Redneck Redfaces 2

[POPEYE]

A disaster has been diverted for the time being, the Cowboys are back in business at the expense of Melbourne who should be on 6 points at least, just one point tonight away from joining the Knights. All's well imo, the contest is far from decided

 

[POPEYE]

Good to be back in the bush, a month of Sunshine Coast hustle and bustle without the chance of watching much footy is enough for me. Just in time to jinx the Dogs or will Souths succumb to more disinterest, most teams are close enough to take nothing for granted especially with refereeing a toss up and I reckon the Dogs may step up from more arse than class

Titans to upset the Broncos because I reckon Benny deserves it

If the Seagles don't bounce back they are not the Seagles as we know them and Sticky is becoming pathetic with his 'roster' bullshit . . . he f**ked a brilliant roster at Bondi and there's a good enough one in Canberra to get the job done for a competent coach

Funnily enough the Dragons might test the Knights, something out of the question not long ago whether you're a supporter from either side. Stone just has to keep his mob doing what they're doing, making it up to the others to spoil the surprise

Only interest in the Sharks/Roosters game is Holmes at full back and Bird at 5/8, can anything be made of whatever complacency the Roosters bring if any

Eels/Tigers could be match of the round, won't it be great if both play the best they can. If Folau goes well in the centres he'll be hard to shift and with these sets of halves anything could happen. I'm waiting for Tedesco to end his season but hopefully it won't happen . . . this game may be equivalent to Russian roulette

Not a good time for Melbourne to play their nemesis, Warriors dumb #7 and dumber #6 will sure as shit have a once in a blue moon epiphany . . . Storm will have to start making their own luck soon, no gifts on offer it seems

Panthers will be better with both Peachey and Cartwright as shock weapons and unfortunately my tip is the Cowboys' last win was just an anomaly

 

[POPEYE]

Chimpy Johns has told all his followers the value of less interchange, it's like listening to Caesar telling his tribe that not all humans are bad after all, although it takes a while to sink in I'm not going to knock the bloke. There are many League supporters out there that wouldn't know if a bus was up their arse until passengers started getting out so anything Chimpy belatedly says to have them catch up is welcomed

Looking at the list of injured players brings to mind an interchange of different sorts, I'm never sure when so-called injury time outs for players are genuine or punishment for bad form. Sometimes even the excuse a coach is looking for to blood a player.

With any luck the 65 minute forwards the clubs will be looking for, if only 6 changes are allowed, will make room in the purse for adequate replacements for 'star' players. Instead of having a bank of forwards because they had to be fresh a coach could have a better stash of backs waiting their turn in lower grades to cover 'Ferguson' type injuries

 

[POPEYE]

Did it again, can't remember the last time I watched a full Dogs game when they won . . . doesn't mean I agree with how they lost though.

 

[POPEYE]

Shouldn't be a surprise the way many Dogs supporters behave, at least those that live in SWS, throwing bottles is no worse than a kiss on the f**king cheek where their mentality originated. The multitude of Dogs supporters who live elsewhere, especially those in the bush, wouldn't take their families to a game in Sydney.

Could have been averted if Hasler tried to grow some sense in the joint, all that brutality might appease the fans but a penalty goal 20 metres out in the 71st minute would have had them leading by 4 and more of the ball when it counted. Maybe mumbling worked on the North Shore but only shouting will work in this shit hole

What supporter would riot when his full strength mob lost with the amount of ball they had against a team who had to play their giant fullback in the halves, 5/8 at dummy half and according to the f**king experts, carry Joel Reddy

On top of all that dumbarse supporters expect their best player to get another Academy Award when they throw bottles on the red carpet . . . he's now likely to get more future scripts torn up by the judiciary to rub their noses in the shit they deposit

 

[POPEYE]

Seems the Titans may have bought a spearhead that is badly in need of sharpening, there's no better place for a so called legendary halfback to show his worth than in a depleted side. The best went down fighting, it's the nature of a little bloke in a tough man's game to inspire his mob when the chips are down

Toovey would never capitulate, would never be paid DCE money but would always be worth more on yesterday's effort. The Titans new #7 is just another NRL player it seems, took Foran 40 minutes to work that out so maybe the Eels are just getting a great worker, no rocket scientist.

