Semi Finals Discussion

Re: Finals Week Two Discussion

And next week Cowboys will lose and cry they were robbed.
 
Re: Finals Week Two Discussion

Well, that was enjoyable, in a 52-6 kinda way. :laugh:
 
Re: Finals Week Two Discussion

Damn, Cowboys looked really good - much better than last week.

Honestly can't pick who's going to win the comp at the moment, it's that tight.
 
Re: Finals Week Two Discussion

ningnangnong said:
Damn, Cowboys looked really good - much better than last week.

Honestly can't pick who's going to win the comp at the moment, it's that tight.
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We can win (but not from our own half)
 
Re: Finals Week Two Discussion

Scott man of the match

Very good choice it wouldn't have happened without him.
 
Re: Finals Week Two Discussion

I'm loving the finals series this year.

Compared to previous years where the matches were all genuinely one-sided, I thought the first week tossed up some really compelling games and I was glued to the screen for hours.

The second was nowhere near as compelling, but as far as setting up the Prelim Finals, it couldn't be any better. Both Sydney and Cowboys came back with strong performances and put up sound cases for their premiership charge.

Cows were on another level tonight. Back in their native Townsville infront of a vocal crowd, they were compelled not to let anyone down and came out firing. Just about everything was on point and they played like the Cowboys team I expected to see the week before. In fairness, the Sharks are no where near the level of the Broncos and I thought they made it far more easier than the Broncos did, but it was a great response. Clearly the intensity of last week's performance put them in good stead and they'll gain a lot of confidence heading down to the sudden death game against the Melbourne Storm.

Great stuff from the Cowboys.

Meanwhile, I think Cronulla can take plenty of positives out of this year. At the start of the year, I thought the only way they could have progressed is if Barba rewound the clock and tapped into his 2012 form, and when that didn't happen, I thought they were toast. Then up steps Jack Bird. Bird was the best player in the NYC last year and I thought he'd step up at some point. However, the way he stepped up, handled a foreign position, made it his own and even forced his way into the Origin conversation was first class and I can't say enough nice things about the guy. They had a lot of ups and downs this year but handled them all well. Next year, they welcome James Maloney to the fold and will have the fullback position well and truly sorted. I still question whether Gal and Lewis will be able to play as well as they did this year but on the surface, they should be in the finals calculations once again.
 
Re: Finals Week Two Discussion

Lets not forget the old expression, out of sight out of mind.'

Everyone is now talking about a Roosters-Cowboys GF, everyone forgets the two other teams who beat said opposition week 1 and looked ridiculously impressive in doing so.
 
Re: Finals Week Two Discussion

I think the second week of the finals really confirmed that there was a gulf in class between the top half of the top eight and the bottom half. Interesting that the Roosters and Cowboys are now clear favourites with the bookies for their respective games.

Friday night is going to be very interesting. I have thought that the Roosters have looked most likely all year. I hope we come out with a high energy and high intensity approach in both attack and defence because I fear for our chances if they get a roll on.
 
Re: Finals Week Two Discussion

Conversely, I fear for ANY team if WE get a roll on, we are the most exciting team in the comp this year.
 
Re: Finals Week Two Discussion

lynx000 said:
I think the second week of the finals really confirmed that there was a gulf in class between the top half of the top eight and the bottom half. Interesting that the Roosters and Cowboys are now clear favourites with the bookies for their respective games.

Friday night is going to be very interesting. I have thought that the Roosters have looked most likely all year. I hope we come out with a high energy and high intensity approach in both attack and defence because I fear for our chances if they get a roll on.
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For mine, the class of the Cowboys and our halves make us favourites over the brute strength but predictable structures of the Roosters. Thurston and Morgan filleted the Sharks, with some battering from Scott.

Then, there is the discipline and ruck control of the Storm.

The Cows are the greatest threat on last night's performance.
 
Re: Finals Week Two Discussion

Broncoman said:
Well they got beaten very convincingly and the Roosters were easily better than them. If the Evans try was the difference he would've gone off.
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We'll never know for sure, but that try came at a crucial stage of the game. It was an embassrasment to our game that the video didn't have the balls to over rule.
 
Re: Finals Week Two Discussion

Don't forget the follow up try was off a forward pass offload. 12 points in a couple of minutes killed the dogs.
 
Re: Finals Week Two Discussion

That decision didn't cost the Bulldogs the game. Much like Origin 3 this year, the more the points rack up the harder it is to blame the officials, I think. The score was still close despite the decision to award the try. The Bulldogs can't blame the refereeing for conceding a try from the ensuing re-start. It's a sign from a mentally weak team, I think, to capitulate from one supposedly bad decision. It's what I'm hoping will hold Brisbane in good stead on Friday. By and large, for the majority of the year, we don't seem overly phased about a dodgy decision here and there. The Storm don't seem to mind either. Gee, I really hope we can get them again in the big one!

The crucial issue in this situation and what really annoys me about the refereeing this year (and the finals series in particular) is that it I can't help thinking it smacks of the referees having an even money bet each way in terms of decision-making. What I mean by that is that often the ball will come free, an exciting play will happen, a scintillating try will be scored and then the refs want to go back and look at something that happened 90 metres away. What a joke. I think it's bullshit, imo. If a ref calls 'play on' then I'd be happy if the video ref can't go back previously to that point and I'd be prepared to live with whatever decision gets made. It would mean Rugby League would be less frustrating to watch and hopefully it would empower the referees to make a definitive call and get on with the game.

The decision on Friday night wasn't a knock on or anything like that but that play seemed to go on forever. It's either a double movement or it isn't. The play is held or he isn't. A referee should call held or not whenever momentum is stopped. I don't believe match officials should wait for a play to pan out before making a decision just because they have the luxury of referring it. We saw it last week, I think with a loose ball. It went through a few sets of hands up the field before being called back. Wtf?! If it's a knock-on fucking call it! It can't be that hard surely.

It's frustrating to watch.
 
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Re: Finals Week Two Discussion

The fact that the video refs don't have control of the vision is just stupid.. It's very very very stupid.

But, the bunker wouldn't have helped them. The angle they had was the best one to use and they still fucked up.
 
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Re: Finals Week Two Discussion

Socnorb said:
We'll never know for sure, but that try came at a crucial stage of the game. It was an embassrasment to our game that the video didn't have the balls to over rule.
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I agree and it was embarrassing that they awarded it but the Roosters put on 4 more tries after that so they would've won the game convincingly regardless of the Evans try. To say that it was why the Bulldogs lost is just ridiculous and petty.
 
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