Steve Matai celebrates his try. AAP Image/Action Photographics, Renee McKay
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I have had enough of Steve Matai and his aggressive, in-your-face, style of play.
The self-styled Manly enforcer is no stranger to the judiciary and gets summoned there so often he might as well set up a bed and order room service.
This guy simply doesn’t cop the tip. Suspensions don’t seem to affect him in the slightest.
He enjoys his tough guy image – to hell with anyone who runs within a swinging-arm’s distance of him during the heat of battle.
He was at it again at the height of last Friday night’s big finals clash with the Bulldogs.
Dogs winger Sam Perrett became his latest high shot victim and told reporters he played the remainder of the game “on auto pilot” and nursing a sore jaw.
Matai was placed on report to face his 13th charge in five seasons. The stats show he has been rubbed out for a total of 20 weeks after being found guilty 10 times.
He will definitely cop a week’s suspension (because of the low grading) and hope the Sea Eagles live to fight another day in their 2012 campaign.
The points system seems out of whack for players in the repeat offender category. They seem to get off far too lightly.
Sure, Matai will miss the Cowboys game but will that be a deterrent? Will he learn anything from yet another poor tackle? I think not.
His rap sheet would be the equal of many street fighters – six careless high tackles, two reckless high tackles, two dangerous contact charges, as well as one for striking and another for contrary conduct.
In my book, that’s way too many chances for any footballer and I would like to see the judiciary call him in and throw the book at him. Maybe they should consider rubbing him out for a sustained period, if not, forever.
Forget the ‘careless’ part of his charges. Matai doesn’t seem to care at all where his arm goes when lining up an opponent.
It is a shocking look for the code and has to be stamped out by a judiciary panel that needs to crack down hard on high shot offenders, especially the serial ones.
Over the years, the game has tossed up many rugged and highly competent defensive centres who rarely attracted the attention or ire of referees.
Players such as Chris Mortimer, Matt Cooper and even Matai’s partner, Jamie Lyon, have been standouts as tacklers and didn’t need to belt rivals to earn their respect and admiration.
There is nothing wrong with a full-on, ball-and-all tackle on your opposing player. It does not have to be high to be effective, nor does it have to be done with the intention of causing any level of bodily harm.
Steve Matai’s tackling style never changes and I don’t think the Sea Eagles or the game of rugby league can afford him for much longer.
It’s time to out-tough the tough guy. Judiciary members – please rub him out for half a season if you have to.
Send him a message that rattles his teeth.
And if he transgresses again on his return, dole out another heavy penalty that will make season 2013 a mere memory.
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September 11th 2012 @ 6:57am
Matt said | September 11th 2012 @ 6:57am | Report comment
He’s only been charged 10 times in his career for a high tackle. What hogwash, he makes a head high tackle every second game at least.
September 11th 2012 @ 7:10am
Mals said | September 11th 2012 @ 7:10am | Report comment
A North Sydney supporter writing an article about a Manly player. No agenda there eh Tim?
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September 11th 2012 @ 7:22am
Tim Prentice said | September 11th 2012 @ 7:22am | Report comment
Bears are one thing Mals. Are Manly koalas?
Should I only write patsy stuff about the Eagles to keep you happy?
I write it as I see it with no agendas.
September 11th 2012 @ 8:27am
Mals said | September 11th 2012 @ 8:27am | Report comment
Perhaps I’m just sick of the negative stories the media, in particular the Daily Telegraph continually write about Manly. You can’t say this is a balanced sentence “Maybe they should consider rubbing him out for a sustained period, if not, forever”.
Steve often pleads guilty because the odds are stacked against him going to the judiciary & trying to fight charges because he has already been lynched by the media.
Look at the bad spear tackle on Sam Burgess on the weekend. Nothing has been written about that.
September 11th 2012 @ 8:50am
Matt said | September 11th 2012 @ 8:50am | Report comment
Because he is a constant offender. The same way Bird, Gallen, Ennis all get mentioned time after time.
