The World of Rugby Thread

[Queenslander]

Why is rugby big in Argentina? I thought it was basically restricted to British colonies like cricket is.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_union_in_Argentina

[ItalAussie]

Why is rugby big in Argentina? I thought it was basically restricted to British colonies like cricket is.
It spreads out. France is a legitimate rugby power, and Italy are at least serviceable at the top level, if not particularly successful at this stage.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Argentina was an unofficial British colony for a good long while, hence football club names often being English.

[Lewis]

The dickhead solicitor sending Martin Taupau's Manly contract to some Canadian theatre critic with the same name as the Manly gaffer is a bit good. They might have a decent side next year if Trent Barrett (still lol) isn't shit and Tim 'Theo Walcott' Moltzen plays more than twice.

If we beat New Zealand 3-0 in this test series there is a possibility of Australia sliding to third in the rankings. Unbelievable, Gus. Unfortunately I had forgotten how lol New Zealand's depth is at the moment. Their world class halves are out, and they're missing the form prop and 'lock' (loose-forward, boys) in the NRL, their captain, and their top try-scorer; yet this was their team in the warm-up against Leeds:

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Jason Nightingale
Jordan Kahu
Dean Whare
Shaun Kenny-Dowall
Peta Hiku
Tuimoala Lolohea
Jesse Bromwich
Issac Luke
Ben Matulino
Kevin Proctor
Tohu Harris
Martin Taupau

It's only two years since they got bummed to death in the World Cup final, yet they've suddenly got all of this quality (and the Warriors are still bollocks). Give them a second franchise.

[hfswjyr]

Fuck that. I'd rather see the Warriors win a premiership than see another club diluting our player base. How many times have the junior warriors won the toyota cup or whatever it is?

[Lewis]

Their Polynesian man-child advantage presumably fades at grown-up level. Two Leeds prospects went over to join their youth system a couple of years ago and they said everybody had about thirty stone on them. There were also claims that the cliquey cuzzy bros froze them out, but I think they were just both a bit crap.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm more surprised that rugby league even has rankings.

[Lewis]

Belgium moved up to eighteenth recently. The Germans and Norwegians were gutted, whilst the Ukrainians have more pressing concerns.

[Queenslander]

Black jerseys everywhere in Brisbane today. :(

[Lewis]

This build-up is begging for a classic New Zealand BOTTLE JOB. But then fuck Australia. I don't know which way to go.

[Giggles]

That haka thing is such a load of shite. Is it different now than it used to be?

[Jimmy Floyd]

This build-up is begging for a classic New Zealand BOTTLE JOB. But then fuck Australia. I don't know which way to go.

New Zealand all the way. Nothing, a Welsh win aside, could be worse than these Australians cunting their way to the trophy.

[Lewis]

They're only a small nation, mate. They don't have the resources. We should admire their pluck.

[Baz]

Going the pub later but want to go after the rugby's finished so it's not full of idiots. What time should it finish?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Nigel Owens knows. Mon the All Blacks.

[CJay]

This seems rather one-sided.

[Jimmy Floyd]

God that was good.

Cheer up Cheika.

[Lewis]

It's happening.

[CJay]

Oh, now this is getting a bit good. Come on Australia.

[The Merse]

That haka thing is such a load of shite. Is it different now than it used to be?

Big time. Compared to the tourists of the 70s at least. It all ramped up when more Maori lads started playing and when adidas jumped on board.

The legend of the haka is so fucking ridiculous. That they mandate the conditions under which its performed and throw a hissy fit if anyone tries a non-Maori response (hello, Wales) is fucking ridiculous and I'd ban the shit if they don't grow up about it. The precious pricks.

[Giggles]

Big time. Compared to the tourists of the 70s at least. It all ramped up when more Maori lads started playing and when adidas jumped on board.

The legend of the haka is so fucking ridiculous. That they mandate the conditions under which its performed and throw a hissy fit if anyone tries a non-Maori response (hello, Wales) is fucking ridiculous and I'd ban the shit if they don't grow up about it. The precious pricks.

How can they get so worked up about it when it means so little that they changed it?

That today seemed tame as fuck compared to what I ever remember. Was more like a musical number from a play or something than a blood and guts thing.

[CJay]

I'd ban it completely. Can any country decide to do a pre match dance if they want?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Watch the one at the beginning of this for a proper haka.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89h49kubZI4

[Lee]

That's fucking terrible, just a big gay dance before the match. The little jump at the end. :D

[Jimmy Floyd]

I love the old style lineouts as well, looks like they're lining up at the bar for a boat race.

[GS]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX_-OSK-yMA

[Lewis]

The league team being almost entirely indigenous means everybody gets into it, rather than the tokens making the noise as Richie McCaw looks awkward. When Hull played their last match at the Boulevard against New Zealand in 2002 it was met with a 'What the fucking hell is that?' chant. I would like to see more of that.

[Queenslander]

Lucky to get as far as we did. I thought we were back in it untill AFL Folau kicked away our momentum.

Hansen's tactical sub at half time was genious.

Id like to think that losing Carter will hurt them but it wont.

[hfswjyr]

http://ukbuzz.wordpress.eurosport.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2015/10/RTX1U5H3-1170x658.jpg

[John Arne]

And the winner of the Pacific Games 2015 Best Team Dance is....

