NRL 2024

I saw the last 2 and a bit minutes of this game as it was on the big screen in the lounge as I was leaving the Blues match. Couldn't bring myself to watch the replay which was my original intention. Even all the Kiwis in there were cheering that try (not the result).

But, as spectacular as it is, the Warriors let the Storm go in twice in that time. That's the Warriors of old.

Ever the Warriors pessimist, despite how close the score was, I think the wheels are coming off the biggest hype train in NZ sport.

@kiwiinmelb said in NRL 2024:

The tactic of continually kicking to Coates was an interesting one given his reputation of being elite under the high ball , had to be to reduce his involvement by tackling him early .

And he was having a relatively quiet game , then scores that try which was the biggest moment of the game

That has to be the most spectacular try of that type from a winger ive seen , he got so much air

The hit by DWZ propelled him higher than the height he got on the leap.
Was a sweet finish.

@antipodean Benji took no part in pre season with them. That sort of stuff is beneath him.

i hate footy

What I have learnt from NRL over the weekend.

Hoodoos are hoodoos, dont hope.

Either the Titans without D.Fif, J.C and KF are truly woeful, or the Tigers may just have some competition on their hands for the spoon from the Dragons after all.

Raiders might be a bit better than I predicted

If we are still chasing a prop, then throw the book at T May. Big minutes, big numbers, looking for a club. Already rank him in top handful of props

Saturday was crazy.
The cowboys made very very hard work of beating the Knights. Val Holmes had probably his worst game of rugby league ever. The cows butchered opportunity after opportunity, the Knights kept turning up and making tackles. Probably the right result in the end, but neither team will be happy. The Cowboys need to get rid of Granville and Feldt and maybe even the Chad.
Then fucking Melbourne happens. The game starts, we let the kick go out, and it looks for all money like 40-0 is on the cars. We then turn it around, but Melbourne still do better stuff. The set before Meaney's long range effort was our best of the year, then one late offload and they go 70m. And still we come back. We're up 8 points with 4 to play. We are fucking home! Wait, no, we're not, wrong house. Fuck Melbourne.

Rest of the weekend? Manly are good, and probably should have won by more. The Roosters are absolutely stacked but are dumb as fuck. Lol at the Dragons, which may mean the Titans are Q-Cup level. Benji is going to look 60 by the end of the season. Why? Why take this job? Penrith bounce back, and the eels are still not really good enough. The Raiders have been gifted a nice easy start to the year, and get us next.

The battle for the spoon will be epic by the look of it.

Warriors game was tough, started like a traditional lay down misère and then we came back hard. Looked to have done enough and somehow still lost to a piece of brilliance.

Eels right in it until injuries stuffed them and Tago the line break beast teared them apart.

Brooks adding a lot at six for Manly, missed a couple, but general play with DCE was very good

@bayimports said in NRL 2024:

Brooks adding a lot at six for Manly, missed a couple, but general play with DCE was very good

he was the better half yesterday, early days but that's looking like a very solid combination

They've only played one game but Tigers are destined for the bottom 2 again this season. Titans looked horrible against the Dragons the week before and Bulldogs have too many utilities and ex Panthers players who are their for the money.

Seriously, how good are Manly looking?! Their pack is owning their opposition so far, Brooks has been brilliant running the left edge with DCE doing the rest with Turbo, Brown has been a good addition adding starch from the bench, their centres look very good with Saab to still come back, seriously, they look like the 3rd best side currently. Their balance in the side is very good.

fun start to the round

GF rematch tonight with the Broncs travelling to Penrith
Warriors the early Friday game
The current media whipping boys Souths play against the Roosters.

Souths have started 0-2 without ever being out of either game. The coach has responded by dropping their young halfback, and, if rumours are to be believed, pushing cook to a bench role.
Both are paying the price for an underperforming pack, a team playing too laterally (except the 5 mins they tore Brisbane up through the middle last week), key injuries, and some other guys with bigger names playing poorly.
I half expect them to smack the Roosters tomorrow, but they do have some absolute plodders starting at the moment

Broncos without Haas and Reynolds too. Broncos young team was exceptional last year when big names were out and will likely hold their own, but think Penrith will probably take this one.

Souths not the only 0-2 side who has been right in it this week, coaches reacting differently in both games. Actually I understand but don't agree with Ilias dropping, his skills and execution last week were also below par. But half backs have bad days, dropping them rarely helps them. The Cook demotion will be interesting, but will the rest of the pack stand up?
Roosters going ok, I believe no Keary so lets see if it changes their shape too much.

