Vichyssoise

Bloody voodoo dolls. Gotta ask for a refund.

Well, the NRL open Pandora's box with the return of Russell Packer... It gives Anthony Watts and others plenty of hope. No doubt that Bennett likes the motivator in him. Imagine that a player, say Thaiday or Bird, is dodging it at training, he'll train a lot harder if Lodge whispers "Work harder you fat slob, or this is the day you are going to die!" in his ears. He's no fool, that Bennett fellow.

I believe he got punted precisely because they didn't want to listen to him... and being an outsider didn't do him any favors in the long run.

A $10 million loss for Parramatta in 2017. Sure they had apparently no major sponsor and moved to ANZ, but it can't be good, can it? full SMH article here I think Cronulla posted a similar loss following the peptides scandal. That bit however is the most worrying: It's hardly the sign that the game in Australia is in any good financial position, especially if one considers that the NRL ran out of money at some point last year. It seems to me that administrators & players association are all blinded by the record TV rights, when a lot should be done to first, put the house in order (ie spend wisely), and second, think ahead to prepare for the next 10-20 years. Neither of which appears to be their priority from where I stand.

Sandor Earl (Melbourne) goes down in training and might miss the season with a knee injury.

Lovely jersey. Balmain affiliate or something like that, Farmduck? (re: the colors)

I'm not to divulge my sources... I'm hardly surprised you found it.

That's a real team? I'm sure there's an anagram for Graham if one looks closely enough.

Matt Moylan is officially a Cronulla Sharks player. I have my doubts about this move, only time will tell. I reckon Moylan is more hype than substance. Some Sharks supporters seem to think that the club's trying to lure Mitchell Pearce as well. Perish the thought.

Well, Graham... How shall I put it?

What are the odds of Maloney complaining about his contract after 2 years? Disappointed to see him go, as I don't think Moylan's anything more than an average 5/8. But at the same time, the 2017 vintage left a sour taste in the mouth. Cronulla will have to find a goalkicker because currently there's Holmes and no one else. On the plus side, the team got rid of 2 disrupting influences in Bird and Maloney. A 5 - 8 finish in the standings will be a good performance, but there's no point in expecting a Top 4 or a lengthy finals run.

Well, he signed in April/May and got injured later... Hard to complain under these circumstances although I'd be filthy too if I was him. By the way, why aren't Bennett & Meninga focusing on the WC instead of boring us with domestic issues?

Jarryd Hayne & Tony Williams to Eels is the latest rumour. http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/jarryd-hayne-and-tony-williams-could-be-on-their-way-back-to-parramatta-eels-20171102-gzdhgk.html

Looks like a must-see movie, especially if it stars Chow Yun Fat.

And to the surprise of absolutely no one... more here: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/rugby-league-world-cup-roger-tuivasasheck-considering-all-blacks-switch-20171026-gz8y7f.html

You mean to say that it could be worse? To quote the great Phil Gould: "No no no no no".

That would be extraordinary! Without a warning? Precious times indeed. Never seen that screen Farmduck... And I've had a few issues with the access to this website for the past year or so.

That filter is a bit precious. Goes with the times, I suppose.

Wow... The filter hated it. What's his name? Cr_@p? Sh!t?

Gerard Beale (Cronulla) is moving across the Tasman. He'll play for the Warriors for the next 3 years.

Laurie Daley's contract won't be renewed. NSW is looking for a new coach. I'm afraid that it means he'll soon be back to his commentating gig. Don't rugby league fans suffer enough?

And Gold Coast is under NRL ownership / control, isn't it?

Neil Henry has been officially sacked... and Hayne will replace him. http://www.theroar.com.au/2017/08/21/breaking-jarryd-hayne-named-captain-coach-of-gold-coast-titans/ A pretty funny joke, if I may say.

Prima Donna Hayne has been a great success on the Gold Coast so far...

Did anyone see it coming? http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/benji-marshall-signs-deal-to-return-to-the-wests-tigers-20170812-gxuv4d.html