NRL Finals

[The Coon Dog]

Interestingly the NRL Final 8 format is one previously used & discarded by the AFL.

The NRL have the 1v8, 2v7, 3v5 & 4v5 format with the 2 highest ranked winners in week one progressing through to the Preliminary Finals whilst the 2 lowest ranked losers are eliminated.

These games have to played in a specific order so a degree of uncertainty prevails until the final match in week 1 is concluded.

Here is the week 1 fixture:

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Sydney Football Stadium - Friday 7.45pm


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Toyota Stadium - Saturday 6.30pm

[The Coon Dog]

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Brookvale Oval - Saturday 8.30pm


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Olympic Park - Sunday 4pm

I can see 4 very good games in the offing here.

Predictions:

Roosters 18 Broncos 16
Sharks 22 Raiders 18
Sea Eagles 14 Dragons 15
Storm 22 Warriors 12

[The Coon Dog]

Good start, 0 for 1 with the Broncos defeating the Roosters 24-16.

[The Coon Dog]

Tonight's games:

Sharks 36 - 10 Raiders

Sea Eagles 36 - 6 Dragons

[wonnydog]

I thought your St.George-Illawarra prediction was little ambitious, perhaps in hope?

[The Coon Dog]

I thought your St.George-Illawarra prediction was little ambitious, perhaps in hope?
No, they have had the wood on Manly & have won something like 7 out of the last 8 times they have met.

I wanted Manly to win & I want the Storm to win, that way they are kept apart in the Prelims.

[The Coon Dog]

Great effort by the Warriors to roll the Storm 18-15.

On Friday The Warriors host the Roosters. Winner to face Manly.

On Saturday Brisbane host Melbourne. Winner to face Cronulla.

[GVGjr]

Been a big weekend for NZ rugby

[Topdog]

So the Storm don't get another home game? Interesting.

[Mantis]

So the Storm don't get another home game? Interesting.

They use the McIntyre system. Same scenario as to when we lost our home final in 99 against WCE and had to travel to Brisbane the following week, who were ranked lower than us after the regular season.

As soon as you lose a game you lose the right to host a final.

[The Coon Dog]

They use the McIntyre system. Same scenario as to when we lost our home final in 99 against WCE and had to travel to Brisbane the following week, who were ranked lower than us after the regular season.

As soon as you lose a game you lose the right to host a final.

They play 26 games to achieve a certain ranking, then it all starts from scratch after week 1 of the finals. The 4 winners are ranked 1-4 & the 2 highest placed losers are then ranked 5 & 6.

[hujsh]

Unbelievable finish.

[wonnydog]

Predictions:
Warriors 22 Chooks 8
Storm 18 Bronks 16

[The Coon Dog]

A thumping win by the Warriors over the Roosters 30-13 tonight at Mt. Smart Stadium in NZ. Their reward is A PF next week against Manly.

[The Coon Dog]

A try to Greg Inglis in the last minute broke the heart of the Broncos. Melbourne trailed from as early as the 3rd minute & only managed to put their noses infront right at the death to win 16-14.

Melbourne now travels to Sydney to face the Sharks next week in the PF.

[The Coon Dog]

What a shellacking tonight as the Melbourne Storm defeated Cronulla 28-0.

[wonnydog]

Best game I have seen Cooper Cronk play.

[The Coon Dog]

Best game I have seen Cooper Cronk play.

Stepped right up in Cameron Smith's absence didn't he as an onfield leader.

[Topdog]

Awesome win. Cooper was immense.

[ledge]

Bellamy is using the us against the rest theory to get the Storm through to another premiership and it looks like its working.
The rest have given him plenty of ammo to use it too.
Going to miss Falou and Geyer next year.

[wonnydog]

Storm slapped with 50,000 fineby NRL following comments about Cam Smith by Bellamy/Waldron.

Storm slapped with record $50,000 fine
AAP

The NRL on Saturday imposed a record $50,000 fine on the Melbourne Storm for comments made by coach Craig Bellamy and chief executive Brian Waldron following their team's 28-0 preliminary final win over Cronulla on Friday night.

NRL chief executive David Gallop described the remarks by Bellamy and Waldron as "an unprecedented premeditated attack on the NRL and its judiciary system."

"The accusations that they made were irrational, baseless and at times bordered on hysterical.

"Those accusations attack the integrity of the NRL and its judiciary system and for that reason on Monday they will receive a breach notice for the sum of $50,000."

