Redneck Redfaces

[POPEYE]

The attention Milford and Barba attract is warranted to some extent but the people who don't use them to make a dollar, wishful thinking supporters, are in danger of being extremely shortsighted. What a bloke does in the U20's or one season burst of talent aided by anonymity is great to admire but becoming established in the NRL is a different matter.

Milford letting balls bounce in the hurley burley of the junior game was nothing to be concerned about, his brilliance in broken play, a component of the U20's, would easily make up for anything lackadaisical in other areas. Most of the blokes that play the big game get there because they work at it, they specialise in stopping naturally talented players.

Barba is never going to be given the leeway again he had stepping out from behing a brick wall with the Dogs. Ben is like a one hit wonder at the moment, his first song sold millions, struggling to write something new is an age old bugbear.

Amuses me when someone is touted 'great' when he hasn't got past 'capable'. To be capable in the NRL means great simply by exclusivity. So all this bullshit about Milford/Barba being exceptional is a slight on all NRL players, they have done nothing so far except make the grade, staying there is an exceptional feat . . . something they still have to achieve

 

[POPEYE]

Hate to be a pessimist and hope I'm wrong but the vibes I get from Chad Townsend are horribly like those from McCrone, without the mercurial Johnson who himself struggles sometimes with mediocrity the Warriors/Raiders game may rival the new Dumb and Dumber movie.

Not saying Townsend is as bad as McCrone but the last thing a team like the Warriors need is indecision. Leuluai will have to play a lot better than I think he can to keep Townsend away from overdoing the decision making

Really f**king annoying to see a team being wasted because of absenteeism, surely in the whole of NZ there must be 2 or 3 'Johnsons' running around that the Warriors could have prepared as a replacement for Shaun. Makes you wonder how strong State Cup games are compared to the good old fashioned Reserve Grade when players were readied instead of relegated

 

[POPEYE]

Not sure why Luke Keary's entry to the top grade on a permanent basis should be so enigmatic, in my previous post I wondered why there is not a more suitable replacement for Shaun Johnson in an emergency. Keary is far better than a substitute, it is almost criminal that Sutton shouldn't be considered his emergency replacement.

Souths imo are far too predictable, even if Keary was only as good as Sutton with ball in hand his deception makes him far more usable. I reckon Sutton should be in the team somewhere but off the bench in rotation. The problem Keary has is that he knows he has limited time to impress, any haphazard play would be alleviated if he was an integral part of the team

Reynolds would be a far better player with a Will-o'-the-wisp #6 adding spontaneous plays to the mix, the Rabbitohs need to hit the ground running if they want to beat the top contenders. Sutton's slow motion is an anchor to a speedboat, Inglis needs the opposition to not know when he's coming and that will only happen when their thoughts are elsewhere

 

[POPEYE]

What we do in the bush is first build a men's shed, the usual bar, fire pit and plenty of tables and chairs to accommodate 30 or 40 people if necessary. There's always enough room to swag or the odd caravan beside the shed to crash out in if someone's unable to drive.

Plenty of tucker and Foxtell connected to a cheap big screen tv and Bob's your uncle. Some of the blokes might go over the mountains to a game once in a blue moon or if a game comes to the bush they might go for the novelty of it.

I've spent enough time in dressing sheds to have the smell of liniment etched in memory and drank enough watered down beer in plastic cups to not care about 'atmosphere'. If I lived next door to Parramatta stadium I wouldn't go to a game because I'd have to justify the expense of pay tv and watching all 8 games each week to the missus

I may just be a soc set in his ways but it amazes me when people consider crowd figures as indicative of the state of the game. Incessant warnings against drink driving, technology being shoved down our throats, safety of travel in the cities . . . is it any wonder a young bloke with a family would rather stay at home with his mates, enjoy a feed and a drink, replay anything as many times as he likes and has somewhere to stay if he over-indulges.

If a battler can afford to go to one game a month he can afford pay tv to watch 32 games a month, all the replays and associated bullshit he wants, be safe doing it and have money to spare. Can't convince me the shitty lighting and lining up for everything is better atmosphere than a ruckus night in the men's shed, kids running around having fun and the women who aren't interested occupied with each other

 

[POPEYE]

Interesting night, I called 'separation' on the first replay of the Canterbury try, why wouldn't I when I wanted them to lose. They were hard done by with the other no-try in the corner I thought. Besides the point, Penrith beat the Dogs, no-one else. They did exactly what you have to against a one-dimensional mob of bullies, frustrate the shit out of them.

Watching the Dogs is like waiting for a fart to stink, nothing to do but hope it's just wind. If Manly had of been opposing the Panthers that terrible capitulation by the mountain men at the end would have seen 4 tries against them . . . lucky the Dogs think at 2k an hour.

Speaking of Manly, as soon as I saw the colours they were playing in I gave away any thought of recording the game. Bad enough the Broncos playing at Brookvale but against Manly in Brisbane colours, fair suck of the sav, anyone would have thought Arko was still running League. Was for the better, I just checked the score and went to bed, woke up fresh for the Com Games

 

[POPEYE]

Great night in Glasgow and not all that bad for the Dragons at Allianz either, they didn't win but the ticker they showed should keep Mary in a job. Application wasn't helped by Benji taking a backward step but that can be fixed, so all in all I reckon the Mighty Red V is back on track. Roosters just did what they had to do . . . what is expected of them

Occasionally you'll get an Indigenous player with that special look fixed on his face, can either be translated as a chip on his shoulder or just plain dedication to manning up. Rambo Ronny Gibbs had no thoughts of needing to prove a point, a man's man he just got on with making a point. That same look is always on the face of James Roberts, remains to be seen if he can get his act as together as Ronny did

Whenever Cooper is on the field I always feel Thurston is not alone, the Cowboys are just one equal attention getter away from something miraculous. Lui needs to be replaced by someone that can make NQ supporters rise to their feet, whenever Cooper is shaping up beside Thurston you get suspense. Watching Matty Bowen having a ball in England it's a shame he wasn't at least given a chance at 5/8 while NQ searched for a decent partner for Johnathon

Hayne in the front line more often than not, made the Sharks second guess and gave the media something to cream their jeans about . . . really just did his job but wtf

 

[soc123_au]

Agree on Cooper Pops. He is in my opinion the most under rated player in the NRL. It is no coincidence that Penrith fell away badly when he went north. The bloke is a beast, just hooks in hard and always does his job.

