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*Official* NRL 2012 Season thread

Ausage

Cricketer Of The Year
All academic as the mighty tigers will make a mess of everyone regardless of system!
You're as good a shout this year as anyone tbh. Your starting backrow is terrifying. Big questions are on the fullback (I hear good things about Tedesco though), consistency and whether or not Reddy and Tuquiri come back the same players. Injury to Benji will crush you obv but you could say that about many teams.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
You're as good a shout this year as anyone tbh. Your starting backrow is terrifying. Big questions are on the fullback (I hear good things about Tedesco though), consistency and whether or not Reddy and Tuquiri come back the same players. Injury to Benji will crush you obv but you could say that about many teams.
The consistency of the team should be greatly improved by:
- not having someone with even less balanced structural nous than Marshall (which I barely thought was possible until Lui was found) to partner him
- actually having a proper set of middle third forwards

On the subject of both my second point there and the back row you mentioned in your post, though - if Sheens plays Heighington up the middle and uses Adam Blair on the fringes I will dead set follow Penrith.
 

Ausage

Cricketer Of The Year
The consistency of the team should be greatly improved by:
- not having someone with even less balanced structural nous than Marshall (which I barely thought was possible until Lui was found) to partner him
I thought you didn't rate Moltzen as an organiser though. Or is the plan that he goes to fb with a young bloke coming through in the 7?

The consistency issue has a bit to do with level of Benji's influence too. That's the downside of having a guy like that as your dominant player. He is a guy that can fail to fire on occassion and the team, particularly his halves partner, looks lost when that happens. I guess that's when you need a steady hand in the 7 eh.

On the subject of both my second point there and the back row you mentioned in your post, though - if Sheens plays Heighington up the middle and uses Adam Blair on the fringes I will dead set follow Penrith.
:wub:

Your man Walsh signed for another couple of years earlier in the week. Really looking forward to watching him under Cleary. It looks like Flash has come back from his ACL the same player and I reckon Burns will be ousted by Austin (the kid looks absolutely gun) or Seijka at some point this year. We could be a bigger threat than most people are crediting.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
I thought you didn't rate Moltzen as an organiser though. Or is the plan that he goes to fb with a young bloke coming through in the 7?

The consistency issue has a bit to do with level of Benji's influence too. That's the downside of having a guy like that as your dominant player. He is a guy that can fail to fire on occassion and the team, particularly his halves partner, looks lost when that happens. I guess that's when you need a steady hand in the 7 eh.



:wub:

Your man Walsh signed for another couple of years earlier in the week. Really looking forward to watching him under Cleary. It looks like Flash has come back from his ACL the same player and I reckon Burns will be ousted by Austin (the kid looks absolutely gun) or Seijka at some point this year. We could be a bigger threat than most people are crediting.
I don't really rate Moltzen particularly highly as an organiser, but he's certainly a better organiser than Lui who himself is an even worse organiser than Marshall. Lui is not a bad player but he is a specialist five-eighth IMO. Moltzen himself would be best used at five-eighth but he does an adequate enough job at halfback and fullback. I'd rather give Miller a crack personally but it's unlikely to happen; Moltzen will be an improvement.
 

Julian87

State Captain
Sorry but any system that allows for the possibility of 4 v 5 and 3 v 6 being inconsequential games, is ridiculous.

It's the pointy/exciting end of the season. To have inconsequential games is ridiculous.
But they're not because they used to play before the 7th and 8th places teams did.
 

Ausage

Cricketer Of The Year
Still probably a crap fit for Thurston though.
Only insofar that it ensures that they have two halves that can't tackle.

Is he even going to be first choice up there? I know Cows fans have huge wraps on Thompson.
 

Furball

Evil Scotsman
FAO Brumby - what rights do Sky have this season?

Also, can anyone point me in the direction of a decent RL website? Gonna try and get back into league this year but I hate watching sport and not understanding tactics.
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
Tigers are no chance with that sorry excuse for a front row.
Groat doesn't excite me at all, but Galloway and Woods are very good footballers. I think the Tigers did the right thing in letting go Gibbs and Fifita in order to keep these 2.

sauce best prop in the game
lol, I wouldn't go that far.

