Don Aprile's Roar Profile

I wish he would apply the same set of principles and thinking to the ‘ black and white rules’ they have introduced for the ‘contact to the head’ rule the ‘crusher tackle’ and the latest one ‘the hip drop’ rule.

NRL News: 'Pisses me off': Bennett raging as NRL admits crucial knock on blunder helped Raiders beat Phins

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Apr

I would have to agree with you 100%…. He’s got more than a halves problem to address if he wants go all the way.

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2023

Not a bad problem to have though Nat….as a cowboy supporte I think it’s great seeing players like the Hammer, Drinkwater , Dearden and Granvillle all plying for positions especially as they are all ‘spine players’…

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2022

Best way I could explain one of the grey areas is the ‘unavoidable’ and accidental ‘ minor’ contacts to the head …should be a warning on the run or at worst a penalty.

G’day Nat… even though I suggested bringing back the U/20 comp the jury is still out with me on its merits.
My main concern is the wellfare of the young players who are let go and can’t find another club to go to. Football has been their life and that’s all they know , some can handle some can’t.
If the comp was to be reserected I would like to see NRL stipulate that part of the deal would be that they would have to get out of their ‘clubland bubble’ for a couple of days a week and do some everyday work or volunteer work to make them realise what the ‘real word ‘is all about.

Agree… young talanted players should be able to recruited from areas outside their jurisdiction and as long as they are being developed by the club over a continuous period of time..eg 5 or more years .. they could the be classed as ‘home grown’.

I agree 100% Kerry.
I should have explained my thoughts better.
I too come from a country town and being involved in junior league for years had seen many very talented kids lost to the game because they were never given a chance.
When I talk of nurseries and grassroots I certainly include the kids from the bush.
Any NRL teams that recruits and develop these kids should be able to class them as ‘home grown’
And yes I agree the the NRL needs to do a lot more in these area.
I think we might be on the same bus Kerry.
.

Emcie…I would have thought his kicking game, running the ball and game management would all be part of the criteria for his million dollar contract.
You could throw in defence and putting your body on the line for your team as the complete package.
I feel ‘the complete package ‘ is what clubs and supporters expect from their 1 million dollar marquee player and I’m afraid to say imo I don’t think he is ticking many of those boxes.

How Darius Boyd broke the Broncos

Agree with you 100% Don with regards to Milford ….and I’m sorry to say until Kevie is prepared to show some balls and drop him I don’t think anything will change.
He can’t change the past but the future and ball is certainly in his court now .

He can no longer make excuses for Milford’s performances… as he cannot take control of a game by refusing to take the line on and his defence has become an embarrassment and I’m sure is going to attract more attention from teams while he is still there.
Maybe he should be locked in a room and shown tapes of Luke Keary on how a ‘little’ man can control a football game.

What frustrates me the most about the Cowboys is they still can’t get a ‘consistent’ half combination going and Imo I don’t that will happen while Morgan is in one off those positions.
Yes he may have played well when he and JT were the halves but with no JT calling the shots and directing play and now Morgan having to do it all …it ain’t working . Imo Morgan is not busy enough and not consistent enough ‘for the whole game’ ….he goes missing too often.
With Clifford leaving the club next year I think the Cowboys need and should be making an all out top priority atempt to sign up Tom Dearness to the club as early as possible as their long term halfback.
Now would be the time to strike as he is coming off contract and at present second choice halfback at the Broncos.
Being a local product, playing his early football in Mackay, I don’t think he would take much convincing.
For what it’s worth if Dearness was available I would move Morgan out to the centre and play Dearness and Drinkwater in the halves…Imo both of them are busy, consistent players who are always both willing to take the line on ….hopefully they would inject a bit of life into the backline.

Todd Payten fumes after thrashing

The only problem is Aldo I feel if you start nominating which areas of the field a 6 point try would be awarded and which area it wouldn’t you would start to lose a lot of the unpredictability the rule is trying to achieve.

Maybe Nat….but my idea is to try to try to encourage more running and less kicking from “all ” parts of the field.

That’s right Tony… but imo as long as no team is disadvantaged by it and all teams have the same option to do exactly the same thing I can live with it.
It’s hard to find the perfect rule in any type of sport.
The bottom line is the rule is meant to try and reduce the number of kicks in a game and encourage more ball in hand time and running and passing and
hopefully also add a bit more unpredictability to game .