[Lewis]

You're over-doing it, Hull.

[Lewis]

Donned by Brett Ferres. The shame.

[Lewis]

The highlights were on the actual news(!). It was like an old Pathe newsreel.

'...when young Brett Ferres burst through to score. I bet he takes some feeding.'

[TG09]

Great pic, the Kiwi's are happy over here :)

[TG09]

Top world cup final, Oz being a bit of a dirty bunch. Should of had a player sent off, and Pocock should of be sent off too with the head stomp.

[Queenslander]

Nothing in it. Rutchie was holding onto him then got up and played the rest of the game.

Kiwi media is rubbish just like the Australian media

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/73569207/does-wallabies-golden-boy-david-pococks-ugly-footwork-on-richie-mccaws-head-amount-to-a-stomp

[John Arne]

Watch the one at the beginning of this for a proper haka.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89h49kubZI4

Jesus... that Haka :drool:

Those teams would be absolute murdered by today's players, too. Look at the state of the phyique and some of the decision making is quality lol stuff.

[ItalAussie]

Fair play to New Zealand - to win, they beat the three best teams (aside from themselves) over the course of the tournament. Nobody could accuse them of doing it the easy way.

[niko_cee]

That haka is immense. One of the guys towards the end is doing what I can only assume went on to become the macarena.

I was going to lend my support to the idea that the haka used to seem more intimidating/special than it does now, but that probably blows that out of the water a bit.

Is that the match of immortalised try fame?

Did they not bother with 'the big fellas' back then on grounds of racism?

[Disco]

The Try is in the first couple passages of play.

[niko_cee]

Oh aye, quality. Don't think I've ever seen it out of a highlight context.

The state of that conversion attempt.

[Disco]

The standard of play in general was a bit terrible, breakdown especially.

[CJay]

It looks awful. Did no one used to score conversions? :cab:

[Jimmy Floyd]

It was an amateur sport and would be for another 20 years after that game.

[Lewis]

My grandad claims to have smashed Mike Campbell-Lamerton (British Lions captain) on National Service in a scratch game of league.

[ItalAussie]

Even though the All-Blacks were definitely the better team, David Pocock really should have been given Player of the Tournament. He was arguably one of the top two players in every match Australia won that he played in, and it was clear against Scotland what Australia lost when he wasn't there.

BBC agrees: http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/rugby-union/34695223
Guardian agrees: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/nov/02/rugby-world-cup-2015-guardian-verdicts

Still, best player on the winning side is hard to look past.

[Lewis]

Remember our Clive Churchill discussion?

[Lewis]

Sam Burgess is BACK. The Sydney media are all asleep, but the Guardian sez he'll be the best paid player in the NRL (meaning more than 'DCE'). It's not worked out too badly has it?

Next: 'The Hayne Drain'.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Lol at English rugby union on that one.

[niko_cee]

I've not really been keeping tabs on Jared since he meffed up his first ever touch in the NLF, but the 49ers appear to be having a fairly tragic season.

Edit, cut last week eh? Won't be long then.

[Giggles]

I've not really been keeping tabs on Jared since he meffed up his first ever touch in the NLF, but the 49ers appear to be having a fairly tragic season.

Edit, cut last week eh? Won't be long then.

He's been as expected. Was cut last week.

[Lewis]

I saw some footage of him running away and instinctively looking behind for support. It was more lol than anything, but why don't they try that?

[Giggles]

They do sometimes, but it's far too risky.

[TG09]

I've not really been keeping tabs on Jared since he meffed up his first ever touch in the NLF, but the 49ers appear to be having a fairly tragic season.

Edit, cut last week eh? Won't be long then.

He is in the practice squad now for the 49ers. Now the 49ers main squad have loads of injuries...lol

[Queenslander]

Hayne to come back and play Union. :cool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

If they somehow hypothetically merged the two codes and met in the middle with the rules, would Australia completely smash the resulting World Cup as a result of their talent stocks in league, or would the All Blacks still piss it?

[Lewis]

New Zealand are better than Australia at league at the minute, so I suppose they would keep winning. We might win the Six Nations though.

[Queenslander]

Our goal kicking options would finally have some depth.

[Queenslander]

This team is a massive upgrade on the current Wobs.

1. Sio
2. Moore
3. Kepu
4. David Klemmer
5. Douglas
6. Fardy (calls the lineout)
7. Pocock (c)
8. Matt Scott
9. Micheal Ennis
10. Thurston GK (vc)
11. Will Chambers
12. Greg Inglis
13. Kurindrani
14. Hayne
15. Billy Slater

[ItalAussie]

I couldn't see Slater getting in ahead of Folau. He may not have been at his best at the World Cup, but he's still the best Australian in that position.

[Queenslander]

Folau can't kick effectively when it comes to clearing from inside the 22 and he also struggles to link up with his wingers IMO

He is unmatched under the high ball though.

Hopefully he gets some time at 13 next year.

[Lewis]

I hadn't factored Michael Ennis in. He would win so many penalties provoking people at the breakdown.

[Queenslander]

It would be amazing to see him bait the Springboks.

[Lewis]

He could troll Nigel Owens into a coma.

