Sat 15 Oct: RLWC: England v Samoa KO 14:30

[Alan Robertson]

A mention for all of the England players that I was happy with today:

 

Tomkins

Young

Watkins

Farnworth

Makinson 

Welsby

Williams

Burgess

McIlorum 

Hill

Whitehead

McMeeken

Radley

Cooper

Knowles

Lees

Thompson 

 

On a serious note, I thought the consistency of performance standards - across the team - was a key to the victory. Of course, we could nit-pick one or two aspects but that's for Wane early next week. As I mentioned on another post, I thought the overall performance of the bench players was another key element. I'm not saying that anyone particularly added 'impact' but (unlike some previous years when our intensity dropped when we used the bench) we maintained the general standard.

[Alan Robertson]

2 hours ago, Tex Evans Thigh said:

You are boring and I claim my etc…

In what way do I bore you?

Or, are you just attempting a bit of misdirection as I did actually predict a comfortable England win?

Edited October 16, 2022 by Alan Robertson

[DaneH]

Watching from OZ it all seemed a bit of a dog's breakfast at the start, our first cut to the game was people dancing with no music, then the broadcast cut for 10 mins in the second half. England were great and playing like that can take on anyone, can certainly take OZ on up the middle and have success. Was expecting big things from Samoa but out of all the PI teams, they certainly have the largest capacity to disappoint!

[Welshleaguelover]

2 hours ago, Maximus Decimus said:

You're not the only one!

It went missed but Davies said 'we' at one point.

Davies sees England as the old GB.

I know a lot of fans don't like his commentary but he genuinely cares about sport.

[Welshleaguelover]

2 hours ago, StandOffHalf said:

I'd like to mention Noble, Davies, and Robbie Paul. I've found Noble and Robbie in particular increasingly annoying and embarrassing over recent years, but I think they all went really well today and didn't go over-the-top with inanity - Robbie's incursion into the Samoa warm-up apart.

I watched the game with my English dad (public school RU and cricket fan) and he thought it was a marvellous occasion. I was thrilled to get him to sit down and see England RL put on a show on such a stage.

Nobby and Robbie always irritate me a little bit. Same with Dave Woods and John Kear. Their enthusiasm can be a bit too much but I never doubt that they're good men.

Glad your Dad enjoyed it, mate.

 

 

[Balmain1969]

I havent had a chance to go back through the thread, buts here's my take on the coverage in Aus last night on Fox

• Coverage started 1 hour before kickoff with just Von, Ennis and GI sitting around a table chatting
• This continued for 50 mins!!
• We missed basically everything happening at the stadium, I actually felt tired by the time they finally crossed
• The only time they crossed to England it was to an empty Headingly to discuss the Australia game 6 hours later.
• When they finally crossed to Newcastle, we got to see the Kaiser Chiefs standing around for 5 mins twiddling their thumbs until the lead singer decided to run up and down the sideline
• Anthems and haka were great
• When the game started it felt really flat, you could hear zero crowd noise. Dont know if it was the sound mix because in the Aus/Fiji game you could clearly hear the crowd
• Coverage dropped out 3 times in the second half.
• Post game they didn't go back to the studio for reactions etc, just had the camera on the field for extended periods with no commentary, just background noise.
• If I'm honest it was like watching a cheap version of Super Saturday with zero production costs, you compare that to State of Origin or the NRL GF and its like comparing reality TV to a Hollywood Blockbuster
• Did the BBC have panellists at the ground, because we didnt get anything except a couple of onfield interviews. 
• It appears for us Fox have paid the bare minimum, basically get the feed for the games only but nothing either side and they'll pad the rest with a couple of Fox panellists in the studio in Australia.

Would be interesting to get a comparison of the BBC coverage in the UK, I'm hoping that we didnt get the lot and this was all they did.

[Griff]

10 minutes ago, Balmain1969 said:

I havent had a chance to go back through the thread, buts here's my take on the coverage in Aus last night on Fox

• Coverage started 1 hour before kickoff with just Von, Ennis and GI sitting around a table chatting
• This continued for 50 mins!!
• We missed basically everything happening at the stadium, I actually felt tired by the time they finally crossed
• The only time they crossed to England it was to an empty Headingly to discuss the Australia game 6 hours later.
• When they finally crossed to Newcastle, we got to see the Kaiser Chiefs standing around for 5 mins twiddling their thumbs until the lead singer decided to run up and down the sideline
• Anthems and haka were great
• When the game started it felt really flat, you could hear zero crowd noise. Dont know if it was the sound mix because in the Aus/Fiji game you could clearly hear the crowd
• Coverage dropped out 3 times in the second half.
• Post game they didn't go back to the studio for reactions etc, just had the camera on the field for extended periods with no commentary, just background noise.
• If I'm honest it was like watching a cheap version of Super Saturday with zero production costs, you compare that to State of Origin or the NRL GF and its like comparing reality TV to a Hollywood Blockbuster
• Did the BBC have panellists at the ground, because we didnt get anything except a couple of onfield interviews. 
• It appears for us Fox have paid the bare minimum, basically get the feed for the games only but nothing either side and they'll pad the rest with a couple of Fox panellists in the studio in Australia.

