Round 4 NRL Discussion

[pommieknight]

When SuperLeague and the NRL next swap referees, we do NOT want De Las Heras!!! Ashley Klein's OK, thanks very much.

 

[~knights1~]

Thats a 'theknightsrule7' remark!! :icon_eek::icon_eek:

sorry guys

 

[Denno]

I wonder if all supporters react like us when they get De las hairy arse?

When i saw him down for our first game i said to myself Faaaaaaarrrkkkkk!!

I think it started from that Cowboys game a cupla years ago when the ref i think it was Clark pulled a hammy and he made his debut and replaced him. We had both won our first 5 straight and i think he cost us the game in my one eyed opinion So ever since then i've had a hatred for him ( which is fair enough i reckon).lol

Yeah same here. I think it was Simpkins.

 

[knight-no-7]

This Game is building up nicely, cant wait...

Big Willie T-Shirt banned
By Todd Balym | April 02, 2008 12:00am

IT'S a slogan that'd make a marketing genius proud, but Bulldogs fans have been warned to leave their "Willie, once a Dog, now a ****" banners at home ahead of Friday's NRL clash with the Sydney Roosters at ANZ Stadium.
In preparation for arguably the most explosive confrontation of the NRL season, officials from both the Bulldogs and Roosters have worked together to minimise crowd disruption for the match being billed as "The Showdown.''

It is the first time ex-Dog Willie Mason will face his former teammates since walking out on the club on November 15 to join the Roosters in the offseason.

Once a poster-boy for the blue and whites, Mason is now public enemy No.1 with his former fans and Bulldogs diehards have planned a variety of ways to greet him on Friday night, including t-shirts, banners and even turning their backs on him in protest.

While stadium officials are hopeful of attracting the biggest regular season crowd of the year, they are warning fans to be well-behaved or face eviction.

"The enjoyment and comfort of our fans is the top priority,'' said stadium spokesman Kyle Paterson.

"Poor behaviour, bad language and intoxication will not be tolerated.''

Rabbitohs fans in the opening round clash with the Dogs were asked to remove a sign which also called Mason a "****'', and officials confirmed they will not tolerate obscene banners of a derogatory nature.

The Bulldogs have produced their own t-shirts for the occasion, however the "bred not bought'' slogan on them is not considered offensive but rather a political statement about the rivalry between the two clubs.

Despite the animosity between Belmore and Bondi, both clubs have worked together to ensure a bumper crowd for the heated clash.

Roosters members were offered discounted reserved seats for the Bulldogs home game, however, these seats are conveniently located on level four of the eastern grand stand and on the opposite side of the field to most Dogs fans.

While the Bulldogs 'kennel', it's most passionate group of supporters, will take its pride of place in the north-east corner, the Roosters' 'chook pen' will sit in the south-eastern corner.

Both allocations are aimed at reducing the likelihood of crowd disturbances.

Coach Steve Folkes today called on Bulldogs fans to maintain their good behaviour.

"They can barrack as hard as they like, I just hope and am sure they will live up to our code of conduct,'' said Folkes.

Dogs skipper Andrew Ryan knows his club's fans have been waiting for this day since Mason walked out, but as a player he just can't wait for the game to be over.

"Our fans have been pretty keen for the game to roll around so hopefully they turn out in their droves,'' said Ryan.

"It hasn't just been this week, there's been a fair bit of (media) talk for a few months.

"It would be good to just get the game over and done with.

``I don't want to talk it down but it is still worth two points.''

DT

 

[knight-no-7]

Haha, SBW chickening out?

TENSIONS between Willie Mason and Sonny Bill Williams have reached boiling point, with the Bulldogs superstar requesting to be kept away from his former teammate ahead of tomorrow night's grudge match.

Williams and Mason were scheduled to go head-to-head on this evening's Footy Show, but The Daily Telegraph has learned the pair will be separated following a request from the Kiwi powerhouse.

Footy Show boss Gary Burns confirmed Williams wanted programmers to ensure he and Mason do not cross paths tonight.

They will now be questioned separately, with Mason given time to leave the studio before Williams is introduced.

MORE

 

[Ms.Nobody]

Sonny Bill is going to get Mason Friday Night.

 

[knight-no-7]

I dont mind who comes out on top... aslong as there are some fireworks! Mason will be fired up... Tomorrw! Not long to go now!

 

[Frizzed]

Hopefully Mason flogs SBW, hopefully Danny Williams flogs Mason.

