Not sure I trust Eddie’s judgement. Several bad calls that will haunt RA for sometime. He has also become a media tart freely throwing his opinions around which have become rather tiresome.

Many of us are sick of Trumpian politics. People who loudly claim their virtues and magic powers then fail to deliver. No second chance. Just ask John Connelly.

Not sure Foster is correct. The best rugby today is in the NH. The AB will need players that can play to that standard, particularly up front. Best coaching, best experience. Opportunities will be limited but can only improve AB. Players should be encouraged, not discouraged. Local comp will not be ruined, there will still be plenty of depth. Seeing the full houses in Europe we certainly need to be fully engaged with what is going on there and engaging some of the European stars will create more interest in the AB with players such as James Lowe and Kerr
Barlow in the team. Certainly needs to be discussed and not dismissed so quickly.

Great article. Those people stating Folau has a right to free speech seem to miss the point everytime. He can say what he likes but to not expect consequences is plain dumb. I might believe non whites are inferior to whites but to say so publicly when my boss is non white would hardly make sense. I also support slavery because my Bible says it is OK. But how dare people tell me I shouldn’t express such views. Well they are probably trying to protect me from public ridicule and scorn. Perhaps I will write an article that expresses my beliefs in such a way that people will understand what an intelligent and thoughtful person I really am and then people will realise that the writer of the tweet is not so dumb after all. Really?

I vividly recall test cricketers refusing to play on Sundays. The consequences were regretted by at least one of the players. Hopefully Folau will get plenty of support and professional direction before making a decision that he might learn to regret.

What did Folau Do? That is surely the point. Leave quoting biblical texts to those qualified to do so. The bible is very contentious and if you regard it as the inerrant word of God you might like to extend your studies a little bit.

Tim Wilson was probably right. We should not take Folau’s opinion on any matter seriously. He might quote God thinking he is qualified to speak for God but might be better advised to quote passages that are not hurtful to fellow humans. Many people find extreme religious beliefs hard to stomach but religious tolerance is a core value of our society. However, are we to admire people who believe they are entitled to express obnoxious views on social Media? For a person who claims to read his bible I presume Folau has read many passages that even he finds obnoxious and would never quote them. But perhaps I am wrong on that point. Qantas should realise Folau might feel qualified to speak for God but he doesn’t speak for the majority of the rugby community despite what Spiro might imply.

I hate sitting in my arm chair and criticising players when I know they have worked a lot harder than I have all week and are much more gutted than I when they underperform. But i feel compelled to say the following. The Reds are one of the teams I champion and all I want to see is the same level of commitment and consistency as shown by my other team the Hurricanes. The Reds look great for moments but terrible a lot of the time. All NZ teams play at express tempo all the time but the Reds will look on task for a while and then return to aimless play which seems to be the norm. Because he is captain Kerevi gives the impression he wants to win the game on his own but any half decent defence knows exactly what he going to do. He is a finisher not a playmaker. Solve the midfield and the Reds might have the capacity to take on the Hurricanes. I would like to see that.

It is often challenging reading stuff on social media. The following discussions upset me. Non whites are inferior to whites. Slavery is acceptable because the bible endorses it. The bible is the inerrant word of God. Trump is a great president. Abbott should be prime minister. Gays should seek redemption. The world was created in 6000 years. Offensive or just contrary to my beliefs? Politically incorrect or just plain untrue? There are some things better left unsaid because they reflect very poorly on those who say them. Folau might believe he is right but he still offends me.

You opinion is always respected Brett but I think you are wrong on this matter. The Crotty case was a classic because of the impact it had on a game that had us all on the edge of our seats. The tackle was hardly reckless as in the other cases – quite the contrary. It was a fantastic tackle. You can argue, because the arm ended up around the neck then a penalty was warranted. I can accept that. Was there force to the head – no. Was the tackle careless – no. Should the tackler have decided not to attempt the tackle – no. Was it possible to stop a try by not attacking the shoulder – no. These are the emotions I had when watching the game. The deflation and irritation when the referee awarded a penalty try, then issuing a yellow card, was palpable. In 90% of cases I would agree with you and hopefully the Crotty example will prove to be a rarity. I should add there were many examples of arms hitting heads on the weekend that were reckless and not punished. The referee should be sanctioned when those instances occur. Obviously it is a very difficult subject but to suggest players know the rules and know the consequences is surely simplistic. There are cases where the referee must be allowed to use some common sense and not just tick the boxes.