Would be interesting to get a comparison of the BBC coverage in the UK, I'm hoping that we didnt get the lot and this was all they did.

No, the BBC coverage was great, despite being badly let down by the PA outage at the venue. Although nobody seemed to be able to pronounce Samoa, bar James Graham and Robbie Hunter-Paul.

Edited October 16, 2022 by Griff

[Farmduck]

12 minutes ago, Balmain1969 said:

I havent had a chance to go back through the thread, buts here's my take on the coverage in Aus last night on Fox

• Coverage started 1 hour before kickoff with just Von, Ennis and GI sitting around a table chatting
• This continued for 50 mins!!
• We missed basically everything happening at the stadium, I actually felt tired by the time they finally crossed
• The only time they crossed to England it was to an empty Headingly to discuss the Australia game 6 hours later.
• When they finally crossed to Newcastle, we got to see the Kaiser Chiefs standing around for 5 mins twiddling their thumbs until the lead singer decided to run up and down the sideline
• Anthems and haka were great
• When the game started it felt really flat, you could hear zero crowd noise. Dont know if it was the sound mix because in the Aus/Fiji game you could clearly hear the crowd
• Coverage dropped out 3 times in the second half.
• Post game they didn't go back to the studio for reactions etc, just had the camera on the field for extended periods with no commentary, just background noise.
• If I'm honest it was like watching a cheap version of Super Saturday with zero production costs, you compare that to State of Origin or the NRL GF and its like comparing reality TV to a Hollywood Blockbuster
• Did the BBC have panellists at the ground, because we didnt get anything except a couple of onfield interviews. 
• It appears for us Fox have paid the bare minimum, basically get the feed for the games only but nothing either side and they'll pad the rest with a couple of Fox panellists in the studio in Australia.

Would be interesting to get a comparison of the BBC coverage in the UK, I'm hoping that we didnt get the lot and this was all they did.

I only ever watch the 80 mins of game time these days so I didn't even attempt to watch the peripheral stuff. I think Kayo was out for about 10 minutes in the second half but, given the scoreline, it didn't matter. I always feel with Brit RL coverage that they seem to be a couple of cameras short or maybe it's the positioning of their main cameras. I think the OZ fashion is to have a lot more close-ups. Possibly the OZ directors have a better feel for the game and select better shots?

Anyway, I won $5 on England so I'm happy.

[gingerjon]

Just now, Farmduck said:

I only ever watch the 80 mins of game time these days so I didn't even attempt to watch the peripheral stuff. I think Kayo was out for about 10 minutes in the second half but, given the scoreline, it didn't matter. I always feel with Brit RL coverage that they seem to be a couple of cameras short or maybe it's the positioning of their main cameras. I think the OZ fashion is to have a lot more close-ups. Possibly the OZ directors have a better feel for the game and select better shots?

Anyway, I won $5 on England so I'm happy.

Definitely fewer cameras and definitely lower definition.

[Old Frightful]

On 13/10/2022 at 18:46, Old Frightful said:

I think we might come second.

That is all.

Obviously I was talking about when the teams walked out on to the pitch but they were side by side.

Seriously though, very impressive performance and I can see England getting even better now Jake Connor's transfer to Huddersfield makes him available for selection.

I do wonder about Samoa though, I thought they were going to make a real impression on this tournament.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

7 hours ago, Dave T said:

Let's not use spin. Include GB games. 

I just had the England figures to hand and didn't have the time to look up the GB ones and add them in. I imagine there will be more large ones for games against OZ especially if GB is included but I would bet it is still the highest against a nation other than Oz or NZ. I'll look them up later but I've gotta go to work now. 

[Dave T]

1 minute ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

I just had the England figures to hand and didn't have the time to look up the GB ones and add them in. I imagine there will be more large ones for games against OZ especially if GB is included but I would bet it is still the highest against a nation other than Oz or NZ. I'll look them up later but I've gotta go to work now. 