Toovey's starting to look more and more punch drunk, something DCE will never suffer from, I worry that Geoff is coming to the end of his tether

In this pussy world of social media there are some blokes that are out of their comfort zone. This forum is the only place a record of my words can be found, many would say 'thank f**k' . . . Issac Luke should remain completely anonymous. A fella that is better with his fists than his tongue will always get more attention through silence when it matters, do the deed he envisaged without corresponding

 

[POPEYE]

Suppose all we can do now is sit back and see who poaches Holmes, he's far too good to play for the team that the salary cap was created to protect

 

[POPEYE]

Fmd, everyone knows that Flanagan is not only naïve but a shit coach as well. Pure luck that the gifted Barba was suspended, that in itself has to be Flanagan's fault, then he trips over a talent like Jack Bird. You can bet Ben will be rushed back and the dumbarse coach will relegate Birdy

Not to mention Valentine Holmes, it must have been Gordon's idea to alternate as fullback and protect the youngster as he eased his way into what should be a stella career. How lucky was Flanagan that the Fifita brothers reacted positively to being benched or Luke Lewis almost finishing a game. Then there's the fact the Sharks must have beaten the Roosters just as a 'f**k you' to ASADA

I must admit though that most criticism of Flanagan comes from supporters whose team already has a reasonable pair of halves, a full back that worries the opposition and forwards that do their job. Of course no coach can plan to keep probably the best team in the comp devoid of the ball, pure f**king luck the Sharks won because they completed their sets or worried the opposition

 

[expert]

Hayredneck............... Storm will win the comp!!!!!!!!!! in 2015.. If not IT'll be The Tigers.....

 

[POPEYE]

Must say I'm a lot happier, that was the first Storm game I've watched in a month and didn't give the Cowboys much credit for last week. Thurston's mob looked pretty good last night and so did Green against Dumb and Dumber . . . from all that I'm pleased. Keep up that reverse psychology Expert ol' mate, the Roosters won't need it but whatever makes your hair blow back

Appears we do need a Captain's Challenge after all, the Poms must be giggling at our f**king childish efforts to referee games. Ennis cops a head knock and is penalised for something he didn't do but the ref can't say 'sorry, go back and play the ball' or at least 'scrum here'.

A worn out looking Watmough is penalised for an opposition knock-on but again no change even when there's time after irrefutable proof. Mr Silverwood or Bentham would raise a chuckle at that rubbish, we need the two best referees here more than we need Dave Smith

Manufactured turning point aside, the Tigers/Eels game needed something, anything, to make the entrance fee worthwhile for at least half the crowd so we have to be grateful for small mercies. Both the Panthers and Warriors have all it takes except direction so there's still hope for a remedy

 

[POPEYE]

Absentee management will have a big influence on games this weekend, nothing out of the ordinary I suppose except more of the big boppers are affected than usual so people in high places may care a little more. Maybe if Graham wasn't fresh he wouldn't have been so careless . . . something for the highly paid non players to think about

I'll undoubtedly be reminded the Roosters are affected by absentees but they're not doing that badly, I consider Aubusson at least the equal of Guerra and therefore Friend is the only main man they need cover. May be the Broncos at home on a roll but I expect Robbo to have his team man up and play as they should

Sharks/Knights has a whole new meaning, since I haven't watched much footy thus far maybe it's true Newcastle have been a little lucky and Cronulla are merely finding their feet. Last weekend's games point that way for me at least, shame that one of Flanagan and Stone must be the loser . . . f**k golden point, seems wankers must be kept amused

