**Official** NRL 2010 thread

[Craig]

Trades won't work because the AFL don't have any direct competitors (barring Irish footy, and that's amateur), whereas league does.

They tried a draft but it got declared illegal.

Both ideas should happen in a perfect world however.

Proves once again you don't know ****, they have a draft in the NBA, still doesn't stop players from playing in Europe.

 

[morgieb]

Proves once again you don't know ****, they have a draft in the NBA, still doesn't stop players from playing in Europe.

Why the **** would NBA players wanna go Europe?

And what does that have to do with trades? A draft could still be feasible, it's just illegal due to Terry Hill taking it to court.

 

[99*]

Why not bring in the draft system (like in AFL, NBA, NFL etc.)? I don't know if raising the salary cap will just work as it will mean clubs will find themselves in a situation where they are paying money to players that they can't afford, and clubs will still try and find a way to cheat the cap. A few people at Melbourne had no problem doing that, so what's to stop that happening again?

I reckon a draft would be a good thing, but you'd have to make the U20s a seperate comp from NRL sides, and also it would need to be expanded quite a bit for a large player pool.

Plus I think it was ruled a restriction of trade in Australia, so it won't ever happen.

 

[99*]

Why the **** would NBA players wanna go Europe?

NBA players don't often go. Players go right out of high-school because of the NBA rules that force a player to play a minimum number of years in college before they can enter the NBA draft.

So they go to Europe (where no such rule exists), and can play at a level above college ball and get paid. Rather than play in college and not get paid.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Was just checking the scores on Fox (I'm not proud but it loads a sight quicker than the NRL site) and saw Folau has (as is repored as having) an offer from the new Gold Coast AFL team.

That likely? All seems to have gone a bit quiet on the KHunt AFL front; playing union in France the last time I looked.

 

[Craig]

I reckon a draft would be a good thing, but you'd have to make the U20s a seperate comp from NRL sides, and also it would need to be expanded quite a bit for a large player pool.

Plus I think it was ruled a restriction of trade in Australia, so it won't ever happen.

The draft in the AFL works fine, I'm not sure how it can be a restriction of trade. I know it won't happen but it is what I think should happen, there is a difference between the two. Just like what howard has suggested won't happen, well certainly not the culling of teams. And yes morgie I'm well aware of Terry Hill's court case, **** I knew about when you were a baby.

Was just checking the scores on Fox (I'm not proud but it loads a sight quicker than the NRL site) and saw Folau has (as is repored as having) an offer from the new Gold Coast AFL team.

That likely? All seems to have gone a bit quiet on the KHunt AFL front; playing union in France the last time I looked.

I'm going to be the first to admit that I'm no expert on AFL, but WTF could blokes like Slater and Folau offer to AFL? The less times Slater kicks the ball, the better IMO. Inglis would be good enough I guess.

 

[social]

The draft in the AFL works fine, I'm not sure how it can be a restriction of trade. I know it won't happen but it is what I think should happen, there is a difference between the two. Just like what howard has suggested won't happen, well certainly not the culling of teams. And yes morgie I'm well aware of Terry Hill's court case, **** I knew about when you were a baby.



I'm going to be the first to admit that I'm no expert on AFL, but WTF could blokes like Slater and Folau offer to AFL? The less times Slater kicks the ball, the better IMO. Inglis would be good enough I guess.

Slater is rumoured to be going to the new Melbourne Super 15 rugby franchise for $1 million p.a.

Nothing to do with AFL AFAIK

No idea why the AFL want Falau but both he and Inglis would be wanted by rugby as well

 

[benchmark00]

Was just checking the scores on Fox (I'm not proud but it loads a sight quicker than the NRL site) and saw Folau has (as is repored as having) an offer from the new Gold Coast AFL team.

That likely? All seems to have gone a bit quiet on the KHunt AFL front; playing union in France the last time I looked.

Not Gold Coast, the new Greater Western Sydney team.

 

[benchmark00]

Not Gold Coast, the new Greater Western Sydney team.

And ftr, players like KHunt and Folau aren't recruited for their footballing prowess, they're chiefly recruited for their marketing potential in such rugby league established areas.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Not Gold Coast, the new Greater Western Sydney team.

Ah, fair dos. Two new teams in the pipeline then?

Any road I'd still question the wisdom of paying top dollar for a chap who (as far as I know) has never played a serious game of Aussie Rules tho. Has a great leap and is very solid under a high ball (which I understand are important in the sport) but he's always going to be playing catch up, surely?

EDIT:

And ftr, players like KHunt and Folau aren't recruited for their footballing prowess, they're chiefly recruited for their marketing potential in such rugby league established areas.

Can see how it's superficially appealing, but we live in the multi-media information age; I reckon anyone who'd be AFL-curious would know a good player (isn't Ablett supposedly being linked?) and any hard-core league fans won't give a rats anyway.

