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

[MattSantos]

5 minutes ago, WN83 said:

 If anything happened to Welsby or Williams at the weekend and we did win, then I'd be more concerned about MM at hooker in a final. If it was then Sneyd coming in to the halves. You're basically then going with one running threat from you 1, 6, 7 and 9 and then it might become a bit predictable. I think there's a really nice balance in those pivots at the moment between youth and experience and between structure and off the cuff and running threat. 

Yep. 

There's not been an injury / suspension to a major star yet. Let us not speak of this again.

[Dunbar]

Did Samoa appeal the Paulo ban?

[yipyee]

16 hours ago, RayCee said:

Impossible. 

I'd pick England despite zero complacency from Samoa. They have more quality across the park. That said, in a one off game....

They are just not that good. 

Last time excuse of half baked but it is a nonesense, so were England and they bombed 2 early tries with knock ons over the line. Samoa will be the same players and they got smashed last time.

PNG thought they would get close and got smashed. Tonga should have lost to PNG and Samoa were lucky to beat Tonga.

This England side is on another level to these arrogant aussies in samoa disguise.

Let's face it if they were as good as they think they are they would be playing for Australia.

[Tex Evans Thigh]

I get the MM argument about simple distribution and a bit of starch defensively in the middle, but I wish he'd stand tie markers up just a few times. Never runs and never ties up markers, no threat at all and it's pretty much the same when Radley goes in there. Suppose we have a bunch of other players who jump into dummy half and are a running threat but it does feel a bit of a weakness.

[JohnM]

Given our ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, I'm not expecting a walk over by any means.

However, I'll be wearing my lucky Mighty Penguins fleece jacket ....

[SalfordSlim]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

Apart fro  those ge missed the games he played, truth is no e of tgem gave had to do much tackling yet, Saturday I e pe t will be somewhat different.

Have you been on the ale Harry or ha e yo got a few but ons brok n on your mo y?

FWIW, I was being a tad sarcastic (for a change!) with my previous response. Every time I watched MM last season he was hopeless and we have better options but I'm shutting up now as I've only mentioned it probably a dozen times and I've probably already slightly derailed the thread. 

[thehullram]

Slightly worried that in every match so far we have started like a house on fire, no errors, good defence and even better attack, so that the matches have been over by half time (if not before). A couple of dropped balls, penalties and mistakes early on and I'm not sure we will know what to do! I'm hoping for a poorer display, with a win by 10 - 16 points, so that we can then save our best display for the final!!

[WN83]

1 hour ago, Dunbar said:

Did Samoa appeal the Paulo ban?

Yes, it’s being heard this evening. It’ll get overturned I’m sure and that’s fine. I think people can give some leeway on that and call it an accident. Doing that makes the kid not getting banned for keep raising his knee even more baffling. He’s had his warnings. 

[Dunbar]

1 minute ago, WN83 said:

Yes, it’s being heard this evening. It’ll get overturned I’m sure and that’s fine. I think people can give some leeway on that and call it an accident. Doing that makes the kid not getting banned for keep raising his knee even more baffling. He’s had his warnings. 

I expect it to be reduced to a caution as well.  I am sure some pressure (direct or not) will be placed on the panel.

I would rather we played a full squad anyway and not have any 'you only won because' arguments after.

[graveyard johnny]

8 hours ago, Davo5 said:

Yeah let’s go back to 1970 & the battle of Headingley,that was a real great advert for RL & will have parents lining up at amateur clubs up & down the country to sign their lids to play the game.

After almost losing a close relative to an horrendous throat injury as a result of an elbow to the throat during a game of RL 2 decades ago & the problems he had to overcome in later years I can safely say that even by your standards you are talking absolute sh##e.

am sorry to hear about your relative and hope he is doing ok now - but my point is the punishment handed out should not be resulting in giving  Eng a big advantage in such a crucial match as a wc semi - punish him or his team  in the pocket - why should Eng benifit from a foul against Tonga? yes punishment should be handed out for dangerous play but hit him financially instead 

[Davo5]

2 hours ago, Niels said:

I followed your advice Saturday and won, so I will have a small bet again.

Apparently it takes 2-3 weeks to acclimatise to the cold, so I think you are right that it will be a factor. Nobody took it into account for the first game. 

They only need to win by more than 10 though for the handicap.

That first game was played in pretty good conditions though & it does get cold & wet in Sydney.

