It was the best of NRL Round 7 and the very blurst of the NRL round 5, and who is best qualified to sort the lamb from the mutton? We are of course, having somehow watched every minute of every game this weekend that we stayed awake for, and our weekly review is here for the very many of you that are interested.
As ever we have our debatable NRL Round 7 Team of the Week, point out the things that made us love Rugby League this weekend, some things that gave us the irits, plus a few choice things from each game.
Way too much information? Never fear, we won’t go into too much details. We’ve watched all the games so you didn’t have to. Feel free to use our review as the dot point plan for those workplace discussions over the coming week.
NRL ROUND 7 TEAM OF THE WEEK
Who were the star performers this weekend, worthy of a spot in our Team of Week. Check out our wonderful list below. It is hard some weeks with so many great performances in the same positions, but we manage to cram in the best 13 by positions, and a bench of four of the best after that.
1 – Billy Slater
2 – Ken Sio
3 – Greg Inglis
4 – Ben Hampton
5 – Josh Addo-Carr
6 – Cody Walker
7 – Mitchel Moses
8 – Andrew Fifita
9 – Isaac Luke
10 – Matt Prior
11 – John Sutton
12 – Manu Ma’u
13 – Sam Burgess
14 – Jason Taumalolo
15 – Daniel Alvaro
16 – Shaun Kenny-Dowall
17 – Jaime Buhrer
PEACHES OF THE WEEK
As good as our Team of the Week is, some were just a little better and deserve more Player of the Year points. So here are our top 5 players for the weekend.
5 – Sam Burgess
4 – Mitchell Moses
3 – Billy Slater
2 – Andrew Fifita
1 – Manu Ma’u
BEST OF THINGS FROM NRL ROUND 7
OUR FAVOURITE THINGS OF THE WEEK
Just a few of our favourite things….unlike whiskers on kittens.
SOUTH SYDNEY ARE BACK
The Rabbitohs have been turning back the clock with their two most recent performances, happily John Sutton is at the heart of it, as it hooker (and no doubt Origin Bolter) Damien Cook. You know things are good when Greg Inglis is scoring and smiling.
FOOTBALL IN THE COUNTRY
Another game in the country, and another great crowd and atmosphere. The NRL should do more of it, as some of the metro crowds for certain timeslots are very ordinary, so why not take a game to the bush.
But force all clubs to do it to make it fair. 1 x game for each club would mean at least 16 rounds feature a game in the bush. This includes the Broncos, who should give up one of their home games like everyone else. You could have an Intrust Super Cup style Country Week, but the NRL is too commercially focused to care too much about that kind of idea. Jerks.
WORST OF THINGS FROM NRL ROUND 7
CHEAP SHOTS
Mainly a gripe for the way kickers are continually being smashed after kicking, but Sam Burgess’ hit in the match against the Raiders probably deserved a little more on the sidelines with his record.
Why are the NRL so hell bent on penalising the smallest thing like putting a foot on the ball when you play it, and let the late/cheap hits continue to the stars of the game. This is something that could seriously hurt a player, and it is usually the exciting halves in the firing line that suffer, but as long as we see proper play the balls then all good.
NEWCASTLE’S JERSEY
The story behind the jersey is admirable, the jersey is not. Looks terrible, and makes it very hard for the most casual of NRL fans.
BULLDOGS ATTACK
How can a team do absolutely nothing with so much ball. MAde for a dreadful opener to the round.
A GAME BY GAME GUIDE of the GREAT, GRIPE, and GRAPE FROM NRL ROUND 7
ROOSTERS 6 BULLDOGS 0
LOUNGE RATING (Watchable factor out of 10)
1 / 10 – just woeful
TALKING POINTS
1 – Didn’t the NRL learn from last year that starting the Rugby League weekend off with the Bulldogs is a woeful idea. They ruined Thursday night football last year with their rubbish, and this weekend’s performance has us reaching for the remote to record the game rather than watch live.
2 – Roosters did well to win, but aren’t going to win much with their error count.
1 / 10 – just woeful
TALKING POINTS
1 – Didn’t the NRL learn from last year that starting the Rugby League weekend off with the Bulldogs is a woeful idea. They ruined Thursday night football last year with their rubbish, and this weekend’s performance has us reaching for the remote to record the game rather than watch live.
2 – Roosters did well to win, but aren’t going to win much with their error count.
3- Is Tedesco fast overtaking Aaron Woods as 2018’s most underwhelming big name signing.
4 – Latrell Mitchell – Origin Bolter?
5 – Did Raymond Faitala-Mariner pull off the try saver of the year?
BEST PLAYERS
Winners- Cooper Cronk
Losers – Aaron Woods
Winners- Cooper Cronk
Losers – Aaron Woods
WARRIORS 20 DRAGONS 12
LOUNGE RATING (Watchable factor out of 10)
7 / 10 – Friday timeslot still sucks
TALKING POINTS
1 – Who needs Shaun Johnson. Not quite but Lino is one decent fill in.
7 / 10 – Friday timeslot still sucks
TALKING POINTS
1 – Who needs Shaun Johnson. Not quite but Lino is one decent fill in.
2 – Did Isaac Luke catch the same Time Machine as the Rabbitohs?
3 – Anthony Gelling scoring his debut NRL at 27 is a good story. As Cody Walker’s was.
4 – Ben Hunt is so much better when he runs the ball.
3 – Anthony Gelling scoring his debut NRL at 27 is a good story. As Cody Walker’s was.
4 – Ben Hunt is so much better when he runs the ball.
