Dragons vs Broncos to open 2018 NRL season

[ouryear]

He didn't make the cut unfortunately for him.

Ummmm....Nene scored like 5 tries in total in 2017. Nighty, slow and all, still scored around 15.

I think I will take Nighty, until Nene grows a set.... or a speedy superstar comes along!!

 

[blacksafake]

He’s not the messiah...... he’s just a very naughty boy!
( sorry, couldn’t help myself )

Been waiting for someone to use this, should of known it would be you OKB

 

[Como Connection]

Round one of the NRL 2018 season feature James Tedesco and Ben Hunt facing their former clubs
EXCLUSIVE DAVID RICCIO, The Sunday Telegraph
24 minutes ago
Subscriber only

TEDDY v the Tigers. Benny v the Broncos.

James Tedesco and Ben Hunt, the most high-profile NRL recruits of 2018, have been gifted with a first round shot at sweet revenge.

A marketing dream for the NRL and ratings winner for Fox Sports, Tedesco will launch his Sydney Roosters career against his former club, the Wests Tigers, on Saturday afternoon, March 10, at ANZ Stadium.

The clash will also feature the Tigers club debut of Dogs defector Josh Reynolds.

The Sunday Telegraph has exclusively obtained every match-up for the opening round of the 2018 season.

The entire draw will be released by the NRL this week. And Tedesco’s much-anticipated tussle with the Tigers — the club he spent six years with — won’t be the only first round crowd-puller.

Round one of the 2018 NRL season is set to go off.
Highlights from round one include:

* Hunt wearing the famous Red V of St George Illawarra in a first-up clash with former club Brisbane at Kogarah;

* The Knights debut of rising star fullback Kayln Ponga against Manly’s Tom Trbojevic at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle;

* North Queensland hosting Cronulla, a first-up rematch after the Cowboys controversially eliminated the Sharks from this year’s finals series;

* A Perth Stadium double-header on Saturday to mark the coaching debut of South Sydney’s Anthony Seibold against the Warriors and Canterbury’s new coach Dean Pay against premiers Melbourne;

* A Western Sydney derby between the Panthers and Eels on a Sunday afternoon at Penrith;

* Ricky Stuart’s Raiders travelling to the Gold Coast to tackle the Titans and their soon to be appointed coach.

Roosters fans will be eager to see James Tedesco in their colours. Photo: Mark Evans
St George Illawarra will officially launch the 2018 season at Kogarah against the Broncos on Thursday night, March 8.

The clash is loaded with headlines and salivating subplots, including former Canterbury captain James Graham’s debut with the Dragons against his current World Cup coach for England, Wayne Bennett.

The season-opener will also pit $1 million Broncos recruit and former Sharks centre Jack Bird against the Dragons — where he played his junior football.

But nothing excites Dragons fans about next year more than the arrival from Brisbane of halfback Hunt, who will partner Gareth Widdop in the halves.

Widdop and Hunt, who will feature in the World Cup for England and Australia respectively, will be tasked with returning the Dragons to the finals.

Daley out of Titans race
The new-look Knights will host the Friday 6pm timeslot against Manly.

Optimistic Newcastle fans will be eager to catch a first glimpse of high-profile recruits Ponga, Aidan Guerra, Chris Heighington, Jacob Lillyman, Connor Watson and Tautau Moga.

Bulldogs fans will need to take the trip west to Perth to experience the club debut of Kiwi Test half Kieran Foran and Kangaroos prop Aaron Woods.

Canterbury will tackle premiers Melbourne in the opening-round double-header clash to be held at the $1 billion Perth Stadium.

The clash will also feature an initiation of fire for rookie Dogs coach Dean Pay — up against premiership-winning Storm coach Craig Bellamy.

Originally published as Round one rivalries for NRL 2018

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...s/news-story/146af593c67fd66b22129a51f137e03c

Why would anyone read that disgraceful paper.
Cannot see Hunt in a RedV jumper in the picture.
Don Henley from the Eagles wrote and sang the song "Dirty Laundry" regarding Mr Ruburt Murdock, states it all.
Right wing Dick Head!
CC

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

Ummmm....Nene scored like 5 tries in total in 2017. Nighty, slow and all, still scored around 15.

I think I will take Nighty, until Nene grows a set.... or a speedy superstar comes along!!

Actually 6 and 16 respectively are the correct figures.
Nighty's stats overall some of the best in the club.

 

[to_ddeath]

Actually 6 and 16 respectively are the correct figures.
Nighty's stats overall some of the best in the club.

