NRL Finals Week 1 *live Discussion*

[cktiger]

@hobbo1 Weststigers the club that locks it supporters out .. did that happen yes !

Get off the grass... get your ticket early. What a whinger.

 

[TigerSJ]

That had to be one of the worst Broncos performances i have ever seen. There must be something going on at that club for players to look so disinterested.
Boyd was walking around - dont think he even broke a sweat! Their halves were rubbish and Milford was playing in slow motion. They didnt even try and make tackles in their own 20 and almost every kick led to a try. The Eels racked up 58 points in a semi final against what looked like the local pub team after a big day on the drink!!
Interesting contrasts - yesterday we had Ricky Stuart saying “at last he has some talent in his squad and you cant win without quality players and talent”, and yet with the Broncos we have a team full of talent but they have often played so poorly.

 

[Tiger_Steve]

That had to be one of the worst Broncos performances i have ever seen. There must be something going on at that club for players to look so disinterested.
Boyd was walking around - dont think he even broke a sweat! Their halves were rubbish and Milford was playing in slow motion. They didnt even try and make tackles in their own 20 and almost every kick led to a try. The Eels racked up 58 points in a semi final against what looked like the local pub team after a big day on the drink!!
Interesting contrasts - yesterday we had Ricky Stuart saying “at last he has some talent in his squad and you cant win without quality players and talent”, and yet with the Broncos we have a team full of talent but they have often played so poorly.

They struggled playing during the day!

 

[diedpretty]

Worst Broncos backline I've seen. Alex Glenn in the centres? Even if the forwards gave them something to play off their backs look like they didn't have a clue.

And the halves pairing has to be the worst in the comp.

 

[Telltails]

Worst Broncos backline I've seen. Alex Glenn in the centres? Even if the forwards gave them something to play off their backs look like they didn't have a clue.

And the halves pairing has to be the worst in the comp.

Dreadful.

 

[Russell]

@gallagher Many of us know the way to the future and today it was put on show what the future holds ... lockout your supporter base and play out of garbage suburban grounds spells the End for the Weststigers the club that lives in the PAST !

The first time it was noted - you don't have to keep flogging a dead horse - just sayin'

 

[Harvey]

@gallagher Many of us know the way to the future and today it was put on show what the future holds ... lockout your supporter base and play out of garbage suburban grounds spells the End for the Weststigers the club that lives in the PAST !

It was a sellout at bankwest today, ergo Parramatta locked out some of their supported base. They should have played at ANZ.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

The ground is a hole. Give me ANZ

 

[happy_tiger]

That had to be one of the worst Broncos performances i have ever seen. There must be something going on at that club for players to look so disinterested.
Boyd was walking around - dont think he even broke a sweat! Their halves were rubbish and Milford was playing in slow motion. They didnt even try and make tackles in their own 20 and almost every kick led to a try. The Eels racked up 58 points in a semi final against what looked like the local pub team after a big day on the drink!!
Interesting contrasts - yesterday we had Ricky Stuart saying “at last he has some talent in his squad and you cant win without quality players and talent”, and yet with the Broncos we have a team full of talent but they have often played so poorly.

2018 performance v Dragons was similar

 

[BalmainJnr]


 

[OzLuke]

That had to be one of the worst Broncos performances i have ever seen. There must be something going on at that club for players to look so disinterested.
Boyd was walking around - dont think he even broke a sweat! Their halves were rubbish and Milford was playing in slow motion. They didnt even try and make tackles in their own 20 and almost every kick led to a try. The Eels racked up 58 points in a semi final against what looked like the local pub team after a big day on the drink!!
Interesting contrasts - yesterday we had Ricky Stuart saying “at last he has some talent in his squad and you cant win without quality players and talent”, and yet with the Broncos we have a team full of talent but they have often played so poorly.

jesus christ if Stuart didn't say talent a million times in the space of a minute.....

