Sat 12th Nov: RLWC SF: England v Samoa KO 14:30

[Derwent]

1 minute ago, Big Picture said:

As you can say in the eyes of some Southampton is "a non-descript place on the south coast" and that underlines my point.  For a country less populous than a non-descript place on the south coast as you put it to get out of the group stages of the RL World Cup routinely let alone get to the Final is embarrassing for the sport.  What part of that is any way difficult to understand?????????????????

You’re making out like this is some sort of collection of local players from a domestic competition in Samoa. This is a team made up of players from the best league in the world - nothing embarrassing about that.

[Tippytoe]

1 minute ago, The Legend said:

I went to school with him, he's a born winner. 

Appart from boxing!!! 

[Maximus Decimus]

5 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

As you can say in the eyes of some Southampton is "a non-descript place on the south coast" and that underlines my point.  For a country less populous than a non-descript place on the south coast as you put it to get out of the group stages of the RL World Cup routinely let alone get to the Final is embarrassing for the sport.  What part of that is any way difficult to understand?????????????????

Because it's nonsense.

Is it embarrassing that NZ dominates world RU?

[Wellsy4HullFC]

49 minutes ago, DimmestStar said:

Warning! This is the tipster who backed Hull FC prior to their 4-36 hammering by 16 man Hull KR!

You're obsessed.

[Tippytoe]

1 minute ago, Jughead said:

You must have never watched St Helens play Warrington, then. 

Not interested in club level,im talking about international. 

[Wellsy4HullFC]

46 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

If it’s alright, I’ll happily put your life savings on Australia 

Well it's negative anyway, so I'll take that bet

[Chrispmartha]

2 minutes ago, Jughead said:

What?

The ‘its s total disaster for the sport because Samoa are in the final’ narrative 

[The Legend]

1 minute ago, Tippytoe said:

Appart from boxing!!! 

Sculthorpe is also a born winner. But he isn't as smart a rugby league coach as Radford. 

[Dave T]

3 minutes ago, Jughead said:

It’s really not, though, is it?

It’s great for the game. First new nation in 34 years to make a final, first tier two nation to make a final, to go from 60-6 or whatever it was to a final is sensational and to have some of the best players in the game lining up against each other is fantastic. 

Sport is fantastic. When sport is played like that today and ends like that, it’s superb. It’s elation for some and heartbreak for others. That was sport at its best. 

Glad it's not just me who feels like this. I'm absolutely gutted as an England fan. But as an RL fan this is what we surely want.

I want Samoa to enjoy being in a World Cup Final and all the benefits that come with it, and anyone who says it is bad for the game is just bang wrong. 

[Jughead]

1 minute ago, Tippytoe said:

Not interested in club level,im talking about international. 

So apart from all of those times when Sean Long pulled victory from the jaws of defeat, he was rubbish. 

[PEANUT HEAD]

I can't believe it, leigh or DB not been mentioned in this thread.

[The Legend]

1 minute ago, PEANUT HEAD said:

I can't believe it, leigh or DB not been mentioned in this thread.

They have now. 

[Chrispmartha]

1 minute ago, Dave T said:

Glad it's not just me who feels like this. I'm absolutely gutted as an England fan. But as an RL fan this is what we surely want.

I want Samoa to enjoy being in a World Cup Final and all the benefits that come with it, and anyone who says it is bad for the game is just bang wrong. 

Exactly, we’ve just had two magnificent closely contested games on the BBC, and now we have a new name in the final

[Wellsy4HullFC]

49 minutes ago, The Masked Poster said:

I would.

Samoa will give it a go, of course they will. And the match may even be competitive for a while. But Australia will walk it in the end. 

Then they will all go back home and say "See, I knew they were no good" 

I'm not saying Samoa will win. I don't believe they will.

But I'd like to see you put that bet on.

[SalfordSlim]

8 minutes ago, Jughead said:

You must have never watched St Helens play Warrington, then. 

I'm not sure that's a great example. Who has it tough against Warrington these days?!?!

