NRL Finals Week 1

Pieman wrote:The season is at least 6 rounds too long.
The bye period around origin is fucking horrible - and the games without the origin players are fucking terrible.

The season needs to be drastically shortened, origin needs to be played after the GF, then the international stuff.

The NFL gets it right by having a fairly shortish season. It makes the games more special if there arent as many of them and would increase crowd numbers IMO if there are less games on. Money wise they prob take a bit of a hit in the tv deal and sponsorship deals but fuck me the season just drags on - and they weaken their own product by having heaps of byes and taking the good players out of teams for like 6 weeks every season.

Its not anti bronco's stuff at all. Its anti shit decision from the refs stuff. They had a terrible weekend.
The moments in the titans v broncos we have spoken about.
The Morris no try in the bulldogs game.
The same non-tackle in the air call in the raiders game.
They have the bunker in place to stop this shit but it just keeps on happening and its very very disappointing.
Human error is fine, its expected even. But when they have the safeguard in place to correct it - why the FUCK dont they use it.

I really enjoyed watching penrith play this weekend, they are deadset so entertaining. Moylan had a career game on the weekend I reckon.
The sharks had the grittiest performance of the weekend, such a great comeback after losing their captain then their fill in captain a few mins into the match. The raiders will fucking struggle to beat Penrith without Hodgson too, he is as valuable to them as smith is to the storm.
Couple of really really entertaining games, marred by some shit decisions from the refs.

Looking forward to this weekend's bouts!

Firstly, you are spot on about the scheduling and this has been my argument for about 6 years now.

If I am tendering the NRL TV rights as a complete product, the hit from reducing the number of games would be negligible....if anything.

All it needs is for the NRL to back their product instead of looking for shortsighted 'victories' that are similar to how politicians who are worried about retaining their seats make their decisions.
In the end it is weakening the product and for the sake of being able to spruike a 'record TV deal', they are letting the other codes make up ground by not focusing on what is best for their overall product.

It's moronicism at it's finest and a prime example of what should be done is the Big Bash, where they appear to be resisting the temptation to over-do the comp and it is paying dividends for Ch10.

On the ref's, they are damned if they do and damned if they don't.
All the examples you've described above are judgment calls and I happen to be fine with most of them, particularly when the trade off is damage to the spectacle of the game.
It was only last week when all and sundry I spoke to where crapping on about how good the Captains Call was when they didn't go to the bunker once.

Losing Hodgson will hurt the Raiders but I think they have some pretty good depth throughout and Baptise will go OK. Given both teams are so hot and cold, it'll be a toss of the coin and I'll be backing the Raiders to win at home.

Oz Sport Mad wrote:



On the ref's, they are damned if they do and damned if they don't.
All the examples you've described above are judgment calls and I happen to be fine with most of them, particularly when the trade off is damage to the spectacle of the game.
It was only last week when all and sundry I spoke to where crapping on about how good the Captains Call was when they didn't go to the bunker once.

Losing Hodgson will hurt the Raiders but I think they have some pretty good depth throughout and Baptise will go OK. Given both teams are so hot and cold, it'll be a toss of the coin and I'll be backing the Raiders to win at home.

I am more than happy for a ref to make a decision on the spot (a judgment call as you said) thats what they are suppose to do, its their job.
The thing that fucking irks me to no end, is that the NRL brought the bunker in as a fallback for when refs 1. are unsure of what the decision is and 2. when they get a decision wrong. They spent fucking millions on it - yet they dont use it in the most appropriate ways. Why the fuck is it allowed to only sometimes step in and over turn a scum feed call or a drop out? Why cant it say - "eg Overturn the call, that was a lost ball not a strip". We dont even have to hear it on the tv, we would never even know it happens. I hate that they can pick and choose when to come in and intervene - it should either be all the time or none of the time. I would prefer none of the time but would be happy with either way.

The ref makes a judgement, and if it wrong the bunker should intervene. The captains call was pretty much an N/A because there were no howler calls. If there was a captains call in the Penrith v Dogs game - they would have used it when morris scored and they are only down by 2 instead of penrith scoring the next set then they are down by 12/14. Then it puts the pressure back on the players to make the right decision as when to use it instead of dumping all this pressure back onto the refs.
They didnt even need the captains call for that actually, the refs check fucking EVERYTHING just about EVERY FUCKING TIME there is the faintest sniff of a try, why the hell wouldnt they check the Morris one? Absolute shocker of a non call.

Denan Kemp had a great rant about it and I agree with it all.

Sometimes they get it wrong most of the time they get it right. It just seems that more often than not now, the ones they are getting wrong are having massive impacts on the game.

I wouldnt say both teams are hot and cold... both teams are fucking red hot and have been for a while this year, especially the raiders. They may lose their most influential player - yeh baptiste might go ok there but he doesnt offer what hodgson does. Similarly to how hinchcliffe use to fill in for smith - he goes alright but he isnt smith.

If hodgson doesnt play, I would be tipping the panthers, possibly even 12+.

Oz Sport Mad wrote:



If I am tendering the NRL TV rights as a complete product, the hit from reducing the number of games would be negligible....if anything.

