Tue 18 Oct: RLWC: Tonga v Papua New Guinea KO 7.30pm

[Harry Stottle]

5 hours ago, Just Browny said:

Imagine the crowd a tram in Leigh would attract.

Good un, I will write that down so I don't forget it.

Have you any other gems to bore us with?

Edited October 19, 2022 by Harry Stottle

[Waynebennettswinger]

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

Stood at the other end, I couldn't see the score or time. Poor fan engagement stuff again. It was only when the announcer told us the time and score that I knew. He did a good job to be fair. 

Got to agree with this. I was at the other end of the ground. I have excellent eye sight (can even see forward passes that aren’t when against my team ) and could just make out the time but I thought it was really poor not to have the scoreboard in use. 
Thank god for the players! I love my Rugby League but as an event to attend as a neutral I thought that there were things that as a sport we just get badly wrong such as ticket pricing, publicity and little (yet important ) things like the scoreboard. I’ll always go to games like these but we need to be attracting others and we need to be filling stadiums in the heartlands!

[The Rocket]

1 minute ago, corvusxiii said:

It does make such a difference- to me at least. I remember preferring the SH Refs rather than SL Refs in the last WC, simply due to being entertained by the game rather than irritated by halting choredom. (OK, 'choredom' isn't a word I suspect but...er....)

Well look mate, I don`t think the Aussie ref`s are anything special and too often just want to show us how sharp-eyed they are (or too often bloody aren`t), at least down here, but whatever you`re feeding them give them more.

BTW was that you I saw jumping up and down in that Greek Taverna ( God knows how that word just popped into my head  ) on that video celebrating their first try. 

[Gomersall]

49 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

I was thinking that with the ref having the 2 calls either the 'T' or the 'X' crossarms, why not add a third that the ref can use if he/she is not 100% sure - which I think is the case on numerous occasions - of holdings his arms upright and giving the onus to the video ref.

I personally would do away with the on field ref having to say yay or nay. He’s asking the VR because he’s not sure. If he goes with his gut feeling, which isn’t always right as we well know, there’s not much wriggle room for the VR to go against the on field ref unless it’s blatantly obvious.

[MattSantos]

54 minutes ago, Northern Eel said:

Players (current and past) and one RL Cares Mental Wellbeing Ambassador… 

The game needs to show some leadership on things like this. Whether from within the playing / coaching ranks or from a governing body perspective.

I absolutely hate it when the likes of Klopp abuse officials in football, for Moyes to then say well... he was right though.

[The Rocket]

1 minute ago, Gomersall said:

I personally would do away with the on field ref having to say yay or nay. He’s asking the VR because he’s not sure. If he goes with his gut feeling, which isn’t always right as we well know, there’s not much wriggle room for the VR to go against the on field ref unless it’s blatantly obvious.

Good call, I like it.

[Gomersall]

2 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

Good call, I like it.

That’s how it used to be when VR first came into SL IIRC.

[StandOffHalf]

1 hour ago, The Rocket said:

I gave the video ref a wrap the other day for their no-nonsense reviews and quick decision making, (the stuff up with the no-try almost made me eat my words) but I was even going to post in the RLWC Positivity thread today to compliment the ref`s in general as well. Their play-on calls after borderline forward passes and knock-ons has been an absolute highlight for me and I think is contributing no end to the entertaining League we are seeing.

Mate the last thing we need is NRL style nit-picking looking for real or imagined forward passes and knock-ons, let the game flow, it will all even itself up in the wash-up.

Yeah, I'd rather questionable passes are let go - rather than being wrongly called back. Some people are criticising the laissez-faire approach, but I'm OK with.

I watched back the closing try. The ball goes back to an intended kicker who seems to take his hand away, with the ball going to someone in front who then pops it along. The camera is behind him so we can't see whether he got any touch. It might just have been worth having a look to make sure that everything was above board.

I'm on board with your general sentiment though.

[The Rocket]

9 minutes ago, Gomersall said:

That’s how it used to be when VR first came into SL IIRC.