I was thinking about this a bit watching that Nehe Milner-Skudder melt heads with his run-of-the-mill step. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (or even Shaun Johnson) could put Joe Rokocoko numbers on the board with their running. I like James Roberts (Gold Coast) as well. He's got to be the fastest thing since Darren Albert. It's proper explosive speed as well, unlike say Greg Inglis who takes half the pitch to get some momentum behind his arse, so he would presumably be ideal for tight union spaces.

[Queenslander]

I thought about putting him at 13 but Im not sure what his defence is like.

[Lewis]

His head makes up most of his weight, so I reckon he could defend the line easily enough.

[Queenslander]

Nehe Milner-Skudder and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck are basically the same player I reckon. Both of them in an All Black back line sounds terrifying as Wobs fan. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that RTS is keen on playing for the All Blacks.

[Kikó]

Proper rugby on bbc1 now.

[Lewis]

This is a proper old-school test match, although New Zealand look like a team without their good halves.

[Lewis]

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/nov/08/england-world-cup-stock-farrago


England’s Rugby World Cup campaign has plumbed surreal new depths after it emerged some members of the squad lost money on shares recommended to them by their kit man. The Rugby Football Union has confirmed to the Guardian it will be launching an investigation amid reports the investment advice received led to disquiet in the camp.

That would be brilliant if true.

[Giggles]

As someone said earlier when I read about it, anyone who knows what they're at with stocks doesn't lay out shorts and socks for people.

[niko_cee]

You don't need to know what you are doing to be able to effectively channel insider information. This would probably be much bigger deal/problem if the shares had gone through the roof. Investment advice off the kit man though, that is quite funny.

[Lewis]

Sam Burgess wrote an article (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-3311129/SAM-BURGESS-couldn-t-right-fighting-losing-battle-playing-rugby-union-England-heart-just-isn-t-it.html)(!) about his decision, and basically he doesn't really like union. What did he expect?

[Queenslander]

It's a shame he was coached by a bunch of dickheads because I reckon Cheika and the Brumbies would have got the best out of him.

Or drop him in any of the New Zealand teams and he probably would have been world class with in 3 years. eg SBW

[Lewis]

Bath have closed ranks and called him a Toby-headed fanny, and it's all getting a bit serious. Would anyone think less of him if he just said he fancied the World Cup but otherwise prefers smashing people in league? It will be interesting to see whether it puts people off code-hopping in future.

[Queenslander]

Maybe some might now prefer to stay in the comfort zone of bosh bosh bosh bosh bosh kick but League is as big as it will ever get.

League will only ever be a Queensland and NSW sport down here with the perfect example being that the Storm have still failed to produce 1 Victorian Rugby League player.

[Lewis]

Does Victoria produce anything other than AFL players?

League obviously doesn't have the international game to match union, but at day-to-day club level things seem pretty even as far as crowds and money go (French/Japanese rugby possibly excepted; but then if you go to Japan I would suggest that prestige isn't the deciding factor). If you can hop over and be guaranteed an international place for a big tournament as Sam Burgess clearly was then you can see why people might do it, but if the NRL provides the same financial rewards then it's not necessarily worth the risk of having to spend three seasons earning your World Cup place.

[Queenslander]

I cant find the total list of players because they don't list all the professional Wobs. https://www.melbournerebels.com.au/club/fan-zone/history-of-victorian-rugby-union

The NRL look after their players very well and I totally understand why Burgess would come back because he is worshiped down here and he is in the same City as his brothers.

Im not sure if it's reported in England but Fox Sports have lost rights to the Premier League which will have to benefit the NRL because they dont have a deal with them yet.

But with all the TV money, well over 50% of the clubs don't turn a profit.

Edit: Now they just need to go back to 6 interchanges, make the ruck a contest again and fix the bloody scrum up so it's backs on back and prevent the lock from playing the ball.

[Lewis]

Stuart Lancaster is gone. The RFU must be rolling in money, so watch them give it to Andy 'Andrew Farrell' Farrell.

[Samadini]

That McGillvary take was what done won it, was class.

Don't watch much, but this has been a good game, some serious last ditch efforts.

[Giggles]

That kick :face:

That was quite a game though.

[Samadini]

Was about as shambolic as it gets at top level sport. Phenomenal bottle job, not that it would have mattered.

[Lewis]

So many dons in that side.

On to the England vs New Zealand (minus their good players) series. No Matty Smith, with his 'organising', please, selectors.

Organised us quite well today. :uhoh:

[niko_cee]

Good to see the opportunity to give the French a good kicking whilst their down hasn't been missed by the union clubs. Did they all lose today?

Odd that the games went ahead really.

[Queenslander]

RIP big man


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO1ZWGm5KnM

[Vim]

He's one of the few rugby players I know of, I met him once. Bit of a surprise news. :/

[Lewis]

He was looking a bit thin (relatively speaking) when he popped up at that Warriors game a few months ago, which makes you think kidneys, but they haven't confirmed that yet have they?

[Queenslander]

No news yet but it would be a pretty good bet.

[DC]

His twitter feed was still active until 3 days ago, stuffing his face in Dubai looking quite fit and healthy.

Survival on dialysis is usually not too terrible, but the stress on the body can be unseen.

[ItalAussie]

It's so sad. :(

[TG09]

Here is NZ Stuff news website - http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/all-blacks/74160034/all-blacks-legend-jonah-lomu-dies-aged-40

At least he got to see the AB's win the WC again.