Btw, does anyone want my ticket for OT next week? Upside - I'll pay you to take it off my hands. Downside - you'll be sitting next to my Aussie mate.

[Tippytoe]

2 minutes ago, Jughead said:

So apart from all of those times when Sean Long pulled victory from the jaws of defeat, he was rubbish. 

 

5 minutes ago, The Legend said:

Sculthorpe is also a born winner. But he isn't as smart a rugby league coach as Radford. 

Ok so Castleford are going to win league under his tutelage, im off to bookies right now thanks  

[ELBOWSEYE]

5 minutes ago, Jughead said:

So apart from all of those times when Sean Long pulled victory from the jaws of defeat, he was rubbish. 

It was Warrington and I was present at all those games and always thought wire would lose even when leading with 2 minutes left so Longy had willing victim's in those games. 

[RugbyBaller]

Just now, SalfordSlim said:

I'm not sure that's a great example. Who has it tough against Warrington these days?!?!

Btw, does anyone want my ticket for OT next week? Upside - I'll pay you to take it off my hands. Downside - you'll be sitting next to my Aussie mate.

No amount of money is worth that

[Charlies Bott]

1 hour ago, Mojo said:

Reasonable game? He gave alot of soft penalties in Englands favour for most of the game. The penalty for pushing Tomkins over after the kick was one of the worst decisions I've ever seen

The tackle on Tomkins has been always been a penalty.  Paulo wasn't in even in  the same postcode when Tomkins kicked the ball.  Paulo seems to be that sort of player.  He can't resist going too far. That's not the referees fault.  Same as Tomkins passing the ball forward in golden point was not the referees fault. 

[Maximus Decimus]

I've been reflecting on the 60-6 turnaround in a few weeks, which I think a lot will be made of.

Personally, I don't find it that surprising and it indicates just how strange a sport RL can be and the effect of momentum on a game.

I said at the time of the first game, that there was a spell in the first-half where Samoa were getting on top and a disallowed try could've turned the whole game. They collapsed after England went a couple of scores ahead, which tbh was a reflection of a poor attitude.

I used an example of the Super League playoffs in 2000 where Wigan and Saints both had blowouts against each other in the space of 2 weeks. 

[OMEGA]

I’m not sure why people are saying Young had a bad game, I don’t think he did anything wrong other than one dropped kick. Like Makinson, Farnworth and Burgess he was well policed by Samoas defence which prevented England making huge metres out of backfield.

Young wasn’t to blame for Watkins missing Lafai and he wasn’t to blame for Welsby switching off at marker

[The Legend]

7 minutes ago, Tippytoe said:

 

Ok so Castleford are going to win league under his tutelage, im off to bookies right now thanks  

Get your money on silverware for the Tigers either next season or the one after. 

I won a fortune on Hull FC in 2016

Edited November 12, 2022 by The Legend

[Chrispmartha]

Just now, Maximus Decimus said:

I've been reflecting on the 60-6 turnaround in a few weeks, which I think a lot will be made of.

Personally, I don't find it that surprising and it indicates just how strange a sport RL can be and the effect of momentum on a game.

I said at the time of the first game, that there was a spell in the first-half where Samoa were getting on top and a disallowed try could've turned the whole game. They collapsed after England went a couple of scores ahead, which tbh was a reflection of a poor attitude.

I used an example of the Super League playoffs in 2000 where Wigan and Saints both had blowouts against each other in the space of 2 weeks. 

England had targeted that game as a must win, Samoa used it pretty much as a warm up game

[frank]

The majority of the Samoan team have just finished a hard season in the NRL. These guys are no mugs and are used to playing a top brand of footy.  They out muscled England and that was the deciding factor. The game is changing in Aussie with more  Polynesians coming into the game and less Aussies taking part, this is going to affect the  Aussie national team in due course.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

The really top teams get the big decisions right at speed and under pressure. We haven’t in the past and we didn’t today.

Until that changes we’ll always be a second rate team.