Cronulla Sharks vs North Queensland Cowboys – Thursday night – Southern Cross Group Stadium
I'm assuming, and it's an important assumption, that Thurston won't be playing on Thursday night (tipsters take note that he's named on an extended bench). Michael Morgan reminded Origin selectors he was available with a scintillating performance against the Bulldogs – having Granville and Coote makes a world of difference. I expected the Cowboys pack to struggle against the Bulldogs but I was clearly wrong. This week they have to step up once again and they'll take confidence out of the performance last week. They're in this, but back-to-back away wins against big packs seems a big ask to me. Given their overall record at Shark Park (33% win rate) I'm leaning, reluctantly I have to say, to the home side. The Sharks aren't playing anywhere near their best but they keep doing enough to win. If they improve Paul Gallen could be lifting another premiership trophy. I did a little vomit in my mouth as I wrote that. Bleugh!
Verdict – Sharks by 4
Result – Sharks by 4
New Zealand Warriors vs St George Illawarra Dragons – Friday night – FMG Stadium (Waikato)
The Warriors will be pleased to be home where they've won their last three games and lost only once all season, although home for them in round eleven is in Waikato and their record in New Zealand away from Mt Smart isn't flash. These sides met in round four and the Dragons won convincingly but a few things have changed since then. Foran pulled out of that game during the warm-up which wouldn't have helped. Let's assume he gets through the stretching drills this weekend. Matulino is a very handy addition on the Warriors bench given the Dragons formidable forwards. No Mannering though...which is a concern. The round four Dragons included Widdop, Dugan and Aitken, and what's left of their backline needs to find a way to score points. They were arguably the better side against the Sharks in round ten but couldn't win. Scoring points has been an issue for the Dragons in recent seasons and I'm concerned they may be drifting that way again as the season wears on. That said, I'm tipping them in what is apparently an upset. I think that Dragons pack will simply bulldoze over the top of the Warriors on Friday night. Paul Vaughan should, on form, be wearing an Origin jersey this season – but for which team? He was born in Canberra, played all his junior footy in Canberra and started his professional career with the Raiders. I better give Kevvie Walters a call – I may have found Queensland a very good prop forward.
Verdict – Dragons by 4
Result – Dragons by 16
Brisbane Broncos vs Wests Tigers – Friday night – Suncorp Stadium
The Wests Tigers have won just five games against the Broncos in their history but, rather surprisingly, four of those wins were at Suncorp. If they win again they'll be winning without Mitchell Moses whose transition to the Eels starts this weekend. The other big three have been named. Jimmy the Jet is back for the Broncos and Ben Hunt has been named on an extended bench. I'm sure Hunt would like an opportunity before the Origin squads are named so don't be surprised if he gets the call up. The Broncos have lost just once at home this season – to the Cowboys in extra time. Better teams than the Tigers have walked away from Suncorp with their tails between their legs this season. I expect the Tigers (who do have tails) will be doing the same. I mentioned it somewhere in the comments somewhere but I'll mention it here too. Matt Gillett is the best forward in the game right now. I exclude Cameron Smith from the group I define as 'forwards' on a technicality. Smith is however, the best accountant in the game...ever (apologies to Geoff Toovey).
Verdict – Broncos by 10
Result – Broncos by 36
Gold Coast Titans vs Manly Sea Eagles – Saturday night – Cbus Super Stadium
Last week the Titans conceded 36 points to the Melbourne Storm and they still won. It was an astonishing scoreline for a couple of reasons. Firstly, teams don't score 36 points and lose too often (that's the third highest losing tally ever) and secondly, the last time the Storm conceded 38 points or more was way back in round four of 2014. Now this wasn't some Origin depleted Storm side either, and for that reason the Titans have to come away from that game feeling ten foot tall and bullet proof. Manly flew the boxes against the Broncos shortly thereafter but then went back into the boxes for the last 65 minutes. They back up from an away game in Brisbane with an away game on the Gold Coast. Would they stay up here for the whole week or travel home in between? Either way it's a logistical challenge. Tom Trbojevic is unavailable and he isn't the be-all and end-all of the Sea Eagles attack but he's a very important cog. At Brookie this would be a toss of the coin decision, but on the Gold Coast it's the Titans for me.
