Roar Guru
Joined July 2010
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“Rugby league is a simple game.” Don't you wish you had a dollar for every time you’ve heard that, especially over the past fortnight…
Ah, September. The sun is shining and blossoms are blooming as we emerge blinking into the spring sunshine from our (thankfully) brief winter hibernation.…
That’s it. The regular season for 2023 is in the can. September footy is a whole new competition. Before we reset and the tension…
Here is my NSW Origin team for Game 1. With the series kicking off in neutral Adelaide before moving to not-so-neutral Brisbane, make no…
Anzac Day is sacred, making money out of it is not.
The NRL is “getting tough” on head knocks and concussions by ensuring the victims of high tackles and illegal play are taken out of the game.
'Attacking players falling into high tackles'. 'Head clashes'. 'It was an accident'. 'Collisions happen'. We’ve heard plenty of this over the past couple of…
State of Origin has been run and won for another year. Queensland has pulled off another famous underdog victory over a more fancied New…
I remember what late July used to feel like. We’ve come through the Origin period okay. We’ve dropped a game or two that we…
It’s Bill Harrigan’s fault the NRL is in the mess that it is. Not really, but hear me out... Harrigan is probably rugby league’s…
Following on from Parts 1, 2 and 3 here's some more NRL identities with a point to prove. South Sydney Rabbitohs It seems odd…
Following Part 1, let's check out a few more men under the pump in the 2020 NRL season. Broncos Within 18 months of making…
Following on from Parts 1 and 2, here's some more NRL identities with a point to prove. Knights Whether it’s playing footy, hitting a…
Professional sport is a high-pressure environment. Every year, every player and coach is under the gun to perform their best. But every year the…
Season 2019 is done and dusted so it’s time to look at my NRL team of the year. Fullback - James Tedesco (Roosters) The…
Earlier in the week I mapped out an unlikely pathway for the Bulldogs to make the semi-finals. There were a few variables but I…
I was fooling around with the NRL ladder predictor this morning and stumbled across a possible – albeit unlikely (ok extremely unlikely) way the…
You could argue that facing the Sharks, Panthers and Raiders is a pretty tough start to the season for the Knights. But look closer.…
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…
Before the start of every NRL season there are those players and coaches for whom the spotlight shines a little brighter, the bar is…
Ok… it was wrong
Topine vs Bulldogs an important case for NRL and players - wrestling punishment shouldn't be tolerated in a 'workplace'
You keep telling other people “you don’t know the facts” but you’ve written an entire article – that we’re responding to – without knowing the facts
Topine vs Bulldogs an important case for NRL and players - wrestling punishment shouldn't be tolerated in a 'workplace'
I get where you’re coming from but that’s a little back to front
I think you mean the risk tolerance might be higher in high risk industries
In an office environment the safety standards are lower. You don’t need operating procedures and safe work method statements to work the photocopier or the coffee machine
The safety standards are higher in high risk environments
The safety protocols and standards should be commensurate with the level of risk
Topine vs Bulldogs an important case for NRL and players - wrestling punishment shouldn't be tolerated in a 'workplace'
Probably his agent realising this would be his last chance to get Topine a contract and claim his 8%…
Topine vs Bulldogs an important case for NRL and players - wrestling punishment shouldn't be tolerated in a 'workplace'
That was an absolute shocker of a tackle. Nothing but intent to seriously injure Munster
Sooo lucky to just get three weeks…
NRL Round 8 judiciary: Rabbitoh lucky to get light ban for 'foolish, irresponsible' cannonball tackle, Sloan charged twice
So it wasn’t just me…?
Topine vs Bulldogs an important case for NRL and players - wrestling punishment shouldn't be tolerated in a 'workplace'
How many players have already quit or walked away because of stuff like this..?
Six minutes of extra wrestling might be too much. Does that mean using any physical extras as punishment is off the table?
“Drop and give me 20”
“Not until I’ve spoken with my lawyer”
Topine vs Bulldogs an important case for NRL and players - wrestling punishment shouldn't be tolerated in a 'workplace'
It was both. They had a 90 minute wrestling session and then Topine had to do his extras
People are assuming that because I’m a Bulldogs fan I think they’re blameless. I don’t. Maybe they’ve gone too far, I don’t know
I think the repercussions are massive. What does it do for rugby league clubs if players can turn around and say I’m not doing extras? You can’t make me
There’s people that seem to be horrified by the entire concept of shark baiting but it’s pretty much common practice in the NRL
The impact for the Bulldogs is more immediate, but they’ll be plenty of other clubs watching and with interest.
Topine vs Bulldogs an important case for NRL and players - wrestling punishment shouldn't be tolerated in a 'workplace'
Agreed
If you had a “normal” job where the likelihood of breaking a bone, doing an ACL, getting knocked out, etc was as high as it is in the NRL, the company would be out of business in a nanosecond
You can’t treat rugby league as anything approaching a normal workplace
Topine vs Bulldogs an important case for NRL and players - wrestling punishment shouldn't be tolerated in a 'workplace'
Is that a bit of a cop out?
“I don’t know what happened but I’ve just written an article all about what happened”
Are you planning your article based on Topine’s claims being incorrect…?
