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NRL Rd 7 2018 - General Non-Warriors Thread

Blair

Coach
Messages
10,211
A bit of turmoil at Manly. Barrett Saw Hastings, DCE Stink Coming was a headline this week.

So, Hastings and Cherry have a 'dust-up' at training (or somewhere) then Cherry heads to Hastings' hotel room to 'clear the air' but they end up blueing again. Subsequently, Hastings has been 'banished to Blacktown' for the rest of the season. If you live on the Northern Beaches that's like being sent to Pluto.

If I was a tipster I'd say the Eels will break their drought on Sunday at the Olympic Stadium against Manly. One reason for that, despite what's mentioned above, is the simple fact that sides on losing streaks eventually end them. Ditto winning streaks, as Warriors fans found out last week.

So the 'unbeaten blockbuster' fizzled out, the Dragons have that monkey around their necks now, and they're (sort of) welcome to it!

Maloney comes up against Moylan on Sunday. On current form ol' Jimmy is the craic.

Gee, the Tigers have the Knights at home (albeit Tamworth!). Unfortunately, the latter are starting to get that 'easybeat' vibe to them again, and if the Tigers win it's another bolt on their way up the mountain. To borrow from MLK, the 'promised land' is almost in view.

Dogs v Chooks tonight, I'm glad I'm not a tipster. Write off the Dogs this season at your peril. Same with the Rabbs. Oh, while we're at it, we can throw in the Cows, the Sharks...the whole bloody lot of them really! It's a great season.
 
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Blair

Coach
Messages
10,211
I wonder if the NRL will do a tribute to the 'big fella':

theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/apr/19/darrell-eastlake-long-time-sports-announcer-dies-aged-75

He was such an enormous personality in that heedy, pre-Warriors era of rugby league.

I first heard him during that historic win at Lang Park, 1983. A game that did so much in 'rugby-mad' NZ for league. Kids turned up at school buzzing about what they experienced that Saturday night, it was all so new, so sensational. I reckon that win did a lot to get an Auckland-based team in the, then, Sydney-comp.

In fact, it was the first time I heard that concept. Kiwis' coach Graham Lowe mentioned it.

Big Darrell's quotes from the night were doing the rounds...

Look at big Joe Ropati, he's got legs like tree-trunks!
 

Beavers Headgear

First Grade
Messages
8,720
This Dogs attack is atrocious, amazing how the most direct and straight attacker of all time can't get them over the line with ample opportunities

Martin Langs ballplaying and footwork would be on about a par with this Dogs sides attacking ability. Have so many individually talented players that it's mind boggling that they can't string anything together
 

ZEROMISSTACKLES

First Grade
Messages
8,673
This Dogs attack is atrocious, amazing how the most direct and straight attacker of all time can't get them over the line with ample opportunities

Martin Langs ballplaying and footwork would be on about a par with this Dogs sides attacking ability. Have so many individually talented players that it's mind boggling that they can't string anything together
Roosters smashing them thats why. Bulldogs dont want the ball.
 
Messages
16,566
This has been pretty average from both teams.
No one wants to win it.
Coughing up the ball more than a chronic smoker coughs up their lungs!
 

Blair

Coach
Messages
10,211
I'm glad I missed most of that one, only saw the result when I logged onto here.

As Beave said, being kept to zero is atrocious.

The poor fans, from both sides.
 

JJ

Immortal
Messages
31,779
Bring back big Darrell.
That would be special, given he passed away the other day...

Sad - a voice of many of our childhood, and at least as a kid he really had a way of conveying the intensity of league, and in particular origin...
 

Blair

Coach
Messages
10,211
Only really knew Eastlake from the 12th Man stuff. Pearce off Jack, Gibbs on

He was massive during late '80s - early '90s Origin. Many would say that was the golden Origin period.

Huge for the game in NZ, as it was live on TVNZ (Channel 2 iirc). The players became household names. When mums get interested you know league is about to boom.
 
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Blair

Coach
Messages
10,211
When I started watching League as a young fella it was Graeme Hughes and Graham Lowe late at night on TV2 from memory

That's right, I remember the era well, it was a fantastic time. I recall Channel Ten had the rights to the NSWRL, and Hughes did the classic GF's of '89 (Canberra v Balmain) and '91 (Canberra v Penrith).

There were plenty of Kiwis starting to play in every club by that stage, bar Penrith.

TV2 was league's go-to channel, TV1 was very much about union.

Now, of course, there's channels galore.
 

JJ

Immortal
Messages
31,779
That's right, I remember the era well, it was a fantastic time. I recall Channel Ten had the rights to the NSWRL, and Hughes did the classic GF's of '89 (Canberra v Balmain) and '91 (Canberra v Penrith).

There were plenty of Kiwis starting to play in every club by that stage, bar Penrith.

TV2 was league's go-to channel, TV1 was very much about union.

Now, of course, there's channels galore.
Yeah, big Darrell preceded that - as a kid I loved listening to him - RIP champ

Loved Penrith then, 1990 was a good GF too - never actually though about them not having a kiwi player - Brisbane probably didn't either, nor St George, or Souths? Balmain, Canberra and Manly had them of course, and they were kiwis favourites - probably part of why I loved Penrith - and of course they'd never won, and were never close unlike Cronulla... now I have the Warriors, lol, the more things change the more they stay the same - still really like Penrith, Super League left me feeling cold about them (and the Warriors) - but I've moved on
 
Messages
16,566
Billy Slater dropped ball and kicked it.
Apparently you can drop kick a ball not going for the point.

Billy didnt even want the try.

Another rule to change.
Along with the ball thrown into the player in the ruck.
 

Beavers Headgear

First Grade
Messages
8,720
I've been watching rugby league for 28 years, I've seen a lot of extremely bad calls in my time, but I've just seen the worst call ever for that Slater 'try', enough for me to shut it down and forget about it tonight

Made even worse by that waste of space bunker having a chance to watch it 1000 times and still give it
 
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