NRL 2012 - Round 6

[moto748]

Well I've seen the Warriors horror show now, and they sure were bad. I didn't think the Raiders were all that in the first half either, but they grew in confidence in the second half, and apart from Maloney's try after good work by Shaun Johnson, the Warriors submitted pretty tamely. The Rabbitohs will be licking their lips at the prospect of them next weekend. Will the Raiders find room in their side for the excellent Robinson when Dugan returns? On current form, he looks hard to drop.

 

[Aucklander]

Bring back Ivan Cleary..??

Never mind AM, one win's on the cards vs the Storm.
Its only R6 and so don't stress yet.

They'll put 50 on us.

Something is seriously wrong, although the influence of Michael Luck can't be stressed enough.

 

[moto748]

I was losing the will to live watching Knights/Eels. It was like watching Widnes play Salford. OK, perhaps not that bad but still very poor, considering the talent on show. The Eels didn't even look like they wanted to win, against a poor Newcastle performance. Hayne, who is clearly not fully fit, I guess can be excused a little, but Chris Sandow didn't justify his fee with that effort.

 

[moto748]

Well I watched the first half of Cowboys/Storm, and there was more quality from both sides in the first seven minutes to produce two excellent scores than in the entire Knights/Eels game. It's way past my bed-time, but I'll look forward to watching the second half tomorrow morning. Really rugby league at its best by two tremendous teams.

 

[Oscarman]

Well I watched the first half of Cowboys/Storm, and there was more quality from both sides in the first seven minutes to produce two excellent scores than in the entire Knights/Eels game. It's way past my bed-time, but I'll look forward to watching the second half tomorrow morning. Really rugby league at its best by two tremendous teams.

I gave up after about 25 minutes and I'm an Eels man. As soon as I saw Tony Archer was the ref I knew it was not going to end well. Nice forward pass for the try to win it though.

On another note, the Ben Teo suspension is a disgrace and just one more step in the soft cocking of the game. There was nothing wrong with it. He cannot be at fault that Matthew Groat is a midget.

 

[moto748]

Yes, an outstanding performance from the Storm in all departments. The scary thing for the rest of the competition is, the Cowboys didn't do *that* much wrong. I wouldn't go so far as to say they'd beat most of the other teams in the NRL , but they'd have beaten a fair few. Every try in the match, by both sides, was well worked and not gifted. What can you say about Slater and Cronk that hasn't already been said? They are the best double act I've seen in rugby league since Shaun Edwards and Andy Gregory (bearing in mind I haven't seen that much of the great Aussie players of the past). Opposition teams know what they can do, but stopping them is altogether another matter. And of course, what we're seeing is the result of hours of hard work on the training ground. The Dogs and the Warriors will be shaking in their boots watching that.

 

[moto748]

I gave up after about 25 minutes and I'm an Eels man. As soon as I saw Tony Archer was the ref I knew it was not going to end well. Nice forward pass for the try to win it though.

On another note, the Ben Teo suspension is a disgrace and just one more step in the soft cocking of the game. There was nothing wrong with it. He cannot be at fault that Matthew Groat is a midget.

It really was a desperately poor and listless display by your side, Oscarman, referee notwithstanding. Do you think the coach has 'lost the dressing room'?

 

[moto748]

A pretty drab arm-wrestle in the first half between Manly and Penrith didn't encourage me to stay up late to watch the second half. I think I can contain my enthusiasm until tomorrow.

 

[Bomber Bears]

Dean Youngs announced his retirement at the end of the season
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/dragons-dean-young-to-retire-from-nrl-20120410-1wm52.html

 

[meltiger]

On another note, the Ben Teo suspension is a disgrace and just one more step in the soft cocking of the game. There was nothing wrong with it. He cannot be at fault that Matthew Groat is a midget.

Hold up. Height of the player shouldn't play any part in assessing whether anything was wrong with a hit.


FWIW I wouldn't have penalised it either, let alone suspend him. though i think the argument about a reserve player being able to be used when illegal actions put a team a man down is an interesting one.

 

[Bobby P]

Good to see the raiders get up. Eels and Knights was one of the most lacklustre games of league I have ever seen. The kids who play u12's on the ovals down the road want to win more than the eels.

 

[Oscarman]

It really was a desperately poor and listless display by your side, Oscarman, referee notwithstanding. Do you think the coach has 'lost the dressing room'?

Not sure. I think the major problem is Kearney's preferred playing style being largely devoid of flair, and the side having several players whose major asset is the ability to play with a great deal of flair, and this being suppressed is most likely the cause of concern amongst the playing group. That or they just don't give a s**t and are happy to collect their pay each week without having to do too much.

Hold up. Height of the player shouldn't play any part in assessing whether anything was wrong with a hit.

FWIW I wouldn't have penalised it either, let alone suspend him.

I'll clarify a little. The only reason Teo is any trouble is that the tackle was on a shorter player, if it was Keith Galloway that was carting the ball up we wouldn't even be talking about this. Groat also appeared to be hunched down expecting contact too, and none of the Tigers players remonstrated from what I can remember. Broncos are right to challenge this. The thread on LU is a pisser, mainly due to BunniesMan talking about his 2 months of glory in Souths Harold Matts team and copping a bucket of s**t about it - the usual off topic s**t one expects there.

Is Groat OK? I had actually never heard of him before Friday.

