Round 4 - Broncos vs. Storm - Post Match Discussion

[Porthoz]

Sorry, most penalties are incidents which aren't trained and practised. That was clearly practised and that is what irks me!

In fact, that is no different from Hodges professional foul against the dragqueens, and would be as deserving of a sin bin for mine.
Would I be as pissed off about it if it benefited us? Most likely not. But I definitely wouldn't be raving about it either, because it's pushing the boundaries of good sportsmanship and competition ethics.

 

[OXY-351]

Sorry, most penalties are incidents which aren't trained and practised. That was clearly practised and that is what irks me!

In fact, that is no different from Hodges professional foul against the dragqueens, and would be as deserving of a sin bin for mine.
Would I be as ****ed off about it if it benefited us? Most likely not. But I definitely wouldn't be raving about it either, because it's pushing the boundaries of good sportsmanship and competition ethics.

I agree with what you're saying, but if the ref's keep on letting them get away with such plays, they'll keep on coming up with them. I don't think anything affects a game these days more than penalties. The competition is so close that often peantlies can decide a game. If ref's penalised the hell out of the storm for their dubious plays, you can bet they'd stop doing them. The problem is at the moment they get more benefit out of them than harm.

I also don't think you can say that most penalties aren't trained. The most penatlies these days seem to be for in the ruck infringements, and mostly for trying to slow the play the ball down by various means. Given most teams have wrestlign coaches, you can't tell me that's not practiced. All teams push the boundaries on how effectively they can slow down play. Is that not illegal? Again though, the effect on a game that can have all comes down to the ref's.

 

[Dexter]

Fletcher and Belcher have both said it was a try because of woeful defending by Norman. They highlighted the play as Norman did not look after breaking from the scrum, he just ran back towards his own goal line. What they said was that Billy should have been taken by the lock and not the prop. Norman was the lock

That's where the good coaching comes into it though. Bellamy has realised that teams are using the fullback in the scrums and not defending the conventional way, he very quickly worked out how to use it to his advantage.

 

[Bucking Beads]

It is cheating in anyway you look at it. You can't hold a player back from attempting to get into a position to make a tackle or at the very least close a gap. Apparently Bellamy is great at teaching his players to cheat.

 

[Big Pete]

Yeah, I don't have a problem with the Storm attempting it. Besides, it'd be a bit rich to get all high and mighty when we had players interfering with chasers. To me, that's on the same level. I'm just filthy they were allowed to get away with it, but that's on the referee's more than anything. Storm rightfully challenged them and the refs. backed down.

 

[Dexter]

Yep, Beads, I agree with that totally. It also shows a coach who watches other sides, thinks outside the square and puts plays in place specifically for that team.

Bellamy has been one of the first coaches to start moving away from the block plays, eg that long ball with Slater running around the receiver.

Like I said in another thread, it's back to the future, we will start seeing a few old moves coming back.

 

[OXY-351]

I think it's a bit naive to think that most, if not all, coaches don't coach their teams to push the boundaries of illegal plays. Wrestling, block plays both in attach and defence etc. Some coaches are better in that they do it in more sublte ways and get away with it, or come up with new ways to push the rules, and other teams then start adopting these plays.

I personally think it was an illegal play to hold Thaiday back, but given it was a scrum, the player had every right to have hold of him for a certain period of time, and pushing the boundaries of that and holding on to him longer than he probaby should have obviosly paid dividends. Again though, it comes down to the refs. If they penalised the storm every time they did that play, I doubt they'd persist with it. As it is, they'd be stupid not to try it again at some stage this season. A coach would be stupid to not coach to what the ref's are going to allow, whether it's within the ruels or spirit of the game or not.

 

[broncos4life]

That's where the good coaching comes into it though. Bellamy has realised that teams are using the fullback in the scrums and not defending the conventional way, he very quickly worked out how to use it to his advantage.

By illegally holding a player

 

[Dexter]

Er yes, I think we are quite clear on that point.

 

[Coxy]

In all likelihood the try would still have been scored without holding him. Then it'd be great coaching. As it is it's tainted.

And isn't that a recurring theme with storm success?

 

[Browny]

I've only seen the replay of that incident, he got held back. Didn't the maroons score off a similar play in game 2 2006?

 

[Dexter]

Yes, not sure about the year but it happened.

 

[OXY-351]

Was that the Carl Webb try?

 

[Browny]

I think so oxy. It was the game we won 30-6 or 36-6

 

[Anonymous person]

So billy slater is now the all-time leader in linebreaks, and has moved into the top 10 try scorers of all time! Not bad for a guy who's not as good as karmicael hunt ;).

on the game, I thought it was gonna be a cricket score, and it looked that way early, but the broncos sure aimed up that second half ( or at least a fair chunk of it). The slater try from the scrum was beautiful to watch, but no doubt it should have been a penalty. It evened out though, as there is no way Hoffmann first should've been awarded. Firstly, that's a 2012 benefit of the doubt if I've ever seen one, and secondly, how long do you want to give him before saying held up? He was completely stopped, held up for about his first 5 attempts, and then possibly got the ball down. Original no try call should've stood. Broncos got 6 points from that, storm only got 4 from slaters try.

Watching Cronk/smith/slater is just fantastic. Like with lockers last few years, I'm just trying to enjoy watching everything they do because its unlikely we'll ever see something like it again. It's like all 3 of them share the same thoughts.

Was good to see reed remember how to pass, and for the broncos to remember that the second man play is so simple but so hard to stop. Thaiday was 10x better than he's been for years, but still had his customary butter fingers drop. And let's not get ahead of ourselves - its one good game from him and hannant, compared to years of mediocrity.

hopefully we can back that up with a strong effort and win against the titans - hopefully with Dugan there!

 

[OXY-351]

as there is no way Hoffmann first should've been awarded. Firstly, that's a 2012 benefit of the doubt if I've ever seen one, and secondly, how long do you want to give him before saying held up? He was completely stopped, held up for about his first 5 attempts, and then possibly got the ball down. Original no try call should've stood.

I guess in the video ref's opinion there was no doubt that he scored

 

[Manifesto]

On the Footy show this morning, Fittler said he has had a chat with Daniel Anderson, who admitted that Thaiday was indeed held back in the scrum and that it should have been no try, penalty. Absolutely frustrating especially after the reffing errors that happened to us last year.

 

[broncos4life]

Why did the bother getting rid of harrigan? This is all same s*** different year. This is what happened last year. Should have been a penalty, sucked in, incompetent refs still get paid and don't get dropped