 

[Sco77y]

@TheDaBoss We did, one I think. And we no longer hold the record for biggest thumping at that ground 😁

 

[jirskyr]

The impact that win has on the Raiders season is massive. A loss last night and they have to go through the Roosters in the prelim. But now they get a very winnable prelim at home. Everyone going on about Hasler, but what about Stuart. Doesn’t get nearly enough of the credit he deserves because everyone hates “Wicky” (an insult I never understand. Does he have a lisp?). They have been the smartest recruiting club of the last 3 or 4 years. They understand Canberra is one of the most undeseribsle places to live and that players wouldn’t want to live there. So they looked at the ESL. They realised English players wouldn’t be turned off because Canberra is probably very similar to the north of England in regards to the weather and excitement level. Bateman, Whitehead and Hodgson are gems. Full credit to Stuart.

Ricky reminds me a lot of Tim Sheens. Sometimes he gets it absolutely wrong, but when he gets it right, it really works well. He can be a real innovator and his teams are often enjoyable to watch. I really like the Raiders team 2019, and historically I've often been anti-Raiders, probably stemming from 1989.

But the current team is tough, wily and highly competitive. I can almost stomach Jack Wighton, though not quite. Josh Hodgson might be my favourite non-Tigers player going around, such a clever and competitive fellow.

We have to remember that Ricky went all-in on a massive Raiders side in 2016 and they really should have played the GF that year, but for 2 super-close and tough losses. Then he let Boyd and Junior Paulo go, focused on building a more dynamic/mobile pack in anticipation of a faster game in 2019, and it has worked out very well. As you noted, also canny in developing some unknown entities, not just from UK, but locally as well with guys like Horsburgh.

Also, Raiders have only used 26 players in 2019, equal-lowest in the NRL with Cronulla and Tigers.

 

[jirskyr]

Never been so happy to see Eels win. 58 - 0. That was awesome. Hard to believe Brisbane with all that talent at their disposal only did one position better than us, and choked so hard even worse than us.

What's wrong with you, how can you ever cheer for Parramatta? Esp. now that Slimey Moses playes for them.

I'm no Broncos fan but I dislike Sydney-based teams far more than interstate ones, because of the geographic rivalry. I don't get Broncos shoved down my throat all week because I live in Sydney.

I distinctly dislike basically every Eels player, they are a bunch of arrogant grubs. Maika Sivo I can cop because he's entertaining and (currently) relatively humble. But the rest, ugh, they make me sick, bunch of grubs.

And I swear to God if I ever get near of Shaun Lane I am giving that bloke a proper haircut, what a nonce. Him and Gosiewski with these horrendous middle-part shaggy curtains. I can't honestly tell you why it irks me so much, but footballer haircuts sometimes get right up my nose and those two are top-shelf. Those and the stupid man-buns that some guys get around with, often w shaved sides. Charnze NK had one before someone gave him a proper razor.

Yesterday made me sick, I mean good on Eels fans for turning up in numbers, but bunch of twits in their government-funded 1/3 billion dollars home stadium. Eels are literally the only multi-city team that get their own purpose-built state-of-art stadium from the government. You can call it a "Western Sydney" stadium, but clear as day it's just the New Parramatta Stadium and we might as well start calling it that. I can't knock Parra fans for truly engaging with the new stadium and making it their own, but geez I'd love for the State Govt to pour $350M into Campbelltown "for the benefit of the exploding population".

 

[fibrodreaming]

Doesn’t get nearly enough of the credit he deserves because everyone hates “Wicky”

I don't hate Stuart but I don't think much of him as a coach. His major achievement with the Raiders has been to assemble a very good squad. But I would argue he has significantly under-achieved with the squad that he has assembled.

His record with the Raiders since he joined is as follows:
2014 - 15th;
2015 - 10th
2016 - 2nd - I thought they would kick on from here and become a real force in the premiership, but no:
2017 - 10th
2018 - 10th
2019 - 4th

These are pretty poor returns for a squad with so much talent.

They understand Canberra is one of the most undeseribsle places to live and that players wouldn’t want to live there.

What, compared with the urban sprawl of Sydney's west ? That must be a real attraction for potential recruits.

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Doesn’t get nearly enough of the credit he deserves because everyone hates “Wicky”

I don't hate Stuart but I don't think much of him as a coach. His major achievement with the Raiders has been to assemble a very good squad. But I would argue he has significantly under-achieved with the squad that he has assembled.

