Redneck Redfaces 2

[POPEYE]

Got on the piss early yesterday at a mens' shed gathering, talking up Mann's prospects only to see him stranded like a Shag on a rock, you'd thought the bloke had f**king Leprosy. Turned my attention to playing pool and came back to see McCrone playing 'F**k Up' and Mann scoring on the wing. Maybe I missed too much to comment but my patience with Mary is growing awfully f**king thin

I could have sworn Suncorp looked like Lottoland, will we have clods of turf popping up in the Origin game. If Benny told the groundsman to soak the joint and have his mob wearing long studs, which Cronk will testify to, it didn't f**king work. Boys in the shed were asking 'did it rain in Brisbane today . . . I dunno, did it

 

[POPEYE]

Best thing about being a RL purist is I won't lose sleep if Moses does stop keep keeping up, if there is now a real chance Mary was too great a player to make a great coach, if the Sharks showed the Roosters made the Storms' babes look better than they were, if DCE is not up to 80 minute Orgasm after all, if Cleary maybe should wait another season before Blues or if Rapana is destined to be wasted where he is

Still, if you are more a supporter of the game itself rather than a particular team one door closes and another opens . . . TMM and Morgan took my worries away, Lolohea possibly might not be the disaster I envisaged and with luck, albeit lots of it, Angus Cricthon might not be wasted at Souths

 

[POPEYE]

If nothing else Orgasm is worth a laugh, Archer wanting 'blocking' stopped in G3 is a cackle. NSW got away with the usual rampant running players off the ball but Qld stepped it up big time by actually holding on. Why, because Kevvie's mob knew the Rugby League hierarchy would turn a blind eye to anything that helped stop Orgasm going to 3 games

Believe it or not Qld won't have the referees worrying about 'who should or shouldn't win in the best interests of RL', they'll still hopefully let the game flow and keep out of it like they should but rarely do in premiership games . . . you can bet your cojones both teams will need to take notice of the G3 Rules Notice Board

It doesn't matter to the hierarchy who wins the last game, Archer will be able to let the ref's loose so look for a whopper moment from one of the adjudicators when least expected. As is the rule a deciding G3 will be won by the most disciplined team, made for a 'Cam Smith' type captain

With all the shit RL followers have to endure this time of the year it's the media's fault that we can't have only one State of Origin game, refereed by men not under pressure, rules that are standardized all season . . . get the thing over and done with and get on with what really matters

 

[POPEYE]

Lets see how the Roosters go when they're expected to lose, the one bloke who'll be forlorn if they win will be Pearce. The only way he'll save himself if his mob win against the odds without him is by leading the Blues to a series win. It had to be Souths didn't it . . . and what if they lose . . . will turn shit happens into a nuclear strike. Seriously, Angus should have a field day

Panthers/Seagles even money, crikey, the bookies must think Turbo Jake walks on water if form is a guide. It's really a matter of has it sunk in to the meathead Panthers they can't afford to lose versus the ire of the shunned DCE . . . hopefully the rejects, Matt & Dale, will put on a show

Well this is working out pretty well, of all the teams to take advantage of Melbourne not having a bye when it really matters I'm happy it's the Eels. Norman has been a worry of late, methinks he's carrying a debilitating injury, let's hope he doesn't aggravate it in a game his mob should win on a technicality

Knights can't possibly beat the Dogs, the game is only worth mentioning due to the dire consequences Des will find himself in if it is a close contest

 

[POPEYE]

No need to emphasise how much I detest 'Immortals' as a concept, especially when the selection is dubious because 'best and fairest' is not a prerequisite. Having said that methinks it's a f**king shame that immortalized players don't seem to be able to impart their knowledge well enough to turn a team of learners into a champion team

The player I'm getting to is Andrew Johns. Most 'greats' talk in anecdotes, theorising what players should do or didn't do, but when it comes to teaching players to do what they once did it all seems to be lost in the translation. Wally Lewis for instance would have to be the worst coach I've seen in 1st grade and Sterlo says he wouldn't contemplate coaching

