NRL Rd 1 2021 - General Non-Warriors Thread

[Blair]

Here we are, it's back! There's only one person in Australia/NZ who's more looking forward to footy starting back than me, and that's PM Morrison.

Big news, Cam Smith has officially retired! Good riddance? And why wait since last year's GF to announce it?

Tomorrow night, it's the Storm v Rabbitohs. No chance of Melbourne having to play that one away from home, unless Covid got in the way. So the Storm have now lost their big-three, Slater, Smith and Cronk.

Knights v Bulldogs get the dud 6pm Friday slot.

Brisbane v Eels, another dead-set, prime-time Friday night home game for the Broncos. It is interesting how they'll go though, after their wooden-spoon last year. The Eels? It's 35 years now, since Sterlo left the lights on in the Parra Leagues Club Trophy Room.

Central Coast Warriors v Gold Coast Titans. That's got a nice ring to it.

Roosters v Sea Eagles. Match of the round? How's the off-season been for these two sides by the beach? On a cold and wet Sydney summer?

Panthers v Cowboys. Penrith, with all that talent, have hopefully gained that little bit more experience, that coach Cleary said they needed at the end of last year's GF, to go one better this time. Are the Cows on the improve too? They've been disappointing since the 2017 GF.

Raiders v Tigers. The Tigers have recruited well, and it's been 10 years since their last finals appearance. Canberra have gone 26 years without a premiership. These things hurt.

We close off with the Dragons v Sharks. St George are hungry, the Sharks will have a PM in the stands desperate for a distraction.

I hope everyone had a good summer. Cheers.

 

[JJ]

Re Cam Smith, it’s really anti climactic for probably the greatest there’s ever been... good for him I guess, clearly didn’t want the gushing bullshit that we endured for Slater... Good for him

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Welcome back Blair, feels like footy is here now

Tbh the Smith affair is one of the most pathetic things I’ve seen, waiting until the day before the season kicks off to make his announcement

Some interesting matchups, hard to know what teams will do what. Which team will be unprepared for the new rules and get a series of floggings ? Which team will nail the new rules and make a strong run at the start ?

Have a feeling Souths will have a big year

As for us, least confident I’ve been Des can drag something out of the bag, no hooker til August if at all and Tom already missing a month is behind the 8 ball. Foran and DCE will be winding back the clock but it is holding back an extremely special talent in Schuster

Will be interesting to watch Benji in his new role in the middle of the park

 

[Blair]

Statues of Smith and Slater outside Melbourne's home ground! You can't blame the Storm for doing that but, gee, you couldn't get two more divisive figures.

Smith's late retirement announcement sort of made some sense when Slater chimed in with the 'you need to get these things right' comment.

Most legends don't wait around though.

I'm out to lunch with the new rules, tonight will be a bit of watching and learning. There is a thread on here though, I'll look at that again...

Edit, OK, so there's a two-point field-goal from beyond the 40 metre line. Does that have the potential to make league more like union, in the sense that a half will kick more? Starving the outside backs of posession? Maybe the administrators should've considered a five-point try to counter this field-goal change?

 

[Blair]

Mansour in Rabbitohs colours, that's weird, it always is when that happens, a player who's always been identified with one club.

Melbourne straight out of the tram-tracks, 18-0. The season's premiers have announced themselves, again. Sorry guys.

 

[Scott]

New big 3 in town. Much more likeable than the old firm. Papenhauzen is a fantastic player.

 

[nswarrior]

New big 3 in town. Much more likeable than the old firm. Papenhauzen is a fantastic player.

Give it time - they have only just started

 

[JJ]

Give it time - they have only just started

Yeah... if the success continues they’ll quickly be disliked

 

[TheDMC]

I already dislike them

 

[Blair]

Payten coaching the Cowboys is a tough one for us, ay? He did good last year, we have to wish him well this year, but it'll be difficult to process a rejuvenated Cowboys and a stagnating Warrors.

 

[nswarrior]

Bulldogs already looking like they will be chasing the wooden spoon

 

[Blair]

Ice is at the Eels, and playing well.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Ice is at the Eels, and playing well.

he’s having a stormer of a game.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Ice is at the Eels, and playing well.

Ridiculous numbers by him.
Not used wisely at Warriors or wakeup call he needed?

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Bulldogs already looking like they will be chasing the wooden spoon

Not great, but refs really seemed to ride them for a few sets with multiple repeat sets, and Cotric break forwards pass a tough call, looked back and if called so as Pierce should have gone to bin.
Ultimate errors let them down.
Few injuries for Knight who we play next week.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Thought we might see our first crack at the 2 pt droppie in that Eels game but they scored late to take that away

Had to do a 2nd take on Papalii, thought it was Adam Blair !

 

[Blair]

Ridiculous numbers by him.
Not used wisely at Warriors or wakeup call he needed?

Or just first year form? :-;

Super Saturday is here and we know who's next! Unfortunately it's hot in Gosford. That might favour the GC.

 

[Big Marn]

we should be acclimatised to the heat because we have been based over there right? Not like in previous years when we come over from Auckland and are gassed after 10mins due to the heat.
Having said that, we beat Souths in Perth in game 1 a few years ago so maybe its not about acclimatisation. I dunno.

 

[SmashEmBro]

Ridiculous numbers by him.
Not used wisely at Warriors or wakeup call he needed?

Man, f*ck that guy!
Makes 200m in his first game for Parra. His best before that was like his 7th game in as a rookie, when he made 135m from an 80 minute performance.

That comes down to attitude 100%, and unfortunately for the Warriors he was lazy when he was here

 

[nswarrior]

Man, f*ck that guy!
Makes 200m in his first game for Parra. His best before that was like his 7th game in as a rookie, when he made 135m from an 80 minute performance.

That comes down to attitude 100%, and unfortunately for the Warriors he was lazy when he was here

I think it is more than attitude. Parra have some big forwards that take the sting out of the opposition and than he can provide some quick runs.

It was hard for him in a team of small forwards