Improve the 6 nations:

– Bring in a 40/20 kicking rule where the kicking team restarts at the line out.
– Implementation of a 6 tackle rule.
– Cut the team numbers from 15 to 13.
-Tap restarts following a penalty and only pack scrums for double knock ons.
– Keep the line out but only for general play kicks that find touch & not for penalties.

Do that and Rugby League Administrations will panic.

Laurie Daley. … “He’s in the mix.”

One can wish as hard as they like… But the reality is Manly who finished 9th in 2015 have actually markedly improved their side accross the board for the 2016 season.

Sadly for such a quality club servant, Matt Ballin had become a slower tired hooker who has now been replaced by two young fresh livewires in the Jake Granville Cowboy mould. Foran while a great player was in fact regularly injured over the past 2 years with a recurring hamstring issues., His replacement is now a dynamic 20 year old super fast running 5/8 in Dylan Walker. Running 5/8s like Mixhael Morgan who play both like a fast 2nd fullback, link man or support player appear to be part of a successful culture change for the NRL in recent seasons.

Manly have also strengthened their forwards with experience in Myles, ruggedness in Brown and aggression from Taupau. It’s a forward pack that looks well balanced when you add the rising Jake Trbojevic into that mix.

Additonally, rookie NRL coaches have a good history recently. If this is a weakness, alternatively following last seasons one win finals miss… it may indeed be the necessary freshen up the club needed following the lengthy 12 year Hasler/Toovey period.

I recall a day when Ben Kennedy’s leadership was lost to this club and reports that it would create a leadership vacuum back then… the Manly club instead visited the grand final 3 times over the following 5 years. Unfortunately for fans of other teams, this particular club seems to have a history of players stepping up into leadership roles, and always playing tough.

It appears you’ve included many intangibles within your review but chose to ignore many others that have proven to be successful, especially in regard to Manly.

It’s arguably why the smart money and the bookies have the Sea Eagles in the 3rd line of betting this year.

Is there a particular mental illness that Lyon has been diagnosed with? I’m not sure what type of mental illness makes one grass cut a best mate but it sounds like a bad one.

Alternatively, is Garry Lyon’s mental health issue directly the consequence of the fall out for his actions?

I can understand that many in the public are going to be cynical of any general illness announcement, considering the recency of either related or unrelated personal events. There is also an appearance that many scandalous actions by sportsmen and celebs are swiftly followed by a period of “rehab”… and this is what fuels the growing cynicism. It’s a sad reality that intelligent people don’t just blindly accept headlines on face value anymore, and I don’t think censorship on any debate is healthy either. I believe if it is announced what specific mental illness Garry’s been diagnosed with, perhaps there’d be more social understanding of the issues he’s is facing.

I hope whatever it is, that Garry Lyon comes through stronger, it’s obviously a difficult time for him when the nation finds out he’s’ been railing his best mates wife. Knowing everyone knows that would possibly make anyone feel pretty sick, but I hope he gets through this difficult period whatever it is. I also wish the best for Brownless and his former wife… and finally, I hope what Garry has isn’t contagious.

Sadly the messages from the RBB have become quite confusing and bizarre. One sentence they demand respect from the FFA yet next sentence they offer no accountability and zero responsibility, while leaning on the reference “personal choice”. The statement of “personal choice” is baffling considering that this recent rhetoric is based on the illegal use of flares and detonators. Is this statement a smug deliberately agitating middle finger salute… or is it simply that this statement screams of a group that lacks direction and leadership?

The leaders of the RBB either want to start getting with the program before the FFA come down with deserved draconian measures. The ball is in the court of the RBB. That’s where they should want it. If the RBB really care for the Wanderers, then they need to stand up & destroy this antisocial element from within before it gives administrators the excuse to destroy the RBB. At the moment they’re starting to resemble that old “Chelsea supporter group” that wore Chelsea shirts but really were just a group put together as an excuse to bash opposition fans.

