Tom Gibbs's Roar Profile

Before Tonga defeated Samoa 38-22 during the representative weekend, Jason Taumalolo called for a Test match between Tonga and Australia at the end of…

League

132

2018

Tom Gibbs

Roar Rookie

Rugby league needs Tonga vs Australia

League

132

2018

Tom Gibbs

Roar Rookie

Tom Gibbs

Roar Rookie

Folau suspension: Let's applaud, not sanction, skilful feats

Following an enthralling Test series between the Wallabies and Ireland, why are we talking about a ban on Israel Folau when we should be…

Rugby

339

2018

Folau suspension: Let's applaud, not sanction, skilful feats

Tom Gibbs

Roar Rookie

Folau suspension: Let's applaud, not sanction, skilful feats

Rugby

339

2018

Would also like to point out the Pro Bowl losing players get $39k and winners get $67k. That’s why those players don’t withdraw!! Unfortunately that’s how it is in sport now, put money on the table and they will play.

The Indigenous All Stars vs NZ Maori is rugby league's Hunger Games

View Comment

2019

I complete agree wth this. As an NR yragic who is also a sports nuff in the off-season, I’m really being on how NRL is scheduled and covered on TV etc. And I particularly love the two week build up to the SuperBowl with the Pro Bowl the week before, and also the NBA and NHL AllStars before playoffs. I also love the build on how players get voted in, particularly in NFL as more teams get eliminated from the competition. Furthermore, it just builds the anticipation leading to the Grand Final, which doesn’t seem to have the all day buildup on TV as I’ve seen with NFL and AFL, and I’d really like it two. I also love all the events during the week that they do in America in the lead up to Pro Bowl/All Stars, like the skills showdown, and the Dunk competition. Similarly with the WCC. As a Roosters fan, why can’t it just be at the end of the season when the teams are the same, and just like in NFL, whoever plays in that just becomes ineligible for AllStars. Just a thought.

I agree with that Paul, I’m not using this to explain Aitken’s form and other players. And wasn’t looking at whether they had depth in the forwards or not or their record during the Origin periods, so it didn’t affect them as much in terms of wins and losses.

And on McGregor’s coaching that is one way of how he could be managing players better, particularly his eligible and most likely Origin players. And he certainly could do that by not making his whole side go flat out for the first 12 rounds when they don’t necessarily have to, like you mentioned.

I am saying that experiencing State of origin football accompanyid by an extra week’s rest has in fact benefitted their form since returning to a regular routine of NRL games, not saying that they haven’t been physically effected, because of course they would have. But I do think only backing up from 1 midweek Origin as opposed to 2 can make a huge difference.

And middle forwards often play less minutes because the pace of an Origin game is much more than most current NRL games. I did say I’m not as concerned about just the physical toll, but whether they played 40 mins or more per game doesn’t change the emotional effect of Origin in some cases, and my conclusion that post Origin has had a more emotionally/mentally draining effect as Barry mentioned.

And a lot of the time it can be up to coaches. Because as one example, when Latrell Mitchell and Tedesco were rested for the Titans game after Origin 3, they weren’t carrying any 1-2 or 4-6 week injuries and were actually right to play, but the coach wanted them to rest at some point and thought it better for them to miss that game and not back up from Origin.

I do think a lot of the time it could be McGregor talking to his players and them saying ‘yeah I’ll be right to play’ and decision made, but sometimes I think the coach should make the decision regardless of what the players have said. Not saying that did happen but it could have.

Great read, completely agree that referee bashing is not only unjustified more often than not, but so often hypocritical too. And what’s more, at the end of each season I don’t think we as a game ever disagree with who won the big dance in the end, it really isn’t them that decide the season when push comes to shove, because the best team still wins in the end.

I also agree that refs should be given the control that they used to have in the game, too much involvement from game day ref coaches and the bunker in their ear all the time. This would give more refs the chance to prove themselves and be more confident on field instead of going to trial by media when often the howlers aren’t their wrong doing but a result of another official. With the negative media reaction I am concerned we are pushing prospective referees out of the game.

Referee basher? Get out and don't come back

Appreciate the feedback on this. Before writing I was thinking whether to look at 92-93 or 97-98, so did look at other articles written over the years (eg Fox Sports, Telegraph) to see which two years were looked at more, and turns out both had a fairly even share depending on how they specified it, and when they mentioned 97-98, they made sure to always reference Super League.

But on the other hand, I don’t want to split the competitions as if one was ‘harder’ than the other, and if you ask any of those Broncos players, you can’t take that 97 title away from them, and also the Knights – who won in what I still think is the best Grand Final I’ve watched.

In hindsight I could have been more specific as something like ‘first NRL side to win consecutive 1st grade competitions since…’. I also just thought some of the comparative numbers were just interesting and good to discuss as a result. Anyway, no existing NRL team has won consecutive top grade Grand Finals since the Broncos in 98, and I just think the Storm might finally do it. But I am a Roosters fan, so I hope it’s not the case.

Sorry it happened again, ‘Meninga’ it should read.

Correction, ‘meaning’ should read ‘Meaning’.

Don’t get me wrong, I really do appreciate the feedback and opinion of yours and throughout the thread, as I am trying to gain some sports writing experience. I’m just writing to clarify with Fifita’s defection, that he was in fact selected, Mal Meninga had said this in an interview. And after communication with the Tongan coach, Fifita had spoken to Meaning, who accepted his decision. According to Meaning, Reagan Campbell-Gillard was then selected as a result I believe.

Regarding New Zealand’s team being ripped apart, I have always found eligibility rules quite farcical in NRL, but I believe that is not what I am writing about, but more the fact that players such a Taumalolo have picked a country now and will stick with it, regardless if another nation would give them more money. I don’t like how some players such as Milford are happy to chop and change between Origin and Samoa – for example – on a week-to-week basis.

I’m just writing to say that Tonga deserve an opportunity to gain tier one status, and I think the only way to do that is to have this match, and their results have surely earned them the chance in my opinion.

But back on the NZ team, there have also been the rep retirements this year of Packer, Mannering and Matulino, so it’s not all to do with the defection of most notably Taumalolo and others. I also think that they aren’t that weakened as a squad with players like Johnson, Fusitua, Hiku, Joseph Manu, Waerea-Hargreaves, Isaac Liu, Tohu Harris, Tuivasa-Sheck, Issac Luke, Taupau, Ese’ese, Esan Marsters and Jamayne Isaako. And they also have a new coach in Maguire who I believe will succeed. Looking at this team, I believe there is just as much experience and youth combined as the Tongan team, the England squad and what will be a new-look Australian side after this Origin series.