The Rocket

With all due respect Dunbar that is a stupid question, but you keep on asking it so I`ll attempt to answer it. Rugby League has a relatively small player pool, the number of players that would be called elite or international class, as you put it, is a relative question, and if you put those players in a list on their own it would be lucky to fill three teams, probably two actually. The rest are very good, above average or just good club players with all their strengths and weaknesses. The majority of World Cup teams will be made up the latter two categories, a fair few out of the first and a handful world class. Anthony Milford probably fits into the `above average` category and in a team with its` fair mix of all categories. A good enough mix I believe to trouble any team made up of a similar mix of players.

Except of course where he went within a whisker ( according to many good judges ) of being named man-of-the-match in Brisbane`s Grand Final loss to the Cowboys in 2015. So poor in fact that Bennett chased very hard to re-unite with him at the Dolphins.

You know you`re right mate I don`t watch Super League, but only because I don`t have Pay. I base my comments on what I read ( by you blokes ) on here over and over and over again whenever a match thread is following an Aussie game. That plus Brodie Croft getting Man of Steel and for god`s sake Shaun Kenny-Dowall being in the Dream Team.

The slower pace of the England game will allow Milford more time to play the organising hand, the speed and fitness of those outside him is what would have alarm bells ringing for me in the England camp. Especially as the game goes on. players tire and get lazy, defensive structures become ragged.

Sportsbet in Aus have released the first odds for the England v Samoa game with England currently slight favourites: England ($1.77) vs Samoa ($2.05) Yeah these blokes know nothing and I expect those odds to narrow if not reverse as the Samoan squad takes shape. But seriously, as I said yesterday, it will be the speed with what the NRL based Samoan players play the game that will be the problem for England. And that will worsen as the game goes on. The fact that a plodder like Brodie Croft can get Man of Steel say a lot. Milford isn`t the disorganised numpty that some make him out, the slower paced game will suit him, and Laui, well he could just tear England to shreds. They could be a lot better pairing than you give them credit for. And as some of those weapons in the backline. Very dangerous.

When they are all crowded around their televisions in Samoa, Tonga, Fiji et.al. and those teams are giving it to the so-called `big ` nations, don`t you worry it will grow the game both in their home nations i.e. nationally and in turn internationally.

Glad someone laughed @Sports Prophet.

Dolphin speak ?

Oh dear !!

As you said elsewhere I noted : relocations, save your breath, ain`t going to happen. Parra, Dogs and Wests, oops I mean Tigers, dominate that vast swathe across Western Sydney and Penrith might well be considered a completely different region. Souths and Easts, extremely wealthy clubs despite their small footprint, no need to go anywhere. Dragons to the `Gong and Sharks, they seem to be well run and why would you shift them anywhere unless they go broke. Leave well enough alone.

Totally agree, I`d be getting very nervous if I were a Pom. Suaalii will join a Penrith dominated backline which includes Luai, To’o, Stephen Crichton, Izack Tago, Taylan May and Charlie Staines, and is likely to be considered at fullback for the World Cup opener against England on October 15. Throw in Junior Paulo and Josh Papaali`i their pack will hold their own against anybody, and then they`ve got a backline that will either run you ragged or tear you to shreds. Hope your fit fella`s and I mean NRL fit.

Absolutely, we don`t have to be a game full of madcap moments but certainly a few more to break the monotony would be nice. It might even make the game more attractive to casuals instead of relying on us diehards. Dare I say it but even union down here does it better than us in that regard although they have other problems which unfortunately for them don`t compensate. Yeah it was a beauty the post I think you`re referring to. According to the poster we might well have Foxtel over the barrel of a gun in our next broadcast negotiations. In that case I wonder what we are holding to their head. Given V`landy`s last effort, a gun that fires blank cheques.