[ItalAussie]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heoO_5MvZ0w

Never a bad time to relive this match.

[Luke Emia]

I was listening to the radio 3/4 weeks ago and he was at a kids school during the rugby World Cup it see,s pretty sudden. Mike Catt 95 I think that is all there really is to say about it.

[niko_cee]

:(

Sad news.

[Lee]

Bloody hell, I know he was ill but this is a bit of a shock.

[Blitz]

Big shock, there hasn't been anything in the news in the lead up to this to prepare us.

[Lewis]

The Warriors have given Ali Lauitiiti a one year deal after he donned the national team with Leeds for a laugh (nobody cares, Richie McCaw, mate). :cool:

[Queenslander]

We might finally have a chance at the Bledisloe now.

[TG09]

We might finally have a chance at the Bledisloe now.

Never! :dust:

[Queenslander]

True we'll probably need Brodie Retallick and Sam Whitelock to blowout both their knees as well.

[Queenslander]

Eddie Jones :serious:

[TG09]

Wow just read this about Eddie Jones -
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/74226465/eddie-jones-arrives-in-london-to-finalise-england-rugby-coaching-contract

[Jimmy Floyd]

Irrelevant now. They blew their chance to get rugby big. Next World Cup is in the middle of the night as well.

[TG09]

Pretty much screwed it for themselves, could be a while be England host another World Cup.

[Jimmy Floyd]

South Africa must be due, and they'll no doubt take it pointlessly to the USA at some stage.

[niko_cee]

Eddie Jones is such a pleb.

They'd be better off with Dingo Deans, and he's a bit of a div as well.

Just stick Sir Clive and his innate smugness in charge in perpetuity.

[ItalAussie]

South Africa must be due, and they'll no doubt take it pointlessly to the USA at some stage.

Yep. It'll be 2023 and 2027 for those two respectively. Bet on it.

[Queenslander]

Eddie Jones will happily de-power any scrum to get more mobility in the front row.

[Queenslander]

Yep. It'll be 2023 and 2027 for those two respectively. Bet on it.

Europe will be 27 and then maybe the USA.

[ItalAussie]

Europe will be 27 and then maybe the USA.

You reckon? I can understand them wanting to get it back to Europe, but the lure of the USA seems too strong to get past.

[Queenslander]

Im pretty sure the pattern with Rugby will always be Europe - somewhere else - Europe - somewhere else.

Edit: Japan then SA stuffs that theory though derp.

[Lewis]

lol at Souths still being over the salary cap. If he gets crocked at any point next season then they're going to be fucked.

It's Manly's Year. :cool:

[Queenslander]

Broncos too bounce back to start the 3rd dynasty. :drool:

[Lewis]

Tom Youngs, Brad Barritt, Tom Wood, Geoff Parling and Danny Cipriani missed out.

What a wonderful sentence that is. Role on the disappointment.

[The Merse]

Parling has been excellent since moving and Cip is in much better form than Ford.

Wade and Simpson being missing is mental. Game changers the two of them.

Oh but Chris Ashton is back you say?

[Lewis]

Some players just aren't test match footballers, regardless of their domestic form, and that is a nice list of them.

[niko_cee]

Eddie Jones is a complete chancer. What an atrocious appointment.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm not entirely sure what the point is now anyway. The scale of the disaster in the autumn has set the game back a decade.

[TG09]

It will never get any better, poor team selection and management.

I might stick with my 2nd team New Zealand.

[The Merse]

Some players just aren't test match footballers, regardless of their domestic form, and that is a nice list of them.

Wade and Cip certainly are. Wade has proven it to some extent, Parling is a fucking Lion and Cip is a different player to that which turned out for England at such a young age.

[Disco]

Welcome to England Eddie.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35362589

[Lewis]

I meant to post this (http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2016/jan/19/rugby-union-professional-youth-amateur-game) for thoughts yesterday. Without wanting to have The Debate, I expect there are people in the sport who would rather collapse it into farce than make changes that could be seen as league-like.

[Disco]

Is it, in the end, the fault of the aforementioned zealot with the over-active whistle or, actually, the game itself?

Seeing as a shit ref ruins any sport I'm going with that.

[The Merse]

I meant to post this (http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2016/jan/19/rugby-union-professional-youth-amateur-game) for thoughts yesterday. Without wanting to have The Debate, I expect there are people in the sport who would rather collapse it into farce than make changes that could be seen as league-like.

I'd happily see a few changes, and agree there's an issue with rules at the moment - namely that emphasis on individual ref's interpretation is failing in the modern pro game where consistency is expected, but mooted due to the different styles across the top leagues.

However, I'm very mindful that I don't want League and nor do I want uncontested scrums in the vein of Australian provincial rugby.

[Queenslander]

Eh? Scrums are contested in the ARC.

[The Merse]

Eh? Scrums are contested in the ARC.

I don't call that pile of shite a contest...

To be fair, I'm largely going off a bit of youtube and the expression of others.

[Queenslander]

We have definitely turned a corner in our approach to scrummaging over the last few years.

From about 2005 to 2013 is fair enough calling us a shamble though.

[Lewis]

He didn't actually bum the dog, you puritan freaks. Then again, if it means he misses Origin...

