Dunbar

No, I fully understand the point you are making. I just don't agree with it.

Exactly right. If you plead guilty to the lowest grade offence and that offence brings a ban based on your previous record and the published sentencing guidelines then where are the grounds for an appeal. Leeds should not have appealed as there was no way they could win it. But according to the notes, the appeal was essentially "come on, he has played all year and it's a big game at the weeked".

Slightly pedantic but there is no 3rd / 4th play off in this tournament so both losing semi finalists would be effectively 3rd placed.

Don't be so pessimistic, I am sure the away team (Kangaroos) would get one score on the board.

According to the notes from the disciplinary panel, this was exactly the argument used by Leeds in the appeal. Taking a different style of tackle that didn't result in a ban and arguing that it somehow should effect the decision on the Martin tackle. It was in fact part of the reason why the appeal was described as frivolous and an extra game added to the ban. That you bring up a different tackle in a thread discussing the frivolous appeal seems the height of irony. Frivolous squared if you will.

The key question is, does anyone know his uncle.

I would give him a bonus out of my own pocket if he could wind up Latrell Mitchell and get him sent off.

Winners: Panthers, Storm, Sharks, Roosters. Points: 197 25+ points: 3 teams

That all sounds reasonable.

My point wasn't so much that the game went ahead as the 'ordinary' folk were still happy to watch and enjoy their sport while still being sad about the news no doubt.

Maybe one day. King Wayne and Queen Consort Tracey.

For a long time with Charles, William and then George.

I am sitting here watching the United game on tv from Old Trafford. A minutes silence of course but other than that the atmosphere is no different than what you would expect. Most decent people will be mindful and respectful of the death of the Queen whether they have strong royalist feelings or not. I am not but I feel for her family as I do for anyone who loses a loved one. But for the majority of people in the UK life goes on and we want to see things we enjoy. Sport is one of them. Maybe there will be some postponements but I fail to see why suspending everything in the country for 10 days adds anything. We can have a national day of mourning on the day of the funeral to pay our collective respects.

This post is just a check to see if I'm still active.

So the Grand Final is just a play off between the top 2. I'm on board with a play off system of 5, 6 or even 8 teams (as long as the league is big and competitive enough) with the higher placed teams having an advantage in the process. But the top 2 in a one off play off final is a bit too much. Seeing as though Wigan are played 13 won 13 and 6 points ahead of Trinity.

I think he was in with a shout. The Aussies put a lot of stock on State of Origin and he was the full back for the winning Queensland side in all three this year and man of the match in the decider. Remember the SOO coaches are joining Meninga in the selection panel. Tedesco is first choice but I think Ponga may have made the squad if Tom Trbojevic is unfit and Mitchell maybe is looked at as a centre.

Jack Welsby, Jai Field & Brodie Croft. Personally I think Field but with the 3, 2, 1 voting system then the others could easily pick it up if they have influenced the matches and the judges pick them out as the best player on the day.

I thought you would like that one. But as a proud NT 4.0 Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer, I put myself in that category as well.

Most people in IT are!

I can see both sides of this but I would have Bateman on from the start for a few reasons. 1. If you have players capable of competing for the full 80, I think you take advantage of that rather than have them off the bench. 2. I would be playing Bateman on the edge and ideally you don't want to spell your edge forwards if you can help it - this allows you to carry more impact in the middle off the bench. 3. Having Bateman in the side does allow for some shuffling if a back gets injured - he can shift into the centre if a centre is injured or a centre to wing if a wing gets injured. This way you don't need to carry a specialist outside back on the bench. I would want two specialist middles, a versatile forward and a second dummy half off the bench.

The former players on the disciplinary panel did think it was worthy of a ban. How do you propose that we address this conflict?

I think he is a fantastic prop. His mobility and work rate in defence for a big man is as good as I have seen. When you see the pace that big games start at these days (Origin, internationals etc.) I think you need to start with mobile middles and then bring on the bigger players later for impact.

I have seen all the Bulldogs games this year and he is not as good as Walmsley, Oledzki, Thompson and T. Burgess. This is our top line front row rotation for me. After this, King may get a mention but there are others as well.

With Bateman I think you get more than just ability, you get attitude as well. You know that in the middle of a test match, the guy will never give up and never take a backward step. One of my overriding memories of the 2017 final was when the Kangaroos had forced a goal line dropout from England and Lomax was sat in the in goal with his head down - Bateman shouted at him to get up. I think that matters in tough games, you need characters to drive the team forward. I think both Whitehead and Bateman have this character which is why I wouldn't argue with them being in the squad even if their club form is not as high as it could be.

While I love the sentiment, I think the word literally is a stretch here. England were 6-0 down when that ankle tap happened and so we were literally an ankle tap from scoring a try which, if converted, would have tied the game at 6-6. That is not the same as winning.