Offical Rugby League Thread

[Burgey]

Beat Manly last year tbh.

Think they'll win tonight. Hard to run a line through Manly, they've played one game ffs and people are doing loads over them.

Not to say Parra doesn't have issues #Thanks Matto

Need another decent middle off the bench (again, #ThanksMatto) but more urgently a decent centre/ outside back. I think Parra' outside backs would be the slowest in the league. Blake is a joke at centre - he makes a wrong read every single play. He should only be playing wing if at all.

Having said that, Lane and Matterson are two huge outs for the start of the season. Hodgson still finding his way too.

They'll be right and will win the comp, but definitely got a very tough start to the year, draw wise.

 

[social]

Why anyone has any faith in the Titans is completely beyond me

 

[Burgey]

Why anyone has any faith in the Titans is completely beyond me

Mate, how do you think Tigers fans feel? Two home games at the 8th Wonder of the World against two hardly top shelf opponents and they were terrible.

 

[social]

Mate, how do you think Tigers fans feel? Two home games at the 8th Wonder of the World against two hardly top shelf opponents and they were terrible.

Most predicted the Tigers to be bad but some are still predicting the Titans to come good

 

[Burgey]

Yeah I think a lot of people place too much faith in Fifita doing more than running over a half back from inside the 30 tbh

 

[Shady Slim]

eel robbed, as much as i hate to say it

 

[Kraken]

eel robbed, as much as i hate to say it

haha yeah, nah. They had plenty of chances to win it

 

[Shady Slim]

haha yeah, nah. They had plenty of chances to win it

eh i don't buy "well they had plenty of chances to win it" when they had what was objectively a try by the posts taken off of the board and lost by less than a converted try

 

[Kraken]

eh i don't buy "well they had plenty of chances to win it" when they had what was objectively a try by the posts taken off of the board and lost by less than a converted try

eh that was line ball man, I’d rather they call that sort of **** all the time (I hope they do, it’s criminal how many forward passes get let go). Anyway they absolutely had control of their defence after that, which was shocking. Even if that try goes over, I still think they lose

 

[ashley bach]

Is it just me or does the bunker appear to be making really quick decisions this year?
Some of the tries allowed or disallowed have looked extremely close and worthy of slow motion replays yet conclusions are reached in record time.

 

[Kraken]

Is it just me or does the bunker appear to be making really quick decisions this year?
Some of the tries allowed or disallowed have looked extremely close and worthy of slow motion replays yet conclusions are reached in record time.

Yeah I just think they’re trying to speed the game up tbh.
Interesting match up tomorrow with Saints and Brisbane. We have the wood on them, plus they haven’t beaten us by more than the line in over 5+ years. Dragons to cover the line (not win just cover the line) and my boy Tyrell Sloan to score. Tip of the week

 

[Burgey]

Yeah Parra blew that game. They're shipping too many points each week, regardless of the attack.

TBH they should be 3-0 and would be but for their own errors. It's all breaking down from dummy half in attack imo - Hodgson has been a terrific player but he's taking a step out of dummy half before passing most times and it's slowing everything down. Overall attack still clunky and ball security terrible. Can't win completing at 60% or so all the time, but leaving aside the try not given, Penisini literally only had to pick up the ball and fall over but couldn't manage it. Weird for a pro footballer, and he's usually decent. Plenty of chances missed, and I don't think Manly are particularly good either. Moses' goal kicking has been off all year too. Cost us vs the Sharks and Melbourne, as well as last night. He's usually a bit of a sharpshooter.

Need another good middle forward off the bench (#ThanksAgainMatto) but more importantly they really, really need a good centre. I think our outside backs are the slowest in the NRL, but Blake can function moderately ok as a winger, not a centre's arsehole though.

Do think the Bunker is making quick decisions. That last try to Turbo looked iffy off the Manly bloke's elbow but they didn't really examine the low angle much at all. Just went with the on field call really fast.

 

[Kraken]

Yeah Parra blew that game. They're shipping too many points each week, regardless of the attack.

TBH they should be 3-0 and would be but for their own errors. It's all breaking down from dummy half in attack imo - Hodgson has been a terrific player but he's taking a step out of dummy half before passing most times and it's slowing everything down. Overall attack still clunky and ball security terrible. Can't win completing at 60% or so all the time, but leaving aside the try not given, Penisini literally only had to pick up the ball and fall over but couldn't manage it. Weird for a pro footballer, and he's usually decent. Plenty of chances missed, and I don't think Manly are particularly good either. Moses' goal kicking has been off all year too. Cost us vs the Sharks and Melbourne, as well as last night. He's usually a bit of a sharpshooter.

Need another good middle forward off the bench (#ThanksAgainMatto) but more importantly they really, really need a good centre. I think our outside backs are the slowest in the NRL, but Blake can function moderately ok as a winger, not a centre's arsehole though.

Do think the Bunker is making quick decisions. That last try to Turbo looked iffy off the Manly bloke's elbow but they didn't really examine the low angle much at all. Just went with the on field call really fast.

yeah that’s a pretty fair assessment of everything. Although I think Hodgson has actually been pretty good, but can see your point in regard to it making the attack clunky. Blake won’t get resigned past this year - Simonson into centre, someone else on the sting. You’re also really missing Shaun Lane and another big middle

 

[ashley bach]

5 tries in the last 12 minutes of the game is about as loose as a $20 hooker. Both teams were weak on D last night.
Doubt that'll be the case tonight between the Rabbits and Chooks, will be a tight one with no love lost between the two sides.

 

[Burgey]

yeah that’s a pretty fair assessment of everything. Although I think Hodgson has actually been pretty good, but can see your point in regard to it making the attack clunky. Blake won’t get resigned past this year - Simonson into centre, someone else on the sting. You’re also really missing Shaun Lane and another big middle

Yeah Lane and #ThanksMatto are big outs, no two ways about it. Lane starting for Cartwright would make a big difference and Matterson was very good for us in the run into the GF coming off the bench and palying in the middle when one of Paulo or RCG went off. That should really be his role again this year imo because Hopgood should play 80 at 13.

 

[Shady Slim]

for all the wankery about how exciting manly are on attack last night showed again they're a pretender team with enormous and obvious flaws exploitable by any team who'll be on the dance floor come september too

they just don't have that killer instinct to be able to put a good team to sleep; which is the same problem they had in 2021

 

[Burgey]

They're also a massive One Man Turbo Band.

 

[Shady Slim]

They're also a massive One Man Turbo Band.

i still don't think turbo's 110% confident on the leg either. he had some nice touches against the doggies especially in backline shifts, but largely against us it was manly's pack who rolled our much smaller pack (faamanu brown as a lock, so dumb, never again, shouldn't be on the bench even); but on the few occasions turbo had a chance to really motor in open play he just looked... hesitant?

 

[Burgey]

Yeah agree. I suppose the same applies to Hodgson for us tbf to him. He's three games back from essentially two years off with back to back ACLs. It has to play on your mind for sure same with Turbo and his hammy.

 

[Kraken]

for all the wankery about how exciting manly are on attack last night showed again they're a pretender team with enormous and obvious flaws exploitable by any team who'll be on the dance floor come september too

they just don't have that killer instinct to be able to put a good team to sleep; which is the same problem they had in 2021

it will certainly be interesting to see how they go the longer the season goes. If they can get on the same page in defence, they’re easily a contender