2022 NRL Discussion Thread

[JunctionBlock]

Panthers v Storm final again I suppose.

[Bayside Titan]

Panthers v Storm final again I suppose.

Not convinced to the Panthers just yet....Storm a yes at the moment...Parra could be a worry later in the year.

[Hail Sezer]

Panthers v Storm final again I suppose.

yes

Titans v Bulldogs wooden spoon and I'm unfortunately not kidding

[JunctionBlock]

Not convinced to the Panthers just yet....Storm a yes at the moment...Parra could be a worry later in the year.

Parra always die in the latter half of the season

- - - Updated - - -

yes

Titans v Bulldogs wooden spoon and I'm unfortunately not kidding

We'll lift, she'll be right.

[Bayside Titan]

Parra always die in the latter half of the season

- - - Updated - - -



We'll lift, she'll be right.

Yeah Parra do a bit but might prove the learnt from last year before they loose a few players next year.

One side I will keep and eye on is the Sharks. Nicko and the centre Taliki are huge for them...

[Titanic]

Storm, Panthers, Roosters, Sharks, Parra, Souths and Manfully all have reasonable arguments in support but the rest of us are just kidding ourselves. Judging by the rosters it's a Storm/Panthers ho-hum final but the finals series will have a lot more spice this year I think.

[gotitans101_]

God damn this defence by the Cowboys. Incredible.


welp.

[DIEHARD]

Just got home from work. In time for the second half of this match.

I really need to watch more games involving other teams.

[DIEHARD]

Cameron Ciraldo knocks back Wests Tigers coaching job
Wests Tigers are back on the hunt for a new coach after No.1 priority Cameron Ciraldo informed them late on Saturday that he would not take up their offer.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/nrl/cam...25-p5awkx.html

[Menoitios]

Tom Sargeant from Fox Sports
June 30th, 2022 9:33 am

Incomplete sets are a nightmare for NRL coaches and wasteful play is just as frustrating.

The competition’s elite clearly pride themselves on completing as many tackles per set as possible, a statistic which is usually reflected in their lofty position on the ladder.

But counting incomplete sets doesn’t tell the full story. Some teams make most of their mistakes on the fifth tackle, meaning they nearly complete the set and have wasted just one play in that set.

Other teams regularly make errors earlier in the tackle count, meaning they have wasted more potential plays. If a team makes an error on the first tackle, they have wasted four more plays than a fifth tackle error.

Coach killers: Ranking the most wasteful NRL teams from 1-16 … and the shock worst offender

This ‘wasted plays’ statistic gives us a more complete picture of which teams are the most wasteful – but there’s a surprise team that has racked up the most ‘wasted plays’ this season!

Foxsports.com.au has analysed the NRL’s most wasteful teams, defined by their average number of wasted plays per game.

16. EELS — 23.64 per game

The Eels have recorded the fewest incomplete sets of any team in the competition and average only 6.79 per game so far in 2022.

Across the club’s 14 games they are most likely to make errors on the third and fourth tackles and have the least wasted plays by a significant margin.

Brad Arthur’s side have wasted just 331 plays, with the next best being the Knights with only 376.

Per game the Parramatta side average only 23.64 wasted plays with Mitch Moses and Dylan Brown steering the ship.

15. PANTHERS — 25.87 per game

No surprises here — the team sitting on top of the ladder are an efficient machine.

The Panthers average 7.4 incomplete sets per game and have wasted 388 plays, more than only the Eels, Storm and Knights.

But, overall they average only 25.87 per game to sit in 15th place thanks to the skills of Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary.

Interestingly, the Panthers have made errors consistently on their fourth tackle, handing possession over 29 times, eight more than their second tackle count of 21.

This might highlight their willingness to take risks at this stage of a set, rather than wait for a fifth tackle.

14. STORM — 26.21 per game

The Storm record 7.64 incomplete sets per game and have the second least wasted plays with 376, thanks to the star trio of Harry Grant, Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes.

