Rugby Leeeeeg 2011

And proud of it. Though how desperate was Henjack to try to score him late last year. Talk about a potential waste of 500 grand.

I followed with some passion my local side on the Mid North Coast of Dubber from when I was a wee tacker to when I left to come to Spivtown. We were always also-rans until we recruited a couple of Macksville boys with a bit of the Rainbow Serpent blood in them. They were our half and 5/8 and cut the opposition to ribbons 9 games out of 10. On the tenth you could tell they'd been training on the firewater the night before.

We won the comp two years in a row with these lads leading the way. Good times.

Souths are the same. With 13 Macksvillians in the side they can be absolutely and brilliantly unstoppable one week, and absolute rubbish the next. Against St George they were rabble for 35 minutes then played like Immortals for the next 45.

poor Souths. Boo frickin' hoo!

Drags snot Panthers to momentarily snare 4th. If Warriors beat Cows and Tiges fall over to Sharks (unlikely) then Drags would secure double chance in 4th spot. Probably don't deserve it given the 12 match chokeathon since beginning of SoO.

skully wrote: then Drags would secure double chance in 4th spot.

Have they changed the finals system in the NRL?

In previous years it was possible to be eliminated in the first week from 4th place if two of the teams above them were also beaten.

WideWally wrote:

skully wrote: then Drags would secure double chance in 4th spot.

Have they changed the finals system in the NRL?

In previous years it was possible to be eliminated in the first week from 4th place if two of the teams above them were also beaten.

still using that outdated system, WW

If Warriors win then it doesn't matter who is 4th or 5th between Tigers and Saints. It will be played at the same ground with the same repercussions for the winner or loser (with the winner most likely to play the loser of the Warriors v Nags SF).

Actually the money would have to be on a nags/drags semi next week wouldn't it?

WideWally wrote:

skully wrote: then Drags would secure double chance in 4th spot.

Have they changed the finals system in the NRL?

In previous years it was possible to be eliminated in the first week from 4th place if two of the teams above them were also beaten.

Ah yes, you are correct, W.

And I agree with Nath. NRL should swallow it's pride and mirror the AFL's finals system.

Bradman wrote:Actually the money would have to be on a nags/drags semi next week wouldn't it?

No. Warriors are 1.50 or so in their game v Cows.

Hmmnn! Ah well I'll have some on NQ even though after last night the Broncs would probably prefer playing the Warriors or Cowboys despite having the wood on STG come September.

I'm desperately hoping the Drags have got all the sh!t out of their systems and rediscovered the hard edge that they had for pretty much the whole season last year. I'm not confident but.

skully wrote:And I agree with Nath. NRL should swallow it's pride and mirror the AFL's finals system.

The NRL should double down on that swallowing their pride thing and bring back the final five!

Leeeeeeeg ... swallowing ... pride ...

must resist temptation

Anyhoo...


Warriors win so Saints v Tiges next week no matter what. It will mean a tense week in the K household with MrsK being a Tigers fan.

Parra look like avoiding the spoon - currently 22-0 up against the woeful GC.

Hmm, on paper the Tiges are probably the best team to face for the Drags, but their current form is ominous. And I spent way too many Sundays on the hill at Leichhardt in the early 80s watching the likes of Larry Corowa cutting us to shreds to know that an away game v Tiges won't be a cakewalk.

Sh!t, Sharks only 2 behind. C'mon you Gummies. A home final for the Drags beckons if you can get up.

And Parra win the most important match of the year! OK, it's not over yet but even we can't blow a 32-0 lead with 20 minutes to go.

Sure, the Gold Coast have been attrocious, but that's not going to stop me going all Michael Vaughan and declaring Parramatta the moral premiers of 2011!

So, in the Finals it's...

Cheats v Knights

Filth v Cows

Nags v Worriers

Tiges v Drags.

Interesting match ups.

skully wrote:So, in the Finals it's...

Cheats v Knights

Filth v Cows

Nags v Worriers

Tiges v Drags.

Interesting match ups.

who plays when?

Not sure it's decided, Nath.

The only thing I can find is on the NRL website, and all it says is that the Tiges v Drags game will be played at ANZ. I find it amazing that the Tiges would agree to that.

"With that match-up capable of drawing in excess of 50,000, the NRL chose to play the qualifying final at ANZ Stadium."

---------------------------------------------------------

I'm sure the Drags are more than happy with that.

* Wests Tigers (4) v (5) St George Illawarra
ANZ Stadium, Sydney
7.45pm Friday, September 9

* Brisbane Broncos (3) v (6) Warriors
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
6.30pm Saturday, September 10

* Manly (2) v (7) North Queensland Cowboys
Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
8.30pm Saturday, September 10

* Melbourne Storm (1) v (8. ) Newcastle Knights
AAMI Park, Melbourne
4pm Sunday, September 11

any comment on Souths, Nath?

lardbucket wrote:any comment on Souths, Nath?

Nath wrote:who plays when?

skully wrote:Not sure it's decided, Nath.

FWIW, the NRL system means the first week of the finals is always 4v5 first, then 3v5, 2v7, 1v8. It's the only way the games can be played to avoid the mid-eight match ups being potentially meaningless.