2021 RLWC Men's Semi Finals

[Smug Panther]

DCE must be the hafback for the final.

The bloke who lost to Tonga?

 

[God-King Dean]

Disastrous result for rugby league.
I have not watched one single minute of this World Cup. I actually forgot this game was even on because international rugby league has been a joke for 40 years. Australia just wins everything. It is unhealthy and Australia NOT being in the final would have been by far the best result for rugby league.

Everyone knows Australia will easily beat England in the final and international rugby league will continue to be joke.

"I haven't watched a minute but boy do I have opinions"
One of the classic online moron arguments

 

[chunk]

You could make a case that the Kiwis coach may have lost them that game.
Firstly, FISHER-HARRIS and LEOTA should have started together which was why Penrith ran away with the grand final.
Secondly, he messed up the hooker rotation and gased the cheese which is why he made a simple miss on the line. There was a few like that. Nelson was lefton for too long and that fatigue led to an error.
Best pack of the comp was used ineffectively.

Definitely, Smith was gone five minutes before that try, it was obvious he was struggling to keep up.

 

[Stinkfinger]

DCE must be the hafback for the final.

It's true, this game was his best of the tournament.

 

[Saxon]

Jahrome Hughes absolutely murdering Rapana’s great work to get the Kiwis down the field was the key moment.

What a dumb, dumb decision to put that kick in on tackle 1.

And yet 8 times out of 10 that kick works for Hughes. If if had come off you'd be blowing his praises.
At least he tried something (unlike Nikora).

 

[taste2taste]

What was the the opinions of the Rapana offside ? I had the sound down so couldn't hear what the commentators were saying. The fact no one is blowing up I'm guessing everyone is fine with the decision?

 

[taste2taste]

I'm not fussed who wins the Samoa V Eng game but hoping for a fast, open and competitive game. It would be a great advertisement for the sport with so many new and casual fans turning in on the BBC.

 

[taste2taste]

Definitely, Smith was gone five minutes before that try, it was obvious he was struggling to keep up.

The whole NZ forward pack were dragging thier legs for the last 20 minutes.
The 6 again rule doesn't suite the PI teams, they need to kick for touch more often to slow the game down.

 

[Smug Panther]

What was the the opinions of the Rapana offside ? I had the sound down so couldn't hear what the commentators were saying. The fact no one is blowing up I'm guessing everyone is fine with the decision?

Very clear cut offside

 

[Matua]

England have looked better than the kiwis so it worked out well enough for this game to be the semi. Besides if it was done off ranking or qualification positions there is every chance Australia & NZ weren’t 1&2 at the time of the draw, NZ lost to Fiji & Tonga and missed the semis last World Cup while England made the final. Australia hardly play so and lost to Tonga in 2019 so their ranking has slipped.

Maguire made some questionable choices and the Kiwis looked slightly off all tournament until today. Not using Kris while playing back rowers and a reserve grader from the same club at centre being the glaringly obvious one, I would have picked Timoko but that’s another matter. Leota & JFH should have been starting too, I get Bromwich is Captain so that would have been a big call.

I wasn't suggesting Maguire was perfect at all, just mentioning the comparison to the previous coach. We wouldn't have got within cooee of the Kangaroos under that barely functioning idiot.

 

[Captain Apollo]

What was the the opinions of the Rapana offside ? I had the sound down so couldn't hear what the commentators were saying. The fact no one is blowing up I'm guessing everyone is fine with the decision?

The Video REferee said straight up he was looking at the offside, and he said that both feet had to be behind the kicker. Rapana had one foot in front, which is why it was no try.

 

[Captain Apollo]

In certain aspects Australia had a bit of luck to scrape past NZ in that game today. NZ played a very good first half, whilst Australia were just crappy. Meninga's constant chopping and changing of the lineup all tournament has not allowed any combinations to develop, and it showed with how clunky the Australian attack looked today. It was either some individual brilliance or some club team combination, combined with some NZ players fatigue, which helped get Australia home. The lack of faith in team mates, shown by Tedesco going himself rather than passing to an un-markrd support player blowoing a chance to score the first tgry of thye game, showed the lack of team chemistry because of the constant chopping and changing from game to game of players.

Wighton might be a good player, but he is not a centre. His defence is atrocious out wide, and if you were a winger depending on him to feed you, you'd starve to death before fulltime. He is one of the few changes I'd make.

Also get Grant in as starter and play Hunt off the bench. I think having Hunt in the starting line up he over called Cleary in the first half by wanting to be the no.1 playmaker.

The Kiwis went away from their first half tactics, and that is what cost them, especially when some of them started tto run out of gas.

 

[Gobsmacked]

I don't think people give adocar enough praise!. He brought the ball off Australia's line against a brutal kiwi defence! Courageous! Then the freak try!

 

[Matua]

The Video REferee said straight up he was looking at the offside, and he said that both feet had to be behind the kicker. Rapana had one foot in front, which is why it was no try.

Is that the rule/always been the rule? Genuinely asking as I don't know, previously I would have assumed one foot behind would have been enough which appears to be wrong.

 

[Ernest the Sheep]

A very good game I thought. Great entertainment and a good advertisement for rugby league. Although the number one ranked team got beaten I wouldn't call it an upset. There was never going to be much between these 2 sides and in the end it came down to a couple of key moments. The bounce of the ball or a line call refereeing decision. The Kiwis can probably consider themselves a little unlucky. A freakish try and a bad lapse in defence cost them. On another day the result could easily be reversed. Looking forward to the second semi. Would love to see the Samoans get up. If they can it would be one of the biggest turnarounds in sport.

 

[Stinkfinger]

What was the the opinions of the Rapana offside ? I had the sound down so couldn't hear what the commentators were saying. The fact no one is blowing up I'm guessing everyone is fine with the decision?

50-50 call. Ref was well positioned.

 

[Stinkfinger]

Wighton might be a good player, but he is not a centre. His defence is atrocious out wide, and if you were a winger depending on him to feed you, you'd starve to death before fulltime. He is one of the few changes I'd make.

Nowhere to be seen when a huge overlap saw Mulitalo break clear leading to the Brown try. Holmes had to go for the centre, Cleary was next man defending inside. Could have lost them the game right there.

 

[baselinepanther]

After almost shitting the bed against Fiji , the kiwis can hold their heads high after this mornings effort in a game I think they slightly shaded the Roos overall

Australia as many have said here are still klunky , disjointed & lacking cohesion due to Mals chopping & changing the line up all tournament & our defence & some luck got us out of an embarrassing pickle today.

on to the final
England are playing better footy atm ... & I think they will account for Samoa easily tomorrow ..
not 60-6 tho

maybe by 20

Then they will frighten the bejesus out of Australia & may even win if the Aussies don't sort themselves out.

 

[baselinepanther]

whigton has some X factor about him , he layed on a try from nothing
( ended up being critical) & thats the sort of stuff that he can do ... but ..hes a fish out of water in the centres & could lose us a game being out there too

Campbell Graham is a specialist
pick him

 

[Coastbloke]

Still showing our miserable immaturity as a sport with non-neutral Referee.

How hard would have been to have a Pom referee for today and a Oz ref for England v Samoa.

The game just utterly refuses to play like the big sports