Official Aussie NRL Thread

Originally Posted by pecks

I think it's a good format. Teams like Canberra shouldn't deserve 2 home games in the finals.
If the old format were still in place, we'd hqve...

Dogs v Brisbane
Melbourne v sharks
Souths v raiders
Manly v cowboys.

That'd be pretty dull, and I'm glad they've changed the format.

I did like the impact other games had in the old format though. The nervous wait you had if your team lost from 5th or 6th hoping that 7th and 8th didnt pull upsets and you were knocked out. This is fairer though.

[Dr Gonzo]

how is this for insane... my mate SJ used to be right into water skiing and said he used to ski with Miss Eagle... said she was an epic bogan. He has an old VHS video of when they were both about 15 or 16 and she says to the camera "im busting for a piss im going up the front" and then proceeds to pull her bikini bottom down and piss off the front into the water

his two flatmates told me they have seen it... what do you think would happen if it made its way onto youtube?

i am not being a dick, this actually exists

[swingin]

Originally Posted by OZ Puncher

Does anyone else agree that the new shoulder charge outlawing is ****ing bullshit?

RL is undergoing a cultural cringe.

it has a problem. 1% of the population (pacific islanders) are now making up over 45% of the NRL under 20s squads. this will expand into the NRL 1st grade as well.

the problem is; the other 99% of parents interested in RL, can not see their child having a future playing against those athletes. what do those parents do? even if the dad played RL as a kid or adult, he and mum will still act in the interest of his child. he will change sports for his childs welfare.

the effect that has is that whatever code that child goes to (soccer or AFL), the child becomes interested in that code. when in 20 years that kid has kids, his kids will play the new code, and RL will lose its market share in both juniors and in the market place.

it is happening now. it has just started. its only in the last 5 seasons the effect of pacific island kids in such numbers in the NRL have become so noticeable. it is only now the NRL realise they have a huge problem.

what do they do? its not like america where gridiron has a simmilar racial lopsidedness. gridiron was so entrenched as the national footy code that there is no real rival. soccer is only now making ground over there.

here in Aus, we DO have a rival code. it is a pure Aus code, is established, less contact, 100% of the population can compete, it is national and it is looking to take over sydney and queensland. it is AFL.

the NRL are out of answers. they cant change the rules, but they can try and stop some of the contact. first to go is the shoulder charge. whats next? the interchange? make these bigger players run for longer to give smaller men a chance of beating big, tired players?

des hasler suggested bigger fields. thats impractical as youd have to move grandstands etc. the other option is less players....more running= smaller players.

the NRL have a problem that their demographics have shifted in such a short period. they have a game that suits the body type of a minority of people. the AFL on the other hand has players from 174cm to 2m. from 70kg, to 110. but they barely clash, and small players can survive.

the AFL is more attractive now to parents. that is the NRL's problem.

[wide_open_road]

Originally Posted by swingin

RL is undergoing a cultural cringe.

it has a problem. 1% of the population (pacific islanders) are now making up over 45% of the NRL under 20s squads. this will expand into the NRL 1st grade as well.

the problem is; the other 99% of parents interested in RL, can not see their child having a future playing against those athletes. what do those parents do? even if the dad played RL as a kid or adult, he and mum will still act in the interest of his child. he will change sports for his childs welfare.

the effect that has is that whatever code that child goes to (soccer or AFL), the child becomes interested in that code. when in 20 years that kid has kids, his kids will play the new code, and RL will lose its market share in both juniors and in the market place.

it is happening now. it has just started. its only in the last 5 seasons the effect of pacific island kids in such numbers in the NRL have become so noticeable. it is only now the NRL realise they have a huge problem.

what do they do? its not like america where gridiron has a simmilar racial lopsidedness. gridiron was so entrenched as the national footy code that there is no real rival. soccer is only now making ground over there.

here in Aus, we DO have a rival code. it is a pure Aus code, is established, less contact, 100% of the population can compete, it is national and it is looking to take over sydney and queensland. it is AFL.

the NRL are out of answers. they cant change the rules, but they can try and stop some of the contact. first to go is the shoulder charge. whats next? the interchange? make these bigger players run for longer to give smaller men a chance of beating big, tired players?

des hasler suggested bigger fields. thats impractical as youd have to move grandstands etc. the other option is less players....more running= smaller players.

the NRL have a problem that their demographics have shifted in such a short period. they have a game that suits the body type of a minority of people. the AFL on the other hand has players from 174cm to 2m. from 70kg, to 110. but they barely clash, and small players can survive.

the AFL is more attractive now to parents. that is the NRL's problem.

less interchanges, that would soon weed out a whole heap of big islanders, they'd have to get fitter & lose weight, i'd say almost half wouldnt have the resiliance to do so & would soon fall away

[TheDuke]

Originally Posted by swingin

RL is undergoing a cultural cringe.