His record with the Raiders since he joined is as follows:
2014 - 15th;
2015 - 10th
2016 - 2nd - I thought they would kick on from here and become a real force in the premiership, but no:
2017 - 10th
2018 - 10th
2019 - 4th

These are pretty poor returns for a squad with so much talent.

They understand Canberra is one of the most undeseribsle places to live and that players wouldn’t want to live there.

What, compared with the urban sprawl of Sydney's west ? That must be a real attraction for potential recruits.

Players who sign with Western Sydney clubs can still live in the inner city, or the Shire or the Northern beaches etc. If you sign with the Raiders, you are stuck living in Canberra. The most boring place in Australia.

 

[Russell]

Doesn’t get nearly enough of the credit he deserves because everyone hates “Wicky”

I don't hate Stuart but I don't think much of him as a coach. His major achievement with the Raiders has been to assemble a very good squad. But I would argue he has significantly under-achieved with the squad that he has assembled.

His record with the Raiders since he joined is as follows:
2014 - 15th;
2015 - 10th
2016 - 2nd - I thought they would kick on from here and become a real force in the premiership, but no:
2017 - 10th
2018 - 10th
2019 - 4th

These are pretty poor returns for a squad with so much talent.

They understand Canberra is one of the most undeseribsle places to live and that players wouldn’t want to live there.

What, compared with the urban sprawl of Sydney's west ? That must be a real attraction for potential recruits.

Players who sign with Western Sydney clubs can still live in the inner city, or the Shire or the Northern beaches etc. If you sign with the Raiders, you are stuck living in Canberra. The most boring place in Australia.

Good ol' "Circle Town" Lol.

 

[jirskyr]

Hey by the way can I revisit the "penalty Broncos" tilt that some folks were promoting last week? This whole idea that the NRL is hell-bent on seeing the Broncos deep into the finals.

Oddly enough, this pro-Broncos-bias from upper-management, enabled by corrupt officials, has seen the Broncos sneak into the finals and be destroyed in two consecutive campaigns.

So for all that effort, they get 1 extra match with Brisbane; in 2019 they weren't even the home side.

What an amazing conspiracy they are wielding. Or, is the NRL so incapable and incompetent that they can't even do corruption properly?

 

[JD Tiger]

@jirskyr My joy was seeing Broncos lose. Yes it was unfortunate it was the Eels after all.

 

[matchball]

The impact that win has on the Raiders season is massive. A loss last night and they have to go through the Roosters in the prelim. But now they get a very winnable prelim at home. Everyone going on about Hasler, but what about Stuart. Doesn’t get nearly enough of the credit he deserves because everyone hates “Wicky” (an insult I never understand. Does he have a lisp?). They have been the smartest recruiting club of the last 3 or 4 years. They understand Canberra is one of the most undeseribsle places to live and that players wouldn’t want to live there. So they looked at the ESL. They realised English players wouldn’t be turned off because Canberra is probably very similar to the north of England in regards to the weather and excitement level. Bateman, Whitehead and Hodgson are gems. Full credit to Stuart.

Ricky reminds me a lot of Tim Sheens. Sometimes he gets it absolutely wrong, but when he gets it right, it really works well. He can be a real innovator and his teams are often enjoyable to watch. I really like the Raiders team 2019, and historically I've often been anti-Raiders, probably stemming from 1989.

But the current team is tough, wily and highly competitive. I can almost stomach Jack Wighton, though not quite. Josh Hodgson might be my favourite non-Tigers player going around, such a clever and competitive fellow.

We have to remember that Ricky went all-in on a massive Raiders side in 2016 and they really should have played the GF that year, but for 2 super-close and tough losses. Then he let Boyd and Junior Paulo go, focused on building a more dynamic/mobile pack in anticipation of a faster game in 2019, and it has worked out very well. As you noted, also canny in developing some unknown entities, not just from UK, but locally as well with guys like Horsburgh.

Also, Raiders have only used 26 players in 2019, equal-lowest in the NRL with Cronulla and Tigers.

Sheens coached Ricky so the coaching style may have rubbed off on him.