NRL 2024 - Preliminary Finals

[nobbyiscool]

I think if you cause that kind of damage to an opposition player you should at least get a mandatory 1 game ban. A sin bin is just a time to cool off. Meanwhile, most times a player is gone for the game with HIA.

NRL did the right thing, just happens to be a GF, which if Nelson had any brains he should've known that potential outcome before setting foot on the field.

Yeah, I don't feel strongly enough about it to defend him. I think it's tough, but Iceman! rightly says that he's a recidivist. So even if we give him some benefit of the doubt for his shear size, I think he's probably exhausted that benefit by now.

 

[PhatBoy]

I may be in the minority but I don’t think NAS is as important to the Storm as what a lot of other guys are. Yes he can be damaging but he is not the forward or spiritual leader that so many other big men are and they are such a good team at ‘gap filling.’

 

[damicky]

I may be in the minority but I don’t think NAS is as important to the Storm as what a lot of other guys are. Yes he can be damaging but he is not the forward or spiritual leader that so many other big men are and they are such a good team at ‘gap filling.’

We can definitely win without him

Tui & Welchy will need to step up though

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

I may be in the minority but I don’t think NAS is as important to the Storm as what a lot of other guys are. Yes he can be damaging but he is not the forward or spiritual leader that so many other big men are and they are such a good team at ‘gap filling.’

Kind of disagree. He can wreck a game in storm’s favor in 10 or 20 minute bursts. Bellamy utilising him well playing NAS first 10 minutes and last 20 minutes of the game. He is rested for almost an hour between shifts.

Storm flipped the switch when he returned from sin bin and chooks had no answer.

 

[damicky]

Kind of disagree. He can wreck a game in storm’s favor in 10 or 20 minute bursts. Bellamy utilising him well playing NAS first 10 minutes and last 20 minutes of the game. He is rested for almost an hour between shifts.

Storm flipped the switch when he returned from sin bin and chooks had no answer.

He is definitely a big loss

It will be interesting to see who replaces him

 

[eddiesmith]

Well that was ugly.

Some thoughts on the game:

- don’t really have a tremendous amount of sympathy for NAS. 4 weeks is way too much for that. A week would suffice and there was no intent to hit Collins high and of course being the size he is, he can’t help his own height but the thing is as as professional footballer it’s incumbent upon you to find a technique that means you aren’t hitting guys in the head with your shoulder. Collins’ body height was normal, he didn’t slip or fall into the tackle. If it was NAS’ chest that got him front on or something I would cop that but it was his shoulder. You’re a seasoned veteran - work it out mate.

- we shouldn’t have taken the two points at the start of the game. I understood why we did it but you don’t get many chances to put tries on Melbourne starting on their line when they’re a player down. Yes we scored not long after anyway but we should have aimed at one straight up.

- Angus Crichton’s defence has to be put under the microscope. The commentators kept highlighting Luke Keary for sliding left to allow runners cutting back inside - that’s what halves defending outside back-rowers do. It’s a back-rower’s job to bodyguard smaller men in defence and Crichton can’t tackle a wet lettuce leaf unless it’s running directly at him. It’s embarrassing from someone who’s had so much air blown up his arse this season for what he’s done with the ball. He’s a Liam Martin clone - a few big pieces of contact when he hits guys front on cover for the fact that he can’t tackle anyone on an angle. It’s pathetic for a second rower. I hope he spends the whole off season watching tapes of Victor Radley, the one bloke in our pack since Friend and Cordner retired who A
CAN tackle.

- Crichton can also take some responsibility for that missed knock on when we were balls deep in the game in the second half. I have no idea what he was thinking trying to tap that bouncing ball back. All he had to do was try and catch it, or let a Storm player catch it and then wrap them up. At any rate it was a terrible decision by the ref and sucked the life out of what was a decent comeback up to that point.

- the Storm are a superb side, there’s no arguing it. Way too good for us. I wish there was more attention paid to where their line starts though. They camp themselves offside for most of most games and it doesn’t seem to draw any attention. Mind you we have blokes do it all the time too, we just don’t seem to do it in one line so we get picked up on it more frequently and give away more restarts. Penrith when they are trying to smother teams do it to and again it’s their ability to do it in unison that probably stops it from getting noticed as much.

Missus is a panthers fan - all aboard the Penrith train

Yeah Storm are great at pushing he boundaries and getting away with it. The line is definitely always in front of the referee yet nothing happens.

The penalty they gave away for the player lying in the ruck slowing down the play the ball seemed to stop that tactic for a while, but they went back to it. They deliberately leave a tackler on the way whenever they can, especially on the 5th tackle.

They’re a good side, but the good sides seem to get away with more and no know how to push the boundaries the most.

 

[PhatBoy]

Yeah Storm are great at pushing he boundaries and getting away with it. The line is definitely always in front of the referee yet nothing happens.

The penalty they gave away for the player lying in the ruck slowing down the play the ball seemed to stop that tactic for a while, but they went back to it. They deliberately leave a tackler on the way whenever they can, especially on the 5th tackle.

They’re a good side, but the good sides seem to get away with more and no know how to push the boundaries the most.

They do, and there is an art to it - and all teams are coached to TRY and do it: no doubt about that. There are elements to the game that every team try to expose from a rule exploitation perspective and it’s definitely not limited to the storm or any other team

 

[Paul Kersey]

Just rushed home from MCG in time to freshen up for the big game. Better be BRUTAL with lots of BIG HITS eddiesmith.

 

[damicky]

Just rushed home from MCG in time to freshen up for the big game. Better be BRUTAL with lots of BIG HITS eddiesmith.

Looking forward to many short term injuries & suspensions to the winning Team

 

[Plugger35]

Hopefully the Sharks put up a better fight than the Swans did today but the Panthers will probably steamroll them like the Lions.

 

[Aucklander]

Hopefully the Sharks put up a better fight than the Swans did today but the Panthers will probably steamroll them like the Lions.

Ordinary weekend so far, so hopefully we get a decent one tonight.

 

[Paul Kersey]

Looked like Martin started that.

 

[Paul Kersey]

Looked like Martin started that.

Wrong.

 

[Plugger35]

There is some biff early, I like it.

 

[Paul Kersey]

HIA for Martin?

 

[windyhill]

Shark’s having a good crack.

 

[Plugger35]

The Sharks close to landing the first blow, great defence from the Panthers to hold them out.

 

[Paul Kersey]

Pretty sick of the coverage panning to off field during play.

 

[eddiesmith]

Pretty sick of the coverage panning to off field during play.

That was ridiculous you see an offload then get a 10 second shot of the coach…

 

[Plugger35]

First points for the Sharks against the Panthers since 2022, amazing stat and it's amazing that the score is 2 all in that case.

 

[Aucklander]

Unlucky

 

[Plugger35]

That's a knock on.

 

[Paul Kersey]

Cronulla playing well. Pity there but getting field position.

 

[Paul Kersey]

Big play Cleary.

 

[Paul Kersey]

Gee that was very flat.