It's particularly frustrating listening to Johns, I reckon the bloke talks a game better than anyone. If he could coach a team of wannabes to do what he was capable of, on the field, the mind boggles. Unfortunately supercoaching is left up to wannabes who knew what it took to become 'great' on the field but didn't possess the necessaries

Johns would easily win a series coaching the Blues if he only knew how to make the players understand

 

[POPEYE]

Mascord makes sense when he says the salary cap should be abandoned for a couple of years, let a few of the Sydney clubs die through survival of the fittest. If Melbourne is now paying in better quality brown paper bags just as the other top echelon clubs have always done all the cap does is punish the dumb clubs . . . still

Of course Steve is taking the piss to get a point across, if it was rocket science it wouldn't be my bread and butter, his 'Discord: the salary cap scandal we had to have?' is worth the read if you haven't already

The salary cap, like a sky born imaginary friend, is a favourite in Wankerland and it is it's supporters who are the real enemy of the game. Supporting mediocrity, not in players themselves but in the quality of management needed to discover more good players is the real carcinogen

 

[POPEYE]

Roosters should go halves in a lottery ticket with Klein and if they win anything give Sam a little something for his troubles

 

[POPEYE]

As far as I'm concerned the best thing about last night's game is I have nfi which team played the better, which is the case in most games Ashley Klein referees. This game won't cause much of a kerfuffle, neither combatant has much of a following outside their front door

The Roosters did a valiant job of compensating, played better without their stars if recent games are anything to go by, did they earn the win . . . who the f**k knows. Robbie and Sam did their best to shoot Souths in the foot, did they deserve to lose . . . who the f**k knows

There were too many clutch plays that were ruined by Klein to keep count of tit-for-tat, some of his decisions were pedantically right, some wrong, some confusing. Ashley's not alone mind you, the Australian RL season will always be a shitfight for lots of reasons, the least of which showpony refereeing

 

[POPEYE]

Been a good night, not for DCE but for Hook and Arthur . . . Melbourne has an excuse so I'm happy. Still, in retrospect I wouldn't put money on a full strength Storm beating the Eels

 

[POPEYE]

The teams that had to win did but one was the standout imo because it's progressing the way I hoped it would. The Seagles lost the plot and the Panthers shemozzled their way to a win, Melbourne did as best as it could but the Eels were the night's centre of attraction imo

Brad Arthur appears to have a permanent scowl and if you use French as a mongrel barometer it's plain to see the Eels are coming along nicely. If the skinny kid on the wing is developing a taste for combat the rest of the mob can't help but be influenced by it

Couldn't help but notice Semi's new found enthusiasm, the terrior-like Brown and the ticker growing in Moses, Gutherson gets better and tougher with every game. If Arthur can dig up a couple like Bromwich and NAS from obscurity and sort out the dummy half uncertainty the Eels would become the team no-one wants to play

 

[POPEYE]

Newcastle simply lost the game, they weren't beaten, which is just about all Brown could expect. If the Knights had of won hardly anyone would've given them more credit than they do now. Des is further up shit creek than he was yesterday morning, Brown is still paddling around in circles. If Hasler is 'safe' I'd like to know who the 'promised' player making him so is . . . can't be just Foran alone

Worst thing about the Belmore game was seeing Josh Reynolds celebrate like he single handedly won Origin, the win was about as exciting as the part he played in it. Can't wait to see what he does for Cleary. Best thing about the game is the Dogs supporters continue to be easily pleased . . . all things considered a pretty good result

 

[POPEYE]

Jabba is both winning fiends and copping flack over his judgement of refereeing. I support his stand not because everything he says is right but because he's a 'VIP' saying some things that need to be said. My gripe with referees and Archer is they don't distinguish between 'infringements' and 'shit happens'

Real infringements like not playing the ball properly, stepping forward off the tackle mark, running attacking players off the ball . . . things that make a difference . . . are not punished. Then we have shit happens like a lost ball punished when there is no clear reason why it was lost, instead of guessing the referees should say 'pick it up and play on'

Referees should be judged on what they do to ensure a game is 'relevant', not enhance their own relevancy, handing over the ball from one team to another has to be done with far more legitimacy than it is now. The 6 tackle rule was designed to force teams into creativeness, referees do too much to interfere with the process of letting players decide games without unnecessary turnovers

