RE: Boyd Cordner retirement

With all his achievements, honours and accolades, he goes and says this …

“The number one thing for me would be to be able to call myself a Rooster. Definitely.”

Brings tears to my eyes 😥, but in a happy way. I’m gutted but at the same time happy he’s done this on his own terms. Boyd Cordner, you’re a bloody legend 💪.

RE: More happenings @ the Dragons

So now it seems the Dragons don’t need Corey Norman next year either. I really hope they know what they’re doing down there. Do you know what’s going on Dragons-fanboy?

Cheers y’all 🐔 🐔 🐔

Newbie
Gotta echo your sentiments re Boyd Cordner. Did his club, state and country proud and an all round top bloke. Never did I see him involved in any dirty play. Your Roosters will miss him but after so many head knocks he has chosen the right path.

I wish Corey the best of luck moving forward to whatever club picks him up from 2022 onwards. I think the Broncos will be the most likely candidate, back to where he started.

"Dia duit gach duine" i dteanga ní mo theanga féin,

I’ve watched and read about Jack Hetherington supposedly milking a penalty in Monday’s match and a bit dismayed that players are starting to do this and others may possibly join in doing it as well. I suppose it all depends on what the player has between his ears and how he uses that. Also depends on what sort of “man” he really is. Some may call it taking advantage of the rules in place and others may call it cheating. Who’s to say. All I know is Joey Manu got whacked high last week by Proctor and he jumped straight up. We need to address this before it gets out of hand. Other sports penalise players for “staging” so why not RL. OK, enough of that, let’s do this thang…

Broncos vs. Rabbitohs 25-75 @ Suncorp
Ladder Position = Rabbitohs
Bookies Favourite = Rabbitohs

Broncos
The Broncos were simply outclassed last week by the Raiders and were beaten 38-16. Having Hetherington sent off didn’t help their cause either. Apparently Hetherington was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Harawira-Naera in the 59th minute. I watched the highlights and replayed that “dangerous tackle” (what a joke) a few times and Harawira-Naera clearly fell into Hetherington after he got ankle-tapped. Chris Sutton absolutely got that one wrong. My mind is officially blown 😱. The Broncos’ defence was lacking and they were outclassed anyway but they hung tough and only let the Raiders run in that single try after Kobe was sent off 💪. Not too bad an effort from Hunt in his return match. Obviously still some work to do for the Broncos but they’ll get there (eventually). Some stats possibly worth a mention:

Possession - 51%
Completion Rate - 76% (29/38)
Tackle Breaks - 29
Missed Tackles - 39
Ineffective Tackles - 19
Errors - 10
Penalties Conceded - 6

Rabbitohs
The Rabbitohs had a battle on their hands at half-time last week against the Knights and were just 12-10 ahead going into the sheds. They were too good for the Knights in the second 40 but nothing to really get enthused about. They kept the Knights scoreless and ran out (semi) comfortable winners 24-10. Alex Johnston was the difference I suppose. A good result for the Bunnies but I thought they could have done better, especially with their completion rate and error count. Some stats possibly worth a mention:

Possession - 48%
Completion Rate - 67% (30/45)
Tackle Breaks - 20
Missed Tackles - 16
Ineffective Tackles - 10
Errors - 16
Penalties Conceded - 4

Verdict: You’d have to go with the Bunnies here wouldn’t you? Yeah, Bunnies.

Cowboys vs. Sharks 55-45 @ Townsville
Ladder Position = Cowboys
Bookies Favourite = Cowboys

Cowboys
The Cowboys started well last week against Manly and after just 8 minutes they found themselves 12-0 ahead. Unfortunately for them Manly “clicked into gear” and scored 28 unanswered points and the Cowboys went into the sheds 28-12 down. Sadly the Cowboys were never really in the contest after that. The Cowboys’ right-edge defence was pretty ordinary to say the least. That and their lack of possession (42%) and completion (20/33) all contributed to a pretty awful day at the office and they copped a 50-18 hiding. More work on their defensive attitude and effort is needed for sure. Some stats possibly worth a mention:

Possession - 42%
Completion Rate - 61% (20/33)
Line Breaks - 5
Tackle Breaks - 20
Missed Tackles - 52
Ineffective Tackles - 11
Errors - 13
Penalties Conceded - 7