September 11th 2012 @ 10:40am
planko said | September 11th 2012 @ 10:40am | Report comment
LOL a constant offender … If rugby was serious mmm Thaiday … CONSTANT OFFENDER but it os only players from clubs you dont like
September 11th 2012 @ 4:30pm
Matt said | September 11th 2012 @ 4:30pm | Report comment
How many times has Thaiday been put on report?
And actually I support GC. Bird plays dirty whatever jersey he is wearing.
September 11th 2012 @ 4:39pm
planko said | September 11th 2012 @ 4:39pm | Report comment
HAHA your making my point he does not get put on report …. Does not mean he should not get put on report… If dont Bird send him back to a Sydney team we will gladly take him back LOL you can keep Idris, Princess and Bailey he is past it.
September 11th 2012 @ 8:30am
oikee said | September 11th 2012 @ 8:30am | Report comment
LOve your work Tim, keep up the tough no nonsense reporting mate.
The game wants to take concussions seriously, they have to suspend the damm fools who are always hitting someone in the head with a swinging arm.
Count the amount of swinging arm knockouts compared to shoulder charge knockouts. The game cant stop all head injuries, but they can reduce them by coming down hard, hard on Matai, the serial offender. The Manly thug.
At least 4 swinging arms a weekend lately. With the light sentences, no wonder Matai comes back for more.
September 11th 2012 @ 10:23pm
Ra said | September 11th 2012 @ 10:23pm | Report comment
sorry tim but as tana umaga once said: we aint playing ‘tiddly winks’… and league aint tiddly winks either – Manly must like his play. They resign him all the time. Have you thought about writing to their management suggesting that Manly is better off without him?
September 11th 2012 @ 7:13am
oikee said | September 11th 2012 @ 7:13am | Report comment
NRL the marketing is crap, the promotion is crap, the rules are crap(a ball accidently knocked out by a player tackled that goes forward 10 metres can be ruled play-on? very unprofessional) dont even start me on the torso rule,
the commentators are crap, (we need some neutral callers and speakersa, too many boofheader footballers calling the game)
and the grubbiness of the game like you have mentioned is crap.
I watched all the games, the overall impression you get from watching is dirty niggling grubby tactics that are plain ugly to watch.
No ownder the game is not growing, women and kids are still worried about having facial massagses and elbows and knees to the head, swinging arms and shoulders to heads.
I watched super league the other day, players even touching someone around the head are penalised, after awhile it sinks in, keep penalising them. And players like Gallen who grad and twist jersey’s, forearam and hand rub someones melon, no need for it in our game. This is why Papalii dogshoted him, because Gallen is a dog, lets just be honest.
The game needs to be cleaned up, you cant present our product to the market with coinfidence because the players are like the first fleet, a bunch of convicts, with a few nice guys thrown into the mix. We need to get tougher on thugs and bullies, the game is tough enough without this nonsense, and its making selling the game very hard.
I see Gallen do this during the game, i dont then want to see him do interveiws, i just want to switch him off.
I cant watch Manly at all, i tape their games now and only watch them if they get beat.
Oh, and one more thing, here is what i have been talking about, whinging about for the last 2 months, now its in plain English for all to see, i got sick of trying to preach this.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/the-best-young-rugby-league-talent-in-queensland-appears-to-be-headed-everywhere-but-to-the-brisbane-broncos/story-e6frfgcx-1226471301738
September 11th 2012 @ 2:19pm
planko said | September 11th 2012 @ 2:19pm | Report comment
LOL Oikee players leave cause theydont have much of a chance. At the end of the day there is one squad and if you dont fit into their plans your manager goes to Sydney where there are more opportunities.
September 11th 2012 @ 4:43pm
oikee said | September 11th 2012 @ 4:43pm | Report comment
Not the point, i have been beaten up black and blue over this issue. There it is in black and white.
I have already taken it one step further remember, my argument is the Broncos are being punished for having to bring and only find juniors from their talent grassroots pool. Where as you can see, nearly all clubs have got feeder clubs in Queensland somewhere.
