Captains Do Not Understand The Importance of The Challenge:
The Captain’s Challenge may be a relatively new addition to Rugby League but despite the obvious importance of it, there is seemingly no work put in by clubs in coaching up both captains in understanding when to challenge and the players being honest with their captain.
Last weekend was a great example.
James Tedesco, the Australian captain no less, challenged in the opening set for a call the club was never likely to win and even if they did, it was hardly critical so early.
The Cowboys challenged a touch off a kick that was at best 50-50, these kind of ridiculous challenges happen every week.
Captains believe everyone, challenge out of frustration, burn assets for almost zero gain.
It is like going to a trivia night with a group of moronic narcissists with an angry captain incapable of understanding context.
Captains need to get much, much better – particularly one who has been appointed skipper of the nation.
Challenges are an asset, they can swing momentum, save teams from a howler, change the course of a match if used at a key moment.
They cannot be wasted on hot-headed or ill-timed decisions.
The Worst Call Ever:
It was bad enough that Todd Smith let one of the most obvious knock ons go that led to a length-of-the-field Manly try.
Tommy Talau knocked it on.
It has been called that way every single play of every single game ever.
Yet Grant Atkins in The Bunker decided to be too cute and thought he was so smart in allowing it.
An utterly disgraceful call even Manly fans knew was wrong.
Once again, it is not The Bunker itself that is the problem, it is the arrogant idiots they put in there that destroy it.
Sir Alex Klein:
They call Sir Alex Ferguson the greatest manager in soccer history.
Ashley Klein manages a game better than him.
Klein did all he could to keep Brisbane going against the Storm.
He doesn’t do it through big calls – just six-agains given or ignored or ruck misdemeanours penalised or ignored.
Brisbane had their hands on the ball every Storm tackle, yet none were called.
Klein’s ability to manage a game – and there is no suggestion he does it for any reason other than creating a close match – is unparalleled.
Embarrassed Dom Cost Chooks:
Dominic Young came charging in off the wing to smash Blake Taafe because he was embarrassed about being run down by the Bulldogs fullback and tackled over touch.
Young decided to try to make amends by rushing in to smash Taafe, recklessly hitting him high and getting dismissed.
It was a humiliating end to a Carige-like showing.
The Too-Early NSW Team:
Michael Maguire has taken the reins and you can be sure that he will want to make his mark by making team changes, so here is the team he should be looking at.
James Tedesco looks done and a combination of The Pap and Dylan Edwards would work well.
Luai should never have been in the team, and Hynes is preferred but Burton would fit well.
Unfortunately for them, the Blues are short on impact props.
Egan just edges out Api as he plays direct and Murray gets the nod over Yeo.
1.Ryan Papenhuyzen (Mel) 2.Brian To’o (Pen) 3.Tom Trbojevic (Man) 4.Stephen Crichton (Bul) 5.Dylan Edwards (Pen) 6.Nicho Hynes (Cro) 7.Nathan Cleary (Pen)
8.Stefano Utoikamanu (Tig) 9.Wayde Egan (War) 10.Payne Haas (Bri) 11.Hudson Young (Can) 12.Haumole Olaka’atu (Man) 13.Cameron Murray (Sou)
14.Cameron McInnes (Cro) 15.Teig Wilton (Cro) 16.Isaah Yeo (Pen) 17.Junior Paulo (Par)
Hard To Believe It’s Been 20 Years:
As a Canterbury fan, it is hard to believe it has been 20 years since the Bulldogs last won a premiership.
It felt like only yesterday when I sat parallel to where Andrew Ryan made the most incredible (and ridiculously underrated) tackle in Grand Final history, saving the game and locking up the premiership.
It was great to see the team together on Friday night though it was utterly abhorrent that Sonny Bill Williams was both invited and welcomed.
Luke Patten, Hazem El Masri, Andrew Ryan,Tony Grimaldi, Steve Price, Brent Shewin, Feeney and Scott … what a team.
It is a damn shame the club has been allowed to fall into such disrepair since.
Betting Close Calls: This week’s close betting calls:
● It was a wild ride for Storm -6.5 punters who looked no hope, miraculously got to an eight-point lead with four minutes remaining and then watched it go down the gurgler with a Ben Te Kura try.
