World Cup 2017

[Iafeta]

This picture shows Whitehead playing at the ball, not tackling.This shows a clear attempt for Whitehead to play AT THE BALL. Whitehead could've gone around the thighs, which as you can see on the picture, doesn't involve having to reach out as far as he did have for the ball. Going for the thighs is actually easier as the picture shows but Whitehead did what you should and went for the ball. With that one arm, he made a one on one strip.

Geez. That's a bit dubious. One, Fifita is going past him, so his arm is out scrambling trying to stop him. It's really easy off that pic to see a clearly different opinion on that.

In other news, SST, in particular (and speculation is rife on the other lads) is that their NZ days are done. I have to wonder, this to me clearly suggests that the players have had enough of the NZRL and I dare say Kidwell.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

What does the rule book say on the strip?

As we can all see it's hard to get an agreement on it.

Hand had definitely come in contact with the ball, resulting in the ball coming dislodged in the action of attempting a tackle.

Watching again it is clearly not a deliberate strip of ball.
But many rules breaches deliberate or not are penalised.

 

[Meth]

Tonga weren’t hard done by. The call could have gone either way, but it didn’t go theirs and England played better for 70 minutes. Fair result.

In saying that, Tonga’s campaign has been the best of any nation in any World Cup ever. They can be very proud. Hurrell, Fusitua, SST and Taumalolo deserve credit.

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Depends on the nature of the contact. As I said at the end of my previous post, "it wasn't a hit but a pull at the ball". If he hit the player and in contact it came loose, that's one thing. But he didn't - he missed the tackle and ended up pulling the ball out of Fifita's carry.

Agree to disagree. I didn't think it was a pull at the ball at all, he didn't miss a tackle because he was in the process of attempting a tackle.

 

[Mighty Ape Man]

Agree to disagree. I didn't think it was a pull at the ball at all, he didn't miss a tackle because he was in the process of attempting a tackle.

I really can't say one way or the other (try or no-try) as there are arguments for both cases. My one and only question is why did nose picker not refer it to the video ref? Last second of play and 2 point difference, surely you refer that one call, if nothing else?

 

[Beavers Headgear]

Depends on the nature of the contact. As I said at the end of my previous post, "it wasn't a hit but a pull at the ball". If he hit the player and in contact it came loose, that's one thing. But he didn't - he missed the tackle and ended up pulling the ball out of Fifita's carry.




I see a player who got beaten getting a hand on the ball and pulling it out of the ball carrier's grip. Plenty of ball exposed is a bit of a laughable excuse though - no matter how you grip the ball (short of using both arms) there's going to be plenty of ball exposed, that's just a function of the size and shape of the thing... it was clearly tucked against his body (do you want the front-on angle?).

TBH given the greyish nature of the thing, I wouldn't be that fussed - except the ref didn't even refer it. That was bad. It was definitely worth a closer look, particularly given the context of the incident.

Just the way I was taught mate, if you are holding the ball straight up and down like that, you have both points of the ball exposed and make it easier for it to be knocked free, hard to explain without actually showing it lol, but if you have the ball on more of an angle along your forearm, you have much better control of it if a defender touches the ball

One thing I do know though, if Tupou catches that ball in the 1st half we aren't having this discussion

I'm pretty sure as well that if the roles were reversed and England were on the end of the call, there wouldn't be the controversy on it either that has happened because it was Tonga on the end of it

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

I really can't say one way or the other (try or no-try) as there are arguments for both cases. My one and only question is why did nose picker not refer it to the video ref? Last second of play and 2 point difference, surely you refer that one call, if nothing else?

What I want to know is why we still have a rule that allows the ball to travel forward from an attackers position without a kick and still be considered play on.

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

1 on 1 strip. Play on. Try

 

[Benek]

Ref should have gone to video because of the context, but that was clearly a knock on. I'm satisfied the right call was made. England did seem to get more 50/50 calls going their way, but they were the better team and deserved to win.

 

[Philip_Smith007]

Anyway, the woman's team is through to the final to play Australia.

 

[Rich102]

Wasn't it good to see Mt Smart full?

 

[Burns]

Wasn't it good to see Mt Smart full?

