Nrl 2017

[ellicat]

Could happen. I just don't rate the Eels defense as effective as the Chooks.

Ideally we'd be seeing the Broncos and Cowboys going at it again.

[Gad]

30 minutes ago, kmcrosby78 said:

Geez Gad, you've got the 'optimism syndrome' even worse than I have ...........  

If the Cowboys can go through the game without injuries, I think their determination,true grit and their ability to grind out the 80 minutes and take their opportunities will trouble the Eels. Last week was the first time the Eels forwards put in a near 80 minute bash and barge effort, that may tell on them this week.

[Drop Bear]

Its game night. Lets go .cos

[natang]

Hopefully Broncos turn up to play tonight! I'll be watching the Cowboy's game from Lions Den hotel tomorrow night should be great atmosphere there. 

[Gad]

2 hours ago, natang said:

Hopefully Broncos turn up to play tonight! I'll be watching the Cowboy's game from Lions Den hotel tomorrow night should be great atmosphere there. 

WOW. great telescope, just a couple of levels below the Hubble, hey...  GO the Qlders

[natang]

2 minutes ago, Gad said:

WOW. great telescope, just a couple of levels below the Hubble, hey...  GO the Qlders

My apologies GAD. I will be watching the game "at". It's last day of work before 2 weeks holidays and all I can think is the 4wd is packed in the carpark ready to go to Cooktown via CREB track and Lions Den then home through Bloomfield and a few days camping up over tablelands....... 

[Gad]

don`t apologise, my envy came to the fore... I wish I got to watch the game at the old Lions Den on Saturday, it would mean fishing, camping, crabbing and good times

[ellicat]

Have a good trip @natang. Envious.

[Gad]

Friday result

Broncos 13  v  6 Panthers

Hard fought semi. Broncos defence stood up again. Nikorima put in a good effort at fullback tonight.

Broncos forwards finally put in 70 minutes of mostly running the ball up hard and straight. Now the Broncos need to improve their completion rates and cut out the couple of dumb penalties. With Boyd back next week that should open up their attacking options more.

Panthers, definately no GF ring fitting for them in 2017, good 2^nd half of the season for them.

2 good things came out of this match 1/  2 qld teams still in the finals at this moment  ,  2/ one  less NSW team in the Finals race.

Broncos plays Storm next week

I do not think the Storm , for next week, will be too overly concerned with the Broncos win tonight, only with their improving defence.

[Dinodadog]

Yes it was a hard fight, now they have to improve by about 200% to come anywhere near the Storm.

Dino

[ellicat]

I thought Milford had a real knockout game, especially in the first half.

[Gad]

14 hours ago, ellicat said:

I thought Milford had a real knockout game, especially in the first half.

yea even for him it was flukey, just as he passed the ball Cleary grabbed him keeping them both in Oates running line, after that it was a lay down misere dealt hand for Cleary.

[Gad]

Saturday result

Eels 16  v  24 Cowboys

WOHOOO

Cowboys determination and true grit rode high. They absolutely dominated in the 2nd half. Eels 2nd half points only came from converted try right on full time from a dropped bomb in front of Cowboys line.

2 Qld teams in the prelims next week.

I`m not too sure how much more 17 Cowboys can take after 2 weeks of high level battering , but guts and determination won`t be lacking next week either. To get so far running on reserve tanks, what great efforts

Cowboys v Roosters and Broncos v Storm next week 

On ‎14‎/‎09‎/‎2017 at 9:39 PM, Gad said:

  On ‎14‎/‎09‎/‎2017 at 8:59 PM, kmcrosby78 said:

Geez Gad, you've got the 'optimism syndrome' even worse than I have ...........  

Kelvin, do you reckon they can go 3 in a row, I don`t want to jinx them

[kmcrosby78]

Plenty of excited Cowboys fans during the Best Man and Bridesmaid's speeches last night ....... plus a few watching on their phones earlier during the rest of the speeches. Would LOVE to see them beat the Roosters   We had no audio - what was the deal with Hess's knee?

[Gad]

30 minutes ago, kmcrosby78 said:

- what was the deal with Hess's knee?

at the moment (last night) down played as a soft tissue twinge?, will be right for next week. Truth, imagine scans today/tomorrow followed by a bit of play the media for most of the week and we`ll find out late in the week or an hour before kick off

[Gad]

well, here you go…  here was I assuming Gallen had, had his hand up Flanagan`s butt moving his lips like a puppet, but it turns out Flanagan`s his own muppet with a shovel, I guess if the club tells you the $30,000 is yours to pay you start digging fast and deep…

 

http://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/rugby-league/2017/09/18/nrl-finals-2017-shane-flanagan-sorry-referee-attack-nrl/

Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan has apologised just over a week after his scathing criticism of match officials following the Sharks’ exit from the NRL finals.