Sharks
Yes it’s been said before no doubt but last week’s game between the Sharks and the Panthers was a game of two halves. Sharks won the first half 18-0 and the Panthers won the second half 18-1. Fortunately for the Sharks, that one point they scored in the second half was enough to get them home in a thriller 19-18. Great game to watch it must be said. Shaun Johnson (another out of contract player) starred for the Sharks and he was ably assisted by Toby Rudolph (the red nosed reindeer). Very impressive completion rate from the Sharks (37/39) helped their cause you would have to admit. Some may say they were lucky to win last week and I’m unsure as to whether they were or not but a win is a win, even against a Panthers side missing their stars 😁. Some stats possibly worth a mention:

Possession - 48%
Completion Rate - 95% (37/39)
Tackle Breaks - 28
Missed Tackles - 33
Ineffective Tackles - 14
Errors - 5
Penalties Conceded - 7

Verdict: Yeah, the Cowboys got beat last week but they started well and they were up against a red hot Manly. Yeah, the Sharks won last week but only by a point and against a Panthers team missing half their side. Might go the Cowboys at home.

Panthers vs. Roosters 70-30 @ Panthers Stadium
Ladder Position = Panthers
Bookies Favourite = Panthers

Panthers
Yes it’s been said before no doubt but last week’s game between the Sharks and the Panthers was a game of two halves. Sharks won the first half 18-0 and the Panthers won the second half 18-1. Unfortunately for the Panthers, that one point the Sharks scored in the second half was enough to see the Panthers lose a thriller 19-18. It was an awesome display from Matt Burton who almost won it on his own. The Panthers definitely missed the flair and playmaking skills of their Origin stars but those blokes will be back this week so I’m assuming things will get back to “normal”. They won’t like the fact they’ve lost 2 in a row and they won’t like the fact they’re now sitting second on the ladder. They’ll have a point to prove this week. Some stats possibly worth a mention:

Possession - 52%
Completion Rate - 87% (34/39)
Tackle Breaks - 33
Missed Tackles - 28
Ineffective Tackles - 11
Errors - 7
Penalties Conceded - 6

Roosters
The Roosters were cruising last week against the Titans. They led 18-4 at the break and 30-4 after 51 minutes. Then the footy gods thought “OK, let’s have some fun here” so Walker goes off with a dodgy shoulder and Marschke gets binned. The Titans took advantage (in a big way) and the Roosters had 30 unanswered points put on them. Both Walker and Marschke come back and the Roosters managed to score the solitary try and a field goal to grab a thrilling 35-34 win against the unlucky Titans. Not very impressed with the Roosters trainer it must be said. What the fizzle was he doing in the line anyway? Clown 🤡. Given the possession (43%), the amount of missed tackles (62) and ineffective tackles (23) the Roosters had, they could possibly count themselves lucky they got away with that win. Some stats possibly worth a mention:

Possession - 43%
Completion Rate - 79% (27/34)
Tackle Breaks - 38
Missed Tackles - 62
Ineffective Tackles - 23
Errors - 10
Penalties Conceded - 8

Verdict: Let me be honest here. The Panthers will be hurting because they’ve lost their last two and they’ll be hurting because they’re not on top of the ladder and they’re gonna take it out on my BBB. The Panthers will win this but I’m tipping the Roosters regardless. Begurk! 🐔 Begurk! 🐔

Knights vs. Warriors 55-45 @ McDonald Jones
Ladder Position = Warriors
Bookies Favourite = Knights

Knights
Good first half effort from the Knights last week against the Rabbitohs and they headed into the break 12-10 behind. Not much joy in the second 40 though as they remained scoreless while letting the Rabbitohs get another 12 points past them. In the end they lost a disappointing one 24-10. At times the Knights’ looked disordered and their attack was somewhat uninspiring. Clifford’s kicking game in the first half wasn’t too bad though. I think they’ll be getting troops back this week so would expect an improved showing. Some stats possibly worth a mention:

Possession - 52%
Completion Rate - 86% (37/43)
Tackle Breaks - 16
Missed Tackles - 20
Ineffective Tackles 10
Errors - 10
Penalties Conceded - 5