The other 0-2 side who has been right in it, is the Warriors. To be fair probably unlucky not to win both games. Tricky fixture, Raiders playing well and always trouble us. One you should win, but could easily banana skin on, if you lose your confidence which could happen given the previous results.

the last 3 minutes last week will be soul destroying so we will see how Webby handles it i guess.

Egan back for the Warriors is the biggest in of the weekend.

Funnily enough the quality of the Storm try means no one is talking about us. Newcastle are back in the gun, AOB back as favourite for first coach sacked, and their recruitment over the last 12-18 months looking awful as they've bought a bunch of guys they can no longer fit in the team. And they've got Melbourne this week.

Bulldogs v Titans has epic cripple fight written all over it.

I know Egan is named, but I am not convinced he is available yet. The difference he adds is significant, AFB goes into beast mode when he plays.

Newcastle have a confused spine and now potentially a half back who wont play reggies because of the AOB decision. Nor have they really resolved the left edge hole left by Fitzgibbon. The guy wasn't the greatest second rower, but could really hit a hole. KPP or Lucas haven't really stood up yet and now they are without Marzhew this week as well.

Jason Demetriou also enters the chat for first coach sacked, but the quality of his team should allow him to escape that.

On the Storm what is happening with NAS?, rumours are Bellamy wants him out, penalty magnet for sure, but a massive unit

I still think the Bulldogs are not that bad, the first 60 minutes were tough from them, and then they gave up. They are tougher than last years version I think. Gold Coast have a lot to prove though..Will be the most likely game I skip this week lol

I still can't believe the money the Tigers have given Luai. He is not the guy to put your club on his back

Fuuuuck

No one is beating the fluffybunnies

And this team is chock full of little fluffybunnies full of mouth because they never fucking lose

I fucking hate Penrith

@mariner4life Not much else they could do in fairness to them. They simply can't attract players there and when you have to fill 95% of your salary cap, they don't have much else they can do.

The Dogs recruitment on the other hand....

The chin in overdrive!

@bayimports said in NRL 2024:

The chin in overdrive!

The dick riding from the commentators was nauseating

I watched the first half on 9 and I thought John's was bad

But jesus Ennis wanted to gob him off

Yeah they don’t hold back their love..

If anything given Walsh’s early exit, makes for a great rematch later

I wouldn't worry too much if I were Brisbane with all the reshuffling that went on. About of the tries went through Piakura defending out of position.

FYI Egan out

fuck!

gee what a surprise, Walsh's face is fractured, he has to drive back to Brisbane, and he'll be out for a fair while.

May not charged for the collision.

Two Panthers opponents in two weeks get their faces caved in for a grant total of zero weeks suspension.

Yes, this was a head clash, and i'm pretty big on footy accidents happen. But May sort of launched himself forward in a motion that even if he didn't crush his head, would have resulted in nothing more than a shoulder-charge. I'm a little surprised it's been chucked straight out.

For me (trying to look at it through league and not my rugby eyes) it was a complete accident, however if you blow a penalty for it, then surely something greater occurs and should have been at least put on report and reviewed later.

I don't buy into Penrith being a protected species, but putting on my warriors jersey for a second, I think if it was a warrior we would be asking if 2-4 weeks was appropriate

it was on report. report dismissed

wow, yeah find that hard to believe, will be interesting to see how the ref boss justifies this

Dylan Walker out too.. watch out for that banana skin

yeah this is now outside banana skin territory, i have the Raiders as favourites

+8.5 Canberra @ 1.85 looking good to me as well

The lack of footy nouse from the Warriors is astounding. Plenty of effort but very little brain.

Two big opportunities failed to be converted, shame they look so good in full flight. Conversely Raiders just grind shit out so well. If this comes down to a a small margin, im not sure we tough this out especially with no AFB.

DWZ was a journeyman fullback, seriously one of the most complete wingers in the game, good on him for that change, amazing

Big second half incoming

Warriors attack not really clicking at all.

AFB back at least

Surprised no kick for goal in penalties, might come back to haunt them

@Stag said in NRL 2024:

The lack of footy nouse from the Warriors is astounding. Plenty of effort but very little brain.

`yup, butchered two certain tries by simply not passing the ball. luckily they got 1 soon after the first miss

Don’t have a great feeling about this, we’ve wasted our chances, and we’re giving them plenty…

As I type, Canberra hit the front

sigh

oh dear............

whewwwwwwww that was bloody lucky

They are finding a way, but Ford is a ball of energy with the brain of a flea isn’t he?