‘I think a lot of it comes down to timing of getting the right person , right place , right time ‘….agree 100% with your statement TB.
A perfect example of this is the decisions of probability one of the best coach in the game in the modern era …Trent Robinson.
In 2018 he made the decision to replace his star half back Mitchell Pearce with a veteran , whose used by date was flashing , Cooper Cooper…the rest is history….back to back premierships.
Again this year he looked outside the square again and decided to let his star up and coming young centre, Latrell Mitchell , go and replace him with another 33 old veteran whose used by date is also flashing , Josh Morris.
It’s still early days but both Josh and Brett are both probably playing some of the best football of their long careers and the Roosters again appear to have a perfectly balanced side for the 2020 season.
It’s not luck . It’s what makes Robinson and Bellamy stand out from other coaches…the ability to recognise the players who are the best ‘fit ‘ for their side regardless of star status or age.
And yes Mary I also agree with …you until other coaches learn these skills there will always be players with a lot of ability who will never be given the chance to reach their full potential.

Lack of talent isn't a problem in the NRL - but lack of good coaches may be

2020

Paul… sorry to say mate imo while Croft,Milford and Boyd are a combination in the back line I feel defence will always be a problem.
Think they have badly missed Stagg’s influence in the back line the last couple of games.
Maybe it might be time they make a few tough decisions and cut off a bit of dead wood and look for an good solid experienced leader to guide and talk them around the park….imo I think they could do lot worse than to have a good hard look at Kieran Foran who comes of contract this year.

I am disgusted and ashamed to be a Broncos fan

Yeah BD. I tend to agree with you that that the NRL can be inconsistent and hypocritical at times with their sentences .
Wrote an article a while back when Matt Lodge was allowed back to play NRL and at the same time Tod Carney’s application was rejected….still can’t get my head around how they could justify Carney’s offences to be worse than Lodge’s.

Who sank Todd Carney’s career?

Yep…..have to agree with you Astro …Hunt is and has been a passenger for a while now…..seems to has lost all confidence.
Also think Widdop needs to be five eight to guide them around the park.

Musical chairs will cost the Dragons a finals spot

2019

Sometimes I think Greenie has tunnel vision and doesn’t like making changes….still early days but IMO a Clifford and Morgan halves combination is a must and the sooner the better.
As I have stated previously Martin is a good utility player but IMO is not a starting five eight.
Clifford would be more compatible with Morgan and I feel would take some pressure off Morgan’s kicking game which was obvious against the Broncos.
I also feel Morgan has a problem with consistency and Clifford would help cover for him with his kicking and play making abilities.
Would also like to see Ben Hampton included in the centres and with Kyle Feldt coming back from injuries I feel they would inject a bit of life into the backline.
Taumalolo will be a huge loss but with a bit of ‘twiging’ in the forwards I feel we will still have a competitive pack….but then again I am not a premiership winning coach and can only live in hope that some of these changes may be implemented.

Jason Taumalolo dealt heavy injury blow with torn medial ligament

I’ll go the early crow and pencil in the Roosters and Storm as near certain top four players…7/1 the Storm seem very generous odds to me.
Other top contenders IMO could be the Rabbits….my only worry there is if they should lose Reynolds through injury they would be in real trouble…has by far the best kicking game in the comp and is the main player in their attack.
I feel the Broncos when they settle down into Seibold’s coaching and Gillette and Bird brush the cobwebs of themselves and get some match time under their belts they will continue to improve…their obvious main problem is their halves and Seibold may have to bite the bullet and sort it out sooner rather than later if he wants to make the top four.
Also give the Raiders an outside chance ….don’t ask me why.

Seven talking points from NRL Round 2

After 10 minutes of sin bin time ?

Sending Michael Jennings to the bin was the correct call

Maybe if the players or persons who do the filming of these videos are involved in rugby league they should also be given the same penalty or fine as the accused player for their part in bringing the game into disrepute .

Dylan Napa has 'no idea' how videos were leaked

With all due respect Ben…I hope because he’s a good football player means he should be treated differently ….let’s not forget he was also a ‘repeat’ offender .

At long last, the NRL makes a stand

Yep ….would have to agree with you FT.
I also think Bellamy is a great coach but the influence that Smith,Slater and Cronk had not only on the field but just as importantly ‘off ‘ the field cannot be understated.
IMO they have all been gifted with exceptional football brains and a great knowledge and understanding of the game and they would have had a huge input into Bellamy’s coaching skills and game plans over the years.

The great NRL coach-off

The Roosters to go back to back….they have the best balanced roster by far.
The surges IMO could be …yep the Knights, Penrith and maybe the Cowboys (depending on how Morgan performs) and the Broncos with a fit Gillette and Bird could be interesting.

Dark horses: Which of these four sides will surge in 2019?

Well done Spinksy…..good to see someone look a the big picture and tell it as it is …warts and all.
Don’t worry mate with a changing of the guards and you fans staying solid you’ll be back.

Confession of a Sharks tragic

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