It’s beginning to look like a three horse race for the premiership

[coolumsharkie]

I wonder if that is the players, or the coaches faults? The game has been a power wrestle safety first game for a long time now and that has led to less and less talent on display. You get flashes of it every now ad again, but if it doesnt come off they get slated for it so no wonder they rarely try something. The most successful clubs are the ones with very tight structures but then the individuals with a hidden brilliance who bring it out every now and again to decide the game. Storm are by far the best example of this. everyone says they are boring, which they are for about 70% of the game, but look at the tries they score when they let loose!

I cant see it ever going back to 80's/90;s style regardless of the "talent pool".

Its the kids who stay indoors all day gaming.. Change is needed in this dept before any kind of expansion should even be even talked about. Then the litigation for broken bodies later in life means we are never going back to the good old days regardless.

 

[mongoose]

Not sure I rate the other players as highly as you do, but I believe Hodgson is one of the best players in the competition, if not the best.

fair enough, but I believe we are a better team than the Eels and Tigers

 

[Whip Whitaker]

fair enough, but I believe we are a better team than the Eels and Tigers

I do have a feeling about the Raiders this year. Not necessarily to win it all, but to have a good year. Hodgson for the Dally M.

 

[txta2]

Expansion is not the primary issue for the uneven AFL competition. It is the draft. It takes years and years (if ever) for a team to build and get off the bottom of the ladder.

I am glad we don't have a draft in the NRL because then fans would have to start thinking like this:
'Great, we might get the number one pick in the draft (for coming last)'.
'We might be good in 5 years time'.

There will be a change in in the pipeline. I can't see clubs wasting all their time and resources on developing a player only for a team like the Roosters to come and cherry pick them.

 

[Whip Whitaker]

There will be a change in in the pipeline. I can't see clubs wasting all their time and resources on developing a player only for a team like the Roosters to come and cherry pick them.

Every team tries to buy the best players in the league. The fact people hate the Roosters doing it is just jealousy and double standards.

 

[firechild]

TBH if this Souffs team is one of the benchmarks of the comp, it's going to be a long a boring year for the NRL.

 

[Billythekid]

I wonder if that is the players, or the coaches faults? The game has been a power wrestle safety first game for a long time now and that has led to less and less talent on display. You get flashes of it every now ad again, but if it doesnt come off they get slated for it so no wonder they rarely try something. The most successful clubs are the ones with very tight structures but then the individuals with a hidden brilliance who bring it out every now and again to decide the game. Storm are by far the best example of this. everyone says they are boring, which they are for about 70% of the game, but look at the tries they score when they let loose!

I cant see it ever going back to 80's/90;s style regardless of the "talent pool".

Who’s everyone? Storm games are generally up their with the highest rated games. Just because a vocal group of fans with sour grapes like to complain doesn’t mean they represent reality.

The delusion that the game was actually better back in the 80s and 90s is laughable. I want to see a little more open play but the a lot of fans need to take off their rose coloured glasses.

 

[Wizardman]

I think the Broncs can challenge the op mentioned top three teams.

 

[Mr Angry]

The storm do not scare us.

We can out Flanno ball them.

More about who is fit, us or the Roosters or Storm.

The Bunnies, lol, sold out, many years ago to someone, sell outs they are.

Great theater, no chance.

 

[AJB1102]

Reynolds is the halfback Dugan. Too many taps and the glass will break.

 

[The Vaulting Violinist]

Beware the dogs of war

 

[Canard]

Who’s everyone? Storm games are generally up their with the highest rated games. Just because a vocal group of fans with sour grapes like to complain doesn’t mean they represent reality.

The delusion that the game was actually better back in the 80s and 90s is laughable. I want to see a little more open play but the a lot of fans need to take off their rose coloured glasses.

The early to mid 80s was an especially dark time in terms of ball play.

Tryless Grand Final and bombing repeadtly to the in-goal.

And don't get me started on what a clusterf**k scrums were.

 

[Tommy Smith]

There will be a change in in the pipeline. I can't see clubs wasting all their time and resources on developing a player only for a team like the Roosters to come and cherry pick them.

And who have we cherry picked?

Tedesco (who would have gone to the Dogs otherwise) and... Cronk at 34 years of age?

And does it go both ways, i.e. Warriors "cherry picking" RTS?

 

[Pommy]

And who have we cherry picked?

Tedesco (who would have gone to the Dogs otherwise) and... Cronk at 34 years of age?

And does it go both ways, i.e. Warriors "cherry picking" RTS?

Didn’t RTS captain a school boy side over in Auckland before moving? Isn’t it likely that Warriors had some kind of investment in him prior to his move to roosters?

 

[myrrh ken]

Crichton - unless you think he was homesick?

There's a long history of marquee players you must admit: SBW, Fittler, Jennings, Fergo, Mason, Anasta, T Carney, Soward, Nutley, D Mortimer, Baptiste, Rudder

 

[Valheru]

Didn’t RTS captain a school boy side over in Auckland before moving? Isn’t it likely that Warriors had some kind of investment in him prior to his move to roosters?

Well he is from NZ.

If that is your criteria for investment then I guess the warriors have investment in a good portion of the comp.

 

[Whip Whitaker]

Didn’t RTS captain a school boy side over in Auckland before moving? Isn’t it likely that Warriors had some kind of investment in him prior to his move to roosters?

While he was playing union..?

 

[Captain Apollo]

Crichton - unless you think he was homesick?

There's a long history of marquee players you must admit: SBW, Fittler, Jennings, Fergo, Mason, Anasta, T Carney, Soward, Nutley, D Mortimer, Baptiste, Rudder

Well Crichton was playing SG Ball and Jersey Flegg at the Roosters before he signed with Souths.

Marquee players? Nutley?! D Mortimer?!! Rudder?!!!! Solid players but hardly "marquee".

 

[Pommy]

Well he is from NZ.

If that is your criteria for investment then I guess the warriors have investment in a good portion of the comp.

While he was playing union..?

Born in Apia, Samoa, Tuivasa-Sheck attended Otahuhu College in Auckland, where he played both rugby union and rugby league. Tuivasa-Sheck represented the New Zealand rugby union schoolboy team and captained Otahuhu College at the New Zealand Rugby League's Secondary Schools tournament in 2011 before being signed by the Sydney Roosters in October of that year.

Taken from Wikipedia but I had seen it mentioned previously.
I just imagine that a guy playing league in auckland may have benefitted from investment in junior league by the local pro team.

 

[myrrh ken]

Well Crichton was playing SG Ball and Jersey Flegg at the Roosters before he signed with Souths.

Marquee players? Nutley?! D Mortimer?!! Rudder?!!!! Solid players but hardly "marquee".

That's generous