Redneck Redfaces 2

[POPEYE]

The media know that bad news is a better seller than good but try as hard as they can the euphoria to be had this off season outweighs the gloom. Surely with Hayne gone and the promise of a new supercoach optimism on the GC must have skyrocketed. NZ might be up shit creek but the Warriors now have a playmaker

Pearce could easily cement his NSW spot if he becomes a Knight in shining armour and Penrith supporters must be rubbing hands together with Maloney dealing the cards. Nick has again delivered, the Dogs should bite better than they bark and Mary can't wait to go on the Hunt

Cowboys supporters will be on the best dark horse for years, anticipation in Melbourne will be the usual and who can deny Fiji a step up to State Cup. If common sense prevails Aussie Origin will be supplemented by a Pacific version

The Raiders are only a decent #7 away, Tigers all on the same path, Kevvie is back to save the Broncos from dementure . . . will the Eels/Sharks/Rabbitohs/Seagles remain in limbo . . . new season anticipation not too shabby at all

 

[POPEYE]

Fittler can turn NSW around if he's not the same coach that was once in charge of the Roosters, would've been smarter for him to wait a couple of years to see if Qld's spine suffers from curvature. Still, got to admire his taking on an unnecessary challenge . . . or could the Ch9 Home of RL be falling down

Potter's right, the scoreline tonight is by far the most important consideration, every point the Roos win by will shorten the length of his middle finger. If the sky falls and the Bati beat the Roos Mick will be able to "F**k Youse All" as he puts his name down for the Warriors

 

[POPEYE]

We know that if Mal's umbilical cord to Hagan was broken he'd run out of ideas, having Michael wear the headphones has kept the media satisfied. What is Freddie to do now that he is required to offer more than just inspire Lebanon, he'll need more than 'go get them'

If Freddie had a headphoned up Andy Johns next to him in the NSW box I'd say look out Qld, f**k having Jabba there, that would be detrimental. AJ imo is the most knowledgeable RL analizer even when his eyes aren't focused, so he and Ch9 must part ways . . . NSW and Freddie need him more

I've always reckoned great players make ordinary coaches but when two are good mates, one with a football brain the other with gift of the gab, it could work as well as the M & M's did for Qld

 

[Cloudsurfer]

Brian Smith to the Warriors as GM Football...what say you coach-watcher

 

[POPEYE]

The only thing Smith brings to the table is discipline, his problem has always been if the game doesn't go the way he's planned it all week he can't change it at half time, he's a whiteboard warrior. Still, he's not afraid to tell it as it is, something Kearney is in need of learning

 

[POPEYE]

So Kristian Woolf's effort in the Townsville Blackhawks first year wasn't a mirage, where does he go from here now his effort in the WC was better than Benny's so far . . . considering Tonga almost beat England with brawn alone on the paddock

If the IRL had of chosen the best Pommie referee some of the pedantic shit would have been ignored and Woolf might've become the biggest sensation of the WC

Histrionics aside, Kristian's effort is outstanding, given he has the pedigree of not being an elite player but knowing what it takes he could be the next new Supercoach on the block . . . he's f**king definitely worth a try

 

[POPEYE]

Unless the Roos do a Scott Mc-Laugh-lin the WC is already over, Mal's mob doing something equally stupid consistently would really set the anti-betting bods buzzing. All we have left is the same ol' boring Smith/Cronk/Slater/Holmes/whoever benefit to add to the year

Would've been nicer to have Tonga beaten by Australia next week but RL needs it to be the Poms, something not lost on those in control. ESL/Toronto/New York have to have an imaginary friend . . . the game needs all the help it can to get from Down Under

Kinda glad Supercar bragging rights didn't go to the Yanks though

 

[POPEYE]

Cronk was never going to become 'immortal' if he finished at Melbourne, just as Widdop was never going to be more than a filler. Who cares if Friend is only a quasi-Smith, Cooper's always imagined himself the on-field instructor, now he has the chance to match his mirror

Pearce has been humiliated by Cronk and his offsiders too many times, staying was out of the question. If the Roosters faltered and he was forced to #9 just to give Cooper 'someone he can work with' poor Mitchell would just become another 'Melbourne Widdop'

So, does Pearce want to be DCE's offsider and if the Seagles falter guess who gets the blame or try and replace Maloney and guess who gets the blame if he doesn't. If he has learned not to get caught on candid camera again he will be smart enough to go where he can't be blamed, for more money . . . and everyone crossing their fingers for him to succeed . . . including Freddie

 

[POPEYE]

If you take the Poms out of Canberra/Souths and the Kiwis out of Melbourne, as 2 examples of teams that need 'key' non-Aussies, they look pretty f**king thin. Why then do the Warriors think they can compete with the rest without mixing and matching

Signing Green is the best thing they've done since Maloney, just because Johnson isn't smart enough to run a team doesn't mean Kiwis aren't smart enough, there mightn't be any at the moment trained at the highest level but there are only a handful of top Halves in Australia