No one seems to have mentioned Frisby showing symptoms of the Genia disease – running one or two paces before passing. When he passes quickly the Reds show at least some penetration. More often than not it is all very mechanical with the receiver forced to move slowly making it impossible for the team to break the line. With sustained quick service the talented Red’s backline can surely do better. .

This problem is the result of the perception that rugby league players are faster, stronger, tougher and better ball players than rugby union players. Add to this the league background of some of the England coaching staff and there is a disaster waiting to happen. Even an underdone league player will be better than an experienced union player. That might have been true in the amateur days but union has finally come of age as a professional sport and I would suggest there is now no difference between a league or union player in terms of physical attributes. For Sam to think he had a chance of getting into the England side for the RWC was plain silly and for the English selectors to put him into the team was an horrendous mistake. Sam did not perform poorly but he clearly did not deserve to be in the side. Imagine the uproar if Mal Meninga thought Richie McCaw should be in the Qld SOO side after half a season of playing the game. How bloody stupid that would be. And imagine the uproar if Qld lost!!

No it is not entirely Sam’s fault but he must take a lot of the blame as he has certainly let a lot of people down who obviously believed he was genuine in his desire to play union. He clearly was not. Perhaps he owes a lot of people a big apology for taking the easy way out. And perhaps the English rugby union should get over it as far as rugby leaque is concerned. With the improved defences in union I doubt very much that league has anything to teach union and vice versa. They are very different games which leads me to ask why people think a hybrid game is worth pursuing? That is beyond me and of course another subject.

Thanks Andrew for a balanced view. The article written by Greg Martin was quite sickening. As with QC I am sad to see JOC go but certainly hope he appreciates there are a lot of people who do not share the views of Greg Martin. Surely a person who has played at the top level can do better than play the shock jock but then the views of Greg Martin have been strident for sometime now. Usually I just ignore his opinion but his gutter language will hopefully see him taken off air. Some humility and understanding please! The thought did occur to me he possibly needs help.

As good as the wins against England and Wales were they will only be judged as great when the Wallabies take the cup. This is one case where the destination is far more important than the journey. One slip in the journey from now will surely alter the rhetoric.

First impression Smith tackle looked OK – not even a penalty – hips were level with shoulders not above. Legs were elevated but carrier was placed on ground. Still looks OK to me. Carter tackle a lot worse and yellow card certainly warranted. Hooper’s raging bull impersonation also deserved a yellow.

I don’t want to get the boot into Quade because he has given me and many other rugby fanatics a lot of enjoyment with the unique way he plays the game. There is no one else quite like him. Having said that I am very disappointed as a Red’s supporter we have not seen a lot more of him.

He is entitled to get the best financial deal he can for the relatively short time he will be in the sport, but we are entitled to feel a little short changed that he has decided to leave us having been injured for most of the season. I am also disappointed he has not been able to consistently perform at the highest level because we all wanted the best for him and felt he could have been one of the greats. Having said that he has still achieved more than most of us have.

Have we seen the best of Quade? I think we may have, unfortunately. But all the best to you Quade and thanks for what you have given Qld Rugby.

Just don’t forget the Kiwis know you are one of them and do not take kindly to one of their own behaving in an unsportsmanlike fashion.

Well that is your opinion Ralph but I have never met a League supporter who gave much credence to the game of rugby, and I know of several former rugby fanatics who have lost interest in the game. But does that mean the game today is boring? Well that has to be a matter of opinion because I for one completely disagree.

In my opinion it is League that has lost its Mojo. I have watched every State of Origin since 1983 but now find it utterly cringe worthy. All that immortal stuff, and statues for talented but very mortal players, and the promos that almost suggest the players are war heroes. Heavens above, no other sport attempts to deify its players who in many cases are not exactly role models. The greatest game of all – hardly. Football/Soccer is the only game that could make that claim but League supporters have to keep persuading themselves that theirs is the greatest game, and part of that is to denigrate Rugby whenever they get the opportunity. I think you could called it inferiority but I wouldn’t go that far.

I doubt very much you would find a League supporter who would have found the Claremont/Stade French final in the least bit interesting – no tries were scored – goodness how boring! But I still found it entertaining – and yes, perhaps I am the only one.

Any one who follows Rugby will be very aware that the game is growing world wide, in Asia, in Africa, in North America and even soccer mad places such as South America. I get the feeling there are a lot of people who are unable to understand that Rugby has a lot more appeal world wide than League ever will. That is not to denigrate League, as I recognise and appreciate the abilities of the top line League players.

As a Rugby fanatic, and yes there are still plenty of those, I am looking forward to a RWC that will showcase the game world wide, but even if every game is a ‘boring’ slug fest I am sure I will get more enjoyment than I will watching the game next week in Melbourne.

Perhaps Quade should be trying to go round the legs to bring players down – attempting a shoulder charge on a much bigger man is surely asking for trouble? JOC has found going aroung the legs gets better results after surprising us all with a few attempts to bear hug bigger men.

Stop the clock when the first scrum collapses and only restart the clock when the halfback retrieves the ball after a successful scrum.

Scrum penalties must be retained but only for dangerous play or failing to comply with refs instructions. No penalty for putting ball under hookers feet. Just stop the clock and reset scrum. Surely players will start to police themselves if the alternative is endless scrums and no time limit. Or would the simple tactic be to utterly destroy the weaker scrum until the defeated scrum just walks off in disgust? Quite possibly. Give me the status quo if the alternative is depowering the scrum.

Sorry, but I just cannot watch rugby league nowadays and I have watched a lot of it over the past 30years. My reasons don’t matter but I love the unpredictability of Union which comes about through the genuine contest for the ball.

Last year, 2013. The stakes were a lot higher than this year. AB performance this year well down especially in the first half with quite a bit of laboured passing.

Not a lot of dull moments in the AB/SA game in SA last year. The entire game was memorable for the pace and execution and will certainly linger with me. I believe the game today is definitely better. Watching the AB execution with the ball and execution of the Eagles will also be something to remember.

The big question for me is why DP filed the complaint months after the event. Did she tell KB at the time that she would take no further action unless he misbehaved again? And not tell the boss? Professional behaviour? The tensions between KB and DP must have been simmering for months. KB’s subsequent behaviour then becomes rather predictable. Apart from allowing EM to dictate his management team I fail to see how the ARU is remotely to blame for the mess.

And of course the fallout will be entirely KB’s fault – quite a guilt trip for anyone let alone a flawed talent. KB’s management team obviously felt he had a good legal case and have been proven correct. So that should be the end of the discussion. My gut feeling tells me that the lady on the receiving end of all this is also a flawed talent as she had a responsibilty to be looking after the welfare of KB. KB’s erratic behaviour is hardly news and clearly he is in need of special attention – confrontations should be avoided – especially after a dramatic test loss. To equate his position to that of an employee is plain silly. We are talking elite performers who are often liable to extreme highs and lows – they are under great stress at the best of times. I am not saying the behaviour is acceptable I am saying the behaviour has to be professionally managed. If Bill Pulver knew all about this from the beginning then he must take much of the responsibilty for the fallout. But it would appear the coach has taken on that responsibility. We will know one day.

Simple of me I know but reading a positive article is much more heartening than all the negative tripe that gets written nowadays. I reckon Pulver was pretty close to the mark. Watching the wonderful doco on Gough Whitlam again last night showed how to counter negativity – be positive and constructive and do not be unkind. I do enjoy reading some of the articles on the roar particularly the constructive analysis of the Wallabies performance. However much of what is written is simply depressing and not worth the effort. The only positive thing about the negative articles at least proves there are a lot of rugby people out there who believe passionately about the game. Rugby is clearly far from dead, even in Australia.

I have watched every state of origin match since 1983 and watched this years NRL grand final and the AFL grand final. The talent of the combatants is undeniable – NRL gladiators and AFL althleticism. Every team in both codes has plently of support because they have been tribal for decades. That will continue and rugby in Australia can never hope to compete with that tribal support. But more importantly there is a big problem with the Aussie psyche. We hate losing. With rugby competing on the international stage, with both Super 15 and Wallabies, support in Australia for the game depends entirely on the success of the Aussie teams. All the navel gazing about how rugby is dying etc is unfortunate. Sure it is frustrating at times but more often exhilarating. The game at Ellis park last year was a celebration of the game and the match this year was not far behind. IMO both games far exceeded anything I have seen in the NRL and AFL this year. But who cares. I have loved watching all games on Foxtel this year and if the market for the game is so limited that no free to air channel wants it, so what. If the majority of sports followers in Australia prefer their suburban comps then fine – its a free world. But just compare the support given to the NRL nines in NZ compared with the seven a side at the Gold Coast. The comparision does us little credit. But please do not suggest that the problem is with rugby and the administration in Australia. It is most likely that rugby will never capture the hearts of a large number of Australians. But I do not intend to lose any sleep over that.