***Official*** NRL 2008 Thread

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Haha, Quinn. **** he's lucky he plays for Bellamy.

 

[Johnners]

Prince

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I know it's irrelevant now, but surely you'd think about picking a tall winger to compete with Folau? Rooney would be the first name on my teamsheet if I had to pick a winger to jump against Folau.

Amazing try though.

 

[sideshowtim]

Interesting half of footy. All Blues players have done well, Gidley the stand out, making me eat my words.

 

[Perm]

So gutted for Scotty Prince, what a huge blow. We look unsettled after that incident, can't see why they wouldn't play Inglis at 5/8 instead of Hunt. Had a couple of opportunities when running the ball down the left side though, pity we couldn't capitalise.

 

[Craig]

I know it's irrelevant now, but surely you'd think about picking a tall winger to compete with Folau? Rooney would be the first name on my teamsheet if I had to pick a winger to jump against Folau.

Amazing try though.

Clearly AFL is starting to have an impact on Melbourne Storm players (IIRC they use Geelong or Carlton's ground for training)

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I realise this is going to sound biased, but there's no way in hell Anasta's pass was forward. Was a dead flat ball.

 

[Perm]

I realise this is going to sound biased, but there's no way in hell Anasta's pass was forward. Was a dead flat ball.

Nah, I reckon it was forward by half a metre or so. Didn't pick up on it at first, but the replay convinced me. As you said though, it probably sounds biased.

 

[Craig]

Queenslander!!!!

 

[chaminda_00]

Wish we had some halves that could finish off a game. Anasta and Pearce were good, but that is not enough at orgin level. Oh well did a lot better in Game One and Three then what we should have done against that Queensland. Just had too much quality in the end.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Nah it wasn't. I paused it with the recorder (parents got one today, (face)) on both where it left the hands and where it hit his chest, at best was maybe half a foot forward, but that's nothing in the modern game and a horrible time to call a forward pass on a ball that's as forward as 50% of the passes per round.

Feel sorry for Braith here because he's going to cop an absolute pasting tomorrow and he doesn't deserve it, for mine. By bringing Gidley in and having him double up dummy half running duties with Buderus it was plainly obvious that Bellamy didn't want Anasta in his side and was forced. Braith was basically another back rower in the first half, which is fine for Greg Bird but Anasta needed to get into it early and wasn't allowed. He was there to run the ball and kick, basically.

He was then allowed into the game when Gidley was pulled for Bedsy and all of a sudden he has to produce points under massive pressure. Feel so bad for him but I guess he knew what he was in for if he didn't aim up. I fear for the Roosters season now though, this will destroy his confidence.

Anthony Quinn: wtf? Hopefully he'll never wear the blue jumper again, especially with the mental edge Folau gained on him tonight. Gonna start a "Luke Rooney for Origin regardless of his form." campaign, maybs someone will jump on board.

In any case, when all the dust has settled we'll all conclude QLD were the far superior side.

EDIT: Before I forget.

Paul Gallen: you're a ****ing douche. What the **** was with all these ridiculous penalties? If he didn't have arms the size of my torso and a temper lower than Mike Tyson I'd track him down and throw rocks at him from afar

Mitchell Pearce: I thought he looked calm and collected, and I think he certainly has a future in the blue #7. I don't think Anasta being out of the loop in the first half helped him. He defended well and kicked well from his own half, though his attacking kicking left a bit to be desired. Anasta does most of that for the Roosters anyway.

 

[chaminda_00]

TBF to Quinn don't think any winger in the game could have stopped Folau jump for the 2nd try. If you look back at Rooney orgin career Tuquri did the same thing to him a few times as well and he made similar mistake when under pressure like. His defence wasn't always that great under the high ball when up against another tall winger at orgin level.

 

[Prince EWS]

I would have picked Anasta as well and given him the entire series, but I can see why they didn't. They bit the bullet and ended the career of a player who had shown nothing at Origin level repeatedly. IMO Anasta is a much improved player from the player we've seen in years gone by and has been the victim of "Sinclair syndrome" a bit - he's been recalled more times than English beef but has never been given an extended run, is always under immense pressure and is scapegoated if the team fails to perform in attack.

...

It would have been great to give Anasta this series to see once and for all whether he was up to it, but it wasn't to be. Giving him another fragmented series of one game - a decider at that - won't do anyone any good. Least not NSW.

Indeed.

As I said, giving Anasta the series would have been great. Selecting him for the decider of a series he was clearly unwanted in was never going to work though. Both the role he was used in and the way he handled it show exactly that.

He's a much better player than he once was, but he was never going to show it in this game. Silly selection given the circumstances IMO, and even sillier to try and play him in the same role as Bird.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

TBF to Quinn don't think any winger in the game could have stopped Folau jump for the 2nd try. If you look back at Rooney orgin career Tuquri did the same thing to him a few times as well and he made similar mistake when under pressure like. His defence wasn't always that great under the high ball when up against another tall winger at orgin level.

The second try wouldn't have been stopped by Darren Glass, let alone Luke Rooney. My point is about the first try. Quinn didn't drop that ball for just any old reason; watch the footage again. He dropped it because he wasn't focussed on the ball and was worrying about Folau running at him whilst stationary. He knew he couldn't compete.

Whilst I know Rooney has in flaws and sometimes punches under his weight, his height is just a fact of life and if there's anyone around to jump at Folau in attack and defense on the wing, it should be him. Or even perhaps Monaghan.

 

[sideshowtim]

Queensland simply have a better team. Not much more to it than that.

Pearce and Anasta did alright I think, but were clearly playing to a very conservative gameplan from Bellamy...That surprised me. Pearcey will learn a lot from this experience though.

 

[99*]

Wow, the Titans look a mess now, losing Prince was the last thing they needed. Well played game I have to say, from both teams, QLD got ahead through their defence inside the 20m and some very poor defence (at times) by NSW. Thought Gidley and Folau were the best for each team.

 

[Perm]

NSW didn't look too bad when they ran the ball, they just didn't do it often enough. Petero Civoniceva and Steve Price were immense though, turned the game around in the second half.

 

[NUFAN]

QUEENSLANDER!!!!!!

 

[sideshowtim]

Mason had a great game BTW. Made some great runs (most metres for a NSW forward), looked menacing in attack, gave off a couple of nice offloads, tackled well...But no doubt the media will be calling for his head tomorrow. Anasta will cop it too.

 

[Perm]

Queenslander!!!!

QUEENSLANDER!!!!!!

Sometimes I wish I actually was one, not just a supporter.