Warriors
The Warriors did really well against the Storm last week in the early stages but it wasn’t reflected on the scoreboard. They let their opposition in for 3 tries and headed into the sheds 18-2 down. Unfortunately they were no match for the Storm in the second half and went down by a big margin 42-16. They did score some points (2 tries) in the second half but their Achilles heel is they often don’t play for the full 80 minutes. Maybe they need to up their fitness at training 🤪. Good to see Ken Maumalo score a hat-trick in his last game for the Warriors before he heads off to the Tigers. Also good to see his teammates give him an emotional farewell 😢. Some stats possibly worth a mention:

Possession - 46%
Completion Rate - 72% (26/36)
Tackle Breaks - 28
Missed Tackles - 31
Ineffective Tackles - 11
Errors - 10
Penalties Conceded - 5

Verdict: Tough one here. Knights getting troops back and are at home. Warriors were smacked by the current ladder leaders and they’re getting Reece Walsh back and AFB gets a start in the run on side. Dunno, I suppose I’ll stick with the Knights here.

Dragons vs. Raiders 50-50 @ WIN
Ladder Position = Dragons
Bookies Favourite = Dragons

Dragons
What were the Dragons doing last week against the Bulldogs? They were right in it at half-time (even though they gave away 6 set restarts and made 7 handling errors) and were only behind 8-6. Their second half however was shocking. There was no urgency, no enthusiasm, no attacking flair and their defensive effort was sorely lacking. It must surely be one of their poorest showings in a while. Not exactly sure what was going on in their heads but they were basically dominated all day and I’m at a loss as to how or why that happened. I reckon all they can do is write that one off and start again. And what the hell were those 5 Dragons doing letting Adam Elliot stroll across the line so easily? That particular defensive effort is what you’d expect to see in U10s footy (sorry fanboy). Sheesh! Some stats possibly worth a mention:

Possession - 42%
Completion Rate - 70% (26/37)
Line Breaks - 1
Tackle Breaks - 17
Missed Tackles - 34
Ineffective Tackles - 11
Errors - 12
Penalties Conceded - 6
Ruck Infringements – 5

Raiders
The Raiders had a good first half against the Broncos last week and led 22-10 at the break. Finally they managed to score some points in the second half (16) and ran out 38-16 winners. The Raiders and Broncos were matching each other early on but the Raiders started to dominate and answered each challenge put to them by the Broncos. A little worrying was that even though the Broncos had Hetherington sent off in the 59th minute and the Raiders were dominating through the middle, they could only manage the one try against the Broncos defence. Not that it mattered much in the end. A 22 point win is a good win 😉. Some stats possibly worth a mention:

Possession - 49%
Completion Rate - 86% (38/44)
Tackle Breaks - 39
Missed Tackles - 29
Ineffective Tackles - 39
Errors - 9
Penalties Conceded - 6

Verdict: I’m sure the Dragons will want to bounce back this week but got a feeling the Raiders might just do enough to get up here. Raiders.

Storm vs. Tigers 75-25 @ Sunshine Coast
Ladder Position = Storm
Bookies Favourite = Storm

Storm
The Warriors gave the Storm a run for their money early on in the first half last week but the Storm got their act together eventually and simply powered on to a (very) good victory. An 18-2 half-time lead turned into a commanding 42-16 win in the end. It was yet another comprehensive performance from the Storm and they easily accounted for the Warriors. It was also another excellent display from Messrs Hynes and Smith (Brandon) which helped the Storm gain their resounding 42-16 win. The NRL kicking stats show the Storm had 20 but it was actually one more than that (Munster on RTS). It looks like Munster’s drifting back into his old habits 🤡. One in the first Origin match and another one last week. Pretty sure Bellyache wouldn’t have been impressed too much. Some stats possibly worth a mention:

Possession - 54%
Completion Rate - 86% (31/36)
Tackle Breaks - 31
Missed Tackles - 28
Ineffective Tackles - 12
Errors - 6
Penalties Conceded - 4

Tigers
The Tigers did well enough in the first half last week against the Eels but were let off the hook by the Eels somewhat. The Tigers were (sorta) lucky to only be behind 14-6 at the break I thought. When they lost Shawn Blore to the sin bin their defence fell to pieces and the Eels scored 3 tries in 4 minutes and the game was basically over. Leilua, Twal, Liddle and Brooks tried their best but to no avail. The Tigers were simply out-gunned by a far superior side and they fell 40-12 in what must have been a very disappointing loss. The Eels opened some defensive wounds of the Tigers for sure and here’s me thinking the Tigers were finally getting their defensive strategies worked out. Oh well, back to the drawing board. Some stats possibly worth a mention:

Possession - 46%
Completion Rate - 71% (27/38)
Tackle Breaks - 20
Missed Tackles - 46
Ineffective Tackles - 28
Errors - 14
Penalties Conceded - 9
Ruck Infringements - 8

Verdict: Do I really have to say it? OK then … Storm for me.

