2016 Finals

[Souths Till I Die]

Is it just me or have Cronulla been getting the rub of the green all year with the referees. Last night I feel like the cowboys were really hard done by with some of these calls. Cronulla played great of course but I mean when you have 71% possession in the first half of course you would do great I don't know maybe the Cowboys just played sloppy though. All in all I'm looking forward to the raiders vs storm game. Raiders for the premiership!

 

[Souths Till I Die]

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[doyen]

Is it just me or have Cronulla been getting the rub of the green all year with the referees. Last night I feel like the cowboys were really hard done by with some of these calls. Cronulla played great of course but I mean when you have 71% possession in the first half of course you would do great I don't know maybe the Cowboys just played sloppy though. All in all I'm looking forward to the raiders vs storm game. Raiders for the premiership!

As I said earlier it's the SHARKS turn to win!!

 

[Miller was a legend]

Is it just me or have Cronulla been getting the rub of the green all year with the referees. Last night I feel like the cowboys were really hard done by with some of these calls. Cronulla played great of course but I mean when you have 71% possession in the first half of course you would do great I don't know maybe the Cowboys just played sloppy though. All in all I'm looking forward to the raiders vs storm game. Raiders for the premiership!

The possession wasn't off the back of bad refereeing, it was mistakes by the Cowboys.

As for the calls, I'd hardly say it was rub of the green. Yes got 2 pretty ordinary ones go our way and the cows had one ordinary one go theirs.

At the end of the day, they were tired and mistake riddled most of the game.

 

[souths_reborn]

Is it just me or have Cronulla been getting the rub of the green all year with the referees. Last night I feel like the cowboys were really hard done by with some of these calls. Cronulla played great of course but I mean when you have 71% possession in the first half of course you would do great I don't know maybe the Cowboys just played sloppy though. All in all I'm looking forward to the raiders vs storm game. Raiders for the premiership!

I've often felt that this season - they've been incredibly fortunate in a few of their games to have crucial refereeing decisions go their way. I'm thinking in particular of their game against the Eels, where Fifita knocked the ball on cold and the Sharks scored from the following play at a crucial stage in the game. However, while they have had a few dubious calls go their way, what has astounded me more is how often they always some how seem to get over the line in tight games. The law of averages suggests that when games go right down to the wire or go to golden point, then sooner or later you are going to get found out and lose one of those. However, the Sharks have won virtually all those games this season and I'm thinking in particular of their game against the Bulldogs where they snatched it in dying seconds of the game. While some may attribute this to good luck, I'd struggle to accept that considering they won 16 straight or something like that; you can't fluke a winning streak of that magnitude. Hence, the Sharks have become the most resilient team in the competition and while the Melbourne Storm will rightly go into the Grand Final (I can't see the Raiders getting past them) as favourites given how professional and clinical they are, don't be surprised if the Sharks win if the scores are close inside the last 15 minutes.

 

[Souths Till I Die]

The possession wasn't off the back of bad refereeing, it was mistakes by the Cowboys.

As for the calls, I'd hardly say it was rub of the green. Yes got 2 pretty ordinary ones go our way and the cows had one ordinary one go theirs.

At the end of the day, they were tired and mistake riddled most of the game.

I'm not saying this is an uneducated statement because I watched the full 70 minutes (turned it off after 70) because the Sharks were running circles. I genuinely believe though that those ordinary calls you talk about are pretty game changing. For example the matt Scott supposed "knock on" in front of the post. That call to me made absolutely no sense he jumped on the ball and the ball went backwards and that just gifted Cronulla more possession against an already struggling Cowboys.

In addition to that I also thought there was some dodgy knock on calls for the Cowboys I can't remember the exact play but I think it was feldt knocked it on off a Morgan pass but you could clearly see Michael ennis touched the ball on the replay.

Moreover that second try with the supposed "flat" pass was ridiculous. Surely they can look over something like that I seriously doubt that was flat the ball looked like it left the hands going forward. That was also vital because that meant the Sharks went into half time in a preliminary final 14-0 which is huge.

