Roar Guru
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You could argue that facing the Sharks, Panthers and Raiders is a pretty tough start to the season for the Knights.
As we near Round 1 of season 2019 it’s timely to have a look at the job security of the people with their necks most often on the block in rugby league: the coaches.
Before the start of every NRL season there are those players and coaches for whom the spotlight shines a little brighter, the bar is set a little higher or who are just a little more determined to prove the knockers wrong.
As the curtain raiser to the NRL grand final, the winners of the Queensland Cup will take on the NSW Cup champions.
In some ways the NRL painted themselves in a corner with the shoulder charge, its interpretation and the associated penalties. The Billy Slater case has brought that to light.
The grand final of the NSW Intrust Super Premiership was held at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday afternoon between the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs and the Newtown Jets.
On the way to work this morning, I was reading the news and shaking my head at the crass selfishness displayed by the people we trust to be our leaders. For relief, I went to sport.
This isn’t about referee bias or a ref costing us the game. This is about whether the ‘crackdown’ was really about enforcing the rules of the game.
I don’t think the NRL’s referees are beyond criticism, but I don’t like the childish ‘that decision cost us the game’ attitude of some fans, particularly when they cherrypick one moment and ignore the other 79 minutes of the game.
It’s the final part of our series on who’s got a serious spotlight shining on them ahead of the 2018 NRL season.
Every year, there are NRL teams that really need to prove a point, but who within each club is being scrutinised the closest?
On the eve of a new NRL season, who has got the most to prove at each club?
Let me make something clear from the outset. It feels absurd to be defending the Roosters.
Everyone knows Round 2 is at least 15 rounds too early to be declaring teams chances for the season but I’m going to have a crack anyway.
Most NRL fans are confounded by the inconsistencies in the grading of charges laid by the match review committee (MRC), and the penalties handed out by the judiciary.
During the week someone challenged me to write my own Roar article, so I thought I’d tackle the subject of NSW Origin selection.
With 12 tries and 66 points scored, Friday night’s Roosters versus Bulldogs clash was a cracker. Intense footy, great ball movement, brutal defence, see-sawing momentum and all completed at near-perfect execution rates by both teams.
I don’t think so Stuey but the way this round is going anything could happen.
The boys will have some confidence after the game against the Storm a few weeks back.
It's official: Nathan Brown can coach and the Sea Eagles are questionable!
Bit of pressure on the Dogs with Titans and Panthers winning.
Disappointing loss for Manly after performing so bravely and professionally.
Great to see the Knights ramp it up…hopefully the “only 4/3/2/1 teams can win it will ease up for a while”
Of course the teams at the top end of the ladder are more likely to win than teams below them derrr
But form lapses / surges and injuries can definitely throw the cat among the pigeons
The dogs are only three wins out of the top four with a game in hand…
It's official: Nathan Brown can coach and the Sea Eagles are questionable!
It was massively late. JWH takes two steps and even adjusts his line slightly after Ponga has kicked it.
Only redeeming feature is he missed Ponga’s head with the coat hanger and the headbutt. Still managed to grind his head into Ponga’s while he was on the ground, which he’s been doing a lot of lately.
Not the worst late tackle you’ll ever see, but probably more through luck than judgement. A late tackle still warrants a penalty, even if it’s not high.
JWH annihilates Ponga with hideously late hit, somehow isn't binned
Agreed…his highlights reel is unbelievable…there’s things there that you just don’t see anyone else doing…
On a mission: Matt Bowen and Matt Mitchell's Australian Story
To be clear, I wasn’t pushing Sims for a starting backrower spot or even necessarily in the 17. I was just highlighting that far from being an automatic selection as reported, Frizell is actually being outplayed by a club team mate.
I’ll probably be accused of bias but I’d have Josh Jackson every day of the week. If in the interests of impartiality I put a line through him then I’d go with Crichton with Frizell from the bench.
Revealed: The NSW Blues team for Origin 1, as chosen by the fans
Morris has played both sides throughout his career and I think most of his origin footy at right centre.
Revealed: The NSW Blues team for Origin 1, as chosen by the fans
How many votes did you put in for the blues team…?
