Iconic Moments on Fox

[King hit]

I watched the 1996 grand final last night. I find it to be a very underrated grand final. Manly won 20-8 but that spirited St George team threw everything at the best defence in competition history and made Manly fight to the end for their victory. Does everyone remember that shocking call by Manson to let Ridge play on which lead to Menzies scoring on halftime?. What a terrible call that was. Sedaris should’ve won the ccm but Toovey got it instead.

 

[Life's Good]

Always been a shit concept, nothing more than a selection of 'Who's The Most Newsworthy'. Makes a nonsense of the efforts of hundreds of great players the 'immortals' couldn't have done without

Purist.

 

[POPEYE]

Purist.

I do my best . . . it's not too easy

 

[Life's Good]

I do my best . . . it's not too easy

‘Not too easy’. That’s not what I hear...

 

[POPEYE]

‘Not too easy’. That’s not what I hear...

Too easy

 

[T-Boon]

Charge downs are less prevalent but I think that’s more to do with not wanting to give the other team another set of six unnecessarily.

Exactly.

Charge downs were a great part of the game.

It was a brave and skilful play that when successful brought the crowd to its feet and more generally it put pressure on teams kicking in predictable times and places. This "get to the kick" / "completions" obsession coaches have is based partly on the fact it is just much easier these days to put in a kick at the end of a set without any real pressure. In my opinion if you are kicking it is a kind of admission that you lost the set, or at least thats how it should be.

Make 5 and kick sets more difficult. Bring back the charge down. No more tackle count restart for the kicking team if they recover the charge down.

 

[siv]

Your blinded by your hatred of wrestling and structure. All the stuff you mentioned happens in good defensive teams in today’s game. Charge downs are less prevalent but I think that’s more to do with not wanting to give the other team another set of six unnecessarily. Intercepts being fewer I put down to players being smarter with the ball, not throwing as many dumb passes as back in the day, but even still there are plenty of both charge downs and interceptions.

But people rushing out of the defensive line looking for the big play is still very much in the game. Hell just look at the grand final, Cameron Smith (one of the best defenders in the game) races up looking to make a big play and it backfires and it gifted the Cowboys their only try. Look at the 2016 gf, Wade Graham kept taking the time away from Cooper Cronk by rushing out and putting constant pressure on him taking his time away, and while I hated it at the time for obvious reasons, I can appreciate the great work on defence that Graham done.

Defence is not boring, it’s just how you choose to look at it

A chargedown wasnt rulled 6 to go - as it is today- also

 

[siv]

Do they own them though? Might be one thing playing them and another ‘selling’ them?

I hope that makes sense.

I dont think they have that many games available pre 2000

 

[beave]

A chargedown wasnt rulled 6 to go - as it is today- also

Hmmmmm. You sure about that?

 

[grouch]

I watched the 1996 grand final last night. I find it to be a very underrated grand final. Manly won 20-8 but that spirited St George team threw everything at the best defence in competition history and made Manly fight to the end for their victory. Does everyone remember that shocking call by Manson to let Ridge play on which lead to Menzies scoring on halftime?. What a terrible call that was. Sedaris should’ve won the ccm but Toovey got it instead.

Horrendous call by Manson. Manly scored in that set and with their defence the game was all but gone.

It was also notable for Bob Fulton's utter exploitation of the unlimited interchange rule - he virtually used Cliff Lyons like an NFL quarterback, subbing him on when they had the ball, and subbing him off when they had to defend

 

[T-Boon]

A chargedown wasnt rulled 6 to go - as it is today- also

I think it was, but could be wrong. I think it was more just they were happy to take risks on making plays (such as charge downs, chip kicks inside own 30) to make things happen because under a five metre rule you had no other choice. You didn't have the easy metre option.

 

[GongPanther]

I agree with a lot of this.

To me the biggest change was the 10m rule and interchange. This brought in more athletes and less natural footy players. It’s now more important for a winger to be able to make 10ms from dummyhalf as opposed to creating something out of nothing or finishing a back line move. A guy like Chikka Ferguson wouldn’t play a single game of first grade if he was around today.

The model of the game today is rubbish. The 10 metre rule is the biggie here.As soon as a player has played it,the opposition are on top of the first receiver.

Make it a 15 metre rule at the ruck. They have two refs in the ruck,so it wouldn't be too hard to police.

It would open the game up like a can of beans.

 

[GongPanther]

Was Kenny better to watch than Thurston?

Brett Kenny is a true blue legend of the game.One of the fittest looking players ever to have played the game,and the only player I know of to score two tries in three GFs in a row.

 

[GongPanther]

Saw the 1985 playoff (Penrith v Manly at the SCG), which went to extra time after being 7-all at full time.

If golden point existed then, Manly would have won as they scored first to lead 7-6 - Greg Alexander kicked two penalty conversions later in extra time hence the 10-7 win.

Penrith's maiden finals appearance would have actually been in 1989.

And if deciding 5th place on for/against on the final ladder existed then,Penrith would have had 5th spot without that playoff,and would have been fresher for their finals match V Parra a week later.

 

[GongPanther]

Elias was the key in the 1990 Origin series. Easily best on ground in game 1. Then was also the key in the amazing Test 2, 1990, GB v Aust. He was inevitably Balmain's go to player in the late 80s, early 90s. Great at all levels.

How the fook Back Door Benny got up after an annihilating smash tackle by Brad Izzard,still baffles me to this day. Izzard was a monster of a man,and after the dust settled when he hit him,I really thought he was dieding.

 

[axl rose]

It was also notable for Bob Fulton's utter exploitation of the unlimited interchange rule - he virtually used Cliff Lyons like an NFL quarterback, subbing him on when they had the ball, and subbing him off when they had to defend

Farcical rule change, easy to see it was the coaches who pushed for the change under the guise of medical advice or some other nonsense.

 

[Disinterested third party]

How the fook Back Door Benny got up after an annihilating smash tackle by Brad Izzard,still baffles me to this day. Izzard was a monster of a man,and after the dust settled when he hit him,I really thought he was dieding.

Definitely one of the great tackles of all time. Elias survived and still managed to score a key try later in the same game after the 'hit of the year' as described by Graeme Hughes.

 

[ed-grimley]

Exactly.

Charge downs were a great part of the game.

It was a brave and skilful play that when successful brought the crowd to its feet and more generally it put pressure on teams kicking in predictable times and places. This "get to the kick" / "completions" obsession coaches have is based partly on the fact it is just much easier these days to put in a kick at the end of a set without any real pressure. In my opinion if you are kicking it is a kind of admission that you lost the set, or at least thats how it should be.

Make 5 and kick sets more difficult. Bring back the charge down. No more tackle count restart for the kicking team if they recover the charge down.

Kicking in-goal for a repeat set is negative play in my book, especially after the 3rd repeat set of six.

 

[Perth Red]

Its been refreshing not to watch three man tackles and ruck wrestles every play.

 

[Knight Vision]

Brett Kenny is a true blue legend of the game.One of the fittest looking players ever to have played the game,and the only player I know of to score two tries in three GFs in a row.

indeed! Kenny was one of the best players I've seen play the game