I think when this was discussed in the week, there were some good historic crowds for France games. But the point is valid, its an excellent crowd. 

[Just Browny]

11 minutes ago, Old Frightful said:

I can see England getting even better now Jake Connor's transfer to Huddersfield makes him available for selection.

 

Now Samoa have lost a game by 60, you could argue all of their players have the requisite experience to take his place at Hull.

[Tosh]

4 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

Now Samoa have lost a game by 60, you could argue all of their players have the requisite experience to take his place at Hull.

Catalan dragons must also be looking at a few to replace all the French players they’ve released.

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

13 hours ago, FearTheVee said:

I felt like a lone voice saying England would win comfortably.

I would have been more surprised to lose the game than to see that scoreline.

The NRL sycophants lose their common sense when it comes to these games - Samoa just off the plane and humungously overrated vs a well prepared England playing at home to launch the tournament.

Never in doubt.

Nope you weren't a lone voice 

I said it across every thread 

Madness people thought we weren't heavy favourites for this 

 

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

13 hours ago, DavidM said:

I didn’t say that . But surely it was just a good team performance 1-17 and that’s all that matters 

Agreed

[Bedfordshire Bronco]

13 hours ago, ShropshireBull said:

RLWC2021 trending number 1 in UK , then Samoa and Rugby League all trending. Anyone who tells you the future isnt growing internationals and growing them in our own continent want locking up. 

 

Yeah and can we make sure Vlandys doesn't end up in of those plush category D open prisons .....let's get him in with the lifers at Armley or something 

[Just Browny]

Things to work on for England:

- I thought our defensive line lost its shape a few times when they started offloading, with players running out to try to solve a problem rather than hunting as a pack. A side with more support runners and more width would have hurt us.

- Inconsistent kicking game. We put in a few lovely kicks but there were a few more dollies to the winger/fullback than I would have liked during that 20 minute period either side of halftime when Samoa looked to be getting a foothold.

- I would definitely have a look at Ackers as I thought McIlorum looked off the pace (after I said I didnt mind his selection) and Tomkins seemed to be at acting half more than he was.

[JonM]

1 hour ago, Balmain1969 said:

 

• Did the BBC have panellists at the ground, because we didnt get anything except a couple of onfield interviews. 

They had a specially built stage in one corner of the ground, where the presenters/ panelists were all sat for the camera pieces (and basically able to just stand up and turn round to watch the game). 

[JonM]

1 hour ago, Griff said:

Although nobody seemed to be able to pronounce Samoa, bar James Graham and Robbie Hunter-Paul.

I've seen a fair bit of criticism from Samoans on social media about pronunciation of player names too.

[Archie Gordon]

5 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

Things to work on for England:

- I thought our defensive line lost its shape a few times when they started offloading, with players running out to try to solve a problem rather than hunting as a pack. A side with more support runners and more width would have hurt us.

- Inconsistent kicking game. We put in a few lovely kicks but there were a few more dollies to the winger/fullback than I would have liked during that 20 minute period either side of halftime when Samoa looked to be getting a foothold.

- I would definitely have a look at Ackers as I thought McIlorum looked off the pace (after I said I didnt mind his selection) and Tomkins seemed to be at acting half more than he was.

Agree with this.

McIlorum was seemingly played as a tackler who would give some basic NCL standard service from DH in our own half. Trouble is, he missed (as he usually does) a bunch of tackles. I didn't understand his purpose at all. 

Cooper and Lees were a drop off in terms of intensity and concentration when compared against the other props. 

[GeordieSaint]

Gould was impressed with McIllorum:

 

[Balmain1969]

28 minutes ago, JonM said:

They had a specially built stage in one corner of the ground, where the presenters/ panelists were all sat for the camera pieces (and basically able to just stand up and turn round to watch the game). 

So instead of using that to help build atmosphere we just got to listen to the same people we've listened to all year in a studio. It also irks me a bit that they dont seem to have a lot of knowledge of the Super League players, except the ones that have had stints in the NRL.

[GeordieSaint]

7 hours ago, SydneyRoosters said:

Tommy Makinson proved himself as the best winger in the world today.

Incredible player

1 Try

1 Try Assist

200 Run Metres

4 Tackle Breaks

0 Errors

Not to mention great goal-kicking 9/11

Wayne Bennett was right all along, One of a kind player, there’s no winger has good as him.

Where are the game stats?

[The Partisan]

So who are the 18 that tipped England by 13+ ?

Good win to start the campaign.