Road to the Grand Final

couerdelion

Still on a high from the Leeds game.

I don't know how Leeds managed to raise their game after it looked like they were in for a right hiding after those two quick Wigan tries.

I thought that Eastwood was immense. He put in some huge hits in defence and a fair amount of work in attack. Ali was superb too always looking for the offload which stopped the Wigan defence from relaxing once they had two in the tackle.

Will Saints chose Leeds in the semi?

couerdelion

Damn! McGuire out for the rest of the season and needs knee surgery!

I said at the time it looked like he tripped andwas just grabbing out to break his fall.

Leeds won't get to OT now.

XXVII

couerdelion wrote: »

Damn! McGuire out for the rest of the season and needs knee surgery!

I said at the time it looked like he tripped andwas just grabbing out to break his fall.

Leeds won't get to OT now.

Are you for real???

Do you use the same optician as McClennan?

I've always really admired McGuire, and he's had a great season, but let's not pretend this was anything other that a cynical foul to prevent a match winning try.

Hate to see a player injured, but I think they call it Karma in situations like this.

Leeds played well to get back into the game, but lost so much respect with a foul like that. Even if fit, McGuire shouldn't be playing in the next game but staying down for the stretcher ensured he wouldn't receive a card.

Missing the rest of the season including a trip to Australia - fair result.

Leeds coach has a lot to answer for with his post match comments too.

couerdelion

XXVII wrote: »

Are you for real???

Do you use the same optician as McClennan?

I've always really admired McGuire, and he's had a great season, but let's not pretend this was anything other that a cynical foul to prevent a match winning try.

Hate to see a player injured, but I think they call it Karma in situations like this.

Leeds played well to get back into the game, but lost so much respect with a foul like that. Even if fit, McGuire shouldn't be playing in the next game but staying down for the stretcher ensured he wouldn't receive a card.

Missing the rest of the season including a trip to Australia - fair result.

Leeds coach has a lot to answer for with his post match comments too.

Yes I am for real. I aren't denying he brought the man down but it looked like he caught his legs up and was already going down as opposed to s diving tackle.

And yeah you're right McGuire went down to stop himself getting a yellow card in the last second which wouldn't have mattered as the match had finished. By not getting a card he risks getting cited and being banned. The easy way out wold have been to accept a yellow and negate any follow up action. Oh and he stopped a try how? Even if it was a cynical foul Richards kicked the ball out on the full and wasn't even looking for support. If Richards had got the pass to Carmont he'd have still had 40 yards to go. He didn't manage 20 when Hall knocked on earlier in the match and had 3 Leeds defenders near him.

Karma? Yeah, I wish every player who commits a foul a potential career threatening injury.

WakeyTyke

Feel very sorry for Danny Mcguire, as I would for any player that runs onto a rugby field who gets a serious injury.

However, there is absolutely no way that his actions in bringing down Carmount could be construed as anything other than a cynical, professional foul. It was also quite clear that Richards was looking to pass back inside (he even had time to remonstrate to the referee) and the kick was his second option.

Perhaps he would have been sin-binned or even sent off (though unlikely) and he could well have had to face a disciplinary committee and subsequently been banned - we will never know, but hopefully he will back for Millenium Magic start to 2011.

toomevara

XXVII wrote: »

Missing the rest of the season including a trip to Australia - fair result.

Not on, don't wish injury on any player. regardless of circumstance.

AdeT

couerdelion wrote: »

Will Saints chose Leeds in the semi?

I don't think they can...

With Saints and Leeds now guaranteed home semis, Saints will choose one of the two qualifiers.

Wigan v Hull KR
Wire v Huddersfield

Presuming Wigan and Warrington win, I think it's an incredibly tough decision to make. They know they can beat Warrington but how nice would it be to send Knowsley Road off with a hammering of Wigan?!

If Warrington look as tired against Hudds this weekend though there may be a shock on the cards; Saints would take Hudds then presumably. I think Wigan might just be too good for Rovers but with Dobson's kicking game going so well they may put themselves in a position to nick a win

toomevara

AdeT wrote: »

If Warrington look as tired against Hudds this weekend though there may be a shock on the cards; Saints would take Hudds then presumably. I think Wigan might just be too good for Rovers but with Dobson's kicking game going so well they may put themselves in a position to nick a win

Warrington probably suffering a bit of a Wembley hangover, if they can get their heads out of their nethers they should go alright. Totally agree about Dobson's kicking game, absolutely awesome. His performance on Sat was a pure pleasure to watch and if KR can bring the intensity they brought to the Derby I think they might just do a number on Wigan.

amacachi

AdeT wrote: »

Presuming Wigan and Warrington win, I think it's an incredibly tough decision to make. They know they can beat Warrington but how nice would it be to send Knowsley Road off with a hammering of Wigan?!

Would also seem a little like tempting fate if they got Wire back to Knowsley Road having already beaten them. I wouldn't be completely sure on either result this weekend though, both Wire and Wigan looked a bit down and out at different times over the weekend.

couerdelion

I'll refrain from mentioning the McGuire injury again.

Surely Saints will take Leeds if its the top 4 who make the semi's?

