Redneck Redfaces

[Lambretta]

I love the way Richard Silverwood referees - he has a real presence on the field but he never tries to take over and become the focus of the game

The players respect him as he talks their language (some of his on field comments are very clever) without being disrespectful, but the players know who is in charge

He lets games flow and warns for minor infringements but lets players know in no uncertain terms that he's seen what is happening and they're treading a line if they persue it. More often than not, they don't

When they cloned Dolly the f**king sheep they made a huge error. We've got more sheep than we need. They should have been cloning big Dicks instead..... eerrr. Sorry, big Richards!

 

[POPEYE]

I'm in Noosa atm so the first game Dragons/Broncos was a good game made great by the absence of pedantic penalties, especially in tackles . . . well done the men in pink

The penalty stats from the Manly/Roosters game don't look impressive so I won't bother with Nine's marathon game

 

[POPEYE]

Watching the Dragons/Broncos game I thought you f**king beauty, the referees have been given a new directive, after seeing a Fox replay of the start of the other game it turned out to be just an anomaly, there were 2 unwarranted penalties against the Roosters topped off by DJWH ('D' for dopey, dunce, dickhead . . . .take your pick) putting in for holidays

That was enough of that game for me since I knew the score, penalty count and Cummings was refereeing. No joy Australia v West Indies either so the night that started with a great game of Rugby League decided by the players finished with a whimper

At WIN Stadium Morris went up for a high ball and a Bronco wrapped his arms around him caressing him to the ground, causing no inconvenience or threat of danger to Brett. Ray Whathisname spent the next set of six asking why a penalty wasn't given. It wasn't given because it wasn't necessary, in the same way more penalties that weren't necessary could have ruined this game

 

[POPEYE]

Crikey, what an eventful day for Rugby League, haven't had a chance to read the scrolls yet but I can just imagine. No wonder Elliott was celebrating on the sideline, he was so f**king relieved he doesn't have to put Tomkins on a plane back to England, saved only by that individual try.

Doesn't matter that the Pom on at least 3 occasions could have been passed the ball with no-one in front of him, or that he was in the vicinity of almost every play-the-ball. How lucky is the bloke to be still here . . . maybe he should wear a flouro jersey as well as boots next week

Then there was the magic of Chris Sandow, what a f**king triumphant return, he did play the whole game didn't he . . . yes, I'm positive he did. The little bloke must have inspired Hayne as well, what did Kevvy Walters say; 'I've been waiting 58 minutes for a sweeping play from him . . . ' Sarcastic criticism aside, the Eels must be back on track for the 8

To top the day off, how lucky is Bellamy not to be a candidate for first coach sacked, if he'd been without Cam Smith the entire year Melbourne would be at the bottom of the ladder. Losing the Captain at the last minute and the turmoil during the week is no f**king excuse for getting flogged by NRL's Clayton's footy team.

Then again, the last time Melbourne played this mob in an exhibition game was in Mackay from memory and they got flogged then as well, maybe this year will get better as it did that year . . . fmd, this Canadian Club is easy to drink

 

[POPEYE]

Either a few teams are adapting to the new rule changes more easily or the rest are leaving their best game on the training paddock. Most of the referees seem to be losing the plot so is it any wonder some teams are, even the NRL website is dragging the chain. Won't take long for back to the drawing board to come into effect, in the meantime it's great to witness the unexpected.

Got to commend Stuart and Arthur, the standouts so far in a weekend best described as a shemozzle. At least all the wonderful betting organisations trying to control the game had a great leg up.

There are a few things we can learn, such as Cam Smith and James Graham are as close to indispensable as a player can get, emotional inspiration as exhibited in Newcastle will blow away the best of teams let alone a crippled one and just about any team can rise to the occasion given the right circumstances

Just as the NRL don't want repeat Premiers it is also important that the season be full of welcomed surprises, all the more reason not to dwell on being one-eyed. Other than the Dogs winning it has certainly been a memorable round imo.

 

[bellyache]

Either a few teams are adapting to the new rule changes more easily or the rest are leaving their best game on the training paddock. Most of the referees seem to be losing the plot so is it any wonder some teams are, even the NRL website is dragging the chain. Won't take long for back to the drawing board to come into effect, in the meantime it's great to witness the unexpected.

Got to commend Stuart and Arthur, the standouts so far in a weekend best described as a shemozzle. At least all the wonderful betting organisations trying to control the game had a great leg up.

There are a few things we can learn, such as Cam Smith and James Graham are as close to indispensable as a player can get, emotional inspiration as exhibited in Newcastle will blow away the best of teams let alone a crippled one and just about any team can rise to the occasion given the right circumstances

Just as the NRL don't want repeat Premiers it is also important that the season be full of welcomed surprises, all the more reason not to dwell on being one-eyed. Other than the Dogs winning it has certainly been a memorable round imo.

No NRL team can win without their coach! Except maybe Eels of 2011 - 13..

 

[POPEYE]

No NRL team can win without their coach! Except maybe Eels of 2011 - 13..

The Roosters will be safe as long as they've got Taylor and Melbourne will be safe as long as Cronk relays Bellamy's wishes. It's last minute surprises like losing figureheads such as Graham and Smith that disrupt momentarily . . . fortunately for the Dogs their's was allowed to play

 

[POPEYE]

Rugby League is a simple game usually impressed on youngsters by their Dads and lovingly supported by their Mums. In all that time devoted to what is more than just a sport, a vehicle designed to introduce camaraderie and fair play to a child's life, no parent is prepared for what happened to Alex McKinnon.

It's not hard for any of us to imagine what we would be feeling now in their place but it is impossible for anyone but a few to know what Alex has in store for him. The powers that be will ensure he never goes without but all I can do as a fellow parent is sincerely wish the McKinnon's all that is good for the future of their son and themselves

 

[H.H]

Rugby League is a simple game usually impressed on youngsters by their Dads and lovingly supported by their Mums. In all that time devoted to what is more than just a sport, a vehicle designed to introduce camaraderie and fair play to a child's life, no parent is prepared for what happened to Alex McKinnon.

It's not hard for any of us to imagine what we would be feeling now in their place but it is impossible for anyone but a few to know what Alex has in store for him. The powers that be will ensure he never goes without but all I can do as a fellow parent is sincerely wish the McKinnon's all that is good for the future of their son and themselves

Nicely done Pops. I feel exactly the same way.

 

[POPEYE]

Can't have a good meal without the scum in the dishwater, if this round is anything like the last the people that make the most from the game without knowing much about it will be laughing all the way to the bank. Fmd, Dogs v Roosters, brave if your wallet won't take it on this one . . . that cheezy grin on the bitch asking you to bet responsibly is even more repulsive. C'mon Robbo/Taylor, show us what you're made of

Pity it's at Suncorp, the Eels v Broncos needed to be on a neutral ground if Griffin wanted to prove something more tangible and Arthur given a fair go. If the expected happens, ho-f**king-hum, the unexpected however will receive a huge fanfare. Unfortunately due to the wankers sweating on these blokes to fail I want a draw

It would be huge blow if the Warriors, in particular their so-called playmaker, were to let the Sharks get away with this one. Sympathy for Cronulla I have but Elliott more, he's only asking for promises made to be fulfilled. I might be swayed to not caring who wins if F**kwit Fifita was stood down . . . FF needs a cumuppence and what better than to win without the prick

Grant, Mansour and Wallace are all that's needed to make this one a possible match of the round. Has Sticky finally seen the light or is Campese the real reason behind the right changes. Unfortunately another up and coming team must lose . . . shit happens but intriguing just the same

Crikey, another good one and at a neutral ground to boot. Duges has returned, although for how long is anyone's guess, Madge has gone back to the drawing board with his mob and the outcome will either see heads rolling or shaking or both. Another giggle from the carcinogenic betting combines. Could be some broken bones afterwards

The Titans should find themselves trying to navigate through a perfect Storm, last start had one losing and the other winning, both scrappily. A fly on the Melbourne dressing room wall if they lose will have to be in battle dress

Good old Leichhardt Oval, the spelling of which suits the difficulty faced by opposition playing at the joint. The venue could be enough to make this game a pisser. The irrepressible Seagles v the impressing Tigers . . . and we'll get to hear Jabba's 'Sunday arvo at the Footy' ad nauseum

It'll still be evident but the Knights don't need emotion to beat the Cowboys, I keep rattling on about it but a one man band against an orchestrated attack from hardened blokes like Jeremy and Beau will be a hard ask

 

[POPEYE]

The suspension given to McClean is f**king pathetic, not because it is too little or too much but because it's out of proportion. It's a gutless cop out by the judiciary who aren't men enough to face what Alex McKinnon or McClean have in front of them.

Alex will not want his injury to be worth 7 lousy weeks, he'll want the world to know that no-one intentionally made him a quadriplegic and his self esteem which is the most important thing at stake should not be allowed to suffer as his injury is bartered away meaninglessly.

