NRL 2019

On a work trip in Victoria this week and we got taken to the game.
AAMI Park is an awesome stadium to watch footy, especially where we were up in the top tier. Felt like we were sitting right above the field.

The Broncos were bad, but Melbourne did strangle the life out of them.

Matt Lodge got booed every time he touched the ball - we had to use google to find out what he’d done. Smashed up a hotel room in the US when he was 18 or 19... There must be more to it to cop such abuse from the crowd. Wonder if the wife beaters and rapists get booed too?

Another thing that you see live but not so much on TV, the blimming ‘water boys’ are right behind the play for the whole set, barking orders and calling plays. It’s like having an extra man on attack. Why is this allowed? It’s fucking rediculous.

All in all a great night out!

@Gunner He assaulted people on a rampage.

@Nepia yeah was just going to add that part in. A fair bit worse that a bender in a hotel room.

@Gunner he actually held people against their will for a short period of time and threatened to kill them.

@Gunner's google must be broken!

@Nepia Australia doing a China with google searches?

@taniwharugby said in NRL 2019:

@Nepia Australia doing a China with google searches?

I'm in Australia and could find the 'actual' story.

I'm not sure about Queensland though, wouldn't put it past those northern bogans.

@raznomore said in NRL 2019:

@Gunner he actually held people against there will for a short period of time and threated to kill them.

As part of a violent home invasion. He avoided gaol by agreeing to compensate the victims - something he hasn't done.

For all Greenberg's handwringing, Lodge should never have been offered another contract.

@Gunner said in NRL 2019:

Another thing that you see live but not so much on TV, the blimming ‘water boys’ are right behind the play for the whole set, barking orders and calling plays. It’s like having an extra man on attack. Why is this allowed? It’s fucking rediculous.

Agree - they do well not to show this on the TV coverage but when you watch a game live its a big WTF are these guys up to. Right involved eh!

Brisbane have the same problem they did last year, a change of coach isn't going to help that. They have a non-entity at hooker, and 2 off-the-cuff running halves with substandard kicking games. Also their fullback is reliable, but old, immobile, and an uninterested tackler (see his "miss" on Bromwich last night).

Melbourne owned the game, but they left too many points out there and it could have cost them against a better side. They will still make it to at least the 2nd last week of the season. Regular as fucking clockwork.

Yea ok, so it was a very quick google search - was trying to watch the game after all.

What a scumbag of the highest order, no wonder they boo him.

Top 25 Warriors. Saw Sam Rapira at #25 and thought either this is a bad list or the Warriors haven't had that many good players.

Rapira was better than Betham.

A mix of solid work horses and try scoring outsides. Lacking in halves and hookers. Says it all really.

I would have had a certain North Queensland aboriginal fullback who went on to play for NZ over Cleary as well

And Steve Price should be way higher.

And Lance Hohaia at 7? Holy shit

@mariner4life said in NRL 2019:

Rapira was better than Betham.

A mix of solid work horses and try scoring outsides. Lacking in halves and hookers. Says it all really.

I would have had a certain North Queensland aboriginal fullback who went on to play for NZ over Cleary as well

And Steve Price should be way higher.

Cleary kicked goals, but Wade McKinnon and Brent Webb were far more dangerous. I'm smelling a TSF top 25 Warriors list!!

@mariner4life said in NRL 2019:

And Lance Hohaia at 7? Holy shit

Should be in the top 3 for sure (sentimental pick but he was a loyal soldier)

@Sneakdefreak said in NRL 2019:

@mariner4life said in NRL 2019:

And Lance Hohaia at 7? Holy shit

Should be in the top 3 for sure (sentimental pick but he was a loyal soldier)

loyal soldier being enough to make you top 3 sums up our franchise.

@mariner4life said in NRL 2019:

@Sneakdefreak said in NRL 2019:

@mariner4life said in NRL 2019:

And Lance Hohaia at 7? Holy shit

Should be in the top 3 for sure (sentimental pick but he was a loyal soldier)

loyal soldier being enough to make you top 3 sums up our franchise.

357 points in 185 games with the club. Started at hooker, standoff and fullback. Two grandfinals. If you're going for top 25 club players he's in the mix (top 25 players of all time than James Maloney might be number one)

On a tough day like today it's nice to see Shaun Johnson & the Sharks lose to the Knights 12-8. That's my happy medicine for today. Plus this gif of Shaq.