Revealed: The NSW Blues team for Origin 1, as chosen by the fans
Along with Duges, Fergo, Farah, etc… 🙂
Revealed: The NSW Blues team for Origin 1, as chosen by the fans
You’re right about RCG but it looks like the hype has caught up with him a bit
I’d have Tim Grant for the blues before RCG
Revealed: The NSW Blues team for Origin 1, as chosen by the fans
Let me add poor old Dale Finucane is the forgotten man again.
He’s one of the form middle third forwards of the comp and has been delivering for years. I’d have him way ahead of McLean. He’d be perfect for Origin footy and is probably another one of those players who, were he a Queenslander, would have played 8-10 games by now.
Revealed: The NSW Blues team for Origin 1, as chosen by the fans
Sims playing more minutes, making more runs, more metres, more metres per game, more tackles, more line breaks per game (3x) and per run (almost double) more tackle breaks per game (3x) and per run (more than 3x), more offloads per game (1.5x) and per run (1.3x).
With a lesser work rate Frizell makes only 30cm per run more than Sims, they have the same tackle effectiveness, Sims has fewer try causes per game and far fewer line break causes per game.
I’d also say Sims plays far more of a leadership role for the Dragons than Frizell.
There’s a level of hype about Frizell that for me doesn’t match his onfield performance. I’m not trying to say he’s bad but he’s not the player that all the hype makes him out to be.
I know he’ll get picked and he’ll make a strong run early that looks like he’s going to break the line (but won’t) and that will be it…unless a Queenslander makes a 90m break…then Frizell will chase all the way and not catch them and everyone will say “what a performance, he’s an origin player”
Revealed: The NSW Blues team for Origin 1, as chosen by the fans
I’d be perfectly happy if that side was read out on Sunday but it’s not necessarily my choice.
Ramien has been good but I don’t know that for a young player with only two seasons under his belt that he’s kicked the selection door down. Centre stocks are pretty thin on the ground. I wouldn’t be surprised if Fittler called Roberts up.
Going with an all new halves combo and 50% new spine seems an uneccesary risk to me. I think Cleary has done enough to warrant reselction and when I watch the Panthers, I’m not sure he’s their problem, even with their win last night.
Radley came close based on hype, he hasn’t been anywhere near as effective this year than last.
Murray would be completely justified in selection but I have a query on whether his game suits origin. His energy and quick play the balls – if he’s allowed to – could be a game turner off the bench. It’s just whether the smaller body in the middle third is suited to origin and the ruck is typically a lot slower and messier in origin than NRL.
I lean towards Cotric over Ferguson. Ferguson hasn’t really stepped up at this level and is as likely to drop the ball on tackle one as make a big run. It’s not that long ago, having beers was more important to him than being in camp.
I suspect I’ll be the Lone Ranger on this one but Tyson Frizell hasn’t blown my hair back this year. He rarely does.
He’s played eight games for 84 metres and 27 tackles per game. He’s made one line break, three tackle breaks and three offloads all season. He has one try and one try assist. For starters Tariq Sims is lapping him form wise in his own team. Frizell’s not delivering from a work rate or an impact perspective.
He gets the biggest armchair ride from fans and critics of anyone in the game for mine. Whatever it is that everyone else seems to see with him, I just don’t get. He makes some good strong hit ups (at times), but so do a lot of players.
Revealed: The NSW Blues team for Origin 1, as chosen by the fans
It’s definitely swings and roundabouts and while there’s definitely some worse than others every club is doing it. Souths are the latest example, not the main culprits.
Why wouldn’t they? Why wouldn’t any club. If the game isnt enforcing the rules, you’re disadvantaging your team and possibly your career by sticking to the rules and the spirit of the game. It’s a bit of a mug move. It’s up to the NRL to find a solution, not the coaches or the clubs.
It’s more than a bit rich though when Benny and Burgess are crying about it to the refs and media one week and then doing it as bad as anyone just a few weeks later.
Spare us this 'emerging trend' rubbish, Annesley. Deliberate cheating is entrenched
Don’t take it to heart Tim.
I don’t think FT knows what hysterical means…it’s a word he misuses on a regular basis
Spare us this 'emerging trend' rubbish, Annesley. Deliberate cheating is entrenched
The gamesmanship is a bit of a moot point because as far as the refs were concerned he’d transgressed each time and they let him keep getting away with it.