Just the other day the Knights scouts were in NZ rugby league schoolboys, along with most other clubs scouts.
The Broncos are being punished and dragged into the gutter for having to support a large junior area, get raped and pillaged and then stuck with second rate players. Not good Freddie, Not good at all. I see trouble ahead.
September 11th 2012 @ 5:23pm
Ian Whitchurch said | September 11th 2012 @ 5:23pm | Report comment
Oikee,
In case it slipped your notice, the Brisbane Broncos are a private company majority owned by News Corporation, not a representitive side.
September 11th 2012 @ 7:54pm
Merv said | September 11th 2012 @ 7:54pm | Report comment
And as are the Storm, funny how they get such great draws, when did you last see either one have to play on Monday night LOL, also word is they both should have gone for the great salary cap rort……..
September 11th 2012 @ 7:29pm
hyland shark said | September 11th 2012 @ 7:29pm | Report comment
eight a side summer comp is what we need or i need double headers every game ,after each try a add no goal kicks a quick fast game for the i generation the 16 teams plus eight more teams two from perth two from adelaide another in melbourne another in nz and qld and apng team to shore up support for rugby league in our spot of the world ,,any one keen the ingoal area could be split to denote the try worth nearer to the post zone worht four outside are worth two ,,ten minute quarters played from 7 till nine ,,lets take the fight to the other sports head on in summer and winter ,,,,who i s keen and can u add something more and at kleast humoiur me
September 11th 2012 @ 7:22am
Andy said | September 11th 2012 @ 7:22am | Report comment
There is nothing wrong with Steve Matai’s tackling style, the real problem is that people keep running at him. One would have thought that opposition players would have learned their lesson by now. And that is not to run at Steve Matai, it is a simple as that. It is like people who swim in the ocean and then complain when they get attacked by a shark, it is a fact of nature.
September 11th 2012 @ 7:36am
oikee said | September 11th 2012 @ 7:36am | Report comment
Matai is nothing but a dog, Burns got ousted for life, 12 weeks, had to leave the country while Matai still runs around after his 10th knockout.
The game allows Matai to carry on with his next knockout.
He should have got 8 weeks for swinging his arm at a players head, yes head. With intent, he did not care about the player, he picked up the ball and run away. The guy is a lowlife.
September 11th 2012 @ 7:41am
Andy said | September 11th 2012 @ 7:41am | Report comment
Rugby league is supposed to be tough oikee, by the way you are going on about it we might as well convert the game to touch footy or better yet AFL where its hugs all round, makes me want to vomit. As far as i am concerned it was a good shot, it is called good defense.
September 11th 2012 @ 8:34am
oikee said | September 11th 2012 @ 8:34am | Report comment
Boxing is tough as well, but a knockout is a knockout, no coming back for more after that, and a swinging arm that knocks a player senseless, even if he stays on the field, has less affect . Matai walks scott free every time.
The NRL needs to revolutionalise the game, its old and stale.
September 11th 2012 @ 8:40am
Andy said | September 11th 2012 @ 8:40am | Report comment
I agree oikee, just like how Italy went from having gladiatorial combat to soccer matches. Disappointing to say the least, if that is the way the game is going.
September 11th 2012 @ 3:22pm
Hamish said | September 11th 2012 @ 3:22pm | Report comment
So the rules say a high tackle with swinging arm is illegal and therefore should be penalised – do we follow the rules or not or is it free for all..
September 11th 2012 @ 8:39am
Mals said | September 11th 2012 @ 8:39am | Report comment
Oikee, watch this then go cry into your weetbix champ.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pL6b96jaazU
September 11th 2012 @ 10:46am
planko said | September 11th 2012 @ 10:46am | Report comment
That golden Mals but it shows fine line between hiting the ball and the chest to hitting a guy in the head. The late off load means players have to tackle high and it won’t change way people tackle cause you need to stop the ball.
September 11th 2012 @ 5:39pm
MyGeneration said | September 11th 2012 @ 5:39pm | Report comment
Beautiful stuff, Mals. It’s even dedicated to Oikee. Perhaps the Broncos coaching staff will use it in training camp next year.
