Round 1: Canberra Raiders vs Cronulla Sharks

[canberra_raiders2k2]

Joe picker will be fine for next week, apparently just a corked thigh.

Wow how good is Williams, I know there were some massive wraps on him and I had a chance to see him play weekly in the Toyota cup, but the jump to the nrl is a massive leap. Williams took on the line and played a very good thurston role, basically holding off the kick and leaving the defense in two minds. He really did take control which is something we have needed.

Overall a great performance from a team missing key players.

I wonder how we will fit Williams, mccrone, campo and Orford in the team ...

 

[Mr. Snrub]

Solid effort from the raiders. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was very very solid. The forwards hit the ball up hard, we kicked well, we completed our sets, that's all you need to win games. Blake Ferguson was definitely my man of the match.

Anyone know what our completion rate was today?

 

[canberra_raiders2k2]

Joe picker will be fine for next week, apparently just a corked thigh.

Wow how good is Williams, I know there were some massive wraps on him and I had a chance to see him play weekly in the Toyota cup, but the jump to the nrl is a massive leap. Williams took on the line and played a very good thurston role, basically holding off the kick and leaving the defense in two minds. He really did take control which is something we have needed.

Overall a great performance from a team missing key players.

I wonder how we will fit Williams, mccrone, campo and Orford in the team ...

 

[supera]

keeping a lid on things and everything, cos its only round 1, and it was only cronulla.

but i was so excited by how well williams played, and how good mccrone was at 6. no one should underestimate mccrone - with tongue gone, the kid was leading us through attack like... well, like terry campese!

we shouldnt wrap them too much - the season is long, and in all likelihood williams will play most of it in the toyota cup. we shouldnt expect he'll play that well again on friday, but that was an exciting glimpse of the future.

mccrone on the other hand, did enough to confirm my suspicion that he has the nous and the nouse and ability that he could, when campese comes back, play as a genuine new mellinium hooker. more likely though is that he'll become a handy number 14 who'll fill in at 6, 7 or 9 and even back row (although campese is more likely as a back rower for me)

ferguson was an excitement machine, but i want to reserve judgement until he plays against a team throwing themselves at him and trying to hurt him. the charge at the end was so ridiculous... theyre dirty with him because he suggested that the sharks couldnt win a premiership. now, a seasons a long time, a career even longer.

but i tend to think that when you're getting hammered, u should wait and settle that score another day.

only one negative... just across the aisle from me is an annoying screamer. if you're a memer here buddy, me and the people either side of me couldve done without your intermittent GO RAIDERS which was unfortunately annunciated in away that u sounded like a genius yelling GAAAAAH RAAAA-AAAH.

seriously buddy, u sounded ridiculous.

im all for cheering, chanting, singing and dancing with victor, shouting at the ref, and even the slightly unsportsmanlike OFF! OFF! OFF! hell, i participate in all that. but ear piercing, irrelevant screaming? so annoying.

 

[Jimmyson/Mullins]

Big shout out to Tilse too! He was a monster today. Our forward rotation was perfect IMO with White and Tilse killing ti and Thurling being injected late in the match. Stick to it I say!

 

[Jimmyson/Mullins]

TLL was my MOM tho

 

[Mr. Snrub]

Completion rate? Anyone?

 

[Cryptic]

I think we ended up 19 of 27 or something like that? It actually wasn't so great but we generally lost the ball attacking their line, going out the side line, knocking the ball on at their line when almost getting a try, etc. so it doesn't tell much of a story...

 

[parra pete]

Think Brett White is in big trouble though..Didn't look good, especially with Kelly being carried off...
Josh McCrone and Williams have made it hard for Orford to come straight back. McCrone was good at the end of 2010, and he has fine tuned his game in the off season...
As I posted earlier, the Raiders staff have a huge wrap on Ferguson..and he was terrific today in his debut.

 

[Russell Crowe's Band]

We were inept. Well done on the win. Liked the look of sam Williams. Fergo smashed us. We looked alright in the first 10 when we had the ball and held it. After that.... Rabble

 

[Mr. Snrub]

Was anyone else about disappointed with the crowd figure today? I thought we'd get atleast 16k.

 

[Raidersrawesome]

Completion rate? Anyone?

23 from 33 I believe.

Great effort , great win. We were solid especially when you consider who was missing.
Sammy had a great debut , this kid is our future halfback.

 

[Raidersrawesome]

Was anyone else about disappointed with the crowd figure today? I thought we'd get atleast 16k.

Maybe but wasnt it a long weekend and there is also a big horse race down there.

 

[Russell Crowe's Band]

Nice day tho. As usual canberrans tried to turn up bang on 2 and ofcourse missed the start. There were good sharks numbers but nothing to cheer about.

 

[get amongst it]

did harrison play?:?

 

[Raidersrawesome]

did harrison play?:?

Sure did. He was very dangerous on the right hand side with JT and Fergo. He also became captain when Tongue went off.

 

[get amongst it]

Sure did. He was very dangerous on the right hand side with JT and Fergo. He also became captain when Tongue went off.

ok sounds good i missed the game an hadnt heard his name mentioned so i wasnt sure

 

[myanonymoususername]

Think Brett White is in big trouble though..Didn't look good, especially with Kelly being carried off...

No, the report seemed like nothing to do with the injury, unless White got his knee up around Kelly's head. Wouldn't have even been reported if not for the stoppage for the injury.

 

[Raidersrawesome]

No, the report seemed like nothing to do with the injury, unless White got his knee up around Kelly's head. Wouldn't have even been reported if not for the stoppage for the injury.

Thats what annoyed me with the commentary . they kept refering to the knee then mentioning the injury. Kellys head smashed into Whites shoulder, it had nothing to do with the knee.

 

[Bricey]

Hey there guys. Just thought i pop in and drop in a quick little comment. Not sure if it has been discussed yet, and im too lazy to read the whole thread

78th minute mark, williams on debut backs up the vidot kick over the top and races away to score only to have gardnier pull him back BY THE HEADGEAR!

should have been a penalty IMO. Same as pulling someone back by the hair. A high shot is a high shot.... doesnt matter if it is with the player running towards them, or away from them.