No Peacock, McGuire, Burgess, Jones-Buchanan a a chance of a home advantage after 3 defeats in the GF at a neutral venue.

Looking forward to this weeks games.

XXVII

couerdelion wrote: »

Yes I am for real. I aren't denying he brought the man down but it looked like he caught his legs up and was already going down as opposed to s diving tackle.

And yeah you're right McGuire went down to stop himself getting a yellow card in the last second which wouldn't have mattered as the match had finished. By not getting a card he risks getting cited and being banned. The easy way out wold have been to accept a yellow and negate any follow up action. Oh and he stopped a try how? Even if it was a cynical foul Richards kicked the ball out on the full and wasn't even looking for support. If Richards had got the pass to Carmont he'd have still had 40 yards to go. He didn't manage 20 when Hall knocked on earlier in the match and had 3 Leeds defenders near him.

Karma? Yeah, I wish every player who commits a foul a potential career threatening injury.

Watch the replay again. Richards looked inside for Carmont. Sam Tompkins was inside Carmont. 3 on 1 with one of the fastest players in Super League involved.

Richards saw the foul on Carmont, the move broke down and he kicked ahead. Ball landed in field of play before crossing the touchline.

Thierry Henry didn't handle the ball, Ben Johnson accidentally took steroids, Maradonna scored with his head, and McGuire accidentally fell over.

I suppose Ali Lautiiti accidentally brushed by the posts when Richards was lining up the kick?

You on the disciplinary at Red Hall by any chance?

XXVII

toomevara wrote: »

Not on, don't wish injury on any player. regardless of circumstance.

Wish some one would tell that to the rest of your fellow Leeds fans in the South Stand who were ecstatic when Ablett took out Sam Tompkins with a forearm straight to the jaw. (And yes there's TV footage to show what I'm talking about.)

Tompkins was so lucky not to have his season ended that night. Oh wait, I forgot, it was his own fault for running jaw first into the elbow of a Leeds player in an offside position, although his feet never moved.........silly me.

Ah well, if Jamie Peacock can take Sam's head off with no consequences, then I suppose the rest of the team can too.

Not so funny when it happens one of your own though, is it? I genuinely feel sorry for Burgess, but Leeds players have to realise that although they're immune from punishment from Red Hall, they are still human, and what goes around.............

AdeT

couerdelion wrote: »

Surely Saints will take Leeds if its the top 4 who make the semi's?QUOTE]

Saints can't pick Leeds as they both have now earned a home semi. They will play the winners of the preliminary semi finals (with Saints picking who they wish to paly). http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/8962892.stm

It'll be a tough week for Wire and Wigan this week after losing at the weekend in different circumstances; Wire took a bit of a beating at Saints and Wigan threw away a decent lead. Neither will be full of confidence whereas Huddersfield and Rovers will be buzzing...

couerdelion

AdeT wrote: »

couerdelion wrote: »

Surely Saints will take Leeds if its the top 4 who make the semi's?QUOTE]

Saints can't pick Leeds as they both have now earned a home semi. They will play the winners of the preliminary semi finals (with Saints picking who they wish to paly). http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/8962892.stm

It'll be a tough week for Wire and Wigan this week after losing at the weekend in different circumstances; Wire took a bit of a beating at Saints and Wigan threw away a decent lead. Neither will be full of confidence whereas Huddersfield and Rovers will be buzzing...

Ah ok, I thought they had a pick of them all.

AdeT

couerdelion wrote: »

AdeT wrote: »

Ah ok, I thought they had a pick of them all.

If they did, I think they may have taken a McGuire-less Leeds.

XXVII

toomevara wrote: »

Not on, don't wish injury on any player. regardless of circumstance.

Well, well…..interesting article.

http://www.skysports.com/opinion/story/0,25212,12532_6378555,00.html

“I can't understand why McGuire did it?”
"McGuire's injury could well act as a lesson to any other player watching that it doesn't pay to cheat. Perhaps the rugby Gods have punished him for his unsportsmanlike play."

Seems like I’m not the only one who believes in “natural justice”. Turns out I’m not that unreasonable after all.

Should I forward the existing complaint to Mr Clarke regarding what will and wont be tolerated, or are complaints usually recipient specific?

couerdelion

XXVII wrote: »

Well, well…..interesting article.

http://www.skysports.com/opinion/story/0,25212,12532_6378555,00.html

“I can't understand why McGuire did it?”
"McGuire's injury could well act as a lesson to any other player watching that it doesn't pay to cheat. Perhaps the rugby Gods have punished him for his unsportsmanlike play."

Seems like I’m not the only one who believes in “natural justice”. Turns out I’m not that unreasonable after all.

Should I forward the existing complaint to Mr Clarke regarding what will and wont be tolerated, or are complaints usually recipient specific?

Yeah. Phil Clarke showing what a one eyed wiganer he is... quite a few comments supporting my claim that it wasn't a deliberate foul

(No I haven't set up loads of fake names! )

couerdelion

Danny Budurus has been cleared to play after initially receiving a 1 match ban for a spear tackle in the Wigan game :cool: