The Battle of Britain: which team will you support?

[Copa]

The mighty Green Machine.

 

[Dunbar]

37 minutes ago, Copa said:

The mighty Green Machine.

 

Have to say I did laugh at the Panthers 'here to cure your clap' sign visible at 7 seconds in on that clip.

[Copa]

31 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

Have to say I did laugh at the Panthers 'here to cure your clap' sign visible at 7 seconds in on that clip.

That’s the only clap they know of in Penrith 

[hunsletgreenandgold]

Canberra are the fairytale story of this season in the NRL and not just because of the English contingent. 

CNK at fullback came from nowhere, Jack Wighton's first full season in the halves, Josh Papalii the best prop in the NRL (IMO) all have had the season of their lives. It's not like this has been building year on year, opposed to when Souths won it in 2014 where it was just a matter of time - this has come from nothing. Hodgson and Whitehead are just about the Raiders most consistently good players (probs add Croker to that too). Bringing in Bateman was a masterstroke as he just lifted the whole squad on and off the field and the individual brilliance he brings is almost unparalleled this year in the NRL. Sutton might miss out this weekend but he played some really important minutes in big games through mid season (which is when Canberra fell apart last year) and will be an integral part of the team for many years to come. 

All of that leads me to 100% back the Green Machine this weekend against my old favourites, the bunnies. 

[Futtocks]

The match is sold out, so the atmosphere should be good.

I've taken that day off work, mainly because this game is on.

[hunsletgreenandgold]

1 hour ago, Futtocks said:

The match is sold out, so the atmosphere should be good.

I've taken that day off work, mainly because this game is on.

I'll be 'working from home'........

[Dunbar]

1 hour ago, Futtocks said:

The match is sold out, so the atmosphere should be good.

I've taken that day off work, mainly because this game is on.

 

20 minutes ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

I'll be 'working from home'........

I can't take the day off work but I have booked a private meeting room at 10.50am on Friday as I have an important report to finish... and I have WatchNRL on my laptop!

[hunsletgreenandgold]

3 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

 

I can't take the day off work but I have booked a private meeting room at 10.50am on Friday as I have an important report to finish... and I have WatchNRL on my laptop!

Strategically positioned with your screen facing away from the door/window because the 'work' you're doing is so private. Fingers set to CMD+Tab in case the door swings open. I know the drill.

[Futtocks]

2 minutes ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

Strategically positioned with your screen facing away from the door/window because the 'work' you're doing is so private. Fingers set to CMD+Tab in case the door swings open. I know the drill.

I did sixth form at a boarding school, and one of my friends who had a knack for electronics set up a switch on the door of his room so that, when it was open, his monitor input automatically changed from the video player to the computer. We watched some right old carp thanks to that - mostly trashy action/horror films. His roommate's dad owned an off-licence, so we were well sorted.

[hunsletgreenandgold]

13 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

I did sixth form at a boarding school, and one of my friends who had a knack for electronics set up a switch on the door of his room so that, when it was open, his monitor input automatically changed from the video player to the computer. We watched some right old carp thanks to that - mostly trashy action/horror films. His roommate's dad owned an off-licence, so we were well sorted.

Mostly.....

[Tex Evans Thigh]

3 hours ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

Canberra are the fairytale story of this season in the NRL and not just because of the English contingent. 

CNK at fullback came from nowhere, Jack Wighton's first full season in the halves, Josh Papalii the best prop in the NRL (IMO) all have had the season of their lives. It's not like this has been building year on year, opposed to when Souths won it in 2014 where it was just a matter of time - this has come from nothing. Hodgson and Whitehead are just about the Raiders most consistently good players (probs add Croker to that too). Bringing in Bateman was a masterstroke as he just lifted the whole squad on and off the field and the individual brilliance he brings is almost unparalleled this year in the NRL. Sutton might miss out this weekend but he played some really important minutes in big games through mid season (which is when Canberra fell apart last year) and will be an integral part of the team for many years to come. 

All of that leads me to 100% back the Green Machine this weekend against my old favourites, the bunnies. 

Disagree that this has come from nothing. Canberra have been building nicely over the past few years, they were in a semi a couple of years ago when Cronulla won it, then got set back a little by injuries, but are now back on track. Sticky has stayed at the helm and they've built a team around a few key individuals building nicely. Ricky Stuart has had a plan and an ethos which is bearing fruit.

I hope Canberra win, it would be great to see them in the final and win it. Souths are a bit uninspiring at the minute and on balance I dont think they deserve to get there nor will they make a good go of it in the final. I suspect whoever wins the other game will win the final anyway but Canberra have the best chance for me.