 

[POPEYE]

There'll be 2 soc's I know of watching Origin tonight, one will turn to Ch9 at 8.10, watch the first half and at the whistle leave the room until his missus tells him the second is about to begin. At the last whistle he will immediately switch off Ch9 and return to whatever programs he's pre-recorded . . . Origin just a necessary evil that can't be avoided

The other soc will watch everything 9 has to offer before and after the game, his latest Foxtel box will allow him to not only watch the normal replays but create many more of his own choosing. He won't know who won until about 20 minutes after everyone else . . . depending on how much time he spent replaying what he thought needed to be examined but wasn't

Soc #1 has just about brainwashed himself into believing he doesn't care who wins but if Qld does he'll find it hard not to watch the end of game revelry . . . still, he'll be glad it's all over for another year. No matter who wins soc #2 won't let it rest for weeks, it'll be either how NSW won against adversity or how Qld, with his private replays as proof, won unfairly

There you have both ends of the spectrum, these blokes are best of mates but could never sit down together and watch Origin. Most rational people however will look upon and accept Origin for what it is, a media monolith beyond alteration, the saviour of RL . . . or so we're told. Still, it's great to be a soc and leave conformity behind

 

[POPEYE]

Couldn't help myself, had to watch the after-game bling, after all it was the great Thurston's public farewell party. From Cordner on the dais through to Molly bending kissing his hand Johnathon was given almost enough accolades to make up for missing out on playing

I'm not going to bother with the media today, they'll have Pearce in front of a firing squad when none of the Blues' big guns could match the calibre of their opposite number . . . and poor old Loz, he'll have to go because like Bellamy he couldn't catch the greatest RL team in the history of the game on an off day that mattered

If there's any such thing as betting responsibly it was last night, Qld has never lost a series that Cronk played 3 games in, what were the chances of him breaking his arm again. Speaking of which, the only person that made serious mention of Cooper's 'last game' was Cordner . . . did his mates not care or has he pulled the media's pants down yet again

 

[POPEYE]

Naturally Origin's not over yet, Round 19 has more chance of being f**ked by it than not, even if players' bodies are here it's their spirit that counts. The Qld spine has a week off and the rest will run on euphoria but will the Blues be too blue to play the way they should

Warriors/Panthers unaffected but Moylan not playing, whether or not that will make a difference in a game between the two most erratic teams in the comp . . . who the f**k knows. This game can't help but be interesting

With the #9 that would walk into the Blues if he wasn't a Pom returning and the chance Dugan may have broken a tatt the Raiders should dispense with McCrone's Dragons. I'm worried Mary's no longer in charge and along with Sticky whatever happens the excuses will outweigh anything else

The Qld Man Of The Series Winger that more often than not scores where a Centre should will not make a difference against the Broncos . . . Benny and Hunt have far too much to lose

Titans can't take a trick, Hayne has proven to be counterfeit and the Sharks Blues should be in a nasty frame of mind, Flanno won't let them feel sorry for themselves . . . Klein might be the fly in the ointment

Cleary can just about begin full experimentation, send all next year's deserters to NSW Cup, supporters will understand. The Seagles should use this game to boost morale and get back on track now that DCE has no chance in the full maroon

Rabbitohs/Cowboys is only a risk for NQ if Souths do the unexpected . . . what are the chances of that

 

[POPEYE]

Johnson > Pearce, said it before, in 10 months time Cleary will be NSW's only real alternative against whoever plays for Qld . . . enough of that shit, RL is free of it for another 6 months. Cleary is a better player than Moylan and like all wannabe great #7's the longer a game goes the better he gets

Which is the way it should be, harder now than when Sterlo was running around against tired forwards, if the NRL reverts to interchange common sense Nathan could easily replicate Peter . . . both had the same attributes between the ears at the same age, Nathan faster on his feet and can kick goals

I drank a bottle of wine at dinner, nodded off now and again in the Dragons/Raiders game that should've been a draw. Not only did supporters deserve a draw the game itself was worth nothing more than a draw. Golden Point is second only to Origin scheduling on the list of NRL's gutless capitulations to the media