If the Eels again resemble a hotrod without an engine the Titans may get a leg up but with Arthur returning players to their right positions it could be a close game. Wonder how far off before Sandow plays for the team, little does he realise Arthur will take no prisoners, a firing squad may already be organised

I must keep a scorecard, never sure when it's time for Johnson to have a great game. He's a lot like my solar hot water, this f**king rain has me cold as well . . . he's not the only one late to power up. The Warrior forwards alone won't beat the Tigers, I loves the way they're meeting fire with fire

Sika is returning, maybe he can play 5/8 . . . if so Manly don't have a chance against Penrith at home

The Raiders will have to be 20 in front at half time considering Sticky has no idea how to construct an alternate plan in 10 minutes, but hey, I'm not saying they can't get the hop on Melbourne . . . Bellamy could do it with the Canberra roster

Considering the Dragons have a shit coach according to the smarter of us the Dogs should have little trouble overcoming them. You can bet your cojones if Mary wins Des will call it a forfeit . . . if he wins, dear oh dear

Cowboys have to beat the Rabbitohs, someone has to other than the Eels to make a fairytale believable. Then again, Souths are at home and the Cowboys play as though the gf will be held in Qld so it's anyone's guess. Can almost already hear the wanker chorus if Maguire loses, those that worship the cup will cry aloud of no repeat without Reynolds . . . forget all the other absentees from last year

 

[POPEYE]

Read the SMH story about how the Dragons are going about their defensive training and some would be excused for thinking Mary McGregor has turned to barbarism, if that were the case who could blame him. The bloke is high on f**kwit polls as the first coach to be sacked and is said to have lost respect from his players so what has he to lose

I make a point of avoiding any 'footy shows', post or pre game bullshit, I'm arrogant enough to believe there's nothing I can learn from them. Eight games, sometimes more replays and of course the press conferences are all I need to satisfy my curiosity . . . skimming headlines looking for something readable is just an afterthought

Reality has always had it that any decent coach who has troops of 'lesser' talent has no choice but instruct intimidation and commitment, especially in the forwards, Mary is silencing his critics by doing just that. It wouldn't surprise me if most devotees to Nine's footy show as just one example wouldn't bother with after match press conferences

If they did they'd realise Mary talks as good a game as any coach in the NRL, what he says is hard to fault imo and looking at results his players are doing their utmost to follow his lead. I know just from my miniscule involvement in the game that there are two separate worlds in League, one for supporters and hangers on, the other reserved for participants . . . the trick is to understand the difference

 

[POPEYE]

Sacking referees before changing the system, and it has to be modified to equate back to the game we want to watch, is merely having a few blokes crowned with thorns carrying the burden while the f**king hierarchy wash their hands.

Ffs, there are 17 men trying to promote a ball 100 metres while another 17 try to prevent them achieving it, requires elite athleticism and some nous but rocket science it is not. In this pussy world of social media the game has digressed to an examination of everything in a time frame that can't possibly cope. It's not the referees first and foremost that are the problem, it's the carcinogenic system they are asked to follow

I've said many times that Pommies Silverwood and Bentham are the best referees in the game, if they were asked to perform as the Aussies do they too would degenerate through the fully f**ked system here. A simple game needs simple rules, just enough of them to have it played in a reasonably fair manner, Australian referees are being overloaded with pedantic bullshit so much so there is too much to remember and too many interpretations

Silverwood doesn't cover anywhere near the distance our blokes do, doesn't run up to every tackle and scream in a player's ear, doesn't make himself obvious unless necessary, doesn't search for reasons to stop the game . . . simply put he doesn't f**king interfere without good reason.

