The Rocket

If anyone is not picking anyone but Oz they need their hearts testing.

I`d go so far as saying though that both results are a positive for the up-coming WC. England having a big win gives them cred in the eyes of the public and New Zealand`s big win against a high profile team gives them an aura of being a very powerful team, what you want for one of the main participants in an international tournament.

I like the way they`ve done the football.

Grounds for a defamation suit ?

Wow, so instead of inching northwest at about 10cm`s per year with the rest of the Indo-Pacific plate, what direction do you expect Papua New Guinea to head in.

And apparently unsurprisingly numbers surged, and why wouldn`t they. Out of my three only one played, I can guarantee all three would have played had this been in place 20 years ago. BTW only one of them follows the League closely these days, and he`s the one who actually played.

Outlaw all that in the tackle, because if that`s how you win competitions, then wake me up when it`s over. Because eventually they will outlaw it, because that stuff isn`t going to attract and keep new fans. Even the idiot Johns had a bit of a dig on the FTA coverage tonight about Penrith`s defensive tactics, and that`s saying something.

Dunbar I said that exact same thing to my son not 5 minutes ago when he rang me after the game. Ivan Cleary has realised what Melbourne did on the ground with the wrestle and was eventually outlawed, you can now do legally if you keep the player off the ground. Pure ###### tactical genius.

I watched about 20 minutes total of the whole game, Penrith`s relentless lift and drag back is against the spirit of the game for me, suffocates opposition teams attack and makes games unbearable to watch. I thought the whole point of the tackle was to get the opposing player to the ground, not the opposite. Showcase games like this deserve better.

Prevaricated.

I can`t disagree with a lot of your first paragraph. We have a bad habit of doing that over here and sometimes I think it only makes the situation worse. Players start thinking their talent deserves better than our relatively small NRL. Your second paragraph, I don`t do the stats thing like you but yeah he certainly didn`t stand-out any more than a number of other wingers and when you look back on any number of outstanding 18 year olds that have burst onto the scene over the last 40 years, he`s well down the list. But don`t get me wrong, he could be a very solid, and often dangerous full-back for a team that goes deep into the Cup, he`ll learn fast.

I know I`d be saying "who is this kid ? christ he must be good." Bit like all the raps we were hearing about an 18 year old Garry Schofield before he toured back in the day. Some players are just precocious enough and have a level of confidence perhaps we can`t relate to, and the ability to probably rise to the challenge in a way that is hard to comprehend. C`mon, absolutely nothing. Full back from year dot to 18`s, rep games, everything, literally hundreds of games, thousands and thousands of hours. I would suggest it counts for a great deal. And especially for one with such a commanding presence and confidence like young Sua`ali`i.

The evidence keeps piling up. Parramatta Eels chief executive Jim Sarantinos said the club did a review earlier this year to identify how to grow the game of rugby league. With both their women’s and men’s teams in the NRL grand final, Sarantinos said they will look to capitalise on this opportunity but are already exploring how to engage more junior players — and to do that will look to establish more “non contact’’ versions of the game. “One of the key drivers in this review is to look at the impact of the changing participation model, especially the positive influence non-contact versions of the game can have in growing the game,” Sarantinos said. “Touch and tag are growing significantly both in our catchment and across the country. Research is showing that these versions of the game have some of the highest participation rates of any sport in key areas across western Sydney. This represents a significant opportunity for the Eels and our Junior League Clubs in the coming years.” Penrith’s Mairleitner points out they too are teaching the non-contact version of rugby league Recently when Blacktown Council put two grounds out to tender at the new Schofields development, a junior rugby league club won the bid over Australian rules football and soccer – and they will teach a modified game there. “We only put a club there last week; the Schofields Crusaders which will neighbour three other historical clubs which helps protect the foundation of what our district is all about,” Mairletner said. “We put a junior club, a six to 12 (age group) club in there …. that’s our way of trying to get into that new community, and rather than teach the international game of football, let’s teach the modified tag way.” It`s just a no-brainer really.

Don`t worry, he`s been on here 5 minutes and told me to get off the forum !! @ sydneyfeatherduster.

I haven`t voted but the bloke has to be made an example of, because he is setting a very poor example himself and giving a sly nod to all the racists associated with the game. Out on his bloody ear with a kick up the bum on the way out. Unbelievable, what an insult.

Big article in today`s Sydney Morning Herald about the changing face of Parramatta Rugby League Club`s fan base. and the ways used to engage new fans. Fans from the Parramatta region’s enclaves talk of touch footy and OzTag as the source of their first rugby league encounter. The Sri Lanka schools touch footy comp in April was hosted by the Eels and drew well over 1000 players and punters to the club’s Kellyville HQ. On the club front, research commissioned by the Eels in 2019 found one in five Parramatta fans were born overseas, and around 30 per cent were first-generation Australians born to migrant parents.

Some great things happening around Sydney this week to celebrate the GF. Mixed Touch Rugby League comp held on Bondi Beach, week long celebrations held in Sydney`s central business district`s Martin Place ( 5 minute walk from the Opera House ) greeted by large crowds every day, GF sold out in minutes with a ticket scalping scam exposed with tickets being sold for over a thousand dollars, 15 000 tickets sold to CommBank Stadium for people who want to watch on the big screen - a lot of Parra fans there to cheer their Men`s and women`s teams and incredibly it`s being reported that you cannot buy a Parra jumper anywhere in Oz - completely sold-out nation-wide. There`s a real level of excitement building around this one.

My heart sank when I saw Ryan Hall`s name on that team list, christ is that the best you`ve got. I can only imagine the rings that the other team`s wingers will run around him. And is that the same Chris Hill who has been around forever, bloody hell.

And this is why we have to decide whether we are a club based sport or a sport that involves a serious international element, because Rugby League, long seasons and international windows do not go. Like it or not the game is far too taxing on both body and mind. Interesting to see IMG calling for a 22 week season (something I wholeheartedly agree with) after saying they had consulted with the NRL and then NRL announcing their longest season ever. As bloody usual doesn`t seem like a whole lot of co-operation.

Discussing the purchase of tickets to games involving Scotland and using expressions like " out of kilter ". Nice touch.

Mate very sorry to hear that, when did you get the bad news ?

Given this unprecedented coverage it seems like your BBC is viewing this tournament as an opportunity to provide the English public with a bit of an escape in these difficult times. What with the war in Ukraine, the terrible energy prices hitting people`s budgets and all the talk of a looming world-wide recession a successful six-week tournament could give the nation a real boost in morale hopefully.

Phil Gould " bobbles " or alternatively " I think I saw a little bobble in there". Gould has created a monster there to the point that I`m sure our referees don`t think they are doing their job properly if they now miss the slightest knock-on, despite often being backwards, sideways and sometimes even actually forwards. The whole thing has gotten so out of hand that I actually heard him have the audacity to say recently " don`t we have knock-backs anymore " Has been heartening to see though that in the recent union tests down here I heard the dreaded phrase being used by their commentators.

Huh ?

Exactly and he remains the highest paid Bronco ever. You don`t chase someone that hard and pay him that much if he is questionable. There`s a very good footballer somewhere inside Anthny Milford, his fitness always looks questionable to me, but to the question at hand, in a tournament of only half a dozen games, in squad of his Samoan peers, it would be foolish to dismiss him.