September 11th 2012 @ 2:16pm
mushi said | September 11th 2012 @ 2:16pm | Report comment
Humans tend to hunt down and kill apex predators when we are threatened. So are you giving a player permission to shoot him in the face Last boy scout style?
September 11th 2012 @ 7:47am
oikee said | September 11th 2012 @ 7:47am | Report comment
This is what the game is supposed to be stamping out, concussions. With a knockout to the chin by Matai’s swinging arm , the player brains shuts down causing the player to be knocked out, it is the bodies response to being hurt.
The swinging arm is a part of the game we need to stop, yet we alllow Matai only 1 week for his intent on swinging his arm and hitting a player high.
The game is clueless to what it needs to be inforcing, yet they worry about the shoulder charge that happens less and only accausionally goes wrong.
Hits to the chin, high shots, the head needs to be protected, the legs with a third man in need to be protected, players twisting legs and ankles, Jeremy Smith twisting Dugans leg back the other day, what happened their, nothing, the game has no understanding of what they should be inforcing, the game is amatuer, i said this the other day.
It is their, Black and White for all to see. The rules ? Amatuer, the callers helping, Amatuer (lockyer Freddie Joey/) the marketing, Amatuer, Promotion Amatuer, the Judy, Amatuer. The Video refs, amatuer.
It all needs fixing and fast. We are being overtaken by NFL in this country.
September 11th 2012 @ 7:50am
Andy said | September 11th 2012 @ 7:50am | Report comment
If you want to talk about concussions Inglis should have been rubbed out of the game. His shot on Dean Young was way more dangerous than Matai’s. Then you have to think about all the forwards who usually get some leniency at the judiciary in regards to concussion.
September 11th 2012 @ 8:03am
Lachlan Simpson said | September 11th 2012 @ 8:03am | Report comment
maybe dean young shouldn’t have run at greg inglis? isnt that the solution for matai?
September 11th 2012 @ 8:04am
Matt said | September 11th 2012 @ 8:04am | Report comment
Exactly, he had it coming for him
September 11th 2012 @ 8:22am
oikee said | September 11th 2012 @ 8:22am | Report comment
Inglis did it once, he got suspended i think, mjissed a few weeks, Matai has now done this at least 10 times already in his career, you cant train a dog new tricks, matter of fact you cant train this dog at all. Rub the sucker out, for life.
The game dont need him, hope Sonny Bill dog shots him,.
September 11th 2012 @ 8:24am
eagleJack said | September 11th 2012 @ 8:24am | Report comment
I love how people say Matai needs to be rubbed out. The game doesn’t need that style of play. But then want someone else to “dog shot” him.
September 11th 2012 @ 8:32am
Andy said | September 11th 2012 @ 8:32am | Report comment
Apples and oranges oikee, one was standing still, the other sprinting full pace. One ways as much as a prop, the other below 100 kilos. I would rather get hit by a slow moving car 10 times then a semi trailer once going 80 km.
September 11th 2012 @ 8:22am
eagleJack said | September 11th 2012 @ 8:22am | Report comment
Matai consistently hits players in the chest area. But sometimes that means, like the Perrett tackle, it slips up to the chin. Contact for Perrett was on the upper arm and it slid up. Hence it is nothing like the Burns tackle who leapt into the air and got Kennedy flush aross the face. And let’s not forget he also was found guilty for a chicken wing in the same game which added to the number of weeks
Take the ball on your right edge against Manly and you know what is coming.
September 11th 2012 @ 8:59am
B.A Sports said | September 11th 2012 @ 8:59am | Report comment
Seriously?!
Matai, who is taller than Perret ( i believe) left his feet to wack Perret in the head.
I said on a post last Friday that Matai, with all the adrenlin that would be flowing, was no chance of getting through this game without going on report, and as sure as the sun rises in the morning, it took less than 20 minutes!
