I completely forgot it was on untill fulltime. The Pacific Island Tests over the weekend were fair more interesting.
I completely forgot it was on untill fulltime. The Pacific Island Tests over the weekend were fair more interesting.
How have Warrington managed to sign Blake Austin? He's an actual top player in his prime who hasn't been sacked in disgrace. The Raiders offered him good money, so he must easily be coming in as the highest paid player in Super League, which is probably fair since nobody will be able to touch him. Tui Lolohea is apparently set for Leeds as well. People are talking this up as the league being more attractive than in previous years, but it's surely just the the level of competition in NRL being utterly ruthless at squeezing even really good players out after six shit months. Whatever. Todd Carney back at Rovers as well.
Ben Barba went to visit the school Mike works at yesterday. Is it just me that finds that a little strange?
Also it feels weird going into tomorrow’s game (against Wigan) actually knowing for a fact that Saints’ll win.
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Pretty common down here although I personally wouldnt let Barba near children.
lol apparently the clubs who will end up in the qualifiers have only just realised that, if they have to go over to Toronto, some of their more colourful characters might not qualify for visas. Rovers appear to be counting on Todd Carney guiding them to safety, so hopefully that one is a home game.
Baz mate.
League leaders shield innit.
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Catalans vs Warrington. There will be about ten people there.
'Mon the French. Warrington ought to clean up next year, so they can let this one go.
Fucking yes.
Imagine getting out-composured by Tony Gigot and the Catalans. Give up.
My mates pic on BBC is pretty funny:
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I think Ben Barba is already back in Australia. Danny Richardson (the player Jordan 'Foe' Lilley thinks he is) for Man of Steel.
I hate Richardson so much.
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Is there some weird local knowledge reason behind that?
Not at all. I imagine most of St. Helens love him, and he is a pretty good kicker. I just think he’s a ponce. He’s always fixing his [bad] hairdo, seems to give the ball away more than anyone else, and generally annoys me. He does have moments of brilliance but I can’t be doing with him most of the time.
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Thurston had a fantastic last match, and set up a bunch of tries in their come-from-behind win. I wonder if they'd orchestrate something like that in a meaningless 12th v 13th match. He's one of the players I'll really miss.
It's pretty lol that his team have been shit all season, and he clearly played a year too many (I suspect had he not missed the season with injury he would have retired with the World Cup), but he still leads the league in try and line break assists. The eulogies and presentations at every ground have been a bit much though, future Immortal or not. I don't recall Darren Lockyer getting them.
It's looking like a Toronto vs Toulouse MILLION POUND GAME and Widnes going down.
To be fair, as great as Lockyer was, Thurston is a class better. And I did watch plenty of both. Truthfully, I think Lockyer was better at fullback than in the halves.
He's done fine enough this season. He certainly hasn't been bad. Better to go out not-terrible-but-only-decent than wonder if you left anything on the field. Nobody's going to be saying "he should have played on", but nobody would begrudge him a season of above-averageness either.
Yeah, the positional switch would probably see him below him. That said, I've always thought Thurston was much less effective as a six for the representative sides (not that it has really mattered). In my watching lifetime I would go:
Andrew Johns
Cameron Smith
Johnathan Thurston
Darren Lockyer
Brad Fittler
And then I think there is a bit of a drop before Billy Slater and whoever (some poor under-appreciated forwards hopefully) come into it.
Let's have a look back at my pre-season predictions (with actual results):
Not bad then. That bottom two selection is a bigger lol than Parramatta. Souths will probably win it from here, and the Warriors have had their best season in ages (and 'RTS' should win the Dally M).
What was the motivation for going all in on Parramatta, out of curiosity?
They were the form team at the end of last season, so I just figured that would carry on and that Mitchell Moses would play State of Origin. I think I probably took Semi Radradra's work in his own half for granted. You can replace the tries easily enough, but he was doing two forwards' work returning the ball.
Morgan fucking Knowles.
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St. George.
I saw Andrew Johns the other day saying it should be a twelve team competition because there isn't the quality to go round. What?
Probably a bit of CTE catching up with him.
This All Blacks / South Africa match is cracking.
Why the hell didn't they go for a drop goal?
Arrogance/belief that we could still win it with a try.
Didn't actually see how DMac lost it at the end, thought they were through on the outside.
Just win the game you big fannies. Now I have to listen to the Saffer at work drone on about this for most of next week.
Fuck me.
We are going to get belted in South Africa.
It's hard to know whether the Roosters defence was excellent there or the Souths attack was shit. Probably the latter. Try that inside ball again lads it might work this time. If not, have Damien Cook scoot out of dummy-half some more.
The final would have been bad enough anyway since one of them has to win, but Cooper Cronk looks dead and Jake Friend will more than likely miss it for tipping whoever it was on his head, so that is them completely rudderless. On the other side, whilst he deserves to miss out if only as belated justice for a career of unpunished low-level shithousery, I would be amazed if Billy 'Billy' Slater gets suspended for his shoulder charge. We can't spoil the NARRATIVE.
I went to the gym expecting a Melbourne blowout, so that was a nice surprise. lol at Sir Cameron Smith crying about Billy Slater being booed as well. Grow up lad.
Which of those two non existent growth markets will they fix it for? Presumably Toronto if I know sports admins.
In theory Toronto are much better for the game. Whether or not any grassroots league takes off over there we won't know for years (and even then it's not like Melbourne produce any players), but in the meantime they get good crowds and finance themselves, so you would think that the stiffs would want them in Super League. On the other hand, a Canadian team isn't going to shift any Sky dishes, so that could cost the English clubs during the next broadcast negotiations ('negotiations' as in Sky dictating terms).
Toronto will win though so it shouldn't be an issue.
Meanwhile, Saints nilled Cas, lol.
Barba hat-trick in the final?
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James Roby should win Man of Steel over him. England's greatest active sportsman.
You know a games tight when there’s a first half dropgoal. 3-2 at half time; quality.
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I fear that the NARRATIVE favours Wigan at the moment.
I’m watching so Saints are going to get beat. Soz @Baz
To say he has literally everything else in his game, Ben Barba is such a shit defender.
I don't think I've ever seen one go over off the bar.
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Barba's tackle attempt there. Christ.
Are Kevin Naiqama and Joseph Paulo as good as Ben Barba?
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No, but Lachlan Coote is a good signing.
That was a great game. Hopefully whoever wins tomorrow wins the Grand Final.