He knows it's a simple game so he allows inconsequential misdemeanors that don't disadvantage either side and concentrates on the basics. Supporters pay to see the basic game, not be subjected to f**king pantomime from a distance, the sooner the NRL revert to the way the game should be interpreted the sooner people won't have time to scratch over every little f**king itch

 

[POPEYE]

Last night was interesting, Nine must desperately need a dollar not to make all their games 90 minutes, then again it isn't that hard to give the second game a 30 minute start on the TBox or PVR if you really can't wait til today for a replay. I was keen to see how Bird would fly so I went through the process

What can I say about the Brisbane game except that Hunt is the heir apparent to Cronk, especially if he learns to kick field goals, although his shortcoming is teaching him dedication to win in more aesthetically pleasing ways. I'm on record as loathing golden point . . . both teams deserved to walk away with something

Great to see Sammy fighting for his future, Benny has lit the team fire he promised would turn into an inferno sooner or later so I give him credit where credit's due, he could become a beacon for us old pricks. Roosters played well enough to keep them favourites if disruptions are laid to rest . . . I also loathe poaching

Not so interesting to watch Barba being given a lifeline, I was dreaming he could emulate Phil Blake but it won't happen, maybe the pretend ankle injury will delay the inevitable but there will soon be fears of self harm from his friends. Silly of Flanagan to go through the motions imo but what choice did he have, there are no refunds on contracts

One thing is for sure, The Trashmen in the 60's were spot on with Surfin' Bird. . . The Bird Is The Word. Not hard to learn the lyrics so the Shire should have little trouble. Crikey, I was looking for a new ring tone for my mobile . . .

 

[POPEYE]

Eels/Titans was a good game for most of it, lack of cohesion and brain matter ruined it for Parramatta in the end. No doubt Arthur will be put on the rack once again by the mindless but that will continue until better on field direction is found

Panthers/Manly was a fair game, the Seagles vulnerability could have been highlighted more had Cleary included pass and catch drills at training. Manly are clearly flying blindly into oblivion while the Panthers are just keeping above the clouds

Best game by far was the tribute to Vatuvei, Tigers could have won just as easily with equal possession but I got the feeling it was better for League that the Warriors won. The Tigers will win a lot of games if they stay healthy

The thing that stuck in my mind from the whole day was how Gavin Badger epitomised the state of Australian refereeing, nothing against him personally mind you. Trendy Mediterranean haircut, snappy colours and raised eyebrow when he penalised Vatuvei for not hearing 'held' . . . the simple solution of returning to the play-the-ball never crossed his mind.

I lost count during the day of how many penalties/stoppages weren't necessary

And, not worth another post, it was good to see Wicks has earned an extension

 

[POPEYE]

If the Raiders hadn't lost their #9 they could have won the game, I was impressed by their tenacity, Sticky may even be learning the art of two 40 minute games. I found myself looking at the tackle count right to the end, which in itself beggars for a great result for Rugby League

How good are Mary's mob going, make no mistake they are Mary's mob, it's his way or the f**king highway and the way they are playing is no accident . . . I think there are 68 f**kwits at last look who said he would be first coach sacked . . . I've a belly full of longnecks and loving this weekend

 

[Jason Maher]

I was one of those f**kwits. Happy to own it. Our first two performances and the first half of the Raiders game were diabolical.

 

[POPEYE]

Why am I not surprised

 

[POPEYE]

I've been hoping that most teams step up and praise them when they do but it's time I said a kind word for the mob I favour above the rest. Imo Melbourne have the best forward pack in the comp, they are more attuned as a group than any other and are the reason the Storm are doing well while waiting for the spine to catch up

Biased as it is I've long reckoned Bromwich is the best prop but he and the others look conjoined. Injury management, touch wood, has always been a key factor with Melbourne and the teams topping the ladder are travelling well in that department. I'm not overly concerned one way or another if Melbourne don't win the cup but getting close to taking the JJG Shield is important

Better if good years are bread and butter and great years are cream on top, as long as the Storm don't lose their mojo that'll do me . . . accepting that allows me to enjoy watching every team play

 

[POPEYE]

Finally, what a difference a good spine makes, it's fingers crossed from here on in for Coote . . . this mob in this formation are going to be hard to beat

F**king shithouse officiating