The thing about Matai for me, though, He trys to be a tough man with his outside in “big hits” which make him feel like a tough man, but then if his sock falls down he hobbles off the field like he has been shot. All NRL players have a certain level of toughness above that of Joe Public, but Matai is as soft as they come when it comes to NRL players.
For a serial offender, the NRL need to take further measures. Most clubs would have taken their own steps by now, but as we know, Manly wont blame players for their behaviour, on or off the field, its everyone else who is just out to get them…
September 11th 2012 @ 9:08am
Andy said | September 11th 2012 @ 9:08am | Report comment
“Matai is as soft as they come when it comes to NRL players.” What is he a biter or a diver like some players, no. Most of the time he stays out on the field and plays through injury, but for an outside back i guess thats soft?
September 11th 2012 @ 9:32am
B.A Sports said | September 11th 2012 @ 9:32am | Report comment
Andy – “most of the time he (Matai) stays on the field and plays through injury” – quite possibly the funniest thing I have ever read on this site – Thanks for the laugh.
I can’t think of a more well worn path than that created by Matai walking from the field up the tunnel in the middle of game after hobbling and sulking around the field clutching at fingers, toes and all those other ailments he has. But he can blind side a bloke in the head and stand over him – because he is a tough guy…
September 11th 2012 @ 9:57am
Red Rooster said | September 11th 2012 @ 9:57am | Report comment
Agree Matai is a real sook – I was waiting for him to hobble off again on Fri night. The trainers are the ones who keep him on the field by giving him a “mummy pat” and telling him to play on. He will keep putting his hand up until he is taken off. Weak as.
September 11th 2012 @ 8:34pm
Danno1 said | September 11th 2012 @ 8:34pm | Report comment
Matai generally goes down injured in 2 scenarios;
1 just after he’s made a costly mistake, like fellow Kiwi from the distant past Bernie Lowther. Bernie always seemed to pull up lame after he had missed a tackle or dropped a ball.
and
2 just after he’s done something really really bad, like earlier this year when he clocked a guy in the head and got put on report. The ref had to wait for Matai to get up after cradling his poor sore arm.
The guy could be suspended for high shots every game he play. If he gets to play in this years grand final it would be a disgrace.
September 11th 2012 @ 11:01am
Mals said | September 11th 2012 @ 11:01am | Report comment
Geez it’s hilarous when keyboard warriors call NRL players soft!!
September 11th 2012 @ 9:33am
eagleJack said | September 11th 2012 @ 9:33am | Report comment
Not sure what the “Seriously?!” refers to? So let me get this straight because you said in a post on the Roar that Matai will go on report during the game then that PROVES that he hit Perrett flush in the face? Well darn B.A Sports you should have taken that nugget of info straight to the MRC. Cut and dry case. Matai out for life!
Look this was a case the MRC knew would create interest. They would have gone in there with the intention of rubbing Matai out for a while. Grade 4 would be what they were seeking. But on review of the tapes they would have seen that it is really a Grade 1 at best. Matai’s arm slid up Perret’s arm. Knowing that Manly would be unlikely to fight the charge they would have agreed on a Grade 2 – same outcome of a week on the sidelines but would keep the frothing media at bay slightly. Can you imagine if he only got a Grade 1 which is what the tackle deserved?
September 11th 2012 @ 9:58am
B.A Sports said | September 11th 2012 @ 9:58am | Report comment
eaglejack
What I was eluding to was that knowing Matai’s track record and given the significance of the game and the emotion and effort that would be flowing, it was almost a fore gone conclusion that he would commit an illegal tackle. And is it any suprise that his tackle came in the set of six after teams had come together as tempers started to flair on the back of the King tackle (which wasn’t that bad in the interest of fairness). No. He got fired up, he tried to be a tough guy, and he belted a bloke across the head. Grade 1, as you suggest would have created an even greater up roar.
I’m fine with grade 2 for what he did, I personally don’t understand a system that can’t cater for someone who continually goes out and commits these sort of tackles. Either they are all accidents in which case what are he and the club doing to change his style, or sooner or later the word “deliberate” needs to find it’s way onto his charge sheet.
