@antipodean Go the Green Machine! I might even watch the GF if they make it. Otherwise I hope the Storm wins.
@Gunner That's just silly when it comes to Matulino, he was mucked around from day 1 by Crappy who started him of the bench for barely any minutes in the first game and then played him into the ground for the next few in a row. Even in a shit year for him personally he was still statistically one of the best forwards for the Warriors.
If Matulino goes somewhere else he'll most likely get used properly and carve up, so maybe that would work out best for him. Or maybe Kearney will just use him correctly.
Rather keep Matulino than sign Foran. He does a lot of the engine-room work (and the stats back him up). But these rumours make me think the Warriors are exploring the option.
Yeah don't want Matulino going anywhere without a chance to do well under Kearny. He was used in all sorts of roles this year and we definitely didn't see his best
CONFIRMED: Foran signs with Warriors for 2017 season.
I'm happy as larry that Foran has signed - I might stay on the rollercoaster a bit longer next year.
In less happy Warriors news - on NRL 360 tonight they said that Toovey went for the Warriors coaching job. So they had a choice of Cleary, Toovey and Kearney ... and they went for Kearney. WTF.
@Nepia Kearney and Cleary know the club and the players know them. Tbh most players in today's NRL don't remember the Geoff Toovey I remember (my favourite player from the 90s) and think he's the guy who got run out of his own club. Came down to Kearney and Cleary and they chose Kearney. Live with it.
The Foran deal is cool plus I think Lolohea will stay HOWEVER there are still obstacles in the way of the Foran signing becoming official and it has a lot to do with Parramatta and the Sydney Cartel. I wrote before that I doubt Foran plays many games for the Warriors in 2017 (I knew he would sign with us) and I think that will still be the case. Will be stunned if he plays more than five games for us.
And in absolutely shocking and unexpected news, reports of Greg Bird getting into a Pub incident....
@Nepia said in The NRL Season of 2016:
In less happy Warriors news - on NRL 360 tonight they said that Toovey went for the Warriors coaching job. So they had a choice of Cleary, Toovey and Kearney ... and they went for Kearney. WTF.
That's ridiculous! There needs to be some sort of investigation!
In this instance getting Kearny makes me more optimistic that Foran might turn himself around. They have a longstanding relationship and I can't recall if Foran was a Toovey supporter or not.
Heard this morning that Kearny is credited with improving the Bronco's defense and the Warriors need that (and a better attitude) more than anything. SJ and Foran are a good combo and with Leuluai leaving we are gagging for a good defender in the halves. Not to mention someone who knows how to drive forwards around the park.
Just hope Foran can shake the black dog and maybe a new scene will snap him out of some of the iffy stuff he's been involved in. Haven't heard if his family is coming to NZ also. Not even sure if they are reconciled?
Cleary would have been my second pick after Kearny - I loved Toovey as a player but pretty meh on him as a coach.
@ACT-Crusader said in The NRL Season of 2016:
And in absolutely shocking and unexpected news, reports of Greg Bird getting into a Pub incident....
Look, Greg Bird is, among a sea of complete grubs, the king of the grubs. The pinnacle. On field niggler and cheap shot merchant, with a big mouth. Off field grub with a very poor past (to say the least) and probably the most unsavoury incident of all. It's fair to say I'm not a fan.
BUT
In this case, it smells of a beat up. He's under investigation for 2 incidents on a bucks weekend for another Titans player. The first apparently doesn't even involve him, he was breaking it up, and there was no real trouble.
The 2nd he was pissed, asked to leave, obviously arced up, but was escorted from the place by Ryan James, not carried out by bouncers throwing hands.
It's the fucking offseason, these blokes work hard all year, surely they can get a bit pissy in the offseason without the fucking Integrity Unit (what a fucking joke) getting involved every time some piston wristed gibbon at the pub rings a paper and says "I saw Greg Bird pissed in the pub being a fuckwit"? Jesus if i was an NRL player i would leave the fucking country the day we got knocked out of the comp (although even that won't save you thanks to video cameras on phones; social media; and the willingness of people to ignore the "what goes on tour" rules).
oh, and fuck Geoff Toovey. The hiring of either he or that other dour fuckwit from Manly Des Hasler would end my Warriors following days for good.
@Sneakdefreak said in The NRL Season of 2016:
@Nepia Kearney and Cleary know the club and the players know them. Tbh most players in today's NRL don't remember the Geoff Toovey I remember (my favourite player from the 90s) and think he's the guy who got run out of his own club. Came down to Kearney and Cleary and they chose Kearney. Live with it.
The Foran deal is cool plus I think Lolohea will stay HOWEVER there are still obstacles in the way of the Foran signing becoming official and it has a lot to do with Parramatta and the Sydney Cartel. I wrote before that I doubt Foran plays many games for the Warriors in 2017 (I knew he would sign with us) and I think that will still be the case. Will be stunned if he plays more than five games for us.