Interesting side note on the success of the British players here. Will this lead to even more raids on SL and British players? Aussie arrogance has tended to mean this wouldn't happen but Souths and now Canberra have shown the value in investing in overseas talent. Interesting times when you think of all the islanders that are playing too and how this might affect Australian representative teams.

[hunsletgreenandgold]

13 minutes ago, Tex Evans Thigh said:

Disagree that this has come from nothing. Canberra have been building nicely over the past few years, they were in a semi a couple of years ago when Cronulla won it, then got set back a little by injuries, but are now back on track. Sticky has stayed at the helm and they've built a team around a few key individuals building nicely. Ricky Stuart has had a plan and an ethos which is bearing fruit.

Okay maybe out of nothing doesn't give enough respect to Ricky as a coach - I agree he's been trying to build up a competitive squad for the past few years. 

My point was more around the fact there was no real evidence it was all going to come together this year, opposed to Souths in 2014 where they'd been knocking on the door for the 2 seasons before. 

Raiders

2017 - 10th 

2018 - 10th

2019 -  Preliminary finals (so far) 

 

Rabbitohs 

2012 - Lost in preliminary finals

2013 - Lost in preliminary finals

2014 - Grand final winners 

[Tex Evans Thigh]

6 minutes ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

Okay maybe out of nothing doesn't give enough respect to Ricky as a coach - I agree he's been trying to build up a competitive squad for the past few years. 

My point was more around the fact there was no real evidence it was all going to come together this year, opposed to Souths in 2014 where they'd been knocking on the door for the 2 seasons before. 

Raiders

2017 - 10th 

2018 - 10th

2019 -  Preliminary finals (so far) 

 

Rabbitohs 

2012 - Lost in preliminary finals

2013 - Lost in preliminary finals

2014 - Grand final winners 

Fair enough but I think those two 10th places were red herrings. They were unlucky with injuries and if you recall had some rotten luck in close games, particularly in golden point games. There was some stat that season which showed they would have finished 5th or something had they converted a certain amount of their close games. Souths were building more obviously though.

[Futtocks]

1 hour ago, Tex Evans Thigh said:

Disagree that this has come from nothing. Canberra have been building nicely over the past few years, they were in a semi a couple of years ago when Cronulla won it, then got set back a little by injuries, but are now back on track. Sticky has stayed at the helm and they've built a team around a few key individuals building nicely. Ricky Stuart has had a plan and an ethos which is bearing fruit.

Was that the match against Cronulla when Edrick Lee dropped ball after ball after ball? I remember that being so frustrating to watch.

[graveyard johnny]

past seasons don't count for much in this game, could go either way, even golden point- would like to see raiders though as souths are too inconsistent to win this game and the final

[Lounge Room Lizard]

Dont like either club and think whoever wins will lose in the Grand Final. Rabbits have the more experience of playing big games and winning a Grand Final. They are probably underdogs and under less pressure than the Raiders. Wayne Bennett is a master at this level and wont feel the pressure as much as maybe Ricky-who can lose it at times!

The Green Machine have been brilliant for most of the year but do have spells in games where they fall asleep-Parra in Darwin for example. How the Raiders deal with the pressure with a largely inexperienced squad at this level, will decide the game for me. They have done well as underdogs but its different when the pressure is on and you are Favs.

[DavidM]

I’m looking forward to this game more than any other this season so far 

[Tex Evans Thigh]

2 hours ago, Futtocks said:

Was that the match against Cronulla when Edrick Lee dropped ball after ball after ball? I remember that being so frustrating to watch.

May have been. Ennis was doing the Viking clap after and annoying a few people. Had they won that I think they would have got a home semi but instead ended up going to Melbourne and losing a tight game.

[Futtocks]

11 minutes ago, Tex Evans Thigh said:

May have been. Ennis was doing the Viking clap after and annoying a few people. Had they won that I think they would have got a home semi but instead ended up going to Melbourne and losing a tight game.

Canberra got their revenge... they sold Edrick & his Amazing Buttery Fingers to the Sharks.

[Copa]

9 hours ago, Futtocks said:

The match is sold out, so the atmosphere should be good.

I've taken that day off work, mainly because this game is on.

At the start of the year I promised my son I’d take him to something he wanted to do later in the year. Turns out it clashes with this game so I won’t be able to attend. All other members of my family are going.

Next year I’ll place caveats on my commitments.