Will 2024 be the best NRL season ever?

[DoubleD]

47 minutes ago, fenster said:

Massive blow for the bulldogs.

 

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/bulldogs-star-stands-down-misled-club-over-alleged-roadside-test-result/news-story/74f0f7a07fedcadb4bdabd992857c84d

 

 

A secondary test takes 8-10 weeks to receive? That’s ridiculous in 2024

[Dunbar]

13 hours ago, DavidM said:

Strange season , Melbourne have been the strongest most consistent side and go into the play offs as favourite I’d say but everyone in the mix has looked vulnerable to a degree . And Newcastle are in the top 8 after being abysmal and boring to watch for a large part so that doesn’t say a lot for the depth of the competition this year .

Certainly a funny old season.

At the beginning of the year it looked like the Warriors were the only top tier team from 2023 that had strengthened and yet they fell away badly.  As for the Broncos, an absolute horror year.

Well done to the Bulldogs for turning things around.

[Sports Prophet]

8 hours ago, fenster said:

The NRL is currently going gangbusters and having a team with a 12.5k capacity home ground is not acceptable and is dragging the whole competition down.

my solution would be for the sharks to play the majority of their “home” games away from shark park like the dolphins do with Kayo stadium.

Maybe harsh but totally necessary until the sharks do something about it.

But the only result would be smaller crowds in bigger stadiums, so you’re not solving your problem.

[Sports Prophet]

16 hours ago, fenster said:

Are souths locked into a long-term stadium lease contract at Accor?

Until 2030

Edited September 10 by Sports Prophet

[Sports Prophet]

I only just interestingly observed that the 2024 top 5 are the NRL’s five most recent Champions.

[fenster]

1 hour ago, Sports Prophet said:

But the only result would be smaller crowds in bigger stadiums, so you’re not solving your problem.

Im sure “home” games against Sydney based teams at Allianz would draw more than the usual 11k at shark park. 
 

And like you say give the sharks a “home” tie in the Perth and vegas double headers against non NSW teams would see many the sharks only playing 5-6 games at shark park.

[fenster]

9 hours ago, DoubleD said:

A secondary test takes 8-10 weeks to receive? That’s ridiculous in 2024

Season over for him including pacific cup?

[fenster]

1 hour ago, Sports Prophet said:

Until 2023

you mean 2033?

Edited September 10 by fenster

[fenster]

7 hours ago, Dunbar said:

Certainly a funny old season.

At the beginning of the year it looked like the Warriors were the only top tier team from 2023 that had strengthened and yet they fell away badly.  As for the Broncos, an absolute horror year.

Well done to the Bulldogs for turning things around.

I had the warriors not making the playoffs and the broncos winning the grandfinal. lol

i think both teams will be a force in 2-3 years time as long as they can keep hold of their young players and in the case of the warriors coach he starts picking them!!

[MattSantos]

Fox Sports Statistical Team of the Year

Tedesco

Khan-Perrera, Holmes, Gagai, Feldt

Dearden, Hughes

Fonua-Blake, Brailey, Tapine

Katoa, Crichton

Yeo.

 

Some surprising and 'classic' names in that team. Some like Hughes, AFB, Crichton and Yeo that are nailed in.

[Dunbar]

12 minutes ago, MattSantos said:

Fox Sports Statistical Team of the Year

Tedesco

Khan-Perrera, Holmes, Gagai, Feldt

Dearden, Hughes

Fonua-Blake, Brailey, Tapine

Katoa, Crichton

Yeo.

 

Some surprising and 'classic' names in that team. Some like Hughes, AFB, Crichton and Yeo that are nailed in.

Very good pack.  Hughes has been outstanding and Dearden and Tedesco very good.

The backline not so much.

[MattSantos]

Aye. 

Based on my eyes - Random mentions for:

Fullbacks: Ponga, Tom T, Drinkwater, Hammer, Papz back from injury, crikey even Sloan at St George has been decent

Wing: Tupou and Young have scored so many tries, and Sivo whilst being an absolute shocking defender scores millions (he'd be unstoppable in SL). Poor Alex Johnstone...

Centre: I knew Xerri would be good - he was a superstar in the making before his ban. Michael Jennings played around 10 times? How? 

6: Lachlan Galvin is 19. Be really interesting to see how the Tigers ruin him. Luai really stepped up this year. It'll be really interesting to see how the Tigers ruin him.

7: I think Cleary is overrated. Sue me. With DCE getting on, who will QLDs next 7 be?

Pack: Jesus, there have been some special players this year. Haas, the fella at Wests (off somewhere?), Tino, Nani, Katoa, KPP, Smithies and Leniu are still early 20s..

