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A bit harsh om the Wanderers, HW&C. The first recorded organised game of soccer in Australia was played between a team called the Wanderers and Kings School in Parramatta, so I think a very sensible choice of name.

Since this is a Waratahs thread: Boooo.

The TMO would have had no more information on which to base his decision than the AR and ref who were both reasonably positioned. There's no way any TMO would rule such a pass as forward, you simply can't tell from that camera angle unless it is way forward, which this pass was not. The extra...

RL journalism is dominated by the Daily Telegraph in Sydney, and there's a massive insecurity in most of the paper, not just the NRL pages. But you gotta admire their ability to create scandal, stories, hype, rivalries, stories of banishment and redemption that fill 4-6 NRL pages every single...

That's harsh on Scott's article. He makes it very clear in that article that he couldn't do what the refs do, and that speculation on whether the ref's decisions changed the outcome of the game is pointless. He raises a very reasonable point in as reasonable a way as you could hope for from a...

If his contract decisions are genuinely all about money, rugby can confidently assure him that he will earn more over the remainder of his career in the 15-man game. A few years here, the prospect of a very good top-up from the ARU if he continues to improve, and then a massive payday from...

Whilst he's obviously worth plenty of cash for his pure ability, it does seem that Izzy's not keen on the promotional work associated with the role (and that's not a criticism). There was some talk when he left AFL that he was not keen on being used by the NRL as a counter-weapon in the code war...

They won't be moving any games from Homebush in the near future, the stadium pays them good money for the pleasure. An upgrade of Parramatta Stadium or another nearby may well be a higher priority after the success of the Western Sydney Wanderers.

I agree the atmosphere has been surprisingly good for 15 K crowds. The SFS is an excellent stadium in terms of rewarding noisy crowds, even if they're small. That roof really reflects the noise. Likewise, I haven't received any dirty looks for cheering loudly this year.

Yeah, but nuh. Making a try worth more just makes it more worthwhile for a defender to infringe to stop it - 3 points is cheaper if you save 8. How often are field goals stop an enjoyable game? Not often. No kicking in between quarters - why? Do you think the 2011 Reds were a great team...

I think Cheika has been drilling them in the "no-kick" mantra, to break the bad habits of the last few years. I agree the cross kick to Folau would be a great option, but it seems he doesn't want to let that thought enter the heads of his playmakers yet. They have used him under the odd kick-off.

Very forgiving Hawko. I think Lucas has already shown enough to be starting, with McKibben to the bench. Perhaps Cheika feels he can't rely on Foley's kicking. How long 'til Barnes is back?

Yes, the embarassing performance against the Brumbies early in the season could, viewing hindsight with rose-coloured glasses, be seen as a team struggling to adapt to a new gameplan, since the following performances have been an improvement. A similar effort at this point in the season will be...

Conversely, I think our scrum will be stronger than the Reds, and if Hooper can get his head in plenty of Chiefs rucks, he should be able to slow them down, which was an important part of the Reds plan. The Tahs backline has been able to break lines with direct running this season, so's there's...

When the Tigers are playing the Dragons at the SCG? Only a slightly improved alternative. And who do you move into the Friday night slot? - Foxtel will want a match there

So the TMO can adjudicate on forward passes? That's a hornet's nest, I reckon, with camera angles and attempting to judge not whether the ball has travelled forward over the ground but instead was passed forward by the player. I hope it's only for blatant forward passes, but then - how do you...

Think you mean collar, but yeah, both the collar and the colour are great.

Still looks like a T-shirt though.

I say yes, if he's replacing a quality outside back. Better for Cheika to have the opportunity to pull him into line than for some other franchise to do so. Imagine the years of whinging if the Tahs pass on him now and he goes on to star somewhere else. Some are yet to forgive the Tahs for...

Legally? I'm sure a good lawyer could make this an OH&S issue - the employer is always responsible. But yes, morally, the rugby community needs to give this guy some help.