Hopefully there is a massive brawl and both teams have players suspended for the entire year.

 

[knight-no-7]

Hopefully Mason flogs SBW, hopefully Danny Williams flogs Mason.

Hopefully there is a massive brawl and both teams have players suspended for the entire year.

I have a feeling nothing is going to happen tomorrow.

It will be just like a normal game. Nothing too spectacular.

 

[Frizzed]

Hence why I said hopefully.

 

[Denno]

SBW sounded pretty angry at Mason, still. He never once said 'yeah he's still a friend of mine' or anything like that. It was like he avoided those words the entire Footy Show interview. Never realized things between them was so serious.

 

[jamesgould]

I have a feeling nothing is going to happen tomorrow.

It will be just like a normal game. Nothing too spectacular.

I agree. The media hype these things up too much, the two points are usually too important for any personal grudge matches.

 

[Frizzed]

Canterbury Bulldogs - 0
T -
G -
DG -

Sydney Roosters - 20
T - Mason(20), Roberts(28), Pearce(30)
G - Fitzgibbon(21,29,31,36)
DG -

State of play: Half-Time

Melbourne Storm - 18
T - Quinn(9), Folau(23), Hoffman(38)
G - Smith(10,24,40)
DG -

Brisbane Broncos - 4
T - Robinson(31)
G -
DG -

State of play: Half-Time

Scores can be found Here!

 

[U23]

Well that Dogs and Roosters game was just one big anti-climax. No biff, and not even a tight score.

 

[knight-no-7]

Well that Dogs and Roosters game was just one big anti-climax. No biff, and not even a tight score.

Yea, but wasnt that bad of a game. They hugged and made up at the end too!...

Roosters crow at the kennel
April 04, 2008

WILLIE Mason, the biggest name and mouth in the NRL, celebrated his homecoming at ANZ Stadium by tearing apart his former Bulldogs teammates with two barnstorming tries in Sydney Roosters' 40-12 shellacking.

"I knew if everybody played to their ability I knew we would win convincingly," Mason told the Nine Network as he sat on the bench with five minutes left on the clock.

It had been the biggest build up to an NRL regular season clash, Mason back to face his old teammates and fans after walking out on the club last November.

Just to add fuel to the fire, Mason joined the Dogs' worst enemies, a club he once accused of trying to "buy a premiership."

His betrayal incurred the wrath of supporters who covered the stadium with banners ranging from "Big W. Sells out for less", "If you can't beat them, buy their players" and "Mason is a dog."

He was loudly booed with every touch and given thousands of one-fingered salutes.

There were no early fireworks and Mason wasted little time increasing his enemy status and silencing the crowd by stripping Ben Roberts of the ball as the half-back was about to step over the tryline in just the 11th minute.

Mason's relationship with Dogs superstar Sonny Bill Williams had been talked about at length in the media leading into the game, and SBW let his feelings known with a flying attempted shoulder charge in the 18th minute that would have given Mason a cold more than a headache, it was so poorly guided.

It could have been the moment of the game. Seconds later that moment arrived.

Mason burst onto a short ball from Craig Fitzgibbon 10m out, trampled through Lee Te Maari then fended Luke Patten away before sliding over near the sticks.

For a man renowned for trash-talking Mason made an undeniable statement, he simply lay on the ground absorbing the fact he'd silenced a crowd of 36,526 - the largest NRL regular season attendance in Sydney.

If there was any doubt tonight about Mason, he erased it just seven minutes after half-time by barging his way through three defenders to score his second try.

It was the fourth try-scoring double of Mason's distinguished career, and undoubtedly the sweetest.

Mason praised the effort of his teammates in rising to the challenge and said the Roosters, on the back of last week's win over Melbourne, had proven themselves big game performers capable of winning the premiership.

"I played with some really good sides at the Bulldogs and it is that sort of mentality of the side here," he said.

"It's only round four and we've had some wins early but we are real contenders and have a chance of winning the comp.

"We proved ourselves last week, Melbourne are the benchmark and we beat them.

"We have the makings of a really good side and I'm really excited."

Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes said it was a disappointing result for his men after dominating the opening exchanges but failing to produce any points until the result was beyond doubt.

"We opened the game really well and we were certainly on top," Folkes said.

"The first 20 minutes we threw plenty at them and their defence was rock solid.

"But we coughed up too much ball in the end.

"It is obviously a disappointing result and probably a bit silly for me to say but I found a fair bit of good stuff out there.