I love the NRL

 

 

 

 

[Damien]

 

 

[DoubleD]

1 hour ago, MattSantos said:

Fox Sports Statistical Team of the Year

Tedesco

Khan-Perrera, Holmes, Gagai, Feldt

Dearden, Hughes

Fonua-Blake, Brailey, Tapine

Katoa, Crichton

Yeo.

 

Some surprising and 'classic' names in that team. Some like Hughes, AFB, Crichton and Yeo that are nailed in.

Some really odd picks there. Feldt and Gagai should be nowhere near the team and Khan Perriera is a livewire but there are better wingers. The pick of Brailey really highlights the paucity of quality hookers currently in NRL

[MattSantos]

3 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

Some really odd picks there. Feldt and Gagai should be nowhere near the team and Khan Perriera is a livewire but there are better wingers. The pick of Brailey really highlights the paucity of quality hookers currently in NRL

It's a stats 13. Can't argue wi stats

There are some  decent 9s kicking about, though they tend to be more nuggety these days perhaps? Saying that, it's probably the position with not as much depth as every other.

 

[DoubleD]

20 minutes ago, MattSantos said:

It's a stats 13. Can't argue wi stats

There are some  decent 9s kicking about, though they tend to be more nuggety these days perhaps? Saying that, it's probably the position with not as much depth as every other.

 

Gagai has been poor defensively, often outplayed by his opposite number. That’s not captured by stats 

[Sports Prophet]

6 hours ago, fenster said:

you mean 2033?

2030 i meant

[Sports Prophet]

3 hours ago, MattSantos said:

Aye. 

Based on my eyes - Random mentions for:

Fullbacks: Ponga, Tom T, Drinkwater, Hammer, Papz back from injury, crikey even Sloan at St George has been decent

Wing: Tupou and Young have scored so many tries, and Sivo whilst being an absolute shocking defender scores millions (he'd be unstoppable in SL). Poor Alex Johnstone...

Centre: I knew Xerri would be good - he was a superstar in the making before his ban. Michael Jennings played around 10 times? How? 

6: Lachlan Galvin is 19. Be really interesting to see how the Tigers ruin him. Luai really stepped up this year. It'll be really interesting to see how the Tigers ruin him.

7: I think Cleary is overrated. Sue me. With DCE getting on, who will QLDs next 7 be?

Pack: Jesus, there have been some special players this year. Haas, the fella at Wests (off somewhere?), Tino, Nani, Katoa, KPP, Smithies and Leniu are still early 20s..

I love the NRL

 

 

 

 

I’m definitely suing you. In what way are you unimpressed with Cleary’s game?

[Sports Prophet]

1 hour ago, DoubleD said:

Some really odd picks there. Feldt and Gagai should be nowhere near the team and Khan Perriera is a livewire but there are better wingers. The pick of Brailey really highlights the paucity of quality hookers currently in NRL

Brailey has been an absolute gun this year. Standout hooker and a very, very good one.

[Sports Prophet]

1 hour ago, DoubleD said:

Gagai has been poor defensively, often outplayed by his opposite number. That’s not captured by stats 

Yeah, Gagai is nowhere near my centre picks.

[Damien]

Great news and it had to bode well for future rights:

 

[Damien]

 

 

[MattSantos]

10 hours ago, DoubleD said:

Gagai has been poor defensively, often outplayed by his opposite number. That’s not captured by stats 

I agree. Still, speak to Fox Sports. 

9 hours ago, Sports Prophet said:

I’m definitely suing you. In what way are you unimpressed with Cleary’s game?

I'm not unimpressed. I just don't think he's as great as everyone, usually NSW based media, portray him to be.

As an example, NRL360 will always, without question, call him the best player in the game. He's played 10 games this year (and appears to be gubbed in the shoulder), yet Penrith still finished second. Additionally, he doesn't stand-out in Origin, nor did he for Australia. 

To call him the best player in the league and not bring Hughes into the question, even just at 7 smacks of him being overrated.

 

 

[Wellsy4HullFC]

On 10/09/2024 at 15:14, Sports Prophet said:

I only just interestingly observed that the 2024 top 5 are the NRL’s five most recent Champions.

The same 3 teams have finished top for the last 12 years (and those same teams have won the GF the last 7).

The NRL is becoming predictable.

Not that it ever bothered the Premier League!

Edited September 11 by Wellsy4HullFC

[Sports Prophet]

20 hours ago, fenster said:

Im sure “home” games against Sydney based teams at Allianz would draw more than the usual 11k at shark park. 
 

And like you say give the sharks a “home” tie in the Perth and vegas double headers against non NSW teams would see many the sharks only playing 5-6 games at shark park.

What makes you so sure of that?

With the commute times to Moore Park, plus costs associated, I reckon you are looking at avg of 7k at best.