Are you sure England is better then Samoa?

[Man of Kent]

1 minute ago, MattSantos said:

I the semi and then a likely Aussie final, my worry is if they play with width. I think we struggle at times on the edges and i thought Samoa looked really threatening against us at times; the odd dropped ball here ruined their momentum.

I'm scared

Suaalii is the danger man, for mine. He's going to be one of the best players in the world, if not already. Freakish power and athleticism.

[Just Browny]

I actually hope Samoa do test us. It's great - and no fault of England's - to see us march down the field and score in the set after each kick off, but it tells us relatively little about how we will build pressure when it isn't that easy and we are facing a well-disciplined Kangaroo defensive line. We need to be tested if we are to be ready.

[Wigan Riversider]

8 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

Agree 100%.

Even if it's another Hagler vs. Hearns slugfest like yesterday we should be OK in the forwards as our props are playing well - particularly Hill and especially Burgess, who looks at his absolute peak and is arguably the best performing prop at the World Cup. The way he monstered PNG was quite something.

Spot on about Burgess IMHO.

[MattSantos]

3 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

I actually hope Samoa do test us. It's great - and no fault of England's - to see us march down the field and score in the set after each kick off, but it tells us relatively little about how we will build pressure when it isn't that easy and we are facing a well-disciplined Kangaroo defensive line. We need to be tested if we are to be ready.

Aye. If i've any criticism of us, it's that we can look a bit poo when we're camped on someone's line.

We also havent been tested at defending multiple repeat sets.

[Davo5]

36 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

I see Junior Paulo got one match, that's a big loss for them if it holds up. Sua'ali'l just got a warning.

Sua’alii can count himself very fortunate,I wouldn’t be surprised if Paulo appealed & got his ban overturned,they can maybe approach the Saints appeals team.

[Dunbar]

As for the question in the title.

I will go back to my answers previously, before game 1.

I think Samoa have some good players but England are stronger 1 to 17.  Of course it won't be a blowout like Newcastle, it shouldn't be in a World Cup semi final, but I think England will win a tough game by a couple of scores.

[RP London]

51 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

Sua’alii can count himself very fortunate,I wouldn’t be surprised if Paulo appealed & got his ban overturned,they can maybe approach the Saints appeals team.

no.. please ask Leeds for advice.. he may miss the next world cup then too!

[DavidM]

Don’t care who you are , this is a ban and more than one game .

 

[Balmainboy]

Thought the suaili knee was worse than the Paulo elbow tbh 

 

 

[dkw]

How on earth thats no a ban is beyond me.

[WN83]

1 minute ago, DavidM said:

Don’t care who you are , this is a ban and more than one game .

 

It wasn't the only incident of him doing this either. It looks to be his style and how he is managing to bump people off so often. Great young player but that needs taking out of his game. I didn't want to see him or Paulo banned but I'm not sure how he's avoided it, especially if he did get a caution for it in week one. 

[Dunbar]

5 minutes ago, DavidM said:

Don’t care who you are , this is a ban and more than one game .

 

That is not a natural running style.  That is an attack to a player at full speed.

I have no idea how anyone can defend it.

[WN83]

1 minute ago, Dunbar said:

That is not a natural running style.  That is an attack to a player at full speed.

I have no idea how anyone can defend it.

You'd be fuming if you copped an injury from that. There's every chance of concussing somebody and ruling them out for 11 days at the very least. The England players can't be shy about calling that out on Saturday if it happens again (and it will going off yesterday). 

[RP London]

12 minutes ago, DavidM said:

Don’t care who you are , this is a ban and more than one game .

 

As long as he is sent off in the first minute for doing this again i'll take the no ban this time around.

[tjhrads93]

14 minutes ago, DavidM said:

Don’t care who you are , this is a ban and more than one game .

 

That still is quite damning.

[Dunbar]

21 minutes ago, WN83 said:

You'd be fuming if you copped an injury from that. There's every chance of concussing somebody and ruling them out for 11 days at the very least. The England players can't be shy about calling that out on Saturday if it happens again (and it will going off yesterday). 