At the moment it appears to anyone who is not RBB and who is not an apologist for the RBB that this current form of the RBB, based on the latest Facebook press release, couldn’t care less about their Wanderers club.

Good luck…

Like to see how many mystery selection credit points he’s built up thus far.

The best thing about next summer is waiting to see how these curator’s are going to make this years motorways even flatter.

Play for the Ganguly Cold Waugh.

Questions that need asking….

In Brazil or Argentina if you’re the best kid in your village, despite your wealth, you get picked, nurtured, developed and hopefuly make higher representative teams. No payment… it just happens.

Here in Australia, you can be a below average 12 year old but if your parents can afford $4k per year then you’re in development squads or regional rep teams. My cousin’s kid is not the best in his side but he’s getting opportunities better kids from poorer families can not afford.

I know many people that have very, very talented kids, coaches tell the parents to come on down, play the kid in their academy team… alas some of these parents can’t afford it. Some are made to feel inadequate. Others have other kids and simply can’t afford to give up 3 nights training per week plus play a game on the weekend just for a 11 year old son, while their two daughters tag along on a road train.

It’s becoming ridiculous and is getting worse with more people seeing the $$ that can be made from these “academies”.

It’s a strange system where for the beauty of a game that just a ball is needed, in this country there’s becoming a glass ceiling for kids from lower socio economic families. That’s terrible because many a talented athlete in any Aussie sport has come from these poorer families.

As a result of our methods we have a growing number of people in football taking away an earn from it instead of volunteering and giving up their skills at a junior soccer level. This will hamstring our top teams in the future as some of our best kids missed our development pathway opportunities due to parents not affording or willing to outlay ridiculous sums of money. We are missing out on a large chunk of our special talented kids who instead of booming on that talent, they just grow up remain playing local ball at a local level with other mates.

If you’re a budding 13 or 14 year old super talented Rugby League player you get to play Harold Matthews Cup for a rep club… there’s no $4k fee…

It’s something that the big time Fox soccer experts need to discuss as this is a real issue and it will begin to hold us back exponentially. .

People reduce the stats of Hayden label him a flat track bully in an era of batting dominance … then the same people rubbish McGrath as over rated and again take no stock in his stats.

Strewth you can’t have it both ways. That McGrath has his kind of record in an era of bigger batting averages tells me that he’s either our greatest ever fast man or equal to any other. Then people bag out his style. Please. Cricket has always been a numbers game and McGrath had everyone’s number.

All this glamour of the 70s… looking back as some rarefied era… It’s no better than any other. Today’s players have to be not only adept at playing in the UK and Australia, but now there’s the entire subcontinent and Africa to contend with in a much more professional era. I’d like to know the great DKs record on the subcontinent.

I see DCE playing both sides of the ruck with the speedy Dylan Walker playing a roving commission 2nd fullback type role similar to Michael Morgan at the Cowboys.

The depth Manly have behind the main starting halves is featured in the likes of John, Moltzen and Wright plus Koroisau and Parcell. That appears to me to be as solid experience wise & ability wise as any kind of halves depth an NRL coach could wish for. Obviously there is no replacing the quality of DCE if he goes down, but in reality, Manly in 2016 will see more depth in their halves than they’ve ever had in the NRL era.

I also see Manly’s forwards at full strength being perfectly balanced for this reduced interchange era. Many within that pack can go the distance, A returning from injury Jamie Buhrer and the tough as teak Lewie Brown will have important roles to play in 2016. The final addition of the knockout Taupau gives this run on side a special feel.

On the back of this Manly should feature possibly the fastest hooker rotation in the NRL with the styles of both Koroisau and Parcell completely complimentary. The speed of Parcell in particular could well mean support play on the back of a dominant forward pack.

All this for mine shines the focus back on Daly Cherry Evans. Behind this pack I think he is in for an unshackled year where he will challenge Thurston for the Dally M medal.

Trent Barrett is the only unknown, but within NRL circles there has been nothing but excitement and praise for his ability. Especially from Phil Gould. With the squad at his disposal Trent Barrett has absolutely no excuses.