"We will learn from that experience, the young guys will learn how to handle the hype of a big game."


AAP

 

[knight-no-7]

How about the new Chicken Wing Tackle? I dont know who comes up with these names, but its another tackle the Storm seem to be employing. Blair has been placed on report.

Blair booked in Storm surge
April 04, 2008

BRISBANE coach Wayne Bennett called on the NRL to make a stand on the controversial chicken-wing tackle after Melbourne prop Adam Blair was placed on report for wrenching the arm of Michael Ennis.

The incident soured an otherwise impressive 28-8 victory for the Storm, who snapped a two-game losing streak and ended Brisbane's perfect start to the season.

Broncos skipper Darren Lockyer finished the match on the bench again nursing his sore knee, although club doctor Matt Hislop said the joint was not unstable and the surgery remained intact.

Blair was reported by referee Jared Maxwell in the 54th minute after pinning and twisting the left arm of Ennis, who was in considerable pain.

"What I'd like the league to let everybody know in no uncertain terms is that the game is not going to tolerate what we've spent the last 12 months going through, or the last three years, until it became farcical in the end," said Bennett.

"The game is not about wrestling holds and technique, the game is about tackling technique.

"And if you don't tackle somebody properly then the game has either got to rub you out with suspensions or rub the tackle out.

"Because I tell you what's going to happen - in a month's time everybody's going to be doing it, as happened with the grapple tackle."

Storm coach Craig Bellamy admitted the Blair incident did not look good, but he again insisted that the Storm did not teach their players to deliberately target opponents' arms in the tackle.

"If you think we teach our players to grab their arms in the tackle or tackle the opposition's arm, that would be ridiculous," he said.

"But Blairy is in a situation there where if he didn't get a hold of that arm he was gone.

"(Ennis) was sort-of behind him when he grabbed hold of it.

"The referee has taken action and we'll just see what comes of it."

"I have no problem with the league taking a stand, but I'm telling you now we don't practice that tackle," added Bellamy.

"It would be ridiculous to say that we go out with a tackle technique of grabbing people's arms as the first contact.

Winger Anthony Quinn scored a hat-trick of tries for the Storm as the Broncos lost for the first time in four matches.

With Queensland coach Mal Meninga watching from the stands, Melbourne fullback Billy Slater made another bid for a Maroons recall with a flawless display.

Slater set up the Storm's first try for Quinn with a perfectly timed wrap-around pass in the eighth minute and had a hand in many of the home side's best attacking moves.

Melbourne went 12-4 ahead in the 20th minute when Bronco-to-be Israel Folau outjumped Denan Kemp to claim a Cooper Cronk bomb.

Winger Reece Robinson finally got the Broncos on the scoreboard with a four-pointer in the 31st minute.

But Melbourne went to the interval leading 18-4 after Robinson made a hash of another Cronk bomb, allowing Ryan Hoffman to score.

Lockyer got his team back into the contest by setting David Stagg up for a try in the right-hand corner five minutes after the Blair incident.

Quinn iced the match for the Storm with near-identical tries in the left-hand corner in the 67th and 73rd minutes, with centre Will Chambers supplying the final pass on both occasions.

Melbourne skipper Cameron Smith had a great night with the boot, converting four of the Storm's five tries, while Ennis was nought-from-two for Brisbane.

The comprehensive victory meant Melbourne had now outscored Brisbane 142-22 in their last five matches at Olympic Park.


AAP

 

[jamesgould]

I was really looking forward to the Brisbane Melbourne show down, but a very disappointing pair of games! I put on a dvd instead of watching the second halves of both games haha.

 

[Denno]

Haha totally forgot the Storm and Broncos were playing because of all the media hype over the Dogs and Roosters game
The Storm and Broncos game would've been the game of the round any other round as well

 

[knight-no-7]

3rd Golden Point Game in 3 Weeks. Sharks won with a penatly goal.


Round 4 - Full Time - April 5th, 2008 5:30pm
Venue: ANZ Stadium
Referee: Sean Hampstead

St George Illawarra Dragons (16)
Tries: Josh Morris, Lagi Setu, Ben Hornby
Goals: Mark Gasnier (0/2), Jamie Soward (2/2)
Cronulla Sharks (18)
Tries: Greg Bird, Brett Kearney, Bryson Goodwin
Goals: Luke Covell (3/4)

83MINS - FULLTIME

 

[U23]

Sucks when GP is won with a penalty.