Match Discussion: Round 3 vs Warriors @ McDonald Jones Stadium, New Lambton / Awabakal

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

Said it before and I’ll say it again, hate the rules on contacting kickers leg.
No pressure on Boyd and he runs through the line.

Andrew Johns waged a campaign to protect the playmakers. Now he complains that you cannot attack them at all. We are headed towards being a touch footy game, and that's not being melodramatic - seriously.

Footy is an aggressive game played by hard men, they know what they signed up for.

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

Said it before and I’ll say it again, hate the rules on contacting kickers leg.
No pressure on Boyd and he runs through the line.

Andrew Johns waged a campaign to protect the playmakers. Now he complains that you cannot attack them at all. We are headed towards being a touch footy game, and that's not being melodramatic - seriously.

Footy is an aggressive game played by hard men, they know what they signed up for.

 

[Nuke]

Andrew Johns waged a campaign to protect the playmakers. Now he complains that you cannot attack them at all. We are headed towards being a touch footy game, and that's not being melodramatic - seriously.

Footy is an aggressive game played by hard men, they know what they signed up for.

To me, it looked like he was hit in the ribs more than anything else. For all the hobbling he did for a solid minute after it, he seemed perfectly fine afterwards. Funny that.

 

[Alex28]

To me, it looked like he was hit in the ribs more than anything else. For all the hobbling he did for a solid minute after it, he seemed perfectly fine afterwards. Funny that.

Warriors have been doing a fair bit of that all three games so far this year. It’s working.

 

[Nuke]

I think, also, regardless of if you are the captain or not, whomever made the supposed knock-on or whatever, they should not be the one to challenge.

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

To me, it looked like he was hit in the ribs more than anything else. For all the hobbling he did for a solid minute after it, he seemed perfectly fine afterwards. Funny that.

yes and it's creeped into the modern game, players feigning injury for a penalty. It's a blight on the game and goes against good sportsmanship I was raised on.

 

[Allstar Knights]

I don't think McEwen is ready yet to be an NRL starter. He hasn't played well this year. Give Manu or ESL a crack.

 

[The Axe of Druss]

Andrew Johns waged a campaign to protect the playmakers. Now he complains that you cannot attack them at all. We are headed towards being a touch footy game, and that's not being melodramatic - seriously.

Footy is an aggressive game played by hard men, they know what they signed up for.

Tbf to Joey, he wanted the shots in their back stopped, which is fair

 

[macavity]

I don't think McEwen is ready yet to be an NRL starter. He hasn't played well this year. Give Manu or ESL a crack.

He has been a passenger. Lucas has been anonymous too.

 

[Alex28]

I don't think McEwen is ready yet to be an NRL starter. He hasn't played well this year. Give Manu or ESL a crack.

He’s not far off. He’s well ahead of those two.

Lucas hasn’t gone any better to be honest. Ready to drop him as well?

 

[Tom155]

Hopwood and ESL need to be given a go

100% can’t be worse than what we’re getting now

 

[The Axe of Druss]

He’s not far off. He’s well ahead of those two.

Lucas hasn’t gone any better to be honest. Ready to drop him as well?

Lucas has been great. How are people not seeing what he's done in defence? I guess that's not the sexy part of the game

 

[Woody90]

McEwan has a huge future ahead of him, but I’d give him a spell in cup. It’s hard for young forwards to get up to speed with regular nrl and he came into grade during a hard time last year

 

[Allstar Knights]

McEwan has a huge future ahead of him, but I’d give him a spell in cup. It’s hard for young forwards to get up to speed with regular nrl and he came into grade during a hard time last year

Yeah, my thoughts exactly. He'll bounce back and earn his way back into the side I'm sure

 

[Yosh]

McEwen has all the tools but none of the required experience. I think the signing of Niukore is huge. He will be the main guy on the right and it'll give McEwen time to learn and develop. Hunt is another. Cant just doesn't look first grade standard.

I think Lucas has been superb again this year. He keeps poking his head through every run but his defensive reads next to Sandon has been poor. Might not be his fault though.

Croker and Frizz rotation has been good also. Croker playing the link man and plugging up the middle while Frizz offers that leg speed when he comes on.

Today was the type of game we were going to lose it in the forwards but if our spine players were there, we could have torn them apart around the edges. Pity most of our spine was injured.

 

[Woody90]

We need to remember Lucas hasn’t had much of a pre-season due to his injury. He’ll get better as the season progresses.

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

I don't think McEwen is ready yet to be an NRL starter. He hasn't played well this year. Give Manu or ESL a crack.

Hands like hooves. Suggests fatigue and not up to the speed of NRL.

 

[Walk On Home Boy]

We need to remember Lucas hasn’t had much of a pre-season due to his injury. He’ll get better as the season progresses.

Like Best, he doesn't seem to get any good ball either.

 

[Woosh]

I’ll leave the deeper breakdown to K-Man but his concerns have been validated.
Hunt is a running/support player and Holbrook’s style especially with the plays to the edges doesn’t really suit Hunt at fullback.
It ended up putting too much pressure on Sandon who struggled on both sides of the ball today.

Hunt would’ve been better going himself on the sweeps rather than throwing hospital balls.
It almost felt like Holbrook had gotten in his ear during the week about him needing to pass more from fullback but that’s just not his game.

If Sharpe is fit, he has to be the fullback next week.
He’s not much of a passer either, but his running threat is far more dangerous and it’s something the team can play off the back of.

As for the old man he needs to be better and cop his medicine at times when he’s on the end of poor passes instead of trying for the miracle ball.
As for the elbow, I don’t think it was deliberate.
He was bracing for the fall and looking to use his forearms to spring back up and get a quick play the ball.

What should work in his favour is that despite being labelled a grub throughout his 300+ games career, he has never been suspended.

Even if he ends up missing a couple of weeks, it wouldn’t be the worst outcome for him personally.
He missed the last few weeks of the preseason due to a family matter and is currently doing limited training during the week

 

[Dr Dr Gimedanews]

Tbf to Joey, he wanted the shots in their back stopped, which is fair

yes he did and I agree with that for sure. No one wants to see purposeful dangerous acts like that. He also pushed further so now a playmaker goes to the line he's a protected species.

I forget who it was the other day but they were penalized for "excessive force" - and now today this "tackling too hard" - it was a bloody good hit fair and square. That winger will have only 1 eye for the ball next time.

https://www.nine.com.au/sport/nrl/n...-tackling-too-hard-video-20260321-p5rmcw.html

I played the game because it was aggressive and I enjoy watching it for the same reason. I wouldnt be alone in saying hard hits and intimidation are 2 of my favorite aspects of the game - sadly theyre fading into the rear view mirror.