 

[POPEYE]

What did Flanno and Gal say, something like "Origin affect is over now, next week it's all steam ahead to the finals" . . . what more is there to be said. There is one thing worth considering, if Maloney doesn't play in the big games the Sharks don't win the big games

Takes a team a while to adapt to the Minus Maloney Syndrome, Robbo will testify to that, it's almost like James injects a virus that only he has the antidote to . . . just in case a club should think they can do without him or not pay him enough

Anyway, the Sharks are as safe as houses, last night's game was the epitome of anomaly, if nothing else complacency has been washed away . . . if they want to win another cup all they have to do is keep James healthy

 

[POPEYE]

Interesting watching the Cowboys as they try to acclimatise in life without Thurston, although Green can't afford any more hiccups his reconstituted mob are doing nicely. Still a little rough around the edges but cohesion will come before NQ need the 51% pass necessary for a shot at the cup . . . 75% not beyond them imo

Souths are destined to remain uncultured, an enigmatic stumbling block for the opposition is the best the fragile Rabbitohs can hope for as long as Maguire is at the helm . . . easier to put the blame on one man

Elsewhere in the forum there is discussion about dropped ball, if the ball that was supposedly lost by Brooks that helped the Seagles win was allowed to be regathered by him the Tigers' loss would've been easier to take. Referees were clearly unsighted as to why the ball was lost, 'pick up and play on' would've taken less time than a scrum or turnover . . . in RL common sense is treated like a red headed stepson

 

[POPEYE]

Kent is still going to great lengths explaining to Blues supporters what is wrong with the Blues, the f**kwit doesn't realise even blind Freddy understood the obvious long ago, the problem now is he is perpetuating the suffering when there are more important things to concentrate on

Frank Ponissi, tongue in cheek maybe, is saying Melbourne may suffer Origin jetlag for a couple more rounds, other teams will do likewise . . . is there no f**king end to this shit. Why does 3 games of RL need to be ramped up for half a season and wound down for the other half. Does the media think that we dumbarse supporters need to treated as Autistic

Why can't we have the NRL season over and done with before Origin, let the full season be the form guide. If players 'coast' they won't be picked, players will be more inclined to help their club to a gf if they know top 4 teams will be favoured in Origin selection. Let the off-season be the crying room or the celebratory aftermath, why turn the Shield/cup into a f**king shemozzle that suits idiots like Kent & Buzz

We've still got to wait 12 months between Origins no matter when they're played ffs

 

[POPEYE]

Broncos can't lose against the Dogs, Des is in cruise mode having convinced people that matter he's 'stuck' with the roster he's got. Benny being Benny will still think the cup is his if his mob don't let him down. Being my least favoured teams the best thing about the game is someone is going to lose

Bookies are missing an opportunity, they should frame a bet around how many minutes the Knights will frighten the Roosters. I reckon it's great that Brown is the NRL coach under the least amount of pressure

Maloney will have a big game, as is the nature of a cornered beast he'll rip and tear his way through the Rabbitohs. Maguire's mob have only one thing in their favour, unpredictability . . . I would've liked to see the Sharks win without James, they definitely need the practice

If you like unpredictability the Panthers/Titans game has to be match of the round, it's not who plays normally but who plays out of his skin that'll decide this one. I want the Titans to win but Hayne to fail on the one hand and Cleary to shine while Moylan muddles on the other . . . I'm a nasty soc

Raiders must win and Storm old-timers still overcoming jetlag . . . so it is said. A packet of chewing gum to the winner and a book of excuses to the loser

F**k I dislike this game, I want the Cowboys to make the four and the Warriors to win without Johnson . . . woe is me

I've just about had a gut full of Mary, Inglis is not the only player who should return to Melbourne, Mann should never have left . . . he'll learn nothing in Kogarah if he's on the bench and McCrone is an icon. Koroisau not playing might turn a lizard drinking into a dragon, an eagle into a gull, defence into a picket

Cleary is at-ease next to Brown whereas Arthur is struggling with a diminutive front row led by a captain who should be watching from a pasture. How lucky are the others that the Eels don't have a big bopper like Klemmer or NAS