The fine is a NRL record amount handed out to a club for commenting on the game.

Bellamy unleashed a scathing attack on the code's administration over their handling of Melbourne skipper Cameron Smith's grapple tackle suspension.

"I don't think Cameron Smith got a fair go," Bellamy said in his post match press conference.

"Cameron Smith, ten minutes after the game last week, was hung out to dry.

"The press conference ... got hijacked by some of you guys in the media that had him hung out to dry straight away and then it continued for four or five days."

"There's some sections of the media that seem to have an agenda against Melbourne and certainly the grapple tackle.

"It's my player that misses out on a grand final opportunity and I think he's been hard done by here."

While Bellamy later backed down from some of his controversial comments, he remained adamant Smith had not received a fair go.

"The other thing that was very smelly about the whole lot was when I saw in the paper on Wednesday morning and there's a betting market - $1.18 he's going to be found guilty, $4.25 he'll be found innocent.

"That's a fair spread in a two horse race.

"Bookmakers and betting agencies, they don't guess, they've got good information - take that as you may.

"As soon as I saw that on Wednesday morning ... he was thousands."

Waldron was critical of the system which allowed Sharks coach Ricky Stuart to make comments about Smith's tackle on Brisbane forward Sam Thaiday, as he was adamant those words influenced the judiciary.

"Opposition coaches, opposition officials, other officials in positions of responsibility of the game should not be commenting before the judiciary," Waldron said.

"It doesn't happen in other sports ... it questions the integrity of our game at the core and we need some leadership to fix it.

"To allow Ricky Stuart to make those comments is an absolute disgrace and a blight on the game and we need to address that."
Posted:
Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:33:00

[ledge]

What a joke , I hope the Storm smash whoever they play in the final and as our Ted would say.."stick it right up em"
The Sydney crowd have been trying to bury the Storm for years, biggest joke was when they said a side shouldnt be in Melbourne but we were dragging 3-5 times more spectators to games than any other team!

[wonnydog]

Av. Spectator Figures per Club:

Brisbane - 33,426
Gold Coast - 21,618
Newcastle - 18,750
Cowboys - 18,102
Tigers - 15,238
Souths - 14,644
Bulldogs - 14,196
Roosters - 13,970
Manly - 13,694
Parra - 13,528
Sharks - 12,965
Dragons - 12,596
Storm - 12,474
Canberra - 11,913
Warriors - 11,444
Panthers - 10,847

[wonnydog]

Manly won 32-6 V Warriors. Manly v Melbourne Grand Final. Neutrals in NSW will hate; two most hated sides. Again.

[Scraggers]

Av. Spectator Figures per Club:

Brisbane - 33,426
Gold Coast - 21,618
Newcastle - 18,750
Cowboys - 18,102
Tigers - 15,238
Souths - 14,644
Bulldogs - 14,196
Roosters - 13,970
Manly - 13,694
Parra - 13,528
Sharks - 12,965
Dragons - 12,596
Storm - 12,474
Canberra - 11,913
Warriors - 11,444
Panthers - 10,847

That's an interesting stat ... I wonder how they would compare to AFL teams average attendance ??

[wonnydog]

Should be a great Grand Final. Gulls paying $1.75, Melb $2.10. Will Orford's ankle last? Are Melbourne distracted?
Tip: Manly 16 Melbourne 10. Good luck Storm Boys.

[Scraggers]

Should be a great Grand Final. Gulls paying $1.75, Melb $2.10. Will Orford's ankle last? Are Melbourne distracted?
Tip: Manly 16 Melbourne 10. Good luck Storm Boys.

Ouch ... 40 - zip

Distraction might have been an understatement

[Sockeye Salmon]

These last two weeks have put rugby league in this city back by 5 years.

Who'd bother with such a bunch of corrupt, Sydney-centric wankers. If you don't want us in your comp just say so.

[westdog54]

These last two weeks have put rugby league in this city back by 5 years.

Who'd bother with such a bunch of corrupt, Sydney-centric wankers. If you don't want us in your comp just say so.

I had a heck of a lot of respect for David Gallop until this week.

To actually come out during Grand Final week and tell the media that he's given the judiciary permission to sue Craig Bellamy, what an absolute joke. This is the man entrusted with the responsibility of running and expanding rugby league in this country. Until they bite the bullet as the VFL did all those years ago and appoint an independent commission to run their game then they will will never truly prosper in the Australian market. The NRL and its clubs are kept alive by News Corp and pokie revenue.