I like watching the Storm, and the odd NRL game in general. but what a waste of our time that Origin game was.
To bring that D-Grade fixed result rubbish to Melbourne is kicking sand in the face of the whole state, origin should be banned, blocked at the border like Fruit Fly's. A complete waste of time for viewers and 90,000 spectators.
It was possibly the most staged disingenuous exhibition of professional sport I've ever seen, reminiscent of The Harlem Globe Trotters playing a clown team!
Interesting the NRL insiders have quickly moved to hang the messenger in the Latrell Mitchell snorting saga, largely glossing over the suggestion he was just one of a number of players involved in the event.
The NRL being obsessed with who circulated the images, reminds me strongly of CheatsFC and Jab Snr back on the infamous Mother Hunting episode!
https://au.sports.yahoo.com/wayne-bennett-hits-latrell-mitchell-with-simple-truth-amid-big-call-on-nrl-photo-furore-041547810.html
Supportive....but with a pretty clear message..
Here is a great example of how sport can get things wrong, it all starts with the perspective of an individual or club over a sport;
If you flip this narrative, and put the integrity of the sport over the individual, they should have no choice but to stand down.
Can you imagine the outcry if Addo-Carr plays, and his team knocks another out of the finals, only to be found guilty of cocaine doping in a month or two? As much as I want to be fair to the player, it's untenable for him to play, in the same way many athletes have suffered similar misfortunes at Olympics, etc., etc., and yet you could argue in individual sports there is at least the opportunity to withdraw medals, yet that is not how they work, and no such opportunity exists in team sports.
There's a game on tonight I hear.
I suspect a lot of the folks on the forum will be looking for a Melbourne win.
As a good New South Welshman I can't agree.
Added to that I spent a bit of time as strength and conditioning trainer with a senior team in Penrith District competition back in the 1970's
It was an almost impossible task trying to do strength and conditioning work with a group of blokes who just wanted to find the nearest pub ten minutes into a training session. :D ...but we got there in the end (as well as the pub).
The funniest part was the arguments I used to have with the giant front rower... he couldn't understand why he had to do a lot of running training when the furthest he ever ran in a game was about 10 metres. ::)
He probably had a point ;D
Reece Walsh punch.
This video contains violent (and imbecilic) content
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93GidlJud1o
What would the AFL do in this situation.
Trying to minimalise it, no remorse other than it's blown up in his face.
@ Lods
Imbecilic is a very apt description.
I know it's not a good look but this is the sort of juvenile stuff we did as teens.
Not sure about 22 year old rugby player should be filming it and sharing it on socials.
Not sure it fits coward punch or abuse territory either as it was clearly not a king hit just a couple of people doing stupid crap.
Compare that with the Balta hit.
They are on the opposite ends of the scale.
Worst part about that was it was posted on social media.
Worst thing about the Balta hit (or hits!) was he could've killed the guy.
I'm afraid I don't see any scale.
Any hit to the head like that can have serious consequences.
The brain is shaken in the skull.
The guy has obviously felt it.
That he stood there and took the punch and Walsh actually posted it online is just ridiculous and irresponsible behaviour.
While Balta was just a man out of control, which do you think will inspire the most copy cat activities amongst young and impressionable fans....perhaps with more severe consequences.
Both codes are going to extreme lengths to highlight the dangers of concussion and this clown tries to play it down.
I hope the NRL give him the rounds of the kitchen.
Edit: So the penalty is to make a donation to the Black Dog institute for mental health.
The sheep that copy this will copy something else equally as stupid if this isn't there. This doesn't create stupid people, it gives stupid people something different to do.
The Balta one was out to hurt. He king hit a bloke who wasn't expecting it. Then did it again while he was on his knees asking 'what was that for?'.
This one was some friendly (drunken) behaviour between mates.