September 11th 2012 @ 8:49pm
Damien said | September 11th 2012 @ 8:49pm | Report comment
BA
You’re abit off target with your soft description of Matai. I’m not sure you know what Matai’s actual role in the team is. He’s the guy that puts on the big hits now and then to lift the team. And I reckon he’s one of the best going around.
First to address this ‘outside in’ hit that seems to be classed as abit of a cheap shot. I don’t think it is. Its just part of the game IMO. The ball carrier/pass reciever should be more aware of their environment. Also most big hits are ‘blindsided’. Tahu, Burgess, Idris and even Petro have dished out plenty of ‘blindside’ hits.
What makes makes Matai pretty good IMO is that he is quite short which is a big disadvantage but he still pulls them of. The Axe was short as well but his hits were low and hard. He’s made some good ball and all hits but these were in the minority.
As to his injuries they are mostly directly related to his tackling technique. And this is the problem for Matai. In the team that’s his role. His neck/shoulder give him abit of grief but if Matai changes his style then in some perverse way he’ll sort of think he’s letting down the team. I can relate actuallly. When I was playing it was sort of my role (to try and put on the big hit to lift the team, not hit them high LOL) I used to love it but I knocked myself out 3 times (1 KO and 2 flash KO’s) in one season going for it. Plus in one of them I pinched a nerve in my neck (the guys elbow went straight at the base of neck/shoulder). I remember getting told to maybe ease up but for some silly reason I thought that my teamates would think that I would now be scared of the collision because of my KO’s and I don’t want to be labelled with the dreaded ‘S’ word. Now I shake my head but at the time I took so much pride in it…LOL I don’t bloody know what the hell I was thinking back then.
On his rap sheet, I have no argument with you on it. All I can say is that there is a process to deal with them and Matai deserves whatever he gets. I really like his aggresion because he’s actually not that big. And even you must admit in that clip he got some good shots on when the ball runner could see him. And they were props as well that were all bigger, heavier and taller than him.
A few final thoughts :
- Perret and Matai are both 182 cms tall.
- Morley was the ‘worst’ hitter of them all. Even the ones he got away with were when he ‘biceped’ a players head. Love the guy, and his aggression but I wasn’t a big fan of his technique. Burgess and Co are Ok but to me their hits look messy. Still the same result but sometimes Burgess, Inglis, Idris etc just use their forearms which to me just doesn’t look right.
- In League, Soloman Haumono IMO had beautiful form when he put on a hit. Looked so perfect and ‘clean’ and Illie Tabua (AKA The Human Skewer) from Union was lthe same.
September 11th 2012 @ 8:30am
Lou said | September 11th 2012 @ 8:30am | Report comment
Hardn up Tim!!! The bloke plays tough and always hard, and it’s inevitable that sometimes people get hurt!!! , Crocker , cam smith, burgess bros,ennis , gallen, bird, just a few who also give there all when they play!! Maybe you should start to follow A league but even then you will whinge about the fans being rough,, tea party with the fairies at the bottom of the garden anyone??? Tim???
September 11th 2012 @ 1:30pm
Tim Prentice said | September 11th 2012 @ 1:30pm | Report comment
I like the A-League, Lou, and if you think soccer is a soft game then you know jack about sports.
September 11th 2012 @ 8:32am
Rugby Realist said | September 11th 2012 @ 8:32am | Report comment
Matai is a disgrace. I am embarrased to be from the same country as him.
He simply wants to seriously harm people. Whatever the regulations state about repeat offences they are not harsh enough.
He is a thug a meathead and should be severly punished everytime he is on report, so every 2 weeks it seems
September 11th 2012 @ 9:09pm
Queensland's Game Is Rugby League said | September 11th 2012 @ 9:09pm | Report comment
Last year during the Cowboys vs Sea Eagles semi final Matai bent Bowen’s knee backwards in a tackle. We all know about the knee reconstructions that Bowen had had over the years. No doubt Matai was trying to injure one of Bowen’s knees. Bowen defended himself by grabbing at Matai’s dirty hair. Matai sat on the field clutching at his dirty hair. The referee overlooked everything Matai did to Bowen and penalised the Cowboys.
