Our Grand Final

[Juju]

Rd 19 VS the Tigers at Liechart, looks like it could possibly be the spoon Grand Final.
Should be a good one!

 

[WellsNZ]

Actually have tickets for this one haha. Going over for Origin 3 and decided on a trip to Leichardt while we were at it. Bring it on :lol:

 

[Juju]

I'm keen to go to. Last time in Sydney for the GF, I went for a drive around Balmain and went and saw Leichart. I now know why Gus gets so excited. Awesome little suburban ground.

Are we the two potential spooners????

 

[Diesel]

If the game is on at night I think we'll have a chance, if its Sunday arvo we are no chance

 

[Juju]

This spoon GF is a Friday night game.

 

[Evil_Mush]

Would be interesting to see a year by year comparison of the Top 8 after round 1 vs year-end Top 8, just to see how much weight post-Rd 1 opinions (positive or negative) actually hold. Does anyone know of a site that shows Top 8 by round (edit, looks like rugbyleagueproject.org might be the go e.g. http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/seasons/NRL_2012/Round_1/ladder.html)?

Maybe will do later tonight when I'm back home if I remember.

For Warriors only :
2013 : RD 1 - 15th
2012 : RD 1 - 13th, RD 26 - 14th, Position change -1 (bottom 8 / bottom 8)
2011 : RD 1 - 10th, RD 26 - 6th, Position change +4 (bottom 8 / top 8)
2010 : RD 1 - 12th=, RD 26 - 5th, Position change +7 (bottom 8 / top 8)
2009 : RD 1 - 4th=, RD 26 - 14th, Position change -10 (top 8 / bottom 8)
2008 : RD 1 - 12th=, RD 26 - 8th, Position change +4 (bottom 8 / top 8)
2007 : RD 1 - 3rd, RD 26 - 4th, Position change -1 (top 8 / top 8)
2006 : RD 1 - 15th (last), RD 26 - 10th, Position change +5 (bottom 8 / bottom 8)
2005 : RD 1 - 9th, RD 26 - 11th, Position change -2 (bottom 8 / bottom 8)
2004 : RD 1 - 11th, RD 26 - 14th, Position change -3 (bottom 8 / bottom 8)
2003 : RD 1 - 12th, RD 26 - 6th, Position change + 6 (bottom 8 / top 8)
2002 : RD 2 (RD1 bye) - 4th, RD 1 - 1st, Position change + 3 (top 8 / top 8)
2001 : RD 1 - 12th, RD 26 - 8th, Position change + 4 (bottom 8 / top 8)


Note, a few oddities, such as 2002 not even playing the first round then coming first at years end by virtue of Bulldogs salary cap scandal, being docked points before playing a game in 2006, and finishing one place higher than potential in 2010 due to Melbourne salary cap scandal.

But we have made the top 8 at years end from a bottom 8 position after round one 5/7 times, and conversely remained in the bottom 8 from a bottom 8 start 4/9 times. Therefore we'll make the top 8 this year, YUSS!!!!!!

/endthread

 

[Juju]

Yeah I know, Rd 1 form is usually vastly different to Rd 26 form but I just have a sinking feeling its gonna be a very very tough year...

 

[hitro]

Surely Cronulla will head everyone off for the spoon when they are fielding a team of reserves perhaps as soon as next week . Sounds like manly will be next too.
Agree Warriors and Tigers are the worst two teams right now.

 

[Juju]

Blatant rip from another forum but below is fact.

33 teams have been beaten by 30+ in the opening round since 1908. 4 played finals, 10 have taken the spoon #nrl #nrlnewwst #newparwar

 

[Scorpio30]

I'm keen to go to. Last time in Sydney for the GF, I went for a drive around Balmain and went and saw Leichart. I now know why Gus gets so excited. Awesome little suburban ground.

Are we the two potential spooners????

