WCC - Leeds Rhinos v Melbourne Storm

[@MarTiger]

1. This is 2013. If a team cannot cope with a bit of travel before the game and plan accordingly then they cannot be described as professional.

2. If a team cannot prepare properly for a game, then that is there own issue and can never be used as an excuse.

3. Same for both teams.

So many excuses before a ball is even kicked. It's a bit pathetic really.

Melbourne have a few good players, they could easily win this game. Chin up guys.

Excuses? I listed the reasons as to why I am taking my Leeds Rhinos who with the advantages listed should be too strong given they are a very good rugby league team. Dimissing any one of the three points raised is in my opinion coming from one only wanting to see his/her point of view.

Enjoy the game.

 

[WireMan]

Excuses? I listed the reasons as to why I am taking my Leeds Rhinos who with the advantages listed should be too strong given they are a very good rugby league team. Dimissing any one of the three points raised is in my opinion coming from one only wanting to see his/her point of view.

Enjoy the game.

Nah i was having a discussion with you about why your points should not be a factor in your decision making process about who will win and to use them as an excuse is wrong.

At least your points have validity though (even though i disagree), ECT just things Melbourne won't try. :roll:


I will enjoy it hopefully, i hope you do to.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Rubbish.

Thats an even more pathetic excuse than the weather.


So its too far for them to travel, they can't play in the cold or wet, they are incapable of preparing for a game of rugby and they don't want to win it anyway.

They are the champs of the NRL.

Just how bad are the rest of the teams?

Yes, yes the SL is brilliant because they sometimes win a pre-season game on home soil against a semi-interested NRL side. No doubt Salford would do the same. Or Widnes or London or any of the other reserve grade sides over there. Actually Salford probably wouldn't even beat a Qld Cup team.

I know it must be painful for poms that the only game they can win against any Australian team is treated like a trial match by 90% of NRL sides and almost 100% of fans but that's the way it is. Suck it up.

 

[newman]

This game isn't an even playing field. That's not an excuse, it's a fact. Why do you poms get your backs up when it is mentioned?

It should be a good game and hopefully a willing contest but Leeds have a huge advantage and to pretend otherwise is foolish.

I reckon the storm will win.

 

[Jason Maher]

Scum vs scum.

 

[Didgi]

Good to see the excuses flowing thick and fast already.

 

[POPEYE]

Don't think we'll see a WCC team with Smith in it lose but it wouldn't be a bad thing, the Poms make far better use of it than we do. Here it's either a hiccup or a joke

 

[WireMan]

Yes, yes the SL is brilliant because they sometimes win a pre-season game on home soil against a semi-interested NRL side. No doubt Salford would do the same. Or Widnes or London or any of the other reserve grade sides over there. Actually Salford probably wouldn't even beat a Qld Cup team.

I know it must be painful for poms that the only game they can win against any Australian team is treated like a trial match by 90% of NRL sides and almost 100% of fans but that's the way it is. Suck it up.

I doubt London or Widnes would beat the BEST team in the NRL but you do so i'll bow to your judgement on that one.



Its not really a level playing field though, your right.

The Aus team is given the choice where to play it, and they get to focus a whole pre season on the game.
In England the game is just kinda shoe horned into the league program at some time.

Its amazing a pom team ever wins. Must be lucky Aus teams are to unprofessional to want to win a game and cannot not play in a slight breeze and a bit of rain. ;-)

 

[East Coast Tiger]

I doubt London or Widnes would beat the BEST team in the NRL but you do so i'll bow to your judgement on that one.



Its not really a level playing field though, your right.

The Aus team is given the choice where to play it, and they get to focus a whole pre season on the game.
In England the game is just kinda shoe horned into the league program at some time.

Its amazing a pom team ever wins. Must be lucky Aus teams are to unprofessional to want to win a game and cannot not play in a slight breeze and a bit of rain. ;-)

Bullshit from top to bottom.

They don't choose where it is played. The RFL have a contract to host it.

No NRL club is going to focus on this game when there is a little thing called the premiership to focus on.

Pom clubs absolutely bust themselves to win it because they think it means something and the chip on the collective northern shoulder against Australia is such that any win against any Australian team is a massive event over there. That's the whole reason it's played there at this time. Any other time and venue and they wouldn't have a hope. It is designed to give credibility to a failing SL in the face of 40 years of pathetic British uncompetitiveness at international level. Nothing more.

