As always, I take my unique perspective from the comfort of my lounge chair and apply it to the weekend’s NRL action.
Souths versus Canterbury
The NRL will be feeling slightly better after 41,000 turned out for the traditional Good Friday match-up between the Dogs and Rabbits, although it was still a long way short of the 51,000 that attended the fixture last year.
Also traditional at this time of year are the puns about Hot Cross Bunnies or the Easter Bunnies, but it’s also the right time of year for miraculous comebacks.
Eight points down with 12 minutes to go probably doesn’t qualify for the miraculous definition, but the Dogs must have the football gods on their side winning their third match straight by a single point, bettering Melbourne’s back-to-back one-point wins to open the season.
Manly versus North Queensland
If we’ve learnt anything this week, it’s that it can be bad for the career to be caught accepting undeserved and overly generous gifts. Manly should be expecting a phone call from ICAC any day now as this game was stolen from the Cowboys by the six men in pink (assuming the video refs wear pink too) and presented to Manly.
The last time the Cowboys played Manly in Sydney, it was the 2012 finals series and the Cowboys got hosed by the video refs. It couldn’t happen again could it? Oh yes it could, and did.
Trailing 14-20, Manly’s Brett Stewart was caught on the fifth tackle close to the Cowboys’ line. In desperation he attempted to pass the ball. There are tribes in the deepest, most remote parts of the Amazon, as yet untouched by civilisation that could see that Stewart’s pass went forward, yet none of the officials noticed and instead waved six again.
To heap insult upon injury, from the extra set, Foran went through a gap to score a try to level the scores that was opened in part due to the interference of Jamie Buhrer.
Ray Thompson did a pathetic job and instead of theatrically falling down when contact was made as per the modern script, foolishly attempted to play on and make the tackle. Even so, it was an obvious penalty; obvious to everyone on the planet apart from the men pushing the buttons in the video ref’s box.
The refs weren’t the only ones handing out gifts.
Steve Matai had scored eight tries in six games and Manly’s left side attack has statistically been the best in the competition. The Cowboys right side defence would have been well aware that they would face a stern examination. An examination they failed with flying colours; taking all of four minutes to falter the first time and all of Manly’s tries were ultimately scored down that side.
The final margin was five points, and the Cowboys left six very gettable points on the field via some horrible goal kicking after Thurston initially handed over the goal kicking duties to Kyle Feldt who missed two from adjacent to the posts.
Even with their poor goal kicking and the refereeing blunders, the Cowboys were still in front after Thurston’s unlikely field goal, but they were determined to lose.
“Score six – get to your kick” is a golden rule all the time, but when it’s within the last five minutes after your team has just put a massive morale killer behind them to re-take the lead by one point, then there is nothing more important than completing that set.
Tariq Sims took the kick reception back like a man possessed, that was followed by Matt Scott carrying defenders with him. Then NSW and Australian front row forward James Tamou took his hit up, ball in one arm and coughed it up, and the rest is history.
If Tamou hangs onto the ball, then the ref debacle is most likely a moot point rather than the focus. Tamou is guilty of the single worst play of the NRL season so far.
Newcastle versus Brisbane
Trying to follow Newcastle’s form this year has been about as difficult and frustrating as attempting to follow a Wagner Opera without English subtitles (just ask Bob Carr what a problem that is).
You would forgive Newcastle for not having their mind completely on football this season, but with things looking more positive with the return of Jarrod Mullen and a confidence boosting win in Canberra, their effort here was utterly “hoffnungslos” (hopeless).
They were never in the match, despite it being played in Newcastle, as Ben Barba put his nightmare game behind him to spark the Broncos to a very comfortable win, scoring his first try for Brisbane in the process.
St George-Illawarra versus Warriors
Yet another repeat of a Round 2 match-up with the Dragons and Warriors both desperate for points.
The Dragons own this match-up, winning 17 of the 21 matches all time, including the last nine in a row, although the Warriors have killed off a couple of hoodoos this year; winning in Townsville for the first time in many years.
