NRL 2025

Good to read this thread and have my thoughts about Samoa getting away with stuff be echoed by others. I couldn't complain too much at the ground because I was surrounded by Samoans.

Worrying first half but was awesome once we got cooking in the second half. I think that's the best I've seen Nikora play, and Papali'i was on fire as well. I think Whyte is my new favourite league player (I haven't had one since Bromwich retired), he just gets stuck in and keeps going. Kini seemed to be getting hit a lot at the ground, but looks like he was creating space, I do wonder if Mulitalo's injury saved our campaign, in saying that CNK seemed like he was going ok but will have to check when I watch a replay.

Luai burnt his team with his Hollywood at the end of the second half, as it meant that their similar shots started getting noticed. Definitely seemed like the ref was squaring up the ledger in the second half but the TMO 50/50 seemed to go our way.

Atmosphere was pretty good, probably more Kiwi fans there than it looked on tv. But, the day was completely geared towards Samoa. Supposed to be a neutral ground for a final, but the organisers decided it was a Samoan home final. The ground announcer was Samoan, and he wouldn't shut the fuck up all game, even the Samoan fans were over him, he did slip in the odd Kiwi song (E papa, Tutira mai nga iwi), and the half time entertainment was all Samoan.

Many of the Samoan fans sitting in my area were embarrassed with the booing during the haka.

Anyway, capped of a good day of Black results.

Courier mail spreading rumours the warriors making a play for NAS.
My first gut reaction was WTF?!
My next thought was, who else is leaving? As we have 30.
Hoping this one not true

@bayimports said in NRL 2025:

Courier mail spreading rumours the warriors making a play for NAS.
My first gut reaction was WTF?!
My next thought was, who else is leaving? As we have 30.
Hoping this one not true

I thought a few of our 30 have been given permission to check out the market.

I don't mind NAS, he's a NZer and everyone knows my feelings about one of the guys we have playing prop, plus we don't make the grand final so we don't have to worry about him being suspended for it.

@Nepia said in NRL 2025:

@bayimports said in NRL 2025:

Courier mail spreading rumours the warriors making a play for NAS.
My first gut reaction was WTF?!
My next thought was, who else is leaving? As we have 30.
Hoping this one not true

I thought a few of our 30 have been given permission to check out the market.

I don't mind NAS, he's a NZer and everyone knows my feelings about one of the guys we have playing prop, plus we don't make the grand final so we don't have to worry about him being suspended for it.

Right now he gets penalized even for doing nothing wrong because of who he is, changing the refs view is also hard.

I believe they are still contracted for 2026, but yes as of Nov 1 can look for 2027.

This would mean one goes early unless its someone else. Dont mind if on a massive discount and if Webby can turn him around like Barney, big ask though and for me depends on who he replaces..

Hiring that stupid grubby slow slug might be enough to turn me off.

We don't need him. JFH is there to bring the new boys in the forwards on. No more expensive vets ready to mail it in

The ARL Commission allowing those boys to play Origin and for the Islands is the best thing that ever happened to International Rugby League.

Having someone like Haas, a first pick Origin and Kangaroos player, play for Samoa whilst still in his prime is going to mean others will follow now and for years to come.

@ACT-Crusader said in NRL 2025:

Having someone like Haas, a first pick Origin and Kangaroos player, play for Samoa whilst still in his prime is going to mean others will follow now and for years to come.

I thought the competition was a huge success

Samoa get to add Hammer next year as well.

We have a few guys coming back to, Hughes was a big loss

@canefan said in NRL 2025:

We have a few guys coming back to, Hughes was a big loss

Yeah Hughes and JMK will make a big difference, we just have to hope players aren't rubbed out via injury and suspension come RLWC time. The Origin eligibility might have changed by then too, so we'll have some depth at fullback.

Hughes and Brown in the halves, yes please. And I was a little harsh on Foran even though he could barely run or take the ball to the line, he marshalled a few good plays for us. Plus he’s an active talker out there which was important particularly for some of our younger boys.

@ACT-Crusader I agree on Foran. I had my doubts with him, but he organised & did the basics well, and his kicking game was mostly on point. Just what you want from your veteran half.

@Nepia pretty good insight. We hardly ever hear the ‘why’ directly from the players like this.

The Parramatta Eels can confirm that Zac Lomax has been granted an immediate release from his playing contract to pursue opportunities outside the NRL.

Interesting interview i heard with the Eels' head of football this morning. Decision was by mutual agreement. Appears Lomax wouldn't commit, so Ryles and Co did not take the risk, and moved him on early to provide a bit of surety, and time to fix the hole created.

It was an impressive interview actually, seems the Eels are very aligned at the moment, and while R360 is obviously a factor, i think there was more to it, including around where Zac plays every week.

The league forum I'm on is melting down over R360, I find it weird that the most traffic about the comp is on a league forum as opposed to rugby forums. Obviously this is just the forums I'm involved in, but I thought there'd be way more discussion of rugby players who might be going.

As it stands it looks to be a comp played in cities with no real rugby history and with a bunch of league players.

lol the one that I tend to visit has barely raised an eyebrow.. now if Haas goes I suspect that might change. Most acknowledge the challenge and Parra fans a little upset as early in a contract, but most see it as SBW wave 2 and we will all watch the NRL backtrack on their 10 year pledge if it doesnt work .. so most think not a huge deal.

But youre right a comp with no history with a mix of people from across codes ..but do get paid very well if it flies

@bayimports said in NRL 2025:

lol the one that I tend to visit has barely raised an eyebrow..