[Baz]

Anyone fancy a go at some fantasy rugby? New season starts on Thursday.

Signup and make your team here: http://www.sldreamteam.co.uk/

Then join the mini league called TTH (http://www.sldreamteam.co.uk/minileague/10011) using the pin 10011 and password tth1

:thbup:

[Lewis]

Is that one where you update it every weekend? I can't be bothered with that.

Unfortunately, I reckon Wigan will win it this year. I just hope they use John Bateman properly in doing so, because I'm not watching him stink up the Four Nations at centre.

[Baz]

No you can just leave it once it's done. The cutoff is Thursday so most people forget to make subs/transfers anyway.

You should signup, if only to get pounded by my team. :nod:

[Lewis]

Is the TTH mini-league just you? I might as well.

The consensus seems to be that the Roosters are going to chuck Mitchell Pearce (he's only got a year left on his contract, so any long ban makes it pointless keeping him), so I might wait to see whether Salford sign him. It's a good job camera phones weren't around when Andrew Johns was playing. Imagine the precedents the NRL would have set letting him get away with everything to keep him from leaving the code. :drool:

[Queenslander]

Between him and Lockyer running a muck on Caxton Street in his early 20's.

[TG09]

The Seven's in Wellington start in a few weeks, I havent been keep tabs what is going on but hear USA have beaten New Zealand a few times already.

[Lewis]

Between him and Lockyer running a muck on Caxton Street in his early 20's.

I always thought he was the whiter-than-white contrast to Johns and 'Freddy'. Shocking.

[Queenslander]

Nah he was a pest when he was younger. Im not sure if you remember but he was staying at big Dells place in Sydney when Sailor got a a 2 year ban for cocaine use. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/lockyer-caught-in-whispers/story-e6frexni-1111114319999

He might not have dabbled as much as Joey but plenty of people my age who grew up in Brisbane have a friend of a friend Lockyer being a bit of a drunk cunt story.

The Broncos are a protected species in Brisbane. Not much makes it's way to the papers.

[Lewis]

Big Dell. :cool:

'I have a problem with alcohol and I need help', sez Pearce. Grow up, mate.

[Queenslander]

All it needed was a simple sorry for being a bit of dick. I'll donate one afternoon a week for the rest of the year coaching the local under 6's.

[TG09]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/76398895/mitchell-pearce-issues-emotional-apology-admits-alcohol-problem

"Together with the club I'm working on a solution for me to address the issues which will come out in the next couple of days.


"I just want to thank everyone for turning up and I apologise again."


Pearce was exposed in a video shot on Australia Day in a highly intoxicated state and involved in a distasteful interaction with a dog.


Speculation has been that Pearce will be stripped of the Roosters captaincy, fined A$50,000 and suspended from the Roosters' UK trip for the World Club Challenge.


The NRL is said to be considering a ban in the vicinity of six matches.

[Queenslander]

What a load of shit.

[TG09]

Agreed, what a knob jockey!

[Queenslander]

Yeah knob but a bit of an overreaction.

[niko_cee]

So he got pissed up on Australia Day?

How un-Australian. Country's fucked cobber.

What on earth is a 'cabcharge'? At least this has probably distracted from our lot tearing up the Manly Wharf Hotel this year.

[Baz]

He might not have dabbled as much as Joey but plenty of people my age who grew up in Brisbane have a friend of a friend Lockyer being a bit of a drunk cunt story.Similar to Sean Long, who is now assistant coach at Saints. :moop:

[Queenslander]

Okay so now it's coming out that Mitch Pearce and the 3 other Roosters were using cocaine.

[Lewis]

Similar to Sean Long, who is now assistant coach at Saints. :moop:

Keiron Cunningham is a fair old size these days. I never realised until I saw him adjusting his moobs for the team photo the other day.

[Lewis]

SKY SOURCES say Wayne Bennett is the new England coach. Are there any other Wayne Bennetts who they might have appointed by mistake?

[Queenslander]

Nope he is seething at not getting the Australian job and said he would coach another nation.

[hfswjyr]

He's coached them before hasn't he?

[Lewis]

Twice, and the second time he conspired to make a right mess of it (relatively speaking). This is interesting because the recent near misses have been easy to blame on Steve McNamara being a clueless twat. Having not just an actual coach, but Wayne-fucking-Bennett, should give us a better idea of where our best squad in ages stand.

[hfswjyr]

The Kiwis miraculously became world beaters when he assisted Steven Kearney, so no doubt the English are now the side to beat.

[TG09]

The Kiwis miraculously became world beaters when he assisted Steven Kearney, so no doubt the English are now the side to beat.

Looking pretty good at the moment. SA vs Fiji is a game to watch.

[Lewis]

League is back. :drool:

It's going to be a long season for Rovers (I was going to go to the opener on Sunday, but Andy Bell put me off), and I'm also going back on my Wigan prediction. I had forgotten how good Leeds' forwards look now we don't all have to pretend Jamie Peacock was still good.

[niko_cee]

Why do teams announce their line-ups several days in advance of a match? In this modern era of professionalism and all it always strikes me as a bit anachronistic.

[Baz]

I don't think Leeds have realised the season's started.