 

[POPEYE]

I owe Chad Townsend an apology, comparing him in to McCrone was unforgivable. I thought the Warriors may suffer without a real playmaker but I forgot about Matulino and Mateo. Anyways, Townsend had a good game and Tomkins is starting to get the hang of NRL so all is good.

If Sticky is to remain Canberra coach Croker should be granted leave to join Melbourne on compassionate grounds

 

[POPEYE]

Hard to want the Tigers to lose against Melbourne, If I did I would be one of only a few, so with any luck it will be a drawn game. There are Simon Dwyer, Mick Potter and Robbie Farah supporters who need to reach a common ground, no better way than to celebrate the potency of the team. For these three blokes to be associated with a resurgence would be more significant than anything the board promises

 

[POPEYE]

Hard not to get on the wanker bandwagon calling for John Cartwright's removal even if for a different reason, he must have some influence on player fitness surely. The Titans at the start of the season were sailing along nicely, which most people seem to forget, until injuries set in.

I'm not saying Sezer, Kelly and Zillman are girlyboys but they sure should think about playing another sport. Can imagine how well Toovey would be travelling if DCE, Foran and Snake only played the same amount of games as Carty's mob.

Whether or not Manly and ultimately Toovey has set in place a training regime that circumvents injury disruption, similar to the apparent good management of injuries at the Storm, making him a better coach than Cartwright is a moot point. The fact remains as Cleary may soon discover, Cartwright is trying to operate under circumstances that would have the top coaches pulling their f**king hair out.

Titans having revolving playmakers is only the beginning, the rest of the team is not much better. Loose canons like Bird don't help, neither do forwards past their use-by date. I'm beginning to give up on Cartwright because he is too nice a bloke

Not that it makes a difference but I seem to have lost a star . . . no more offers of a cuppa from me

 

[nietsnie]

If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.

 

[POPEYE]

If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.

At least someone is looking, my missus has worn off fingerprints . . . thanks for the bump

 

[POPEYE]

Souths at full strength imo against a Seagles side that includes Horo, definitely full strength, so no excuses. This game should be a rehearsal for the 'big one', pity we'll have to listen to below strength commentary, definitely deserves Vossy

Broncos in their preferred time and space should give them a leg up and Dessie looks vulnerable so an upset is on the cards. Tolman is back as the reliable bookend so I expect Graham to go gangbusters, Dogs will follow his grubby footprints in the predictable straight line to victory

Storm is playing another expected win at Newcastle, against a family demoralised by daddy asking for a divorce . . . how can Melbourne lose with Gidley playing. 'How can they win' is the biggest thing the Knights have going for them, Bennett's hate of Bellyache and Jeremy's usual step up against the Storm might win the day

Watching the Tigers presser showed how inept the NRL are, players and coaches are obliged to attend an amateur production with background noises and stupid f**king questions that wouldn't be asked if the public could hear. The shit they subjected Potter to, Captain deserting the ship with men on board and general dismal mood of the Tigers will have reports of a f**king miracle in Townsville if Wests beat the Cowboys

Inexplicable maybe but Eels/Raiders could rival Souths/Manly as match of the round. The variables are tantalising, no Campese so Mighty Milf is running the show, Kenny Edwards, Wighton, Lee all back and Cornish there for the hopeful shift of McCrone. Let's hope Hayne is not made lethargic by the heat and Sticky doesn't go swimming with the crocodiles

No Hurrell is a deficit but the loss of Wade Graham can't be compensated for by an appearance from Gallen. Nevertheless, if the Warriors do well in this one . . .

I expect the Dragons to win/WIN although the devil-may-care attitude of Cleary could be disconcerting for Red V backers. Like Potter, if Ivan's mob get up there is cause for great celebration

Mitch Aubusson is one of my favourites but Friend is a bad loss, still, if the Roosters can't beat a mob who specialise in playing musical chairs that have their disc jockey hiking his way along the road to nowhere . . . well, the repercussions are unimaginable

 

[nietsnie]

At least someone is looking, my missus has worn off fingerprints . . . thanks for the bump

Insanity; doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

 

[POPEYE]

Insanity; doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Do you mind answering a question. Why do you think most of my posts are cryptic?

 

[nietsnie]

You posts only to satisfy yourself and lack the knowledge and grammar to satisfy others.

 

[Cloudsurfer]

You posts only to satisfy yourself and lack the knowledge and grammar to satisfy others.

You've hooked a doosie there Pops

 

[nietsnie]

You've hooked a doosie there Pops

Doozy.;-)

 

[Cloudsurfer]

Doozy.;-)

"You posts only to satisfy yourself and lack the knowledge and grammar to satisfy others."

doosie, doozie...depends where you comes from ;-)

 

[Cloudsurfer]

Btw, a dyslexic Einstein is a fairly cool persona but a helluva standard to live up to regardless