Experts expose the heartbreaking reason why the NRL is doomed
There has certainly been no lack of drama in the league world since the final siren sounded on the last day of September.
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There has certainly been no lack of drama in the league world since the final siren sounded on the last day of September.
It’s been a week since Game 3 of Origin and with pretty much any discussion on the game revolving around post-match drama I figured I’d take the opportunity to remind everyone that a game did in fact take place prior to the awards ceremony.
I’ve been putting this article off for a while now. It has been sitting in my hard drive under various iterations since the Game 1 State of Origin loss for Queensland.
After the retirements of Queensland stalwarts Johnathan Thurston and Cooper Cronk, the state’s first Origin team for 2018 was always going to have a different flavour to it.
Well here we are, nine rounds in and already the football is starting to distract from the true purpose of the early season – providing context to present fans their preferred NSW Blues line-up for Game 1 of State of Origin.
If you’ve been following this series you’ll already be aware which teams have made my all important top five, but now it’s time to place them in order and list arbitrary reasons for doing so!!
Well here we are. With part 1 and part 2 covering teams 9 through 16, it’s time jump into the top eight.
With the bottom five teams established in part one of this series, we find ourselves about to delve into the meat of the season.
‘Tis the season to dress up complete guesswork as research and statistical analysis.
Watching the eighth-placed Cowboys knock out both the fifth-placed Sharks and the fourth-placed Eels in succession got me thinking.
Referee-bashing, it’s existed since the dawn of sport. Yet here we are at the business end of the season and it’s all anyone can talk about.
It’s that time of year again. Queensland have walked away with yet another State of Origin victory and every man and his dog is laying into New South Wales over various perceptions as to why and how they lost.
What just happened? The dynasty was over, Queensland had been weighed, measured and found wanting.
Did India opt out of playing at the gabba last Tour as well? Or was that just a coincidence?
CA wants clarity from India over Gabba Test
It’s very much the jets bid mate. There’s plenty of articles that still call the “Western corridor” bid the jets bid. Take a look – https://www.google.com/amp/s/coupler.foxsports.com.au/api/v1/article/amp/nrl/nrl-premiership/nrl-2020-expansion-brisbane-peter-vlandys-redcliffe-dolphins-easts-tigers-ipswich-jets-and-brisbane-bombers/news-story/ff06b32de4bafa766d30d5647a73aba9
The 17th NRL team? There’s only one answer
I think you’ll find that the “Western corridor” bid isn’t a brand new entity, it’s a rebranding of the Ipswich jets. The Brothers bid probably deserved a mention as well
The 17th NRL team? There’s only one answer
To be fair its pretty much how he’s defended all critisism as NSW coach, it’s just that he’s been given a free pass until now. He’s never had to use it to defend a series loss before
Fittler learns from Origin series defeat
How does an article titled “Fitler learns from Origin series defeat” end with the quote “I refuse to waste my time at night”? What did I just read? It read like a daytime infomercial that was building up to sell mattresses or something…
Fittler learns from Origin series defeat
surely enough of the cap’s been freed to make some more permanent acquisitions by now- Bird, Boyd, Joe O, Fifita got a fair chunk between them
Broncos sign Cowboy Asiata
No chance mate, he’ll get given every excuse under the sun. The old boys have been pushing for him as coach since 2014 and I’m sure his media mates can drag out blaming Siebold for at least another 12 months
Broncos sign Cowboy Asiata
Did we end up getting Mead? Actually, I dunno if I want to know
Broncos sign Cowboy Asiata
They had to get rid of it before Farrah came through, he would’a been waving the markers away whenever he got tackled 😛
Two-point field goal included in new NRL rules
No such thing as wingers mate, just wasted fullbacks
The good and the bad of the NRL's rule changes
The problem is that tht’s what they were doing originally and every blew up as decisions were overturned against thier own teams…
The good and the bad of the NRL's rule changes
Are we taking bets on the first player to get a challenge back that tries to use it immediately on the same call?
The good and the bad of the NRL's rule changes
Fans would still have to overcome the clubs latest ad offering…
'Tis the season to be silly: Let's talk NRL expansion
The problem with committees is that is rarely publicly stated what they’ve been specifically asked to do. I remember when the NRL said that an independent committee they’d set up had found that shoulder charges were too dangerous and had to go only for several members of said committee to later feel the need to clarify and say that they were informed that the shoulder charge was going to be banned and their job was to come up with how to ban it. And I’ve gotta say that it does seem strange having the chairman of the board on what’s usually promoted as an independent committee
Two-point field goal included in new NRL rules
I still don’t understand the rational used for bringing it in (aside from appeasing certain fans).
“So, to fix teams abusing stoppages around penalties we’re introducing more six agains to keep the game flowing! Also, each team gets a free extended stoppage around a penalty or play of their choosing so that teams can’t say the ref is costing them games. Also, you can’t challenge most of the decisions now anyway because they’re play ons… “
Two-point field goal included in new NRL rules
At least this time it’s before the start of the season…
Two-point field goal included in new NRL rules
So essentially it’d be the same as when the bunker would whisper in the refs ear to check something that everyone blew up about a couple seasons ago, just cutting out the formality of including the ref. I wasn’t actually against that but it’ll be interesting to see what the reaction is once a media approved side gets try gets reversed off screen.
Two-point field goal included in new NRL rules
So if no one’s asking to stop the clock for cramps then this rule wouldn’t apply to that anyway and cramps will continue as per usual given that this rule only applys specifically to trainers requesting a stoppage and not just treating players in general play
Two-point field goal included in new NRL rules
Just for clarity, does the new bunker in the background thing mean that basicly every try is now essentially going to the video ref but the review isn’t getting aired?
Two-point field goal included in new NRL rules
Sorry, didn’t realise he was above reproach, guess I’ll just learn my place…
Two-point field goal included in new NRL rules
Didn’t Sri Lanka play there instead though?
CA wants clarity from India over Gabba Test