NRL Finals 2018

[Blair]

Looking forward to hearing the rule change or change in interpretation that Greenberg will trot out today to ensure Billy is on hand to collect his Clive Churchill Medal next Sunday

Has been good enough over the years for Lomax, Ricketson and Luke to miss Grand Finals but can't have Billy the great missing one

You might be right. If they don't change the 'interpretation' surely anyone defending a player in the future can just play a video of Slater (presuming he gets off scot-free) and say, 'I rest my case'.

Or does the NRL Judiciary not work like that?

 

[Blair]

1-4

5-6









7-8

True, but we all agreed, the two point gap between 1 and 8 was a weird one.

 

[Meth]

True, but we all agreed, the two point gap between 1 and 8 was a weird one.

Yep, but I think it was more about the giants waking up at the right time and the pretenders (us, St George, Panthers) falling away despite early season form. Broncos were always around that 7th/8th spot

 

[JJ]

Looking forward to hearing the rule change or change in interpretation that Greenberg will trot out today to ensure Billy is on hand to collect his Clive Churchill Medal next Sunday

Has been good enough over the years for Lomax, Ricketson and Luke to miss Grand Finals but can't have Billy the great missing one

To be fair Smith missed one, you'll remember that game well

Dislike Melbourne intensely but Smith and Slater are incredible

 

[JJ]

Yep, but I think it was more about the giants waking up at the right time and the pretenders (us, St George, Panthers) falling away despite early season form. Broncos were always around that 7th/8th spot

I don't quite agree that the Dragons and Panthers were pretenders, but their downfall was their own making, and the Dragons seemed to turn it around but key injuries were telling

 

[Mighty Ape Man]

You might be right. If they don't change the 'interpretation' surely anyone defending a player in the future can just play a video of Slater (presuming he gets off scot-free) and say, 'I rest my case'.

Or does the NRL Judiciary not work like that?

The NRL Judiciary does not work FULL STOP

 

[Mighty Ape Man]

I don't quite agree that the Dragons and Panthers were pretenders, but their downfall was their own making, and the Dragons seemed to turn it around but key injuries were telling

Dragons chances dropped big time when Widdop couldn't play. Panthers made their own mess. Gus the Saviour's huge ego was the Panthers biggest problem. Their notoriously slow starts this season finally came back to bite them.

 

[Mighty Ape Man]

What a huge surprise that Melbourne are being very well looked after by Sutton tonight, Lewis having words about it but won't be to any avail

NRL won't want to go near Billy's shoulder charge during the week

Melbourne almost always get the "rub of the green"

Like they need the advantage... NRL so desperate to keep a team in Melbourne they'll do whatever they can

Seriously though, they have enough talent (players and coaching) it would be nice to see the officials keep the contests even

I mean look at some of those play the balls from Melbourne that the ref let go. Especially from Billy the Messiah, ha ha ha....

My favourite Billy Slater moment will always be in THAT World Cup final

 

[Mighty Ape Man]

In saying all that, he is a damn good player..... that bastard

 

[Blair]

Are we there yet? I'm pretty keen to wrap-up the season tbh. No underdog to support, like the Cows last season and in 2015. No forty-year-wait, like the Rabbitohs in 2014. Ditto the 'leave the porch-light on' in 2016 (even though I supported Melbourne, who were just one more ruck away from winning it).

Just a few more games, including the women and the NSW Cup. The three competitions we were part of (well, there's also U20s, but I've never followed that).

 

[Blair]

JT and Billy, GF Day, lap of honour and both in suits!

What are the chances? As discussed, close to the proverbial slim.

 

[Mighty Ape Man]

What is everyone thinking about the Slater shoulder charge?

Should it be a sin bin? Penalty try? On report? Just the penalty?

Apparently there is no rule for it in the NRL (or nobody knows the rule) so should they make it a rule?