I'm not insinuating that the Sharks have been carried by the refs they did play extremely well but when you have so much possession of the ball and one team is so tired from all the tackling they have to do, which was double at one point in the game probably even more, how are you supposed to be fit enough to make those attacking plays. The game is a possession game and Cronulla had an extraordinary amount of possession so they won. I just think it's how they got that possession was a bit dodgy but let's be honest all games have dodgy calls so I'm not hating I was just putting an opinion out there. Good luck to Cronulla hopefully they can bring home the trophy everyone would be happy to see the drought end. Sorry about the essay.

 

[Souths Till I Die]

As I said earlier it's the SHARKS turn to win!!

For some reason it does seem like that. Although if raiders or Sharks win its both a fairytale ending.

 

[doyen]

For some reason it does seem like that. Although if raiders or Sharks win its both a fairytale ending.

The SHARKS haven't won in 50 yrs[since their inception] so it's about their turn I reckon!!

They're a very good side with excellent players so I hope they get up for their very first P/Ship!!!

 

[souths_reborn]

I'm not saying this is an uneducated statement because I watched the full 70 minutes (turned it off after 70) because the Sharks were running circles. I genuinely believe though that those ordinary calls you talk about are pretty game changing. For example the matt Scott supposed "knock on" in front of the post. That call to me made absolutely no sense he jumped on the ball and the ball went backwards and that just gifted Cronulla more possession against an already struggling Cowboys.

In addition to that I also thought there was some dodgy knock on calls for the Cowboys I can't remember the exact play but I think it was feldt knocked it on off a Morgan pass but you could clearly see Michael ennis touched the ball on the replay.

Moreover that second try with the supposed "flat" pass was ridiculous. Surely they can look over something like that I seriously doubt that was flat the ball looked like it left the hands going forward. That was also vital because that meant the Sharks went into half time in a preliminary final 14-0 which is huge.

I'm not insinuating that the Sharks have been carried by the refs they did play extremely well but when you have so much possession of the ball and one team is so tired from all the tackling they have to do, which was double at one point in the game probably even more, how are you supposed to be fit enough to make those attacking plays. The game is a possession game and Cronulla had an extraordinary amount of possession so they won. I just think it's how they got that possession was a bit dodgy but let's be honest all games have dodgy calls so I'm not hating I was just putting an opinion out there. Good luck to Cronulla hopefully they can bring home the trophy everyone would be happy to see the drought end. Sorry about the essay.

I get where you are coming from but I think, based on the standard of refereeing that we have seen this season, that the calls weren't shocking; I thought that they were more 50-50s than anything else. I don't feel too sorry for the Cowboys because I thought that they simply didn't show up. I think having to play a game that was faster than most State of Origin games and which went into extra time simply took too much out of them. I also think that the Sharks were more hungry. I don't blame the Cowboys for that; how could they possibly be as desperate and as hungry as a Sharks teams that has never won a premiership given that they only one last year? This is predicament is a product of the salary cap - because the rosters of all the sides are roughly equal, its very hard to for a team to win on an off day.

 

[Rabbits20]

The possession wasn't off the back of bad refereeing, it was mistakes by the Cowboys.

As for the calls, I'd hardly say it was rub of the green. Yes got 2 pretty ordinary ones go our way and the cows had one ordinary one go theirs.

At the end of the day, they were tired and mistake riddled most of the game.

You guys made a couple of knock ons and they were let go.

But you guys deserved it. By far the better team.

Good luck.

If I was you I wouldn't want to be playing the Storm.

If the Sharks win it enjoy the LU meltdown just like when we won it lol.

 

[alien]

Is it just me or have Cronulla been getting the rub of the green all year with the referees. Last night I feel like the cowboys were really hard done by with some of these calls. Cronulla played great of course but I mean when you have 71% possession in the first half of course you would do great I don't know maybe the Cowboys just played sloppy though. All in all I'm looking forward to the raiders vs storm game. Raiders for the premiership!

