Sun 6 Nov: RLWC: Tonga v Samoa KO 14:30

[Mr Frisky]

1 minute ago, Harry Stottle said:

Easily as the first game proved and Samoa will lay down again and have their bellies tickled or do you expect that they will make a game of it?

Just pretend you are the odds maker for the bookies, what start are you giving Samoa?

 

I'll give them 20 and still back England.  Nothing I saw today tells me they won't be steamroller by England. 

[StandOffHalf]

I've dismissed Milford in the past and openly said that I would have gone with Lino ahead of him at halfback.

Today though was his best performance in a number of years. He went hard but also offered a much-needed steadying hand that allowed Luai to play his off-the-cuff natural game.

Young Katoa and Lolohea simply didn't match the control and poise from the Samoan pair.

I loved the game and thought the Samoan props really fronted up, but I was disappointed in the lack of creativity in the Tongan play. The spine was the difference.

In retrospect, I think it was probably a mistake to leave out Koula and Amone. Asking an 18-year-old half to step up was asking a lot and, sadly, he didn't really offer much spark.

I was hoping for Tonga but I did kind of fall back in love with Samoa today. They really deserved that. Pre-match was awesome and the game was compelling viewing.

Really feel for Tonga, after suffering heartbreak in successive World Cups. Their fans are sensational.

 

[StandOffHalf]

14 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

Yes, your right.  I got that Samoa France game prediction wrong.

You're not the only one. I think France should feel embarrassed about that performance. I certainly do.

[OMEGA]

25 minutes ago, RippinandTearin said:

Australia was a vastly different, smaller more distant place back then, so was Rugby League, geez, even France were very good 

And without Great Britain travelling over to tour and play internationals the seeds of Rugby League would have struggled to take root. My point though is about attitude to the wider game and respect for the other Nations and their players to which it seems you, like many other Australians, have none!

When Great Britain were the superpower they used their position to further the game even at their own cost. Let’s also remember that travelling around the world was vastly different too but it didn’t deter GB from their responsibilities to the game

[Dunbar]

32 minutes ago, RippinandTearin said:

How did it all go so wrong? I remember super league being on free to air in London 

You do realise that sleeping on your mates sofa and watching his Sky subscription is not what free to air means.

[Harry Stottle]

1 hour ago, Jim Prendle said:

Seems to me that you are reading what you want in his post to fit your narrative.

Change that to 'posts' Jim, Dunny was very vocal in a number of posts how Samoa would not perform both individually and collectively as a team.

[Dunbar]

2 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Change that to 'posts' Jim, Dunny was very vocal in a number of posts how Samoa would not perform both individually and collectively as a team.

You have asked me plenty of questions, so let me ask you a couple.

1. Did you think Tonga played well today?

2. Who do you think will win next week?

[Leeds Wire]

39 minutes ago, StandOffHalf said:

Something about Parrish does seem a bit ''off''.

He somehow manages to come across as smug and disinterested/bored at the same time.

I didn't get that feeling at all. I thought he was being professional by effectively saying "we are only in the semi final, we've not won anything".

I actually thought it was a good bit of psychology for his players to go into the next battle. 

[RippinandTearin]

8 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

You do realise that sleeping on your mates sofa and watching his Sky subscription is not what free to air means.

Now now young man, I’m well aware that the British tread the same path here

I was actually more likely to be at games, my mate was playing for the Broncos & there was always a few tickets in an envelope at the gate for me  

[Jim Prendle]

37 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

Top Tweeting by this chap.

 

Eddie won’t like that. He has a huge bag of chips on each shoulder about League.

[RippinandTearin]

12 minutes ago, OMEGA said:

And without Great Britain travelling over to tour and play internationals the seeds of Rugby League would have struggled to take root. My point though is about attitude to the wider game and respect for the other Nations and their players to which it seems you, like many other Australians, have none!

When Great Britain were the superpower they used their position to further the game even at their own cost. Let’s also remember that travelling around the world was vastly different too but it didn’t deter GB from their responsibilities to the game

Hang on, hang on, plenty of Kangaroo teams boarded boats & traversed the oceans to get to old blighty too, I think we may have toured first, may have been an “All Golds” team 

I think we have plenty of respect, but like I’ve said, we need to ensure that our game here progresses, and moves forward in the growing threat from many other sports, demographics & negative publicity, I think you all seem to allude to a general disinterest from the Australian game towards you & this gets back to an unrealistic view you have of our game, it’s not that secure that we can make all that many sacrifices, perhaps you all need to stand on your own feet 

[Futtocks]

2 minutes ago, Jim Prendle said:

Eddie won’t like that. He has a huge bag of chips on each shoulder about League.

Good!

[Jim Prendle]

1 minute ago, RippinandTearin said:

Hang on, hang on, plenty of Kangaroo teams boarded boats & traversed the oceans to get to old blighty too, I think we may have toured first, may have been an “All Golds” team 

I think we have plenty of respect, but like I’ve said, we need to ensure that our game here progresses, and moves forward in the growing threat from many other sports, demographics & negative publicity, I think you all seem to allude to a general disinterest from the Australian game towards you & this gets back to an unrealistic view you have of our game, it’s not that secure that we can make all that many sacrifices, perhaps you all need to stand on your own feet 

Wow, how patronising is that?