[Davo5]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

Apart fro  those ge missed the games he played, truth is no e of tgem gave had to do much tackling yet, Saturday I e pe t will be somewhat different.

You started rapping H ?

[SalfordSlim]

4 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

am sorry to hear about your relative and hope he is doing ok now - but my point is the punishment handed out should not be resulting in giving  Eng a big advantage in such a crucial match as a wc semi - punish him or his team  in the pocket - why should Eng benifit from a foul against Tonga? yes punishment should be handed out for dangerous play but hit him financially instead 

It's irrelevant if you're playing in a knockout game in the world cup or a reserves match at Langworthy Reds. If you commit an offence you should be dealt with equally, the "but he's going to miss a Semi/Final" etc doesn't wash one bit. 

Easiest way to not miss important matches? Don't commit foul play

[Davo5]

7 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

am sorry to hear about your relative and hope he is doing ok now - but my point is the punishment handed out should not be resulting in giving  Eng a big advantage in such a crucial match as a wc semi - punish him or his team  in the pocket - why should Eng benifit from a foul against Tonga? yes punishment should be handed out for dangerous play but hit him financially instead 

Foul play is foul play though,it doesn’t matter how big a game is or who might benefit you can’t just give players a free pass.

[graveyard johnny]

4 minutes ago, SalfordSlim said:

 

Easiest way to not miss important matches? Don't commit foul play

or change your name to Bateman or Knowles 

[Balmainboy]

Paulo’s elbow doesn’t deserve a one game suspension - sua’aili’s raised knee does though. No idea what a just outcome for the appeal is….

[Niels]

34 minutes ago, Davo5 said:

That first game was played in pretty good conditions though & it does get cold & wet in Sydney.

I remember you said you had spent some time in Sydney? So you have better experience of this.

 

[Tom Moore]

1 hour ago, Dunbar said:

I expect it to be reduced to a caution as well.  I am sure some pressure (direct or not) will be placed on the panel.

I would rather we played a full squad anyway and not have any 'you only won because' arguments after.

If people are making "you only won because" arguments after, it means we've won and we're in the final, so I won't care. 

Ideally, I'd like to hear them both of the next two Sundays. 

[The Masked Poster]

54 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

am sorry to hear about your relative and hope he is doing ok now - but my point is the punishment handed out should not be resulting in giving  Eng a big advantage in such a crucial match as a wc semi - punish him or his team  in the pocket - why should Eng benifit from a foul against Tonga? yes punishment should be handed out for dangerous play but hit him financially instead 

It's hardly news that players get banned and miss subsequent games, it's been that way for some considerable time.

With luck, all 13 England players will be suspended if they make the final and we can then field the U16s. You can then wax lyrical about how great your Aussie heroes are when they hammer them. 

[Dunbar]

3 minutes ago, Tom Moore said:

If people are making "you only won because" arguments after, it means we've won and we're in the final, so I won't care. 

Ideally, I'd like to hear them both of the next two Sundays. 

Fair enough.  I thought they both deserved a ban... well if Paulo's did then Sua'ali'i did as well cause his was worse. 

[Tom Moore]

25 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

Fair enough.  I thought they both deserved a ban... well if Paulo's did then Sua'ali'i did as well cause his was worse. 

Sua'ali'i definitely did. Paulo on balance I think did too. 

[Guest]

Paulo has had his ban overturned and can play at the weekend.

[Dunbar]

2 minutes ago, 7723 said:

Paulo has had his ban overturned and can play at the weekend.

Unsurprising. 

[Harry Stottle]

2 hours ago, SalfordSlim said:

Have you been on the ale Harry or ha e yo got a few but ons brok n on your mo y?

FWIW, I was being a tad sarcastic (for a change!) with my previous response. Every time I watched MM last season he was hopeless and we have better options but I'm shutting up now as I've only mentioned it probably a dozen times and I've probably already slightly derailed the thread. 

No I wrote it in code so only those with the right grey matter can understand, but the truth is I was on a bus rocking 'n rolling writing on a small phone for my big fingers and didn't check back before posting.

I agree with you though, on all points, owd lads at Wiggin stinkin together, his distribution could be better, and Ackers a better all choice these days.

[Tippytoe]

7 hours ago, FearTheVee said:

Would still be nice if his distribution was slicker though.  Spoiled with Roby I suppose who is insanely good off the floor.

Roby not in squad so......