"You don't need to throw a punch to go to the bin"

[Meth]

Great game last night and you can't deny that one of the great things about it was the running battle between JWH and Thaiday. There's nothing better than seeing a couple of big blokes looking for each other every set.

Of course, invariably is all turns homoerotic once they run in and can't punch. They growl. They push. They talk. Last night they constantly rubbed faces. Of course, this is life in the game when a punch sends you straight to the bin.

What I found intriguing is when the ref condemned all this non-punching, threatening to send players to the bin. I know what he was getting at- he was frustrated by the constant skirmishes. But surely he jests.

 

[bedlam breakout]

can they lick each others faces? is that above the shoulder contact?

 

[Meth]

can they lick each others faces? is that above the shoulder contact?

I think it's an unfortunate consequence of banning the punch that the game's stinks these days look so embarrassingly ridiculous. They practically were kissing last night.

 

[POPEYE]

The most unfortunate thing about the game was the pedantic penalties that weren't required which gave players time to vent their frustrations closely followed by the insidiously deflating and unecessary golden point

 

[insert.pause]

What was ridiculous was channel 9 commentators saying it would be worth the sin bin to see them throw them. So they would rather see a couple of crappy punches thrown that barely connect, and lose both of them from the contest for ten minutes, than the two of them on the field letting their football do the talking?

 

[Meth]

Don't get me wrong. I am not advocating for refs overlooking punching. I just hope we don't sanitise the game to the point there isn't room for niggle and running battles.

 

[Glen]

I didn't see last night's game but you would hope supposedly tough players would be more interested in belting their opponent with a big hit anyway.

I do miss seeing Thaiday fighting with the likes of Mitchell Pearce though. Seems the no-punching rule has given him the freedom to be first man in with front rowers

 

[coolsteve]

I didn't see last night's game but you would hope supposedly tough players would be more interested in belting their opponent with a big hit anyway.

I do miss seeing Thaiday fighting with the likes of Mitchell Pearce though. Seems the no-punching rule has given him the freedom to be first man in with front rowers

:lol::lol::lol:

 

[Meth]

btw- what are some of the best running battles you've seen in a game?

 

[Thomas]

What was ridiculous was channel 9 commentators saying it would be worth the sin bin to see them throw them. So they would rather see a couple of crappy punches thrown that barely connect, and lose both of them from the contest for ten minutes, than the two of them on the field letting their football do the talking?

Yeah, I heard that and was WTF. Earlier someone got hit high and Gould said "It was high, but it wasn't hard..."

 

[blaza88z]

removing punching from the game was one of the worst decisions I can recall

it just promotes foul play in the ruck on a continuous basis, just let them throw a few haymakers and be done with it

 

[East Coast Tiger]

The clowns running the game have created this shit with their helen lovejoy reactionary incompetant approach and now we have to live with this embarrassing niggle and push and shove that rugby league people have laughed at vfl for. But of course the cretins get all their ideas from vfl because they have none of their own so it's no surprise. Thank f**k country footy and super league arent run by these wankers and we dont have this constant niggle, wrestle and bitch slapping we see in the nanny rl because blokes can still sort it out the old way.

 

[DiegoNT]

The funniest moment was during half time when the presenter asked Darren Lockyer if he was surprised Thaiday was taking on JWH
Lockyer: not really, sammy always picks someone on the opposite team to go one on one with
Johns: yea, but he usually picks halfbacks like Mitchell Pearce

 

[Bretto]

 

[Phil McGrawhan]

btw- what are some of the best running battles you've seen in a game?

A few yrs ago in a Parra v Cowboys game ,Tim Mannah & Matt Scott had one of the best front rower v front rower battles I've seen .
It lasted near all game,& not one cheap shot ,not one punch ,nothing illegal .
Just Two men smashing each other each time they got the ball .
Don't get me wrong .
I grew up watching RL in the 70s & 80s ...& I loved the violence ..but this was a very different form of violence .
Trying to hurt each other in legal tackles .
Some of the hits were brutal .

I loved it ,& I think the fact that both these players would never be considered dirty ,or known for cheap shots made it very enjoyable ..

 

[Pugzley]

The clowns running the game have created this shit with their helen lovejoy reactionary incompetant approach and now we have to live with this embarrassing niggle and push and shove that rugby league people have laughed at vfl for. But of course the cretins get all their ideas from vfl because they have none of their own so it's no surprise. Thank f**k country footy and super league arent run by these wankers and we dont have this constant niggle, wrestle and bitch slapping we see in the nanny rl because blokes can still sort it out the old way.

Booze Rothfield and his DT cohorts you mean.

 

[Dakink]

JWH has to be careful for mine. Every time he ran in he grabbed Thaiday and rubbed his head on Thaidays. Doesnt take much for that to turninto a headbutt.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Booze Rothfield and his DT cohorts you mean.

That's right. Buzz, the DT, the welsh banker and the commission. That cohort.

 

[POPEYE]

People who have grown up with social media will think today's front rowers are treading a fine line . . . pity they'll never see a real engine room

 

[chigurh]

It wasn't much of a battle, really. It was a knockout victory to Sam.

Thaiday let his football do the talking while the only contribution Hargreaves could make was to grab at Thaidays face.