Match 2024 NRL Round 24 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks vs Newcastle Knights, 4:05pm Sunday 18th August @ PointsBet Stadium

[Vichyssoise]

Scott Minto was ****ing robbed I tell you!!

He's already the People's Immortal according to some.

 

[slide rule]

Buzz gets a vote? Tbh Johns and Meninga are both thick as a plank even though because they've played the game.

I have no excuse for Buzz though.

 

[slide rule]

Yeah apparently Buzz and a couple of his journo mates (Badel & Weidler) get a vote, along with PVL and Abdo.

There's 14 judges all up.

So it will be SBW or something.

 

[HaroldBishop]

So it will be SBW or something.

OMG

 

[Vichyssoise]

OMG

Never heard of him.

 

[Dylan the villain]

Wasnt the original immortals thing run by rugby league week mag And then was bought out by the NRL?

Would Explain why there are some media flogs on the panel. And imo dilutes the “prestige” of the whole thing.

Johns being named so early was a farce

 

[JimBob]

Wasnt the original immortals thing run by rugby league week mag And then was bought out by the NRL?

Would Explain why there are some media flogs on the panel.

Yeah it was.

In fact, RLW were in the process of inducting another immoral when they got bought out by the NRL.

Turns out Lockyer was the RLW candidate, but NRL went with Joey.

 

[slide rule]

There are too many immortals. Please eliminate three.

 

[Dylan the villain]

There are too many immortals. Please eliminate three.

P.S I am not a crackpot.

 

[Vichyssoise]

There are too many immortals. Please eliminate three.

Isn't it a rather extreme way to handle this issue?
And who's to do the job?
This bloke?

 

[apezza]

Isn't it a rather extreme way to handle this issue?
And who's to do the job?
This bloke?

There can be only one!

 

[MrDravid]

Isn't it a rather extreme way to handle this issue?
And who's to do the job?
This bloke?

After last night isn't there only 4 alive now? Doesn't leave much room to eliminate 3 of them!

 

[Vichyssoise]

After last night isn't there only 4 alive now? Doesn't leave much room to eliminate 3 of them!

Yep... Wally, Andrew, Mal and now Ron.
Will have to ask @slide rule what his picks are.

All in jest of course.

 

[egg]

Sorry, Graham, but it was my job to kick field goals. This is why blockers are unavoidable​

Andrew Johns​

League columnist
Like everyone, I’m scratching my head over what transpired last Sunday between the Sharks and Knights and the controversy over blockers.
NRL head of football Graham Annesley said during the week, and I will quote him here, “Why do they need to be there?
Well, Graham, I will tell you exactly what goes through the mind of a halfback or playmaker when they’re trying to set up for a field goal which can decide the result of a match, potentially a season, and even have consequences for a coach’s job or the contracts of players. It was my job to kick field goals, so I should know.
On play one, my position would be 15 to 20 metres behind the ruck and the entire time I would have the middle forwards in front of me. I have to be their eyes and ears and do the thinking for the team. I’m directing them where to run, what defenders to target and the ideal position for the field goal attempt.

Now, the whole idea of taking a field goal is to try to do it after a quick play-the-ball, which in theory should provide you more time to line up the attempt because the defence can’t get to you.
If the fast play-the-ball came on either tackle two, three or four, I would take the shot. If there wasn’t a quick play-the-ball, and we couldn’t get a decent attempt, I would kick to a corner and try for a repeat set.
But back to the “blockers”. Those middle forwards have to be in a position to take a carry if it’s not a quick play-the-ball, because not every ruck is going to produce the ideal opportunity. They need to be close to the dummy half to make the metres over the advantage line.
So as a halfback sees it, it’s almost impossible for them not to be in front of the field goal kicker. How many long kicks in general play do you see similar situations? You will only ever see the kicker in front of his teammates if it’s a rapid play-the-ball. Are we going to start penalising more of those general play kicks for blocking?


Annesley’s argument is good in theory, but it’s just not practical.
What happened between the Sharks and Knights with consecutive penalties was wrong. From where I was watching, no Cronulla player was impeded or had to drastically change their line, to put pressure on Kalyn Ponga.
Newcastle had only a rough chance of making the finals before last week’s loss, and I emphasise the word rough. It’s almost impossible now.
Last week reaffirmed for me the need to scrap golden point. There was no bigger supporter when it was first introduced, but I feel sorry for the referees because they’re under so much pressure, and it’s just five tackles for a field goal attempt.
If we want to keep the extra time element, it needs to be a golden try.