What's up with those hills? Are they outside the stadium proper, or are they just alternatively place for people to seat? Are they included in the capacity?

The Warriors should have some kind of 'Pacific' round, see if the Tongan/Samoan communities can pack out Mt Smart?

 

[RHYTHM AND STEALTH]

Anyway, the woman's team is through to the final to play Australia.

Went down and watched 2 of their pool games. Very very good team
The final is theirs to lose

 

[Meth]

Tonga need to STFU now. We get it...it was disappointing. You're entitled to be upset. But now you are just being sore losers.

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

Tonga need to STFU now. We get it...it was disappointing. You're entitled to be upset. But now you are just being sore losers.

Yeah time to move on. A games result has never been over turned days after the final whistle and even if somehow it miraculously was, it would be an ugly way to the final for Tonga and the start of a war with the English rugby league.

Tongan fans have to ask themselves if they really want to petition for the impossible ugly way in the final or do they just want Ceechin sacked for an understandable call. They're not going to get either so I would advise Tongan fans to go back and watch the whole game and look at all the errors they made and opportunities they missed that could've won them the game.

I said before that this was Tongas game to lose and if they did, then they choked. After watching the replay, I think they did choke. The occasion got to them and made them overly keen. For example, when Widdop went to catch a bomb a meter out from his try line, Jennings timed his tackle to early and tackled him in the air and missed out on a certain forced drop out had he just waited for lone Widdop to land. There was other errors made and opportunities that were missed that they wern't doing before and thats a choke to me.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

Shows that a call either way was going to be labelled contentious- given some think it was a strip some a dropped ball.

I'm in the dropped ball club. At that type of pace and critical nature of the game, I doubt Whitehead was trying to strip it. He was trying to make a tackle and happened to make contact with the ball. It's not a rake, it's contact with a loose carry and dropped to me.

As someone said, if it was England no one would care too much. Should've gone upstairs (f**k me referees have no feel and awareness of the game a lot of the time) but to me it resulted in the right call

 

[Rich102]

As you say. It should have gone upstairs.
That said, I have no issue with the decision.

 

[Mighty Ape Man]

https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/...rch-again-in-auckland-cbd-in-protest-at-notry

Reading the comments is awful. Racism is not something I want associated with NZ but there is plenty of it. I don't believe the people making those comments are rugby league supporters.

Thoughts on the protests?

Personally I'm happy with it (whether it was a try or not, I'm still not sure). I'm just happy that the Tongan supporters are bringing to light the obvious refereeing bias in our game. It's not new but it always gets swept under the rug. Unfortunately the NRL doesn't care but I still like the fact that it is being talked about. It is too easy to just move on and allow this BS to continue...

There needs to be an investigation!!!! (Thanks for the quote Tooves)

 

[Beavers Headgear]

I like Phil Gifford but he should hang his head in shame, disgraceful, embarrassing comment

The protest and petition etc, pathetic as well. Are they going to get a petition going to have Tupou never playing again after he dropped the ball with the line wide open ? Funnily enough after getting every call go their way in the Lebanon game we didn't hear a peep out of them, if they were serious on the officiating front they should probably already be knocked out of the tournament the week before

 

[ZEROMISSTACKLES]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/sport/rugby-league/99351763/

The tier one international test arena is above the playing level of the NRL obviously. Nikorima (8 tests) and Martin (6) do not have the test experience that Benji Marshall (29) has. Wing, centre, prop are positions that do not require making big decisions and so rookies in those positions come in to tests more comfortably. The rookie halves however, particularly the stand-off and the halfback, has a lot more pressure as they have to dictate and execute the right plays against the highest level opposition from which they have little to no experience.

When the team isn't going to well or a hanging by a thread, its easy for these inexperienced halves to panic and push something that doesn't come off or just step back and go missing. Thats partially because they're new to test match intensity, having the hopes of their country weighing on their young shoulders and like Te Maire Martins 3rd test was the RLWC semi final?! It's like advertising for a bus driver to drive the kiwis to a place called 'world champion' and the job description says no experience required, you dont even have to have been there!

My biggest problem with Kidwell is I felt that he never really picked the best team available. Taumalolo, Fusitua, Marshall etc...they were all rubbed the wrong way with Kidwell.