Round 1 NRL Discussion *Contains Spoilers*

Disappointing performance by Auckland. I thought they were odds on to win at the break, but losing Price has really affected them in the second half.

I wish the commentators would leave Vatuvei alone, they attack him at any chance. He didn't cost his side two tries by dropping the bombs, the defence in the following sets did. The try he scored was all class though.

What is with Melbourne delaying the kick offs? Bunch of weirdos.

Another class try to Vatuvei now! :D
 
Melbourne Storm - 32
T - Slater(4,11,25), Johnson(51), Tagatese(70)
G - Smith(5,26,52,55,59), Turner(71)
DG -

New Zealand Warriors - 18
T - Ropati(17), Vatuvei(34,77)
G - Witt(18,35,78)
DG -
FULLTIME.

Comfortable win to Storm, not too sure how the Warriors actually performed though.
 
Warrors played poorly, especially in the second half. 3 Warriors kickoffs from halfway were out on the full, Storm scored points on all 3 of them. Ivan Cleary must of been spewing.
 
Warriors were just simply, crap, I can't see them doing any good this year with performances like that, Vatuvei dropped about a thooouuussand kicks, must grease his hands with vasoline before the match.
 
With Vatuvai, i gotta honestly say he shouldnt be playing wing. I reckon move him to second row and bring Mannering in to the centres. Push Ropati onto the wing. Just my thoughts...
 
Finch thanks mentor Joey
By Dean Ritchie
March 17, 2008 12:00am

ANDREW Johns is still helping to dismantle opposition sides - even though he has been retired for almost a year.

Parramatta halfback Brett Finch has praised Johns' tuition after a stunning performance against the Bulldogs at Homebush on Saturday.

Finch kept his side together when behind 20-0 and was then instrumental in a five-tries-to-nil second half to give Parramatta an unlikely 28-20 win.

It was the Eels' second-biggest comeback, surpassed only by a 22-point recovery against Canberra at Parramatta Stadium in 1987.

Off contract and with Tim Smith playing for feeder club Wentworthville, Finch thrived on being team leader and team saviour.

He then praised the guidance he has received from Johns, employed this year as the Eels' kicking coach and mentor to the club's halves.

"He tells you to keep control and stay calm," Finch said. "That will filter through to the team.

"There was no panic in the second half for us. Joey teaches you so much it would take an hour to explain.

"He just gives you that confidence. I want to thank him."

Johns has always supported Finch, the pair first meeting in Newcastle more than a decade ago when Finch was the Knights' ballboy.

"I liked his kicking game on Saturday night. He ran when he should, he passed when he should," Johns said.

"He was everywhere. Finchy leads the way at training and he loves the game.

"He can be criticised but when he's around the ball he plays well."

The Bulldogs' opening half was brutal yet entertaining.

They simply bashed the Eels, whose forwards looked shell-shocked.

At halftime it was 20-0 and the match seemed over before Parramatta stormed back, scoring 28 unanswered points.

"We were awful in that first half," Parramatta captain Nathan Cayless said.

"I don't think we completed a set, which was very disappointing.

"But it was a great response in the second half, which was very satisfying."

Parramatta coach Michael Hagan said his side tried to remain calm at halftime and not panic, despite the scoreline.

But he said: "I wasn't happy at all at halftime, neither were the players.

"But I thought Brett Finch played extremely well. He kept his composure."

The loss will hurt the Bulldogs, who must have thought the game was all but secured.

But coach Steve Folkes still took plenty of encouragement from the game, saying: "We've been under a lot of pressure in the off-season and it would have been great to come up with a win against a very good side.

"But there were more positives than negatives.

"We need to get our heads around that and get back to some solid training this week with South Sydney coming up on Friday night."

Dogs skipper Andrew Ryan added: "We just didn't do the little things right in the second half."
Click to expand...

Source: DT
 
Round1:
South Sydney Vs Sydney Roosters - 29,386
Gold Coast Vs North Queensland - 26,974
Parramatta Vs Canterbury - 25,065
Manly Vs Cronulla - 15,424
Newcastle Vs Canberra - 17,233
Brisbane Vs Penrith - 31,250
Wests Tigers Vs St George - 18,211
Melbourne Vs New Zealand - 20,084
Overall - 183,627
Average - 22,953

Attendance figures.
 
shamz said:
Warrors played poorly, especially in the second half. 3 Warriors kickoffs from halfway were out on the full, Storm scored points on all 3 of them. Ivan Cleary must of been spewing.
Click to expand...


I don't think the Storm looked as overly strong as they were late last year, I think half the points they scored were more "given to them" by the Warriors if you know what I mean. I really hope the Storm don't dominate again this year.
Who believes Bellamy: "5 minutes late?? Usually there is someone there screaming and no one was screaming"
??? Dunno!
 
ROUND 1 CHARGES
Smith charged over grapple tackle
March 18, 2008

MELBOURNE captain Cameron Smith is the second player charged with making a grapple tackle in the opening round of the NRL season.

Smith was hit with a grade one charge following an incident in the 30th minute of the 32-18 win over the New Zealand Warriors at Telstra Dome.

The Queensland and Australia hooker will escape suspension with an early guilty plea, with a decision due by midday tomorrow.

Parramatta five-eighth Feleti Mateo meanwhile pleaded guilty to his grapple tackle charge and will be free to take on the Warriors in Auckland on Sunday.

Wests Tigers prop Todd Payten will bid to clear his name at the NRL judiciciary after he was charged with a grade two "crusher" tackle.

Payten risks a three-match suspension by fighting the charge.

Warriors half-back Grant Rovelli is in no danger of missing the clash with the Eels despite being charged with a grade one careless high tackle.

