And he's not even safe.
Not safe, not a good defender, not a ball player, not fast. Fuck him off
Surely just can’t keep going left, one trick ponies the warriors. Comes off 1 out of 20 times
@mariner4life said in NRL 2025:
And he's not even safe.
Not safe, not a good defender, not a ball player, not fast. Fuck him off
It's bizarre, whilst RTS is wasting away on the wing. You can't create any backdoor plays with CNZ sweeping round the back. RTS gives you about 3 different options coming from there.
And I stand by what I said when the signing was made, AFB is a bigger loss to the Wahs than JFH is a gain. Those 200+ metres each week is not something you can just replace like that and JFH isn't that type of prop, he's a first contact prop who wins collisions, but he doesn't stand up in contact like AFB does and gets you those 5-6 post contact metres which the Wahs were able to get on the front foot and play off it, which was a massive reason why they were successful in 2023. Just my opinion of course and if I'm wrong, so be it, but it was my first thought when the signings happened.
AFB a massive loss and also turns the Sharks in to a genuine premiership side. Huge loss.
We are still a 5 one out runs and a high kick team. With out the players to pull it off
AFB huge loss and also will be why Sharks will go well.
Thought Ali L was very good in a beaten side if I am looking for positives as well as the guys mentioned above.
Spine was woeful, also no one pushing up with Egan, only going left, no injection at all from the back, it was one of the worst displays I’ve seen.
Only reason spine looked ok against a depleted Storm was because CNK was replaced by TMM. I’m going against the RTS grain here by saying TMM at fullback may suit this team structure. Wouldn’t work for most teams but he is needed out there. Not so sure just replacing CHT stops the rot. Anyway just a rant
The woeful Warriors are back for 2025!
I commend their supporters who turn up each week to see that rubbish.
Can Penrith just fuck off??
They've win 4 in a row and they turn up week 1 and play like this??
They just do everything well, and full energy all the time. Linespeed. Kick chase. Everything is flat out all the time.
Funny sort of game that Panthers Sharks one. It felt like Penrith were instructed to entertain, hence some very uncharacteristic offloads, 50/50 passes (especially by Edwards), early unnecessary kicks, stuff you wouldn't usually see from them, but being in Vegas game me the impression that they were encouraged to entertain a bit.
Easily the best game of the Vegas carnival, great comeback from Cronulla too, just couldn't quite get over the line.
I imagine Webster will roll the same team out next week, no coach is making wholesale changes week 2.
But holy shit something needs to be done in the spine. And what have we been doing all summer? There was very little movement, we weren't in synch, it was yuck.
Rumour was Boyd was in halves with Metcalf before injury, so maybe he does that. It doesn’t necessarily change the lack of direction and inability to be more direct though. The whole spine was doing different things. A shit show. Going to be a long season if more of the same.
At least Webby looked upset after that loss for a change.
Typical tough Wayne Bennett coached Souths side without their 2 best players and their Winger Tyrone Munro going off at halftime grinding their way to a gritty win.
If Bennett weren't there, Souths would be my spoon favourites, but he knows how to get any side put infront of him fighting.
Cowboys forwards as tough as Alfred, ran out of gas before starting. In saying that don’t be surprised if Manly touch up the warriors next week too.
Brutal game between Dragons and Bulldogs, lots of barely legal defence leading the way. Bulldogs will be tough to beat. Dragons probably win that if they were playing a bottom four team
lol warriors say we want first shot at spoon, roosters say hold my beer, cowboys say no we got it, and then in walk the eels…
Welcome to first grade coaching Jason Ryles, the best assistant coach the world has seen.
In all seriousness, it'll take time, but man, they looked reserve grade standard yesterday.
Round 1 Wrap
Wahs? Dogshit. Raiders? not bad. Ricky looks to have let the young guys off the leash
Penrith will not die. Sharks have an inferiority complex they need to overcome
Broncos look tasty. Madge has them fit, and committed on defense. They will play harder teams than this Roosters outfit, but that's a big start. They have elite middles which makes everything easier. Haas is terrifying, and moving Carrigan to prop was a great move.
The Tigers tried, but still failed. Shit game of two average sides.
The late game wasn't much better. Is there anything more guaranteed than a Wayne Bennett coached side winning a game they are supposed to lose?
Dragons staged a late but largely meaningless comeback against the Bulldogs. But the effort made the call of them being favourites for the spoon look ridiculous. Dogs looked pretty good getting out to that lead.
Why is Mariner not allowed nice things? The Cowboys, in a crowded field, came up with the worst effort of the weekend. They fucking SUCKED! and Manly tore them apart. NQ looked completely unprepared in another piece of evidence that Payton is a shit coach. Manly were fucking good, with Turbo running free, and DCE arguably the best player of the weekend.
Melbourne v Eels was what happens when premiership favourites play a NSW-Cup team. That Eels side is shit, those that are there look like they are just there for a pay cheque, and Ryles is probably wondering what he has done. Melbourne were hot though. Papi looks fit and fast, Munster looks dialed in, and they just tore the Eels to bits.
