A point to prove in 2020 – Part 4
Following on from Parts 1, 2 and 3 here’s some more NRL identities with a point to prove.
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Following on from Parts 1, 2 and 3 here’s some more NRL identities with a point to prove.
Following Part 1, let’s check out a few more men under the pump in the 2020 NRL season.
Following on from Parts 1 and 2, here’s some more NRL identities with a point to prove.
Season 2019 is done and dusted so it’s time to look at my NRL team of the year.
Earlier in the week I mapped out an unlikely pathway for the Bulldogs to make the semi-finals.
I was fooling around with the NRL ladder predictor this morning and stumbled across a possible – albeit unlikely (ok extremely unlikely) way the Bulldogs can scrape into the top eight. This was surely one of the most unlikely outcomes imaginable even a month ago.
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?
I’ve never said the MRC gets everything right
You’re saying that the MRC AND everyone else is wrong that Mitchell elbowed Nofo in the head
Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker need to clean up their games
Anything’s possible…
Souths fan and former Souths player have it right…
I guess that means these guys who all described it as an elbow need to go to specsavers?
…and that photo of Mitchell’s elbow in Nofo’s face must need specsavers too…
https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.sportbible.com/australia/nrl-news-latrell-mitchell-facing-four-week-nrl-ban-for-high-elbow-on-opponent-20210419.amp.html
https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/nrl/teams/rabbitohs/nrl-2021-latrell-mitchell-facing-ban-of-up-to-four-weeks-for-high-tackle-on-wests-tigers-david-nofoaluma/news-story/936c47ce9617a003d632bca478ceaf58%3famp
https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/how-latrell-mitchell-risks-missing-four-games-and-winning-dally-m-20210419-p57kea.html
Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker need to clean up their games
Sorry Jethro – read Big Migs comment above. It wasn’t an elbow
You need to get to specsavers too
Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker need to clean up their games
“low energy shot” that’s a new one 😂
Yes your honour, I hit him in the head, but it was a low energy shot…
I like it…
Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker need to clean up their games
I watched the video before making the comment above
I still see it (and maybe thru one eye) as Hetherington being wrong footed. Holmes put a massive step on Thompson and Hetherington. Thompson was flat footed and didn’t get close but Hetherington was a bit further away and had time to react
Just before impact Hetherington’s momentum is going completely across Holmes and is why he threw the arm out
The commentators at the time called it a coat hanger and not a swinging arm. The coat hanger tends to be more of a reactionary tackle than a premeditated one
Anyway it is what it is. I’m comfortable with Hetherington’s suspension. Not so much with Radley getting zero weeks. It was still high contact
Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker need to clean up their games
Ok sure…
I’ve got it wrong, Mary’s got it wrong, the MRC has it wrong, the judiciary has it wrong and every other fan on here has it wrong and we all need to go to specsavers or…
You’re a biased, loyal, one eyed fan who’s struggling to accept the reality of the situation
I honestly don’t know what to believe…
Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker need to clean up their games
AFB is a very good player but he’s nowhere near Latrell in terms of profile and public interest (good and bad)
It wasn’t Mitchell creating all the hype and writing dozens of articles a day, seven days a week
Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker need to clean up their games
He got four, Momirovski got three, Hetherington got five
The suspension wasn’t over the top at all. He elbowed someone in the face – for no reason and he kicked someone else in the face
The headline and the content of the article are completely fair based solely on Walker and Mitchell’s behaviour
They don’t carry on like pork chops and there’s no article…
Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker need to clean up their games
I don’t think we’d all agree on who the w#nker is…
Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker need to clean up their games
Bias alert – but I disagree about the degree of difference in the Radley and Hetherington tackles
Hetherington was flying through on Holmes to put a shot on, same as Radley. Holmes stepped him and Hetherington threw out his arm and caught Holmes high
Both Hetherington’s feet were off the ground at impact (like Radley) and his momentum was going to his right, while Holmes was going in the opposite direction. His arm was thrown out in the classic off balance coat hanger – there wasn’t a swinging arm at all. No way was that a “fully in control”
It seems a big part of Radley’s defence was the Storm saying there was nothing in it and Munster only came off to game the interchange rule
Holmes and the Cowboys did the same thing minus the public support
Hetherington’s tackle was worse than Radley’s and with his record and loading absolutely deserved a longer suspension, but the two tackles were not a million miles apart…
Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker need to clean up their games
Mary – as a bulldogs fan I look forward to your article about how Hetherington’s lack of discipline will cost him a shot at the Dally M, a blues jersey and the Bulldogs a potential premiership
It will be the best news I’ve had all season… 😂 😂
Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker need to clean up their games
Mitchell and Walker are talented and exciting but they’re also showing they’re reckless and impulsive
So journos can only write stories about how talented and exciting they are…?
Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker need to clean up their games
Waaaaaaaaaaay over sensitive
I’m as big a fan of Latrell as a non Souths fan can be but Mitchell’s (and Walker’s) recent acts on the field have been largely pointless. Neither them nor Souths gained anything by their petty lashing out
With AJ at fullback, Gagai on the wing and Marsters in the centres, Mitchell has weakened Souths in three positions for a month
Do you think it’s in Mitchell’s and Souths best interests to cut that nonsense out of his game?
If your answer is yes, then you agree with the point Mary is making in this article
Saying no is so utterly clueless as to not warrant further discussion…
Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker need to clean up their games
Take the dominant player out of most teams and they’re buggered
I’m not sure about the Panthers forwards. I think they were a bit flat and maybe complacent against the Broncos. I don’t think JFH, Yeo, Kikau, Martin, Leota, Leinu will be regularly “out-aggressed” – I guess we’ll see
The Penrith Panthers will win the 2021 NRL premiership
That’s my problem with the suspensions
I can live with Hetherington, Latrell and Momorovski getting 5,4,3 weeks but I’ll bet London to a brick that’s not the standard moving forward
Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker need to clean up their games
Yep – they got Kaufusi wrong, that doesn’t mean it becomes the standard
Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker need to clean up their games
I think they’re looking red hot right now, but as others have noted there’s a lot of water to pass under the bridge yet
Injuries look like they’ll play a bigger role than ever before and the Panthers have had a charmed run for two years. It’s funny saying a team missing their 1 and 9 for extended periods has been “lucky” but a lot of teams are carrying 6-8 players out at any one time
I like how they can shift gears. They’ve got a tough pack that can go toe to toe in the middle, but there’s also some skill there. Then they can turn on the razzle dazzle
Cleary’s arguably the best game controlling half in the NRL and Luai one of the best eyes up halves
The Penrith Panthers will win the 2021 NRL premiership
I don’t blame a player for accepting the money
It’s fair enough to blame them when they’re not putting in
Are the Dogs now the elephant in the room?
Yeah – he’s been a good club man in tough times. There have been lots of times over the past five years when he’s been the standout player… but it looks like the game has moved past him
Are the Dogs now the elephant in the room?
Radley hit Munster high, so why shouldn’t the Storm get an extra leg up
Because the intent of the rule is that Melbourne aren’t disadvantaged when Munster has to go off and get treated for an injury. It’s not there to give the Storm a leg up and a free interchange to replace a player who wasn’t even involved
Munster wasn’t injured and as you say they got their leg up when Radley was suspended
The Storm aren’t the only team doing it and to be fair they’ve legally exploited a loophole in the rules. That doesn’t mean the loophole shouldn’t be closed
A plea to coaches: Stop rorting the HIA system
Concussion is caused by the brain moving inside your skull and banging against the bone
Please tell me how wearing a helmet prevents your brain from moving inside your skull
This is pretty common knowledge bud
A plea to coaches: Stop rorting the HIA system
Good to see you’re willing to double down on dopey comments…
A plea to coaches: Stop rorting the HIA system
Absolutely mate
There’s nothing wrong with being one eyed and loyal and we all fall into it
I’ve been having a bit of fun with it but I get where you’re coming from…
Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker need to clean up their games