[Lewis]

Sir Kevin Sinfield wouldn't have passed up those points in the first half. Zak Hardaker kicking all season. :sick:

[The Merse]

The usual feelings of confidence when you're hanging around murrayfield on opening day have kicked in. Reserved confidence, but confidence nonetheless. Hard to say it's backed up by greater pragmatism this time around, but I'd venture the XV today is the strongest in around 8 or 9 years. Set piece will decide a lot. Ford has to hit his throws and Johnny needs to get his calls right. Scrum should be solid enough with the Embra trio in fine form - I'd be concerned were Vunipola starting, will take an out of form Marler against Nel anytime.

[Lewis]

Queenslander will be happy to know that Dave Taylor looked bigger than ever in his specially-made XXXXL Catalan shirt (the slimming black away version), but he'll still have a right laugh against most teams in better conditions.

Fucking hell, Italy.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The Lions are going to get absolutely molested in NZ. 3-0 and no survivors.

[Lewis]

I've no idea whether Jones will be any good for England, but whenever I've seen him speaking (as just now) you can at least tell he's talking about rugby and not increasing productivity with new office furniture.

[Disco]

I wish I'd been organised enough to watch this now, seeing France lose is the next best thing to beating them yourself.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I watched a couple of their Tuuhp 14 games recently and the standard is really high, pissing on anything in the British/Irish club game. Why are they so shit? 'Because they're French' explains 99% of it I suppose.

[Disco]

Their gameplan consists of 'being French' too, which is your other 1%.

High tackle by Scotland there, get him binned.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Terrible game, this, between two terrible teams.

[John Arne]

Is the BBC studio outside? In the middle of February? In Scotland?

[Lewis]

Hasn't French rugby (like English football) shit itself by allowing their better teams to pack their key positions with expensive foreigners?

If Scotland can't beat us today they won't ever do so again.

[Disco]

Essentially yes, although it's not quite so chronic because (until recently) international sides wouldn't pick players from foreign clubs.

[Lewis]

Will the Irish be able to resist losing their players (I expect England can hold out), or will they fold like Wales?

That kick. Fucking hell. Your old man would still sink that with his eyes closed.

[Disco]

And Australia don't forget. I suspect everyone with the possible exception of New Zealand will fold eventually.

[Lewis]

Give up, Scotland. Just... No more.

[Lewis]

Wee Jimmy Krankie wasn't happy.

[Disco]

I turned it off before he started speaking.

I've just seen that our last game is in Paris, I'd gladly lose the next three in exchange for battering the French. ISIS better not ruin it.

[The Merse]

Will the Irish be able to resist losing their players (I expect England can hold out), or will they fold like Wales?

That kick. Fucking hell. Your old man would still sink that with his eyes closed.

They already have with sexton and I suppose you can go further back to Murphy, Leo and stringer too.

[The Merse]

Fucks sake.

Russell not putting Hoggy in was a 7 point moment for a start...

England defense was impressive but yet again we rue handling errors in key positions.

Massive shame too that Barclay, a man most of the support has been calling for a recall for3 years for (I've been massively vocal on it myself) looked lost, and Cowan immediately improved the blindside.

[Queenslander]

Queenslander will be happy to know that Dave Taylor looked bigger than ever in his specially-made XXXXL Catalan shirt (the slimming black away version), but he'll still have a right laugh against most teams in better conditions.

Fucking hell, Italy.

Damn it I forgot about that waste of talent.

[Lewis]

The commentators billed him at 135kg, which can't be right because this (http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/dave-taylor-has-to-lose-weight-or-he-will-be-forced-out-of-the-nrl/story-fniabrr8-1226855771627) old article about his weight problems had him struggling at 120. :cab:

[Queenslander]

I've seen him reported at 140kg so good luck getting a full season out of him Catalans.

He is a lazy mess who will disappear in big games. His one trick is popping up in the centres to run over the smallest blokes on the field.

Any other antipodeans playing this season?

[Lewis]

Glenn Stewart and Justin Horo have joined Catalans, so their pack should be reasonably handy, Frank Pritchard is already a cult figure at Hull, and Keith Galloway is at Leeds until they realise he's the slowest man on Earth. In the backs, Kurt Gidley is at Warrington, and Robert Lui somehow got a work permit to join Salford.

Your currency picking up really did wonders for our game. Every team used to have half about eight shit Australians (especially after the Super League War sucked the money out of the NRL). Now they're used sparingly.

[Queenslander]

All the best to all the women of Salford.

Glenn Stewart is a great pick up I reckon.

I haven't followed it closely enough are there any new English players down here this season?

[Lewis]

Elliot Whitehead has gone to Canberra, and Joe Burgess (no relation to the others) has gone to the Roosters. Whitehead will be one of the best second-rows in the competition by the end of the year, and Burgess should do well if he doesn't get homesick like Sam Tomkins did.

We should have some Four Nations side once Darius Boyd gets his passport.

[Queenslander]

:D

Hopefully Bennett can get some English forwards for the Broncos.

[GS]

Let's see if ITV contrive to ruin the rugby as much as they do the football.

[Jimmy Floyd]

They have had the World Cup since the beginning of time, in fairness.

[Disco]

They had me at 'no Jonathan Davies'.

[Lewis]

The Six Nations is opening up nicely for England. Grand Slam decider against France, and confirmation of whether or not the BOTTLER mentality has gone.