The Dragons put the disappointment of Monday night’s Melbourne match behind them by taking a 12-0 lead to the break, then steadying late in the game after suffering a case of the wobbles early in the second half to continue their dominance over the Warriors.
Different coach, but same result for the Warriors.
Cronulla versus Roosters
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; there is no other team that has suffered worse luck than the Sharks this year. Ongoing drug dramas and injuries aside, their draw has had them playing the worst clubs at the worst possible times.
Facing an emotional Newcastle after the McKinnon injury, facing Manly at Brookvale while they were hurting after being belted by Wests and then this week facing the Premiers a week after they were beaten by the wooden spooners. Difficult games in any circumstances, but the Sharks could have done without the added incentives from the opposition.
Not even the return of Paul Gallen could reverse their luck, with two attacking kicks from the Sharks resulting in Roosters tries down the other end of the field.
Stuck at the bottom of the ladder, it’s almost time to rename the Sharks – to the Wobbegongs who are described as: “bottom-dwelling sharks, spending much of their time resting on the sea floor”.
Unfortunately accurate.
Canberra versus Melbourne
As mentioned last week, over the 2012/13 seasons, Canberra had a winning streak of 12 matches in Canberra. That streak was broken by the Storm in a 68-4 debacle, which triggered a six match losing strea. It seems very fitting and like we’ve come the full circle for the losing streak to be broken by Melbourne’s next visit.
For 78 minutes it looked like the losing streak would continue until Paul Vaughan stepped, stepped and stepped again through the middle of the Storm defence to score the match winning try and escape with the win; perhaps this was the great Easter comeback we’d been waiting for.
Holding onto the four point lead, Melbourne’s Sisa Waqa had two golden chances to score and wrap up the game, the first saw him brilliantly held up by Josh Papalli when he looked certain to score while the second was ruled out by the officials appearing not to have grounded the ball as he slid across the try line.
That’s how I saw it from the Couch, let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Twitter: @Armchair_Guru
Dav
Guest
You Sydney people miss the plot and way over complicating things to justify the bias. Just stick to the rules and don't be bias is all that is required. These video refs like in the NFL should be bunkered, they shouldn't even know the score, crowd attendance, whether someone is injured ... they should just be handed pieces of footage to adjudicate on and be done with it and wait for the next footage. simple.... This stuff has been experimented within the NFL for years and for the NRL to ignore it is just plain bad management.... if I ran a business that way I wouldn't expect it to last long. I thought the RL World Cup was fantastic the way the video Ref would explain his rational through every step to the public, this is also done in the NFL where the Refs explain clear and concise rulings on every foul play. Let them rule on forward passes from the last tackle in the lead up to a try as well. If this is the case we would not be wasting out time on this conversation and could be talking more about performance, player changes, best plays etc... what we should be talking about, sort the Refs out quick ...
planko
Guest
I conceded at the time during the game that the call was probably wrong however we were begging for this last year. I also say that we don't know what would have happened in the game. It would have effect every other decision. What has been lost is that Manly could have tried to level the score but went for the win on the last tackle not the field goal like Thurston did ?
Armchair Guru
Roar Pro
I realise that is what is being ruled on. I said ..and Thompson was impeded I perhaps should have said ...and Thompson was impeded, which prevented him from filling the gap that Foran ran through to score the try. Based on what I've seen from people's reactions is that 95% think it should have been a penalty to the Cowboys, so Paul Mellor was one of the very few people that saw the Buhrer incident and thought Thompson wouldn't have made a difference.
planko
Guest
Point completely missed well done. Whether a man was impeded is completely irrelevent. Would he have made a difference to the play ? That is what the player in the box is being asked to rule on. Sutton was impeded try given. Brooks impeded no try. They are making calls on their opinion on whether he could have stopped the try.