@Sneakdefreak said in NRL 2019:

On a tough day like today it's nice to see Shaun Johnson & the Sharks lose to the Knights 12-8. That's my happy medicine for today. Plus this gif of Shaq.

View image

Ah balls, I forgot Johnson was with the Sharks, I would have watched that rather than the first half of Tards v Bumboys. I dislike Newcastle too, but it would have been good to see Johnson and Ponga play.

I thought the Canes v Chiefs was dire at times. This game was 2 all for ages, or at least it felt like ages. Not a particularly great game by SJ.

Great to see the roosters and the sharks lose on the same night

Good to see some things never change. Kata fucks up his first touch and the Warriors so far not getting the rub of the green from the refs.

Warriors rolling at the moment. 16-0 after 30

How’s the new half going?

@Virgil said in NRL 2019:

How’s the new half going?

Good. Score a try after escaping 3 defenders.
3 convos. Kata makes another great pass that results in the new 9 scoring another try. 22-0 near the end of the first half

We look sharp. Good decision making, strong ball carrying and low error rate.

Half time. Wow, not spectacular, but the warriors look great. The forward pack are clicking, and Roach(?) the new look 9 looks like a guy who will ably replace Luke in the future and be highly capable sharing time in 2019. Both wingers have been active, with Maumolo scoring off a pinpoint Blake Green kick and Fusitua batting a bomb down for a Kata score. Very pleasing that the new boys are playing well. I can't believe the new 6 is playing his first NRL game. He has the look of another Aussie underdog taking his chance and running with it. Blake Green has stepped out of Johnson's shadow and his kicking game has been outstanding

28-0 Warriors

Doggies finally score off a Tevaga error. Defense has been otherwise very tight

Let in a try off lost possession, but there was some good scrambling D till the last play. Even Kata looks willing on D!! And I hear he was passing in the first half? Hallelujah!!

Kata scores after beautiful play from Green and RTS. We're carving up

Warriors are pouring it on. No razzle dazzle, just all the basics done well. Green and Kieran look great in the halves. Shaun who?

On track to record their best ever opening round win.
A quick look through the records and it’s obvious the first round is always a big hurdle for them.

And it's over. A thoroughly professional performance by the warriors, how often can you say that?

Playing Kata on the other side is potentially the best bit of coaching of Kearney’s warrior stint.

@raznomore said in NRL 2019:

Playing Kata on the other side is potentially the best bit of coaching of Kearney’s warrior stint.

Apparently it was Stacey's idea. Kata used to play on the right as a junior but hadn't been able to secure the right side spot until now

The league equivalent of zoolander not being able to turn left! Go stacey you genius!

What the hell was that?

@Nepia said in NRL 2019:

What the hell was that?

I think teams like the Melbourne Storm call it a "complete performance".

Perfect win on what was a strange day with the Warriors deciding to go ahead with their game but with extra police around the venue.

The Warriors had to hastily change the programme with a lot of the 25th anniversary celebrations replaced by a minute of silence (could hear a pin drop so kudos to the crowd) and the national anthem. However people didn't know if they were meant to sit or stand for the moment of silence because the announcer forgot to tell people (everyone did in the end).

Onto the game and a number of things noticed from the league-leading Warriors:

• The Warriors are good and a lot fitter than last season. They maintained a high tempo over the 80 minutes.

• The Bulldogs are not that good. They completed their sets but just couldn't break the Warriors defensive line except for one try which was helped by a forward pass several plays prior. Halfback Lachlan Lewis was struggling to hold onto the ball against the rushing defence.

• The big wonder was how Adam Keighran would adapt to the NRL and he will be fine. Took him about 20 minutes to get into the game but his overall kicking game is already better than that of Shaun Johnson (6/7 in field goal plus excellent tactical kicking) and that alone (with his low salary cap hit) makes him a better player for the Warriors going forward.

• The Warriors made good investments in Leeson Ah Mau and Lachlan Burr. Both provide a lot more grit and size to the forward pack which allowed "smaller" forwards like Bunty Afoa to make a bigger impact over the course of the game. That will help against bigger packs like South Sydney and Sydney City.

• Nathaniel Roache still has wheels but he needs to control the play a bit better. Will make a great impact player off the bench once Issac Luke returns.

• Didn't understand Blake Ayshford's inclusion on the bench and no doubt he will be replaced by Isaiah Papali'i next week.

• Kieran Foran has a shit haircut.