Redneck Redfaces

[POPEYE]

Funnily enough the best games, few and far between, are when two teams play their best for 80 minutes, pity that such contests are sometimes decided by a frivolous golden point but that's a different subject.

Losing Buderus wouldn't imo make much difference with Newcastle who spent their miracle getting up for the Melbourne game, whereas the Roosters had their feathers ruffled and had a week off working up steam about it. Had the positions between reversed I reckon we would have seen an 80 minute contest.

Don't fret too much over Danny, most will consider him lucky to be reincarnated, he could have been ignominiously displaced by a SL team instead of going down with the HMAS Newcastle in a battle of overwhelming odds.

 

[POPEYE]

There were times centuries ago on a Saturday I would put on the stubbies, blue singlet and thongs and wander down to the pub in time for 10 o'clock opening, I'd give the bartender my couple of dollars which would cover a few drinks. Some times my young missus would have to drag me out of the joint after dark because I'd won every game of eight ball, held the table against all challengers and drank for free . . . impossible to do if you set out to do it.

This time last year Hasler was about to be crowned the new greatest Supercoach, one week later and he was just a pretender to the throne of the mighty Bellamy. All Des had to do was front up with the same team, healthy and in the same frame of mind and he could have easily been crowned this year. As it is he and Bellamy have not had plain sailing, stuck in a doldrum for differing reasons.

The point is Rugby League is just a game, pity that people who rely on making money from it without actually playing are the ones who detract from it, that includes players with only themselves in mind in what is supposed to be a team sport. If anyone wants more than what League has to offer on a good day they should look elsewhere.

Whoever of Toovey/Robbinson wins this gf probably should be coach of the year, not enough reason to think either is there on false pretences. Both have wandered in with not much to lose, steered their team around the histrionics of '13 and held the table. Just like at 10 o'clock down the pub the following week, next year will hold no guarantees for this year's winners

 

[POPEYE]

Assistant Coach for the Titans, not a bad gig for a bloke with nine lives, not hard to imagine the dough would be pretty good not to mention the facilities. Best of all Henry gets a chance to sit back, gather his thoughts and express them without the responsibility of Head Coach, speaking of whom must relish the thought of having a Man Friday.

May set a precedent if these two can offer a cohesive attack in '14, Henry needs support in making players listen and Carty needs someone that can think for himself to help carry the burden. This pair separately must be the most frustrated coaches in the business, with a little luck they will be conjoined successfully.

Brad Arthur for the Cowboys? Maybe Jason Taylor back to Parra . . . hope so on both counts. Would be great to see Potter, Arthur and Taylor make a name for themselves in '14. In the meantime for a couple of seasons Henry will have it in the back of his mind there are clubs chancing a fresh face that make go stale. All in all, Neil is in an envious position

 

[POPEYE]

Green for the Cowboys, that's unexpected by most I reckon. Given that Graham Murray was the best thing that ever happened to NQ maybe the board are trying to replicate his demeanor in the new coach. Paul has always came across as amiable but no-one really knows if his knowledge of the game can match Graham's but we're about to find out. He's new and know's the area so he'll have my attention for what it's worth.

Cronk did Manly a favour by edging out DCE last night, the lad can add a little extra drive in the gf by proving he and Cooper are the chief adversaries for the coveted #7 Australian jumper should something untoward happen before the WC.

Interesting that the Rugby League heirarchy are like minded to myself, they don't think the final series is worth including in the Dally M's which could have been held after the gf and more points alotted to players . . . after all shouldn't the best players be chosen from the whole season.

DCE gets the Clive Churchill Medal a possible scenario and still isn't good enough to overtake Cronk as best player of the year . . . NRL stupidity is a tie with it's hypocrisy, awards for the best given for the 'minor' part of the season

 

[Big Tim]

Interesting that the Rugby League heirarchy are like minded to myself, they don't think the final series is worth including in the Dally M's which could have been held after the gf and more points alotted to players . . . after all shouldn't the best players be chosen from the whole season.

I see what you did there.

I agree. The finals are overrated. Who even cares what happens this week?

 

[POPEYE]

I see what you did there.