Personally, I think those should be a sin bin. Since he was attempting to score a try. Anywhere else on the field... A penalty

 

[Beavers Headgear]

To be fair Smith missed one, you'll remember that game well

Dislike Melbourne intensely but Smith and Slater are incredible

That DVD will get its annual airing this week. Remember well inside the stadium about 80,000 booing when his face came up on the big screen, and Brain waldron on the radio the next day wanted the crowd censured for their behaviour haha

 

[Beavers Headgear]

What is everyone thinking about the Slater shoulder charge?

Should it be a sin bin? Penalty try? On report? Just the penalty?

Apparently there is no rule for it in the NRL (or nobody knows the rule) so should they make it a rule?

Personally, I think those should be a sin bin. Since he was attempting to score a try. Anywhere else on the field... A penalty

I can't see any reason why it shouldn't be a penalty try, a couple of metres from the line, illegal play by Slater to prevent the try being scored, at best a penalty and sin bin, at worst a penalty try.

Personally, I hate the shoulder charge being illegal, but the rules are the rules, I have seen many players suspended over the past few seasons for nothing more than bracing themselves for contact, we lost Taupau and AFB in round 1 2017 for bracing without intent, it will be an outrageous double standard if Slater plays next week, but we all know he will.

Another scenario I see playing out is that Greenberg gets it charged and sent to the judiciary who are under instructions to let him off

 

[Blair]

...

Another scenario I see playing out is that Greenberg gets it charged and sent to the judiciary who are under instructions to let him off

If so, I doubt that would pass the 'pub-test', as they say.

 

[Blair]

I've got four and a half minutes of great raw crowd footage from our final. The Warrior Nation in full-flow, reaction to our first try and then an emotional sing-a-long to the anthem You're The Voice.

The miserable bastard NRL/Telstra/Whomever won't let me upload to Youtube, but pm me something like a Dropbox address and I'll send it to you.

When you see it you'll realise the last six years of hurt was worth it!

 

[Blair]

Now I'm half-cut and pissed-off with our girls. The Roosters are in the GF but we beat them two weeks ago, and we're gone?

The NRLW videos on Youtube have 'comments disabled'. Are merkins getting all sexist and the like? If so, why can't they just leave people be?

Also, this talk about the 'last ever game at the SFS'. It's only sort of true, as the dirt isn't being sold-off to a developer. We'll be going around again on the same rectangle. It aint like Carlaw Park.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Storm v Roosters.
What the media wanted to talk Smith v Cronk and Slaters last game, going out on top.

Now.

Slater looks to be suspended.
Cronk looks broken.

 

[Blair]

Storm v Roosters.
What the media wanted to talk Smith v Cronk and Slaters last game, going out on top.

Now.

Slater looks to be suspended.
Cronk looks broken.

Both will play. Slater will avoid suspension, Cronk will be allowed a ring-in!

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Will throw this up now, Greenbergs own words on the shoulder charge and consequences. Is very cut and dried,and Slater playing will confirm how crooked the game is

https://www.nrl.com/news/2015/08/07/shoulder-charge-rules-updated

Any player who commits a shoulder charge using force will be automatically charged by the Match Review Committee from this weekend.

Head of Football Todd Greenberg said today the change to the rule would remove ambiguity about whether a player should be charged.

Mr Greenberg said the shoulder charge was dangerous and had potentially dire consequences if it went wrong.

While the NRL had made the shoulder charge illegal, the current rules mean offenders can escape a charge if there is "no forceful movement of the head or neck".

Mr Greenberg said the rule would be simplified to require any shoulder charge with force to be charged automatically by the Match Review Committee based on the severity.

"We need to be clear about this... we cannot allow player welfare to be put at risk by shoulder charges," Mr Greenberg said.

"A player carrying the ball cannot protect himself properly against the force of a shoulder charge.

"We have seen this type of tackle have tragic consequences recently and the NRL has an obligation to put player safety first."

Mr Greenberg said players found guilty of shoulder charges risked lengthy suspensions.

A grade one shoulder charge offence carries a base penalty of 200 points and more serious breaches can result in suspensions of up to eight matches – or more.

"In other words, anyone found guilty of using a shoulder charge with force will be suspended for at least one match," he said.

"So there will be a real incentive for players and coaches to ensure that shoulder charges are taken out of the game."