Brisbane City vs. Sydney Stars - NRC Round 1, 21/08 @ Ballymore

[Tangawizi]

Just got back from the game. It was truly a game of two halves.

Kerevi was excellent, apart from a few handling errors and non-passes. His spacial awareness and setting up for players outside him will only get better as the comp continues.

I thought the Stars 13 was exceptional. A couple of big hits in D & attack.

I disagree with the Frisbee statement. I thought he had a bad game, but a few moments of individual brilliance. If you have been frustrated with Genia or White recently, then don't ever put your eggs in Frisbee's basket - his first choice is to kick EVERY time.

Alot of the crowd didn't get in until 15 - 20 minutes through. QRU fucked up big time. They had 4 booths open to buy tickets. and lines were 60 metres long. I'd like to say "wtf were they thinking" but that implies that there was actually some thought to the process.

Maybe you just need to get there a little bit earlier next time rather than screaming the QRU fucked up.

For a start there arent so many ticket windows at the ground and both sides were open. I got there about 7:05pm and line was around 6 deep if you paid cash. I was inside in a couple minutes.

Hoping for fine weather on the 6th.

 

[en_force_er]

It's beyond me that McIntyre (I think that's the City 10's name) isn't getting more wraps. He was solid, seriously solid.

 

[Ash]

Apart from his defence - missed tackles and poor decisions. He tended to throw it a bit wide in the first half, but settled down with the rest of the team in the second.

I was impressed with the way City changed for the second half, apparently running into the wind too. Stiles did a good job at half time, I guess.

 

[Purce]

There was hardly any more cynical play than any other rugby game. Keep penalties at 2 but conversions back to 2 please

The 3 point conversion is going to create way more problems than needed. Personally I would have thought if you're trying to reward tries you up the value of a try being scored? Put Tries to 6, Conv to 2 and either leave penalties at 3(need 2 to make up the same as a try) or change that to 2 if you really want to fuck with the core aspects of the game even more.

Enjoyed the rest of the ELVs.

Kerevi, Frisby both played very well. Frisby controlled the tempo of the entire match. Gunn, Ready, Kortzcyk and Wilkins all had good games for blokes with limited exposure to the next level. Kurindrani made a lot of mistakes in both attack and D.... not sure what happened to the kid who dominated premier rugby 2 years ago.

 

[Ash]

QRU listing crowd figure of approximately 3400:

http://www.redsrugby.com.au/Article...cord-opening-night-win-over-Sydney-Stars.aspx

Someone needs to tell the QRU press guy that the bonus point rule has changed! Either that, or he needs to take a rudimentary maths class.

 

[en_force_er]

Apart from his defence - missed tackles and poor decisions. He tended to throw it a bit wide in the first half, but settled down with the rest of the team in the second.

I was impressed with the way City changed for the second half, apparently running into the wind too. Stiles did a good job at half time, I guess.

I always got the feeling it was coming, but maybe that's just my loathing of Uni manifesting.

I've never played Uni, seen them play in person, or even played rugby in Sydney but by god G&G has imprinted some serious hatred of them within my very soul.

 

[en_force_er]

On another note, how good was Kerevi? A few more games like that and you'd take him on the Spring tour.

The Kiwis and Saffas pick the best couple of ITM Cup players at the end of every season, I don't see why we can't follow suit.

 

[Tip]

To the fans complaining about the lines to get in buy a bloody ticket before hand. Or get there earlier than 10 minutes before the game. Slack.

Kerevi the obvious star but liked the look for Brad Wilkin when he came on.

Yes, get there at 715 for a 740 kickoff, and didn't get in until a little before 8

What really gave everyone the shits was that they decided that the line was too long and opened another booth.... 5 minutes after kickoff. Defend them all you like, but a ~40 minute wait for tickets to a game with only 3,400?

And please get off the "buy a bloody ticket before hand" line, it's just ignorant. Some people have lives that aren't dictated completely by rugby.

If the QRU thinks they're going to win new fans by ignoring the fan that walks up to the gate on the day then they're definitely heading in the wrong direction.

 

[Omar Comin']

QRU listing crowd figure of approximately 3400:

http://www.redsrugby.com.au/Article...cord-opening-night-win-over-Sydney-Stars.aspx

That's a promising number on a wet Thursday night.

You'd think they should be able to build on that for weekend games. Especially when the likes of Quade Cooper come back.

Hopefully the other games this weekend can get similar or better numbers. Good weather would help!

 

[Hawko]

For the last 12-18 months there seems to be concerted attempt by the referees to take the wheel out of scrummaging. Although the Stars scrum completely dominated, there was one, maybe two penalties against the Stars in the first half where I thought the wheel was perfectly legal.

But then, the City scrum got on top when both reserve front rows were on and blow me down, City wheeled a scrum and got the penalty (not a scrum turnover).

Some consistency in refereeing would be nice.

