Official NRL 2006 Thread

[Burpey]

Almost as big a joke as Tonie Carroll, though at least Fien is good enough to play for New Zealand. I wish I could say the same about Carroll playing for Australia.

 

[luffy]

Almost as big a joke as Tonie Carroll, though at least Fien is good enough to play for New Zealand. I wish I could say the same about Carroll playing for Australia.

Carroll deserves to play for Australia and will always play for Australia when available.

 

[Burpey]

Carroll deserves to play for Australia

No.

and will always play for Australia when available.

Yes (unfortunately).

 

[Simon]

carroll didnt play last year, his form was great at the end of this year and deserved to get picked...

 

[Burpey]

He's an excellent defender, but not a good enough attacker to be picked for Australia in front of other players.

 

[Simon]

when you have the quality attackers Australia do is a ball playing lock that important? With great attackers in the forwards like Mason, Civ and O'Donnell a strong defender isnt neccisarily abad thing.

Plus Carroll is like an on field body guard for lockyer and they communicate very well...

 

[Burpey]

I don't see O'Donnell as a great attacker though at international level either. Couple that with the fact that Hindmarsh is now a tackling machine and doesn't attack like he did at his height, I feel you do need a ball-playing lock.

 

[Simon]

Who though?
Dallas Johnson - just a younger not quite as good yet version of carroll
Ash Harrison - Ordinary year not even close to Origin now
Alan Tongue - Another tackling machine, good attacker but plays for the Raiders so is no chance of being picked
Trent Waterhouse - Hes rubbish, had a decent 03/04 and made rep teams, nothing since.
Paul Gallen - probably next in line but again his strength is defence.

And there really arent any 5/8's good enough or big enough to use in this role. Maybe John Sutton in a few years.

 

[Burpey]

I've had this argument a million times with a million people (got shouted down by Ray Hadley once about it, never listened to him again after that), but why hasn't Lance Thompson ever played for NSW or Australia? He's obviously good enough in both attack and defence.

 

[Craig]

Oh i hope they get the spoon... couldnt happen to a nicer bunch of tools.. (Apart from Franchi)

Consider Scott Prince a judas then?

As for Lomu he could be joining only because of the love of footy and not the cash, because he could have found a British team and cashed in on the strength of the British Pound.

It is isn't the first time though as there have been a couple of times when he has nearly joined the Warriors but he choose to stay with rugby and he played for the Junior Kiwis in League.

There have been some doubts from 'former All Blacks great' Grant Batty (not my words, just in case Voltman may pop in, and I don't know what his record was like so I'm just covering myself) has questioned his ability and worth because of his failure to get a Super 14 contract and Searle denied that Steve Turner would be let go to cover for Lomu.

I doubt Searle and Cartwright are idiots and would only consider signing him if they think he will have something to offer. Does anybody else take Ricky Stuart's view that he would be a very good marketing ploy?

 

[Perm]

Consider Scott Prince a judas then?

As for Lomu he could be joining only because of the love of footy and not the cash, because he could have found a British team and cashed in on the strength of the British Pound.

It is isn't the first time though as there have been a couple of times when he has nearly joined the Warriors but he choose to stay with rugby and he played for the Junior Kiwis in League.

There have been some doubts from 'former All Blacks great' Grant Batty (not my words, just in case Voltman may pop in, and I don't know what his record was like so I'm just covering myself) has questioned his ability and worth because of his failure to get a Super 14 contract and Searle denied that Steve Turner would be let go to cover for Lomu.

I doubt Searle and Cartwright are idiots and would only consider signing him if they think he will have something to offer. Does anybody else take Ricky Stuart's view that he would be a very good marketing ploy?

Grant Batty would be one the best wingers we produced.

 

[Craig]

Fair enough then, I don't follow rugby as much as I used to, more of a passing interest, but enough to know the rules, the players and that are.

 

[Blewy]

Consider Scott Prince a judas then?

As for Lomu he could be joining only because of the love of footy and not the cash, because he could have found a British team and cashed in on the strength of the British Pound.

It is isn't the first time though as there have been a couple of times when he has nearly joined the Warriors but he choose to stay with rugby and he played for the Junior Kiwis in League.

There have been some doubts from 'former All Blacks great' Grant Batty (not my words, just in case Voltman may pop in, and I don't know what his record was like so I'm just covering myself) has questioned his ability and worth because of his failure to get a Super 14 contract and Searle denied that Steve Turner would be let go to cover for Lomu.

I doubt Searle and Cartwright are idiots and would only consider signing him if they think he will have something to offer. Does anybody else take Ricky Stuart's view that he would be a very good marketing ploy?

Im not going to go into the Prince issue to much as i have plenty of times before... But i dont rate him very highly after all we did for him when nobody else wanted him and he takes off at the 1st available opportunity...

 

[Craig]

So why not hate Laffranchi as well?

 

[Blewy]

So why not hate Laffranchi as well?

Because Boof was open right from the get go, he said that if the GC got in that he would want to go there.. He is from that area...

 

[Mister Wright]

Im not going to go into the Prince issue to much as i have plenty of times before... But i dont rate him very highly after all we did for him when nobody else wanted him and he takes off at the 1st available opportunity...

You're in Lala Land if you didn't realise Prince is a money hunter. He left the Cowboys for the Broncos in search of the big dollars. Then when the Broncos didn't offer him the contract he wanted off he went again. Is it really that much of a surprise that he left for the Coast in search of the money?

 

[Perm]

Good to see Sam Thaiday getting his opportunity at test level, definately deserves it after the good season he has had with the Bronco's and Queensland. As much as I like big Willie Mason, if you disrespect the haka like that you are going to get smashed, and I'm saying this as a whte guy with no Maori heritage at all as far as I know. Then he calls it a cheap shot, he just needs to learn to shut his mouth or he'll be in for it again. Kidwell's hit was perfectly acceptable.

I don't expect the opposition team to lineup and show that they are intimidated, by all means no. But a little respect is what was needed, I for one have faced several haka's through playing for my school's First XV and I tell you it is one of the most exciting things you can face, it just fires you up so much it is unbeleivable. Willie should've used it as motivation.

 

[Mister Wright]

Good to see Sam Thaiday getting his opportunity at test level, definately deserves it after the good season he has had with the Bronco's and Queensland. As much as I like big Willie Mason, if you disrespect the haka like that you are going to get smashed, and I'm saying this as a whte guy with no Maori heritage at all as far as I know. Then he calls it a cheap shot, he just needs to learn to shut his mouth or he'll be in for it again. Kidwell's hit was perfectly acceptable.

I don't expect the opposition team to lineup and show that they are intimidated, by all means no. But a little respect is what was needed, I for one have faced several haka's through playing for my school's First XV and I tell you it is one of the most exciting things you can face, it just fires you up so much it is unbeleivable. Willie should've used it as motivation.

He wasn't disrespecting the Haka. He was having a go at Brent Webb who is an aboriginal doing the Haka.

 

[Craig]

You're in Lala Land if you didn't realise Prince is a money hunter. He left the Cowboys for the Broncos in search of the big dollars. Then when the Broncos didn't offer him the contract he wanted off he went again. Is it really that much of a surprise that he left for the Coast in search of the money?

Actually I think Prince will be earning less with the Titans then he could be with the Tigers. IIRC they said in the article when they signed him Prince will be getting between 350-400k a season.

No money hunting there.

 

[Burpey]

Actually I think Prince will be earning less with the Titans then he could be with the Tigers. IIRC they said in the article when they signed him Prince will be getting between 350-400k a season.

No money hunting there.

I doubt the Tigers would have been able to pay him more than that, surely.