get it.
If this doesn't change, I can see it disrupting the Titans and hurting Taylor.
I think Titans will be better off without him, to be honest.
When he came back, I noticed Taylor started to take less control of the team and it seemed he focused more on getting the ball to Hayne whenever Hayne wanted it instead of taking control and giving it to Hayne when he wanted Hayne to get it.
If this doesn't change, I can see it disrupting the Titans and hurting Taylor.
Broncoman
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Wonder if he would be charged if his name was Thurston or Smith.
Foordy
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I don't know if he would have if his name was Thurston or Smith ... but he would definitely be sitting out a week if his name was Hodges
Cult
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Ask that question when you see Smith giving a ref the finger after a correct call. Thurston on the other hand, both him and Hayne have the absolute worst attitude I've seen in regards to what they say to the refs and they both get away with it.
Big Pete
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Going back to Saturday, it's safe to assume that Penrith won't be a defensive juggernaut this season. St George gave them a reality check and while I still expect to see them thereabouts with their current hooker and backrow formation I think most sides are going to have a field day running through them.
I was surprised by their brand of football. When they signed Tamou I assumed it was a sign that they'd play with more restraint and just try to run through teams with two of the Australian middle forwards. Instead they were trying to zip through and show off their skills by constantly changing angles and throwing crazy offloads. Somebody needed to remind them it was Round 1, not the Auckland 9s and they had to do the rough stuff first.
I've got to hand it to the Dragons, that was one of the best performances they've produced in a long time (I'd say since Round 12 2015). I think it took them several matches (as it turns out 7) to score that many points so to do it straight up is positive. Like last year, the Widdop/McCrone combination was an improvement over the Widdop/Marshall combination and the recruits MacDonald, Vaughan and McInnes all stood out for their new club.
In a lot of ways it was a dream start for St George and they didn't really have to work THAT hard. However after such a dour 2016, they deserve to lap it up.
I was surprised by their brand of football. When they signed Tamou I assumed it was a sign that they'd play with more restraint and just try to run through teams with two of the Australian middle forwards. Instead they were trying to zip through and show off their skills by constantly changing angles and throwing crazy offloads. Somebody needed to remind them it was Round 1, not the Auckland 9s and they had to do the rough stuff first.
I've got to hand it to the Dragons, that was one of the best performances they've produced in a long time (I'd say since Round 12 2015). I think it took them several matches (as it turns out 7) to score that many points so to do it straight up is positive. Like last year, the Widdop/McCrone combination was an improvement over the Widdop/Marshall combination and the recruits MacDonald, Vaughan and McInnes all stood out for their new club.
In a lot of ways it was a dream start for St George and they didn't really have to work THAT hard. However after such a dour 2016, they deserve to lap it up.
Cult
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Queensland might be losing a lot of players over the next few years but if New South Wales decide to persist with Bryce Cartwright we might win another ten in a row. And those offloads to nobody? With the 1% efforts Queenslanders put in, they'll end up in our possession every single time. Man, he sucks.
Big Pete
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I can't see NSW picking Cartwright when they've got Frizell and Graham coming through.
Graham is basically everything Cartwright should be.
If Saturday is any indication, it wouldn't surprise me if Matterson receives a birth before Bryce. He produced a career best performance off the bench and appears to have found a home in the backrow.
Graham is basically everything Cartwright should be.
If Saturday is any indication, it wouldn't surprise me if Matterson receives a birth before Bryce. He produced a career best performance off the bench and appears to have found a home in the backrow.
Super Freak
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All of the people raving on about Norman's 40/20 against Manly..
Anyone would think he just saved a bunch of babies from a burning building.
People carrying on about the skill.. It was pure luck. Nothing more.
I remember Locky got a 40/20 from a grubber in his final year. It was barely talked about.
Anyone would think he just saved a bunch of babies from a burning building.
People carrying on about the skill.. It was pure luck. Nothing more.
I remember Locky got a 40/20 from a grubber in his final year. It was barely talked about.
Big Pete
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I have a faint memory of that, who was it against?
Big Pete
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There's still sometime before kick-off, so thought I'd touch on each team's efforts from last week.
Cronulla - Actually thought they bullied the Broncos last week and if it wasn't for some critical errors and moments of misfortune they would have come away victorious. If they can stay healthy and Holmes can hit the ground running, there's no reason why they can't be there come September. The big question mark surrounding them is the future of Segeyaro, if they can sign him, all bets are off.
Melbourne - Easily the most resilient performance of the weekend. Lost one of their best players early, had another sent to the bin and still emerged on top despite gifting Canterbury possession down their end.
Bulldogs - Outside of that period in the second half where they psyched themselves up by playing incredibly dirty and being rewarded with some of the most obvious piggy-back penalties you'll see, there were some real concerning signs for the Bulldogs. It's no secret their halves have issues, but the performances of their middle forwards was real concerning and only Klemmer seemed capable of bending the Storm defence backwards.