I must be on the extra precious one.

TBF, some of the posters hate rugby like it raped their sisters. Which makes it weird how much rugby they talk.

just even had a look at the nrl reddit thread today after Mariners outburst that someone had plagiarized him in the union section and even they look rather apathetic to it..

@Nepia you must have found the holy grail of aussie whingers lol

holy fuck Eli Katoa won't play at all next year.

I hope Tonga have a really good insurance policy

@mariner4life said in NRL 2025:

holy fuck Eli Katoa won't play at all next year.

I hope Tonga have a really good insurance policy

Yeah that's incredibly sad and Im still angry at the Tongan staff who thought it was ok to let him play. The BS excuse that they didn't have the camera angle doesn't fly either as plenty of eye witnesses have come forward saying they were stunned.

NRL will make a big thing out of this because if they don't they will have to deal with significant repercussions

Again just feel awful for him and his family

it's criminal negligence and there should be repercussions

NRL still silent on EKat affair...thankfully everyone wants answers

Also once was a warrior, bulldog, Knight, Panther,... Hetherington now replacement for Ekat. Jeez I know the Storm can take ok players and make them great, but this would be a big ask.

Coby Black to Raiders 2026... huge signing if completed, might play first grade this year big young name
Ruben Garrick chased by multiple teams and unfortunately the Warriors are not one of them mentioned, no surprises that the Roosters are

Ivan Cleary is shopping in the Warrior's odds and ends bin. Now he's bought Freddy Lussick. Does he know something we don't?

@canefan said in NRL 2025:

Ivan Cleary is shopping in the Warrior's odds and ends bin. Now he's bought Freddy Lussick. Does he know something we don't?

Perhaps, although one we were shopping around

@bayimports said in NRL 2025:

@canefan said in NRL 2025:

Ivan Cleary is shopping in the Warrior's odds and ends bin. Now he's bought Freddy Lussick. Does he know something we don't?

Perhaps, although one we were shopping around

He's bought 3 or 4 reserve Warriors now hasn't he?

@canefan said in NRL 2025:

@bayimports said in NRL 2025:

@canefan said in NRL 2025:

Ivan Cleary is shopping in the Warrior's odds and ends bin. Now he's bought Freddy Lussick. Does he know something we don't?

Perhaps, although one we were shopping around

He's bought 3 or 4 reserve Warriors now hasn't he?

yeah him, the prop...Ale, kalani going, Patrick Moimoi and maybe another

so yeah building some depth, which seems weird given their juniors are normally better than everyone else.

@bayimports said in NRL 2025:

@canefan said in NRL 2025:

@bayimports said in NRL 2025:

@canefan said in NRL 2025:

Ivan Cleary is shopping in the Warrior's odds and ends bin. Now he's bought Freddy Lussick. Does he know something we don't?

Perhaps, although one we were shopping around

He's bought 3 or 4 reserve Warriors now hasn't he?

yeah him, the prop...Ale, kalani going, Patrick Moimoi and maybe another

so yeah building some depth, which seems weird given their juniors are normally better than everyone else.

I hope Webster isn't doing a Razor, holding on to too many older players and seeing his younger guys leave the club

Lussick is a good guy to get rid of, he's no longer a competitive hooker and is one of the Clark style middle forwards.

But, watch my head explode when we replace him with another journeyman Aussie, or watch other posters heads explode when we replace him with NAS.

@Nepia said in NRL 2025:

Lussick is a good guy to get rid of, he's no longer a competitive hooker and is one of the Clark style middle forwards.

But, watch my head explode when we replace him with another journeyman Aussie, or watch other posters heads explode when we replace him with NAS.

Or when Cleary turns him into a star

@canefan said in NRL 2025:

@Nepia said in NRL 2025:

Lussick is a good guy to get rid of, he's no longer a competitive hooker and is one of the Clark style middle forwards.

But, watch my head explode when we replace him with another journeyman Aussie, or watch other posters heads explode when we replace him with NAS.

Or when Cleary turns him into a star

I'm pretty confident he's not going to turn Lussick into a star - Ale and Moimoi though ...

@Nepia said in NRL 2025:

@canefan said in NRL 2025:

@Nepia said in NRL 2025:

Lussick is a good guy to get rid of, he's no longer a competitive hooker and is one of the Clark style middle forwards.

But, watch my head explode when we replace him with another journeyman Aussie, or watch other posters heads explode when we replace him with NAS.

Or when Cleary turns him into a star

I'm pretty confident he's not going to turn Lussick into a star - Ale and Moimoi though ...

Im not confident he will on Ale either, the kid had plenty of chances to try and cement a position and now others surpassed him, Moimoi though Im curious about!

@bayimports said in NRL 2025:

@Nepia said in NRL 2025:

@canefan said in NRL 2025:

@Nepia said in NRL 2025:

Lussick is a good guy to get rid of, he's no longer a competitive hooker and is one of the Clark style middle forwards.

But, watch my head explode when we replace him with another journeyman Aussie, or watch other posters heads explode when we replace him with NAS.

Or when Cleary turns him into a star

I'm pretty confident he's not going to turn Lussick into a star - Ale and Moimoi though ...

Im not confident he will on Ale either, the kid had plenty of chances to try and cement a position and now others surpassed him, Moimoi though Im curious about!

I think there's a chance of the curse of the Warriors going on where a guy leaves and hits his potential.