Roar Rookie
Joined February 2017
22.3k
Views
11
Published
11
Comments
I am a man of many sports, but rugby is my lady love. Some say I have too many opinions. But in my opinion they're wrong.
Published
Comments
It was the round of golden point as three games ended in dramatic, drop-goal winners with the Dragons, Panthers and Sea Eagles all pulling…
After the second week of the NRL, all the hasty predictions we made after Round 1 have been decisively torn up and the subplots…
Well, after a tumultuous season and what feels like years of waiting, footy is back. Round 1 of the 2019 NRL season is truly…
It is fair to say it hasn't been a bad year for Irish rugby. A Grand Slam, capped off by a crushing victory at…
The first two weeks of the 2018 Six Nations are in the books, and sadly the highlight of my rugby calendar is already nearly…
In sport, as in all things, it's the hope that kills you. It's an adage that Scottish rugby fans, over the last few years,…
I, like many other Australians, woke up on Sunday morning with a lingering sense of annoyance at how events played out at Twickenham at…
"When Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer." This famous (albeit misquoted) sentiment, attributed…
Well, the NRL is back with a bang. Thank God for that. We saw shocks in the form of the Dragons crushing the Panthers…
It is difficult to embrace the idea that cricket could turn away from the ideals of ‘love of the game' and all of that,…
Two weeks into the Six Nations we have already seen more than enough to draw some conclusions about each team. The usual beautiful mixture…
Fair points. As I said, I didn’t see every game and sadly did miss the Panthers this week, was going off stats and highlights. I am never inclined to disagree when someone argues for his inclusion in a TOTW – on any week he can be the best on park.
NRL team of the week: Round 2
I agree, but sadly in a week that was chock full of outstanding back row performances you can only pick so many. Kaufusi, Nikora, Tohu Harris, Luke Garner – all could have been there on another week.
NRL team of the week: Round 1
I think Hodgson definitely has more guile about him, I had Friend in there on pure effort alone. It’s a hell of a shift to put in.
NRL team of the week: Round 1
Yeah I definitely considered Nikora, thought he had a great hit out. It was only after realising that I couldn’t put him in without losing Taumalolo that I had to cave on him – was a pity.
NRL team of the week: Round 1
Yeah I think possibly in hindsight I’ve just come to take what Brandon Smith brings to the Storm for granted. He just does it every week.
NRL team of the week: Round 1
Totally agree. Being genuinely competitive and showing their best in the 6 Nations has always been their Achilles heel, so I look forward eagerly to that.
If they find consistency, they can worry anyone, but it’s so hard to find. Only time will tell, but the signs and the pieces are all there.
Scotland are the real deal
Just want to flag up one thing about the piece, is that the editors of the site have done me over by changing the title – I was trying to argue England didn’t deserve that scoreline, not that they didn’t deserve to win. They did deserve the win, don’t think anyone can really argue that.
Wind your necks in, England; you didn't deserve to beat the Wallabies
ChristopherGrant He was very close indeed. The halfback position was a nightmare to pick this week, Widdop just edged it because of the magnitude of the Dragons’ win, and I think his all-round play was better. Keary looked electric with ball in hand, but Widdop ran the show completely.
NRL team of the week: Round 1
I agree cautiously with the notion that the variety of sports available in Australia is draining potential resources out of rugby union, but I think it balances out because rugby is taking players from other sports as well, with the latest examples being Curtis Rona and Marika Koroibete from the NRL. I think the problem with Australian rugby, at its basest source, is a confused strategy at the top level and the inability of the ARU to compete financially with the European clubs and the resultant difficulty in keeping our best players playing for middling Super Rugby clubs when they could be winning European titles at places like Saracens, Wasps or Toulon.
How to fix Australian rugby's biggest problem
I think it’s impossible to judge Sarginson yet, because he’s come in so under the radar. Quite a few of the guys who have done the best in NRL coming from England in recent years, like Josh Hodgson, Elliot Whitehead and the like, have come in under the radar and been more successful than the guys like Tomkins and Hardaker that you’ve mentioned. I’m interested to see how he goes, but I will remind that the backline is a much harder place for English players to succeed in the NRL than in the forward pack. Don’t know exactly why, but it just seems to be the way.
NRL 2017 season preview: Gold Coast Titans
I really want Norman to succeed at the Dragons – I love them as a team and I’ve always thought he was such a talented player. But consistency has always been his issue and that is what I need to see from him to be convinced, especially with Widdop now out.
Winning clutch moments is one thing, but in the Broncos game it was Widdop that had them even still level come 79 minutes. It’s not that Norman can’t, but that I’m yet to see him do it week in, week out.
No Widdop, no worries - Norman will win the comp for the Dragons