Rabbitohs - As sad as GI's injury was, it doesn't compare to the pathetic effort from Souths. Their backs have copped a lot of criticism, but their forwards weren't much better and they were absolutely dominated by the Tigers pack. The only player who can hold his head up high is Musgrove, the rest need a hard look at themselves and Maguire needs to bring the right cattle into the mix. Far too many players are coasting based on their 2014 form, Maguire doesn't owe them anything and needs to shake things up.
Wests - Impressive, for whatever reason they turn it on against Souths and I thought all their stars produced strong performances. One of the big positives to emerge was their work in the middle of the field, I thought Wood, Sue and Taylor controlled the ruck really well and actually got the better of the Burgess' which I hadn't anticipated leading into the game. Their edge defence is still a huge worry and I expect them to be on the end of some pretty big scorelines before the season is through.
St George Illawarra - Impressive start and as a Saints fan you'd have to feel good after that. It took St George something like seven rounds to score that many points last season, so to do it all in one go against the premiership favourites is certainly worth savoring. Beyond that, I'm convinced it's a one off and we'll be back to the bash and barge Dragons from earlier years.
Penrith - As I said, they produced the worst performance of any team this season and need to bounce back quickly if they're going to live up to the premiership favourites tag. I just think they tried to play too up-tempo for their own good and needed to keep things as simple as possible with Tamou and Merrin leading the charge. It's difficult picturing them producing another performance like that this season, but their defence remains a major concern. I don't think a defensive line containing Wallace, Cleary, Martin, Cartwright and Blake is going to keep teams out.
North Queensland - What gets me about the Cowboys is that they compete on every play and can turn a game in an instant. It looked like they were on the end of a real boil over and then out of no where Michael Morgan produces an excellent kick that results in a goal-line drop out and Coen Hess forces his way over. It just typifies them to me that even when they aren't playing that well, they still have those champion plays in them. With the best half and the best forward, they've got a real case for another premiership.
Canberra - As I said, nearly caused the boil-over but what impressed me most was their forwards. I actually thought Austin/Sezer had really mediocre games, but their forwards like Papalii, Soliola, Boyd, Tapine and Bateman were a real handful and just troubled the Cowboys all evening. With Austin, Sezer and Hodgson capable of better there was something really ominous about their performance.
Gold Coast - Awful one moment, daring the next. It's really difficult to get a read on the Titans when their line is being so submissive one moment and then they're tearing through the Roosters the next. I thought their bench rotation made a nice difference, Paasi and Peteru really bent the line for them and inspired the likes of Wallace, James and Pulu. Experience and a lack thereof is going to be a real concern for them this season and they really need some cool heads to stop the Titans from going off the boil.
Sydney - Their backline was super impressive in the first half. The likes of Tupou and Kenny-Dowall got them on the front foot all game and the halves were able to play off the back of it and get the ball where it needed to go. Their first 40 was the most impressive display of Round 1. However, they followed it up with one of the least impressive displays in the second half and the way they folded when the Titans turned up was concerning. Otherwise it was a strong statement and I'm expecting big things from the Roosters.
Warriors - Played in spurts and nearly had their pants pulled down, the big positive for them was the form of Tuivasa-Sheck who wound back the clock and played like it was 2015. Still a young side and that showed at times with Hingano, Maumalo, Vete and Papalii struggling but if they can make some changes and bring in the likes of Matulino, Foran etc. they'll give this competition a real shake.
Newcastle - I couldn't fault their effort, they played with real enthusiasm and at times were unfortunate to be on the receiving end of some freakish play. It's going to take some time, but once they build up some combinations, find what does and doesn't work, they'll jag some wins.
Manly - A horrific performance with the football, saved by some strong efforts in defence. Trbojevic and Taupau really took it to the Eels forwards and I'd dare say if they weren't on the field it would have easily been a 50+ point defeat. Otherwise they made far too many errors to really judge them.
Parramatta - I was impressed with the restraint they showed. They just toughed it out, got through their sets and played off the back of the fifth tackle options which prioritised field position above scoring points. In Norman, French, Gutherson, Jennings and Radradra they've got enough points in them and to go away from that and just try and win with tough footy was impressive. The only question mark I have over them is Takairangi. Is there any reason he's still in the centres? He's a handful and can produce some second phase but he's always struck me as a bone-head.
Cronulla - Actually thought they bullied the Broncos last week and if it wasn't for some critical errors and moments of misfortune they would have come away victorious. If they can stay healthy and Holmes can hit the ground running, there's no reason why they can't be there come September. The big question mark surrounding them is the future of Segeyaro, if they can sign him, all bets are off.