If nothing else happens other than a 7 week suspension Alex McKinnon will spend the rest of his life in bewilderment. Crucifying McClean will certainly not placate the McKinnon family who are beyond that, their new life is about to begin and something good needs to be gleemed from this disaster.

It would be a start for the NRL to outlaw tackles that have nothing to do with merely stopping a player's progress but intended to inflict unnecessary pain, injury of a permanent nature always a risk. If because of Alex's injury all players know from now on these tackles are obsolete and will be punished accordingly he will face what confronts him with some sort of satisfaction.

 

[The Eagle]

The suspension given to McClean is f**king pathetic, not because it is too little or too much but because it's out of proportion. It's a gutless cop out by the judiciary who aren't men enough to face what Alex McKinnon or McClean have in front of them.

Alex will not want his injury to be worth 7 lousy weeks, he'll want the world to know that no-one intentionally made him a quadriplegic and his self esteem which is the most important thing at stake should not be allowed to suffer as his injury is bartered away meaninglessly.

If nothing else happens other than a 7 week suspension Alex McKinnon will spend the rest of his life in bewilderment. Crucifying McClean will certainly not placate the McKinnon family who are beyond that, their new life is about to begin and something good needs to be gleemed from this disaster.

It would be a start for the NRL to outlaw tackles that have nothing to do with merely stopping a player's progress but intended to inflict unnecessary pain, injury of a permanent nature always a risk. If because of Alex's injury all players know from now on these tackles are obsolete and will be punished accordingly he will face what confronts him with some sort of satisfaction.

Pro storm drivel from the raging Bellamy lover

The suspension was over the top but the storm or Jordan should have to put up Alex on the best medical care money can buy to get him back on the field,sparing no expense,one blokes career is on the brink of ending what maybe 3 years into it and you're only concern is the 7 weeks? Who are you to speak for Alex and his family at this time other than a known pro-storm driveling icon intent on nothing other than his team getting no penalty for prematurely ending a career

The refs on this matter are also accountable for not screaming HELD once Alex's feet left the ground

 

[POPEYE]

Pro storm drivel from the raging Bellamy lover

The suspension was over the top but the storm or Jordan should have to put up Alex on the best medical care money can buy to get him back on the field,sparing no expense,one blokes career is on the brink of ending what maybe 3 years into it and you're only concern is the 7 weeks? Who are you to speak for Alex and his family at this time other than a known pro-storm driveling icon intent on nothing other than his team getting no penalty for prematurely ending a career

The refs on this matter are also accountable for not screaming HELD once Alex's feet left the ground

This is not the time for sarcasm or cynicism so I chose to be cryptic in an attempt to bring all the attention I can muster to the situation. I expected some lame brain to bump the thread and who better than you with your ridiculous amateurish ideals. The NRL is responsible for Alex's future, not some piddling payout.

The judiciary should have had the courage to suspend McClean for just 2 or 3 weeks but taken the opportunity to make an extraordinary statement. It should be included in their mandate to have the power to suspend players that put other players in such unnecessary danger for 12 months or more.

As it stands now a pissant 7 weeks could just be a washing of hands when there is a chance to distinguish between the normal duties of a judiciary and it's extraneous capability. Now is the time for all players to understand without any grey areas. If McClean knew he may not be allowed to play the game ever again he instinctively would not have reached between McKinnon's legs

It's imbecilic to imagine I give a f**k who plays for who in a simple game compared to the health of the participants and there has been no more fervent an advocate for calling 'held' than I.

 

[bellyache]

Mclean has no case to answer, Alex was the biggest contributor to what is now and the officials a close 2nd.... I hate too see any player/person in Alex's predicament but lets not persecute Mclean for the benefit of blame, imho Storm need to fight this so we don't see another player/person effected by poor choice..

 

[bellyache]

Can't have a good meal without the scum in the dishwater, if this round is anything like the last the people that make the most from the game without knowing much about it will be laughing all the way to the bank. Fmd, Dogs v Roosters, brave if your wallet won't take it on this one . . . that cheezy grin on the bitch asking you to bet responsibly is even more repulsive. C'mon Robbo/Taylor, show us what you're made of

Pity it's at Suncorp, the Eels v Broncos needed to be on a neutral ground if Griffin wanted to prove something more tangible and Arthur given a fair go. If the expected happens, ho-f**king-hum, the unexpected however will receive a huge fanfare. Unfortunately due to the wankers sweating on these blokes to fail I want a draw

It would be huge blow if the Warriors, in particular their so-called playmaker, were to let the Sharks get away with this one. Sympathy for Cronulla I have but Elliott more, he's only asking for promises made to be fulfilled. I might be swayed to not caring who wins if F**kwit Fifita was stood down . . . FF needs a cumuppence and what better than to win without the prick

