**Official** NRL 2009 Thread

[Johnners]

Will do up tipping results tonight. Please note though, no-one will get points for the Bulldogs game as they've been stripped of their points for having 14 players on the field.

 

[Simon]

err what? Pretty sure every other tipping comp in the world you still get the points, also if you bet money on them to win you also still get paid, the result still stands as a bulldogs win they just get stripped of the 2 points.

 

[Johnners]

AFAIC, if you don't get your 2 competition points for that game, you haven't won. Majority can decide.

 

[99*]

I picked them (well I better have) so they won.

 

[Johnners]

I picked them as well, just don't think it should be counted seeing as they were stripped of their points for that game. Will go with what the majority want though

 

[Ausage]

Dont know what to make of the Sharks, struggled to beat the worst team in the comp, now being beaten by another of the supposed lower ranked sides ravaged by injuries. Both matches at home, I tipped them to win the minor premiership but they are offering nothing.

The Dogs are apparently looking good, and they needed 14 men to get over the line against us!!

Worst team in the comp *grumbles*

But to be serious I think that first round match wasn't much of an indicator of either team. That kind of weather makes things a bit of a lottery. I don't think they'll play this poorly every week either. Even Ricky said they'd had poor preparation, and that off field issues had taken their toll. They're not minor prems though, not by a long shot.

As for the Dogs/Panthers result on tipping it actually is tough imo, because the extra man had a hand in the result. Andrew Ryan shouldn't have been in the attacking line on that play, and the Dogs scored due to an extra man on the left side. Still I wouldn't have a major problem if the result went to the Dogs.

But does it matter anyway? Did anyone actually tip the Panthers? Even I didn't and I'm about as one eyed as they come.

 

[Simon]

Just think its should be uniform, im in two other tipping comps and they have both given points as a bulldogs win.

Also Panthers are the worst team in the comp, they may not finish last in 2009 but right now they are the poorest imo.

 

[Johnners]

Don't see how your 2 tipping comps have anything to do with this one

Can't see the Panthers going far with Sammut as a halfback. Seems more intent on throwing a dummy and going himself then spreading the ball to the likes of Jennings/Gordon.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I'm with Simon re: Dogs. Just give the points.

 

[ripper868]

I concur, dogs won.

 

[luffy]

Yeah, give Dogs the points.

If not, well I had 2 wins on the weekend.

 

[Simon]

Don't see how your 2 tipping comps have anything to do with this one

Can't see the Panthers going far with Sammut as a halfback. Seems more intent on throwing a dummy and going himself then spreading the ball to the likes of Jennings/Gordon.

Wade Graham and Luke Walsh should be their halves. Matthew Elliott may have more personality than the rest of the coaches combined but hes a worse coach than anyone going around.

 

[luffy]

And in the Sportal Fantasy League:

Rank Team Coach Current
Round Average
Per Round Fantasy
Points
1 Stuntney St George Dale Brumby 86 82 164
2 PSV Eindhoven Simon Fitzsimmons 52 74 147
3 Hunter's den Manjunath Reddlapalli 61 50 99
4 Luffy's Champs Matt Luff 24 43 85
5 Waitakere Rangers Joshua Ritchie 42 36 72
6 Walthamstow Wolves Kyle Wright 11 36 71

 

[Johnners]

Wade Graham and Luke Walsh should be their halves. Matthew Elliott may have more personality than the rest of the coaches combined but hes a worse coach than anyone going around.

Thought Luke Walsh was still with the Knights? Did the transfer only happen recently?

 

[Ausage]

Wade Graham and Luke Walsh should be their halves. Matthew Elliott may have more personality than the rest of the coaches combined but hes a worse coach than anyone going around.

I don't mind Sammut at 5/8. He's a live wire and often looks like sneaking through the line a la Preston Campbell in his prime. If he had a halfback with a kicking game standing next to him, he'd be fine. Sammut's very much a mixed bag with 5th play options (put some awesome bombs up on Saturday, but also some ordinary ones), we need someone who can get a repeat set with a good grubber.

We would have put 40 on the Dogs if we had better 5th play options close to the line. I'd be fine with either Walsh (though I haven't seen him play) or Graham lining up next to him.

100% agree with the ME analysis. His fixation on turning Lewis into a half when it's clearly not going to happen went beyond frustrating a long time ago. Main reason I'm not worried about our start, because if we keep failing (have Manly, Warriors and Broncos in the next 4 weeks) it just means we get our next coach that much quicker

PS. Raiders are the poorest team in the comp as things stand imo.

 

[Ausage]

Thought Luke Walsh was still with the Knights? Did the transfer only happen recently?

Panthers sign Walsh from Knights - News - leaguehq.com.au

Caused a big stir with Wade Graham's agent going to the telegraph and linking him with the Storm.

 

[Simon]

I don't mind Sammut at 5/8. He's a live wire and often looks like sneaking through the line a la Preston Campbell in his prime. If he had a halfback with a kicking game standing next to him, he'd be fine. Sammut's very much a mixed bag with 5th play options (put some awesome bombs up on Saturday, but also some ordinary ones), we need someone who can get a repeat set with a good grubber.

We would have put 40 on the Dogs if we had better 5th play options close to the line. I'd be fine with either Walsh (though I haven't seen him play) or Graham lining up next to him.

100% agree with the ME analysis. His fixation on turning Lewis into a half when it's clearly not going to happen went beyond frustrating a long time ago. Main reason I'm not worried about our start, because if we keep failing (have Manly, Warriors and Broncos in the next 4 weeks) it just means we get our next coach that much quicker

PS. Raiders are the poorest team in the comp as things stand imo.

Raiders have a couple of things going for them that Penrith dont, the main one being home ground advantage, Canberra will win at least 7 home games this year, add to that their two byes and theres 18 points. Enough to avoid the spoon easily.
Also have a classy half in Campese and depth in the forward pack, the Raiders form early in the season has surprised me but they have more going for them than Penrith.

 

[Johnners]

ITSTL, from the bits I've seen of both Walsh and Sammut at 7, Walsh is easily the better halfback.

 

[Ausage]

Raiders have a couple of things going for them that Penrith dont, the main one being home ground advantage, Canberra will win at least 7 home games this year, add to that their two byes and theres 18 points. Enough to avoid the spoon easily.
Also have a classy half in Campese and depth in the forward pack, the Raiders form early in the season has surprised me but they have more going for them than Penrith.

Penrith have a terrific outside backs (if they slot Lewis into the centers). Their pack is solid. Petero is a gun to say the least, Waterhouse looks back to his best and Pritchard is damaging on his day. Only place they fall down is the halves and the ability of the coach to put the correct players in the halves. Hopefully both will be rectified in the coming weeks. At the game on Saturday I thought they showed what they're capable of this year (I know I know they lost, but they played well, and didn't deserve the result).

But yeah it's a matter of opinion. One of those eye of the beholder things. The spoon will go to the team that lacks depth and gets the worst bout of injuries anyway.

EDIT: Near identical team named vs Manly

 

[Simon]

As good as some of their youngsters are going to be I think Penrith need to name something like
1 Sammut
2 Coote
3 Jennings
5 Gordon
6 Graham
7 Walsh
8 Petero
11 Pritchard
13 Lewis

and just fill in the rest around that.