Verdict – Titans by 8
Result – Sea Eagles by 20
Parramatta Eels vs Canberra Raiders – Saturday night – ANZ Stadium
I used to have a bit of a theory about the Raiders – that theory being they usually lose when everyone expects them to win. They reminded us last weekend that the theory still has legs. Whether they respond to that wake-up call with a more typical Raiders performance this weekend remains to be seen. The Eels are without Corey Norman for a while, but this is still a competitive side and there are some handy inclusions this week in Bevan French, Beau Scott and Brad Takairangi. The other big inclusion is Mitchell Moses with a mid-season switch from the Tigers to the Eels. He's named on an extended bench but it wouldn't surprise to see him thrown straight into a starring role. In any case I'm with the Raiders and a form reversal, and a big game from Josh Papalii for his club and the Origin selectors. If both teams bring their best it's the game of the round.
Verdict – Raiders by 4
Result – Raiders by 6
Newcastle Knights vs Penrith Panthers – Sunday afternoon – McDonald Jones Stadium
The Panthers realise they have to turn up to play on Sunday afternoon, given the Knights astonishing win over the Raiders in round ten. Mind you, the Panthers are a $1.28 favourite, and that's skinny for a team running 14th playing away from home. While I won't be backing them I will be tipping them. A standing ovation for the Knights and their victory last weekend...and how good are their fans for continuing to push through the turnstiles? You can only applaud their effort and resilience. Winning two in a row isn't beyond them, but a competitive loss looks more likely.
Verdict – Panthers by 4
Result – Panthers by 10
Canterbury Bulldogs vs Sydney Roosters – Sunday afternoon – ANZ Stadium
Everyone: How good were the Roosters last weekend?
The Thinker: They were good. They were very good.
Everyone: What was wrong with the Bulldogs last weekend?
The Thinker: They were wrong. There were very wrong.
Verdict – Roosters by 20
Result – Roosters by 6
South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Melbourne Storm – Sunday night – NIB Stadium
There are no shortage of teams with a poor record against the Storm, and unfortunately for the Bunnies their record is close to the worst. 26 times they have met for 22 purple victories. Sadly for the Bunnies the Storm are coming off a loss, and I almost never tip against the Storm if they are coming off a loss. I mentioned earlier how rare it is for the Storm to leak as many points as they did against the Titans, and Bellyache will be drilling them on their defence all week. With the ball in hand the Storm were fantastic. Providing they hold their form in attack, and improve their defence they are close enough to a good thing. I can't possibly take $1.28 about the Panthers when I can take $1.38 about the Storm. Gamble responsibly.
Verdict – Storm by 16
Result – Storm by 8
Wally Lewis - round eleven selections (in bold)
Note: tips from Wally will be published on Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
- SHARKS vs Cowboys
- WARRIORS vs Dragons
- BRONCOS vs Tigers
- TITANS vs Sea Eagles
- Eels vs RAIDERS
- Knights vs PANTHERS
- Bulldogs vs ROOSTERS
- Rabbitohs vs STORM
Comments
Submitted by newbie from perth on
RE: Thoughts on a Perth team in the NRL
Johnny Awesome, coming from a West Aussie who loves the footy, nothing would be better than having a Perth based team in the NRL but … it’s gonna be a battle and won’t be happening any time soon I reckon. Mate, there’s a definite bias over here towards the AFL (and to a lesser degree the soccer and Union) and getting decent NRL quality players to relocate over here is gonna be tough. Worst thing you could do is sign up has-beens and old guys past their use-by date. A Perth team needs to be competitive straightaway or else it won’t work. How do you convince capable players to take the chance, besides waving big pay cheques at them that is.
As mentioned by Big Pete, we had the experience some years back with the Western Reds and unfortunately it wasn’t that much of a success. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a solid base of RL followers over here and we love our footy but the cards are stacked against us. It will happen eventually but it’ll take time. Just hope our Perth side has some consistency and the competition over here in a small-ish population (compared to Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne) doesn’t impact too much on people’s time and money. What I mean by that is the average Joe has a certain amount of dollars each week to spend on taking the kids to the footy so where does he go? Does he take the family to the West Coast Eagles game? Maybe the Western Force or the Perth Glory game? Too many choices and too little people. It’s a difficult one. All depends on how the NRL see their role in the expansion of the game I suppose.
