NRL 2010

[Iron Zombius]

reports in the media today are Inglis has spoken to Essendon. He has stated that he doesnt want to leave melbourne if he is forced out of the storm due to the salary cap

 

[Goreripper]

What's most annoying about this is that there are going to be young guns playing in the VFL who will miss out because of people like Falou and Hunt, guys who've been playing Rules all their lives, who have the fitness level and the skills and know the game. Israel Falou hasn't even played Rules before, and he's being signed up until well into his 20s. Does he realise that the game is twice as long, the field is twice as large and the essence of the game is kicking and running? It's not just a different game, it's a completely different fitness regimen. You don't even kick the ball the same way in Rules as you do in League. You pass differently, run with the ball differently. Everything.

 

[phlogiston]

It's all just publicity thing. You can't launch a new club without some big names attached, and you can't try to launch a new club AFL in the middle of NRL country without a big name that the locals have heard of. None of the big name players are gonna go, because they've already got the names and can ask for the cash where they are. (With the rumoured exception of Gary Ablett.)

For example, I hadn't heard of either Israel or Hunt before this all started. I barely know who they are now. But you guys all seem to have opinions, and you're gonna tune in to the first few games to see how they go.

 

[Goreripper]

I'm not sure I'll "tune in". I support the Swans and I rarely even watch them. Sydney doesn't give a shit about AFL. By the time Team GWS starts in the competition, we won't even remember Israel Falou.

Having said that, I will be watching how GWS goes. It has to be one of the biggest gambles in sporting history. And you're right, they will need "names" to have any hope of getting support. Ablett wouldn't even get Sydney interested because most people living west of Annandale don't even know who he is. The AFL has a huge task on its hands. There's hardly anywhere to even play Rules in Sydney. Two years after the Swans won the grand final, people in Blacktown didn't even know who Adam Goodes was. They only know Barry Hall because he punches people, and they probably don't even realise he plays for another team now.

 

[Winmar]

Correct about the likes of Ablett. It's a bit hard for someone like him to attract support in Sydney when people have never heard of him. It'd be a bit like Melbourne Storm getting the likes of Slater, Inglis and Smith to the club and expecting Aussie Rules fans here to be converted. Oh wait.....

It's funny how most people don't venture past what they grew up with.

 

[Bucko]

I'm not sure I'll "tune in". I support the Swans and I rarely even watch them. Sydney doesn't give a shit about AFL. By the time Team GWS starts in the competition, we won't even remember Israel Falou.

Having said that, I will be watching how GWS goes. It has to be one of the biggest gambles in sporting history. And you're right, they will need "names" to have any hope of getting support. Ablett wouldn't even get Sydney interested because most people living west of Annandale don't even know who he is. The AFL has a huge task on its hands. There's hardly anywhere to even play Rules in Sydney. Two years after the Swans won the grand final, people in Blacktown didn't even know who Adam Goodes was. They only know Barry Hall because he punches people, and they probably don't even realise he plays for another team now.

does he ...

 

[Spruce Goose]

Hmm.... 6 weeks out from the finals.
Some of the top teams are looking shakey (Dragons, Panfers, Tigers), whilst others are starting to fire (Roosters, Eels, Seagles... even the Warriors, who lost on the weekend).

Should make for an interesting last quarter of the comp.

Tough to pick who it will be in the GF from here.....

 

[Spiff]

I think it'll be like 2005 - pretty much any team could be there at this stage. I think the Roosters will be one of the teams in the grand final, with either the Eels, Manly or the Broncos the other.

 

[FerretallicA]

Well I don't use this psychic octopus garbage, what a load of superstitious drivel...

I'm tipping a Tigers / Dragons finals based on a scientific simulation of the 2010 season on the Wii.

 

[Bucko]

Tigers / Manly ....

 

[Winmar]

Dragons are in a bit of a slump at the moment, which opens things up a bit for other clubs. Ah well. I'll be at the grand final again regardless.

 

[Goreripper]

Any coincidence that the slump started when Gasnier came back?

 

[Bucko]

Tigers won again , but damm lucky me thinks

 

[Spruce Goose]

That Tigers / Sharks game was the worst referres game I have seen all year.
Both sides got shit calls... but fair-dinkum..... How was the Pommeroy thing a penalty to the Tigers?
Try or penalty to the sharks at the least........

Disappointing way to bow out of finals contention for the sharkies.......

 

[Spiff]

They can still make a charge to the top 14.

 

[Winmar]

Any coincidence that the slump started when Gasnier came back?

Probably not. His return involved a bit of a reshuffle. But then we had a slump late last season too.

 

[Winmar]

The Dragons might be back in form. Cracking win this arvo in a great contest at the SCG. Gasnier wasn't used a lot.

 

[Goreripper]

He always seems to fuck things up. Nice work near the end there though. Great game. The first half seemed like two whole games!

 

[Bucko]

Tigers played shitful again... we may slip out of the 8, on this form

 

[FerretallicA]

On Joel Monaghan going doggy style:

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/te...-breaks-cover-20101105-17gex.html?autostart=1

To me the most surprising thing about the whole story: that be[a]stiality is essentially legal in the ACT.