If the Warriors want to compete they have to do what all NRL teams try to do, source the best players or the most promising players in the right positions. Buying NAS back from Melbourne wouldn't help the Warriors as much as poaching Brodie Croft . . . Kearney needs to broaden his horizons more than just Green

 

[POPEYE]

Not sure what Garth is up to, Latu could be a three quarter Artie but Rein won't even be half a Robbie, let alone a Smith or Hodgson. No wonder Lawrence spat the dummy with the likelihood of Latu relegating him . . . at a guess I'd say Brennan is going to play musical chairs for a while yet

 

[Blues Riff]

Garth has recruited a couple of decent players that he's coached successfully in the past. It's not that hard to understand.
Lawrence hasn't spat the dummy. He's 32 and busted. He will stay on with the club in some capacity.

 

[POPEYE]

Garth has recruited a couple of decent players that he's coached successfully in the past. It's not that hard to understand.
Lawrence hasn't spat the dummy. He's 32 and busted. He will stay on with the club in some capacity.

You're right of course but Rein is the fly in the ointment, I wasn't impressed with his State Cup performances. Lawrence should have done a Vatuvei from the beginning, even if he couldn't catch a ball he'd still be a blast on the Wing

 

[Blues Riff]

Mitch did all that was asked of him at Penrith, filled in for Wallace seamlessly during a winning run, led the youngsters to a Premiership and State Championship, won Penrith's NSW Cup player of the year. Maybe he's not a Smithy, but he's a good man to have around dollar for dollar.

 

[POPEYE]

Mitch did all that was asked of him at Penrith, filled in for Wallace seamlessly during a winning run, led the youngsters to a Premiership and State Championship, won Penrith's NSW Cup player of the year. Maybe he's not a Smithy, but he's a good man to have around dollar for dollar.

Seems I didn't take enough notice . . . you and Garth should know best

 

[POPEYE]

If there were 2 more mercenaries like Maloney, one of each to play #1 and #9 we could have 3 spine players that weren't 'owned' by any club but could be leased in times of emergency . . . free of the salary cap of course

It's no more a f**king silly idea than a cap that never did what is was designed to do, I agree with Benny, the NRL is a body without a brain. An obvious long term injury to a key player should be compensated for, there's an insurance policy for almost everything else

Maloney, the unbreakable Smith and Boyd would be perfect, the NRL could pay them to stand by, fill in the unfortunate clubs like the Raiders, keep the game 'level' . . . there'd be plenty of work for them to do

 

[POPEYE]

Given the way I feel about 'premierships' there's a laugh to be had when Gal says Pearce has made a mistake - 'In my opinion Newcastle are two or three years away from being a consistent top eight side'

Imo the Holy Grail is to be a consistent top 4 side, anything less is just making up the numbers. Pearce has had more success in his career so far than most players, he's had a few ignominious hiccups along the way but he's done no worse than any other NSW player

The only improvement on what he's already done is make more f**king money . . . unless he's still around when Qld falter

 

[POPEYE]

Well done Benny . . . now for the Big Bash, it's the right time of year

 

[POPEYE]

Never really is the off-season where the media and Origin are concerned, the wanker medium is in full swing comparing that rarest of rare commodity the Halves and what will poor Freddie & Kevvie do to save their State . . . I can't talk, a soc looking for a bump am I

People who watch the game and capable of making their own decisions, the purists, will tell you that Morgan/Munster > Qld and Pearce (if he is a standout Knight)/Maloney > NSW are the only logical choice before the season begins

If Cleary or Moses step up in the first half of the season they would match half-a-game Milford, half-a-brain Hunt or the unpopular DCE but Pearce/Maloney easily have the best chance of knocking over the new Qld combo . . . even if they are Kangaroos

 

[POPEYE]

F**ked if I know why Roosters/Rabbitohs continue to use the same toilet under the Bridge, one has the money to buy the biggest shithouse in the land and the other has enough friends to never shit in the same place

As long as Souths remain a feeder for Easts wasting an NRL spot seems incongruous, Benny wouldn't let Brisbane have another team let alone one on his doorstep . . . would Newcastle, Melbourne, Canberra or the City of Penrith . . . not on your f**king life

While Perth languishes Crichton is wandering around Redfern looking for a key to the Immortal Factory, not even Bellamy, his entourage and a truckload of brown paper bags could unlock the joint while Nick is caretaker

It is said Inglis is training the house down, does that mean he is to blame when it is condemned as uninhabitable by anyone other than transients . . . Angus would've been better off playing for Scotland or learning to play guitar

 

[Silent Knight]

It is said Inglis is training the house down, does that mean he is to blame when it is condemned as uninhabitable by anyone other than transients . . . Angus would've been better off playing for Scotland or learning to play guitar

I reckon you enjoy taking the piss out of Souffs just as much as the rest of LU Pops. If Angus wants to better himself he needs to get out of the swamp and learn under Robbo or Flanno.