The Fight

[Dan]

Monday or Tuesday usually

 

[Ceagle]

Monday or Tuesday usually

Too long to wait.

 

[Budgie]

Woke up this morning just wishing Lussick had been a true professional and turned the other cheek. No initial retaliation - no brawl.
Was feeling good about the game - the way we were playing and even the Storm players decency in the Wolfman situation, up to that point Today I'm struggling to believe they would throw away such an unexpectedly brilliant season so easily.
On the plus side, as a constant breath holding cringed at some of the rubbish Watmough has done in the past, I would like to say - Well Done Watmough for staying out of it.

 

[Ceagle]

IMO alot worse stuff happened in this fight and no suspensions were handed out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT1MfRyHkOM&feature=related

 

[Jethro]

In the second all in I think choc also threw a couple into blair, he could go too.

What a load of crap. Have a look at the footage again. Choc ran over and then turned to face the oncoming Storm players racing over and ended up on his arse on the pile that were already on the ground.

 

[Brissie Kid]

Mr NRL says he will look at punishing clubs for "bringing the game into disrepute."

Maybe if the NRL had acted against the season long Storm grapples and other rubbish they deal out Manly players wouldn't have felt a need to take action into their own hands.

 

[Pearso]

In the second all in I think choc also threw a couple into blair, he could go too.

What a load of crap. Have a look at the footage again. Choc ran over and then turned to face the oncoming Storm players racing over and ended up on his arse on the pile that were already on the ground.

Calm down I said "I think" from the footage Lussick moves away and a manly player in the huddle throws a couple, i just thought it might have been choc.

 

[voicefromthehill]

In the second all in I think choc also threw a couple into blair, he could go too.

What a load of crap. Have a look at the footage again. Choc ran over and then turned to face the oncoming Storm players racing over
and ended up on his arse on the pile that were already on the ground.

Calm down I said "I think" from the footage Lussick moves away and a manly player in the huddle throws a couple, i just thought it might have been choc.

I reckon that is Gifty getting a few beauties in on the ground

 

[Jono]

IMO alot worse stuff happened in this fight and no suspensions were handed out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT1MfRyHkOM&feature=related

Hayne again!!! He really doesn't know how to control games like this.

 

[Ceagle]

Brett White wasnt suspended even after knocking out Steve Price, who i believe missed a few game from concussion and Waterhouse wasn't suspended after tackling Price when he was unconscious.

Surely this can be used as defense

 

[Brissie Kid]

Brett White wasnt suspended even after knocking out Steve Price, who i believe missed a few game from concussion and Waterhouse wasn't suspended after tackling Price when he was unconscious.

Surely this can be used as defense

Reading this, I would agree with you - except that Gift & Blair were supposed by on the way to the sin bin, so I think that gives the NRL room to go far harder.

sometimes in rugby league players fight

 

[Ceagle]

Match review chairman Greg McCallum said White and Price both escaped sanction for their parts in the one-on-one fight because it was accepted that in league that "sometimes players fight. Provided that it is contain within the two of them and it ends when it ends naturally then we don't have have a major issue with it."

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/league/origin-passion-behind-brawling-20090717-dn2t.html#ixzz1WD7FP1h0

 

[ssar]

The Melbourne Storm are a bunch of dirty cheats.

Much of the game they were pushing the boundaries with:
- half-wrestling/chicken-wing-like maneuvers in tackles, and
- getting thier hands and arms on opponent's faces & heads in tackles,
mostly easing off early enough not to warrant a penalty.

Footage of the excitement: http://youtu.be/HfwqnyrrTTA

In the 1st blue Ryan Hinchcliffe 1st snuck a sly elbow that clearly got Darcy Lussick on the chin, who reacted with a few slaps and pushes, then Hinchcliffe and by the looks some other Storm player both also threw actual punches before Lussick threw any.

Sure the refs needed to take some action against Adam Blair & Glenn Stewart for being next-men-in throwing punches, but imo they should either:
- not have been sin-binned at all in that instance, just them and thier captains warned that they are on the verge of binning or send-offs, considering what an intense rivalry match it was, or
- sin-bin each like they did AND a touchie and/or trainers should have got between the 2 as Glenn approached the sideline, diffusing any further flare up before Blair had a chance to get in his face.

The 4 manly players that 1st arrived at the 2nd blue obviously got there 1st as thier line in play was closer to the half way, the Storm players were quick off thier marks when they actually saw what what happening too.

Wally's comment about Blair being "Sent off for headbutting the fist of an opponent?" was just so stupid, he came in to the 1st fight landing a nasty uppercut, then on his way to the sinbin jogged purposefully to catch up to Stewart, get shoulder-to-shoulder and in his face and make some nasty remark. Stewart was innocently heading to the tunnel and would have continued if Blair hadn't gone out of his way to get into him.

Manly were ripped off all in all from that mess, and whilst it was massively satisfying to win the match 18-4 and dominate much of the play @ Fortress Brookie, the NRL's judiciary will unfortunately have to take action with suspensions and such.

Let's hope the Sea Eagles' depth of good players can fill the voids that will occur over the coming weeks - the likes of Shane Rodney, Jamie Buhrer, Tim Robinson, Vic Mauro & Michael Oldfield will need to step up, and fingers crossed Will Hopoate's injured knee comes real good in a couple of weeks.

 

[Townsville Eagle]

This game had so much passion that it reminded me of origin past when greats like Close, Maninga, Miles, Lewis etc played and fought. What an absolute cracker of a game and the brawl just showed the intensity of the players desire to win. it enhanced the game and I absolutely loved it. Sick to death of the touch football dribble I see every week. The NRL thinks thats what League is. Go home you tools and bottle games like this for future viewing. The NRL will take this further but what do you expect from incompetent officials who are crucifying a great game.

 

[bones]

Apparently once the fight started, Sam Thaiday jumped on the 1st plane to Sydney and Ben Creagh jumped on the 1st plane out of Sydney.

 

[ayjay007]

Apparently once the fight started, Sam Thaiday jumped on the 1st plane to Sydney and Ben Creagh jumped on the 1st plane out of Sydney.

Hope those planes were OK!!

 

[torana355]

It will be interesting to see what is said on the Sunday footy show and the Roast tomorrow. I just want to get this all over with, find out the punishments ect and get on with footy starting with the Broncos next week.

 

[davohan123]

If will be interesting to see what MG has to say.

For what it is worth
GS will get 3 weeks
Blair will get 3 weeks
Brett will get 2 - I just watch the vision again if he gets more than 3 at worst for that then I was watching another game.

Even though others will disagree I think we are still on track and can still challenge this year even if GS is not playing

 

[Jono]

If will be interesting to see what MG has to say.

For what it is worth
GS will get 3 weeks
Blair will get 3 weeks
Brett will get 2 - I just watch the vision again if he gets more than 3 at worst for that then I was watching another game.

Even though others will disagree I think we are still on track and can still challenge this year even if GS is not playing

Hopefully you are incorrect about Brett and he gets nothing and hopefully no one else gets done. We forget that Foran, Robbo and Lussick all came in as well. Robbo and Foran didn't throw punches which should be good for them. Lussick threw one then tried to get Glenn off so he might go for a week...so

- GS 2 weeks plus a week for previous infractions = 3 weeks
- Blair 3 weeks for the initial attack in the first fight and then inciting the 2nd attack
- Lussick 1 week for the punches he threw in the 2nd fight
- Brett and others 0 weeks

- Hinchcliffe should also get nothing as, if Lussick hadn't joined in the 2nd fight he too wouldn't get anything. Because he did he'll be suspended and Hinchcliffe won't.

- People might call for Jamie's blood as well for his tossing of Blair after the first fight but that was purely to get him off Glenn.

The club shouldn't be fined as we kept order on the sidelines and didn't bring the game into disrepute as a club. Just because we were closer to the fight and got there first shouldn't mean anything. We also had 13 players on the field that whole time so we shouldn't lose the points.

Melbourne should be fined for:

1) Allowing Blair to get to Stewart in the first place
2) Allowing bench players to run onto the field


One last thing: is it me or did Glenn not throw any punches in the first fight?

 

[davohan123]

Jono I agree with you - but I fear the overreaction by the public will see otherwise.

Man I so hope we get another crack at the storm this year.