[hfswjyr]

Can't believe France are topping the table at the moment. Watched both their games, and they were crap both times.

Made it up to Murrayfield for the opener, which was a great atmosphere. Just watched both games on today also, and gotta say the Scots keep losing, but there's very little in it.

[Giggles]

These 'shoulder to shoulder' Facebook profile pictures are the stuff of wankers.

[Disco]

Happily France are unlikely to be top tomorrow afternoon.

[TG09]

Danny Cipriani back to Wasps, and they are trying to get Pocock.


Wasps have made an audacious attempt to bring David Pocock to the English Premiership, in a potential deal that would make the Australia flanker the highest-paid rugby player in the world.


The feelgood factor has only been enhanced by the capture of Danny Cipriani, their prodigal son, on Tuesday (NZ time). Despite interest from Harlequins and Toulon, Cipriani returned to his boyhood club on a three-year deal worth an estimated £400,000 (NZ$870,000) a year, after activating a break clause in his Sale contract.


http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/international/76982078/bold-wasps-ready-to-make-david-pocock-worlds-highestpaid-player

[Queenslander]

Sabbatical with a bit of study on the side then he will be back for the next world cup.

We will lose a few players for a bit them they will come back 2 years out.

[Lewis]

How would they get that under their salary cap? Do they do the league thing of paying wives lol salaries to do an afternoon in the club shop?

It's the World Club Challenge this weekend. 3-0 Australia again. Shit. Keep an eye out for John Bateman if you watch the Broncos' match, Queens. He'll be donning the NRL before long.

[Queenslander]

I do like them wide running forwards. :drool:

Hopefully My Bennett directs him to the Broncos.

[Queenslander]

Do you know much about this bloke http://www.broncos.com.au/team/profiles/greg_eden.html? Lewis

[Lewis]

He looked like a bit of a natural when he first came through, but eventually he was such an inconsistent waste of a shirt that everybody was completely mystified by the Broncos being interested. Nathan Brown calling him 'England's Billy Slater' at Huddersfield didn't do him any favours, but if he was that shit he would surely have been cut by now (he isn't exactly young), so somebody obviously likes him.

[Lewis]

Well in, Saints. Ten minutes is a definite improvement on last year.

[Lewis]

Baz, this is the worst Saints team I've ever seen. The entire squad has four decent players (RIP Jonny Lomax), and two of them are James Roby.

[Lewis]

One out, one dropped, and both Lewis Tierney's fault. He's Jason Robinson's son! He's also crap.

[Lewis]

That was good, as is the TTH-style post-defeat hand-wringing. Big pitches. Small pitches. Not enough pitches. Too many pitches.

[Lewis]

Coming over here with your slaps. Aussie Twitter is seething.

In other news, Leeds were good for a half, and then their kids shit themselves. Not that the result matters when somebody gets GUBBED. :drool:

[ScousePig]

What a punch. Why offer a little slap like the Aussie guy did? You just know you're getting gubbed.

Girlfriend is a Rhinos fan and went tonight, so might follow the rugger a little more again. I 'ope Sentelens are still decent.

[Lewis]

Because in Australia they go into MELTDOWN whenever somebody throws a punch (if that had been an NRL game a million State of the Game articles would currently be underway), so shithouse players throw little slaps around thinking that nothing will happen.

[ScousePig]

I'm surprised at that. I thought they'd be bang up for it.

[Lewis]

If you just sent everyone off for deliberate head contact like they do in football you could eliminate it, but their 'no punching' rule is loose enough to allow daft slaps, sly headbutts, and all that sort of shit. Their problem down there is that they have convinced themselves that every such incident or piece of off-field idiocy drives ten families (all about the families) to the AFL or 'soccer', so they make a big deal of NO PUNCHING but end up looking stupid when it solves nothing.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Every sport bar football only seems to be five minutes away from a State of the Game exchange these days. Union is having a shocking one about the Six Nations being rubbish at the moment. It is rubbish, but what do you want to do about it? Just enjoy the game.

[Lewis]

I went to the match today, and the Australians pissing on us this weekend got a few people into moaning about how poorly rugby league is run compared to football and whatever other examples they could think of. Rugby league is definitely run by [well-meaning] idiots, but they weren't having it that football is too, and that it succeeds in spite of its administrators. If tens of millions of people liked rugby league, and threw their money at everything rugby league-related, a fucking monkey could make a success of that as well.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I know very little about rugby league but from afar it strikes me as fairly well run compared to many other sports, given that it has no potential for expansion whatsoever and a pretty limited market even within its own boundaries. There is a point at which you just have to accept that Australians generally do beat us at sport because they have massive concentrated population centres with old sporting institutions that make sense, their weather is much better, and they all have a chip on their shoulder that drives them on.

[Lewis]

Whenever this sort of panning happens we start stressing about what they do differently, but it's simply more popular in Australia. It doesn't dominate everywhere, but New South Wales and Queensland (half of the population) are solid league territories, so it has effective first call on their human and financial resources. Here it's clearly a very, very distant second to football. In football terms we're Portugal and they're Spain. We can produce quality individuals, and sometimes enough of them at once to form a competitive national team, but we don't have their depth at any level.