 

[Craig]

According to Tim Gilbert, Cooper Cronk will be the Australian half back for Friday's Test.

 

[morgieb]

Can see how it's superficially appealing, but we live in the multi-media information age; I reckon anyone who'd be AFL-curious would know a good player (isn't Ablett supposedly being linked?) and any hard-core league fans won't give a rats anyway.

Selwood's linked as well, and he's arguably just as good as Ablett.

 

[NUFAN]

According to Tim Gilbert, Cooper Cronk will be the Australian half back for Friday's Test.

Yep, he definitely deserves it now that JT is injured.

My team would be:
1 Slater 2 Morris 3 Inglis 4 Cooper 5 Hayne 6 Lockyer 7 Cronk 8 Weyman 9 Smith 10 Civoniceva 11 Creagh 12 Watmough 13 Gallen
RES 14 Gidley 15 Shillington 16 Lewis 17 Thaiday

 

[benchmark00]

Can see how it's superficially appealing, but we live in the multi-media information age; I reckon anyone who'd be AFL-curious would know a good player (isn't Ablett supposedly being linked?) and any hard-core league fans won't give a rats anyway.

That is true, but the AFL's thinking is that they can sign a big name NRL player, say for example Folau, and your stock-standard slack-jawed league fan would actually tune in to see his debut, despite not caring about the game at all.

That's the first battle won. The theory is (simplistically anyway) that once they tune in just to see how a player goes, the fan will fall in love with the game and tune in time and time again.

League fans generally wouldn't tune in just to see Gaz Ablett play if they didn't watch the game anyway, because he's just a name to them. It's like how an AFL fan wouldn't tune into an NRL game just to see Greg Inglis play if they didn't like the game at some level.

Selwood's linked as well, and he's arguably just as good as Ablett.

No he isn't.

 

[Prince EWS]

Howardj's spies can exclusively reveal that this will be the team:

Slater
Hayne
Inglis
Jennings
B Morris
Lockyer
Cronk
Petero
Farah
Weyman
Watmough
Thaiday
Lewis

Myles
Perry
Gallen
Gidley


Hopefully those spies are as reliable as usual because there are so many things wrong with that team. Don't even get me started on Farah over Smith. Really hope it's bull****.

 

[morgieb]

Howardj's spies can exclusively reveal that this will be the team:

Slater
Hayne
Inglis
Jennings
B Morris
Lockyer
Cronk
Petero
Farah
Weyman
Watmough
Thaiday
Lewis

Myles
Perry
Gallen
Gidley


Hopefully those spies are as reliable as usual because there are so many things wrong with that team. Don't even get me started on Farah over Smith. Really hope it's bull****.

I thought they were your spies.

 

[Prince EWS]

Footy Show seems to think that Smith hasn't been dropped after all.

 

[Craig]

NZ:

Adam Blair, Kieran Foran, Alex Glenn, Bronson Harrison, Aaron Heremaia, Lance Hohaia, Issac Luke, Sika Manu, Benji Marshall, Steve Matai, Ben Matulino, Jason Nightingale, Frank-Paul Nuuausala, Sam Perrett, Sam Rapira, Junior Sa'u, Zeb Taia, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves

(That is an 18 man squad that they named, players in bold are yet to make their debut)

AUS:

Billy Slater, Brett Morris, Greg Inglis, Jamie Lyon, Jarryd Hayne, Darren Lockyer (c), Cooper Cronk, Petero Civoniceva, Cameron Smith, David Shillington, Luke Lewis, Sam Thaiday, Paul Gallen, Kurt Gidley, Josh Perry, Anthony Watmough, Michael Weyman

And for City - Country Origin:

City:

Lachlan Coote, Anthony Minichiello, Beau Champion, Chris Lawrence, Michael Jennings, Braith Anasta, Trent Hodkinson, Bryce Gibbs, Robbie Farah (c), Keith Galloway, Trent Waterhouse, Mark Minichiello, Luke O'Donnell, Kris Keating, Tim Mannah, Tim Grant, Ryan Hoffman

Country:

Josh Dugan, Michael Robertson, Jamal Idris, Timana Tahu, Luke Burt, Greg Bird, Brett Kimmorley (c), Kade Snowden, Michael Ennis, Brett White, Ben Creagh, Glenn Stewart, Anthony Laffranchi, Todd Carney, Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, Willie Mason, Dean Young

(From foxsports)

 

[Ausage]

Congrats to Lachy & Timmeh at making the City side 100% well deserved.

 

[Burgey]

No Hindmarsh? Thought he hadn't retired from the rep stuff.

Oh well, NSW to pick wide-running, 115kg backrowers who make 8 tackles a game, and Qld to run straight past them, just like the past few years, while the smaller Qld forwards knock over everything in a Blue jumper which moves.

Regulation stuff then.