The Roar
The Roar

Mike Meehall Wood

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Joined February 2022

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Mike Meehall Wood is a rugby league writer, Celtic supporter and cricket tragic. He has written extensively about rugby league for publications in the UK and Australia, and about sports more widely for Forbes, VICE, LADbible and more.

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Check the phonetic spelling of my name to help Anglos

'They need to know why it’s important': How Izack Tago rediscovered his name - and his culture

First one I have no idea…second you’re allowed to count the 15 mins of HT in your ten mins so if you pass at the break you can come back on.

'It didn't look great': Ciraldo rages at ref after Nikora escapes send-off on wild night in Cronulla

Tbf pretty much all sport as we know it was organised precisely so that people could gamble on it so I doubt you’re ever going to break that link.

The only reason cricket/football/rugby were ever codified in their rules (or split into different codes) was so that bookies and punters could agree on the parameters of their bets.

Exclusive: 'We want $1 billion'- V'landy's bullish vision of expansion, new Cup comp and staggering wealth

Both were created, meaning it was 2-2 between Roosters and Broncos, with the intercept the difference.

Try, try and try again: How much of the scoring in the NRL's opening round was sustainable?

There’s a whole piece in the works about this once we’ve seen a bit more because my gut reaction is that it will significantly impact attacking strategy by devalueing the repeat set. Lots more running on the 5th in good ball etc etc.

Try, try and try again: How much of the scoring in the NRL's opening round was sustainable?

Yes just a set play from a scrum/tap. I was also tracking the plays leading (B Cartwright 1st try I gave an assist to Paulo for the play before) but in terms of set plays it meant a planned move.

Try, try and try again: How much of the scoring in the NRL's opening round was sustainable?

The first ten million years were the worst. After that I went into something of a decline.

Give it a trial! How to watch the NRL’s Pre-season Challenge (without getting carried away)

Didn’t make the stats cut but the Titans have the lowest % of long kicks hitting the deck of any team in the NRL…

Also speaks to their recruitment that they had one of the league’s best set starters, Greg Marzhew, and let him go.

In defence of the Titans: Why Des Hasler can be the man to finally bring tackling to the Gold Coast

She could get the train straight to Wigan in about 15 minutes

A brief history of rugby league's World Club Challenge - and all the fun that's happened along the way

Oloapu is injured long term so it’ll be Sexton

Kurt, Connor, Jaeman, Drew and Blake: Will the Bulldogs be jacks of all trades but masters of none?

Well my Ma and Da will be watching it from Manly rather than Wigan so they’ve a chance…

A brief history of rugby league's World Club Challenge - and all the fun that's happened along the way

Other fun fact: My parents are probably the only people in the world who were at all three of Penrith’s WCC defeats.

Favourite WCC memory: I’ve never seen a team more demoralised than the Broncos during their defeat to Saints in 2001.

They’d been winning 18-6, but a Sean Long try pegged them back and, with Lockyer, Sailor, Tallis et al huddling behind the posts as thousands of Sintellins fans abused them, it started to snow.

I’ve never seen such a group of champions lose their fight so quickly. Late January in Bolton will do that.

A brief history of rugby league's World Club Challenge - and all the fun that's happened along the way

Dunno but he was at the 22 WC so not unreasonable to think he’d have been at least in the squad.

NRL Round 1 judiciary: Vegas roll of the dice comes up snake eyes for Roosters, Wighton gets repreive

Not enough Kiwis for you?

It's not un-Australian to cheer against Australia - in fact, in our favourite sports, it is the best option

I mean…League has a whole other competition in England, plus NZ who just beat Australia, another league in France and a country with a greater population than NSW&QLD that plays it as its first sport. It’s hardly cricket/football but it’s also not ‘barest’ either, I’d say.

So there is certainly RL internationally that is more than 4 teams in the Balkans, though having played in one of the 4 teams in the Netherlands, I’ll always stick up for that too.

It's not un-Australian to cheer against Australia - in fact, in our favourite sports, it is the best option

Come on langparker, don’t get my initials wrong 😂

Leniu v Jared: The young tyro wants to take on the old warrior, but who is actually top dog at Roosters?

In fairness, there’s plenty of other articles you can read about whether someone ‘competes’/’brings leadership’/’the boys love him’, so I’m trying to do something a bit different 😂

I’m not a big intangibles guy (google Scott Brown Celtic 20/21 😔 ) but you’re right in the sense that teams need leaders on the field. Jared (and Reyno) are certainly that.

The question is more about how long you let your most senior players continue to be senior before you lose the benefit of their experience – stats can help make an informed decision there.

Leniu v Jared: The young tyro wants to take on the old warrior, but who is actually top dog at Roosters?

As a Manly fan, I was pretty disappointed in Weekes given the hype but I’m pretty sure they just cut him because they wanted cash for Brooks et al and had GCKT as a better 9 option.

I’d carry him at the Raiders before I would Starling, but Ricky has loved that kind of play since the Kurt Baptiste days so I can guess what he’ll continue to do.

I might do Raiders 9 further down the track, but you can have one stat for free: Trey Mooney is top of the entire NRL for Involvement Rate. The kid gets about.

Ricky v the rookies: Sticky has to turn to youth to replace Wighton, but who should it be?

He played a hooker so I’d say he’s got some passing ability, but the wider question is probably whether the Cowboys want to go that way at all. Not every team needs that kind of player.

JT v Cotter: It's not yet time to put Taumalolo out to pasture, but the Cowboys need to rethink what he is

In terms of stats a ‘clone’ is just someone with very similar stats.

Koula was closest to Pryce despite playing different positions (though he played some FB last year), I’d guess because both are very fast, very elusive players.

Looking forward to seeing Tolu this year (with my Manly hat on), he can hopefully really kick on if this new, ultra-attacking Seibold style continues.

Tyson v Jack: Newcastle's halves are the big question for Adam O'Brien - but does he have a secret weapon?

There’s few things I’d claim to be world class at but eating fish suppers would be one of them

Zac v Tyrell: If the Dragons want to get the most out of their spine, they have to get the best out of Sloan

You can only use stats for things that have already happened, of course 😂

Zac v Tyrell: If the Dragons want to get the most out of their spine, they have to get the best out of Sloan

FWIW (and it was 2 years ago) I walked past Sloan at a Dragons media op and thought he was one of the smallest footy players I’d seen. Him, Soni Luke and Jayden Campbell.

Zac v Tyrell: If the Dragons want to get the most out of their spine, they have to get the best out of Sloan

“If you can’t make the tackle, make yourself a speedbump” was what I was always taught 😂

Zac v Tyrell: If the Dragons want to get the most out of their spine, they have to get the best out of Sloan

I would like to take at least 1% of ownership over anyone slagging off completion rates in rugby league. It is the hill I will die on.

Football’s xG statistic is the most ridiculous in all of world sport and the A-Leagues could do without it

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