Grant, Mansour and Wallace are all that's needed to make this one a possible match of the round. Has Sticky finally seen the light or is Campese the real reason behind the right changes. Unfortunately another up and coming team must lose . . . shit happens but intriguing just the same

Crikey, another good one and at a neutral ground to boot. Duges has returned, although for how long is anyone's guess, Madge has gone back to the drawing board with his mob and the outcome will either see heads rolling or shaking or both. Another giggle from the carcinogenic betting combines. Could be some broken bones afterwards

The Titans should find themselves trying to navigate through a perfect Storm, last start had one losing and the other winning, both scrappily. A fly on the Melbourne dressing room wall if they lose will have to be in battle dress

Good old Leichhardt Oval, the spelling of which suits the difficulty faced by opposition playing at the joint. The venue could be enough to make this game a pisser. The irrepressible Seagles v the impressing Tigers . . . and we'll get to hear Jabba's 'Sunday arvo at the Footy' ad nauseum

It'll still be evident but the Knights don't need emotion to beat the Cowboys, I keep rattling on about it but a one man band against an orchestrated attack from hardened blokes like Jeremy and Beau will be a hard ask

Easts coaches are retired, so a seized back is the least of Easts worries..

 

[POPEYE]

As the widely recognised spiritual leader of League Wayne Bennett has the opportunity to make a physical statement this weekend. Being an advocate against gang tackles and because he is the one man that players listen to religiously he should demand that his team forego the use of 3 men in a tackle against the Cowboys.

He has the enforcers in Jeremy Smith and Beau Scott to prove 3 men in a tackle is a waste of resources, more players who like to be in the front line of defence should learn to tackle more effectively as these blokes do. To institute a mindset that 2 tacklers who know what they're doing are more efficient is only one advantage

By being economical in every tackle the team has realistically one more man in the defensive line. Players like Jack Wighton have little trouble stopping attackers alone because the right technique has been instilled in their game. It's half a dozen of one and six of another when 3 players are needed to prevent the ball being distributed when 2 would leave the third available to stop the next carrier.

Now is the time, Newcastle as a community is overwhelmed by tragedy and the club is outraged by proceedings. Benny will understand winning or losing against the Cowboys means sfa if a genuine attempt at removing waste from the game is initiated. As the last game of the round he should challenge all others publicly to beat him to the punch . . . voluntarily remove 3 men tackles and put science back into the game

 

[bellyache]

A team only needs to place the ball over opposition line more than its apponent.. No science @ all..

 

[POPEYE]

'Sandow's Eels' has a nice ring to it in the same way 'Pearce's Roosters' stirs the imagination. I always thought Mitchell was misunderstood and Chris was overrated . . . no matter what. I must be at least 50% right. F**king magic to see Parra loose the whipping boy status but still I put it down to Anderson and Arthur. Nothing anonymous about this AA

The Eels looked like a 3rd year Manly apprentice the way they found a way out of trouble at Suncorp and it wasn't because the Broncos laid down. Could be another Jeremy Smith in Manu Ma'u and how good are the other forward prospects. Sandow was just a normal Jack Russell doing what one does in a pack of mongrels . . . and mongrels are my favourite dogs

Everything else aside the most gratifying thing about the Parramatta resurgence is that AA will do their utmost to ward off poachers, Parra needs to become a pedestal rather than a stepping stone

 

[POPEYE]

Melbourne have had their share of close calls and if Cam Smith said the Titans deserved to win that's good enough for this soc who had to listen to the game while travelling. Worth the Storm losing just to have the anti-Cartwright wankers suck shit . . . even Sticky deserves everything to fall into place

 

[POPEYE]

Anyone who reads my scribbles is aware I prefer coaches to players because the former are needed to make the latter but there are teams that I almost desperately want to do well. Top of the list are the Warriors, Cowboys and Titans. In that order imo petulance, single mindedness and roster interruption are more to blame for poor performance than the coaching.

Green needs to dig up a couple of players that threaten to overshadow Thurston even if they never will, opposition teams have to be given a bigger target. Cartwright gets my benefit of the doubt because he goes without his fare share of luck, until the bloke get's the same team on the paddock consistently I won't deride him.

My patience with the Warriors on the other hand is wearing thin. Players big noting themselves in front of home crowds and dying in the arse away from the cheering is hardly inspiring for any coach, even if Elliott is not the man for the job. Maybe Cleary was better at holding hands but the jumping up and down because mummy won't buy an ice cream attitude is f**king woeful