No offense to Nighty...I love the bloke still.....but.....how many tries did we not score that could have been tries if we had a faster winger than him in his place.


T.

 

[BennyV]

No offense to Nighty...I love the bloke still.....but.....how many tries did we not score that could have been tries if we had a faster winger than him in his place.


T.

This.

Comparing Nightingale and Nene's tries is apples and oranges. The former was on our left, one of the most potent edges in the comp outside Widdop (our only real playmaker) and Lafai (second highest offloads in the comp). A quicker, stronger winger would have added 4 or 5 tries to that tally.

By comparison, Nene was on the right where we rarely ventured in attack, outside McCrone (lol) and Aitken/Dugan (centres with a natural inability to set up their winger). He had to earn the tries he scored.

I love Flo, but 2017 should have been his last and I fear he'll prove to be a weakness next year.

 

[dragonssamy61]

Ummmm....Nene scored like 5 tries in total in 2017. Nighty, slow and all, still scored around 15.

I think I will take Nighty, until Nene grows a set.... or a speedy superstar comes along!!

Ouryear
Agree
At least nighty gives his all.
Nene give 50%.
If nene plays to his potential then and only then is he nrl standard.

 

[Dr Fruitbasket Returns]

That's us 0 and 1 to start the season.

 

[Slippery Morris]

So Nighty being the slowest winger apparently and scoring 15 tries is a bad thing for some? Didn't he also play some fullback during 2017.

Wow, I Think it makes it even more impressive that old man Nighty racked up 15 tries more than most other wingers because he was at the right place at the right time due to experience. And don't forget some of the tries he saved I am sure others would not have.

Nighty had one of his best season since 2010 last year and the poor guy still gets picked on. I am sure there are alot of clubs that would like to have NIghty, but there is only 1 club that Nighty wants to play for and that is our red V. Enjoy whilst you can because when he does eventually retire he will be sorely missed by many.

 

[_Johnsy]

Ha, that's no beach!

Apparently it is

 

[Dragsters]

1. Boyd
2. Oates
3. Opacic
4. Roberts
5. Kahu
6. Milford
7. Nikorima
8. McGuire
9. McCullough
10. Joe O
11. Gillett
12. Glenn
13. Bird

14. Thaiday
15. Pangai
16. Sims
17. Payne Haas

---------------------------------------

1. Dufty
2. Nene
3. Aitken
4. Lafai
5. Mann
6. Widdop
7. Hunt
8. Graham
9. McInnes
10. Vaughan
11. Thompson
12. Friz
13. JDB

14. Sims
15. Leeson
16. Leilua / Host
17. Field / Lomax

...and you were doing so well until you picked nono in front of the gypsy...

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

No offense to Nighty...I love the bloke still.....but.....how many tries did we not score that could have been tries if we had a faster winger than him in his place.


T.

You keep showing love but not much respect.
You can theorize about how many tries another winger might have scored but Nightingale racked up 16 which are on the board and real.
Keep harping on how slow he is and how he should retire.
But Nightingale is not our problem and his stats (not just tries scored) tell a different story..

 

[Dennis Papaioannou]

So Nighty being the slowest winger apparently and scoring 15 tries is a bad thing for some? Didn't he also play some fullback during 2017.

Wow, I Think it makes it even more impressive that old man Nighty racked up 15 tries more than most other wingers because he was at the right place at the right time due to experience. And don't forget some of the tries he saved I am sure others would not have.

Nighty had one of his best season since 2010 last year and the poor guy still gets picked on. I am sure there are alot of clubs that would like to have NIghty, but there is only 1 club that Nighty wants to play for and that is our red V. Enjoy whilst you can because when he does eventually retire he will be sorely missed by many.

Many people are obsessed with bagging Nightingale who is consistently one of our best players.
He actually scored 16 tries in 2017 (7th on the try scorers list) and if you consider the number of games he was covering at FB, he may well have finished with 20+.

 

[Saint_JimmyG]

True mate, but I don't think Hunt will sit out for 5 years.

Tallis was and still is a dick head.

Why would any normal person sit out 12 months rather than just playing out your final 12 months?

What was his problem anyway?

How long have you got?

The biggest thing from Tallis's dummy spit is that the issue was taken to court, which ruled in favour of the Dragons.

In short, he had a VALID contract that he childishly reneged upon.

 

[BennyV]

You keep showing love but not much respect.
You can theorize about how many tries another winger might have scored but Nightingale racked up 16 which are on the board and real.
Keep harping on how slow he is and how he should retire.
But Nightingale is not our problem and his stats (not just tries scored) tell a different story..