[Baz]

I'd like to go on record to say Jordan Lilley is the worst player to ever wear a Leeds shirt.

[Disco]

Dan Biggar looks like he needs the toilet every time he takes a kick.

[Jimmy Floyd]

That first half was genuinely disgraceful. They really need to sort the scrum rules out (and liquidise Wayne Barnes) because as a wavering on-off viewer I'm on the off side if the sport is going to be played like that.

[Disco]

It was turgid and not in a northern hemisphere stick it up your jumper way (ie great) but in a scrappy error strewn way. A proper French team wouldn't have poked away at the try line with a whole line of backs wasting away outside them. The Welsh will win as they have a couple of players who can score all on their own.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Yeah, it's basically 100% France's fault that it's so shit - not sure about this new policy of picking as few Frenchmen as possible - although the Welsh don't appear to have any bottle either.

[Disco]

Nice assist from Plisson there.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The commentary on this game is the best thing about it. Jonathan Davies and Brian Moore just going off on rants, regardless of whether or not the other is already talking, and Eddie Butler in his optimal fixture for faithful surname pronunciation.

How did France bottle that drive?

[Disco]

Even with a potential 17% less Jonathan Davies I still have the sound off.

This is without a doubt the worst French side I've ever seen. France always used to carry that potential to be brilliant out of nowhere, this lot look like they've been suffocated.

[Disco]

You never used to get people wanting to lie in front of the ball like that, not more than once anyway.

[Jimmy Floyd]

That 15 minute spell of 'dominance' was embarrassing. The first team I've seen who don't even look threatening with ten people on the opposition try line.

[Disco]

They've looked better with Trihn Duc on but still don't look like scoring.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Well, Brian Moore has just won the Six Nations by saying 'It's not hard when you're up against a gameplan developed by Inspector Clouseau'.

[Disco]

:D He must have had a lovely time.

[Lewis]

I'd like to go on record to say Jordan Lilley is the worst player to ever wear a Leeds shirt.

He's ace. I almost lost my toes to the cold at Rovers tonight, but I got in for nothing on a borrowed pass so whatever. So shit.

[Baz]

Ace? He probably couldn't even put me on the floor.

oh and lol in yo face etc

[Lewis]

Did the idiot dressed as Batman prowling the sidelines make it onto Sky? What a sport.

[Disco]

I go out for half an hour and Italy make quick work of chucking this away.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The indiscipline by us is so poor and it's been that way for years and years now, under several regimes.

[Disco]

We tend to concede about twice as many penalties as I would like.

[Dquincy]

Didn't realise Twickenham played music when a team scores.

[Lewis]

When did they ban tackling?

[Disco]

Phew.

[Lewis]

Stuart Lancaster England would have crumpled after that Irish try, so Eddie Jones is a genius.

[Disco]

We'll probably let them back into it now.

[Giggles]

England :hail:

[Disco]

Nothing wrong with that, bit of good old fashioned rucking.

[Disco]

Shafted. :drool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Two more absolutely terrible teams. It's a little bit chronic.

If England weren't the mentally weakest team going they'd have scored 40+.

[Disco]

I thought England were ok, although a better team would have buried them with those two binnings.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Oh we're lovely 40 metres out, but we completely bossed the first half and only came away with 6 pikey points because we kept bottling it inside the 22, as always.

[GS]

We literally can't cope when we have injuries to first choice players. The depth just isn't there. We can close the gap in quality through hard work and putting the tackles (when we're not missing the fuckers), but it shows massively in the last quarter of the match.

[Lewis]

I thought we seemed pretty comfortable. Owen Farrell bombed about ten 'kickable' points, and the defence held.

[GS]

Aye, a couple of breaks aside I didn't think we were going to get over the line beyond kicking it into the corner and mauling it over. We're quite uninspiring to watch at the minute.

[Disco]

I'm not sure how anyone could type that headline unironically without bursting into flames.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/35680242

[Lewis]

THE BUNKER. :drool:

Fucking nine o'clock starts. I'll get into it once the clocks change. 'Mon the Warriors letting everybody - literally everybody - down again.

[niko_cee]

Cracking start lads.

[Lewis]

Geoff Toovey would have won that game 40-0. FACT.

Speaking of shit, I only saw some extended highlights from the lolamatta vs Brisbane game, but all of the reports said Greg Eden melted. Bless.

[Queenslander]

If Kurtley Beale signs for Wasps I hope they bring his family and hire a huge team of minders to keep him away from alcohol because he is an absolute cunt when he goes off the rails.

[TG09]

If Kurtley Beale signs for Wasps I hope they bring his family and hire a huge team of minders to keep him away from alcohol because he is an absolute cunt when he goes off the rails.

I havent heard this news, that could be interesting. He is a bit of a knob on the source though.

[Queenslander]

OUR Brad Thorn has offered to train and possibly play with the first team once his duties with the under 20's has finished for the year.

[hfswjyr]

41 years old and going strong. It'd be a shame if he was shit and ruined his legacy, although I suppose he knows that's the risk and he simply doesn't care about that stuff and is only interested in playing for his love of the game.

[Baz]

Sandow's dropgoal as the hooter went was something special. :drool:

Adam Swift Man Of Steel this season.

[Lewis]

I'll go Luke Gale. Yer man Jordan Lilley Young Player of the Year.