NRL 2018 - Round 1 Match Thread

[Farmduck]

New NRL referees boss Bernard Sutton has vowed to maintain the rage and crackdown on errant play-the-balls right throughout 2018 despite an anticipated influx of both ruck and offside penalties across the first month of the Telstra Premiership.

Other key changes in 2018 will see defenders allowed to strip the ball if they are the only player involved in a tackle at the time, increased use of the shot clock and the sin bin used in instances of foul play that aren't deemed worthy of a send off.

The last rule change will see referees consider whether a player is injured in an act of foul play and how likely they are to return, such as the heavy shot on Billy Slater that saw him knocked out of a Storm-Raiders game last year by Sia Soliola, with the Canberra forward playing out the match before being suspended for five weeks afterwards.

 

Thursday 8.05pm AEDT  St George Illawarra Dragons v Brisbane Broncos at Kogarah

 

Dragons: 18 Matthew Dufty, 2 Nene Macdonald, 3 Euan Aitken, 4 Tim Lafai, 5 Jason Nightingale, 6 Gareth Widdop (c), 7 Ben Hunt, 8 James Graham, 9 Cameron McInnes, 10 Paul Vaughan, 11 Tyson Frizell, 12 Tariq Sims, 13 Jack De Belin.

Interchange: 14 Luciano Leilua, 15 Kurt Mann, 16 Leeson Ah Mau, 17 Hame Sele,

19 Jeremy Latimore, 20 Zachary Lomax, 21 Blake Lawrie, 22 Joshua Kerr

* Luciano Leilua misses out on a starting role and will come off the bench. Hame Sele confirmed at 17, cheapie prospect Zac Lomax is on an extended bench

 

Broncos: 1 Darius Boyd (c), 2 Corey Oates, 3 James Roberts, 4 Jordan Kahu, 5 Jamayne Isaako, 6 Anthony Milford, 7 Kodi Nikorima, 8 Matthew Lodge, 9 Andrew McCullough, 10 Samuel Thaiday, 11 Alex Glenn, 12 Matt Gillett, 13 Josh McGuire.

Interchange: 14 Tevita Pangai Jnr, 15 Joe Ofahengaue, 16 Korbin Sims, 17 Jaydn Su’a,

18 Tom Opacic, 19 Sam Tagataese, 20 Jonus Pearson, 21 George Fai

* Andrew McCullough will start at hooker despite early news indicating he’d be eased off the bench on return from injury. Huge news with Tevita Pangai to come off the bench, with Sam Thaiday preferred in the run on side. Cheapie Jamayne Isaako confirmed on the wing.

 

 

 

[Graham]

Wondering whether to take the free trial of WatchNRL - anyone else done it?

[Irish Saint]

10 minutes ago, Graham said:

Wondering whether to take the free trial of WatchNRL - anyone else done it?

I was going to but our main tv is plasma into its seventh year the bedroom tv is also not a smart tv. This meant I would also have to buy probably a chromecast cable. At the moment i'll stick to the three games  per week on Sky tho sadly I can't find a weekly highlights programme on their listings

[Farmduck]

Late team news: Jeremy Latitude replaces Hame Sele and Tevita Pangai will start at Prop with Thaiday starting at 9 and McCullogh dropping back to the bench.

[Futtocks]

Nice to see the season kick off at a proper RL stadium, too.

[Farmduck]

Perfect conditions. It's about 22 deg here and there seems to be a light breeze coming up from the northern side. Kogarah looks very flat and green.

[Farmduck]

9min: penalty to Kahu, Horsies 2-0

[Farmduck]

11min: Widdop makes it 2-2

[Futtocks]

How much better than a half-empty ANZ does this look?

[Futtocks]

I have to go out in 10 minutes, missing the rest of the game.  

[Davo5]

Poor quality game so far.

[Graham]

55 minutes ago, Irish Saint said:

I was going to but our main tv is plasma into its seventh year the bedroom tv is also not a smart tv. This meant I would also have to buy probably a chromecast cable. At the moment i'll stick to the three games  per week on Sky tho sadly I can't find a weekly highlights programme on their listings

I've just joined. Am watching the first game via my ipad. Will explore other methods later. Good quality HD pictures.

I have a two week free trial. But have subscribed for the year using a voucher code for 10% off after this was suggested by an email from Our League which I had to join (free)

So annual fee is £112.50 

If I change my mind I have 2 weeks to cancel at no charge. 

Think I'll be keeping it though.

[Farmduck]

Pretty typical round 1 game.

Widdop kicks another penalty: 4-2

[Farmduck]

Just now, Graham said:

I've just joined. Am watching the first game via my ipad. Will explore other methods later. Good quality HD pictures.

I have a two week free trial. But have subscribed for the year using a voucher code for 10% off after this was suggested by an email from Our League which I had to join (free)

So annual fee is £112.50 

If I change my mind I have 2 weeks to cancel at no charge. 

Think I'll be keeping it though.

After 15 minutes?

[Farmduck]

Oats try chalked off for clear forward pass but he had a lot of spare room outside Nightingale so they'll be down that side again pretty soon.

[Graham]

Good quality and streaming well.

[Graham]

Dragons flummoxed there. Lucky Broncos judged forward pass.

All my coverage will now be FoxSports.

[Farmduck]

Frizell try. Dragons 8-2, kick to come

[Graham]

Frizzle try for Dragons 

[Graham]

Hunt kick through. Good one too.

[Farmduck]

Just now, Graham said:

Dragons flummoxed there. Lucky Broncos judged forward pass.

All my coverage will now be FoxSports.

Except for Origin and GF. Fox has everything else. (Tests? not sure. Channel 9 only ever shows OZ tests so Fox will have Pacific Tests)

[Graham]

10-2 Dragons

[Graham]

Just now, Farmduck said:

Except for Origin and GF. Fox has everything else. (Tests? not sure. Channel 9 only ever shows OZ tests so Fox will have Pacific Tests)

Good point. 

[Graham]

7 minutes to Alf Thyme

[Graham]

Good atmosphere for this game.