It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times, and now the Wooden Spooners have returned to cast their eye over the latest weekend of rugby league that was with the NRL NRL Round 8 Results & Headlines.
Going beyond the scores, the NRL Round 8 Results & Headlines gives the extra insight in the NRL that only the Wooden Spooners can.
All reports are unconfirmed and please contact our Legal team or Buzz Rothfield aka Hans Moleman for complaints.
THIS WEEK BROUGHT TO YOU BY STAGGS CHILLI – DYNAMITE HOT
GUS UNVEILS HIS PROPOSED GUIDELINES FOR SEND OFF/SIN BIN – BRAD FITTLER AGREES
One of the big moments of the weekend came in the Souths v Manly match on Friday when Karl Lawton was sent from the field for a dangerous throw tackle.
For most it was a bad tackle, and the Manly forward being sent from the field was a no brainer.
Except for some of the game’s great minds. Namely Gus Gould and Brad Fittler on the Channel Nein coverage who claimed it barely deserved a sin binning because the player wasn’t hurt, in a refreshingly new way of showing player welfare.
So the Wooden Spooners have a new exclusive, we have Gus Gould’s player outcome to offending player punishment scale, which has tentative support of Channel Nein from our source, which is our feature image above.
Also, here’s Gould (and Fittler’s) comments around the time of the send off – courtesy of this Fox Sports article.
“It’s just momentum, this can happen on the spur of the moment… really good charge, good hit.
“It’s just momentum, no-one’s hurt, everyone’s OK. Settle down.
“He doesn’t need a spell.”
When Lawton was sent off, Gould said “oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.”
New South Wales Origin coach Fittler also thought the send-off was heavy-handed.
“In support of Gus here, I don’t think at any stage that deserved a send-off,” he said.
Gould added: “It’s a little bit of a flip but to be sent off for that when there’s absolutely no injury to the other player, I find that extraordinary.
“You want your prime time TV show to now be 12 on 13, if that’s your product I give up.”
CLOTHED STREAKER ON GOLD COAST NOT POLE-AXED BY SECURITY GUARD BUT STILL MORE INTERESTING THAN GAME ITSELF
A second pitch invader hit the field in Friday night’s Titans v Panther clash on the Gold Coast. This time the intruder wasn’t smashed in a copybook tackle, hence made fewer headlines and because of that or the person in question had all their clothes on, it didn’t seem to annoy Buzz Rothfield as much.
One punter talking to our Wooden Spooners team at Robina station waiting to get a train back to Bethania told us “It was the highlight of the night. Otherwise it was just another sh!t game on the Gold Coast.”
PARRAMATTA THINKING OF TAKING WARRIORS OR STORM HOME GAME TO DARWIN NEXT SEASON
The Cowboy’s 35-4 win over Parramatta in Darwin was quite the surprise on Saturday night. The heat and humidity wasn’t.
Whether it was an in form Cowboys stepping it up a notch, or the fact that they were playing in conditions that sort-of replicated the heat of North Queensland, a Parramatta official was overheard by our resident NT Wooden Spooners spy after the game on Saturday.
“I know we wouldn’t get a crowd to a Cowboys game on a cold night in Sydney, but we threw away two points tonight inviting those sneaky bloody Queenslanders to a place just as hot. Next year we’ll invite the Warriors or Melbourne up here. They’ll hate the heat even more than us.”
IRONY AS MATT LODGE’S BIGGEST CRIME OF THE WEEKEND WAS FEIGNING INJURY
“Popular’ Warriors prop Matt Lodge was the centre of controversy in Round Eight, staying down with a questionable amount of high contact.
The resulting penalty gave the Warriors a score levelling penalty, which turned into a Golden Point winner for the Warriors.
While few will begrudge the Warriors a win, of Shaun Johnson a second winning field goal in two games at Redcliffe, Lodge’s antics have annoyed many rugby league fans.
In even better news for the Warriors prop, UEFA have included Matt Lodge in dive of the week.
GUS GOULD UP FOR COACH OF THE YEAR AFTER MASTER MINDING BULLDOGS UPSET OF ROOSTERS IN A PREVIEW OF UPCOMING SIX TACKLES PODCAST
It’s been a big week for Gus Gould. Aside from trying to change the way rugby league deals with illegal tackles, he’s also masterminded the Bulldogs upset victory over the Roosters.
Much was made midweek of Gus Gould taking over as coach and running training sessions, and it’s fair to say the change in training routine worked.
The Wooden Spooners were nearby the Channel Nein commentary box on Sunday and overheard James Bracey and Gus Gould working out the back and forths of Bracey suggesting Gould should be coach of the year with his 100% winning record with the last placed side for the upcoming podcast.
We are unsure if Gould will continue to take training sessions or merely take credit for future wins.
FOX LEAGUE BRINGS BACK FURLOUGHED STAFF WITH TIGERS LATEST LOSS
Despite another excellent performance, the Wests Tigers couldn’t quite make it three in a row against the Dragons on Sunday afternoon.
The Wooden Spooners has it on good authority that the Fox League writers who were put on paid leave or transferred to the Bulldogs/Trent Barrett/Gus Gould bashing department are now back on full time to undermining Michael Maguire and trashing the Wests Tigers for clickbait.
BEN HUNT ASKS “SURELY PEOPLE CAN STOP BRINGING UP THAT BLOODY GRAND FINAL DROP NOW”
After starring recently for the revived Dragons with some vintage performances, Ben Hunt has asked if it is about time that people stopped bring up that bloody dropped ball in Grand Final against the Cowboys.
A source close to Hunt secretly told the Wooden Spooners on the sly “The fact that Ben Hunt is still winning games for that Dragons side and being one of Queensland’s better players in recent Origin series should be enough for people to piss right off with that Grand Final sh!t” paraphrasing the halfback.
FEDERAL ELECTION STILL UP FOR GRABS AS NEITHER MAJOR PARTY HAS ANYTHING FOR RUGBY LEAGUE FANS
We finish off the weekend highlights wondering when any political party wanting to be elected will make a rugby league based campaign promise.
With Cost of Living a bit theme, one is hoping any political party will try and win over rugby league fans by introducing a $4 cap on lukewarm / Chernobyl-hot meat pies at footy games, or enforcing a restrictions on players signing for another club a full year before the current season ends by introducing a law into Parliament.
SOCIALS OF THE WEEK
Our NRL Social of the Week is from a Simpsons Related NRL Memes Facebook Page like it always is these days which is a must for those who love NRL, Simpsons and a laugh.
THE SHANE FLANAGAN NEW COACHING GIG-O-METER
With Shane Flanagan returning to the commentary box for Fox League in 2022, we can continue to expect subtle digs at teams who are struggling and that he can see a possible way in for. Or anyone who may be competition or ahead of his son Kyle Flanagan.
So each week as part of the Wooden Spooner’s NRL Headlines, we’ll bring you the New Coaching Gig-O-Meter. This features which teams are hot for a new coach, or a team that was and is going cool.
With the Tigers going back to losing ways, and the Knights looking worse with each round the Fox League sidekick’s coaching prospects just got a tiny bit better.
Rumours that Shane Flanagan was seen smiling and rubbing his hands leaving the commentary box at WIN Stadium are unconfirmed.
