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NRL Rd 21 2025 - General Non-Warriors Thread

Blair

Coach
Messages
12,020
Bloody heck, here we go again! I haven't come down from last weekend's high! I hope Leka's the same person he was this time last week. He's only nineteen, remember, but has received some massive media since the 'miracle'! (Bugger, I'm doing it too).

Anyway, this trip continues. Tonight, it's big, a rattled Roosters against an angry Storm. I was tipping the Chooks in the work lunchroom today but then a workmate said, 'Melbourne don't lose twice'. OK, then.

Friday, it's do-or-die at the Townsville corral, with two desperados NQ v St George. The Cowboys have had a poor season, as their squad's a good one. Payten will pay soon, it's just a matter of time. Figuratively-speaking, just like in the old west, the hangman's noose is waiting.

Brisbane v Parra. The rockstars are on their home stage, the Eels are a pub act by comparison. But who doesn't love an underdog?

Saturday, Warriors v GC. Will Dessie's shower shellacking (don't take that the wrong way) do the trick for the Titans? We know they're capable of winning against a Warriors side still on cloud nine(teen).

Penrith v Wests. Cleary still has a point to prove. Luai less so. An upset would be wonderful for the competition. Gee, Bennett's Rabbitohs might get monstered by Cronulla. A big loss and they're neck and neck for the spoon, and it could even come down to the last round, just to rub it in.

Sunday, Canberra at home will be too good for Newcastle and we close with a ripper, Canterbury v Manly, with thirty years now since the '95 GF! It can't be that long ago, surely! Well, at least DCE was alive back then, which is more than we can say about Galvin.

Enjoy.
 
Messages
11,090
Dogs having a big celebration of the comp they won, where their CEO admitted later that they broke the salary cap to win !! (Not to mention the forward pass for the first try and the try off the 7th tackle later on)

Their jerseys for this weekend do look pretty cool though. I was in the crowd that day and still have the “Winfield Cup : The Final” cap they were giving away
 
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Messages
1,266
Dogs having a big celebration of the comp they won, where their CEO admitted later that they broke the salary cap to win !! (Not to mention the forward pass for the first try and the try off the 7th tackle later on)

Their jerseys for this weekend do look pretty cool though. I was in the crowd that day and still have the “Winfield Cup : The Final” cap they were giving away that day
Do they still have the Winfield Cup in their club rooms?

I watched the 2000 GF there (after getting so smashed the night before I missed the bus to the game) and it was on display at the time. Was pretty cool to see.
 
Messages
11,090
Do they still have the Winfield Cup in their club rooms?

I watched the 2000 GF there (after getting so smashed the night before I missed the bus to the game) and it was on display at the time. Was pretty cool to see.
I’m not sure where the real thing is, I think the winning club gets replicas to keep as I saw a few different ones in the Manly Leagues club years ago
 
Messages
11,090
500 games coached for Des this weekend too, will he make it to 501 ?

Was listening to Levels this morning, was a really good podcast talking about many topics (huge talk about Webster too). They were talking about Haslers relentless drive for footy, and he has always coached teams with footy heads in them (Stewart brothers, James Graham, Josh Reynolds etc), and this squad in the Gold Coast doesn’t have any of those in it, so they are struggling to take him. Apparently what set him off last week was vision of 3 of the senior players laughing on the field after making an error
 

Blair

Coach
Messages
12,020
Dogs having a big celebration of the comp they won, where their CEO admitted later that they broke the salary cap to win !! (Not to mention the forward pass for the first try and the try off the 7th tackle later on)

Their jerseys for this weekend do look pretty cool though. I was in the crowd that day and still have the “Winfield Cup : The Final” cap they were giving away.

At the time my Manly mate was a bit OK with Newcastle winning in '97. With the game being 'torn apart by Super League' he just felt it was good for the game to have a battling club and city win it. I know you wouldn't have felt the same! I didn't either, and still don't.

I know the two sides - ARL and Super League - hated each other in '97 but it's always a shame they didn't go one more week that year and have Newcastle against Brisbane for the 'ultimate premiership'. Money talked, particularly with Super League, so they could've put the hostilities aside for the sake of $$$ and history.
 

Blair

Coach
Messages
12,020
Do they still have the Winfield Cup in their club rooms?

I watched the 2000 GF there (after getting so smashed the night before I missed the bus to the game) and it was on display at the time. Was pretty cool to see.
I'll go in and have a look the next time I'm over there. I'm keen to see the trophy cabinet myself.

Edit: but re-reading your post I think you might be talking about Canterbury League's not Manly. I've never been there.
 
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Messages
11,090
At the time my Manly mate was a bit OK with Newcastle winning in '97. With the game being 'torn apart by Super League' he just felt it was good for the game to have a battling club and city win it. I know you wouldn't have felt the same! I didn't either, and still don't.

I know the two sides - ARL and Super League - hated each other in '97 but it's always a shame they didn't go one more week that year and have Newcastle against Brisbane for the 'ultimate premiership'. Money talked, particularly with Super League, so they could've put the hostilities aside for the sake of $$$ and history.
97 doesn’t worry me too much, as it was only half a comp. I didn’t have pay tv at that time either so didn’t see much of the season at all. I do remember tuning sky sport onto the TV with the picture scrambled and listening to some Lyons magic to get through the prelim

These days sport doesn’t quite affect me as much, I think the 2019 Cricket World Cup final left a scar that will never heal lol, that was an absolutely dreadful experience after staying up all night and then heading to work
 

Blair

Coach
Messages
12,020
Topsy-turvy at the SFS, 18-16, Chooks. Halftime. Interestingly, Easts had an easy two points to end the half but took the tap. It came up empty but it was nice seeing them go for a try.

Harry Grant is in fine form, you'd think he'd get them home in the end.

Kamakamica's on report for a crusher. Geez they're bad news, Melbourne.
 
Messages
11,090
Six to eight weeks out, more depending on severity, is one scenario. They'll go to work on him though, that's for sure.

Roosters are winning this crucial fixture for them.
They’ve called an ambulance because they can’t get it back in. Anything structural he will be done for the year, Olakau’atu is returning this week about 4-5 weeks after doing his
 

Blair

Coach
Messages
12,020
30-28, Roosters. A cliffhanger with twelve mins to go.

Tedesco was offside on that last try but not called by Bunker. A big miss upstairs?

Now Tupou goes too fancy with that put down and buggers it. Just be simple and use two hands!

...Meaney chokes with a penalty kick.
...but now Melbourne score a great try led by their skipper, Grant. 34-30, Storm. Six mins left...
 
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Blair

Coach
Messages
12,020
Melbourne hang on for a gutsy win. 34-30.

'Everyone in Melbourne will be willing them on!' Nine commentary. A bit of a stretch that. I can definitely think of one Melbourne resident who wasn't.
 

TheDMC

Bench
Messages
3,491
Rooster's defense and errors...ewww. Melbourne weren't very good tonight but good enough...shame, I had visions of us leapfrogging them on the ladder...
 
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