NRL NRL 2024 - Round 2

[balmainforever]

Tipping!

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/pickem/picks/2024-nrl-board-tipping.129/?week_id=374

Thursday 14th March
Brisbane vs South Sydney (Suncorp Stadium - 20:00)

Friday 15th March
Cronulla-Sutherland vs Canterbury-Bankstown (PointsBet Stadium - 18:00)
Penrith vs Parramatta (BlueBet Stadium - 20:00)

Saturday 16th March
Canberra vs Wests Tigers (GIO Stadium - 15:00)
North Queensland vs Newcastle (Queensland Country Bank Stadium - 17:30)
Melbourne vs New Zealand (AAMI Park - 19:35)

Sunday 17th March
Manly-Warringah vs Sydney Roosters (4 Pines Park - 16:05)
Dolphins vs St.George-Illawarra (Suncorp Stadium - 18:15)

Bye:
Gold Coast

 

[moto748]

Yeah, that's what I thought. I don't mind it being down-graded to a yellow, but that should be enforced every time. I was pleased, by the way, to see Grant's cheaty behaviour of chucking the ball into an opponent was rightfully punished by the ref. That was was tough on the Warriors, who showed plenty. Two belters this round with that and Penrith/Parra.

 

[sosos]

Bit of a background on my NRL supporting: I'm a big Manly fan, only because I turned the TV on in 1972, as a very young lad, and saw this crazy exciting game, with Manly winning. I was hooked, so started watching more. Had no family footy influence, and was living in Canberra so very isolated from any other influences.

Had no idea you weren't meant to really like more than one team, and so I always liked the Roosters because of Russel Fairfax and Arthur Beetson. In a big coincidence, many, many years later, I realised my two sets of grandparents both lived in my favourite team's zones.

So onto today's game, will be very interesting watching two great fullbacks, who both had forgettable 2023 seasons, both looking like they'd bounced back well in the Vegas round.

First game in ages, Manly has not gifted the opposition a stack of easy ball from basic mistakes, which I really liked.

I think Roosters have a slight edge in class in the forwards. But I can see some good signs in the Manly pack, but will wait a few more games before I start to believe in them.

Roosters with at least one, maybe two world class centres may have the edge there as well. And Brandon Smith is a force of nature when in form.

But seeing DCE connect with Ola'Kauatu last week was awesome to watch, so hopefully they can recreate that today. Also loved seeing Brooks stick it up the haters.

Today, it's Go the mighty Sea Eagles!

 

[Around the Wicket]

Refs are still inconsistent from game to game.

Api threw the ball into a opposition player that was to the left of the ruck on purpose and Tigers got a penalty, couple games later Grant done the exact same thing and the Warriors got the penalty

 

[sosos]

Onya Sea Eagles. Probably should have won by more after dominating possession. Roosters making that many mistakes won't do much this year if they keep doing it. Some good one out hit ups through the ruck from Manly forwards bodes well going forward. Especially Aloiai, and Paseka. Have to mention Olakau'atu. What an intimidating monster of a player! Consistently carries three players hanging off him and still makes yards.

 

[Aucklander]

Surprised Harry wasn't binned. pretty obvious attempt to gain an advantage from a player having no impact on the game.

 

[nobbyiscool]

God it shits me hearing every rugby league commentator refer to a "haitch" IA. How hard is it to pronounce "aitch" properly?

The standard of sporting commentary we endure in this country is wild.

 

[Aucklander]

 

[balmainforever]

that would suck if Munster is still out injured

 

[Andronicus]

Havent had a good look at it, but was the first try to manly as controversial as the commentary suggested? In a close game that's huge.

 

[balmainforever]

Havent had a good look at it, but was the first try to manly as controversial as the commentary suggested? In a close game that's huge.

In my opinion Turbo unfairly impeded Teddy from going for the ball. should've been a chooks penalty

 

[balmainforever]

 

[Aucklander]

that would suck if Munster is still out injured

He's lucky it's only a week. Could easily have avoided contact, not to mention his blatant flop too.