The only reason I imagine they (the ref) give an opinion is to give the VR some guidance, but what good is that guidance when they are probably just guessing and probably only muddying the waters for the VR to make an independent decision anyway. If the VR has got all the technology let them make the decision, as long as it doesn`t take all night of course.

Edited October 19, 2022 by The Rocket

[Harry Stottle]

14 minutes ago, Gomersall said:

I personally would do away with the on field ref having to say yay or nay. He’s asking the VR because he’s not sure. If he goes with his gut feeling, which isn’t always right as we well know, there’s not much wriggle room for the VR to go against the on field ref unless it’s blatantly obvious.

I don't think that is case all the time, I think the ref puts the "square in the air" just to prove to himself that he has not made a mistake, would passing the buck be the correct phrase to use?

[StandOffHalf]

1 hour ago, The Rocket said:

Yeah I don`t know what`s going on over there but some of the Aussie ref`s are unrecognisable. Lachlan Lam`s try last night came from what was a blatant forward pass, but not a word, and no-one cares.

I suspect there`s some sort of agreement in the ref`s ranks to help make this a great tournament, at least on the field. I even get the feeling watching the games that the under dogs are getting the rub of the green with some calls as well. And the whole point is no-one cares, we are just seeing good open entertaining League and that`s what everyone wants.

They've been well briefed by the RFL refs. Even speaking the same lingo in the VR box (''all available angles'', etc.).

I do think the games are flowing well, but obviously I don't want a wrong call to decide games.

[Gomersall]

4 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

The only reason I imagine they (the ref) give an opinion is to give the VR some guidance, but what good is that guidance when they are probably just guessing and probably only muddying the waters for the VR to make an independent decision anyway. If the VR has got all the technology let them make the decision, as long as it doesn`t take all night of course.

I think the on field ref’s call is one we copied from our Antipodean cousins.

[Gomersall]

3 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

I don't think that is case all the time, I think the ref puts the "square in the air" just to prove to himself that he has not made a mistake, would passing the buck be the correct phrase to use?

Can you remember when you last watched a game with VR available that the on field ref didn’t use it? Some games you see where every single try is sent upstairs when there’s only one man in the stadium that thinks it necessary. Better safe than sorry or, as you say, pass the buck?

[The Rocket]

1 minute ago, StandOffHalf said:

They've been well briefed by the RFL refs. Even speaking the same lingo in the VR box (''all available angles'', etc.).

I do think the games are flowing well, but obviously I don't want a wrong call to decide games.

Well let`s hope not too well briefed, we don`t want all our ref`s coming back with Pommy accents and expressions that none of us can understand.  Be a right muddle lad.

[corvusxiii]

17 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

Well look mate, I don`t think the Aussie ref`s are anything special and too often just want to show us how sharp-eyed they are (or too often bloody aren`t), at least down here, but whatever you`re feeding them give them more.

BTW was that you I saw jumping up and down in that Greek Taverna ( God knows how that word just popped into my head  ) on that video celebrating their first try. 

I'm remembering the last WC here, I shudder to think of the changes of interpretation since then in SL alone.

No, it wasn't me but that Retsina in the local supermarket is looking like a good idea. Yammas! 

[redjonn]

5 minutes ago, Gomersall said:

Can you remember when you last watched a game with VR available that the on field ref didn’t use it? Some games you see where every single try is sent upstairs when there’s only one man in the stadium that thinks it necessary. Better safe than sorry or, as you say, pass the buck?

Mind you the ref would have given the first no try when the winger put his foot in touch.

Plus me thinks every one in the stadium and on TV would have given the try.

So I guess thankfully we had a VR to over rule his decision...

[The Rocket]

17 minutes ago, StandOffHalf said:

I do think the games are flowing well, but obviously I don't want a wrong call to decide games.

Wrong call or blatantly wrong call ? And what if a blatantly wrong call meant someone other than Oz lift the trophy, I don`t think too many people would lose sleep over that or even care a jot.

Funny how when I`m watching games it`s so easy to ignore questionable decisions when they go for the team you`re supporting ( like Lam`s try ) or against the opposition.

[Dunbar]

10 hours ago, UTK said:

Fifita was fine tonight I have no problems with the way Woolf is going to use him, Holbrook is out of his depth at the Titans and Fifita is a good example of that. 