AAP
Click to expand...
 
POWER/PLAYER RANKINGS ROUND ONE. Including Knights.

Here.


And team of the Week, LQ;

Team of the week
1. Billy Slater, Melbourne Storm
2. Nathan Merritt, South Sydney Rabbitohs
3. David Simmons, Cronulla Sharks
4. Israel Folau, Melbourne Storm
5. Jordan Atkins, Gold Coast Titans
6. Braith Anasta, Sydney Roosters
7. Brett Finch, Parramatta Eels
8. Luke Bailey, Gold Coast Titans
9. Issac Luke, South Sydney Rabbitohs
10. Luke Douglas, Cronulla Sharks
11. Anthony Tupou, Sydney Roosters
12. Paul Gallen, Cronulla Sharks
13. Greg Bird, Cronulla Sharks
Referee: Jason Robinson
 
Team of the week from smh

1. Billy Slater, Melbourne Storm
2. Nathan Merritt, South Sydney Rabbitohs
3. David Simmons, Cronulla Sharks
4. Israel Folau, Melbourne Storm
5. Jordan Atkins, Gold Coast Titans
6. Braith Anasta, Sydney Roosters
7. Brett Finch, Parramatta Eels
8. Luke Bailey, Gold Coast Titans
9. Issac Luke, South Sydney Rabbitohs
10. Luke Douglas, Cronulla Sharks
11. Anthony Tupou, Sydney Roosters
12. Paul Gallen, Cronulla Sharks
13. Greg Bird, Cronulla Sharks
Referee: Jason Robinson
Click to expand...

no knights players
 
Frizzed said:
Mmm I'm not too sure on Folau, Simmons, Douglas and Anasta.
Click to expand...

Only saw the 2nd half of the Sharks/Manly game, so not sure on Douglas and Simmons, though I thought Anasta played well, not sure team of the week well, but played well none the less, and I also thought Folau looked really dangerous every time he touched the football. I can see why he made the team of the week, because personally, I thought he played really well against the Warriors.
 
NRL power rankings

1 MELBOURNE
Win-loss record: 1-0

The defending champions opened this season with a comfortable win, so there is no argument about where they should be. They've still got Greg Inglis and Mick Crocker to come back, too.

2 PARRAMATTA
Win-loss record: 1-0

Played like blind men in the first half against the Bulldogs, but their vision was 20-20 in the second. Will have to eradicate those flat spots if they want to win the comp, but if they do they will probably be the Storm's biggest threat.

3 SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Win-loss record: 1-0

Forget the hysteria about the tackle on Craig Wing and focus on what the Roosters did against South Sydney. It was well-planned, clinical stuff that could give last season's late bloomers a huge kick-start.

4 BRISBANE
Win-loss record: 1-0

Lesson one in the NRL: Never write the Broncos off just because they lost a lot of players at the end of the previous season. They reinvent themselves better than any other club.

5 CRONULLA
Win-loss record:1-0

They are going to have to do much more in attack than they did against Manly if they want to be genuine contenders, but to go to Brookvale first-up and beat last year's runners-up is a big effort.

6 MANLY
Win-loss record: 0-1

The only beaten team from the first round to still rank among the winners. They were off their game, but they hung in there against a top defensive outfit. They should quickly recover and be up there among the main contenders again.

7 GOLD COAST
Win-loss record: 1-0

All the hype was around the shock comeback of North Queensland star Johnathan Thurston, but the Titans didn't allow themselves to become distracted. They christened their new home ground with a big win, but now they hit the road.

8 WESTS TIGERS
Win-loss record: 1-0

The sight of Benji Marshall in despair over a serious injury has become like Groundhog Day for the Tigers. Playing the hapless St George Illawarra wasn't a true test. They will find out a lot more about themselves over the next few weeks.

9 NEWCASTLE
Win-loss record: 1-0

Their win over Canberra won't scare the competition's heavyweights, but that is not the aim of the Knights at this stage. They've had a player cleanout and needed a win to give themselves hope. They were solid in doing that.

10 WARRIORS
Win-loss record: 0-1

It is the NRL's short straw - drawing Melbourne away in the first round. Someone had to get it and unfortunately for the Warriors it was them. Now they go home, but they play the Eels, so they can't say it gets much easier.

11 BULLDOGS
Win-loss record: 0-1

Took advantage of handouts from the butter-fingered Eels in the first half, but when they were forced to make something happen themselves it proved beyond them. That second half suggested it would be a long season for the Bulldogs.

12 NORTH QUEENSLAND
Win-loss record: 0-1

Thurston was never going to be at his best straight away in his comeback from shoulder surgery, but his mere presence should have lifted the Cowboys as a team. What were the rest of them doing?

13 SOUTH SYDNEY
Win-loss record: 0-1

Once Craig Wing got injured they didn't have a prayer against the Roosters, because their preparation had been aimed at becoming a better team through his presence. Losing him is a huge blow, but at least they've had a bit of time to adjust for their next match.

14 ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA
Win-loss record: 0-1

The shock is not that the Dragons played awfully against the Tigers - it's that some onlookers were shocked that they played awfully. It's not like they haven't done it before.

15 PENRITH


Win-loss record: 0-1

After the flogging from Brisbane, Panthers coach Matthew Elliott looked like he had been hit between the eyes by Shane Webcke. But Webcke didn't play for the Broncos - he is retired. And neither did Petero Civoniceva - he's playing for Penrith now. Oh, mama.

16 CANBERRA
Win-loss record: 0-1

In the search for positives it should be noted that, after finishing 14th last season, it is possible for the Raiders to drop on the competition table and still not run last. But you know they will give the wooden spoon an almighty shake
 
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