SL does stand on its own feet. I can’t honestly recall the NRL doing anything for NH RL.

[Jim Prendle]

Just now, Futtocks said:

Good!

Oh, absolutely. 
 

[RippinandTearin]

Just now, Jim Prendle said:

Eddie won’t like that. He has a huge bag of chips on each shoulder about League.

nahhh, he makes that up, he’s a huge South’s & rugby league fan, he’s from the Randwick club, they may have just had the least amount of acrimony between union & league in Sydney, there was quite a bit of crossover, it was probably one of the clubs that actually seemed a little more open to the working class, having some great indigenous players etc 

wouldn’t surprise me to see Jones & Cheika involved in League in coming years 

[RippinandTearin]

2 minutes ago, Jim Prendle said:

Wow, how patronising is that?

SL does stand on its own feet. I can’t honestly recall the NRL doing anything for NH RL.

Im sure it does, but you wouldn’t know it reading the bull…. that Australian Rugby League cops on here 

Edited November 6, 2022 by RippinandTearin

[Harry Stottle]

27 minutes ago, Mr Frisky said:

I'll give them 20 and still back England.  Nothing I saw today tells me they won't be steamroller by England. 

More confidence than I have Frisky, I doubt the bookies will give Samoa 20 start, I most definitely want an England victory but I may break a habit of a lifetime of not betting at the bookies if they give Samoa 20 start and gave a little flutter, needless to say it would be a bet I would not want to win.

[StandOffHalf]

18 minutes ago, Leeds Wire said:

I didn't get that feeling at all. I thought he was being professional by effectively saying "we are only in the semi final, we've not won anything".

I actually thought it was a good bit of psychology for his players to go into the next battle. 

I wasn't so much talking about what he said, as his demeanour. I can't quite put my finger on it, but he seems a bit disinterested almost.

[Jim Prendle]

8 minutes ago, RippinandTearin said:

Im sure it does, but you wouldn’t know it reading the bull…. that Australian Rugby League cops on here 

Then you are only reading what you want to see. There are many many posters on here who cream themselves over Australian RL on a regular basis.

[Harry Stottle]

21 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

You have asked me plenty of questions, so let me ask you a couple.

1. Did you think Tonga played well today?

2. Who do you think will win next week?

1. Tonga were without a game plan it seemed, perhaps they were hoping that Samoa would capitulate as they did against England and thought they could just steamroll them.

2. I truley hope that England win and would say they will, but I am not thinking it will be the foregone conclusion that many are taking it be because of the first match up, this Samoan team now is Chalk and Cheese from the one that performed 3 weeks ago, England have yet to be tested both in the middle and on the edges all we have had to do is concentrate on how our offense is performing, we need that different game and test if we are to get to the final and play Australia for they won't sit back like a traffic cop and wave us through.

[OMEGA]

22 minutes ago, RippinandTearin said:

Hang on, hang on, plenty of Kangaroo teams boarded boats & traversed the oceans to get to old blighty too, I think we may have toured first, may have been an “All Golds” team 

I think we have plenty of respect, but like I’ve said, we need to ensure that our game here progresses, and moves forward in the growing threat from many other sports, demographics & negative publicity, I think you all seem to allude to a general disinterest from the Australian game towards you & this gets back to an unrealistic view you have of our game, it’s not that secure that we can make all that many sacrifices, perhaps you all need to stand on your own feet 

When the Kangaroos of old boarded ships they did so knowing they’d play multiple games in a country where at the time Rugby League rivalled football for crowds and popularity. The early Roo tours made massive amounts of money to help grow the Southern Hemisphere game.

Conversely, when GB toured it wasn’t to make money but to garner interest in the game down under 

Edited November 6, 2022 by OMEGA

[dkw]

18 minutes ago, RippinandTearin said:

Im sure it does, but you wouldn’t know it reading the bull…. that Australian Rugby League cops on here 

Australian RL cops bull on here because of buffoons like you and  Phil Goulds ilk. We're sick of the disdain you hold for our comps and players, then laugh our asses of at your pathetic whining and excuses when the truth doesn't fit your agenda.

Edited November 6, 2022 by dkw

[David Shepherd]

4 hours ago, Futtocks said:

 

Just got back from Warrington. That was seriously spine tingling witnessed live. Worth the ticket price by itself.

[Dunbar]

11 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

1. Tonga were without a game plan it seemed, perhaps they were hoping that Samoa would capitulate as they did against England and thought they could just steamroll them.

Bit vague that Harry, I just want to know if you thought Tonga played well?

[Hopping Mad]

31 minutes ago, David Shepherd said:

Just got back from Warrington. That was seriously spine tingling witnessed live. Worth the ticket price by itself.

I was envious of those in the stadium. Epic stuff.

By the closing stages, even my wife - fairly neutral about sport - was watching from the edge of the sofa.