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Brits in the NRL


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1 hour ago, Manfred Mann said:

After this weekend’s round the top 4 is clear:

 

1, Melbourne Storm

2. Sydney Roosters

3. Canberra Raiders

4. South Sydney Rabbitohs.

This means that British players will be very important for teams 3 and 4. Bateman and Hodgson are two of the most important stars for Canberra. The Burgess brothers are very important for South Sydney, and Sam is the captain.

Whether Ryan Hall plays for the Sydney Roosters in the finals is an open question. In Hall’s absence with a knee injury, Brett Morris has played very well. Trent Robinson has a selection dilemma.

However I am very confident that Melbourne Storm and Sydney Roosters will be the Grand Finalists

I agree that the Roosters and Storm are the teams to beat and should make up the Grand Final but the Raiders pushed the Roosters all the way this morning and so it's not a done deal by any means.

In the top 4, I think the Rabbitohs are the one's under pressure... coming off the back of two losses and their final three games of the season are a massive grudge match against the Broncos, a trip across the Tasman to the Warriors and then the local derby against the Roosters.  I can see them dropping out of the four if the Eels or Manly can maintain a bit of form.

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"The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby.

"If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris

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2 hours ago, Dunbar said:

I agree that the Roosters and Storm are the teams to beat and should make up the Grand Final but the Raiders pushed the Roosters all the way this morning and so it's not a done deal by any means.

In the top 4, I think the Rabbitohs are the one's under pressure... coming off the back of two losses and their final three games of the season are a massive grudge match against the Broncos, a trip across the Tasman to the Warriors and then the local derby against the Roosters.  I can see them dropping out of the four if the Eels or Manly can maintain a bit of form.

Canberra looked clunky in attack today with Hodgson, Sezer, Wighton and Nicol-Klopstad (who didn’t look fit) not linking as well as usual. Despite this, their defence was excellent and their commitment nearly saw them pull off a win. Whitehead should’ve had a try with 10 to go when Manu didn’t ground the ball and Whitehead pounced but the refs yet again missed it. They definitely look the biggest threat to the top 2. 

Souths just don’t look the same team and have too many average players. They rely hugely on Cook, Burgess and Murray. Their halves are good but they’re not the same force without the likes of GI and Crichton. 

I don’t see Manly or Paramatta as genuine contenders. Cronulla on paper, with all their players back, could be a threat but I think they’ve left it too late 

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1 hour ago, ghost crayfish said:

If SL copy the ball steal rule that would be pretty funny, given most of the talk around the NRL seems to suggest it will go back to the old interpretation next year.

Is it really? I hadn’t heard that........the Brits in NRL seem the most proficient at it, certainly in Canberra! 

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I'm OK with the way the NRL has the ball steal law now... a one on one ball steal even if there was previously more than one defender in the tackle adds a bit of variety to the sport and is in itself a skill (both individual and team skill as they clearly practice players dropping off the tackle if a defender is in a position to attempt a steal).

It's a high risk defensive play as a penalty or a new set could be conceded but I am all for a bit of innovation and variety in the game.

I see that Trent Robinson was against it https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/08/11/robinson-stripping-rule-placing-unnecessary-pressure-on-referees/ but I was surprised to read that Ricky Stuart is also against it seeing as though the Raiders have all but perfected the tactic.

"The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby.

"If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris

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On 12/08/2019 at 10:18, Dunbar said:

I'm OK with the way the NRL has the ball steal law now... a one on one ball steal even if there was previously more than one defender in the tackle adds a bit of variety to the sport and is in itself a skill (both individual and team skill as they clearly practice players dropping off the tackle if a defender is in a position to attempt a steal).

It's a high risk defensive play as a penalty or a new set could be conceded but I am all for a bit of innovation and variety in the game.

I see that Trent Robinson was against it https://www.nrl.com/news/2019/08/11/robinson-stripping-rule-placing-unnecessary-pressure-on-referees/ but I was surprised to read that Ricky Stuart is also against it seeing as though the Raiders have all but perfected the tactic.

There isn’t really a massive difference in how it’s reffed anyway. The only difference is in SL the defenders can’t let go to create a one on one so you can steal the ball. If the attacker breaks a tackle to create a one on one the defender can steal the ball. 

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4 minutes ago, bobbruce said:

There isn’t really a massive difference in how it’s reffed anyway. The only difference is in SL the defenders can’t let go to create a one on one so you can steal the ball. If the attacker breaks a tackle to create a one on one the defender can steal the ball. 

Just to add I’ve missed off the bit of the NRL interpretation that I do like. Which is you can steal with more than one defender involved when the attacker is either in the act of scoring or attempting to pass the ball. 

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6 minutes ago, bobbruce said:

Just to add I’ve missed off the bit of the NRL interpretation that I do like. Which is you can steal with more than one defender involved when the attacker is either in the act of scoring or attempting to pass the ball. 

There’s that many hands pulling and pushing at the ball in SL, how anyone can referee it is beyond me.  Sometimes the ball is virtually yanked out and the call is ‘loose carry’.  Any rule that improves that mess is all good in my book.

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More good British performances this morning, as Canberra visited Melbourne.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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I saw a stat last week about the ball steal on NRL360 show. In response to Robinson rant.

It was ridiculously low for the season so far.

However, Hodgson had about 10. He was so far ahead of anyone else. Canberra were also the leading it.

In short Robinson was making a mountain out of a molehill.

 

Edited by jacksy

Rugby Union the only game in the world were the spectators handle the ball more than the players.

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59 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

More good British performances this morning, as Canberra visited Melbourne.

Great comeback from the Raiders with the 4 British lads playing their part,they needed that win today after running the Roosters so close last week and have shown that they can mix it with the best and are genuine contenders this year.

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  • 2 weeks later...

There's something very wrong with Watkins, psychologically or physically or both. The change of scenery doesn't seem to have had the desired effect.

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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4 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

There's something very wrong with Watkins, psychologically or physically or both. The change of scenery doesn't seem to have had the desired effect.

His performance today is one of the worst of the year, in the worst team in the NRL.

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2 hours ago, Futtocks said:

There's something very wrong with Watkins, psychologically or physically or both. The change of scenery doesn't seem to have had the desired effect.

There's plenty of times he has looked like that at Leeds too.

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36 minutes ago, OMEGA said:

Ryan Hall might as well come home and Watkins looks to be done as a top tier player. 

If I was Hall I would stay out there. The Roosters are a strong chance to go back to back and he has done well when he has played.

An injury has meant he has lost his place to Brett Morris but who knows what could happen in the next six weeks.

He could easily be running out in the NRL Grand Final, as I say, I would stay there if I was him.

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"The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby.

"If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris

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9 hours ago, ghost crayfish said:

To be fair he's joined an awful team at an awful time. Aside from Jai Arrow, they should all be ashamed. Hopefully a good five month off season to get himself fully fit, combined with Holbrook going over there and getting the team back on track, will do the trick. 

It'll be a huge job for Holbrook, and he has spacehopper balls for taking it on. Newcastle Knights have shelled out loads, and the jury's still out on whether they have really turned a corner. And the Titans are in a much worse place than the Knights.

They have some talented individuals, though, including Is Don is Good plus Brimson, Arrow and the indefatigable Proctor - but Watkins looks as lost as he did in his last days at Leeds. He's better than this by a mile, but something's wrong.

Edited by Futtocks

Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

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