I agree. The finals are overrated. Who even cares what happens this week?

You shouldn't take me so literally ol' mate, believe it not I care a great deal what happens this week, especially when the winner will imo be entitled to be recognised as the 2013 Premiers . . . my beef is that it is not always so. I only belittle the cup because it's hypocritical obsolescence can be avoided by the NRL having two bites of the cherry.

Unfortunately if your mob had of made the gf and won I would have thought it a travesty, not because they won what I think is a lottery, but because they would go on record as the best team of '13. All that would be circumvented if the winner of the Shield was recorded as the Premier Team of the Year, the title 'Minor' is a f**king insult.

Give more people a chance to crow about their team winning a title and footy gods willing, now and again one team might be a standout and win both . . . wouldn't that be a record no-one can dismiss. More importantly, by now you and most League supporters would have had time to file away the season proper in their memory bank and look forward to, as you apparently don't, a fascinating knockout comp.

Felt comfortable watching the SL semi between Leeds and Wigan because I never thought the referee was going to make a difference to the result. His drab uniform was hard to spot, admittedly he missed the usual forward pass we're accustomed to but his presence was only noted when he had no choice, never did he want to be part of the action.

Already we have the pink show ponies having 15 minutes in the limelight on the news, heaven f**king forbid what each has planned to outdo the other in the big one. The whole League season could be left to the whim of a bloke who thinks he should be more important than the blokes who play the game. The poms may be underachievers but they're way ahead in the reality stakes

 

[Big Tim]

You shouldn't take me so literally ol' mate, believe it not I care a great deal what happens this week, especially when the winner will imo be entitled to be recognised as the 2013 Premiers . . . my beef is that it is not always so. I only belittle the cup because it's hypocritical obsolescence can be avoided by the NRL having two bites of the cherry.

Unfortunately if your mob had of made the gf and won I would have thought it a travesty, not because they won what I think is a lottery, but because they would go on record as the best team of '13. All that would be circumvented if the winner of the Shield was recorded as the Premier Team of the Year, the title 'Minor' is a f**king insult.

I got ya mate, just playing my part.

All the BS aside, I agree. The Knights should not have had a chance to compete for the GF trophy. We had our chance to play good, consistent footy, and we didnt. Instead of finishing in a position to fight for a 2nd chance in the finals, we were fighting for a chance of the finals. We just did more with our chance than the 3 other also-rans.

We dont give enough credit to the minor premiers, but to be fair the minor premiers race is just as flawed as the premiership race.

 

[POPEYE]

We have to put up with endless f**king games of cricket yet it's too much to ask that every League team plays each other twice for the Premiers Shield, that would be a real season.

Just play the top 4 in a knockout for the cup and let 3 weekends of Origin finish the season. Dispensing with trials and starting early in night games would be a whole lot better than having to put up with posturing from the likes of Michael Clark

 

[POPEYE]

If the Eels finally get their act together it could prove decisive in the future of clubs that rely on them as a bread basket with holes in it. I've been out of the area for too long to know but once upon a time it was one the largest breeding grounds for juniors, be interesting to see how they fare when they keep these young blokes interested.

Just by nature of Parramatta being on the periphery of the housing push towards the mountains and the north west, their melting pot must be getting larger, Penrith with their back to the Blueys is one team that likes the Eels to self destruct. Wests hopefully are on the move up and their push south west gives them untold riches when the Tigers become a preferred destination for juniors.

Not hard to imagine the catcalls if the Eels' current position is substituted by that of Melbourne, how unfair would it be if a supercoach had installed an all powerful cult at the head of the river. All it will take is common sense for Parramatta to begin and perpetuate 'love to hate' instead of 'love to laugh at'.

 

[POPEYE]

Tomorrow morning on Eurosport the SL gf is there to watch for anyone wanting to judge refereeing processes. Be interesting to grab a stopwatch and record the amount of time occupied by the single pom compared to our pinkies. My bet is the SL game will be all about survival of the fittest and our gf will be decided by anomalies.