Your man Walsh signed for another couple of years earlier in the week. Really looking forward to watching him under Cleary. It looks like Flash has come back from his ACL the same player and I reckon Burns will be ousted by Austin (the kid looks absolutely gun) or Seijka at some point this year. We could be a bigger threat than most people are crediting.
It's difficult with Burns as he was quite good last year. I actually started to almost warm to him as a 6 - previously I thought he played like a backrower or possibly hooker. Austin to me seems more backrow than 6 too. He looked good from what I saw last year though. With Plum out he'll push for a starting spot, but I have a feeling Cameron Ciraldo is going to start in the backrow and do quite well. Seijka could take over from Burns at 6 though if form dictates.

Also, can anyone point me in the direction of a decent RL website? Gonna try and get back into league this year but I hate watching sport and not understanding tactics.
The official site nrl.com is reasonable. foxsports.com.au has a league section and they are normally quite fast at finding news stories. I'm sure others will find their info on other sites.

Who do you go for GF?

Also, I've joined the Dream Team Comp, an 18 character team name always limits my creative name ideas.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
FAO Brumby - what rights do Sky have this season?

Also, can anyone point me in the direction of a decent RL website? Gonna try and get back into league this year but I hate watching sport and not understanding tactics.
Well, now. I thought NRL was coming back onto Sky this year, but it seems I'm mistaken. It's still on Premier Sports (Sky ch 433), which is another stand alone fee channel.

Sky does have the rights to the Anzac test, State of Origin series and the NRL grand final, but not the meat and potatoes of the weekly rounds.

leagueunlimited is pretty good for all things NRL.
 

Furball

Evil Scotsman
The official site nrl.com is reasonable. foxsports.com.au has a league section and they are normally quite fast at finding news stories. I'm sure others will find their info on other sites.

Who do you go for GF?

Also, I've joined the Dream Team Comp, an 18 character team name always limits my creative name ideas.
Don't have a team as such; used to watch a bit of Super League in the late 90s and have started watching it again recently. Was hoping to catch a bit of NRL as Brumby said Sky have the rights, but turns out that probably won't be the case.

So I'll probably end up supporting one of the teams that make the Grand Final. Would definitely back NSW in State of Origin though :p
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Don't have a team as such; used to watch a bit of Super League in the late 90s and have started watching it again recently. Was hoping to catch a bit of NRL as Brumby said Sky have the rights, but turns out that probably won't be the case.

So I'll probably end up supporting one of the teams that make the Grand Final. Would definitely back NSW in State of Origin though :p
WAC.

I'm sure I didn't imagine it's return tho. I've either been sold a pup or got the wrong end of the stick. Anyway, sky does have a magazine-style NRL round up show called NRL Full Time, which is back on March 8th.
 

Ausage

Cricketer Of The Year
It's difficult with Burns as he was quite good last year. I actually started to almost warm to him as a 6 - previously I thought he played like a backrower or possibly hooker. Austin to me seems more backrow than 6 too. He looked good from what I saw last year though. With Plum out he'll push for a starting spot, but I have a feeling Cameron Ciraldo is going to start in the backrow and do quite well. Seijka could take over from Burns at 6 though if form dictates.
Thing with Burns is he does some ridiculously awesome things. The field goal charge down which gave us the win against the Dogs last year is a good example, but he comes up with big plays in defense on guys with 20 kilos on him regularly. Trouble is if Walsh is playing a solely organizing role Burns doesn't provide any creativity, and actually often blunts the attack with poor passes or by running a bad line. Then our only attacking threat comes from Lewis, Gordon or from a kick. Willing to give both the halves a chance though because it's hard to know how much of their faults (in particular Walsh) were down being badly coached.

Not sure what to think about Ciraldo. Has the frame but never impressed me with it at the Knights. Could go either way.

Also, I've joined the Dream Team Comp, an 18 character team name always limits my creative name ideas.
WAG.
 

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