We better get OSM from FantasyFanatics in to broker the billion dollar deal then!

is there a bigger example of rugby league fans finding somthing to whinge about then the city of canberra wanting to murder ennis for doing the viking clap ?

a) you probably gave it to him for 80 minutes, doubt you showed much respect, you can't take a harmless return sledge ?

b) the photo of him doing it has 20 odd bogans giving him the finger but he is the only one being disrespectful ?

c) you stole this viking clap from some euro club and have been doing for all of 3 weeks or something, don't pretend like its some momentous tradition


gone off canberra because of it tbh, reminded me why i love ennis and why i don't love sticky, hope penny put the cleaners through them

leaguegod wrote:is there a bigger example of rugby league fans finding somthing to whinge about then the city of canberra wanting to murder ennis for doing the viking clap ?

a) you probably gave it to him for 80 minutes, doubt you showed much respect, you can't take a harmless return sledge ?

b) the photo of him doing it has 20 odd bogans giving him the finger but he is the only one being disrespectful ?

c) you stole this viking clap from some euro club and have been doing for all of 3 weeks or something, don't pretend like its some momentous tradition


gone off canberra because of it tbh, reminded me why i love ennis and why i don't love sticky, hope penny put the cleaners through them

+1 and underline point C.

+2

Totally agree

Maybe sticky is just doing it to try and fire his players up

Pieman wrote:Totally agree

Maybe sticky is just doing it to try and fire his players up

Couldn't hurt with selling the game out either.  Penrith is like 2 hours from Canberra by road, is that right?  Would they put on extra trains?  Just curious not being a Sydney-sider.

ASIO wrote:
Couldn't hurt with selling the game out either.  Penrith is like 2 hours from Canberra by road, is that right?  Would they put on extra trains?  Just curious not being a Sydney-sider.

You'd go by bus before you would take a train. Train takes 4 1/2hr. Road 2 1/2. You would expect the Panthers to put on supporter bus/buses

No Worries wrote:

ASIO wrote:
Couldn't hurt with selling the game out either.  Penrith is like 2 hours from Canberra by road, is that right?  Would they put on extra trains?  Just curious not being a Sydney-sider.

You'd go by bus before you would take a train. Train takes 4 1/2hr. Road 2 1/2. You would expect the Panthers to put on supporter bus/buses

4.5 hours    Does it go via The fucking Gong or something?

Yeah they will def charter some busses to go to the game - its not that far.
Can take 2 hours to drive from penrith to the city when the traffic is bad.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/gerard-sutton-demoted-and-gavin-badger-dumped-following-titans-debacle/news-story/498f194713c653e07399b0c20a23f283

Refs from the titans v broncos game dropped/relegated.

Must be that Anti-Bronco's stuff hey OSM

So Matt Ceccin is deemed one of the 2 best refs in the game this weekend. Fuck me that's an indictment on refs.

Pieman wrote:http://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl-premiership/gerard-sutton-demoted-and-gavin-badger-dumped-following-titans-debacle/news-story/498f194713c653e07399b0c20a23f283

Refs from the titans v broncos game dropped/relegated.

Must be that Anti-Bronco's stuff hey OSM

Well surprise, surprise the NRL has reacted and made a decision which appears solely based on (inaccurate) public/media outcry.....

"caused outrage among fans on social media"

That's really not like the NRL to be so reactionary....I'm deadset in shock.

even before friday, i have personally never rated sutton as highly as others, when everyone was calling him the NRL's leading ref, all i saw was a guy that loved the attention.

Oz Sport Mad wrote:

Well surprise, surprise the NRL has reacted and made a decision which appears solely based on (inaccurate) public/media outcry.....

"caused outrage among fans on social media"

That's really not like the NRL to be so reactionary....I'm deadset in shock.

Reacting to the fact that the vast majority of fans were furious over the state of the reffing in that game and they voiced their opinions?
Nah they should never do that. Also, what a terrible point to pick from that article. You quoted who ever wrote it.
“In regards to last Friday’s game, it is my belief that Gerry should have refereed better,” Archer conceded. “As a result he didn’t retain his position as a lead referee.
A quote from the boss of the referees - who when they make the right calls - supports the refs to no end.

Battling OZZY!

Pieman wrote:

Reacting to the fact that the vast majority of fans were furious over the state of the reffing in that game and they voiced their opinions?
Nah they should never do that. Also, what a terrible point to pick from that article. You quoted who ever wrote it.
“In regards to last Friday’s game, it is my belief that Gerry should have refereed better,” Archer conceded. “As a result he didn’t retain his position as a lead referee.
A quote from the boss of the referees - who when they make the right calls - supports the refs to no end.

Battling OZZY!

Of course they shouldn't do that - they should be like the ref's and call it as they see it rather than listen to the majority of people that are predominately biased simpletons like yourself.

Oz Sport Mad wrote:

Of course they shouldn't do that - they should be like the ref's and call it as they see it rather than listen to the majority of people that are predominately biased simpletons like yourself.

So is archer a biased simpleton? Or is he unhappy with how the refs performed?
Because there has been public outcry all year and he has done nothing but support the refs.

Pieman wrote:

So is archer a biased simpleton? Or is he unhappy with how the refs performed?
Because there has been public outcry all year and he has done nothing but support the refs.

It appears he is either a biased simpleton too or he has been pressured by the NRL because it's the finals (also there isn't 8 games to officiate either at the moment).

Oz Sport Mad wrote:

It appears he is either a biased simpleton too or he has been pressured by the NRL because it's the finals (also there isn't 8 games to officiate either at the moment).

Yeah of course mate, nothing to do with the actual reffing. Good point, fair enough hey