Best we can hope for in Sydney is a game won by the superior team after doubtful decisions are 'evened' up. The pom won't give a shit what he looks like and will hope his name is not mentioned in commentary, he will rely on players winning the game on their own merit. Our referees will be competing for attention and a f**k up is inevitable.

I sincerely hope the above scenario is reversed with a free flowing game in Australia and a shitfight in England, but at least those of us who watch both games will see something to make the day worthwhile

 

[POPEYE]

I don't give a shit the Pommie players are not as precious as our blokes, the SL gf was thoroughly entertaining. Third tackle of the game Tomkins loses the ball after a tackle and the referee wasn't sure why it came away so he played on, no f**king guessing, that is the way a game should be refereed.

Apparently he sees the video ref as an aide, not a director, even a punch was left to the judiciary because he didn't see it personally. Imagine that in today's Sydney gf, only blatant indiscrections stopping play and the players allowed to play to a standstill. The pommie ref was the same one who controlled a NZ/Aust game a couple of years ago, the best refereed International I've seen.

If Wally Waterhouse was offering odds on the pinkies today I would put 100 on pedantic rulings effecting the game, both are even money for a monumental fu but I would lean toward Hayne.

 

[POPEYE]

Well, waddya know, the best team of '13 also won the gf

 

[POPEYE]

Having seen both SL and NRL gf's it's my opinion there should be only one referee, no real clangers in Sydney with the incidental forward pass not needed to score the try but the pinkies were still too ambivalent. I don't think the Pom supporters came away thinking the players on both sides weren't in control of their destinies.

Both Qld/NSW Cup and NRL games should be refereed by first grade standard referees, there should be no stigma entailed in being relegated to the lower grade if a bloke makes an unexplainable mistake. Should be taken for granted that the refs chosen for NRL each week are selected by their performance the week before.

Key to it working properly is that referees should not be seen as part of the entertainment, if they are paid adequately in both grades with maybe a first grade bonus just the difference their job should be just a job. Each Wednesday they find where they're going and if they don't like the process find another job.

Understandable that the best referees won't expect to be relegated but they must be aware they're part of a large equally recognised group and if there is a standout performer that merits a first grade spot someone has to relegated . . . the bloke underchieving the one most likely

 

[POPEYE]

Daniel Anderson could make life a lot easier on himself and the referees if he enforced the call 'held' as sacrosanct. Would hate to hear incessant AFL whistle tweeting but 'held' should be regarded as the equivalent instruction.

No player in his right mind would dive at the legs of another if he heard a tweet from a whistle, it's up to Anderson to educate the refs in the importance of brain to mouth. After 'held' is called all we want is a play the ball, if there is even an infinitesimal doubt about why the process wasn't completed successfully it should be repeated.

There was no reason to call a scrum when Foran lost the ball because Pearce wasn't upright and had one arm mixed in Foran's. Never absolutely clear why Guerra didn't play it properly when an opposition foot could have been in the way. In both cases simply pick the f**king ball up and play it again.

In theory, a play-the-ball is a momentary stoppage iniated by an official and as such the process in restarting play should be just a formality, not something open to micrscopic scrutiny. There are enough occasions in a game where a referee could be accused of pedanticism without concentrating on something that can be reasonably rectified with no disadvantage to either team

 

[Big Tim]

Well, waddya know, the best team of '13 also won the gf

Congrats to the Roosters. Didnt see the game, figured a last hurrah weekend away with the wife before our baby is born was a batter option, so we wont chalk this one up to not caring.

The whole PTB is a joke.

They scrutinize certain parts, like placing the ball, or the markers being square, but they allow the ball to be rolled instead of played.......

Too many inconsistencies in the game.

Markers need to be judged, but if you mess up the PTB by stepping over the mark, moving to the side, fumbling the ball, not getting to your feet etc. your penalty should be a stoppage whilst you play the ball correctly.

 

[POPEYE]

Congrats to the Roosters. Didnt see the game, figured a last hurrah weekend away with the wife before our baby is born was a batter option, so we wont chalk this one up to not caring.

The whole PTB is a joke.

They scrutinize certain parts, like placing the ball, or the markers being square, but they allow the ball to be rolled instead of played.......

Too many inconsistencies in the game.