 

[3207]

He's lucky it's only a week. Could easily have avoided contact, not to mention his blatant flop too.

Why did they take the ANZAC game off the Storm & Warriors?

 

[balmainforever]

Why did they take the ANZAC game off the Storm & Warriors?

Warriors wanted a home game on ANZAC Day and the Storm said NO.
So they both have one now against Souths and Titans

 

[3207]

Warriors wanted a home game on ANZAC Day and the Storm said NO.
So they both have one now against Souths and Titans

Seems a bit short-sighted from Warriors?

 

[Jatz]

God it shits me hearing every rugby league commentator refer to a "haitch" IA. How hard is it to pronounce "aitch" properly?

The standard of sporting commentary we endure in this country is wild.

Half of them are living with CTE, might be expecting a bit much there.

 

[Jatz]

Seems a bit short-sighted from Warriors?

Not at all. It was always a night game which meant a 9pm start over there.

The game should always have been a NZ home game.

 

[Jatz]

Disappointing for us, we led for all but 2 mins of that game.

Melbourne and the Warriors in NZ next for us. We'll be 0-4.

 

[3207]

Not at all. It was always a night game which meant a 9pm start over there.

The game should always have been a NZ home game.

Yeah that’s a fair shout I didn’t think of.

 

[PhatBoy]

Didn’t get to watch much footy over the weekend but made the mistake of watching the Chooks.

What an abysmal comedown after the strong performance in round one.
Some of the dumbest football I’ve ever seen.
‘What’s that? We’ve just made 15 straight tackles up our end and somehow held Manly out? Sure we’d love to throw a dumb pass and give them another opportunity!’

Just mind boggling stuff from a team who never seems to learn the value of possession no matter how much experience we have being burned by dropping the footy and making dumb choices.

The one encouraging factor was that we got as close as we did playing as poorly as we did.

 

[moto748]

The Chooks this season: Not All That. Wasn't surprised by the much improved showing by the Dolphins after last week's poor effort. Is there a better centre around on current form than Herbie?

 

[Jatz]

Tago would have to be up there. Destroyed Parra the other night.

 

[PhatBoy]

The Chooks this season: Not All That. Wasn't surprised by the much improved showing by the Dolphins after last week's poor effort. Is there a better centre around on current form than Herbie?

We will be.

I’m an eternal pessimist even when we were winning back to back titles but we easily have a decent enough side this year. People kept saying last year that we had this incredible team on paper that should have been winning the comp: we didn’t. We had Angus Crichton struggling to come back from God knows what problem, we had a forward pack that was being filled out with whoever we could find - Lodge, Nathan Brown, Fletcher Baker etc. We had to drop Sam Walker who everyone at the time seemed to think was playing like Andrew Johns but in reality was playing like David Penna and needed a few weeks in NSW Cup and then got injured so another rookie in Sandon Smith with with Drew Hutchison took his place.

Billy Smith continued to get injured. Tuponua was injured. Tupou was injured. Radley kept getting suspended. Brandon Smith busted his hand.

People seemed to be expecting us to inexplicably be Penrith’s biggest competition despite all of this. That we came within that ridiculous finish against Melbourne of making the preliminary final was nothing short of a miracle.


This year we actually have some depth in all positions, Sandon smith is actually ready to deputise in the halves with Keary out this week. If we just don’t play dumb football and, you know, try and chip kick 30 metres out from our own line when we’ve just soaked up 5 minutes of defensive pressure, we will be fine.

 

[Jatz]

I'm the other way. I have not understood the hype on the Roosters all off season.

If anything I think they'll sneak into the 8. Don't see them doing damage at all this season.

 

[moto748]

Tago would have to be up there. Destroyed Parra the other night.

Yeah, he's good. Also the lad at the Raiders, although I think they're pretty ordinary overall.