Anyways, that’s enough for now. Newbie’s gotta go and get himself some “booty” sleep. Stay happy and safe peeps. Cheers.
P.S. even if there was a Perth Pirates team in the competition, I’d still be a Roosters man. Begurk!
Submitted by Fortress on
Bit late but better late than never!!!!!!!!!!
My tips for round 11 are !!!!!!
The mighty eagles
The knights
The raiders
The broncos
The cowboys
The warriors
The storm
The roosters
And since I support arsenal in the EPL the gunners to stop Chelsea from winning the double in a classic at Wembley 3-2
Sweet dreams everyone!!!!!!!!!!!
Submitted by Johnny Awesome on
Hi all,
On the bus, and she's a tad bumpy, so Ill probably have some typo's thrown in the mix, so don't think I've lost the plot yet.
Mr Newbie, you make many valid points on a Perth side. When Adelaide Rams and the Western Reds were formed, it was a by-product of the Super League war. Another valid point you made was both teams were made up of players nearing the end of their career. Yep, they got a lot of attention when they first got in, just like a new shop or restaurant, but it didn't last. The teams didn't have the depth and like you said needed pretty quick success to survive. I tip to my hat to Melbourne Storm mate, they needed to hit the ground running and they did, and even with a team that was built to succeed with some smart thinking, good magement and coaches it still is an ongoing affair for them to keep their supporter base. I really respect the Storm. The other point you made dwindling crowds, financial woes, but I think the major reason was actually political. Western Reds and Adelaide Rams were created for Super League and there was a lot of bitterness for many years. I'll be honest with you, it took me a while to accept the Super League teams back in the fold. I felt at the time and what they did was akin to treason but I grew up in the old school era, where a handshake was real and contracts meant something. Anyway, they were two relics from the war and I think the new NRL needed a fresh start. I was thinking maybe like they do with doctors and registrars, part of an incentive package they offer youngsters a NRL position out there in the West Aussie throw in a few experienced old timers? Either way you are right Mr Newbie, fans expect success and the logistics are tough. Just coming into Tuggeranong need a coffee, have to wait to Civic so cheers to you all from Mr Awesome
Submitted by pabdul on
hi newbie and awesome first of all like me roosters and arsenal are the loves of my life the wife is a close third.
i moved to SA in 1995 and thought my career was over but ended up playing locally for the jets. i got asked to trail for adelaide city against broken hill and got picked to play for SA.
our first game was the against WA at the WACA before the first ever reds game against the dragons with brad Mackay tearing up his old club. we got done that day. i smashed the WA 5/8 early but he was 10 yrs younger and got the better of me. his name was matt geyer.
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
Yes Pabdul - I am free with tv.
No Foxtel or other. Never have time for sitting around for too long, as the message soon gets dropped about computers and time.
I'm not cheap for a night out either.........depends where we eat and sip at.
Submitted by lillychino on
Hi
A big thank you to The Thinker for my Queensland Origin Polo Shirt!
I am so excited to win!
Much appreciated!
Go the Maroons!!!!!!
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
Yes, I know Pabdul - it was another typo, done in a hurry.
But with that, I went with Pad to get the Irish side and not Pab for other misinterpretations. Lab for labrador or other possible genetics.
So I guess at Christmas time, with playing Rudolph, it is easier for them to tell you where to go.
But the common factor in getting your name correct........is to think of Paula and spell the way the singers surname is done. I often have to pause to make sure that d follows b. Oh go on....The Dee Bee's not Gee Bee's - Sticks and stones or better still.........spicks and specks.
Cheers and have a great day
Pete
Submitted by pabdul on
no worries pete i thought it was a country thing also you mentioned promite. in england i only remember marmite and bovral like bonox..what happened to bonox
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
Hello Newbie.
Any footy should be welcomed here.
I've been following the code of real footy (soccer) for years since playing and coaching. Not so good a year for my Red Devils, this season in EPL, but........Europa Cup is our way back into Champions League - Euro.