A day before a response is due from the club for a $30,000 breach notice over Flanagan’s comments, the premiership-winning coach admitted he had erred in attacking the referees after his side’s extra-time elimination final loss to North Queensland.

In an 1100-word letter to Sharks fans posted on Cronulla’s website on Monday, Flanagan first expressed his disappointment over the team’s exit before turning his attention to his post-match behaviour.

“I owe you an apology. I owe the game an apology. I’m sorry for the way I reacted,” Flanagan wrote to fans.

“My answers in that press conference were born (sic) out of honesty and the disappointment of a shattered dressing room.

“I took all that emotion into that press conference. I know that doesn’t make it right though.”

The letter comes a week after NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg told the game to “grow up” following Flanagan and Manly coach Trent Barrett’s attacks on match officials in the first week of the finals.

The Sharks’ fine was the heftiest in more than a year against a coach after Flanagan also blamed poor crowds on officials as he read a list of perceived referee errors.

He then made similar comments to the Sharks’ website the following day.

It’s understood Cronulla has sought legal advice in preparing its response to the NRL, which is due to be submitted by the end of Tuesday.

“In 157 games as head coach of Cronulla, I’ve never been hit with a breach notice by the NRL for disrespecting our referees,” Flanagan wrote.

“What I need to do is learn from my mistake to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

Flanagan also admitted in the letter his side’s performance had contributed to the loss to the Cowboys – something he hadn’t done in the press conference.

“In 2017, we were nowhere near the standard required to be challenging for this year’s premiership,” he wrote.

“In the end, that’s what cruelled us against the Cowboys.

“Our discipline and errors – particularly in possession – wasn’t good enough and in the biggest game of the season, we were found wanting.”

Meanwhile it’s understood Manly is also yet to send through its finalised response to the league over Barrett’s comments, for which he was provisionally fined $20,000.

[Gad]

Finals WEEK 3

PRELIMINARY FINALS

Friday, September 22

 Storm v Broncos     AAMI Park   7.55pm

Saturday, September 23

 Roosters v Cowboys     Allianz Stadium   7.40pm

[Gad]

Hunt and Milford are each over due for huge games, and the Broncos have been improving in all the right areas over the finals series, so being brave or overly optimistic, I`ll tip the Broncos.

The Cowboys believe they can do it, so if they can keep on doing what they have been doing, good enough for me, I`ll tip the Cowboys.

[Gad]

Des no longer holding the dog leash 

http://www.nrl.com/des-hasler-to-leave-the-bulldogs/tabid/10874/newsid/112264/default.aspx

[Gad]

4 hours ago, Gad said:

Hunt and Milford are each over due for huge games, and the Broncos have been improving in all the right areas over the finals series, so being brave or overly optimistic, I`ll tip the Broncos.

The Cowboys believe they can do it, so if they can keep on doing what they have been doing, good enough for me, I`ll tip the Cowboys.

The last 3 times the Broncos have played in Melbourne they have a 2-1 winning record and the only loss was a poor Broncos pass, intercepted by the Storm, and they went down 14-12. 

Admittedly Mccullough is missing, Hunt`s not playing halfback and Blair has been doing some really dumb things. (being ex Storm I expect him to have a big game, he likes playing against them down there apparently)

My calculations say the Storm were No.1 on the ladder for 19 weeks straight + 1st week final win…. due for a shocker

 

The Rooters are over due a loss, they have only just been winning for a while now, may be the week off will have taken the momentum away for them.

[Drop Bear]

9 hours ago, Gad said:

My calculations say the Storm were No.1 on the ladder for 19 weeks straight + 1st week final win…. due for a shocker

 

The Rooters are over due a loss, they have only just been winning for a while now, may be the week off will have taken the momentum away for them.

Hope you are right. That would be good. Go the Cows and Cos

[Gad]

2 hours ago, Drop Bear said:

Hope you are right.

me too.... but if people have their hard earned on a Storm v Roosters GF, all the stats, form etc say their outlays are safe.

[Drop Bear]

On 9/20/2017 at 10:08 AM, Gad said:

me too.... but if people have their hard earned on a Storm v Roosters GF, all the stats, form etc say their outlays are safe

Qlders dont mind the underdog tag. 