Fifita was injured when the first Origin squad was selected and they won the first match so no surprises he wasn't brought in by Slater, he was selected in the Kangaroos wider squad by Mal but has opted to go for Tonga.

This Fifita is lazy myth is perpetrated by people who attack the bloke on account of his paycheque and has absolutely no basis in reality, he outworks many of the other "elite" backrowers in the competition. He's got some rough edges to his game that need refining but he's played his entire career outside rubbish halves and in terrible teams yet he still manages to break long-standing records for his position.

It just doesn't make any sense to put forward arguments that are so easily disprovable.  To say that Fifita is lazy just goes against the evidence that is readily available.

In the 2022 season, he carried the ball more in a game than Olakau'atu and Kaufusi (his Tongan team mates) and Kenny Bromwich, Kikau, Nanai and Whitehead who are all playing on the edge in this World Cup.

Of course people can offer opinions on his quality, his performance and any other part of his game but to just make things up about his involvement is just plain wrong.

 

[Josef K]

2 hours ago, Leyther_Matt said:

The score and remaining time was all on the big screen, but personally I’d have had them displayed on the scoreboard and the usual clock too. Seems to have been a bit of a mix on that front as Warrington used the scoreboard on the South Stand as normal but the countdown clock on the West Stand was only in use for the first 10 minutes and then reverted back to 40:00 and you just had to screw your eyes up to read it on the screen.  

If id have had the vision of “Steve Austin - The Six Million Dollar Man” Matt it wouldn’t have been a problem seeing how long was left on the big screen.
 

[StandOffHalf]

10 minutes ago, The Rocket said:

Wrong call or blatantly wrong call ? And what if a blatantly wrong call meant someone other than Oz lift the trophy, I don`t think too many people would lose sleep over that or even care a jot.

Funny how when I`m watching games it`s so easy to ignore questionable decisions when they go for the team you`re supporting ( like Lam`s try ) or against the opposition.

Mistakes are part of the game, so I suppose I mean the latter.

I don't want any team to lose - even the Kangaroos - on the back of a call that is blatantly wrong. I don't think the No Try call was blatantly wrong, mind you. 

I thought Ipape's ball to Lam was OK, but I'd have to see it again. Perhaps that goes to illustrate your point... I was cheering on the Kumuls.

[Leyther_Matt]

1 hour ago, Josef K said:

If id have had the vision of “Steve Austin - The Six Million Dollar Man” Matt it wouldn’t have been a problem seeing how long was left on the big screen.
 

We were on the ‘away’ end so was easy enough. Super dooper bigger screen at Leigh so should be fine for everyone  

[Niels]

6 hours ago, SydneyRoosters said:

Obviously I know PNG are much better than the Kuki’s, but I personally think to beat England at home in World Cup quater final at Wigan is all but impossible. There’s practically no chance they do it, and I love PNG there my favourite team but just being honest.

By the way, PNG have great wingers, but the 3 first choice winger Coates, Gebbie and Ngutlik were all injured this morning.

The BBC Panel seemed to think Johnston would play on the wing beforehand. They were worried he might not get the ball though.

I thought he had a good game at full back, but did they lose some attacking penetration?

You are continuing well with your predictions, you got this correct on the handicap too!

[DoubleD]

PNG should have won that, they played magnificently but will look back and regret not coming away with the deserved spoils. 

Russell's no try was unforgiveable and quite how the refs didn't give a penalty try to PNG for that shoulder try from Koula (who also should have been sin binned) is anyone's guess

[sweaty craiq]

18 hours ago, Davo5 said:

Really like thePNG 6 Laybutt,surprised a Superleague club hasn’t given him an offer.

They may have

[Dunbar]

47 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

PNG should have won that, they played magnificently but will look back and regret not coming away with the deserved spoils. 

Russell's no try was unforgiveable and quite how the refs didn't give a penalty try to PNG for that shoulder try from Koula (who also should have been sin binned) is anyone's guess

Doesn't he have to hit him with his shoulder for it to be a shoulder charge?