NRL Rd 13 2025 - General Non-Warriors Thread

[Thatwasnthighref]

This doesn't strike me as a positive. Are guys going to go 3 or 5 hours west to play under Mal? Is he past it, or was he ever it as an NRL coach?

Never was I thought. Raiders stint was underwhelming. And nearly 25yrs ago to boot.

Funny how journos with an axe to grind about Madge bang on about rep coaching being different to club land, but have remained quiet since Mal said he was keen. Interesting to see who puts their nuts on the line if/when it’s formalised.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Talk of Sam Burgess being involved as well. Interesting considering all the chat out of origin was the likes of Hagan were the one who did all the tactical stuff for Mal

Adam O’Brien went hard at the NRL last night to try and deflect away from how they are going

 

[JJ]

Mal isn’t a risk… he’s a known quantity… it’s like signing Steve Kearney and being surprised that you struggle

 

[Izz]

They'll go Mal because he's a big name. 'Mal Meninga, 9-time Origin-series winning coach' will drum up more local support than 'Brad Arthur, 1-time NRL Grand Final runner-up.'

 

[JJ]

They will I expect, but he’s a poor coach which will bite them

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Talk of Sam Burgess being involved as well. Interesting considering all the chat out of origin was the likes of Hagan were the one who did all the tactical stuff for Mal

Adam O’Brien went hard at the NRL last night to try and deflect away from how they are going

He seems like a bit of dolt, old Adam O'Brien. These two quotes in the same presser:

“Look in this battle we lost to the scheduling and the draw. Someone has got to play Friday okay we get that.

and

“But the draw didn’t have anything to do with the way we played tonight.”

So please (PLEASE) see it my way that the draw was the reason we played like zombies tonight, but also please also note that I am a hard taskmaster and I said at the end it wasn't the reason we played how we did tonight (but please also read between the lines and see that it was)

The Knights are shit no matter how many days they have between games. They beat up on an Origin-less Panthers team last week and found energy for that, but couldn't muster it when 16 guys didn't back up from Origin. And Ponga has hardly played a decent game all year.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

They'll go Mal because he's a big name. 'Mal Meninga, 9-time Origin-series winning coach' will drum up more local support than 'Brad Arthur, 1-time NRL Grand Final runner-up.'

Will it though? If they had a team in my town, and Mal was the coach, that wouldn't get me fired up unless he was time travelling and was going to play at the peak of his powers. Otherwise I'd think shit, Mal hasn't coached in the NRL for 15 years, and even then he wasn't that much chop.

Brad Arthur took the Eels to a GF 3 years ago.

I get it, the locals might know Smell My Finger more than they do Bea Arthur. But surely results are the major currency, and I'd back Arthur over My Finger every day

 

[Izz]

Will it though? If they had a team in my town, and Mal was the coach, that wouldn't get me fired up unless he was time travelling and was going to play at the peak of his powers. Otherwise I'd think shit, Mal hasn't coached in the NRL for 15 years, and even then he wasn't that much chop.

They're probably hoping to pick up new fans, who know Meninga by name but haven't really been following the NRL.

Brad Arthur took the Eels to a GF 3 years ago.

I get it, the locals might know Smell My Finger more than they do Bea Arthur. But surely results are the major currency, and I'd back Arthur over My Finger every day

Maybe they'll bring Arthur over (or Burgess, as the speculators have been speculating) to do the actual coaching hard yards

 

[Big Marn]

yeh, i doubt the people they are trying to draw are going to know Mals NRL coaching record back to front.
Its more the Bears want him to be a figurehead. He's an Immortal, hes larger than life. Hes going to get people interested way more than Brad Arthur. And he most likely will only be in the coaches box for a year and then hand it over to some bright spark if Burgess doesnt get his own gig with another team.

 

[Blair]

Will it though? If they had a team in my town, and Mal was the coach, that wouldn't get me fired up unless he was time travelling and was going to play at the peak of his powers. Otherwise I'd think shit, Mal hasn't coached in the NRL for 15 years, and even then he wasn't that much chop.

Brad Arthur took the Eels to a GF 3 years ago.

I get it, the locals might know Smell My Finger more than they do Bea Arthur. But surely results are the major currency, and I'd back Arthur over My Finger every day

And I was just thinking today how appointing Mal is a slap in the face for Bears fans. We know they're moving forward as a club and we also know they've only survived, and been 'resurrected', because of their history.

Back when they were contenders Mal and his Raiders ended their dreams. Even all these years later he seems the wrong fit because of this.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

2 miserable coaches on the Gold Coast this afternoon

Des might spend 10k giving his thoughts on Kasey Badger in the bunker

 

[Beavers Headgear]

That is absolutely disgusting, the Titans winger was clearly well and truly behind the ball for that offside call but Badger wouldn’t overturn it

 

[Blair]

That is absolutely disgusting, the Titans winger was clearly well and truly behind the ball for that offside call but Badger wouldn’t overturn it.

A decision which also decided the game.

28-16, only minutes left now...and final score. Melbourne win.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

 

[Blair]

Luai binned, holding down too many times. That's just what Wests don't need.

2-0, Cowboys after 13 mins. Will it open up now with 13 on 12? Yep, Bateman scores on the first set with the advantage.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Wouldn’t have minded some replays of those calls Sutton made, Luai looked like he was being held in by Bateman for one of them

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Klein looks at 2 angles and immediately sends Doueihi to the bin, looks at 6 angles to try and find a knock on against them

 

[Blair]

Klein looks at 2 angles and immediately sends Doueihi to the bin, looks at 6 angles to try and find a knock on against them.

And it looks to decide the game too. The Cows are scoring freely again with 13 on 12.

24-6...oh, and they can score against 13, just in case we didn't know. 28-6...

...32-6, nineteen mins left. 32-28, Cowboys. Final. Wests left their run too late and the two sin-bins cost them the game as NQ scored 22 points with 13 on 12.

Tigers fans should tell Luai to go. Not really but you know what I mean.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

I think I say this every couple of weeks, but Lehi Hopoate is a very special player

 

[JJ]

Broncos