• NRL
• NRL Fixtures
• NRL Grand Final
• State of Origin
• Kangaroos
• NRL Tipping
• NRL RSS
• NRL photos

The Crowd Says (6) | Page 1 of Comments

• George said | October 6th 2009 @ 2:24am | Report comment

  The penalty Archer mysteriously gave in the last minutes, on blatantly OBVIOUS dropped ball from Slater, was a DISGRACE at such a MASSIVE PART OF THE GAME. SHAME ON HIM. Not only did he rob the Eels of a potential comeback in crucial feild position.He robbed everyone of potentially the greatest and most thrilling extra time grand final of all time……UNBELIEVABLE. I flew in interstate to be at the grand final believing it would be as such.I was very regertful I bothered going after that cheating penalty.If such rubbish can happen at a GRAND FINAL, why did I bother. Archer should never referee 1st grade, let alone a grand final after that performance.Was bad enough he allowed the “storm” to slow the game down, not giving penalties when he should and missing a Melbourne knock on that you could see from the stands….literally.

  Reply
  • 

    Hoy said | October 6th 2009 @ 1:54pm | Report comment

    I think one ref also called a knock on off Billy Slater, which was clearly not a nock on, so wind blows both ways.

    Reply

• chook said | October 6th 2009 @ 1:24pm | Report comment

  Parramatta and the rest of league can believe that a Melbourne team has been so dominant, with the 3rd lowet crowds and a some what lack luster mid season the Storm have proven they have got whats needed. Hayne was lucky to be there and it would have been a disgrace if he got suspended no matter what he did, for the games sake. I was amazed that Parramatta did lose by 30 so they did well to lose by so little.

  Reply

• George said | October 6th 2009 @ 5:05pm | Report comment

  Are you people kidding?A: Hayne playing was more than fair.He shouldn’t have been charged!! Check it out up to speed, Hayne did the right thing,went in sidewards. Unlike Slater with feet and studs first.There isn’t a player in the world in the same situation that could do better that what Hayne did.See for yourselves,you’ll understand better if you people ever played the game. Which I doubt.
  B:Yes Melb were dominant in the first half, but were running out of steam and were dominated in the second half.Parra clearly had the momentum in the final stages and at the time Archer gave that disgraceful one sided penalty, it stopped any hope of Parras obvious comeback.Melb should be proud of their first half and nothing else in that match.Again I agree with coach Anderson that ,Storm used slow tactics and therefore “grubby tactics”.It was their only hope.The real question here is:Was it Harrigan or Archer that found that BLATANT CHEATING penalty?Oh and Slater,Clive Churchill, NO WAY HE DESERVED THAT.THE WORST THING IS A BAD PENALTY DECIDED THE GRAND FINAL. THIS IS A DISASTER FOR THE GAME.

  Reply

• andrew said | October 7th 2009 @ 3:08pm | Report comment

  George, it’s understandable you’re upset that perhaps a grand final result was decided by a questionable ref decision. Melbourne experienced that in ’06 when four crucial and blatantly incorrect decisions probably cost them the game. Archer, though has been the best ref for quite some time and I thought he & Hayne did a good job. Jarryd Hayne should have been suspended b/c the rule was introduced (and yes partly due to Slaters regular use of the foot to save a try) to protect a vulnerable diving player from serious injury which is pretty much what Hayne gave Goodwin – give me a foot to head over a knee any day. I’m sure Hayne didn’t deliberately knee him in the head but if you’re too far away from a diving player to tackle him safely, don’t. The problem with Hayne is that despite his attacking brilliance he is, unlike Slater, a poor defender often misreading raids on his line. No George, the ref didn’t decide the game it was Melbourne’s superb all round game combined with Parramatta’s lack of fortitude. Remember they only started playing well during the year when they thought they couldn’t make the finals and again on Sunday when they thought the grand final was out of their grasp. This loss will probably give them the courage to win when they have eveything to lose.