This may sound like I am having a go at the individual player, but I am not.  I like Suaalii, I think he is a great talent.

But we have handed out bans for loads of things this year - in Super League and the NRL - high shots, crushers, late hits, attacking the legs of player or the standing leg of a kicker etc etc but I would say not one of them is as dangerous as a 16 stone player running at you at full speed, deliberately raising his knee and recklessly hitting you in the head or collar bone etc.

If bans are to punish foul and dangerous play then it cannot be more clear cut.  If it were a one off then fair enough.  But he does it over and over.

Edited November 7, 2022 by Dunbar

[FearTheVee]

21 minutes ago, DavidM said:

Don’t care who you are , this is a ban and more than one game .

 

Preposterous he didn’t get a ban for this.

[DavidM]

He gets a caution , to go with his warning , and his other warning , and his fine . It’s not really sinking in is it ? Some of the bans this season have been bordering on laughable . It just doesn’t add up . And we have this …

Before the match-review committee findings, Samoan officials had privately raised concerns about the impartiality of the panel, which was largely made up of UK-affiliated members. A number of teams have raised concerns over a perceived bias from the tournament’s organisers.

[MattSantos]

5 minutes ago, DavidM said:

He gets a caution , to go with his warning , and his other warning , and his fine . It’s not really sinking in is it ? Some of the bans this season have been bordering on laughable . It just doesn’t add up . And we have this …

Before the match-review committee findings, Samoan officials had privately raised concerns about the impartiality of the panel, which was largely made up of UK-affiliated members. A number of teams have raised concerns over a perceived bias from the tournament’s organisers.

I dont think he went to the review after the 1st game.

[DavidM]

[WN83]

11 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

This may sound like I am having a go at the individual player, but I am not.  I like Suaalii, I think he is a great talent.

But we have handed out bans for loads of things this year - in Super League and the NRL - high shots, crushers, late hits, attacking the legs of player or the standing leg of a kicker etc etc but I would say not one of them is as dangerous as a 16 stone player running at you at full speed and trying to knee you in the head.

If bans are to punish foul and dangerous play then it cannot be more clear cut.  If it were a one off then fair enough.  But he does it over and over.

I'd be worried about my collarbone as much as anything with it. I watched him after that first one and it didn't sink in for him but he was lucky he didn't catch anybody else. We need to pile in early on Saturday if he even comes close to doing it again and make sure the ref has eyes on it. I've not seen much if anything of him in the NRL. Is this a new thing or is it what he's been doing all year? Sometimes I suppose these things can creep in to your game and the lad is bumping people off left, right and centre by doing it, so he won't want to bin it but he should have no choice. 

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, Man of Kent said:

Agree 100%.

Even if it's another Hagler vs. Hearns slugfest like yesterday we should be OK in the forwards as our props are playing well - particularly Hill and especially Burgess, who looks at his absolute peak and is arguably the best performing prop at the World Cup. The way he monstered PNG was quite something.

Not taking anything away from Burgess, but for me Papali'i yesterday turned back the clock to when props could really be part of the attack in that they were excellent ball distributors, Papali'i demonstrated time and time again the value of keeping the ball alive after drawing in 2 or 3 defenders.

In my opinion I think if Paulo is suspended that tips the scales in England's favour, I was quite looking forward to the middles contest of Paulo, Papali'i v Burgess and Hill.

[WN83]

1 minute ago, DavidM said:

Well there's my answer to this being a new thing or not. How this hasn't been sorted before now is beyond me. 

[DavidM]

Buzz Rothfield with an interesting take 

‘ It’s not foul play, it’s just this running style that he’s got ‘

[Sports Prophet]

4 hours ago, RP London said:

This is pretty much where i sit at the moment..  its going to be a nervous saturday morning but I'm looking forward to it!

hope we play the kiwis in the final simply because I think we have a mental block against the Kangaroos.. However, if we play the Aussies and win it would be sweeter for sure.

I think Shaun Wane is your point of difference for historical performances against the Kangaroos.

He comes across like a British Bulldog type that should give the players a bit of mongrel confidence.