Melbourne - Easily the most resilient performance of the weekend. Lost one of their best players early, had another sent to the bin and still emerged on top despite gifting Canterbury possession down their end.
Bulldogs - Outside of that period in the second half where they psyched themselves up by playing incredibly dirty and being rewarded with some of the most obvious piggy-back penalties you'll see, there were some real concerning signs for the Bulldogs. It's no secret their halves have issues, but the performances of their middle forwards was real concerning and only Klemmer seemed capable of bending the Storm defence backwards.
Rabbitohs - As sad as GI's injury was, it doesn't compare to the pathetic effort from Souths. Their backs have copped a lot of criticism, but their forwards weren't much better and they were absolutely dominated by the Tigers pack. The only player who can hold his head up high is Musgrove, the rest need a hard look at themselves and Maguire needs to bring the right cattle into the mix. Far too many players are coasting based on their 2014 form, Maguire doesn't owe them anything and needs to shake things up.
Wests - Impressive, for whatever reason they turn it on against Souths and I thought all their stars produced strong performances. One of the big positives to emerge was their work in the middle of the field, I thought Wood, Sue and Taylor controlled the ruck really well and actually got the better of the Burgess' which I hadn't anticipated leading into the game. Their edge defence is still a huge worry and I expect them to be on the end of some pretty big scorelines before the season is through.
St George Illawarra - Impressive start and as a Saints fan you'd have to feel good after that. It took St George something like seven rounds to score that many points last season, so to do it all in one go against the premiership favourites is certainly worth savoring. Beyond that, I'm convinced it's a one off and we'll be back to the bash and barge Dragons from earlier years.
Penrith - As I said, they produced the worst performance of any team this season and need to bounce back quickly if they're going to live up to the premiership favourites tag. I just think they tried to play too up-tempo for their own good and needed to keep things as simple as possible with Tamou and Merrin leading the charge. It's difficult picturing them producing another performance like that this season, but their defence remains a major concern. I don't think a defensive line containing Wallace, Cleary, Martin, Cartwright and Blake is going to keep teams out.
North Queensland - What gets me about the Cowboys is that they compete on every play and can turn a game in an instant. It looked like they were on the end of a real boil over and then out of no where Michael Morgan produces an excellent kick that results in a goal-line drop out and Coen Hess forces his way over. It just typifies them to me that even when they aren't playing that well, they still have those champion plays in them. With the best half and the best forward, they've got a real case for another premiership.
Canberra - As I said, nearly caused the boil-over but what impressed me most was their forwards. I actually thought Austin/Sezer had really mediocre games, but their forwards like Papalii, Soliola, Boyd, Tapine and Bateman were a real handful and just troubled the Cowboys all evening. With Austin, Sezer and Hodgson capable of better there was something really ominous about their performance.
Gold Coast - Awful one moment, daring the next. It's really difficult to get a read on the Titans when their line is being so submissive one moment and then they're tearing through the Roosters the next. I thought their bench rotation made a nice difference, Paasi and Peteru really bent the line for them and inspired the likes of Wallace, James and Pulu. Experience and a lack thereof is going to be a real concern for them this season and they really need some cool heads to stop the Titans from going off the boil.
Sydney - Their backline was super impressive in the first half. The likes of Tupou and Kenny-Dowall got them on the front foot all game and the halves were able to play off the back of it and get the ball where it needed to go. Their first 40 was the most impressive display of Round 1. However, they followed it up with one of the least impressive displays in the second half and the way they folded when the Titans turned up was concerning. Otherwise it was a strong statement and I'm expecting big things from the Roosters.
Warriors - Played in spurts and nearly had their pants pulled down, the big positive for them was the form of Tuivasa-Sheck who wound back the clock and played like it was 2015. Still a young side and that showed at times with Hingano, Maumalo, Vete and Papalii struggling but if they can make some changes and bring in the likes of Matulino, Foran etc. they'll give this competition a real shake.
Newcastle - I couldn't fault their effort, they played with real enthusiasm and at times were unfortunate to be on the receiving end of some freakish play. It's going to take some time, but once they build up some combinations, find what does and doesn't work, they'll jag some wins.
Manly - A horrific performance with the football, saved by some strong efforts in defence. Trbojevic and Taupau really took it to the Eels forwards and I'd dare say if they weren't on the field it would have easily been a 50+ point defeat. Otherwise they made far too many errors to really judge them.
Parramatta - I was impressed with the restraint they showed. They just toughed it out, got through their sets and played off the back of the fifth tackle options which prioritised field position above scoring points. In Norman, French, Gutherson, Jennings and Radradra they've got enough points in them and to go away from that and just try and win with tough footy was impressive. The only question mark I have over them is Takairangi. Is there any reason he's still in the centres? He's a handful and can produce some second phase but he's always struck me as a bone-head.