It does appear to me that the NRL are caught between having either a game that is either inch perfect where each play is perfectly executed and on the other hand allowing some latitude when the ball hits the deck, which despite looking messy and being open to more controversy, allows play on and the unpredictability in play that often ensues. A situation our main rival avoids ( in the extreme ) by having no knock-ons, offside or obstruction. Our referees seem to be caught up in this dualism, sometimes waving play-on or even ignoring marginal potential knock-ons but all too often I fear calling knock-on out of safety ( the avoidance of making a controversial call ) and letting the Captain decide through the use of the Captain`s Challenge. How often do we hear " you can challenge, you can challenge ! ". Which I`m sure wasn`t designed for that purpose, or certainly not as much as it is being used for. As V`landy`s like to state ` we are in the entertainment business ` and I honestly believe that we in League have the potential, with a bit of judicious refereeing, in our game to provide a bit of that helter-skelter. That same helter-skelter fans find so appealing in fumbleball, but whos` over the top nature may alternatively be found ridiculous to those not inside the cult. That`s not to mention though the same mad-cap nature that may well appeal to modern audiences. The broadcasters over here certainly seem to think so. Ignore all but the most egregious knock-ons, get rid of the six-again for the charge-down and let`s see more kicks ( not kickers ) on the deck and get the head high stuff right out of the game and make it safer for the little blokes ( the exciting ones ) and we`ll have a game that combines nicely the toughness and skillfulness of League with the unpredictabilty of fumbleball, but without the circus act.

As well as being in the GF of the state-wide mens-open competition the Hostplus Cup, the Dolphins are into the final of the State`s u20`s competition as well. There`s a real buzz around the Dolphins. Jacob Laban's double propels Dolphins into colts grand final | Warriors

With all due respect you`ve been listening to that great nong Andrew Johns too much and his endless idolising of any one who a) went to a private school and b ) played union while they were there, all the time forgetting that a lot of those kids were literally poached from the Rugby League sporting fields of western Sydney and offered fully-paid scholarships ( $ 35 000/ yr at Kings ) on the condition that they carry their ailing school boy union teams. Suaalli played League since he was 4 years old, a decade before he had anything to do with either Kings or their union team.

My favourite toad was Touchwood, of Catweazle fame. There`s a bloke who knew how to live.

Mine`s not a quote but a line from Robbie Burns poem " To a Mouse ". " an` fellow-mortal ". It`s sums up how I feel about all the little creatures I meet when I walk around my farm or where ever I go or all of our fellow creatures in general.

The words " like the colosseum " is one of the most hackneyed expressions in sport. A couple of times during last weekend`s Souths/Roosters game when the commentators crossed to Brad Fittler on the sideline I`d have to say it was probably the closest I`ve ever heard a sporting event generating noise that deserves that description. The roar being generated was off the charts. This was no doubt abetted by the hostility between the two sets of fans but I did wonder whether the new stadium`s design also contributed. I`d even go as far to say that it was the crowd noise and atmosphere that hyped the players up so much that led to the record number of sin-binnings which in turn only made the crowd noise louder.

One could almost say " fowl play ".

Haas can`t seem to help but make metres it seems, he`s just so powerful and mobile, but he never or very, very rarely seems to off-load or even try to. I wonder if Haas is completely happy at the Broncos and is only serving time now, doing his bit but no more, and his lack at attempted off-loading is a symptom of that. Tapine is a special, I saw him at Indigenous round and he was on-fire, three try assists and numerous tackle-breaks I think I recall. He shows week-in week-out that he is always looking to promote the football unlike Haas. Can`t wait to see him playing for N.Z.

I agree with this up to a point but I feel defences, especially the top teams, are just so damn good these days that I`ll take anything to see a bit more open footy.

Fair enough, but I`m just happy to see fast PTB`s especially when so much of the game these days revolves around slowing down the PTB so defences can get set. There`s nothing like a retreating or staggered defensive line to provide opportunities for opening the game up.

As an aside, something I`ve noticed a lot more in the NRL this year - especially due to players attempting fast PTB`s usually with players hanging all over them - planting the ball on the ground and leveraging themselves to their feet with hand on ball then lurching forward, playing the ball with foot. Clever I thought, removes the chance of the fumble from players attempting to stand and PTB, and ball being dislodged by a stray knee, elbow, arm et.al. Just a little thing, but clever technique to remove likelihood of knock-on at the PTB.

When I put that post up, I was thinking of adding, " let the good natured ribbing begin ". Looks like I didn`t need to.

Not sure about the 50:50, possibly more like 50:0.