Craig Bellamy’s side have a reputation of being ruthless in attack and it clearly shows, sitting 14th for wasted plays per game with 26.21.

The Melbourne side also have the third most errors on fifth tackle plays with 21 this season, a number exceeded only by the Dragons and Rabbitohs.

Once the Storm get their full-strength spine back to full fitness, expect their wasted plays to decrease even further.

13. KNIGHTS — 26.86 per game

The Knights record 26.86 wasted plays per game to sit in 13th place, a surprising statistic considering their position on the competition ladder.

Adam O’Brien’s side sit in 12th place with only four wins, but are statistically clinical when it comes to completing their sets.

The Newcastle side have the third least amount of wasted plays but have scored the lowest amount of total points, behind the Tigers 196.

The Knights have also made the most errors on the fourth tackle of any team in the NRL.

12. COWBOYS — 27.80 per game

The Cowboys have improved by leaps and bounds in 2022 after boasting one of the competition’s worst attacks in 2021.

Now, the North Queensland side are a far more efficient offensive unit and sit in 14th for total wasted plays per game with 27.80.

The Cowboys also record only 7.8 incomplete sets per game and have totalled 117 thanks to the introduction of playmaking maestro Chad Townsend.

But, Todd Payten’s men aren’t afraid to throw the ball around, hence their position but still remain an efficient force in attack.

11. TIGERS — 27.86 per game

The Tigers’ position on this list could be a surprise to many, but with the halves pairing of Luke Brooks and Jackson Hastings, the side often make it to the last play.

The merger club have totalled 108 incomplete sets, averaging 7.71 per game, while only averaging 27.86 wasted plays per game.

While these statistics remain strong, they don’t translate into attacking performance, currently sitting in last place for total points scored.

Brett Kimmorley will be desperately hoping to unlock some attacking flair in weeks to come.

10. SEA EAGLES — 28.27 per game

Des Hasler’s side have the third least amount of incomplete sets and record only 7.27 per game, with star playmaker Daly Cherry-Evans using his experience to finish the tackle count for his side.

Meanwhile, per game they waste 28.27 plays and have wasted a total of 424 plays across the 2022 season.

The Sea Eagles have scored more points than three of the top eight, currently sitting 10th on the competition ladder.

Manly have tallied 320 points while still remaining efficient and sitting low for total wasted plays.

9. BRONCOS — 28.36 per game

The Broncos have played an expansive style of football in 2022, hence their position on the competition ladder compared to their total wasted plays.

The Broncos sit in fifth but waste 28.36 plays for game, totalling 397 so far this year.

Interestingly, Kevin Walters side have made 20 errors on tackle zero, tackle two, tackle three and tackle four.

8. DRAGONS — 30.14 per game

The Dragons sit high for total incomplete sets, recording 9.07 per game, with only three teams totalling more.

Meanwhile, the St George Illawarra club have tallied 422 wasted plays, recording 30.14 per game — the first team on this list to break the 30 mark.

Their position on this ladder is the same as their position on the competition ladder, currently sitting in the last finals spot coming into Round 16.

7. TITANS — 30.80 per game

The Titans have struggled in attack in 2022 — sitting last on the competition ladder with only three wins.

In relation to their last place, seventh in this list is surprising, wasting 30.8 plays per game for a total of 462.

But Justin Holbrook’s side benefit from Toby Sexton’s smart kicking game and have recorded only 122 incomplete sets.

An even stronger indicator of his strong kicking presence is their minimal last play errors, having the second least in the competition with only 9.

6. RAIDERS — 32.40 per game

Ricky Stuart’s men had a poor start to the 2022 season but have been on the improve in recent weeks.

Jamal Fogarty’s inclusion will be a big one and will likely reduce the Raiders 32.4 wasted plays per game.

The team from the nation’s capital will likely reduce their nine incomplete sets per game, when Jack Wighton and Fogarty forge their halves partnership and the Raiders get on a roll.