Considering their consistent historical high performance, their recruiting, the number of team stars, the experience and team balance… if DCE remains fit throughout, then it’s hard to go past Manly as one of the big time dominating top 3 teams of 2016.

Only 4 top 8 spots left.

Roosters & Cowboys looks certs.

Manly after somehow finishing 9th last year go into this year with an infinitely better squad so they surely will be top 8.

That leaves one spot…

Sharks look much improved as well and could have the ingredients for an actual Premiership tilt. Parra have improved obviously by punting Sandow and replacing him with Foran. Souths team is now re-featuring Sam Burgess and may find their mojo again. Bulldogs featuring Hasler as coach and that powerful pack is difficult to write off. The Dragons team who have also improved both backs and forwards made the 8 last year.

I think the NRL is in for a truly incredible 2016.

Rugby league in Australia has risen to it’s highest ever of heights over the past 25 years. It’s coincided with this full of negativity Parra club doing two thirds of nothing during the same period.

At one stage my mother even thought Parra got relegated.

I pity their fans but realistically the Eels gave basically held the code back in Sydney’s west and I don’t think anything has changed. Players graveyard.

This is an issue in all codes. The NRL season almost every game is apparently controversial. Now the focus is on ALeague refs in summer and the scrutiny is just as cut throat.

Society today has lost all patience, is demanding perfection more now than ever, and wanted the decision to be made yesterday & in their favour. Refs in any code are generally on a hiding to nothing… and if it’s a 50/50 call… you are on your own.

We can just thank all the higher powers that our current crop referee’s aren’t making nearly as many mistakes and poor decisions as the current crop of players are.

The best part of this was where it was mentioned “the Force face a heavy travel schedule with their eight away games – the Reds, Hurricanes, Chiefs, Highlanders, Tokyo, Rebels, Cheetahs, and Brumbies. It is a frequent flyers delight.”

Ha ha ha ha ha…. sounds like he wants the Force to play all their games at Perth. No solution offered just whinging. Maybe next year the Force can play the Dockers and West Coast as part of their away schedule.

Ahhh… already, so early in 2016, the cultural disadvantage for 15 NRL club fans of hoping Manly will fail, doubting the Sea Eagles roster, and trying to see flaws that don’t exist has been absolutely bar raised by this article.

Forwards for 2016 will includes Myles Trbojevic Buhrer Brown Taupau Lawrence Starling Mateo Symonds Lussick Koroisau and Parcel among others… and possibly a few bits of fresh meat from an under 20s graduating group that made the decider last year.

Add Dylan Walker to their already world class backline and it realistically would require some absolute catastrophe worse than the self combusting carnage experienced in 2015 for Manly not to finish higher than their position of 9th.

The high n mighty People taking the mick out of Lynn’s test chances are in reality showing their true lack of knowledge for the 1st class game.

Besides the obvious Shaun Marsh, Lynnsanity is the next middle order cab.

I disagree with totally cutting the Windies…. that’s going backwards. I think it is now simply time to split Test Cricket in a top or premium 6 test playing nations and a bottom 6 format:

On current rankings we could see the top tier and bottom tier look similar to this:

Premium Group:
SAf Aus India Pak Eng NZ

2nd Group:
SriL Bang WInd Zimb Ireland + affiliate nation

Home and away within the groups every 4 years. So that’s ten test series for each nation every 4 year cycle. Similar to the current schedule.

Everything is ranked on a 4 year cycle.

6th in the Premium group plays v 1st from the 2nd group in a playoff every 4yrs to determine any promotion or relegation.

The top affiliate nation makes the cut in the 2nd group.

This actually expands test cricket and gives all tests meaning, while creating a new rolling ranking to determine to best nation in a 4 year cycle. The Windies and other weakened test cricket countries can play other weaker type nations. All nations will play “competitive” cricket against nations of similar strength.

It makes perfect sense.

The 3 media identities involved are on their last legs and fast becoming irrelevant if not already.