Topine vs Bulldogs an important case for NRL and players - wrestling punishment shouldn't be tolerated in a 'workplace'
It won’t just be the Bulldogs buggered if this gets up…
Topine vs Bulldogs an important case for NRL and players - wrestling punishment shouldn't be tolerated in a 'workplace'
Best comment I’ve read about this yet…
Topine vs Bulldogs an important case for NRL and players - wrestling punishment shouldn't be tolerated in a 'workplace'
Anyone that’s played at any level can relate to stuff like that
Treating a professional sports team environment the same way you would an office workplace is silly and the surest way to cripple sport…
Topine vs Bulldogs an important case for NRL and players - wrestling punishment shouldn't be tolerated in a 'workplace'
Great call – I was thinking something similar the other day
Jurbo has played 207 NRL games and 35 rep games. He plays big minutes and plays as tough as anyone
I really can’t recall him suffering too many concussions or HIAs. I just did a variety of google searches and couldn’t find anything
NRL News: Ferguson's marquee deal terminated by semi-pro team, Benji happy with Tigers' CEO call
Three heads are better than four…
NRL News: Ferguson's marquee deal terminated by semi-pro team, Benji happy with Tigers' CEO call
“If the allegations are true, we are not talking about extra push-ups or a few laps around the oval or cleaning the changeroom after training. There is a line here, but lines can be crossed”
I think this is key to the issue. Where is the line?
Topine was late to a wrestling session and made to do extra wrestling. Is that wrong?
From initial reports it was 5-6 minutes of wrestling. Is that too much? Is four minutes ok? One minute? No extras wrestling
What if he was late to sprint training and made to do extra sprints?
You say this isn’t a couple of laps around the overall or a few pushups. It’s the wrestling equivalent. Wrestling is more a part of modern training than doing push ups and laps
It seems like people are hearing about shark baiting for the first time and are horrified. It’s a common practice. They doesn’t mean the Bulldogs haven’t taken it too far and crossed the indeterminable line
For anyone to say you can’t make players do that is a little silly
The idea a professional sports club can’t give extra physical training as a disciplinary measure is patently ridiculous
That doesn’t excuse anything the Bulldogs might have done, but it’s not as simple as “you couldn’t do it to a nurse”
As far as I know, nurses don’t have their DON’s swearing and yelling at them halfway through their shifts
Are we going to tell Bellyache he can’t give a half time spray because you can’t do it to nurses?
Topine vs Bulldogs an important case for NRL and players - wrestling punishment shouldn't be tolerated in a 'workplace'
When did it become that Topine was forced to wrestle ‘30 to 35’ team mates?
When it was reported last year and again the last few days it was that he had to wrestle a dozen team mates, while 30-35 squad members looked on
Now it’s being reported everywhere that he had to wrestle 30-35 team mates
Topine vs Bulldogs an important case for NRL and players - wrestling punishment shouldn't be tolerated in a 'workplace'
Yeah, I’d have thought that was relatively simple. I don’t know what I’m missing
I didn’t notice first time but Su’A cannons into Suli and knocked his head straight into JWH’s
When you look at the slo mo there are four heads occupying less than 1 square metre, all travelling at high speed
It’s a recipe for disaster
NRL News: Ferguson's marquee deal terminated by semi-pro team, Benji happy with Tigers' CEO call
Drinky is way more consistent than Sloan in attack
Even with his problems, I’d take Drinky over Sloan every day of the week
A walk in the park: Super Sam shows Roosters what they've been missing in 60-point Anzac smash-up
Not allowed to crack the whip at training any more… he’ll have to have a consultation meeting meeting first and come to a collective agreement on what training should look like… 😁
A walk in the park: Super Sam shows Roosters what they've been missing in 60-point Anzac smash-up
Yeah, he’s the definition of he’ll set up two but let in three
What do you do? He’s such a point of difference in attack, but not interested in defence…
A walk in the park: Super Sam shows Roosters what they've been missing in 60-point Anzac smash-up
It’s not on me to demonstrate anything. I mean you’ve just said Topine’s case was on 360 and Titmuss’ wasn’t
I follow league pretty closely. What happened to Titmuss or the young cowboys player a year or two ago haven’t received close to the attention Topine has. That’s my informed opinion. I don’t need to demonstrate anything…
NRL News: 'Happens every day' - Anasta defends Dogs as $4M lawsuit looms over former player's training punishment
Yeah, you said it was pretty common in the 70s and 80s. Can you give me one example of a coach slapping a player n the sideline in the 70s and 80s?
He wasn’t made to wrestle 20 odd people. You’re firing off without knowing even the basic facts that have been made public
NRL News: 'Happens every day' - Anasta defends Dogs as $4M lawsuit looms over former player's training punishment
Again, it’s got nothing to do with bias. I’m more on the front foot because it is the Dogs, but at the same time, I’ll accept whatever punishment is handed down if the Dogs have done the wrong thing
As per my original comment, this is bigger than the Bulldogs and has ramifications far greater than whatever the Bulldogs have to pay
These aren’t practices unique to the Bulldogs
If the Bulldogs have gone too far with 5-6 minutes of wrestling against a dozen team mates – which I can understand they may have – then what’s the acceptable level?
Genuine question, please answer. Is four minutes ok? One minute? The whole practice should be banned?
What about having to do extra weights or laps or sprints as discipline while team mates watch on?
I can understand people not liking this, but I haven’t heard one suggestion about where the line is drawn
NRL News: 'Happens every day' - Anasta defends Dogs as $4M lawsuit looms over former player's training punishment
Must be Parra…
Sorry I tagged you as Melbourne… 😁
Game’s gone soft, huh? League's tough enough without dangerous incidents getting feather touch from judiciary