BEST PLAYERS
Winners- Isaac Luke
Losers – Ben Hunt
Winners- Isaac Luke
Losers – Ben Hunt
STORM 34 BRONCOS 20
LOUNGE RATING (Watchable factor out of 10)
9 / 10 – Game of the weekend
TALKING POINTS
1 – How on earth could Billy Slater’s drop kick try stand?
2 – An early kick chase and 1 on 1 strip showed the class of Cameron Munster and what we can all look forward to over the next decade.
9 / 10 – Game of the weekend
TALKING POINTS
1 – How on earth could Billy Slater’s drop kick try stand?
2 – An early kick chase and 1 on 1 strip showed the class of Cameron Munster and what we can all look forward to over the next decade.
3 – Korbin Sims hit on his own team mate Jack Bird could be a hit of the year.
4 – Good to see a bit of niggle creep in, Storm and Broncos are too friendly some times. We want to see hate.Although Matt Lodge’s attempt isn’t the hate we want to see. And pretty ordinary from a man in his position off the field.
5 – Broncos are going to have a lot of fun with Jamayne Isaako over the next few years.
6 – Andrew McCullough’s absence will hurt. Especially since they will likely give it to a patched up fill in like Maguire or Nikorima. With so many feeder clubs in the Intrust Super Cup, surely there’s at least one hooker who should get a proper crack.
BEST PLAYERS
Winners- Billy Slater
Losers – Tevita Pangai
Winners- Billy Slater
Losers – Tevita Pangai
RABBITOHS 42 RAIDERS 22
LOUNGE RATING (Watchable factor out of 10)
8 / 10
TALKING POINTS
1 – Ahhh, it is so refreshing to watch Souths at the moment. They have almost been the team of the last two rounds.
8 / 10
TALKING POINTS
1 – Ahhh, it is so refreshing to watch Souths at the moment. They have almost been the team of the last two rounds.
2 – Gosford deserves a League team. Do it. Make it the Bears and you will have a local support, and thousands of Bear fan and sympathisers around the world.
3 – Sutton
4 – Sam Burgess seems a very angry man in 2018. His second lot of suspension is proof. Still great though. No excuse for ordinary high shot though.
5 – Burgess wasn’t the only bad boy, Elliott Whitehead’s cheap shot on George Burgess is one of those ordinary blights on the game we moaned about earlier.
6 – Where were the Sauce Bottles?
BEST PLAYERS
Winners- Sam Burgess
Losers – Blake Austin
Winners- Sam Burgess
Losers – Blake Austin
KNIGHTS 22 TIGERS 20
LOUNGE RATING (Watchable factor out of 10)
8 / 10
TALKING POINTS
1 – As above, country football is great, and should be expanded and mandatory for all teams.
8 / 10
TALKING POINTS
1 – As above, country football is great, and should be expanded and mandatory for all teams.
2 – Shaun Kenny Dowall likes to keep the punters on the edge of their seats.
3 – The Newcastle jersey is awful.
4 – Sad for Mitchel Pearce and Queensland as he was working on a NSW selection. Has been great for the Knights this year. good for him, few would have blamed him for a little sulk after Roosters dudded him.
BEST PLAYERS
BEST PLAYERS
Winners- Jamie Buhrer
Losers – Luke Brooks
Losers – Luke Brooks
COWBOYS 26 TITANS 14
LOUNGE RATING (Watchable factor out of 10)
3 / 10
TALKING POINTS
1 – Better from Cowboys, and hopefully the first step on a big march back to the top.
3 / 10
TALKING POINTS
1 – Better from Cowboys, and hopefully the first step on a big march back to the top.
2 – Decisions to take the two points for a penalty show a little lack of belief in their attack.
3 – Johnathan Thurston doesn’t look 100%
4 – John Asiata is severely underrated, but now also injured.
5 – Ben Hampton doing the job in the centres quite well.
6 – Jai Arrow is another Origin Bolter, who deserves selection on current form.
BEST PLAYERS
Winners- Jason Taumalolo
Losers – Jai Arrow
Winners- Jason Taumalolo
Losers – Jai Arrow
EELS 44 SEA EAGLES 10
LOUNGE RATING (Watchable factor out of 10)
5 / 10
TALKING POINTS
1 – Parramatta were probably glad to play a club who have of field issues as they did, and probably more.
5 / 10
TALKING POINTS
1 – Parramatta were probably glad to play a club who have of field issues as they did, and probably more.
2 – The 88 point turnaround is the second highest in NRL history. Remembering that the Eels were beaten 54-0 in this season’s previous clash.
3 – After the well publicised Biffo at training, great to see Jarryd Hayne talking about it after he came off the field. And taking some of the credit for the training session.
4 – With more players in the chopping block, for going to a Glastone “Nightspot” for Manly, who knows how bad it could get. Not looking good.
BEST PLAYERS
Winners- Mitchell Moses
Losers – Martin Taupau
Winners- Mitchell Moses
Losers – Martin Taupau
SHARKS 26 PANTHERS 22
LOUNGE RATING (Watchable factor out of 10)
6 / 10
TALKING POINTS
1 – Sharks have no rival when it comes to toughing out a victory, they are tenacious if nothing else, playing this game without some star forwards.
6 / 10
TALKING POINTS
1 – Sharks have no rival when it comes to toughing out a victory, they are tenacious if nothing else, playing this game without some star forwards.
2 – Andrew Fifita stood up.
3 – Moylan played better than 1st Penrith match up
4 – The last bit of the last match was exciting and rounded out the weekend nicely. Unlike the beginning.
BEST PLAYERS
Winners- Andrew Fifita
Losers – Viliame Kikau
Winners- Andrew Fifita
Losers – Viliame Kikau