Calm down the drama - I've lived with Cappy for 3 years so Kearney is still an improvement. 
At the risk of offending some very specific Cleary fans - I kind of feel like going back there would be like locking yourself into a B+ coach.
On the plus side it is a huge improvement on McFadden, but on the other hand much like Elliott he is such a known commodity you know exactly what you are going to get and I just don't see the potential for Cleary to get over the hump an enter that echelon of being a top tier coach.
Kearny on the other hand - he is enough of a wildcard with such a unique background where he could be range anywhere from a C to an A+ - plus he is a Kiwi so if he does hit that Bennett/Bellamy echelon then there is a better chance he may stick around.
I'd always rather keep rolling the dice looking for the coach of a generation than settle for the 8th best coach in the league.
Maybe it's too much following the ABs - but when you hear Cleary and Kearny both went for the gig part of me though - why can't Watson open up the cheque book get both for next year - in the case of Cleary at least until another option came up.
@mariner4life We could have lost Tui even without Foran after this year.
I'm in no way a fan of the Sharks and all those grubs, but I'm not disappointed to see the Cowboys not there again.
Here's hoping the Raiders can do the business tomorrow.
Words can not express how hard i will be cheering for the winner of tomorrow's prelim in the GF next week.
Even a Ricky Stuart win is better than a Gallen/Ennis/Fifita/Maloney/Flanagan win
#anyoneonebutthesharks
Im going to the game tonight ,
Not confident , alot of league fans may not realize this , but the Raiders have probably taken the mantle off the Warriors as the Storms bogey side ,
Not only did they win the only game this year , they have won the last 3 out of 4 trips to AAMI park.
If the Raiders get off to a fast start Storm could be in trouble having to play catch up, but if the scores are close , Ill back the Storm to close it out.
I'm no fan of Stuart and I like watching teams from Canberra lose, but I like the football they've been playing.
Great struggle between Melbourne and Canberra. Raiders fullback Wrighton just got sinbinned. Maaatttee.
Storm score now 12-6. A brawl is gonna break out in this one and that grub BJ Leilua will probably be involved.
Storm win. Can't believe I'm saying this but I'm happy they won cause the Raiders are even bigger grubs. And a few of the Raiders appear to be on roids. Plus they have Ricky Stuart coaching them. Good job fluffybunnys.
@Sneakdefreak said in The NRL Season of 2016:
Great struggle between Melbourne and Canberra. Raiders fullback Wrighton just got sinbinned. Maaatttee.
Sinbinned?
In a loigue semi final?
He must have farted near the ref?
Cant think of any other reason they'd even consider binning someone in regular season game, let alone the semi final of the toughest league on the planet.
All the hype through the week will be around the Sharks , never won a flag , long suffering supporters etc etc
Storm will be allowed to fly under the radar a bit more and go about their business as usual .
How the Sharks deal and handle that pressure and expectation could go along way in deciding it .
@Smudge said in The NRL Season of 2016:
Super-Grubs vs Book-Cookers in the final. Who to support, who to support . . .
It's a good point. I could have maybe watched the Raiders go around against the Sharks. But now? Fuck that
@Smudge said in The NRL Season of 2016:
Super-Grubs vs Book-Cookers in the final. Who to support, who to support . . .
They're all book cookers, it just depends on whether they get caught.
Such is my waning interest I have for the first time in forever not watched a single minute of the finals.
I will probs watch next week but could not give a shit who wins.
@Gunner said in The NRL Season of 2016:
@Sneakdefreak said in The NRL Season of 2016:
Great struggle between Melbourne and Canberra. Raiders fullback Wrighton just got sinbinned. Maaatttee.
Sinbinned?
In a loigue semi final?He must have farted near the ref?
Cant think of any other reason they'd even consider binning someone in regular season game, let alone the semi final of the toughest league on the planet.
It was a dirty game , surprised that was the only sinbinning tbh. Wrighton pulled down Koroibate to slow down the Storm who were about to score a try. I thought their hooker would go too when he did the same.
If available the Kiwis wings for 4N should be Vunivalu and Rapana. Both were beasts in that game.
@Sneakdefreak Vunivalu probably shouldn't be eligible, but better his time spent in NZ makes him eligible for us than him wind up playing for Oz.
Rapana definitely, unless his playing for the Cooks rules him out. He should have been in the ANZAC test so I'm wondering it it does?
@Razbra That was the first full NRL game I've watched in years. Even though I'm a Raiders fan it is hard to warm to that lot. They're not a patch on the team from the 1990s.
Anyone else get the impression that the Fox comms were willing the Raiders to win? Canberra were more cynical at slowing down the play-the-ball than Melbourne but only one team was criticised for it.
I'm cheering for the Storm and the KIwi boys. I want Gallen to lose again to a Smith-led team.