2007 NRL Thread (2 Viewers)

[chocolate_lover]

If Tigers stay un-injured, they should rip through the competition, but then again, all teams are much better without injuries.

tigers have benji in their team... they won't stay injury free.

 

[timlay]

Yup we still have him. He dropped himself out of contention due to the birth of his baby

We still have Johns- Buderus- Simpson combination

YEAHR!

new prediction. newcastle to verse dragons in final...

with dragons owning as usual.. i hope.

 

[Kujah]

YEAHR!

new prediction. newcastle to verse dragons in final...

with dragons owning as usual.. i hope.

Dragons will do better without Barrett Hopefully, Johns doesnt get injured, and we can win the preimiership :rofl:

Edit: Hopefully he doesnt get a brain injury when he plays for the Blues in the 20-20 clash this week

 

[mrzeidan1]

tigers have benji in their team... they won't stay injury free.

sad but true

 

[fornstar]

i think Titans will go alright for their first year, they have good players and they have some pretty tough competition with Souths and Canberra for the wooden spoon. Souths to get wooden spoon, closely followed by Canberra.

Broncos wont win it again and neither will Storm, but Storm to come either 1st or 2nd after 26 weeks. I doubt Manly and the Knights will be a force and I think if they stay uninjured the Dogs will be in with a good chance.

 

[timlay]

judging by your sig, i'd say you went for broncos... =P
but i think souths won't get wooden spoon... asotasi lawl.

k.

and
"Edit: Hopefully he doesnt get a brain injury when he plays for the Blues in the 20-20 clash this week "

does it actually count for anything ? or is it just a 20/20 to raise funds?
doubt the other team will take it seriously...right? i don't really want johns to die either.

 

[wuddie]

i think Titans will go alright for their first year, they have good players and they have some pretty tough competition with Souths and Canberra for the wooden spoon. Souths to get wooden spoon, closely followed by Canberra.

Broncos wont win it again and neither will Storm, but Storm to come either 1st or 2nd after 26 weeks. I doubt Manly and the Knights will be a force and I think if they stay uninjured the Dogs will be in with a good chance.

very much agreed. even i cant back my team (knights) to win it, the lack-of-backline factor is a major concern. got a gut feeling that johns will be distracted by the retirement decision in the first few rounds, hopefully gidley and mullen can step up and take the pressure off joey.

 

[ks21]

Broncos to win back to back.
QLD to win origin.

Titans to make the finals (top 8).

Other Title Contenders: Manly, Storm, Bulldogs

 

[davo_]

I think Raiders will be getting the wooden spoon. They're losing a lot of people. Jason Smith, Adam Mogg, Michael Croker, Clinton Shifcofske, Simon Woolford, Matthew Elliot, are all leaving. And all they got was Neville Costigan from Broncos. I think they'll struggle most.

The Tigers last year, when they had all 4 playmakers, they won 5/6 of the games I believe. If they stay injury free like 2005, they'll win it, or come very close.

OK, knowing the ins and outs of the raiders i'll reply to this. I'm not going to make any outrageous claims, but I don't think they'll be getting the spoon. So they have lost a few good players, and all bar Woolford I think will be missed. Woolford - while being a decent player in the past - was more or less taking up game time from someone like Lincoln Withers whom I consider to be a much more exciting rake. The other leaving players - although they will be missed - were getting old anyway and with them leaving means some young blood can be sprouted. It's not entirely true that Costigan is the only player - they've also picked up Colin Best and Matt Bickerstaff. And as well as this young halfback Michael Dobson returns from a loan from Wigan - where he was a major part of Wigan being saved from relegation. There'll be backline shuffle with Schifcoske and Smith leaving but these gaps can easily be filled by Dobson and utility back Will Zillman (scored 5 tries in a premier league game last year).

As for other things I'm not sure about the Tigers, they have lost Scott Prince which means your argument is a bit flawed, but they do have a lot of good young talent such as Ben Jeffrey and Chris Lawrence.

Whoever said for Minichello to be back in the test team - I don't think so. Certainly not immediately anyway. There is an abundance of great fullbacks (or atleast players whom are competent at fullback) at the moment - Hunt, Inglis, Bowen, Slater, Hodges... He's atleast going to have to reprove himself and I know he certainly won't be expecting to step straight back in.

Gasnier in 5/8 is a joke, he is such a great player that he will hold his own there - but he will be nothing on what he was as a centre and will have nowhere near as much affect on the game. And the times when he does make an impact it'll just be because he is playing as a third centre - he won't be putting any men through gaps and such. Why make him play in unnatural style to what he's used to?