Haven't watched all FA Cup Finals, as it buggers my Sundays up since they pushed the starting time back. FA Cup used to be this weekend, as several of us have our birthdays in May and we used to watch it all, when it was midnight kick-off. FA Cup now next weekend Sat 27.5.2017.
Cheers and keep well - Big Pete
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
Forgiven Newbie Arsenal fan.
Check your keyboard with that club you follow. At least you made sure of the l.
Submitted by BigPeteBx on
Morning Pabdul - I'm about to head off for the grind but reply to you quickly.
Promite nice and similar to vegemite, marmite etc. Bonox still about and great in soups or as a drink with hot water. Years ago many used rum and bonox for a Winter's warmer, but I hate rum.
Submitted by christine on
I'm taking the same this week for rd 11 as the thinker
sharks
dragons
broncos
titans
raiders
panthers
roosters
storm
may the league gods be good to us all .
Submitted by Fortress on
If the NRL are going to go down the same path as the EPL soccer in england with a 2 teir comp meaning the premiere top 8 and then the 2nd 8 here is my seperated competition this is based on titles won,grand final appearances,finals appearances ,consistency,
Premiere top 8 teams,...........
The mighty eagles
The storm
The broncos
The bulldogs
The cowboys
The raiders
The roosters
The sharks
The bottom 8 comp............
The warriors
The tigers
The dragons
What's the matter parramatta
The rabbitohs
The knights
The panthers
The titans
That's my seperated comp its based on performance of each club its my opinion and everyone is welcome to there"s.............
I would love to see this happen as the level of games will always be of a high calibre sso the bottom 2 sides in the premiere comp go down,and the top 2 sides in the bottom comp go up I think this would be a great idea w you would get block busters every week helping build the game and everyone fighting to play I'm the top 8 comp or teams trying to fight to get there from the bottom 8 comp,...............
Cheers from the fortress !!!!!!!!!!!;
Submitted by a on
Yeah that sounds good Fortress
Submitted by Fortress on
Thanks "A' mate I think the game is slowly dieing and as we both love this great iconic Australian game we need to come up with a fresh modern day concept to help promote our game not just here but to the rest of the world we you get the top 8 teams producing high calibre,exciting edge of the your seat drama and intense passion and competition.
Cheers buddy!!!!!!!!!;
Submitted by Johnny Awesome on
Hi all,
Mr Fortress, pal, a 2 tier comp would need around 20 teams methinks. Each playing each other twice having a total of 20 rounds in both 1st and 2nd division. That would free up 6 rounds for state of origin and rep games, so the whole kit and caboodle would be 26 rounds for the year. Much less strain on the players, because at the moment they are doing 26 rounds including all the other stuff on top. With the 6 free rounds we could bring City vs Country back hey, have three state of origin clashes and two internationals equaling 26 games for the year. Now the big question, clubs rely on sponsorship, who is going to sponsor the lower division, who will be interested in watching those games, crowds etc. Most people will follow the first division like they do in soccer. How will the clubs in the lower grade keep their players, will everyone be eligible for representative stuff? Yep, its good to think out of the box. For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument, debate.... Margaret Heffernan
Cheers from Mr Awesome
Submitted by Fortress on
Yes I know johhny owesome people will still watch there clubs no matter what if u love ur club u should never desert them I think it would work yes I agree more work would be needed to be done but the foundation I have laid out is a good start than we can work on making it to get to the end resault we can't keep going the way we are I mean you have to care bout the game no one has the balls to talk up the game is run by former players eg: Phil Gould and other know it alls when the NRL should be running it,the refs are disgusting crap no where near up to standard it isn't park football its a major elite competition and we have pittyful commentators who bore the crap out of you we need to bring the game forward bring in people who can run it properly ,fit young refs with ability to referee the games and commentarors and administraters who don't just sit there and gas bag on about them selves while a game is on,its 2027 a new era time to get with the times and at the end of the day if it wasn't for us passionate supporters of the game the game would be dead we are the life line of this great game but do we ever have a say no never in a million years I'm going to speak my MIMD and offer my opinions and if people don't like it well then in the famous words of ma sheila tough titties !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Submitted by Fortress on
Sorry before the spelling police get me meant to say "speak my mind"!!!!!!!!!!!
