Official NRL 2006 Thread

[Simon]

ive heard some good things about a young fullback Dragons have, Nightingale or something like that. I think he plays flegg...
Mat Head has to be fit for Dragons to be contenders though...

 

[Burpey]

Jason Nightingale's his name. I haven't really watched much Premier League or Flegg this season, and so I haven't seen much of him. It's not a good sign though if Reece Simmonds is rated above him for the Premier League fullback spot.

 

[Simon]

Simmonds is part of the Dragons top 25 so they really dont have the option to put him to the Jim Beam cup or anything.
I cant say ive seen Knightingale play but im told hes very good...

 

[Craig]

23 man squad, i think
Greg Inglis, Matt King, Justin Hodges, Mark Gasnier, Eric Grothe, Darren Lockyer (cap), Johnathon Thurston, Steve Price, Cameron Smith, Petero Civoniceva, Willie Mason, Luke O'Donnell, Nathan Hindmarsh, Luke Bailey, Mark O'Meley, Shaun Berrigan, Ryan Hoffman, Andrew Ryan, Carl Webb, Brent Kite, Steve Menzies, Matt Cooper, Matt Orford/Cooper Cronk,

Well if Melbourne go further then Manly,m you would think Cronk will get the nod ahead of Orford. Orford does deserve some credit, started to play well when he really has been under pressure.

 

[Craig]

Gasnier better not play five-eighth next season. Hornby and Head in the halves, Gasnier stays at right centre. I'm sure we can find a young bloke for fullback, one of the Morris boys would be my pick. Otherwise, Dean Young could try his hand at five-eighth, though I don't think he has a long-term future as a playmaker.

I heard Gasnier is all but certain to get the spot next year? IIRC it was said to be his as a sweetner to keep in rugby league?

 

[Simon]

Well if Melbourne go further then Manly,m you would think Cronk will get the nod ahead of Orford. Orford does deserve some credit, started to play well when he really has been under pressure.

tbh i wouldnt be surprised to see Gower picked over both of them. The ARL arent allowing Craig Gower to play Union in Italy over the off season because they want him to be available for the tri nations, what does that say?

 

[Simon]

I heard Gasnier is all but certain to get the spot next year? IIRC it was said to be his as a sweetner to keep in rugby league?

he might at first but when Nathan Brown realises its not in the best interests of the team he wont be there for long...

 

[Burpey]

tbh i wouldnt be surprised to see Gower picked over both of them.

I'd pick Gower over both of them, but then again I'm a very big Gower fan.

 

[Simon]

I'd pick Gower over both of them, but then again I'm a very big Gower fan.

im still 50/50 on him. He was a great hooker, one of the best ive seen but as a halfback he seems to lack something...

 

[Burpey]

im still 50/50 on him. He was a great hooker, one of the best ive seen but as a halfback he seems to lack something...

He definitely needs a playmaker playing outside of him, very similar to Scott Prince in a way.

 

[Simon]

Theres been a bit of change in the premiership market, Broncos have jumped Canterbury into 2nd favourtisim

Melbourne $3.50
Broncos $4.00
Bulldogs $4.50
Dragons $6.50
Knights $7.50
Manly $11
Raiders $26
Eels $34

 

[Craig]

What odds on Manly and Canberra winning? I feel like having a punt this weekend...

 

[Simon]

odds arent up yet but as a guess id say Manly will pay around $2.05 and Raiders about $3's...
so i guess you'd get about $6 for them both to win...

 

[cameeel]

The NRL are buffoons:

http://www.sportal.com.au/league.asp?i=news&id=87800

 

[Blewy]

23 man squad, i think
Greg Inglis, Matt King, Justin Hodges, Mark Gasnier, Eric Grothe, Darren Lockyer (cap), Johnathon Thurston, Steve Price, Cameron Smith, Petero Civoniceva, Willie Mason, Luke O'Donnell, Nathan Hindmarsh, Luke Bailey, Mark O'Meley, Shaun Berrigan, Ryan Hoffman, Andrew Ryan, Carl Webb, Brent Kite, Steve Menzies, Matt Cooper, Matt Orford/Cooper Cronk,

Rob Farah will be in the Tri-Nations squad....

 

[Simon]

Rob Farah will be in the Tri-Nations squad....

doubt it, Smith will be the only fulltime hooker in the squad with Berrigan and probably Gower capable of filling the role...

 

[ash chaulk]

The NRL are buffoons:

http://www.sportal.com.au/league.asp?i=news&id=87800

lol the afl has scheduled that final since the release of the fixtures NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley= idiot

 

[cameeel]

lol the afl has scheduled that final since the release of the fixtures NRL chief operating officer Graham Annesley= idiot

Whether or not the AFL are being uncooperative, it's been said since the start of the season that 1 and 2 on the ladder would recieve a 7 day break, and since under their own rules Collingwood can't play until Sunday, the AFL had no choice but to play the Collingwood-Bulldogs game on Sunday. Cameron Smith said as much in the Herald Sun today, saying that they were too Sydney-centric.

 

[Simon]

in all honesty both codes have their fixtures to play a certain time, its just bad luck these two matches have clased...

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I don't get what all this fuss is about. Sure, Collingwood are the biggest team in Victoria and Mebourne are the only team in Victoria, but they've been scheduled to be like that for weeks now, it's just bad luck really. Stop making such a ridiculous self-righteous deal out of nothing.