  Reply

• George said | October 8th 2009 @ 12:08am | Report comment

  Hi Andrew, I’m aware of those incidents in ’06 G F and also the 2nd no try to Inu against Storm in the prem final against Melb at Colonial stadium, which Harrigan that evening saw that as no try(for some strange reason). It looked like line ball through my binocs at the game and when I got home, oh suprise suprise, it was line ball. Normally a standard and easy benefit of the doubt decision try to Inu. But Billy Harrigan said, very questionably, duhhh no try. To this you could also ask: Should Melb have won that game (maybe)? see replay, and the many questionable decisions against Melb in the Grand Final in ’08,which as a league fan, I also believe were a disgrace for 1st grade standards. Again, I think that was Archer. That debate is pointless and inconstructive.This won’t improve our game, so to move on.
  The only reason they have been using Archer all this time, is because the NRL thought(for some mysterious reason in my view) he was the best (of the worst) when Harrigan retired. Let’s be realistic Andrew they had little to chose from, because they did little about it all this and all that time. So hence I believe we need new insightful admin and ref boss.
  I personally have prefered Shayne Hayne (for the record), despite the fact I disagreed with maybe one call at GF or others in the past. Why Hayne you ask? Because, he at least can keep up with the speed of a fast finals or State of Origin game and I believe he’s more consistent in his overall refereeing. Against St George Archer found that take which Hayne took on the full which was amazingly spotted and correct by Archer and yet he misses a simple knock on at a Grand Final and gives a killer soft penalty at the worst time in a Grand Final. Do you get where I’m actually coming from Andrew? Also, Shayne Hayne hasn’t ever made a “mistake” anywhere near as bad as Archers Grand Final destroyer. So in all that, to your answer, I’ll use a simple chinese proverb “two(or in this case too many) wrongs never make a right.” It is the very attitude in part of the press and unfortunately, in part of your answer, that’s allowing the terrible standard of refereeing in NRL to continue and be perpetuated, unchecked and never improved. I think maybe you missed exactly where I was coming from Andrew. It’s about the sake of the game,its standards and what’s left of its integrity, before it gets any worse (if possible), which it probably will, if it continues like this.
  As for your Jarryd Hayne point. Where and how do you see any knee contact to the head? It was the weight of the tackle that injured Goodwin from the other tackler and Goodwin, to his credit, stuck up for Hayne. So there’s no case there. Check the replay again more carefully Andrew. Up to speed and in slow mo. Hayne clearly made more than enough effort and turned in sideways, while flying in to stop a try. See if you could do that in the same situation.Try it if you can and tell me how you go. Hayne should never have been charged in the first place.
  I’m amazed you prefer studs in the head. I’ll take the side of Haynes leg anytime.
  As for the fortitude thing Andrew. First half I agree, Parra were dominated and were off their game. Second half, Parra in the last 15mins were clearly dominating Melb and steaming back. I dare say they were looking like the stronger finishers to me. Remember that Andrew? It was a stupid and patheticly wrong and non existent penalty on Fui, that killed Parras comeback and their earned momentum. Parra had tackled and played Storm to the ropes.Everyone in the stadium could see that. Parra were the better side in the second half of the game and the whole second half of the competition. As for Parra should be happy with how far they got. What a truckload of crap. They earned the right to play and win that G F as much, if not more, than Melb and Archer took that and possibly a thrilling historical Grand Final away from everyone, Parra fan or otherwise, in one very unprofessional and disgusting decision.
  I speak to you not just as a Parra fan, but more importantly as a Rugby League fan. Put aside the fact I’m a Parra supporter and look at it this way Andrew. For the sake of our game(whats left of it), the future of it, the integrity(what’s also left of it) and for the competing strength nationally and internationally The press and admin of the league need to wake up and sort their pathetic ref standards out, before it’s too late. The NRL can’t afford anymore big mistakes.

  Reply