Submitted by Fortress on
And meant to say its "2017" OK cool!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK johnny awesome will get back to you on the two teir comp OK let's see if together we can make this work will be back posting to you about my ideas tonight Mr awesome !!!!!!!;;;;;
Submitted by Johnny Awesome on
Hey Mr Fortress you are starting to sound like you agree with Mr Spartan Warrior. I think that's what he was alluding to the actual fan base in his language. Makes sense. All good mate good to see you are passionate. Gee I love footy Mr Fortress and let's face it mate, no matter what, for me it's the greatest game in the world. Just on the bus coming home. Cheers from Mr Awesome
Submitted by Fortress on
OK awesome chat and post to you soon about my concept OK I mean straight out the spartan warrior might be good in a talking about the fan base we must all agree on that,but for the life of me he goes on like its a million B.C.
Cool j.Awesome off to pump some iron wiil be back at ya soon !!!!!;;
Submitted by mark ashford on
Padbul
So you smashed Matt Geyer a little bloke who went on to be a Storm champion. Bet you were glad it wasn't his big brother Mark.
Submitted by Johnny Awesome on
Hey Mr Fortress I googled Spartan and mate guess what he was part of Ancient Greece between 300 and 400 BC. Cheers from Mr Awesome
Submitted by mark ashford on
On the expansion.
I would love to see more teams in the comp.
It's been tried before and failed with lack of sponsership money.
The AFL has got it covered and has teams everywhere.
They get a little more than the NRL from Fox and #9
We're now offering players million dollar contracts for a few years.
Will only prop up clubs on the East Coast.
So it's goodbye SA and West Coast until this is sorted by the NRL.
Submitted by a on
Dragons Fanboy BigPeteBX and Not Scotty please get your tip in my comp or else you will be on a strike
Submitted by The Thinker on
Expansion is tricky at the minute...we have two regional clubs owned (propped up) by the NRL now.
If you were going to expand there are three options that seem most logical to me:
* Perth - they have a nice rectangular stadium and the timezones are just perfect. Perth can have a Sunday or Saturday afternoon game and it broadcasts live into the Eastern States in prime time. I love games in the daytime...the quality of football always seems better to me. No-one seems to believe me, but the Western Reds were actually a profitable club when they got shut down after the Super League Wars. Perhaps rather than expand one of the Sydney teams could move (Wests Tigers) but I'll get pitchforked out of town for suggesting it. The NRL and the WA State Government should offer them 10 million bucks to play six to eight games a season over there.
* Brisbane - the Broncos won't let this happen easily, but Suncorp Stadium should have an NRL game every single weekend. Two Brisbane teams gives us that.
# Wellington - there are plenty of Kiwis in the NRL...plenty of Pacific Islanders in the NRL and the Warriors are, believe it or not, one of the more profitable clubs in the competition. The Kiwis deserve a local derby too.
So there's my expanded comp. 18 teams, one less Sydney team, two Brisbane teams and two New Zealand teams.
That said, I think expansion is at least ten years away.
Submitted by a on
Is JT playing tonight not according to the team lists
Submitted by mark ashford on
Australia has about 23M people.
Only about half (or less) pay taxes. (if we're lucky)
The rest are children or retirees.
Imagine how hard it is for our Treasurer to balance the books.
How much disposable income do our taxpayers or retirees have?
Can we afford to pay RL players 1M a season or are we kidding ourselves.
Why don't our clubs bring on young players (there will be plenty) and pay them a reasonable wage.
The sport money has to be divided between NRL, AFL, Rugby and Soccer.
The NRL has to cap player payments to ensure an expansion and secure the future.
Submitted by The Thinker on
a
My understanding is that JT passed a fitness test before the game and he was ready to go...but he's been put in cotton wool by the coach.
So that's a no...sadly.