The “active” supporter groups appear to be littered with males who attended victim school and graduated with railway sleepers on their shoulders instead of the standard woodchip.

David Gallop’s bizarre leadership methods continue to inspire only his best friends and maybe members of his immediate family.

I doubt any of this is doing the A League any good, and I hope most of the so called “active fans” find some perspective sooner rather than later. I hope that leaders of these support groups, and mouth pieces for this code begin working with police agencies, instead of leaning on new wave flake words such as “bigot”. I hope that efforts to do so can break down barriers and bring understanding for different supporting methods and cultures that are associated with soccer. And I would also hope that real responsibility is taken through active supporter leadership to change attitudes of possible trouble makers, so that the unmistakable support flavour remains without the stench of hooliganism or flare presentation.

The game now needs some whole perspective from its fan leaders… it needs this so that a recovery for Aussie soccer from this crazy period doesn’t require a triple bypass type of treatment because we let this sore really fester.

If fans can be the first to set the table for real peace talks… to initiate balanced, lucid peace talks with all stakeholders and agencies, then we can see if David Gallop is indeed part of the problem or part of the solution.

Under the stewardship of David Smith the #NRL in 4 years more than doubled it’s media value. That’s how you get your corporate house in order!

I know how these dudes feel…. I was once at the Forbes Hotel in the City, I dropped my glass, it smashed everywhere, I got asked to leave. I was only a few sips into my second drink but I was told, you’re out mate, you’ve had enough. Just like these banned A League fans I wanted the right of appeal. I didn’t do anything wrong!

Actually I want every situation in life to have a right of appeal. Forget the umpire, stuff their decision… let’s debate it every step of the way. Yeah. Be militant. Yeah. Appeal Appeal Appeal!!!

It probably goes to show that if u take the World Cup away from Rugby Union… then the attraction to that code falls off like the cliffs at Niagara Falls.

I became concerned after week 3… it was clear Jarryd wasn’t being used for kickoffs and special team punt chasing on 4th down. When I saw he was only being used for the limited punt returner role only… in a team that doesn’t defend well enough to receive punts, I thought that there was no real clear vision for what the coaching staff really wanted out of Jarryd Hayne. Maybe neither Tomsula or his offensive and special teams coordinators were on the same page. We’ll probably never know.

Running Back is a key multi faceted position. There’s instinctive moments at RB that take years of practice to become 2nd nature. Jarryd wasn’t at the level required to be the no 1 RB for the 49ers. Not yet anyway. It’s a shame he isn’t 4 years younger.

Just like the Rugby League World Cup … just like in the Cricket World Cup…. just like Netball World Cup. …

Australia v New Zealand in the Final.

What a period for these 2 great sporting rivals.

A small issue with a pyro friendly zone is that the ALeague would then be advocating and publicly stating that flares (which are illegal in Australian society unless you’re on a boat) are ok to be brought to the football, as long as you sit in the new improved “pyro friend zone”… wherever this pyro friend zone is. Sounds like a place next to where the chicks always put me.

A consequence of this interesting pyro friend zone suggestion (lol… other than it being illegal… lol) is that the ALeague could well open itself up to the old “lawyer hand rubbing zone” of legal ramification. But that is of course only a real world issue if some “aggressive, defiant, or stupid” human decides to misuse the flare… which would never happen if police would just stay away from football games… or if some “aggressive, defiant, or stupid” human was just being generally reckless with the flare… and then as a result of the reckless or dangerous behaviour another excited pyro happy individual within the new flashy pyro area inadvertently suffers minor burns due to said exciting flare.

Either way if the police are there and the flare is thrown… cause and effect. It’s surely the fault of those darn heavy handed Cops for striking the fear of God into the poor innocent flare bearer. The poor guy probably is in his mind reenacting the Cathy Freeman Olympic moment!!

All this said…. Nevermind that in Australia, using flares anywhere other than in a maritime setting is misusing the flare anyway.

Super article… makes heaps of sense. Look forward to that next one.