 

[Bomber Bears]

Onus is on the tackler to not hit player in the head. The very nature of the shoulder charge is reckless - not looking at the player at the point of impact. Thus should be no complaints when they are suspended when it goes wrong, as it is a shoulder straight to the chin, and incidents such as Groat the other night are horrible to see.

As for the 'didnt intend to cause harm' argument, bullshit, mightn't have meant to hit him in the head but again the shoulder charge is barely a tackle, more a manner of trying to hurt somone.

 

[Aucklander]

As for the 'didnt intend to cause harm' argument, bullshit, mightn't have meant to hit him in the head but again the shoulder charge is barely a tackle, more a manner of trying to hurt somone.

Absolutely agree.

At least Pritchard was attempting a tackle, while Te'os sole intent was to hurt. If you stuff it up you must be expected to do the time, although I don't think it's a grade 3.

 

[moto748]

You're coming close to saying you think the shoulder charge should be outlawed, then, Bomber?

If not that at the very least (if I read you right), there should be no latitude for a shoulder charge than contacts any part of the head, even if (say), initial impact is on the chest, but bounces up into the chin.
I don't think I'd shed too many tears if it was banned, but at the very least it should be strictly policed.

 

[Aucklander]

You're coming close to saying you think the shoulder charge should be outlawed, then, Bomber?

If not that at the very least (if I read you right), there should be no latitude for a shoulder charge than contacts any part of the head, even if (say), initial impact is on the chest, but bounces up into the chin.
I don't think I'd shed too many tears if it was banned, but at the very least it should be strictly policed.

I'd have no issue with its banning. Accidental contact with the head while making a legitimate tackle should always be taken into consideration though.

 

[meltiger]

I'll clarify a little. The only reason Teo is any trouble is that the tackle was on a shorter player

If he (Teo) hadn't jumped Groat's height or lack of may not have been such an issue

BunniesMan

LOL

I swear it's Lockymoron01 in another persona.

Or Moffo

Is Groat OK? I had actually never heard of him before Friday.

Groaty will be fine.

& yeah, a young prop who we pulled from under 20's last year when Fifita was black banned. Will be a quality player but is very very young atm

I'd have no issue with its banning. Accidental contact with the head while making a legitimate tackle should always be taken into consideration though.

May as well rename the game Rugby Union then .

 

[moto748]

Too easy for Manly against a poor Penrith effort. Cherry-Evans is such a class act.

Best 7s in the comp:
Thurston
Cronk
Wallace
DC-E.

Pearce is well below all of them in my book.

 

[Aucklander]

May as well rename the game Rugby Union then .

Well, it's banned everywhere up to senior level, so why not go one step further?

 

[meltiger]

There are good safety reasons for taking it out of junior football.

They arent relevant at senior level.

 

[Aucklander]

Yet the Tigers lost a player on the weekend because of one.

Interestingly

Shoulder charges not worth risk, say coaches

NRL coaches will not instruct their players to avoid shoulder charges in the wake of the dangerous contact charge handed out to Brisbane's Ben Te'o, but most already discourage it as a high-risk tackle.

At the end of the day, shoulder charges which make contact with the head are going to carry some sort of penalty. You have to wonder if it's really worth it.

 

[meltiger]

"NRL coaches will" but "most already" ...lol


& if Matty had been knocked out from a legal hit? Should we ban it then?


Rugby Union caters for those who want Rugby League without the big hits.


& frankly couldn't care less if a professional, grown man gets knocked out. However 12yo kids being hit by Islander man boys twice their size is something to be avoided yes. To compare the two is ludicrous.


Seriously, if the ban it crowd get their way we will end up like the AFL where cheats like Selwood duck their heads in an attempt to win a penalty. The less of that crap in our game the better.

 

[Bomber Bears]

You're coming close to saying you think the shoulder charge should be outlawed, then, Bomber?

If not that at the very least (if I read you right), there should be no latitude for a shoulder charge than contacts any part of the head, even if (say), initial impact is on the chest, but bounces up into the chin.
I don't think I'd shed too many tears if it was banned, but at the very least it should be strictly policed.

I dunno, I think it's just a very high risk play that has high consequences, and players should know that if they get it wrong they suffer high consequences.

Wouldnt lose sleep if it was banned

Interesting the old Bulldogs/Australian doctor was saying the other problem with the shoulder charge is the damage it causes the people carrying it out and risk of injury to them.

And its not like with no shoulder charges there'd be no big hits

Too easy for Manly against a poor Penrith effort. Cherry-Evans is such a class act.

Best 7s in the comp:
Thurston
Cronk
Wallace
DC-E.

Pearce is well below all of them in my book.

Shaun Johnson is up there.

Bit of a lack of quality half backs at present. Reynolds looks alright

 

[meltiger]

And its not like with no shoulder charges there'd be no big hits

RU waves hello

 

[moto748]

I dunno, I think it's just a very high risk play that has high consequences, and players should know that if they get it wrong they suffer high consequences.

Wouldnt lose sleep if it was banned

Interesting the old Bulldogs/Australian doctor was saying the other problem with the shoulder charge is the damage it causes the people carrying it out and risk of injury to them.

And its not like with no shoulder charges there'd be no big hits

Shaun Johnson is up there.

Bit of a lack of quality half backs at present. Reynolds looks alright

Johnson of course, but not this season so far.