5. BULLDOGS — 32.60 per game

The Bulldogs have been electric in their past two games, but their attacking output to begin the year was clunky, leading them to have 32.60 wasted plays per game.

Matt Burton has found his groove in the halves and will look to reduce his sides 8.8 incomplete sets per game.

Meanwhile, the Buldlogs have the second most zero tackle errors which immediately swing momentum back in their opposition’s favour.

4. WARRIORS — 32.73 per game

The Warriors attack has been poor in 2022, resulting in the club’s 32.73 wasted plays per game.

Now the Warriors will make a timely return to New Zealand and improvement is expected after spending an extended period in a makeshift Redcliffe base.

The Warriors stunted attack is highlighted in their fourth tackle error count.

30 times Stacey Jones’ side have made an error on the fourth tackle, right when teams need to penetrate the line or force a repeat set.

3. ROOSTERS — 33.20 per game

The Roosters haven’t reached their lofty standards in 2022.

Many tipped them to be premiership contenders but now they have the third most wasted plays in the competition with 33.20 per game.

Luke Keary and Sam Walker have largely failed to gel and the Roosters attacked has been clunky.

Trent Robinson will be desperately hoping one of his playmakers can take the reins, with the club recording the second most number of incomplete sets with 143.

2. SHARKS — 33.36 per game

Surprisingly, the Sharks have been impressive this season.

When looking at these stats, it may be hard to believe the Cronulla side sit in fourth place after 15 completed rounds.

But there is always room for improvement and the Sharks handling errors and lack of final play efficiency are clear.

Craig Fitzgibbon’s side record 33.36 wasted plays per game and also have the second highest number of incomplete sets per game with 9.64.

1. RABBITOHS — 36.29 per game

After their 2021 heroics, many wouldn’t believe the Rabbitohs have failed to fire a shot in 2022.

The loss of Adam Reynolds is clearly hurting Jason Demetriou’s side who clearly lack direction in finishing off sets, recording a league-high 10.79 incomplete sets per game.

Lachlan Ilias has been tasked with picking up the slack and the rookie has been solid, but overall as a team the Rabbitohs have been sub-par.

The Redfern club has recorded the most wasted plays with 508, averaging 36.29 per game.

https://www.foxsports.com.au/nrl/nrl...48d057d1e9cc25

[DIEHARD]

Warriors are finally back in New Zealand and go up against the Wests Tigers.

'I think I’ll cry': Warriors fans prepare for emotional homecoming
https://www.nrl.com/news/2022/06/30/...or-homecoming/
It has been over 1000 days since the New Zealand Warriors last played an NRL match in Auckland, and the Mount Smart Joker has the hair and beard to prove it.

Since the club’s last match at Mount Smart Stadium in Round 24 of the 2019 season, the club super fan, who doesn’t reveal his real identity, has refrained from having a haircut or shaving his beard off.

“Shaving and cutting my hair was always one of my NRL season rituals… so since the last home game in 2019 I haven’t cut my hair and the beard has only been trimmed once,” the Joker told NRL.com.

“Now I can’t wait to get it all off.”

Despite bringing an unwanted seven-game losing streak back with them to New Zealand, enthusiasm for the Warriors hasn’t diminished one bit if ticket sales for the homecoming match against the Wests Tigers on Sunday are anything to go by.

The stadium sold out more than a week before game day, becoming the second-fastest selling match in the club’s history, behind only their debut game back in 1995.

Among the crowd of over 26,500 expected will be husband and wife duo Lorraine and Dave McKee, who despite living in Christchurch, over 1000kms south of Auckland, hadn’t missed a single Warriors home game in the 12 years before the pandemic struck.

At 82 years of age, Lorraine speaks of the child-like joy watching the team in person brings her.

“I think I’ll cry on game day probably…. I can’t wait for that feeling of seeing them running back out onto the field,” she said.