 

[Kujah]

Johns is prolly playing for promotion. Batting at No. 10 xD. Hopefully he still doesnt get struck in the head by a Tait bouncer

 

[martin88]

And the times when he does make an impact it'll just be because he is playing as a third centre - he won't be putting any men through gaps and such. Why make him play in unnatural style to what he's used to?

that's kind of contradictory..... if he does play as a 3rd centre.... wont that mean it would be the natural style he is used to?

i am pretty certain that Gasnier will not be playing a traditional 5/8 role at all anyways (not that there is many "traditional" 5/8s in the competition anyway, excluding perhaps Lockyer) if anything Hornby, and when fully fit, Head will be directing the attack and Gasnier will be able to play his natural game, but in a position with more open space and opportunities around the ruck

 

[martin88]

Johns is prolly playing for promotion. Batting at No. 10 xD. Hopefully he still doesnt get struck in the head by a Tait bouncer

Tait didnt even play

Johns hardly made an impact at all

 

[ditto.]

tigers have benji in their team... they won't stay injury free.

oh snape!!

 

[Kujah]

Tait didnt even play

Didnt know that

Johns hardly made an impact at all

Guess he's not the next Bradmen

 

[davo_]

that's kind of contradictory..... if he does play as a 3rd centre.... wont that mean it would be the natural style he is used to?

i am pretty certain that Gasnier will not be playing a traditional 5/8 role at all anyways (not that there is many "traditional" 5/8s in the competition anyway, excluding perhaps Lockyer) if anything Hornby, and when fully fit, Head will be directing the attack and Gasnier will be able to play his natural game, but in a position with more open space and opportunities around the ruck

There probably needed to be another sentence in there sorry - but Gasnier will not play as a 3rd centre most of the time. He will be trying to be a 5/8 and throwing long balls and such - if the 3rd state of origin is anything to go by. And the only times he will make impact are when he goes back to his instincts and runs the ball relying on his footwork and balance. Playing in 5/8 will restrict him him if anything - not provide him more opportunities. More open space and opportunities around the ruck? Certainly you find more open space out wide - and if there is ever more space in the ruck it ends when you run into the forward pack. Even if as you say Hornby and Head overtake ball playing tasks and Gasnier is allowed to play his natural game it will cause a crowded backline. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

 

[chocolate_lover]

Whoever said for Minichello to be back in the test team - I don't think so. Certainly not immediately anyway. There is an abundance of great fullbacks (or atleast players whom are competent at fullback) at the moment - Hunt, Inglis, Bowen, Slater, Hodges... He's atleast going to have to reprove himself and I know he certainly won't be expecting to step straight back in.

Those players you mentioned are all good, yes, but don't have the experience that Mini has. But we'll see.
And the part in bold, how do you know that?

oh snape!!

 

[a.durbidge267]

storm to win qld to win and nz to winn woo hoo i love footy

 

[martin88]

He will be trying to be a 5/8 and throwing long balls and such - if the 3rd state of origin is anything to go by. And the only times he will make impact are when he goes back to his instincts and runs the ball relying on his footwork and balance. Playing in 5/8 will restrict him him if anything - not provide him more opportunities. More open space and opportunities around the ruck? Certainly you find more open space out wide - and if there is ever more space in the ruck it ends when you run into the forward pack.

i think Browny and Gasnier are smart enough to realise that Gasnier will not be effective "throwing long balls and such" and better off, as you stated, playing his natural game

in hindsight, gasniers role in attack will be that of the fullback.... roaming around and whatnot.... this basically enables him to use his footwork and balance to find gaps in the defence.... perfect example of the Bulldogs game last season at Kogarah....

Gasnier struggled in attack when up against high quality opposing centres, especially centres such as Berrigan/King who are especially good defenders... this way at 5/8 playing a roaming role in attack, Gasnier is less restricted, and can basically go where he wants

 

[martin88]

Those players you mentioned are all good, yes, but don't have the experience that Mini has. But we'll see.
And the part in bold, how do you know that?

Hunt has the necessary experience now..... and Lockyer is only half as effective when Hunt isn't playing at fullback

 

[timlay]

is gasnier fast enough to be a fullback? i mean . he looks BEASTY compared to other full backs..


and in other news "Fans flocked to the ground to see rugby league legend Andrew Johns and they weren't disappointed.

Johns bowled an over of off-spin and almost had the wicket of Ryan Harris, who was dropped in the deep by Daniel Christian.

Johns bowled a tidy over which went for nine runs and also fielded strongly."

thats really cricket right...


haha.