Submitted by a on
Yeah sadly it is but you can't risk him just in case he redoes his shoulder and it becomes season ending
Submitted by a on
Same thing is happening with Ben hunt to with his injury
Submitted by Johnny Awesome on
Hi all,
Mr Thinker you said two Brisbane teams and two NewcZealand teams, makes sense and a Perth side from the relocation of a Sydney team. If you did have a Perth side, it definitely wouldn't be called Western Reds. 10 years is a long time hey, and we've got competition from other codes. Rugby Union is trimming down not up. This may sound crazy Mr Thinker, but what about an English club relocating here. New Zealand national side is strong because of the NRL why not give England a chance the Warriors have got here? Cheers from Mr Awesome
Submitted by Johnny Awesome on
Hi all,
Mr Thinker what about relocating the knights to Perth? In ten years of course..., cheers from Mr Awesome
Submitted by Fortress on
I thought jt was playing tonight can people please make up your minds.
I'll stick with the cows and they did win without him last week,only this is a much tougher game,but I'll stick with the cows.
Awsome to many people are scared of change if its working no don't change it,but clearly its not working so changes have to be done or rugby league football will become a rabble and the Ariel ping pong in Melbourne will relish the chance to completely take over from the greatest game of all and how sad would that be !!!!!!!!!;;
Submitted by mark ashford on
Johnny Awesome
Instead of asking Thinker why don't you ask the Newcastle fans about your suggestion.
The East Coast is where RL belongs.
Perhaps another team in Bris is where we should be going.
The South Brisbane Logan/ Kings would fit.
Leave the Knights where they are.
Lots of Islanders in the South Bris/Logan catchment.
It would work.
Submitted by Johnny Awesome on
Hi all,
Mr Mark Ashford,
I'm hearing ya, it's easy to relocate someone else's team. It was more tongue in cheek comment. Mr Thinker is right I think an extra team in Brisbane and New Zealand make more sense. I'd be interested to see how an England side could handle the daily grind of the NRL now that wasn't tongue in cheek. Cheers from Mr Awesome
Submitted by Johnny Awesome on
Hi all,
I've got to move quicker than a blue healer in flea season. Got the footy on pause ready to go.
Catch you all later.
Cheers from Mr Awesome.
Submitted by KellysLoot on
Here are my tips;
Sharks
Warriors
Broncos
Titans
Raiders
Knights
Bulldogs
Storm
Submitted by Tailspin on
I am devastated. Bloody hell.
Submitted by Johnny Awesome on
Good morning all,
Waiting for the bus. What a great game of footy last night. Gee that Cronulla side is tough. It's no surprise Melbournes only loss teal this year was to them, Gold Coast loss was a hiccup and not taking anything away from the Titans at all. Cronulla are the real deal.
Cheers all from Mr Awesome
Submitted by Baggy_Gee on
There are a few issues that need to be cleaned up before any expansion or a second tier competition can happen.
1. Trade deadline, it should start the Monday after the grand final and wrap up on the first Friday of December. This gives players about a month to move, celebrate Christmas, and install themselves into a new place as well as giving them 3 months preseason.
2. Salary cap, abolish it and use the EPL model. Spend what you want, the NRL will provide a set amount of cash per year, if you over spend then someone (the owner) has to pick up the tab. This might involve some clubs paying massive overs to increase ticket prices, but the fans will vote with their feet. Want the whole QLD origin squad as your run on side, might cost the fan $100 per ticket to see a home game. NRL would wash their hands of club ownership, if a club runs out of cash and still has players they might survive, in second division and rebuild they might not.
3. Punish bad refereeing, and stand behind them. If a ref makes a horrible blue I.e. a forward pass that goes 5m forward leading to a try, demote them. In a day where ticket prices could be high then it can't be accepted, but if a hard but correct call is made the NRL has to back them to the hilt. A former top flight ref running a 2ND division game would be of benefit to those clubs and players as well as being an encouragement to call the spirit of the game not the letter of the law.
4. Home grounds, with ticketing becoming pricey, the days of taking home games to any where but your home ground is laughable. This would spell the death of ANZ, but the spin off would hopefully be packed local games, this would also mean that clubs would guard their junior talent with an iron fist. 2ND division teams would breed strong clubs and 1st division teams would have to pay compensation to other clubs to poach talent if they wanted them. This means some teams without a real depth in their junior program would be the teams, with on average, higher ticket prices. This concept is central to allow sides to be promoted or come back from relegation.
5. Promote QLD/NSW cup teams before making new teams. If most teams are one good season away from 1st grade, then let's use established club is locations such as the central coast, or the capricornia area, imagine the boost to the games if a club such as that got in. New opportunities, new places, and if a few of these smaller teams step up it makes it easier to expand over to the west coast with a successful proof of concept all ready achieved.
