NRL Thread (2 Viewers)

[Constip8edSkunk]

I know im a cronulla fan, but Gallen is clearly a better player. It was ridiculous he wasnt in city v country..... i just about cried..... Watmough and Gallen were the 2 new faces i expected to see, and when Gallen wasnt there i couldnt believe it.
And Constip8ted i want to know who the better workers are, out of curiosity....

hindmarsh, fitzgibbon without question. ryan has also proven himself at the highest level and i would take him before gallen regardless of form at this stage,(edit: ryan has been playing good the last few game anyway) . as it is ryan may not even make the team, such is the depth of back rowers in nsw - glenn morrison is a quality player and he's being on the fringes and missing out for years.

now kenndy, hindmarsh and fitzbibbon are definately going to be in the team. that leaves 3 forwards spots on the bench, waterhouse is definitely in for his versatility, that means 2 spots remaining. clinton will probably get 1 if they want another prop, the final position is likely to be between menzies or watmough. with whoever that misses out + ryan + kite as forward backups, not to mention an explosive impact player like tupou in the background, do you really think gallen has any chance at all.

Having said that, he has been in exceptional form and he DEFINITELY deserves to be picked for city-country. but he isn't the ideal bench player. yes league is favouring those who can last 80 minutes, but mainly in those who starts matches. both fitzgibbon and hindmarsh can do this, which makes gallen rather redundant. A very good player though... may get a chance in a few years time

 

[Jiga]

yes league is favouring those who can last 80 minutes, but mainly in those who starts matches. both fitzgibbon and hindmarsh can do this

Can you explain what this means, I did quite catch it. Did you mean that Fitzgibbon and Co start whilst Gallen doesnt.........because Gallen does start and play 80 mins.

My main grype is that he didnt get into City v Country, he SHOULD have been in it, and then he didnt get selected for the NSW SQUAD, just the squad, because he is in good form. But like I said, its all good, means he cheaper for us to keep and doesnt get injured!

 

[Constip8edSkunk]

what i meant is that no way would he be the starting backrower in origin, so the fact that he can play 80 minutes is of no importance to the selectors. and i do agree he is pretty unlucky to miss out on city country, but origin? i dont think so. anyway the sharks would only lose a single player during the origin series, which you should be pretty damn happy about.

 

[M | |< E]

Brace yourselves because Manly will be back on top of the ladder after round 10 for the 3rd time this season with

The Eagles smashing the depleted Dogs
The Cowboys showing the Broncos up
The Raiders giving it to the Sharks

 

[Jiga]

lose a single player during the origin series, which you should be pretty damn happy about.

Yeah, buts it Kimmorley, we sough tof struggle without his direction in defence in particular eg Manly game

Brace yourselves because Manly will be back on top of the ladder after round 10 for the 3rd time this season with

The Eagles smashing the depleted Dogs
The Cowboys showing the Broncos up
The Raiders giving it to the Sharks

Good luck mate, I predict the sharks to be first place after SOO as the Broncos hit a form slump and the sharks continue to soldier on with the BEST defence in the comp . Manly's night game problem will effect them to along with their ordinary away record. I will give them this, they are unbetable at home.

 

[mizz_smee]

woo hoo found out i have four tickets to the state of origin yesterday
YAY for me

 

[Boo_]

Omg!!! Ur Sooo Lucky!!!

 

[Boo_]

Yeah, buts it Kimmorley, we sough tof struggle without his direction in defence in particular eg Manly game



Good luck mate, I predict the sharks to be first place after SOO as the Broncos hit a form slump and the sharks continue to soldier on with the BEST defence in the comp . Manly's night game problem will effect them to along with their ordinary away record. I will give them this, they are unbetable at home.

exactely!!! what will happen if kimmorley is out injured, or suspended, sharkes will slump!!! like the manly-sharks game u mentioned, sharks went down 46-20...and can u guess who was out suspended??? KIMMORLEY...coincidence???

 

[M | |< E]

The Sharks were even lucky to score the 4 tries that they did. The Hopoate send-off disrupted our finish to the first half and allowed the Sharks to score 3 tries in that time. Come second half and we used a new game plan, outscoring the Sharks, 4 tries to 1.

 

[Boo_]

lol, yeah, see!!! im kinda glad hopate "retired". couldnt stand him...

 

[catta*]

...go da doggies

 

[Boo_]

Up The Dragons!!!

 

[Boo_]

Costello in a sharks jersey was seen on the front page today, that was a werid story, newspapers are gettin desperate

um...is costello in a sharks jersey a good thing??? well at least he isn't a dragons supporter...

 

[Suney_J]

and there are alot better impact forwards than maitua to pick from.

True, but we're talkin about the city squad here

That was the trend in previous years, but now of course the Rorters or Dogs aernt up there.........yet they still are selected in the sides

well the Bulldogs only have Anasta and Ryan in the Origin squads

Maitua yes, Gallen I dunno. It was abslutely ridiculous how he wasnt in the city v country game, he could easily compete in SOO let alone some 'rep' game filled with the left overs from the Australian squad.

Congratulations you finally spelt his name right.
Gallen and Maitua are different type of players, and theres no doubt that Maitua offers more flexibility coming off the bench. The Bulldogs bench last year was the best in the league, and was one reason we're Premeirs.
The fact that Gallen played 5/8th a couple of times last year is overshadowed by the fact that Maitua was starting 5/8th when Anasta was injured during a crucial time of the year.
Dont get me wrong, I do respect Gallen as a player and would love to have him on our side due to our injury crises, but you're claim that Maitua is a shit player has no basis and is what I'm tryin to put forward.
So because they're differnt type of players, Maitua didnt take his spot, Menzies, Watmough and O'Donnell did

 

[samuelblayden]

I still go for the knights even though they are losing

 

[Constip8edSkunk]

the roosters players selected deserve to be in the squads, fitsgibbon and minichello pick themselves, wing is the ideal bench player and has performed time and again at all levels, cross and tupou has been in very good form even when the roosters are losing. in the end, the main reason the roosters are losing is not because of the these individuals but rather the lack of direction around the ruck. wing is forced into playing the main playmaker halfback, a role that he isnt suited to and wont be playing at in origin

 

[Random_87]

The Sharks were even lucky to score the 4 tries that they did. The Hopoate send-off disrupted our finish to the first half and allowed the Sharks to score 3 tries in that time. Come second half and we used a new game plan, outscoring the Sharks, 4 tries to 1.

If you watched trhat game you should of noticed that when we had 2 players sent off (peachey + someone else, icant remember), that was when manly scored three or all of their four second half tries, so dont give them crap about hopoate was off he couldnt have stopped those tries cos hes shit (IMO). That being said, manly did deserve to win because they played better on the day, and played the majority of the game without Hoppa.

Damn QLD SOO squad have to be nuts not to pick Nutley... Oh well good for the sharks i guess.

 

[blackfriday]

what about dean young tonight? he was on fire!

 

[Boo_]

omg, yeah, dean young was good, standout player!!!

if dragons can continue their form through the origin series, they will be a formidable team, and will put to rest ppl saying that the rep players being out for origin will casue the team to collapse

one last thing, the gasnier try in the corner, shouldnt have been awarded, timmins knocked it on from dummy half...saying that, that try was crucial in opening the dragons try scoring in the 2nd half which resulted in penrith losing...not that im really complaning...

a few more last things...penrith played tops in first half, particularly in hte last 10mins of 1st half. dragons had tones of possession, but got nothing, as soon as penrith got to the other end of the field, 4 pts.

i liked the first half, it was edge of ur seat stuff, but once the dragons started their scoring, the intensity of the game dropped, the pace of the game had slowed as well.

 

[DRAGONZ]

one last thing, the gasnier try in the corner, shouldnt have been awarded, timmins knocked it on from dummy half

Luke Rooney's try in the 38th minute came off a knock on too.

Deano got 'Falcon'-ed, and as the ball dropped to the ground, Frank Puletua knocked on in attempting to catch it. Three or four tackles later, Penrith scored.

So we scored one try off a knock on, and so did your guys.

...saying that, that try was crucial in opening the dragons try scoring in the 1st half which resulted in penrith losing...not that im really complaning...

It was the second half

Overall, the Panthers did well to defend grimly for 55 minutes. Once we scored the first try, though, it always looked like the floodgates were going to open.

****

I'm sorry if the point has been raised before, but a certain Ricky Stuart and a certain Phil Gould are pissing me off no end.

Could Gus make it any LESS obvious that he wants Creagh at the Roosters for 2007 and beyond?

Look at the facts:
1. Luke Ricketson is retiring, and the Roosters are looking for a long term replacement in the second row or at lock. Ben Creagh can fulfill both these positions.
2. At the start of the year in the Footy Guide 2005, Ricky comes out and says how he expects Ben Creagh to be a superstar this season.
3. Creagh is chosen for City v Country. While there is nothing wrong with this, there is still a conspiracy in that Gus was involved in team selections, Creagh's salary will automatically rise due to his selection, and the Dragons are right at their salary cap limit.
4. Gould hasn't shut up about Ben being a bolter for the Origin series. He is trying to push this so hard in the media everywhere. Why not promote his own player in Anthony Tupou as a possible bench player for the Blues? Gould's wraps on Tupou have dried up in the last month, with all his attention on Ben Creagh and Dean Young (who was also mentioned by Stuart in the Footy Guide). Creagh's price almost doubles if he plays SOO, and the Dragons suddenly can't afford him.
5. Last night, Gould decides to give Ben MOTM. It should have been clear to anyone who has rugby league knowledge that he wasn't the best player on the park last night. Dean Young was the best man there by more than a country mile. Giving Creagh MOTM just before Origin emphasises to selectors that the guy is in top form and should be chosen for Origin.

Maybe I'm looking through glasses tinged with red and white. But surely many of you others, who don't support either the Dragons or the Roosters, can recognise that there is at least SOMETHING fishy going on here.

****

Oh well. For now, I shall concentrate on our recent success. I can worry about keeping Creagh, Young and co. when June 30, 2006 arrives.