NRL Rd 24 2024 - General Non-Warriors thread

[Blair]

It's funny, but I've got the Simple Minds 'Greatest Hits' playing and 'Alive and Kicking' came on just as I was about to start this thread. How apt. The Warriors are not alive and not kicking (well not many goals and field-goals, that's for sure).

Latrell and that photo (taken by another player's mum?) will be the story of the round, outside the footy (we'd hope).

Tonight, it's the biggest pre-finals game of the year. Penrith hosting Melbourne. We know both teams are good but we also know there's a couple of flaws, which might be the difference, particularly in the wet.

Friday, it was supposed to be a night out at Brookie for me, but I've balked on spending a hundred dollars on this current Warriors outfit (you go to the '4 Pines Brewery' for happy-hour beforehand). Manly's pace outwide might just tear us shreds anyway. SJ v DCE has been a dual for 14 seasons now, and this is the final match-up between the pair. Easts should be too strong for a Parra side that lacks the heart to win tough games. They can roll the Warriors though, but then they're not the Roosters, are they?

Saturday, Canterbury v Redcliffe. Two sides that might meet in September, and both will look for an early advantage here. NQ v Canberra. Both bloody average, both thinking finals is a big pass mark for the season, but it's not, is it? Not when you're just a poor side, well out of premiership contention.

The Tigers have the spoon, again. What an ongoing tragedy for a proud and loyally-supported club. They might get a morale-boosting win v the Rabbitohs though. Latrell must casting a big shadow over Redfern. Raspberry cruisers are a bit of a joke too, for grown men that is. Have Souths been on them all year? It would explain a lot.

Sunday, St George are still in it, the Gold Coast are not. They say a week is a long time in politics, and it is in league, too. We finish with Cronulla gettin' physical again (that's their go now, bashing sides out of the contest) v the Knights. Although, the boys from the old steel town won't take too kindly to blokes coming at them with fists up! It'd be like any night out in Newcastle, minus raspberry cruisers, you'd think.

Enjoy.

 

[Blair]

'Someone, Somewhere, In Summertime' is on now. Hopefully this Warriors year will be distant memory by the off-season.

...I didn't sign off before 'Promised You A Miracle' came on! Now I'm thinking of the PR Machine we put up with at Warriors HQ this year. I better sign off.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Ok, so now we are allowed to run at outside shoulders and take defenders out, I’m confused

 

[Blair]

10-all, Melbourne with a silly penalty to put them under pressure, then Penrith drop it in the next set on the Storm's line.

This might be what the GF is like, so close it'll come down to no-error football.

...kick to Warbrick over little To'o is a strategy. It's worked. Warbrick taps back to Katoa to score. 16-10, Storm.

...some confusion at the end there. So, if you tap the restart with a man in front then you're called back to do it again. But if you kick it then it's a penalty.

Penrith slotted the two, 16-12, Storm. Halftime.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Not sure if I’m watching a good game, or a sloppy game, but it is entertaining

Thougjt Warbrick probably knocked on as well but not enough there to overturn the on field call

 

[Beavers Headgear]

NAS has to be sent here

 

[Blair]

Well, gee, Penrith are just so good. Storm are still in it though. 18-16, Panthers.

 

[Blair]

NAS has to be sent here

He is. But didn't he take out his own player?

 

[Beavers Headgear]

He is. But didn't he take out his own player?

Not really sure what Joey Johns is on about, his shoulder got Laurie’s melon and clenched fist sorted out Munsters face. Joey was calling a head clash the reason for Laurie’s HIA but he didn’t clash with anyone

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Cleary gone with a shoulder, could be a big moment for this years premiership

 

[Blair]

Cleary gone with a shoulder, could be a big moment for this years premiership

And at 22-all here, who will be Penrith's clutch man? Nine mins left...

...Fish gives away a soft penalty with a late hit on Hughes. Penalty in front, 24-22, Storm. Five mins left.

Storm win a challenge to get a penalty on Penrith's line. But they spill the pill.

One hot minute to go. Penrith ball...penalty on halfway...no Cleary for a two-point fg! Edwards' effort falls short. 24-22, Storm. Final.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Melbourne's premiership to lose.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

NAS has to be sent here

Double dumb shit, swinging arm closed fist that started low on the back and slid up to the head that hit his own player in the nose, shoulder/chest also looked to be involved on certain angles.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

And at 22-all here, who will be Penrith's clutch man? Nine mins left...

...Fish gives away a soft penalty with a late hit on Hughes. Penalty in front, 24-22, Storm. Five mins left.

Storm win a challenge to get a penalty on Penrith's line. But they spill the pill.

One hot minute to go. Penrith ball...penalty on halfway...no Cleary for a two-point fg! Edwards' effort falls short. 24-22, Storm. Final.

