*Official* NRL 2011 Season thread

[Burgey]

Went to the "battle of the west" last night and I gotta say I DWTA pretty strongly now. Parra took us to the cleaners. Only a trial, and we looked terrible with several players out but your mob looked fit, fast and enthusiastic. Great defensive line speed, in fact great defense all round. Still need a halfback and 5/8 obv, but it ended up 30-0 and Hayne was invisible.

Won't win the comp, but I doubt you'll get the spoon now.

Good man. I'll keep jinxing them all the way!!

 

[Ausage]

Also this might have been assumed but I'm more than happy to run the tipping again this year. I'll post the first round of games up in a while.

Only 9 days to go folks.

 

[morgieb]

A lot of the league posters are no longer active (e.g. Simon), so it's not that hard to understand.

 

[Burgey]

John Elias again! The man is a genius. In everything up to his ears.

Aussie larrakin.

 

[Craig]

Could Ryan Tandy be any more of a **** wit?

 

[howardj]

The NRL website is dark and gloomy

Just not easy on the eye

 

[Prince EWS]

Thoughts on having a separate thread for tipping? I die inside a little bit every time I see this thread has new posts, decide to open and discover all that's there is a couple of blokes putting their tips in. Drove me insane last year.

 

[howardj]

me too

not nearly enough chat

 

[Ausage]

Thoughts on having a separate thread for tipping? I die inside a little bit every time I see this thread has new posts, decide to open and discover all that's there is a couple of blokes putting their tips in. Drove me insane last year.

Sounds good to me. Will be much easier to keep track of.

Should I create a thread a bit later or can you use your supreme moderating skills to hook me up?

 

[Craig]

I have to say I don't blame Benji for smashing that guys head in. He doeserved it IMO.

 

[Prince EWS]

Sounds good to me. Will be much easier to keep track of.

Should I create a thread a bit later or can you use your supreme moderating skills to hook me up?

I'll move the posts some time tonight.

 

[howardj]

I have to say I don't blame Benji for smashing that guys head in. He doeserved it IMO.

Tis true what he said though - Lockyer is better than Benji

He's got such a swelled head, Benji - obnoxious weed.

 

[Ausage]

Tis true what he said though - Lockyer is better than Benji

He's got such a swelled head, Benji - obnoxious weed.

There's no way that's all he said though. If Benji had it in him to snap at such mild taunts he'd be sent off every other NRL game.

Not great behaviour obviously, but we've all encountered drunken "heroes" looking for nothing but a fight. NRL players must get it tenfold. Throw in some racism and I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a part of me pretty happy to hear he hit the guy.

Also, what kind of man mouths off and provokes a footballer with racism, gets a smack in the mouth and runs to the cops crying and lying about it?

 

[howardj]

Racial Slur Claim in Doubt

I don't have a problem with players getting drunk in public and doing all the stuff that us normal young guys do. However, once you break the law, it's a different story. In my view, you should never raise your fists to another person just because you've been sledged.

 

[Ausage]

Racial Slur Claim in Doubt

I don't have a problem with players getting drunk in public and doing all the stuff that us normal young guys do. However, once you break the law, it's a different story. In my view, you should never raise your fists to another person just because you've been sledged.

Trouble is you can't have it both ways. In the event that this is Benji overreacting to some mild sledging then it's likely being out at 3am drunk on the streets that's the cause of it. You might (rightly) say that many of us have been out on the drink without hitting anybody, but the fact is that a footballer would have a target on their back that none of us have. Doesn't make it right to start fighting, but it's a challenge I don't think any of us can really understand.

I think if you really want to cut down these incidents you have to keep them away from the booze or the streets/pubs. I don't know that that's a fair solution tbh, but we'll keep seeing crap like this until it happens.

The papers atm are basically just going off police reports. The police would only be reporting what the "victim" is alledging. There's a long way to go before we find out what really happened, and as I said I'd be hugely surprised if it was simply "Locky's better than you."

 

[howardj]

I understand what you're saying, but heaps of footy players go out on the town. Not many end up facing assault charges. It's a big thing to be charged with assault; to whack a fellow human being.

 

[Craig]

Benji should hire Burgey to represent him IMO.

 

[Burgey]

Benji should hire Burgey to represent him IMO.

Less for cash too.

 

[Ausage]

Anyway picking an upset is always fun, so this week I'm picking the Sharks to beat the Raiders.

Sharks for mine have one of the few packs that can match it with the Raiders. Snowden and Douglas are probably shaded by TLL & Shillington, but Smith/Gallen/Tupou is a stronger backline than Picker/Harrison/Fensom. I'd rate the Raider's bench over the Sharks, but Gallen and Smith will get through a ton of work, so I see the Sharks bench of slightly less imporance than other teams.

Raiders have the stronger outside backs, but there's a question mark for me over how Orford will go. The guy hasn't played NRL since 09, so I see him needing time to settle back in initially. I'm really looking forward to watching Wade Graham this year. He never really got the chance he deserved at Penrith, but he always showed promise when he got an opportunity. With time in the 7, behind a good pack who should generate him plenty of space he should be able to get quality ball to his backs. I reckon he'll go well.

Raiders are at home, but the Sharks have a decent record down there.

Only one more day left

 

[Prince EWS]

Orford actually in doubt with injury as well. I'm dumped heaps of cash on the Sharks.