Eels vs. Bulldogs 80-20 @ Bankwest
Ladder Position = Eels
Bookies Favourite = Eels

Eels
To me, the Eels seemed to struggle a bit against the Tigers in the first half last week. Not so in the second half though. While Shawn Blore was in the sin bin, the Eels ran in 3 tries and all of a sudden the score had blown out to 32-6. A really good display from a much more polished and enthusiastic Eels side and they eventually ran out very good 40-12 winners. The only part of the Eels’ game I didn’t like was when Isaiah Papali'i was sin-binned for dropping his knee onto Luciano Leilua's face in the tackle. Apologies to any Eels fans out there for the harsh words but what Papali’i did was absolutely gutless in my book. On-field thuggery at its best. That sort of thing drives me insane and gets me fired up, and not in a good way 😣. I’d much rather see them going at it toe to toe instead of what I witnessed last Sunday. There, rant finished, sorry. Some stats possibly worth a mention:

Possession - 54%
Completion Rate - 83% (39/47)
Tackle Breaks - 46
Missed Tackles - 20
Ineffective Tackles - 14
Errors - 12
Penalties Conceded - 4
Ruck Infringements - 5

Bulldogs
Even though it was close at half-time last week, the Bulldogs looked slightly better than the Dragons and they went into the break leading 8-6. The way they defended in the first half transferred over into the second and they kept the Dragons scoreless and finally ran out (very) impressive 28-6 winners. Averillo had a cracker of a game for the Bulldogs and had a big influence in the constant attacking pressure put on the Dragons. Not that the Dragons offered much in attack but when they did, the Bulldogs handled it relatively easily. You could almost class their effort last week as “clinical” to some degree. Very impressive indeed. I saw that try that Adam Elliot scored at the 68 minute mark and was literally gob-smacked. He basically just “strolled” through the “so-called” Dragons defence. Some of the lamest defence I’ve seen in a long time 😱. Some stats possibly worth a mention:

Possession - 58%
Completion Rate - 94% (44/47)
Line Breaks - 4
Tackle Breaks - 34
Missed Tackles - 17
Ineffective Tackles - 4
Errors - 4
Penalties Conceded - 4

Verdict: The is a no-brainer. Eels to win.

Titans vs. Manly 35-65 @ Cbus
Ladder Position = Manly
Bookies Favourite = Manly

Titans
Things weren’t looking too good for the Titans last week against the Roosters. Down 18-4 at the break and suddenly down 30-4 with 29 minutes to go. But then Walker goes off injured and the Roosters get Marschke sent to the bin and the Titans went “wooshka” and scored 3 tries in 8 minutes and it was game on. After Proctor scored and put the Titans ahead 34-30 it was 30 unanswered points and they looked home. Unfortunately for the Titans their tired edge defence let the Roosters in to tie the match up and then Fogarty (who had been exceptional up to this stage) made an error, the Roosters got the ball back and Walker kicks the field goal to break the Titans’ hearts. It was a great effort from the Titans nevertheless. Given the possession (57%) and completion rate (84%) the Titans had and the amount of missed tackles (62) and ineffective tackles (23) the Roosters gave away, the Titans could have possibly won last week. How they didn’t is beyond me. That’s footy for ya 😢. Some stats possibly worth a mention:

Possession - 57%
Completion Rate - 84% (37/44)
Tackle Breaks - 62
Missed Tackles - 38
Ineffective Tackles - 15
Errors - 8
Penalties Conceded - 3

Manly
Manly were behind 12-0 early last week against the Cowboys but wrested back the momentum and piled on 28 unanswered points to lead comfortably 28-12 at the break. More of the same in the second half and they ran out big 50-18 winners. They exploited the Cowboys’ right-edge defence time after time and simply blew the Cowboys away. Too dominant, too good and never in any danger of losing that one. Another excellent effort from the Sea Eagles with their attack and defence working beautifully. And all without Turbo 💪. Some stats possibly worth a mention:

Possession - 58%
Completion Rate - 84% (37/44)
Line Breaks - 9
Tackle Breaks - 52
Missed Tackles - 20
Ineffective Tackles - 17
Errors - 8
Penalties Conceded - 3

Verdict: Footy’s a funny ol’ game but commonsense says Manly win this.

Let’s finish off with another “Song of the Week”. Some “smooth grooves” from 30 years ago. Where has all the time gone?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmENMZFUU_0

OK kids, good luck with your tipping and may your team win by 40 points! Until next week. Cheers 🐔 🐔 🐔

Some rotten games to tip this weekend. Cows/Sharks, Knights/Warriors, Dragons/Raiders, Titans/Manly Could easily flip a coin and still get 8/8 on these games.

Baggy,

Good to see you're still around. The site in general has been dead with footy comments these past few weeks.

I was talking to a mate the other day and said the Siva & Papali'i incidents were like murder & manslaughter. One was accidental & the other deliberate and punishments didn't fit the crime.

The officiating all round this season from refs, bunker & judiciary had been a farce mainly due to the inconsistencies.

Papa was nowhere near as good at the Warriors as he has been for the Eels. Was glad to see the back of him but now Warriors fans are asking why didn't he play like that at Mt Smart. Pity he blotted his copy book.

The Voyeur will be "watching" what tips others around him have taken and then put in his own tips 5 minutes before the first game kicks off....

With a swing like that Voyeur one could mistaken you for Paul Gallen last night....

Hey hey hey no need for a low blow like that SP, happy to be called some names but not Gallen, bloody juiced up drug cheat from way back !!

Hi Steel
Mate I wouldn't have gone if it was free. Watched highlights today on my laptop and never thought I'd say this but Gallen at 39 gave his all and I developed some grudging respect for him. He took a hell of a beating but kept going, probably should have been stopped earlier. Time to hang up the gloves Paul and look after yourself and family.

Yeah I am still here Steel, just very little football talk. I think your mate got it 100%, even heatherington getting sent for standing still was a bit rough, but as far as wildly different results from the same game the BOYS took the cake. Someone has to explain to the refs that stumbling, falling into an arm is not a high shot, exactly the same as falling into a shoulder is not sendable. Forget the bin or the send off, penalty on the ground, and let the MRC (who are a hit and miss bunch) sort it out after the game. Maybe if the player is taken from the ground then a binning, but let those with context after the game deal with it.

My late tips

X (Rabbits)
Sharks
Panthers
Knights
raiders
Storm
Parra
Manly

Whats the good word at the Broncos? It seems like what happened at Parra a few years back and we were shocking.

Another serious embarrassment for the Broncos at home. I didn't expect them to beat the Rabbits but 46/0 is just not acceptable. What was once one of the best clubs in the NRL (ok it was a while back) is now a laughing stock. Read Mary S's fox report above and yes the axe is falling on admin staff, assistant coaches etc but these overpaid players must take some responsibility.

Well , just what you were saying last night is happening again tonight Baggy.
Cleary slips on wet ground into Taukeiaho's bicep and the ref says intentional with no mitigating circumstances and bins the unfortunate Rooster !
Like you so rightly said , let the MRC sort it out unless it'sa bad one ...
even Cleary was shaking his head and wanting to play on.

We have now sunk beyond belief and i have to sit through another origin embarrassment

Baggy,
Yes , amazing. And so frustrating ! If we can see these things so clearly what the hell are they seeing ? ... Fair enough that the refs can miss things but with the bunker acting as the second referee (and the senior one at that) there's no fricken excuse !!

They take Plenty of time when it suits them Baggy.

Baggy
Don't know what the answer is at the Broncs. Is Kevvie the problem or is it the players lack of interest in a win. Kevvie doesn't have winning form as a coach yet my brother assures me he won't be sacked this year or the next. We do have a couple of good buys for 2022 but will it be enough, only time will tell. Any other Bronco tragics out there to offer any comfort, I need it.

Let's just stop calling it Rugby League and retag it
"The Ultimate Game of Constant Inconsistencies".

Right off the top of my head ! .............................
............. ........................... Where did you all go ?

Hi Tiger,
I don't believe in kicking one when they're down, and Tiger fans would be feeling pretty devastated by their team's performance last night.

Storm were like a run-away freight train last night, with nothing to stop them.

Look forward to better games to come, and keep the claws sharpened!!

Cheers,
Mary