Fish penalty very soft, I think they need to define them as a second step after the ball is passed.
It looked like he trying to tackle with a wrapping action as well.

 

[Big Marn]

Fish penalty very soft, I think they need to define them as a second step after the ball is passed.
It looked like he trying to tackle with a wrapping action as well.

yeh, that was soft as butter. Theres less than a second between the ball being released and the tackle. I dont think the human body would be able to react in time. But seriously, that penalty before halftime was a joke. Why is that a penalty and people being offside when they tap isnt? They always make them re tap.
And this is the NRL's BEST ref.....

i know alot of people cant stand NFL because its too long and too stop-start, but sometimes i think the NFLs version of officiating (even though slower) is better:
Where anyone can throw a flag(s) during the play (yes you touchie, you can actually f**king contribute to the game). Once the play ends, they all come together for a chat (usually 7 on field officials plus one in charge of replay review), and either:
Penalise the team;
or if theres a flag on both teams, they cancel each other out and restart from where the game stopped;
or pick the flag up if they all decide theres no foul.

They have a bunker but they rarely use it.

7 +1 officials for 11 vs 11 on the field. vs 3 +1 for 13 v 13.

Having said that, sometimes the NFL officials get it completely wrong too.

So whats your preference? Faster game with less accuracy. Slower game with more accuracy.

 

[Beavers Headgear]

yeh, that was soft as butter. Theres less than a second between the ball being released and the tackle. I dont think the human body would be able to react in time. But seriously, that penalty before halftime was a joke. Why is that a penalty and people being offside when they tap isnt? They always make them re tap.
And this is the NRL's BEST ref.....

i know alot of people cant stand NFL because its too long and too stop-start, but sometimes i think the NFLs version of officiating (even though slower) is better:
Where anyone can throw a flag(s) during the play (yes you touchie, you can actually f**king contribute to the game). Once the play ends, they all come together for a chat (usually 7 on field officials plus one in charge of replay review), and either:
Penalise the team;
or if theres a flag on both teams, they cancel each other out and restart from where the game stopped;
or pick the flag up if they all decide theres no foul.

They have a bunker but they rarely use it.

7 +1 officials for 11 vs 11 on the field. vs 3 +1 for 13 v 13.

Having said that, sometimes the NFL officials get it completely wrong too.

So whats your preference? Faster game with less accuracy. Slower game with more accuracy.

That one before half time, maybe because there had been a complete stoppage in play blown ? Personally I’d be happy for that to be a penalty every time and put some onus on the attacker to make sure they are all back before he goes

I can’t understand why they consider Klein the best, he is always involved in some weird stuff

Generally, all round I think they go reasonably well, it’s a harder game to officiate than the NFL, because it is always flowing and moving with instant decisions to make all the time and under more fatigue than the NFL guys who barely have to move

It’s frustrating, but can live with the odd missed call here and there, it’s the bunker calls that seem blatantly wrong that’s the bigger issue

From what I’ve watched all season, I’m still baffled by the try where they took out the outside shoulder of the defender. And that shoulder charge at the end, there was nothing that remotely resembled a shoulder charge, they just smashed the bloke

 

[JJ]

Melbourne's premiership to lose.

hmmm, don't see it that way - if Cleary plays it's Penrith's to lose (some interesting calls went Melbourne's way, and Penrith were not close to their best), if Cleary is out, it's on Luai, Yeo and Edwards - still 50:50 imo

 

[Beavers Headgear]

hmmm, don't see it that way - if Cleary plays it's Penrith's to lose (some interesting calls went Melbourne's way, and Penrith were not close to their best), if Cleary is out, it's on Luai, Yeo and Edwards - still 50:50 imo

Yeah, if fully fit, it’s hard for me to see that the Storms pack could hold their own if the Panthers pack come out hot. Liam Martin a big out last night as well

Was listening to 6 tackles with Gus yesterday, he said that while Penrith and Melbourne are out in front, the gap in performance between them and the group just behind them isn’t as big as people think.

 

[JJ]

Yeah, if fully fit, it’s hard for me to see that the Storms pack could hold their own if the Panthers pack come out hot. Liam Martin a big out last night as well

Was listening to 6 tackles with Gus yesterday, he said that while Penrith and Melbourne are out in front, the gap in performance between them and the group just behind them isn’t as big as people think.

I think Penrith are cruising a little - but fmd, you add Crichton, Burton, Leniu, the strike of Kikau and Api back, and wow... salary cap bites on some (they've missed Api much less than I thought they might - with the later JFH call losing Leniu was unfortunate)

 

[Scott]

If you believe in stars aligning and all that jazz then the Bulldogs will win the comp this year.
1984- Winners
1994- Runners Up
2004- Winners
2014- Runners Up
2024 - ??