The Eagles are shot ducks
Roar Guru By Gruffalo, 20 Aug 2008 The Crowd is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Brookvale Oval, Manly, Matt Orford, Melbourne Storm, NRL, Rugby League, Storm
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It’s all about momentum. To win the rugby league premiership, you want to go into the finals full of running. Not stuttering, limping and praying for a turnaround.
The Melbourne Storm seem to be building to another premiership. They took everything Manly threw at them at Brookvale, and prevailed.
Manly have been living in a fool’s paradise: witness the towelling Souths handed out on the weekend.
Melbourne have shown them how far behind they really are.
Matt Orford’s ordinary kicking game and suspect decision-making under pressure are huge deficiencies. You just cannot succeed with strategic incompetence.
In the wide open spaces of the finals – away from the confines (and generous refereeing) of Brookvale Oval – I can see Manly making the Grand Final, perhaps, but being utterly and comprehensively wiped off the park.
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- Brookvale Oval, Manly, Matt Orford, Melbourne Storm, NRL, Rugby League, Storm
August 20th 2008 @ 12:05pm
Alan Nicolea said | August 20th 2008 @ 12:05pm | Report comment
Hey Grufallo
The Storm’s backs are brilliant no doubt. If the grand final was played on a dry service like Suncorp stadium, they would run riot. Although they got their backsides kicked last Friday night, the Roosters for me present Melbourne’s biggest threat. With Nate Myles, Craig Fitzgibbon, Setamata Sa, Anthony Minichiello and Shaun Kenny Dowall to come back into the side, Sydney have more football in them to cause Melbourne problems.
August 20th 2008 @ 12:41pm
Skull said | August 20th 2008 @ 12:41pm | Report comment
Gruffalo, just did a quick stats check on your assertion that Manly get extra help from the refs at Brookie. I suppose the only objective stat you can use is the number of penalties given and conceded and yes you are right. Manly do get extra help at Brookie from the refs. So far this season, they have been given 83 penalties and conceded 74. IThis equates to an average of 0.82 per game. The 74 penalties conceded must have been for backchatting or something else. When you also consider Watmough is the most penalised Manly player, and it seems to be for being too slow to get off the tackled player I dont agree with your assertion. I think you may be thinking of Greg Hartley. Wasnt he a great ref, should be more like him.
Justin, I believe Brookie has the correct dimentions for a RL ground. I think you find that Melb ground is considerably narrower than a normal ground.
August 20th 2008 @ 2:20pm
Gruffalo said | August 20th 2008 @ 2:20pm | Report comment
Skull
The game needsless “celebrities” nowadays. Haven’t you noticed the number of “celebrities” that try to build their name on the back of rugby league? Hartley and Harrigan were two. But, Hadley, Vautin, Johns, Roach – all mediocre media talents – but you never hear the end of them. Nowadays, all you see are journalists building themselves up (Weidler, Rebecca whatshername, Johns etc) and attacking each other. It’s a joke. the rubbish that hadley, Fulton etc carry on with is downright embarrassing.
If I had my way, referees would be anonymous – and any commentator wanting to be a comedian would be kicked out of the industry.
The players are the stars. The others are support players who are best noticed and that’s it.
August 20th 2008 @ 2:47pm
Skull said | August 20th 2008 @ 2:47pm | Report comment
Gruffalo, I agree there even though I dont bother with Thursday footy show, Hadley et. al. If you just ignore them they might go away, however it now seems that the star players are going away.
I was being very tongue in cheek about Harltey by the way.
As far as I’m concerned, miking up the refs for TV/Radio has been a very big step backwards. That ref with the fog horn voice, think he did Melb game the other day, seems to concentrate on how load and deep he can yell hold hold rather than concentrating on referring the game.
If you want anonymous refs take the mike off em.
As far as the comentators are concerned, if we kicked em out for trying to be comedians the booths would be empty.
Maybe if we get up a petition this could happen. What do you think about applying for the vacanies. I can see myself as a good colour man, perhaps a caller in the Rex Mossop or Frank Hyde mould.
August 20th 2008 @ 2:57pm
The Link said | August 20th 2008 @ 2:57pm | Report comment
Skull, my two biggest bugbears are Refs calling players by their first names and telling the defensive line when to ‘go’ when the ball is cleared from the ruck.
Gruff, one thing you cannot say about League in the media is that it lacks colour. Lets face it, its better than listening to inane drones such as Greg Martin and Dan Crowley in Rugby.
August 20th 2008 @ 8:21pm
The Answer said | August 20th 2008 @ 8:21pm | Report comment
There is something beautifully ironic about a North Sydney Bears fan offering advice on how to win a premiership.
However, I find it more weird that Manly fans who claim Brookvale is a fortress then don’t think they get a good run from refs there. Isn’t that the point of a home ground advanatge, where the opposition and referees are intimidated? It is just like the EPL, try getting a penalty at Old Trafford if you aren’t in red.
Gruff, I don’t know what Ray Hadley has said for years because I simply don’t listen to him. The ABC call is far superior. Don’t get mad, just switch, see it as an extension of your News Ltd ban.
August 20th 2008 @ 11:45pm
westy said | August 20th 2008 @ 11:45pm | Report comment
I am not a Sea Eagles fan. However I have recently been to a full house at Brookie and for a suburban ground it generates genuine atmosphere and passion. As a club its community support appears strong and genuine and its operation quite professional. Whatever happens their will be a club playing out of Brookvale.
It would be premature to write Manly off. Orford’s kicking game let them down badly at critical times. I do however accept Melbourne is a very good team………..who can actually alter their style to meet varying challenges…they are much more than a mere wrestling defensive team. I know we rugby boys love Inglis but I have to say that Slater has been outstanding game after game. He is a very very good player .
August 21st 2008 @ 8:24am
Skull said | August 21st 2008 @ 8:24am | Report comment
The Answer,
Yes the ABC has a far superior call to Hadley and his team. On the rare occasions I tune in I always go the ABC even though I think the Wok is sometimes still fighting ancient battles against Manly
August 21st 2008 @ 8:46am
Gruffalo said | August 21st 2008 @ 8:46am | Report comment
Skull,
Nothing wrong with fighting ancient battles against Manly!