Yes. This term is what I've been looking for. To me it's the only reason they would seek an AFL man for the top job.

[teke]

Back to back title wins might be more common under this new scheme

[Dr Gonzo]

Originally Posted by wide_open_road

less interchanges, that would soon weed out a whole heap of big islanders, they'd have to get fitter & lose weight, i'd say almost half wouldnt have the resiliance to do so & would soon fall away

yeah id like to see one or two less interchanges... is it 10 at the moment?

[Mr Hands]

I don't see islanders as a problem or shoulder charges either, they just need to deal with it the same way they do with swinging arms. Shoulder charges have a place, I remember Beaver breaking a Canberra players sternum with one so its not like you can't **** someone up with one that avoids the head. If you make contact to with the head you get suspended for a few weeks. And they need to bring in weight divisions for juniors, problem solved.

Can't wait for the game tonight. Should be a great game. The other games are much better than last year because of the new system.

[rusty nails]

Originally Posted by wide_open_road

less interchanges, that would soon weed out a whole heap of big islanders, they'd have to get fitter & lose weight, i'd say almost half wouldnt have the resiliance to do so & would soon fall away

[teke]

Originally Posted by rusty nails

Still wont erase the Islanders from dominating the NYC and other Jnr talent pools which the NRL clubs choose from.

[wide_open_road]

Originally Posted by Mr Hands

I don't see islanders as a problem or shoulder charges either, they just need to deal with it the same way they do with swinging arms. Shoulder charges have a place, I remember Beaver breaking a Canberra players sternum with one so its not like you can't **** someone up with one that avoids the head. If you make contact to with the head you get suspended for a few weeks. And they need to bring in weight divisions for juniors, problem solved.

Can't wait for the game tonight. Should be a great game. The other games are much better than last year because of the new system.

I dont see them as a problem, far from it, i see them as a great addition, but there are far to many that have just grown up playing twenty minute bursts of football, not passing, going for big hits & then going off for a rest

Less interchanges will mean that players have to be more complete "footy players" they have to be fit, be able to play more minutes etc & you'll soon see the low percentage plays like shoulder charges going out of the game, big players wont have the same kind of destructive energy levels, they'll rationalise they way they play to a more consistent style

The added bonus will also be that the smaller nippier players will run riot at different times of the game

You'll see a more ideal forward emerge, looking something like Steve Menzies, tall rangy, mobile, fit, good alround players, i still see big damaging players playing a part in the game but they'll have to work hard to adjust, maybe blokes like Dave Taylor will really prosper

[wide_open_road]

Originally Posted by teke

Still wont erase the Islanders from dominating the NYC and other Jnr talent pools which the NRL clubs choose from.

NYC is about as far as most seem to go, i really dont see them dominating NRL level, theres an alarming drop off, moost coaches seem to prefer 3 or 4 to a game day squad, usually as impact players

[teke]

Originally Posted by wide_open_road

NYC is about as far as most seem to go, i really dont see them dominating NRL level, theres an alarming drop off, moost coaches seem to prefer 3 or 4 to a game day squad, usually as impact players

There's no doubt there numbers are increasing but as far as dominating, that could be 20 or 30 yrs away.

[Mr Hands]

Originally Posted by wide_open_road

I dont see them as a problem, far from it, i see them as a great addition, but there are far to many that have just grown up playing twenty minute bursts of football, not passing, going for big hits & then going off for a rest

Less interchanges will mean that players have to be more complete "footy players" they have to be fit, be able to play more minutes etc & you'll soon see the low percentage plays like shoulder charges going out of the game, big players wont have the same kind of destructive energy levels, they'll rationalise they way they play to a more consistent style

The added bonus will also be that the smaller nippier players will run riot at different times of the game

You'll see a more ideal forward emerge, looking something like Steve Menzies, tall rangy, mobile, fit, good alround players, i still see big damaging players playing a part in the game but they'll have to work hard to adjust, maybe blokes like Dave Taylor will really prosper

Yeah it would be good to have a more open game towards the end of the halves. Unfortunately the biggest problem with that for me is wrestling and cheating in the rucks and I don't think reducing the interchange will help as much as the refs cracking down on those tactics and speeding up the play the ball. It's no coincidence the Dogs are minor premiers with such a big pack, Des has got them cheating like bastards to slow the game down. I would love to see some football players rather than robotic athletes though so reducing the interchange would be a good idea.

[rusty nails]

what about each player can be interchanged once per game?
meaning if you go off then when you come back on your on till the final whistle