Cowboys had low possession because they kept making mistakes. Even Thurston admitted that.

 

[alien]

If the Sharks win it enjoy the LU meltdown just like when we won it lol.

C'mon bro. The Sharks aren't anywhere near as hated on LU as the Rabbitohs. The meltdown after the 2014 Grand Final was epic!

 

[Souths Till I Die]

I get where you are coming from but I think, based on the standard of refereeing that we have seen this season, that the calls weren't shocking; I thought that they were more 50-50s than anything else. I don't feel too sorry for the Cowboys because I thought that they simply didn't show up. I think having to play a game that was faster than most State of Origin games and which went into extra time simply took too much out of them. I also think that the Sharks were more hungry. I don't blame the Cowboys for that; how could they possibly be as desperate and as hungry as a Sharks teams that has never won a premiership given that they only one last year? This is predicament is a product of the salary cap - because the rosters of all the sides are roughly equal, its very hard to for a team to win on an off day.

Well I'm glad that you see where I'm coming from I'm not really trying to say the Cowboys were robbed I'm just saying the Sharks got pretty lucky with some of their calls.

By the way I understand what you say about the raiders not being an 80 minute team but they are the most dangerous team in the competition when they turn it on. I think with Blake Austin back they are definitely a good chance of beating the storm, they may be clinical but I don't believe they have the defence in them to match the raiders offence. I would love to see the raiders win I love their style of play because tbh I think the grand final of storm vs Sharks would just be a defensive game which is great but I love seeing some unstructured footy sometimes, the type that you practice with your mates down at the beach or just in small training sessions. That's one of my favourite aspects of the game. So up up Raiders.

 

[Souths Till I Die]

The SHARKS haven't won in 50 yrs[since their inception] so it's about their turn I reckon!!

They're a very good side with excellent players so I hope they get up for their very first P/Ship!!!

Yeah but the raiders were in a lot worse of a spot than the Sharks were a few years ago I know the Sharks finished last but that was honestly not because of the roster. They always had the roster just couldn't put it together. The raiders had one of the worst rosters I've ever seen a few years back and transformed it into "WOW every single one of those players are very dangerous".

 

[roboshark]

We are the most penalised team in the comp

 

[Souths Till I Die]

We are the most penalised team in the comp

Lol that's because of Andrew Fifita.

 

[Rabbits20]

C'mon bro. The Sharks aren't anywhere near as hated on LU as the Rabbitohs. The meltdown after the 2014 Grand Final was epic!

You're correct.

I would rather the Storm win though.

 

[Rabbits20]

Cowboys had low possession because they kept making mistakes. Even Thurston admitted that.

I'm hoping Sharks beat Storm in the GF.

Refs still gave Sharks some very good calls.

Both Sharks and Storm stand offside so much.


Tonight Cecchin favoured Storm.

Finucane dropped it cold and ref blew penalty and Storm took the 2 in front.

High shots from Storm weren't penalised.

In the lead up to Cheyse Blairs try the Storm bobbled it in the play the ball, that was a knock on. But of course play continued.

The Austin pass to Lee near the end of the match came backwards out of the hands and floated forwards which doesn't matter. As its out of the hands backwards it's play on.

Smith got away with forward passes too.


For the GF refs will probably be Cummins and Cecchin unfortunately.

I reckon they'll be controversy and blunders.


Don't know who Cecchin will pick but once he picks a side he is ruthless in his officiating which we've seen too in his hatred for us.

I feel Cummins likes the Sharks from when I've seen him ref them.

 

[alien]

I would rather the Storm win though.

yeah I wouldn't mind that.

I would prefer the sharks winning it though

 

[Rabbits20]

yeah I wouldn't mind that.

The Storm will plan to wrestle and wrestle hard.

Storm want a low scoring grind and will kick for touch a lot.

Storm will back their defence.

As we know refs will allow both to stand offside.


In tonight's match Cecchin didn't allow the game to flow.