Markers need to be judged, but if you mess up the PTB by stepping over the mark, moving to the side, fumbling the ball, not getting to your feet etc. your penalty should be a stoppage whilst you play the ball correctly.

If a bloke feeds a scrum inappropriately he can be told to do it again, and again if need be. Players will soon learn once the ptb is a foregone conclusion, maybe give anyone who blatantly interferes in an effort to slow down play 10 minutes in the bin, as you'd expect to see in any blatant professional foul.

Problem with 2 referees is they search for stoppages to compete with each other. Referees in the gf weren't even smart enough to accrue Brownie points by asking the video ref to check if Jennings had played at the ball . . . plenty of time while the scrum was laboriously being packed.

The over-riding problem is that refereeing should be an art form the complexities of which are beyond anyone not trained, instead we have logic that blind f**king Freddie can see being ignored. In the case of the penalty try, like the Jennings episode, the referee simply had to say to the video ref, 'check what happened there'. . . the answer in that case would have been what Jabba and everyone else thought.

 

[POPEYE]

Interesting to note in a poll of the 10 best gf tries, another pie in the sky where 'constructed' gives way to 'spectacular' and the majority of pollsters not very discerning, we see Pat Richards 2nd behind Jennings.

This is the same bloke that is returning to Wests, who never should have left after his great '05 gf, from SL where he became a cult figure after 8 great years. His goal kicking prowess alone will turn most of Wests' fours into sixes and although far easier to catch nowdays still has to be stopped.

Crikey I'm looking forward to finding out if Potter power will drive a new League machine next year and what better man as a navigator than Richards . . . may he stay healthy and competitive

 

[TheDalek079]

how can Stacey Jones's try be left off that list?

 

[ek999]

I don't give a shit the Pommie players are not as precious as our blokes, the SL gf was thoroughly entertaining. Third tackle of the game Tomkins loses the ball after a tackle and the referee wasn't sure why it came away so he played on, no f**king guessing, that is the way a game should be refereed.

I didn't watch the SL GF but I'm assuming that the opposition picked up the ball when Tomkins stripped it. The fact he has called played on means he has effectively guessed that Tomkins has lost the ball and that it wasn't stripped. What if the opposition had stripped the ball out? Because he has called play on he would have disadvantaged Wigan by making a wrong call. Without any form of contest to regain possession, one team will always be disadvantaged by a wrong call. If scrums were contested the ref could call a scrum a lot more often and it wouldn't be as big of a problem

In the grand scheme of things I don't think the refs make that many bad calls. A lot of the time there is controversy about a 50/50 call but it is rare for a complete howler by the on field refs. TV coverage and the number of cameras there are will pick up things that refs can't see from where they are standing and there isn't much we can do about that. The NRL GF had something like 26 cameras, which is always going to pick up The forward pass is a classic example, the refs had to turn and chase and were behind the play by about 20m when the pass was thrown, there was no way they could tell it was forward

 

[POPEYE]

Not saying the refs do a bad overall job but if they weren't dictated to by protocol their job would be a lot simpler, common sense for some is not the same for all so the pinkies must be given some leeway. Jamie Lyon is a try-hard and some refs can be forgiven for getting their nose out of joint at his incessant bickering.

If Cam Smith remonstrated excitedly about Jennings playing at the ball my guess is the ref would have asked for a clarification so demeanor has a part to play but the video ref knew the facts and had time to advise

The thing I hate most of all is the incalcitrant stonewalling by officialdom, made ludicrous by a ref stopping play when a player is injured while he waits for the video ref to confirm how it happened, usually with 2 or more slo-mo's yet couldn't bother with a little research beyond doubt as to who should be feeding a scrum.

Tomkins was about to play the ball, lost control for a fraction of a second, regathered and played it. As the rule stands it would have been an Australian knock-on but to the Pommie ref it was no big deal and as the marker might possibly have had something to do with it . . . play on. Between 'held' and the dummy half taking possession the process should just be a matter of fact

Yeh, I figure if you make a break and run away from the ref and the linesman and you've got support that is going to outstep any one-on-one defence any benefit of the doubt deservedly should be in your favour.