Submitted by a on
Yeah I am sad too
Submitted by pabdul on
baggy has some great points the qlders have been learning from us for 20 yrs now they can step up and run their own comp. the only games we get decent crowds are at local derbies. we first need to bring sydney supporters back.
i would have 8 sydney teams plus raiders and knights play in nsw premiership(similar to the way it used to be). qld have their 3 teams also have another brisbane team one from central qld and png you can throw in storm and warriors. play your qld premiership(dont worry youd get 50 thousand to a cane toad race). the winners can meet for a australian premiership.
more interest in both states. less teams in each comp means origin can be played over 3 weeks on its own. dont worry about other states where our sport comes in third.
i like fortresses idea but its only good if your team is in the top 8 teams.
Submitted by Johnny Awesome on
Hi all,
Mr Baggy Gee you have made a good point regarding transfer of players. I think you need a tad more time than a month to decide your future for the next few years. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think there is a cutoff date now? You'll never eliminate mid season transfers if the club or player are at odds. I think the salary cap works well, could be a tad higher though. No one wants to see clubs go bust. Mate, you are tough on refs, problem is that we don't have that many of them that are a high calibre and like anyone of us, they are human and will make mistakes. I still reckon, it all evens out. Maybe extra power to the video ref would help? Cheers from Mr Awesome
Submitted by Baggy_Gee on
I know, but if we are billing it as the premier RL comp in the world we have to hold the officials to a high standard. It's the same as the slap, enforce it and watch people toe the line. I bet there are plenty of lower grade refs who could and would make the cut. I like the idea of the bunker ruling on forward passes, same as the no try, if the is enough evidence it gets called back. Won't stop the "flat" ball, but when a forward is ahead of the ball player and receive the pill in the line that's pretty obvious.
Submitted by Baggy_Gee on
The gf is the first weekend in October, that gives players 2 months, also the negotiations would be basically worked out before the date by the managers. Probably call it an embargo on the players and clubs talking about it. The month is as I said move get ready for training. These are fit men and just need to learn the new structures of the team.
Submitted by Baggy_Gee on
I disagree with fortresses top eight. At the start of this round many and the BOYS would have been gone, but if they win this weekend and this is the last week the Cows are down the 2ND division. Better to make it a 12 team division and then the 4-6 teams on the middle who are better than 2ND division but had an average season can stay but the bottom two who couldn't compete would get moved down for the head and shoulders teams to move up.
Submitted by Fortress on
Your welcome to disagree baggy but then again I disagree with your concept and thoughts so there you go we can agree to disagree.
I was outlining a concept that would work it wasn't the finished product ,if your happy for mediocrity in games that's up to you,if your happy with mediocre refs that's up to you,if your happy with the way the game is been run that's up to you but our great game is suffering because people like you come on here and and thought of someone with fresh and new ideas you want to slam just to put yourself on a high pedistal ,its OK to disagree but only if u can back it up and as far as I'm concerned your concept is far too fetched.
Look at the state of the game baggy,hounestly look at it run by media know it alls,gambling,drugs shonky administrators and not only picking on one club its wide spread ,we need to clean up the garbage that's tainting our game I agree with you forward passess should be called back its happining in most games not just one,the refs are not up to standard ,to be the best you have to have the best,yes there human and are liable to make mistakes,but not consistently making absurd decisions that changes the outcome of a game too many far too many mistakes and the bunker is a joke who ever bought that in was on crack.
The concept can work its worked I'm other sports and it can work in our game but the problem is people are scared of change because for too long we have had to put up with a basket case circle of people who are running the game and who comment on the game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Submitted by Johnny Awesome on
Hi all,
To be fairdinkum I think rugby league is going well, There is always room for improvement and that's always happening, tweeks here there. I think the bunker this year has been superb, huge improvement over last year.
Cheers from Mr Awesome
Submitted by Baggy_Gee on
I'll agree there. Speed is up, as is accuracy. Just need to get the on-field guy to blow more tries particularly when he is right on the spot and there is no question about it. Not sure that the Bunker should be sponsored.
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