● Unders punters almost enjoyed a miracle in the Knights-Dragons game. With the total at 38.5 and 34 first half points scored, it was all over but not a single point was scored in the second half until the death when Kalyn Ponga finished off a break.
● Under 42.5 scraped home in the Dolphins-Tigers clash by a ½ point.
● Maika Sivo last try punters are absolutely sick after the Raiders scored on the bell in the softest of manners.
2024 Field Goal Update – 7: The field goal is back! It was a big week for field goals with Aidan Sezer finishing Round 4 with a golden point winner for the Tigers while Chad Townsend hit one to secure victory for the Cowboys and Jamal Fogarty kicked one on the stroke of halftime to help deliver the first 41-8 scoreline in premiership history.
Scorigami, baby!
Fun Fact #1: Both Bronson Xerri and Michael Jennings returned from four-year drug suspensions in the same game, marking each other for most of it.
Fun Fact #2: Benji Marshall is just the fifth former Brisbane Broncos player to coach in the NRL after Paul Green, Kevin Walters, Terry Matterson and Wally Lewis.
Fun Fact #3: Three players played a single game in Canterbury’s last premiership season: Glen Hughes, Adrian Rainey and Trevor Thurling.
Willie M Team of the Week – Round 5: This week’s team of donkeys, droppsy-doodles and drongos:
1.Latrell Mitchell (Sou) 2.Dominic Young (Roo) 3.Joseph Manu (Roo) 4.Jack Bird (Dra) 5.Will Warbrick (Mel) 6.Cody Walker (Sou) 7.Tanah Boyd (GC) 8.Reagan Campbell-Gillard (Par) 9.Brandon Smith (Roo) 10.Lindsay Collins (Roo) 11.Keaon Koloamatangi (Sou) 12.Luke Garner (Pen) 13.Blake Lawrie (Dra) ————————— 14.Kurt Mann (Bul) 15.Luca Moretti (Par) 16.Wiremu Greig (Par) 17.Sean Keppie (Sou) —————————- Coach: Jason Demetriou (Sou)
Betting Market of the Week: First coach fired in 2024:
$1.02 – Jason Demetriou $15.00 – Brad Arthur $21.00 – Adam O’Brien $26.00 – Cameron Ciraldo
Rumour Mill: Russell Crowe is reportedly reaching out to Sam Burgess about a return to South Sydney as a potential successor situation with Wayne Bennett the likely short term scenario.
Storm coach Craig Bellamy is reportedly unimpressed with Nelson Asofa-Solomona and the shape he has found himself in.
Phil Gould is said to have overstepped his mark again by allegedly naming the Bulldogs team.
Moronic Coaching Decision of the Week:
Despite the Titans being horrific this year and last week in particular, Des Hasler decided that the only scapegoat needed to be winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira, sticking with his idiotic decision to keep AJ Brimson in the centres and Tanah Boyd in an NRL team.
Justin Holbrook must be looking on and laughing at the Titans as he collects pay cheques and watches such outright idiocy.
The Coaching Crosshairs:
Jason Demetriou is looking highly unlikely to survive past the bye if the Rabbitohs put up another performance against the Sharks like they did against the Warriors.
Their effort levels against New Zealand were abhorrent.
He clearly has no control over Latrell Mitchell, who through two sheer acts of utter selfishness and stupidity will miss three weeks.
Dean Hawkins is doing nothing that Lachlan Ilias wasn’t.
The attacking game plan is years out of date and still far too sideways.
There is clearly a disconnect with some of the senior playing group with players reportedly upset at the constant defence from the coach of Latrell Mitchell.
Club officials are unimpressed that a senior coach was not hired to replace defensive assistant John Morris.
Souths are not going to throw this season away, they will pursue Wayne Bennett hard and in the meanwhile, will likely hand the keys to Ben Hornby for the remainder of 2024.
Watch It:
With all the rain around, particularly in NSW, let’s go back to one of the great wet weather tries when Craig Polla-Mounter slid across from miles out through a puddled Belmore to score the last try at the venue before the club decided to take the odd game there a decade back.
Watch it here.