**Official** NRL 2009 Thread

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Reckon Joey will coach the Knights with Smith gone.

And why is Smitteh pissed off at Smith joining the Roosters? He's proven to get rid of dead wood at clubs and is a million times of a better coach than ****ing Fittler.

Because he'll never win anything.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Geez its not the end of the world, every team loses like that sometimes just one of those things.
Overall though we just aren't that good, particuarly without Lockyer.

Think I forgot to change my tip to Souths on nrl.com. I thought of you though mate when I heard Brisbane went down to Souths

 

[James90]

Sharks have turned a corner, some of their backs are exciting to watch. Stapleton is gun, he, Dugan and Locke look to be the best young fullbacks running around.

AWTA.

I have a concern with the lack of young halves that are coming through though. Walsh, Soward and Mullen look like the only ones to have made any improvements this year.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

IMO Pearce has been better this season than last. Doesn't help that everyone else at the club has been worse.

 

[Prince EWS]

IMO Pearce has been better this season than last. Doesn't help that everyone else at the club has been worse.

Yeah, AWTA. Really didn't rate Pearce as anything more than a fringe first grader with potential last year, but he's been able to take control of the team more this year as a halfback should, and his running game's really improved out of sight. The forward pack gets beaten virtually every week so it's hard for him (see: anyone) to actually do much creatively but I think his structural work and decision-making has been really good.

 

[Ausage]

Because he'll never win anything.

Honestly surprised he's leaving Newcastle. He's done the heavy lifting clearing dead wood, rebuilding etc, all in a quieter regional town with a good junior base. I would have thought he'd be looking to reap the rewards than going back to Sydney to do the hard yards again.

 

[Simon]

Yeah, AWTA. Really didn't rate Pearce as anything more than a fringe first grader with potential last year, but he's been able to take control of the team more this year as a halfback should, and his running game's really improved out of sight. The forward pack gets beaten virtually every week so it's hard for him (see: anyone) to actually do much creatively but I think his structural work and decision-making has been really good.

Agree with this too.
Never really saw the love Pearce recieved but this year hes done a lot of the solid things you want you're halfback to do, its a shame for the Roosters he's had no support, he and Anasta are a little too sameish for mine, I really think with 1 Minichiello 6 Carney 7 Pearce 13 Anasta Coach B Smith theres a lot to work with for 2010.

 

[Simon]

Think I forgot to change my tip to Souths on nrl.com. I thought of you though mate when I heard Brisbane went down to Souths

LOL, I have low expectations at the moment. I'm not really that upset they are losing we have been good for so long its unrealistic to expect it to last forever, as long as the staff and young players are learning from the mistakes and can become a force again in the coming seasons then I'll be satisfied.

AWTA.

I have a concern with the lack of young halves that are coming through though. Walsh, Soward and Mullen look like the only ones to have made any improvements this year.

Yeh most of the young halves all seem to be missing something in their game. I guess also coaches seem reluctant to give them a chance and rather pick makeshift halves.
We've seen Ben Jones for the Roosters play in the centres all year even though hes been touted as a future Rep 5/8 or half, will be interesting to see how he finally goes in the halves today.

 

[chaminda_00]

Foran will rock your world...

 

[Simon]

Foran will rock your world...

Foran is another, was named in the centres last night and they moved Lyon to five-eighth.

 

[chaminda_00]

Foran is another, was named in the centres last night and they moved Lyon to five-eighth.

That had more to do with Lyon's injury, then where they wanted to play Foran.

 

[99*]

Deadset watching the two worst sides in the comp atm. Neither side deserves to win.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Deadset watching the two worst sides in the comp atm. Neither side deserves to win.

We were good in the first half, our usual woeful second half coming out though.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Haha FMD we're ****.

 

[Dick Rockett]

And **** me Brisbane fans, acting like spoiled brats. Might miss the finals for the first time since the mid-1700's, acting like the ****ing world is ending. Grow a pair.

Nah, it's not like that at all. It's one thing missing the finals if you've got a fairly ordinary team of triers, it's totally another when you've still got a pretty strong group of players (even if depleted by Origin) and they're getting 40-point spankings because they're playing like a pack of spineless prima donnas who don't seem to care.

I've rarely been embarrassed by the Broncos before, but incidents like Friday's game where a fairly ordinary Rabbitohs team just kept strolling through the the exact same hole in the defence, the recent loss to Parramatta, and virtually every time they travel to Olympic Park are just cringeworthy. Even home ground advantage doesn't seem to apply to Brisbane in recent years.

I certainly don't believe that they're entitled to be in the finals every year (and what a run it's been), but FFS can't they play the game like it matters to them?

 

[Ausage]

Nah, it's not like that at all. It's one thing missing the finals if you've got a fairly ordinary team of triers, it's totally another when you've still got a pretty strong group of players (even if depleted by Origin) and they're getting 40-point spankings because they're playing like a pack of spineless prima donnas who don't seem to care.

I've rarely been embarrassed by the Broncos before, but incidents like Friday's game where a fairly ordinary Rabbitohs team just kept strolling through the the exact same hole in the defence, the recent loss to Parramatta, and virtually every time they travel to Olympic Park are just cringeworthy. Even home ground advantage doesn't seem to apply to Brisbane in recent years.

I certainly don't believe that they're entitled to be in the finals every year (and what a run it's been), but FFS can't they play the game like it matters to them?

I think his point was that every team goes through periods where they don't seem motivated and subsequently underachieve. Parra and Penrith last year, Roosters, Rabbits and Warriors this year just to name a few in recent times. I'm sure there have been countless other examples of this throughout RL history. Usually it means your coach is rubbish.

I'm not privy to the circumstances of Bennett's departure, but if there was anything humanly possible that could have been done to keep him up north, the Broncos must have been on drugs not to do so.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I certainly don't believe that they're entitled to be in the finals every year (and what a run it's been), but FFS can't they play the game like it matters to them?

Try being a Roosters fan since Fittler left.

 

[Dick Rockett]

I'm not privy to the circumstances of Bennett's departure, but if there was anything humanly possible that could have been done to keep him up north, the Broncos must have been on drugs not to do so.

I thought there had been a pretty active campaign to get rid of Bennett? There's been talk for a while of getting Craig Bellamy in the coach's box, not sure that the Storm will let that happen though.

Try being a Roosters fan since Fittler left.

Haha, no thanks.

 

[Ausage]

I thought there had been a pretty active campaign to get rid of Bennett? There's been talk for a while of getting Craig Bellamy in the coach's box, not sure that the Storm will let that happen though.

Brisbane have no one to blame but themselves if that's true.

 

[Simon]

Bennett was past his used by date at the Broncos, 21 years, 18 finals appearances, 6 premierships is a fair effort. We have a new generation coming through and I think it was a good time for someone else to be taking control.