 

[bort]

But without question, the worst of the worst decisions in living memory were the controversial back-to-back calls in the Sharks/Knights golden point clash that absolutely take the cake as the most bizarre officiating decisions we’ve ever seen in ages.

Ref boss’s ‘ludicrous’ take; brilliant Immortal pick vindicates Beetson’s big call — Crawley

Ref boss’s ‘ludicrous’ take; brilliant Immortal pick vindicates Beetson’s big call — Crawley

www.foxsports.com.au

A big call!

 

[bort]

Sorry, Graham, but it was my job to kick field goals. This is why blockers are unavoidable​

Andrew Johns​

I do agree in principle it absolutely makes sense to have runner options up in front of the drop goal option, whether as a true option to take a run or just as a decoy.
Obviously the onus falls on them to not impede anyone (people will clip them on the way past or just run square into them to try draw a penalty)

The only way to have both - fairly positioned option runners, no blockers - is similar to a try the ref makes a call and it goes to bunker to review on every field goal.

They are infrequent enough this would have very little impact on average but would take a bit of excitement out of tight games when we have to watch 8 replays of a prop jog 3 steps forward as the hooker picks the ball up and then a defender bump into him as they try to charge down a field goal

 

[Super Impose]

The worst part for me was the square up penalty to deny Atko’s first shot .

Ponga ran straight to Hunt - it was laughable .

If a mistake was made with Ponga - so be it .Forever and a day officials have denied square ups exist - but we all know better …

 

[Sevshark]

Sorry, Graham, but it was my job to kick field goals. This is why blockers are unavoidable​

Andrew Johns​

League columnist
Like everyone, I’m scratching my head over what transpired last Sunday between the Sharks and Knights and the controversy over blockers.
NRL head of football Graham Annesley said during the week, and I will quote him here, “Why do they need to be there?
Well, Graham, I will tell you exactly what goes through the mind of a halfback or playmaker when they’re trying to set up for a field goal which can decide the result of a match, potentially a season, and even have consequences for a coach’s job or the contracts of players. It was my job to kick field goals, so I should know.
On play one, my position would be 15 to 20 metres behind the ruck and the entire time I would have the middle forwards in front of me. I have to be their eyes and ears and do the thinking for the team. I’m directing them where to run, what defenders to target and the ideal position for the field goal attempt.

Now, the whole idea of taking a field goal is to try to do it after a quick play-the-ball, which in theory should provide you more time to line up the attempt because the defence can’t get to you.
If the fast play-the-ball came on either tackle two, three or four, I would take the shot. If there wasn’t a quick play-the-ball, and we couldn’t get a decent attempt, I would kick to a corner and try for a repeat set.
But back to the “blockers”. Those middle forwards have to be in a position to take a carry if it’s not a quick play-the-ball, because not every ruck is going to produce the ideal opportunity. They need to be close to the dummy half to make the metres over the advantage line.
So as a halfback sees it, it’s almost impossible for them not to be in front of the field goal kicker. How many long kicks in general play do you see similar situations? You will only ever see the kicker in front of his teammates if it’s a rapid play-the-ball. Are we going to start penalising more of those general play kicks for blocking?


Annesley’s argument is good in theory, but it’s just not practical.
What happened between the Sharks and Knights with consecutive penalties was wrong. From where I was watching, no Cronulla player was impeded or had to drastically change their line, to put pressure on Kalyn Ponga.
Newcastle had only a rough chance of making the finals before last week’s loss, and I emphasise the word rough. It’s almost impossible now.
Last week reaffirmed for me the need to scrap golden point. There was no bigger supporter when it was first introduced, but I feel sorry for the referees because they’re under so much pressure, and it’s just five tackles for a field goal attempt.
If we want to keep the extra time element, it needs to be a golden try.

Joey still hasn't realised Ponga missed lol

 

[egg]

I do think 5 mins each half extra time.
Golden try wins , if not score at the end of the 10 minutes is the result

 

[BlackWhiteBlue]

Great article Joey, but at the end of the day, if one player denies another player a fair attempt at a tackle or shutting a play down its a penalty, that doesnt mean the players cant be standing there, they just need to get out of the way of defenders