NRL : The Official NRL Thread 2006 (3 Viewers)

[ledzeppelin]

I cannot see anyone beating Melbourne this season
How many games have you all got out to this year?
I've been to about 20 all up I think, including about 10 Newtown games

 

[Cpt obvious]

I think Melbourne will 'choke' in the finals, but then again i cant really see a team that wants to win the comp they are all not in good enough form to win the grandfinal.

 

[matt#1]

I think Melbourne will 'choke' in the finals.

What evidence do you have for your suggestion that Melbourne will choke in the finals. They have been the most consistent team all year, and that does not look like it is going to change. They also have a fantastic coach in Craig Bellamy. I think that he will have his players in the right shape and frame of mind come finals time.

i cant really see a team that wants to win the comp they are all not in good enough form to win the grandfinal.

Your statement that you "can't really see a team that wants to win the comp" is a strange one. Every team wants to win the comp, but several teams in particular have shown at the right end of the season that they are capable of clinching the title. Melbourne have shown this through their consistency, Bulldogs through their impressive recent performances and Parramatta through their late resurgence under Jason Taylor. These 3 teams are the form teams at the moment and all 3 certainly think that they are capable of winning the comp. Other teams like Dragons and Brisbane (despite their disappointing recent form) also deserve to be labelled as contenders for the premiership due to their consistency over the whole season.

As for "no team being in good enough form to win the grand final". Once again I disagree. See above. Melbourne, Bulldogs and Parramatta are all in the sort of form that is needed to win the premiership.

 

[snickerdoodle]

I cannot see anyone beating Melbourne this season
How many games have you all got out to this year?
I've been to about 20 all up I think, including about 10 Newtown games

I've been to roughly 10 Dogs games this year. Only 2 of those were night games, unfortunately. I kinda miss them.

What's all this about Melbourne being the invincible team? I def. agree that they've had the hottest and most consistent form this year, but they CAN be beaten. They only beat the Bulldogs through a try in the 80th minute (which could've been stopped but wasn't through craptacular defense). Minor Premierships are long forgotten once semi-finals hit.

Also, about the comment that this years Bulldogs backline being weak:

2004 (ie, premiership winning year)
1. Luke Patten
2. Hazem El Masri
3. Jamaal Lolesi
4. Willie Tonga
5. Matt Utai
6. Braith Anasta
7. Brent Sherwin

2006
1. Luke Patten
2. Hazem El Masri
3. Andrew Emelio
4. Willie Tonga
5. Matt Utai (who is currently suspended)
6. Daniel Holdsworth
7. Brent Sherwin

Daniel Holdsworth, for his limited time in 1st grade, is a better 5/8 than Anasta. Barring Sherwin who's on the cusp of hitting his best form in almost 2 years, the remaining members of the backline have been performing IMO equal to and in some cases better than 2004. Unfortunately, I think he reason they don't look to flash is injury/suspenision has seen them play only a handful of games as a unit...but from what I've been seeing lately, they seem to be getting their groove back. Time will tell but they're a real silent threat in the comp.

Should be a good game tonight. I only tipped Parra because Gasnier is out, but you can never tell with the Dragons.

 

[sideshowtim]

Holdsworth is nowhere near as good as Anasta, although for Anasta to be effective he needs a very good pack backing him up, and this is why he did so well at the Bulldogs and hasn't gone so well at the Roosters. Hope Parra win tonight, I enjoy the kind of footy they play and it would be nice to have a side like theirs around finals time.

 

[Cpt obvious]

What evidence do you have for your suggestion that Melbourne will choke in the finals.

Your statement that you "can't really see a team that wants to win the comp" is a strange one.

As for "no team being in good enough form to win the grand final". Once again I disagree. .

I have no evidence that melbourne will choke it is just a hunch but one a think will be proven right.

Strange maybe but the flair I saw last year just does not seem to be here at the end of this season if you look there were many teams in good form Newcastle, Parramatta, St George, Wests, Brisbane and yes South sydney in the struggle not to recieve the wooden spoon. This year as you said there is only Melbourne, Canterbury and Parramatta who are in real form but I doubt the eels will even make the top 8.

Other than melbourne no one has had consistant form and not one team I feel is playing as well as they were last year.

 

[PatG]

Why must it always pour down with rain whenever we play St George?

 

[Cpt obvious]

Why must it always pour down with rain whenever we play St George?

Although the eels need to improve there for and against I hope the eels win 1-0 that last game was so good except for the last try but the 2 field goals for Hornby were good.

 

[PatG]

I could tell you the score at the moment if you want, unless you're watching it on Ch 9.

 

[matt#1]

bahahaha...Eels 28-6 Dragons. Hear that familiar sound Dragons supporters? *choke*

 

[sideshowtim]

Great win for the Eels. 7 in a row, and they are finding form at the right end of the season. They should really make the Top 8 from here, I think the Top 4 is even possible if things go their way. Even with a weakened pack, the Eels defended very well tonight and the only try was off a kick, however the wet conditions would've helped them as it would've been harder to attack for the Dragons.

Dragons better lift their game, they are having a Broncos-like Choke-a-thon at the end of the year.

 

[DRAGONZ]

Rofl, Dragons are shit.

What an embarrassment.

I was saying week in, week out whilst they were going through that seven match winning streak that they were playing shit and were going to start losing.

And now that they have come up against sides who are in-form and want to win the match more, it's been proven true.



@whoever-said-Dragons-are-contenders,

Mate, the Dragons will be lucky to make the Finals, let alone reach the Grand Final.

Next week against Canterbury will be five straight losses, and if Tigers win this weekend, it will be six losses the week after because they will want to win more.

2005 was our chance, but we were ripped off by Tim Mander.

This year, we are just shit.

 

[matt#1]

@whoever-said-Dragons-are-contenders,

Mate, the Dragons will be lucky to make the Finals, let alone reach the Grand Final..

That comment was made by me, but to be fair... it was made before they were smashed by the Eels. My comment was not based on the recent form of the Dragons. I merely stated that they deserved to be rated as contenders due to the fact that they have been largely consistent and put in some impressive performances over the course of the season.

They were absolutely disgraceful tonight though...and I will now have to agree with you that they must improve massively if they are to be serious contenders along with Melbourne; Bulldogs; and Parramatta (if they make the 8...and on form they should do this easily).

Next week against Canterbury will be five straight losses.

Damn straight! Go the 'Dogs!!!

 

[PatG]

At least you're beating Souths although that might not last very long.

 

[shortygb]

Great Game! that should help our for and against. Im so glad i went , lucky my seats were in partial shelter form the rain, but it was still so cold.

 

[PatG]

It'd have taken at least a finals match to get me to brave the cold tonight.

 

[kimi]

Fuck u eels, u were sposed to be languishing shitcunts like the roosters, this season.


now i have no joy left....NONE!!!

We're beating Souths and Russell Crowe

 

[transcendent]

lol Dragons are so bad. i knew they would make alot of errors. win streak, lose streak, they are so inconsistent. doesn't matter if the best players are in form or they have none means nothing. god i hate loud sledging fans. their narrow one sided views really shit me. first game and it was wet and cold =\ think i'm going to the Rooster's match next.

 

[sideshowtim]

Mate, have faith in your Dragons. They have a good side out on the paddock they just need to learn a bit of discipline. I think last night proved how valuable Gasnier is to their side, although for the first 10 minutes of the match they were outstanding, just gotta work out how to sustain that. They definitely have the side to be a big threat come finals time and for me they definitely are contenders.

 

[Cpt obvious]

LoL the dragons could not even beat a team with one front rower. Imagine if FUI FUI MOI MOI was there.