“The crowd are going to go berserk mate, berserk.

“I’ve missed the club, missed the people, we have still watched the games, but it’s been pretty awful without getting to meet all our friends at the games. We’ve made some fantastic friends up there. We’ve already booked all of our flights for the remaining games in Auckland and will be at all of them.”

That lost time with friends over the past couple of seasons is a common theme for much of the Warriors faithful, with home matches each year forming a large part of their social calendar.

“It’s a community, you go to the game and you see your Warriors family, and for the last few years we haven’t had the opportunity to hang out, have a pot of chips and talk some smack,” the Joker added.

“For a diehard fan the result matters, but it doesn’t matter at the same time. It’s being there with mates and experiencing it.”

For Warriors member Emma Harper the team’s extended stay in Australia left her feeling on the outside for the first time since she began supporting the club in 2007.

Not only has she missed interacting with other fans, but also the players themselves, who in a typical year they would get to know through the various meet and greet events organised by the club.

“When you’re used to going to games every other week, meet and greets, all that stuff that goes along with being member, most of us have felt a bit on the outside,” she said.

“Normally you’d get to know the players and they get to know you, but now it is basically a new team who none of us have got to know in person.

“It’s going to be quite emotional getting back and giving everyone hugs.

“I can’t even imagine how the players have done it. We all appreciate it and their efforts to keep the competition going.”

[DIEHARD]

The nine-year-old super-fan ready to take on the Warriors
https://www.nrl.com/news/2022/07/01/...-the-warriors/

There’s every chance Lachlan McShane could be the only Wests Tigers fan at Mount Smart Stadium on Sunday – and that would suit him just fine.

Warriors, and Kiwi league lovers in general, will be out in force as their team returns home for the first time since August 2019 with an electric atmosphere guaranteed as nine-year-old Lachlan prepares to stare down the Warriors faithful.

After he pledged to watch every Wests Tigers game, home and away, this year the super fan from Sydney’s west will cross the Tasman this weekend for the first time as he follows his beloved Wests Tigers to Auckland.

“I’m excited, I think I’ll be sitting around all Warriors fans because the ground is sold out,” Lachlan told NRL.com. "Making it to every game was my goal and we’ve got to them all so far so this weekend we’re going to New Zealand

“My Dad goes for the Wests Tigers, so I just started going for them. I can’t stand the people that change teams — I’m a Tigers man.”

Following his team to the Gold Coast, Wollongong, Newcastle and across Sydney already year, Lachlan said he travels the distance to “feel a part of the game”.

“Watching the games at the ground is just so much better than on the TV. You can see the game so much clearer,” he said.

“I feel a part of it at the game, I always get to meet the players at the end.”

As a St George Illawarra Dragons supporter herself, following around the Tigers every weekend is an unexpected venture for Lachlan's mum Courtney McShane, but "the smile on his face" makes it worthwhile.

"It’s an adventure. And a win is sometimes the cherry on top but just seeing the smile on his face just by being at the game and seeing how much he loves being a part of it is well worth it," Courtney told NRL.com.

"At the end of the game, regardless of the result Lachlan will wait at the fence or tunnel and cheer all the tigers boys off the field.

"He won’t leave the stadium until they’ve all gone into the dressing rooms."

And as for the result?

"I reckon they’ll go good this weekend, they'll really want to do it for Kimmorley, to give him his first win as an NRL coach," Lachlan said.

"I reckon Brooksy might get a try, maybe Doueihi and Jacko too.

“Adam Doueihi is my favourite, I love the kicks that he does in the air. I call them Doueihi bombs."

[DIEHARD]

We got a Queensland derby coming up with the Broncos and Cowboys. Hopefully NQ can continue their rise and knock over the Broncos.

I guess also interesting to watch because we play the Broncos in two weeks.

[DIEHARD]

[DIEHARD]

New Zealand Warriors v Wests Tigers | Match Highlights | Round 16, 2022 | NRL