I think it’s more a case of #deflectattention than can’t beat em, join em
Spare us this 'emerging trend' rubbish, Annesley. Deliberate cheating is entrenched
Why not use Burgess giving away five deliberate penalties against the Raiders on behalf of Bennett?
Couple of hypocrites…
As bad as anything the Dogs did and more recent.
Spare us this 'emerging trend' rubbish, Annesley. Deliberate cheating is entrenched
As Jimmmy suggested make it “off in ten (seconds) or you’re gone for ten (minutes). Also make it that when someone goes for five the skipper isn’t allowed to question or he goes too.
It’s not ideal but something should be done. A penalty and warning after warning isn’t a sufficient deterrent, evidenced by the fact it keeps going and more teams are doing it.
Two simple ways to solve the NRL’s creeping penalty trend
These penalties in the defensive 20 are deliberate professional fouls every bit as much as holding someone down after they’ve made a break or holding back a kick chaser to prevent a try.
We don’t blink when the bin is used in those circumstances.
Maybe bring back the five minute bin for defensive 20 penalties.
Two simple ways to solve the NRL’s creeping penalty trend
Sheesh…Bulldogs again…? 🙂
Spare us this 'emerging trend' rubbish, Annesley. Deliberate cheating is entrenched
Agree…to paraphrase Ramsay Bolton “anyone who thinks this is an emerging trend hasn’t been paying attention”. It’s not just these last few years.
The main problem for mine is that refs will give 3-4 warnings before they penalise and 3-4 penalties before they formally warn the captain there’ll be a sinbinning. Then the half time whistle blows and they reset.
Not only is a penalty in the defensive 20 by itself not a sufficient deterrent but it’s actually a reward for the defending team to get reset and have a quick breather. The attacking side loses all momentum.
There needs to be an additional disincentive. Maybe the 5 minute bin needs to come back for deliberate penalties in the defensive 20.
I’ve gotta say I’m frustrated off at the Dogs constantly being held up as the poster boys for this stuff based on one game. Sure, they were bad but in that same game, when the Dogs had some ball and were on the attack in the first half Souths gave away 3-4 deliberate penalties to slow the game down. Bennett and Souths strategy was exactly the same, the only difference was they had more attacking ball so the Dogs were doing it more frequently.
A couple of weeks before the Dogs chances of an upset win away to the Storm were cruelled by the Storm constantly slowing down the ruck and giving away penalties.
Spare us this 'emerging trend' rubbish, Annesley. Deliberate cheating is entrenched
That’s true…but when the game and series was in the balance in 2014 and NSW needed a half to step up and win the game Hodkinson got the job done.
So while he’s not in that top 20 list, at origin level he’s several rungs above anything Pearce ever produced.
I think Hodkinson was a smart player but had his career ruined by injuries. He had 3-4 knee recos in a very short period of time. He wasn’t blessed with heaps of natural pace or a step anyway but he was a turtle after that and it took a dimension away from his game.
Mitchell Pearce deserves his shot at Origin redemption
Really? I thought he’d been playing Qld cup
Not playing at all makes him tough to pick but I could have seen Freddy picking him from reserves
Mitchell Pearce deserves his shot at Origin redemption
His defence has been pretty ordinary.
Mitchell Pearce deserves his shot at Origin redemption
I use stats as an objective measurement so I don’t end up with “he better”, “no, he’s not” “yes he is” sort of arguments but I really do appreciate that stats don’t tell a full story and there are onfield qualities that don’t necessarily show through in stats. I do think Frizell is one of those players whose stats don’t reflect his whole effort.
But I also think if Frizell is so explosive something should show through in his stats somewhere. Definitely tackle breaks and line breaks and for an edge backrower maybe even tries are some areas where “explosiveness” can be measured, but Frizell hasn’t done much of any of those.
I don’t think his stats really reflect quality or quantity. He doesn’t have the high work rate of say a Jackson or Gillett or the impact of a Burgess or Cordner or Kikau. He’s good for a big effort, tough run each half but he also goes pretty quiet for extended periods.
I think he’s a good player and I like watching him but he’s definitely overhyped for mine.
Revealed: The NSW Blues team for Origin 1, as chosen by the fans