 

[Tip]

I could be wrong but on one if not both of those occasions the scrum wheeled on the stars loosehead side. Its pretty easy for a ref to conclude that there is a deliberate wheel if an international prop in Paddy Ryan can't take a step forward but the other side of the scrum rolls around and attempts a 360

 

[ikaletahi]

The 3 point conversion is going to create way more problems than needed. Personally I would have thought if you're trying to reward tries you up the value of a try being scored? Put Tries to 6, Conv to 2 and either leave penalties at 3(need 2 to make up the same as a try) or change that to 2 if you really want to fuck with the core aspects of the game even more.

Enjoyed the rest of the ELVs.

Kerevi, Frisby both played very well. Frisby controlled the tempo of the entire match. Gunn, Ready, Kortzcyk and Wilkins all had good games for blokes with limited exposure to the next level. Kurindrani made a lot of mistakes in both attack and D.. not sure what happened to the kid who dominated premier rugby 2 years ago.

Chris snapped his leg clean a la Jharal Yow Yeh in a game vs brothers a few years back. Probably the worst injury I've ever seen on a rugby field. Long story short, bone broke through the skin.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TSR]

Paddy Ryan doesn't need to take a step forward. He just needs to not go deliberately backwards. This is in terms of the game management guidelines sent out by the ARU at the start of the season. It is quite natural for a scrum to wheel up through the Loosehead.

Hawko, I agree. According to the rules, only whip wheeling is illegal, but a lot of wheeling seems to be penalised. I find it frustrating because it rewards the poor scrum.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

The conversion value debate is really odd: what people seem to be complaining about is not that you get more for them but that a miss is more costly.

 

[ChargerWA]

I thought the Stars #14 was good. With the lack of depth at wing in Aus he should be in a super squad somewhere. Is he on the Tahs radar?

 

[Rugby follower]

Interesting first night for the NRC. The concept is great, all these players would have been twiddling their thumbs or playing in the ITM over the next months if not the implementation of the NRC. Crowd was quite good given the conditions and a Thursday night. The standard of play was a little bit up and down in the first half with the attack from both sides very solid however the defence especially on the City's right side was poor. I think we can forgive City for their first half lapses with a number of players involved in Sunday's premier rugby GF. They did well to turn up in the state they did. The second half was a great display from City with Kerevi running riot through the backline, he was actually toying with the opposition during the later stages. Overall it is a good first experience, the crowd enjoyed it with lots of kids present. I think Bill is onto a good thing.

 

[Train Without a Station]

On another note, how good was Kerevi? A few more games like that and you'd take him on the Spring tour.

The Kiwis and Saffas pick the best couple of ITM Cup players at the end of every season, I don't see why we can't follow suit.

I'm sorry, but unless we have a lot of injuries I just don't understand this logic.

This isn't the old tour with a 40 man squad, mid week games, etc. either you're good enough to make the 32 today or you're relying on injuries and lack of form to find an opening. We don't take players along for the sake of it or experience.

NZ also have the depth to allow players like McCaw, Smith and Carter to rest from these tours. We do not.

If we get an injury to Kuridrani or AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) he could come into the squad right now.

The only reason I see him coming into contention barring injuries is if Speight being eligible means we drop a winger that is being carried to allow for him in the squad.

In June it appears Jones was player 32 and Speight or Horne is now in that spot.

 

[wamberal]

3000 a game was the target for the ARC, according to Flowers, that level of attendance would mean a break-even for the competition.


Different times, different situation, I know, but interesting nontheless.

 

[en_force_er]

3000 a game was the target for the ARC, according to Flowers, that level of attendance would mean a break-even for the competition.


Different times, different situation, I know, but interesting nontheless.

On average that's doable presuming finals boost the average and Sydney/Brisbane derbies get good crowds too.

I'm sorry, but unless we have a lot of injuries I just don't understand this logic.

This isn't the old tour with a 40 man squad, mid week games, etc. either you're good enough to make the 32 today or you're relying on injuries and lack of form to find an opening. We don't take players along for the sake of it or experience.

NZ also have the depth to allow players like McCaw, Smith and Carter to rest from these tours. We do not.

If we get an injury to Kuridrani or AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) he could come into the squad right now.

The only reason I see him coming into contention barring injuries is if Speight being eligible means we drop a winger that is being carried to allow for him in the squad.

In June it appears Jones was player 32 and Speight or Horne is now in that spot.

If he continues in this rich form (and it's an if, which I said), I don't see why not. He certainly fills the utility 23 jersey role better than Kuridrani or Lelo (not saying he's as good of a player, just matches the role better).

If they had space for CFS last tour (and gave him games), there's no reason Kerevi couldn't do the same thing.

If we're not going to rest 1 or 2 guys (for rehab and conditioning) the Spring Tour before a World Cup year then WHEN WILL WE DO IT. The fact is the spots will be there.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

How many watched the game on Foxtel? When do the ratings come in?