Just Despair: Rugby League 2019

[Benjm]

Remember them and then watch them playing Widnes after the main event.

Warrington's chances probably hinge upon Saints having an off day but they seem focussed and conscious that the League Leaders' Shield won't be enough to count the season a success.

Peripheral factors include St Bernard, the free spirited former mascot, coming out of retirement and my finding my lucky Mal Meninga t shirt.

[Etienne]

Of course if the ref is going to rule out perfectly legitimate Saints tries then maybe Wire do have a chance. They've been closer than I expected, but the back three of Saints look so threatening.

[Sporting]

Well well well

[Etienne]

Hurrah. I have a very happy wife.

[Benjm]

Congratulations to Mrs Etienne. And to the Warrington fans in the ground who really got their end fizzing with energy.

That wasn't so good. I felt for the NZ guy sitting next to me who had adopted Saints as his team when he moved to the UK in early 2009. A long wait for a lacklustre first trip to Wembley. I'm still 6-1 up on finals so can't complain really.

Even allowing for me being a decade older and less dynamic than last time, the occasion felt diminished. The attendance was announced as 62,000 but that sounded generous looking at the various sparsely populated sections of the stadium.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Congratulations to Mrs Etienne. And to the Warrington fans in the ground who really got their end fizzing with energy.

That wasn't so good. I felt for the NZ guy sitting next to me who had adopted Saints as his team when he moved to the UK in early 2009. A long wait for a lacklustre first trip to Wembley. I'm still 6-1 up on finals so can't complain really.

Even allowing for me being a decade older and less dynamic than last time, the occasion felt diminished. The attendance was announced as 62,000 but that sounded generous looking at the various sparsely populated sections of the stadium.

They've confirmed next year's final will take place in mid-July - will be interesting to see how that changes things, it could go either way. On the Bank Holiday weekend there is obviously a lot of competition for people's attention, but I'm not sure mid-July is the answer, when a lot of people have their main summer holiday. Not that I can talk, I haven't been for a few years (and didn't even see this year's Saints' capitulation on TV, being otherwise engaged getting sunburn in a field at the time). It's maybe just a case of the Grand Final being the big show now, and a trip to the big smoke not being as much of a novelty as it used to be for "us lot".

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

London Broncos relegated.

[ad hoc]

If you can find a way of watching the whole of the "English Final" (or English semi final in real speak) between Canberra and Souths this evening, I really recommend it. A superb gripping game.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Half-followed it on Twitter (I'm working at home today but don't have Sky) and it sounded a classic.

Less pleasingly, Tonga (international RL's recent rare success story) suspended from the international federation.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Salford beat Wigan to make the Grand Final for the first time. And they didn't just edge past them either, the utterly dominated them.

[Etienne]

My father-in-law is a Salford fan who has been terrifying me by saying that Salford only win tournaments when a World War is about to start, but he's exaggerating slightly (in addition to winning the Championship in 1914, 1933, 1937 and 1939 they won in 74 and 76 as well) but it still looks an ill omen.

[Tony C]

Great effort from Salford.

As a Widnes fan there are a few links with the current Red Devils squad. Whilst it's no surprise to see Inu performing so well (Widnes simply couldn't afford to keep him) the fact that Salford have turned Dudson and Burke into high quality SL forwards is more of a surprise as neither looked much at Widnes. Although that is more of an indictment of Denis Betts's coaching ability I suppose.

Jackson Hastings is some player.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

Toronto Wolfpack win the "Million Pound Game" in front of their first ever sell-out crowd, and will play in Super League next year.

[Hot Pepsi]

Fantastic

[Tony C]

Fantastic

It's not a sentiment shared by the broader RL community.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

It's not a sentiment shared by the broader RL community.

It is by me, but acknowledge it's divisive.

[Sporting]

It's not a sentiment shared by the broader RL community.

Where/who/what is this broader community?

[Hot Pepsi]

It’s good for RL in North America

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

I had the unusual experience of listening to the NRL grand final this morning while I was doing the local half marathon - I only realised this morning that 5 Live Sports Extra was carrying the ABC commentary (and an impressive amount of the build up and post match, and even the news headlines at half time) so I got it through the BBC Sounds app.

Easts won a close game, and became the first team in over 20 years to retain an NRL title. They did however get the benefit of two controversial decisions. A few minutes in the ball hit one of their trainers on the pitch and they got head and feed on the scrum to restart, and scored from the resulting set. Then with a few minutes to go with the scores at 8-8 Canberra were attacking and on a last tackle had a kicked charged down, with the ref signalling zero tackle and another set to Canberra, but then changed his mind just as the Canberra attacker took a tackle thinking he was on zero and not six. From the resulting turnover Easts scored again to win it.

Now it's on to a busy international window to round out the year.

[Tony C]

Where/who/what is this broader community?

The numerous online RL sites and fans' pages which act as a platform for supporters' voice and opinion.

As with WFD I'm personally okay with the Toronto project but accept that I appear to be in the monority.

[Kevin S]

On the potential for Nines, and RL in Sydney:
https://www.todaystale.com/stevemasc...Y2aTB8NRlnGikQ

Fair to say, though, that the "LDN9s 2019" tournament didn't pull in tens of thousands. Or many tens, come to that:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMDSKlulz5s

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

More good news on the international scene is that Tonga are back in the fold and will be fielding a full strength team in their forthcoming fixtures after all of the rifts, boycotts and call-offs.

[Hot Pepsi]

I had the unusual experience of listening to the NRL grand final this morning while I was doing the local half marathon - I only realised this morning that 5 Live Sports Extra was carrying the ABC commentary (and an impressive amount of the build up and post match, and even the news headlines at half time) so I got it through the BBC Sounds app.

Easts won a close game, and became the first team in over 20 years to retain an NRL title. They did however get the benefit of two controversial decisions. A few minutes in the ball hit one of their trainers on the pitch and they got head and feed on the scrum to restart, and scored from the resulting set. Then with a few minutes to go with the scores at 8-8 Canberra were attacking and on a last tackle had a kicked charged down, with the ref signalling zero tackle and another set to Canberra, but then changed his mind just as the Canberra attacker took a tackle thinking he was on zero and not six. From the resulting turnover Easts scored again to win it.

Now it's on to a busy international window to round out the year.

This is the Australian equivalent to last year's NFC championship in the US, but it was potentially worse because it was the final.

[Walt Flanagans Dog]

This is the Australian equivalent to last year's NFC championship in the US, but it was potentially worse because it was the final.

There is a long history of refereeing controversies in NRL (or equivalent) grand finals. The ball hitting the trainer was the right decision according to the rules, but that hasn't stopped it being unpopular.

[ad hoc]

When I was over there was a lot of talk about the Roosters cheating on the salary cap too and it seems that they're almost as much loathed as the Storm. I can't imagine that this final has helped that in any way.