What other stats?
Compared to Nene (the winger that people want dropped instead) Flo has run less per game, less average metres and less tackle breaks. Tackle count is even but Flo has missed more.

Flo has more tries and line breaks, which (as has been mentioned) can be attributed to Widdop and Lafai's combined 34 line break assists and 29 try assists, compared with 17 and 14 respectively on the right edge (in short, Lafai set up more tries and line breaks than McCrone, Aitken and Dugan put together).

And this is compared with the guy most want dropped because he's seemingly operating at 50%. Put him on the left and we'd see a huge difference. So what stats tell what?

Of course, the real reason Flo should hang them up is not within stats. It was heartbreaking to see him put into clear space 40m out against the Dogs, where 90% of other wingers in the comp would score, and watch him run in lead boots and get rounded up by Chase f**king Stanley within 10m of catching the ball. And it sure as hell wasnt the first time. All the brains and instinct in the world can't compensate for what he currently lacks in the legs. We need a winger who can score from more than 10m out.

I've seen too many of our heroes from 2010 struggle in their final year, and it will be a shame to see this from Flo. No objections to keeping him around to help the youngsters, but when you take the emotion out of it he's not in our Top 2 wingers at the moment. And while he's not our biggest problem, that doesn't mean it's not a position that can be improved.

 

[2010]

I wish Flo had retired this year. We need two speedy wingers. I hope he will be remembered as one of Saints best wingers.
I would not like Flo being remembered as a player who played one season to long

 

[Crush]

What other stats?
Compared to Nene (the winger that people want dropped instead) Flo has run less per game, less average metres and less tackle breaks. Tackle count is even but Flo has missed more.

Flo has more tries and line breaks, which (as has been mentioned) can be attributed to Widdop and Lafai's combined 34 line break assists and 29 try assists, compared with 17 and 14 respectively on the right edge (in short, Lafai set up more tries and line breaks than McCrone, Aitken and Dugan put together).

And this is compared with the guy most want dropped because he's seemingly operating at 50%. Put him on the left and we'd see a huge difference. So what stats tell what?

Of course, the real reason Flo should hang them up is not within stats. It was heartbreaking to see him put into clear space 40m out against the Dogs, where 90% of other wingers in the comp would score, and watch him run in lead boots and get rounded up by Chase f**king Stanley within 10m of catching the ball. And it sure as hell wasnt the first time. All the brains and instinct in the world can't compensate for what he currently lacks in the legs. We need a winger who can score from more than 10m out.

I've seen too many of our heroes from 2010 struggle in their final year, and it will be a shame to see this from Flo. No objections to keeping him around to help the youngsters, but when you take the emotion out of it he's not in our Top 2 wingers at the moment. And while he's not our biggest problem, that doesn't mean it's not a position that can be improved.

Why do you think the Kiwi International side selected nighty in their squad? From the picture you have painted here of Nightingale surely there are better players than him to pull on the New Zealand international jersey?

 

[Life's Good]

I wish Flo had retired this year. We need two speedy wingers. I hope he will be remembered as one of Saints best wingers.
I would not like Flo being remembered as a player who played one season to long

Irrespective of what form Nighty ends his career in there is no chance of him being remembered as anything less than a club legend.
He kept his chin up when Bennett chose Sailor in front of him in 2009, stayed at the Dragons despite a bigger money offer from the Warriors, played well through our dark years and still gives his all.
A true champion of our club.

 

[ouryear]

How long have you got?

The biggest thing from Tallis's dummy spit is that the issue was taken to court, which ruled in favour of the Dragons.

In short, he had a VALID contract that he childishly reneged upon.

Geeze, something must have happened to make a young player dislike a club that much that he even refused to play for us.

If there was nothing, and he just wanted to high road it back to QLD, what a dirty deed, sook and dummy spit!

Must be something personal that has never been divulged.....surely (?)

 

[BennyV]

Why do you think the Kiwi International side selected nighty in their squad? From the picture you have painted here of Nightingale surely there are better players than him to pull on the New Zealand international jersey?

He's got DWZ and Rapana in front of him, what other Kiwi wingers are there? Don't know what the stocks are like TBH...

He's also valuable to have in the squad, as he would be for us next year but there's no way he should be guaranteed a start on the wing. I just have a laugh at those using tries scored to justify him staying in our Top 17 (as if they were all individual efforts) when it became obvious this year that he's being left behind as a winger and he have a desperate need for some speed on that edge.