Armchair Guru
Roar Pro
Commentators, ex-players, viewers have been fairly universal in their condemnation of the NQ/Manly decision. Often there is conjecture over who initiated the contact and whether the defender made the decision to come in on the dummy runner, but in my opinion in the Manly game, Buhrer clearly stopped in the Cowboys line and Thompson was impeded. As with any rulings where there is discretion, consistency is the key, which is always going to be difficult to achieve and will never be perfect. As much as it is against my religion, I tend to agree with Phil Gould, in that I think that the video ref is killing the game and far less should be sent upstairs and things like obstruction should be adjudicated by the referees and leave grounding/sidelines to the video ref. Nothing gets my goat more than the ref ruling "no try" when sending to the video ref getting them to check obstruction. If you think it's an obstruction, blow the penalty and get on with it.
planko
Guest
Armchair last year we as in most on the roar we were wingeing that there was no flexiabilty in the obstruction calls now we are wingeing that they "making calls". We were wingeing that the referees were being quite anal about it. It is the " ex player in the box calling obstruction". Ex players in general still believe in the shepherd rule and they also dont believe most players blocked would have made the ground. The player in the box concluded that Ray Thompson or John Sutton would not have got there. The player in the box at the time concluded Brooks would have made a difference. You do realise their is no right or wrong answer it is a matter of opinion. This is what we wanted last year,
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
And weather would have to be a big factor too (aside from scheduling). Look at the Roosters v Bulldogs game. 15,000 with affordable ticket packages. 25,000 become 10,000 less straight away due to weather/pouring rain. I could point out many other games in the same situation. Don't fall for news ltd agendas. The wettest March/April in more than a decade is not a light thing to discount. The great weather proved it this weekend, and we'll see it again next weekend if weather forecasts are correct.
Armchair Guru
Roar Pro
Parramatta vs Wests Match up of the teams in 15th and 16th from last season and who would have believed it if you said at the start of the year that 50K+ people would show up, or that the winner would go into a tie for first spot on the ladder ? The questions coming out of the game are - how much are 2 compeitition points worth and when will they learn ?? This was an Eels home game yet it was played at one of the home grounds of the TIgers at ANZ Stadium. In 2012, Parramatta took 3 of their home games and played them at ANZ Stadium. They lost all 3. In 2013, Parramatta took 3 of their home games and played them at neutral venues (2 to ANZ Stadium). They lost all 3. The last time Parramatta won at ANZ Stadium was July 23, 2010 and haven't won there in their last 13 attempts, yet someone within the Eels organisation had a lightbulb moment thinking "Hey - let's take our home game and play it at the home of the Tigers where we haven't won for 4 years". Even more amazing is that no one else in the organisation immediately applied a "Stone Cold Steve Austin Stunner", the moment that person uttered thethought aloud. You don't need to know anything else to know the result of the match. Outraged at Parramatta's poor grasp of history and preferring $ over competition points, the football gods allowed the Eels to play all over the Tigers, scoring 4 tries to 3 and still lose the game. Two of the Tigers' tries came from length of the field intercepts against the run of play and the football gods intervened further by pushing 3 of Sandow's conversion attempts wide. If any of those were successful then the Eels likely win.
Professor Rosseforp
Guest
Armchair Guru, I am surprised that you mentioned Brett Stewart's forward pass in the Manly-Cowboys match. As a Furniture Flaneur, I would have preferred you list the passes in all matches that are NOT forward. This is a much quicker task than counting forward passes. Next thing you will be expecting that the ball be fed into the middle of the scrum, between the 2 teams.
Armchair Guru
Roar Pro
Certainly a good crowd today, but it's been no secret that the crowds have been a continuing disappointment so far this year with a couple of exceptions. The indifferent start from the Bunnies should have been somewhat offset by the better than expected start of the Bulldogs. I don't think there is one reason for the crowds being down, I suspect it's a mixture of many reasons.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
Well, I think we have 50,000 plus at ANZ today. Interesting Rothfield had another go at NRL crowds yesterday but conveniently (along with the reports) the poor crowds at the A League finals. Such agenda driven drivel.
turbodewd
Guest
I think the departures of SBW and Sam Burgess at the end of this year definitely put a bummer of a spin on things too. But isnt it at least good that we are now talking of crowds of 40,000 or 50,000 - it proves ANZ can fill up if a good show is put on.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
Armchair, the Souths game drew 43,000 and after the indifferent start from the Bunnies may have had something to do with the lesser crowd.