The refs were out to get the Cowboys that night. They allowed Manly to hold down in the play-the-balls for ages from the 50 minute onwards. It’s the only reason Manly were able to get in the game. Until that point the Cowboys were the dominant team. Manly only won because they used foul tactics and were aided by the refs.
September 11th 2012 @ 10:51pm
Sleemo said | September 11th 2012 @ 10:51pm | Report comment
Haha, yeah, Manly won by 30+ points because the refs helped them. Goose.
September 12th 2012 @ 12:27am
Queensland's Game Is Rugby League said | September 12th 2012 @ 12:27am | Report comment
You mustn’t have seen the game, or don’t know real rugby league.
It happened like I said. Cowboys gave up when they realised they were playing against 15 men.
September 12th 2012 @ 12:56pm
Sleemo said | September 12th 2012 @ 12:56pm | Report comment
I did see the game, and I do know rugby league. I’m also a Queenslander and – in a rare case of demostrating sensibility as a Queenslander who loves rugby league – I’m capable of providing a balanced assessment on something to do with the sport and my own team.
Manly have copped their fair share of dud calls this year, just like any other team. It happens. To be honest Toovey complaining after every loss (and some wins) is starting to get on my nerves. But to suggest the refs are favouring Manly is ridiculous. If there are any clubs the NRL would want to be favouring I can guarantee Manly would not be among them.
I’d suggest Manly won that game over the Cowboys last year because, despite a slow start, they were much stronger across the board, had better attacking and defensive structures (as the scoreline shows) and played to the conditions better. If the Cowboys gave up during the game because they thought they were playing against 15 men, well it just goes to show how professional they really are.
It was over a year ago mate, get over it.
September 13th 2012 @ 10:49pm
Queensland's Game Is Rugby League said | September 13th 2012 @ 10:49pm | Report comment
Watch the game again. Manly didn’t get on top until they started holding down in the tackes and cost us one of our forwards. It all went downhill from that moment. We didn’t make many metres after that point and we were out on our feet, especially around the middlle third of the park.
September 14th 2012 @ 8:33am
Sleemo said | September 14th 2012 @ 8:33am | Report comment
Interesting, because nowhere in any news reports, press conferences or interviews did any Cowboys players lament Manly’s alleged “holding down” tactics as a reason for their 42-8 loss. Further, I don’t recall reading, seeing or hearing of any independent news reports that objectively stated that Manly’s underhand tactics were rampant and were the cause of the result being the way it was.
I really think that in a finals game with so much at stake, if this sort of thing was going on and wasn’t being addressed by the referees, it would be brought to light pretty damn quick. But nowhere did that happen.
September 14th 2012 @ 3:55pm
Queensland's Game Is Rugby League said | September 14th 2012 @ 3:55pm | Report comment
Cowboys aren’t whingers. Media ignores the Cowboys.
September 11th 2012 @ 8:40am
oikee said | September 11th 2012 @ 8:40am | Report comment
He always goes into one on one tackles with one arm swinging. Not long ago he was jumping off the ground and use his shoulder to knock the other player out,. The guy is nothing but a thug who will never learn.
At the beginning of the year he did a shot, and was mentioned then it is only a matter of time before he does it again.
The Manly culture is not helping either. The we dont care attitude is really damaging the games image. Rub Manly out now and bring back the Bears ASAP>
September 11th 2012 @ 9:24am
JZ said | September 11th 2012 @ 9:24am | Report comment
Its a fast game were guys change direction all the time or fall into a tackle, some times you cant help but cop one around the chops,
maybe we should be tackling around the legs like back in the day or just call it touch football.
September 11th 2012 @ 9:25am
Rugby Realist said | September 11th 2012 @ 9:25am | Report comment
that would be an excuse without such a history