[natang]

On 15/09/2017 at 4:20 PM, ellicat said:

Have a good trip @natang. Envious.

Mate was a fantastic trip. Was awesome atmosphere at Lions Den with many of the locals down to watch the game. Only downside is I had quite a few Great Northerns and realised one of my primary school students was in the pub with his parents as well.... Whoops! 

Can't wait for the Storm Broncos game I like to think Broncos will turn up and play well however the Storm have been so bloody clinical for so long. 

Cowboys all the way I think they just have the guts and grind and have been playing really good footy completing all sets and making few mistakes. Morgan, Granville, Coote, Hess and TRex have been playing out of their skins! 

Tipping Storm Vs Cowboys GF with the Cowboys winning by 1. 

[Drop Bear]

Go the cowboys!!! my team........ 

[Gad]

Friday result

Storm 30  v  0 Broncos    

Storm 30 – 0, big statement. Big 1st half from both teams.

Somewhere around the 47-57 minute period the Broncos appeared to feel the season had been too long.

1 Qld team left.

[kmcrosby78]

Yep, Storm too good. Go Cowboys!!

[Old Scaley]

It was a pretty intense first 50 minutes, the Boyd went off, I blinked and it was all over. What a team the Storm are! 

[natang]

Storm way too good. First half very fast first 20 minutes but after 3 lots of 7 tackles in the Storm 20 and no result I fear the Broncos lost there confidence and then tried too hard. Benji played well and it was good experience for the young ones. Boyd was obviously carrying injury still not being able to turn and chase and his leg was never full stretch. 

Storm clinical as normal and second half what a display of technique.. 

Go the Cowboys tonight! 

[Angry51]

How was that//////

Go the Cowboys,,,

  Cheers

  Gary

[Gad]

Saturday result

Roosters 16  v  29 Cowboys  

Cowboys 

[Dinodadog]

It shows cowboys had the desire to win, something lacking in the broncos, bennetts motivational skills must be waning.

[Gad]

whether the Cowboys win, lose or draw next Sunday the statement they have made over the last few weeks, is they are no longer a ‘Thurston, one man team’.

There will be life after JT

[natang]

WHAT A GAME! I tell you watching this finals season in North Qld is bloody amazing.... The level of emotion that the people here have for the Cowboys is truly something to be seen. Cowboys have made a huge statement the last 3 weeks and they just have guts and determination of the QLD team which the Broncos don't seem to have. 

[Drop Bear]

Go the Cows. They played so well.

It was disappointing to see the flat footed attacking from the Broncos.

As the Broncos are my second favorite team... (yes fair weather footy fan... )  I'm so pumped for the finals. 

And yes agreed, its awesome that the Cows can do it with or without Thurston. 

[Gad]

FINALS WEEK 4

CH9 finals telecast starts at 12.00pm Qlder time, showing Holden Cup GF and Intrust Cup State champions Qld  PNG HUNTERS v NSW  PANTHERS game

Grand Final  ANZ Stadium 

Sunday 1-10-17

Kick off 6.15 pm Qlder time   check local TV guides  

kick off 7.15pm EDT mexican & eskimo time

STORM  v  COWBOYS 

[Gad]

Interesting stats: Grand Final 2017

There will be no present or former NSW origin players in this years grand final.

There are 12 Qld origin players playing,

There are only 8 players who have previously played for a Sydney/NSW based club, playing in this game.

Conclusions: 1/ You can count on a Qlder   2/ NSW still SUCK

 Qld v Qlder  , PI v PI , Kiwi v Kiwi  and not a Bloo v Bloo in sight

 

Who will I be cheering for, Go all the QLDers  

[Gad]

Dean Pay new Doggie coach

 

In a statement, Bulldogs chairman Ray Dib said the club was "delighted" with the appointment.

"We want to bring back the Bulldogs culture of old."………..

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-28/dean-pay-the-new-bulldogs-coach-replacing-des-hasler/8997400

 

does this suggest the old Doggies bonding camps with group therapy sessions is the way back to their cultural roots.  

[Drop Bear]

9 2017 QLD state of origin players and no NSW players?

Go the North Qld Cowboys beat the South QLD Storm

[Dinodadog]

Manly just won the under 20 comp with a meter forward pass right on full time, bloody refs. I dont go for either side, but feel sorry for the eels side that lost to a refs mistake.

 

Dino