I know you are trying to be facetious but it actually only makes what you're saying even more lacking in credibility.

 

[Jason Maher]

You really should stop eating salty plums for breakfast ECT...

 

[East Coast Tiger]

If anyone on here sucks on salty plum-shaped objects on a regular basis it would have to be a VFL fan. And Bunniesman. Well, same thing really.

 

[to_ddeath]

I hope Leeds smash the scumbags....



T.

 

[LeedsStorm]

This game isn't an even playing field. That's not an excuse, it's a fact. Why do you poms get your backs up when it is mentioned?

It should be a good game and hopefully a willing contest but Leeds have a huge advantage and to pretend otherwise is foolish.

I reckon the storm will win.

The current difference in Salary cap is around $1.8M. And that's before the new cap comes in to the NRL. Would you not say that favours the NRL team?? What do the big three collectively earn? This, as well as reticence from Australian fans to embrace the concept, is why it's unlikely it will last beyond the next few years IMO. So my attitude is to enjoy it while it lasts.

 

[newman]

I also enjoy the fixture very much and am looking forward to it.
You are correct that the difference in money spent on the squads (are you conceding the Storm are a better team?) somewhat negates the advantage of the Poms. I'm still convinced that the travel, difference in conditions (remember all pre season training here is done in extreme heat), hostile crowds and difference in preparation (Aussies in pre season, Poms in mid season) tips the scales well in favour of the Poms.

What alot of people are forgetting though is that this is a good thing. I reckon that if the fixture was played in a neutral venue closer to Australia or in Australia every second year during the NRL season, the Poms would get belted and the interest in this event would be less than it is now.

 

[GongPanther]

For some reason my tv won't pick up Gem and its a HDTV.

I'll be watching it via stream

Re-auto scan for channels.

Let us know if it works.

My pick is the home side.

They got beat,but only for to save themselves for this match.

 

[The Great Dane]

I also enjoy the fixture very much and am looking forward to it.
You are correct that the difference in money spent on the squads (are you conceding the Storm are a better team?) somewhat negates the advantage of the Poms. I'm still convinced that the travel, difference in conditions (remember all pre season training here is done in extreme heat), hostile crowds and difference in preparation (Aussies in pre season, Poms in mid season) tips the scales well in favour of the Poms.

Another advantage the poms have is match fitness, they are not completely match fit yet but they are still fitter then the Australian team, most of whom have only played one trial game.

Anyway I reckon the Storm will win, after the hammering the we gave them on Friday I think they will want to prove/redeem themselves a bit.

 

[Jason Maher]

If anyone on here sucks on salty plum-shaped objects on a regular basis it would have to be a VFL fan. And Bunniesman. Well, same thing really.

So much pent up anger. I'm not sure LU is providing a sufficient outlet.

 

[Patorick]

Weather permitting, the Storm will win, but Leeds are going to make life very rough on them for the 80 minutes.

 

[Earl]

Until its played in Australia/NZ every second year Aussie fans won't show it the credibility that the poms do.

Other than the varying levels of match fitness the hardest factor to overcome would be the potential difference in temperature.

Its close to 0 degrees over there which means the players coming from Australia are looking at a temp adjustment of around 30 - 40 degrees.

I don't really care for the result. A win for me is everyone coming back unscathed

 

[LeedsStorm]

Weather permitting, the Storm will win, but Leeds are going to make life very rough on them for the 80 minutes.

Until its played in Australia/NZ every second year Aussie fans won't show it the credibility that the poms do.

Other than the varying levels of match fitness the hardest factor to overcome would be the potential difference in temperature.

Its close to 0 degrees over there which means the players coming from Australia are looking at a temp adjustment of around 30 - 40 degrees.

I don't really care for the result. A win for me is everyone coming back unscathed

Give it a rest guys! On the previous two WCC between these sides, the majority of the Melbourne boys wore short sleeved shirts ffs. In a time when the sport is being scrutinised for injecting innovative synthetic peptides to aid recovery and performance, do you not think the sports science dept could come up with a long sleeved thermal? :lol: