The World Cup

[SydneyRoosters]

25 minutes ago, Mojo said:

On another subject you still think Dce should start over Cleary in the world cup? No way after Cleary dominated the eels

Cleary should start but Meninga will pick DCE for this world cup, Nathan Cleary is the future of Australia though.

[Mojo]

2 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

Look, I'm just deeply concerned about the quality of the Australian national side coming into this World Cup.  They are the defending champions and with so many of the best players in the Australian national competition representing other nations, I just don't want the defending champions to be embarrassed.

The aussies will always be dominant. They have so much depth especially in the main positions. Fullback, halves and hooker. If they lose to the Kiwis in the semis they shouldn't be embarrassed because that's a very strong Kiwis team. But I honestly don't think the aussies will lose to the Kiwis.

[Dunbar]

10 minutes ago, Mojo said:

The aussies will always be dominant. They have so much depth especially in the main positions. Fullback, halves and hooker. If they lose to the Kiwis in the semis they shouldn't be embarrassed because that's a very strong Kiwis team. But I honestly don't think the aussies will lose to the Kiwis.

Tedesco is often quoted as the best player in the world while the halfbacks from the winning Queensland team this year were Cherry-Evans and Cameron Munster. 

These three were in the Australian team that lost to a tier 2 nation for the first time.

Australia are not as dominant as they used to be.

[SydneyRoosters]

3 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

Tedesco is often quoted as the best player in the world while the halfbacks from the winning Queensland team this year were Cherry-Evans and Cameron Munster. 

These three were in the Australian team that lost to a tier 2 nation for the first time.

Australia are not as dominant as they used to be.

I definitely agree, personally I can’t see anything other than and England vs New Zealand final, It will be a very close tournament though.

[Dunbar]

5 minutes ago, SydneyRoosters said:

I definitely agree, personally I can’t see anything other than and England vs New Zealand final, It will be a very close tournament though.

I am exaggerating for effect.  I still think the Aussies are favourites but if people think they are going to stroll through this World Cup like they have with others, they are in for a shock.  The Fiji group game will be tough as will the England Samoa game.

[Mr Frisky]

19 hours ago, Copa said:

Gonna be weird hearing you all sing God Save The King.

When we play the Aussies we will point at the Aussie fans and sing "God Save Your King".....just like at the cricket..

 

[UTK]

9 hours ago, Dunbar said:

Tedesco is often quoted as the best player in the world while the halfbacks from the winning Queensland team this year were Cherry-Evans and Cameron Munster. 

These three were in the Australian team that lost to a tier 2 nation for the first time.

Australia are not as dominant as they used to be.

I think this is going to work in our favour, though perhaps it may now be too long ago to hold as much influence as it should. DCE and Munster got their pants pulled down by Tui Lolohea and Kotoni Staggs of all halves pairings, if this didn't happen I think DCE would be locked in as our halfback after Origin this year but the reality is all of our side is unproven at international level and therefore incumbency shouldn't mean a thing.

There aren't any significant challengers for Teddy or Munsters positions but Cleary should win the battle with DCE for the halfback jersey.

 

[SydneyRoosters]

Does anyone on here know where Dominic young is born, I’m trying to make a map of all of the birth places of players on every World Cup team, Im starting with England.

[Harry Stottle]

18 hours ago, Dunbar said:

Look, I'm just deeply concerned about the quality of the Australian national side coming into this World Cup.  They are the defending champions and with so many of the best players in the Australian national competition representing other nations, I just don't want the defending champions to be embarrassed.

I have been saying for a long time now, that without the influence and number of Australian born Nationals representing other nations we would not be having a WC, it would just be a 5 nations of Aus, NZ, England/GB, France and PNG. 

I think that your last sentance was tounge in cheek? it just goes to show that they can afford to have their team greatly diluted and still be firm favourites to win it, good job really if there was no heritage rulings and they played their strongest possible team it would not be much of a contest, but saying that NZ could occasionally spring a surprise, each of the others including ourselves could very well be as you term, be embarrased.

[Dunbar]

I thought this mornings Storm Raiders game was telling.  The kicking game from Munster was pretty poor.  He is a very good off the cuff player but not in the same consistent class as some of the 6's that the Kangaroos have put out.

[DavidM]

53 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

I thought this mornings Storm Raiders game was telling.  The kicking game from Munster was pretty poor.  He is a very good off the cuff player but not in the same consistent class as some of the 6's that the Kangaroos have put out.

Maybe he should less time prancing about , conning penalties and waving his arms around everytime he’s tackled 

[Mr Frisky]

23 hours ago, Mojo said:

The aussies will always be dominant. They have so much depth especially in the main positions. Fullback, halves and hooker. If they lose to the Kiwis in the semis they shouldn't be embarrassed because that's a very strong Kiwis team. But I honestly don't think the aussies will lose to the Kiwis.

They will always be dominant.... apart from when they play Tonga..

[Mr Frisky]

1 hour ago, Dunbar said:

I thought this mornings Storm Raiders game was telling.  The kicking game from Munster was pretty poor.  He is a very good off the cuff player but not in the same consistent class as some of the 6's that the Kangaroos have put out.

Some very soft trys as well - defence wasn't great for the most part.

[StandOffHalf]

What an awesome pair of games from the NRL this morning, and a fun first half from Huddersfield as well!

Good to see a solid leadership from Whitehead in the Raiders' victory. His solidity and dependability was important. Tapine, for the Green Machine, is legitimately one of the most dangerous, influential forwards in the game right now. I thought he was immense for them.

Taumalolo was awesome as well for the Cows in their absorbing win against Cronulla. I thought Nicho Hynes was possibly the most influential ball-player on the park there. I wonder whether he can sneak into the Aussie 24. I think his form merits it.

Some players really standing up at a good time of the year!

 

[UTK]

https://www.nrl.com/news/2022/03/13/judiciary-report-all-the-latest-charges/

This is a big problem that needs to be fixed ASAP - a domestic competition governed by a participating Nation at the World Cup should have no power to deliver an arbitrary suspension length on players from other competing nations (IMO none of the bans should carry across but this particular imbalance is mindboggling).

Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves facing a three-to-four match ban following his Grade Two Dangerous Contact offence on Burgess.

Given the Roosters have been eliminated from this year's finals series, Waerea-Hargreaves will be required to serve his suspension next season or as part of New Zealand's World Cup campaign should he be selected by the Kiwis

[AB90]

8 minutes ago, UTK said:

https://www.nrl.com/news/2022/03/13/judiciary-report-all-the-latest-charges/

This is a big problem that needs to be fixed ASAP - a domestic competition governed by a participating Nation at the World Cup should have no power to deliver an arbitrary suspension length on players from other competing nations (IMO none of the bans should carry across but this particular imbalance is mindboggling).

Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves facing a three-to-four match ban following his Grade Two Dangerous Contact offence on Burgess.

Given the Roosters have been eliminated from this year's finals series, Waerea-Hargreaves will be required to serve his suspension next season or as part of New Zealand's World Cup campaign should he be selected by the Kiwis

Same thing could affect England as Tom Burgess is expected to miss the next 2 games should he be found to be guilty.

So if Souths lose next week does that mean Burgess will miss the Samoa game (I.e the second game of his potential suspension)?

[UTK]

9 minutes ago, AB90 said:

Same thing could affect England as Tom Burgess is expected to miss the next 2 games should he be found to be guilty.

So if Souths lose next week does that mean Burgess will miss the Samoa game (I.e the second game of his potential suspension)?

Yes, that appears to be the current state of play. 

The ARLC or RFL should have no power to suspend players and impact international competition in this way, imagine if the RFL slapped Tui Lolohea with a big ban from this weekend because they anticipated facing Tonga in a QF/SF. These things must be kept entirely separate.

[ghost crayfish]

I agree domestic suspensions should not cross over for IRL events. It'd be different if it was an NRL event, such as all stars, origin, or even test matches organised by the NRL, like the (now scrapped) mid-season tests.

I also agree Nicho Hynes should be a Kangaroos contender. He's a class act who can play 1, 6, 7 and probably 9 all to a high level. I think Cleary will be our starting 7 and the question is, does Mal want to take a veteran back up like DCE, or someone a bit younger (and, if the rumours are true, someone who isn't as disliked among other players).

[UTK]

24 minutes ago, ghost crayfish said:

I agree domestic suspensions should not cross over for IRL events. It'd be different if it was an NRL event, such as all stars, origin, or even test matches organised by the NRL, like the (now scrapped) mid-season tests.

I also agree Nicho Hynes should be a Kangaroos contender. He's a class act who can play 1, 6, 7 and probably 9 all to a high level. I think Cleary will be our starting 7 and the question is, does Mal want to take a veteran back up like DCE, or someone a bit younger (and, if the rumours are true, someone who isn't as disliked among other players).

Completely agree on Nicho I would take him in a heartbeat, has taken to the halfback role magnificently at a new club after barely playing it at Melbourne. But Mal already confirmed in the last couple of days that both Cleary and DCE will be in the 24 man squad and with Hunt also likely to be in the squad I think Hynes will miss out this time.

[SydneyRoosters]

8 minutes ago, UTK said:

Completely agree on Nicho I would take him in a heartbeat, has taken to the halfback role magnificently at a new club after barely playing it at Melbourne. But Mal already confirmed in the last couple of days that both Cleary and DCE will be in the 24 man squad and with Hunt also likely to be in the squad I think Hynes will miss out this time.

He said a few weeks ago he will either take Hynes or Ponga as a utility player and ponga’s ruled himself out so he’s definitely going.

[jim_57]

4 hours ago, AB90 said:

Same thing could affect England as Tom Burgess is expected to miss the next 2 games should he be found to be guilty.

So if Souths lose next week does that mean Burgess will miss the Samoa game (I.e the second game of his potential suspension)?

Fiji game should count shouldn’t it?

It’s a grey area, say if Whitehead was suspended for 8 games this week and the Raiders lose. Then England make the final of the World Cup could the Raiders say he has served 7 of those games? Obviously England wouldn’t select him in the squad in that case so it could open a can of worms.

[bobbruce]

46 minutes ago, jim_57 said:

Fiji game should count shouldn’t it?

It’s a grey area, say if Whitehead was suspended for 8 games this week and the Raiders lose. Then England make the final of the World Cup could the Raiders say he has served 7 of those games? Obviously England wouldn’t select him in the squad in that case so it could open a can of worms.

If England don’t select him in the squad he wouldn’t have served any games. 

[jim_57]

3 hours ago, bobbruce said:

If England don’t select him in the squad he wouldn’t have served any games. 

So essentially serves the suspension twice if he’s guaranteed selection otherwise.

Edited September 12, 2022 by jim_57

[DavidM]

How good is Campbell Graham going ? Is he up for playing for Scotland or even a bolter for Australia 

[Wellsy4HullFC]

Yeah I've always found it baffling that suspensions from domestic comps carry over into international comps. You could easily screw over other nations in this instance.