Best League experience Ive had (and Ive been to 3 grand finals including Warriors).
2008 Leichardt oval...Sunny...Sunday afternoon...in the stand looking across to the hill...loud....Warriors win (Hodgeson a chance to draw with conversion at fulltime I think)....hot dog breath that knocked my girlfriend off her seat...hate to think what that farker was made of.

 

[Evil_Mush]

Interestingly neither of Warriors or Wests Tigers have ever got the spoon (though Balmain & Western Magpies had combined 21), so that's one thing in our favour I suppose.


I don't have the sinking feeling yet Juju, but it definitely was a typical not-living-up-to-hype performance. Odd how no matter how much personnel might change it always seems the same each start to the year!!! I was watching on Saturday with a mate who's been in Germany since 2009 and hasn't been keeping up with the game, and he was all "classic Warriors, eh!" at the end of it!

As above stats show, in last 12 years we've only won opening round three times, yet have got to the top 8 seven times, so that's a silver lining right there. Plus if we blindly look at the last 6 years only, we're in the good part of a Top8-Top8-Bottom8 cycle!

/alwaysanoptimist

 

[Juju]

Best League experience Ive had (and Ive been to 3 grand finals including Warriors).
2008 Leichardt oval...Sunny...Sunday afternoon...in the stand looking across to the hill...loud....Warriors win (Hodgeson a chance to draw with conversion at fulltime I think)....hot dog breath that knocked my girlfriend off her seat...hate to think what that farker was made of.

Sonny Fai scorching down the sideline... I remember that one well.

I think I might make the trip over for this one.

 

[Abdullah]

Well maybe they can win something :lol:

 

[maddest_kiwi]

Personally, I'm going to give it a couple more weeks before I start writing this year off. I think 2012's wounds are still raw and Saturday's effort (as mediocre as it was) rubbed a fair amount of salt in. I've gotta be optimistic - don't realty want dread each rounds outcome for us - otherwise it will be a very long winter..

In 2010 we finished 5th, but got spanked good 'n' proper a few times (though not in round 1):

Round 6 vs Penrith Panthers, lost 12-40, Mt Smart Stadium
Round 7 vs Melbourne Storm, lost 6-40, Etihad Stadium
Round 12 vs Wests Tigers, lost 6-50, Campbelltown Sports Stadium

Hopefully the coaching staff has gotten stuck into them and they show up this weekend...

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Round 6 vs Canberra for the spoon IMO.

 

[Dr Crane]

Best League experience Ive had (and Ive been to 3 grand finals including Warriors).
2008 Leichardt oval...Sunny...Sunday afternoon...in the stand looking across to the hill...loud....Warriors win (Hodgeson a chance to draw with conversion at fulltime I think)....hot dog breath that knocked my girlfriend off her seat...hate to think what that farker was made of.

i made so f**ken much money off that game. we were at something like $4.80 to win against a tigers team that were hopeless.

 

[northmanlywarrior]

I cannot believe everyone talking about the wooden spoon i thought we are suposed to be supporters, ie support the team, sure we lost by 30 and im not happy about taylor at hooker but think things will be ok and i cant understand fish being bagged he made a lot of good decisions in defence. Hurrell is the one im worried about. Anyway im going to put another $20 on them for the premiership at great odds because i think we can still go well!

 

[Iafeta]

Love it NMW. I'm with you champ, not doing cartwheels, but not diving off the Seers Tower headfirst into a blazing thumbtack about it either. We will be right. We'll get one back this weekend.

 

[Dr Crane]

knowing a lot of people on here, it's probably a variation on self-depreciating humour.

 

[Blair]

Best League experience Ive had (and Ive been to 3 grand finals including Warriors).
2008 Leichardt oval...Sunny...Sunday afternoon...in the stand looking across to the hill...loud....Warriors win (Hodgeson a chance to draw with conversion at fulltime I think)....

Sonny Fai showed his class (and promise) that day too. I recall one try involving him powering down the sideline at great pace, then quick hands to the try scorer.