Round 1 showed there are some really good teams (Penrith, Brisbane, Melbourne, and i guess the Sharks) which most already picked for the top 4. On the other hand there are some shit teams. Teams with no talent (Eels, Warriors), teams with holes (Roosters) or teams with no heart (Cowboys). Two of the shit teams have already been eliminated from premiership contention, it will happen to a couple more soon.
@mariner4life lol great analysis. Arguably the biggest gulf in class/effort between a few teams we have seen in a couple of years.
Just on the warriors, they generally fail when they have to aim up in big games and if Vegas wasn’t enough, then the official farewell to Tohu will send panic through the team. But I do expect them to start physical but ultimately get beaten by a much classier team.
interesting round after what was a pretty lop-sided start.
Knights v Dolphins won't have much in it tonight you wouldn't think
We're hosting Manly and by rights should get pumped, but i don't trust Manly, and just sometimes we get all hyped up and win when we're not supposed to
Panthers were pretty good in Vegas while the Roosters were dogshit. How much does the travel affect Penrith and was the Roosters game an anomaly?
Dragons fought hard last week, and the Bunnies got an unexpected win. Could go either way
Jeremiah Nanai is the only big name to pay the price for some shit performances last weekend. Surely the Cowboys can't be that inept again? Sharks lost but showed a bit first up.
Broncos looked shit hot, but the Roosters were terrible. Ricky's Raiders looked good too. Should be a good game in the Capital.
Spoonbowl take 1! Eels v Tigers. Tigers were pretty average week 1. Yet the Eels were even worse, and they've had quite the week, with Moses confirmed out for a while, and Brown walking at the end of the year. But they are playing the Tigers...
And finally the bulldogs who looked solid week 1 get the Titans in their first hit out for the year, a team most expect to be deep in the Spoon fight. Des Hasler has to show early he can actually still coach, and not just have a gorgeous mane of hair the envy of many younger men.
It's got so dire in Warriors land that not only has Webster already lost a lot of his good will with the fan base, some are so desperate that they are keen to get Payten back when the Cowboys fire him in June. Todd Payten is a shit coach, and this would be an awful idea.
How about we don't fire the coach (it's not like there are upgrades just floating around waiting for a job) but may try something different? Lets stop buying old kiwis looking for a final contract just because they are kiwis? How about we stop buying treadmill journeymen that other clubs are happy to give up just because we feel we have no other option. With the Warriors' history i could easily see them throwing $800k at the Cheese because he ticks a few of those boxes and comes from the Storm via the Roosters.
Change the tact, focus on youth (there has to be talent out there we can steal and develop) with a few hardened professionals to show them how to be first graders (Fish is a great buy in this instance) and see how that goes.
I would also fire all the assistants who never get any scrutiny but seem to hang on season after season (looking at you Stacey)
@mariner4life said in NRL 2025:
It's got so dire in Warriors land that not only has Webster already lost a lot of his good will with the fan base, some are so desperate that they are keen to get Payten back when the Cowboys fire him in June. Todd Payten is a shit coach, and this would be an awful idea.
How about we don't fire the coach (it's not like there are upgrades just floating around waiting for a job) but may try something different? Lets stop buying old kiwis looking for a final contract just because they are kiwis? How about we stop buying treadmill journeymen that other clubs are happy to give up just because we feel we have no other option. With the Warriors' history i could easily see them throwing $800k at the Cheese because he ticks a few of those boxes and comes from the Storm via the Roosters.
Change the tact, focus on youth (there has to be talent out there we can steal and develop) with a few hardened professionals to show them how to be first graders (Fish is a great buy in this instance) and see how that goes.
I would also fire all the assistants who never get any scrutiny but seem to hang on season after season (looking at you Stacey)
Some of our best teams were built this way, I don't know why we don't focus more on youth. Or have the Aussies pilfered all the best quality? I know there is a national grass roots system that the warriors run, so where are the quality young prospects?
Kalyn Ponga is very good at football. The Knights were excellent last night, but there are already danger signs at the Dolphins, their attack looks very ordinary
Webby doesnt have to change much to get his base back. Hell I suspect we can still lose and the base stays. Some small changes like stop pin holing sixes into seven jerseys, put our best fullback at fullback and FFS give your bench of great youngsters (who have come though or system) some minutes. Demetric and Leka are fking wrecking balls, let them loose.
Most would be ok with this Im sure.
@mariner4life said in NRL 2025:
Kalyn Ponga is very good at football. The Knights were excellent last night, but there are already danger signs at the Dolphins, their attack looks very ordinary
has the Wayne has gone factor already set in? I hope for the dolphins no
@mariner4life said in NRL 2025:
Kalyn Ponga is very good at football. The Knights were excellent last night, but there are already danger signs at the Dolphins, their attack looks very ordinary
Dolphins edge defence was a mess last night, Averillo especially. The bad weather back home been affecting them perhaps?
I think they'll come right. There's enough out their in their spine to get things right.