2013 State of Origin I: New South Wales V Queensland

[craigo]

Who cares it happens he has been suspended for it now lets move on and look forward to game 2. Geeze some blokes are like a dog with a bone.

[Dr Zaius]

Can't believe the lengths some are going to do defend the indefensible Paul Gallen.

You keep saying that but where are people defending him?

[Captain Punish]

Mal Meninga is one of my all time favourite players, but he does not have clean hands on the foul play discussion in Origin. In the 1991 series he hit Michael O'Connor high and did some work on him as he went to ground resulting in O'Connor getting a broken nose etc. Mal was not even put before the judiciary for those actions. The fact Mal later apologized to O'Connor meant he knew he had gone overboard. To complain about Gallen getting one week now might ensure a big Brisbane crowd for the next origin match, but he of all people should know just how 'vigorous' Origin can be, even for the most level headed of players. Mal copped zero weeks for his actions.

So is this now the part where O'Conner hits Mal twice in the face whilst his hands are by his side and blames what happened years before for his actions like a true New South Whinger?

[Manbush]

For mine the cheap shot was the swinging arm, once youre pushed after harsh words have been exchanged the fights already started its just a matter of who swings first

[Raidersrawesome]

For mine the cheap shot was the swinging arm, once youre pushed after harsh words have been exchanged the fights already started its just a matter of who swings first

No gallen was supposed to wait until they counted to 3

Is it 1,2 3 then punch

or 1, 2 .. punch

[Sturty1984]

For mine the cheap shot was the swinging arm, once youre pushed after harsh words have been exchanged the fights already started its just a matter of who swings first

Who cares now what's done is done and no one could of done it as good as gallen

[craigo]

Yep lets all move on.

[greeneyed]

The first shot was Gallen, the swinging arm to the head with a clenched fist. He followed up with a couple of king hits while a bloke's hands were by his sides. He's a fine specimen of "man" you blokes are defending.

[Manbush]

Motel cleaners around the world would've been cheerin him on

[greeneyed]

Gets more and more sad.

[RedRaider]

Mal Meninga is one of my all time favourite players, but he does not have clean hands on the foul play discussion in Origin. In the 1991 series he hit Michael O'Connor high and did some work on him as he went to ground resulting in O'Connor getting a broken nose etc. Mal was not even put before the judiciary for those actions. The fact Mal later apologized to O'Connor meant he knew he had gone overboard. To complain about Gallen getting one week now might ensure a big Brisbane crowd for the next origin match, but he of all people should know just how 'vigorous' Origin can be, even for the most level headed of players. Mal copped zero weeks for his actions.

So is this now the part where O'Conner hits Mal twice in the face whilst his hands are by his side and blames what happened years before for his actions like a true New South Whinger?

Sorry Worm, you've lost me. My point was Mal committed a blatant foul act which drew no penalty in terms of suspension (and caused O'Connor to miss the next Premiership game) and yet he is writing stories complaining about Gallen's one match suspension. No one can take anything away from what Mal achieved as a player and now as a coach. I met him a couple of times and found him a gentleman. But for those of us with respect and admiration for Mal, it was a moment in football we wish had never happened. He got off with zero penalty and now complains when an opposition player does receive a match penalty.

[Raidersrawesome]

No violins over violence

There are enough debates about violence and Origin to fill up this column at least twice over. But it was instructive that there was a mini-brawl in the Eels-Roosters game two days after Origin I and it went almost unnoticed - because only league fans were watching. It's important to separate the arguments about whether Origin should be played under more laissez faire rule interpretations from the one about whether rugby league is too tolerant of violence. It's ridiculous to suggest Origin should go from being dirtier than club football to CLEANER just because more people are watching. First, bring club and Origin football into line, then examine what we're left with and determine if it's worth sacrificing some aggression to keep attracting junior players.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... z2Vl1CKXbY

[greeneyed]

Ridiculous.

[the bone]

Thoughts on brent tates punch on bird GE? and thoughts on Ben teo's current controversy?

[Dr Zaius]

Don't expect an answer

[the bone]

I don't. But it's Alrite, no answer means we win

[86 invader]

For mine the cheap shot was the swinging arm, once youre pushed after harsh words have been exchanged the fights already started its just a matter of who swings first

I agree with this... I think the swinging arm in the tackle was worse than the two punches... I think Gallen was lucky at the judiciary on this one...

[86 invader]

Tate's punch wouldn't burst a grape... Gallen's punches were short and sharp and Myles took them without too much of a stagger... Plus Tate and Watmough were the first two on the scene and both appeared that they wanted to diffuse, rather than escalate the situation...

In each case though, it's not a good look and going forward, the nrl should just draw a line and start again... Issue a clear statement that there is no precedent to protect players who want to throw punches in game two or game three... If any player is caught, he goes to the bin and he can't cite previous examples... Even if they have to get a sound bite of both coaches and captains acknowledging and accepting that there will be no excuses...

this way they can hopefully throw accountability on the individual to show what is more important to them... Their pride/ego; or victory...

[Dr Zaius]

I'm trying to understand what you mean by the first two sentences. Is it that it is okay to throw a cheap shot so long as you are not very good at it?

[Manbush]

Stuff it the blues should show their intent with selections, SBW is eligible so pick him and bring Mundine out of retirement

[craigo]

Gets more and more sad.

yes yes you do.

[86 invader]

I'm trying to understand what you mean by the first two sentences. Is it that it is okay to throw a cheap shot so long as you are not very good at it?

sorry wasn't trying to imply that... my aim was to say that in hindsight neither resulted in serious injury but at the same time moving forward we should be looking to not use previous incidents as the measure for the future... as a way to try and remove the 'you get away with more in origin' idea...

the aim should be that all future incidents get judged on their own merit under a clean slate if you will... this is more or less trying to add an idea to bring about a solution to the issues that Michael, worm and a couple of others were discussing...

so while I don't think there was too much in the Tate punch, he should still go to the bin from now on if you know what I mean?...

[86 invader]

Stuff it the blues should show their intent with selections, SBW is eligible so pick him and bring Mundine out of retirement

you wouldn't necessarily need to... Brett White handles himself ok...

[Dr Zaius]

That makes sense. Cheers.

[Nick]

Imagine my surprise to come home for an isolated Fijian island to find NSW blues won and GE is in a state of disrepair over it

Just finished watching the replay. Blues defended really well, especially the scramble, Fergo was good, Shillo poor. QLD couldnt get it done and Gallen **** owned Nate Myles.

As for the fight itself, perfectly handled, a bit of a stink, two men going toe to toe, instigator (Gallen) is penalised, game on and get on with it.

As for the wider impact of that kind of blue on RL... beltings like that have been going on in RL since the dawn of time. RL has never had issues with junior participation. Soccer has always and will always be the biggest of the 4 majors in junior participation, nothing will change that because parents rightly want to protect their kids, but the numbers drop off.

Until i see a spate of U6's kids punching in junior football, or there is a drop in JRL participation numbers, i wont concern myself too much with it's impact. The type of parents that wont let their kids play RL because Gallen towelled Myles up in a S.O.O game, are generally the types that wouldnt have let their boy play RL anyways... so he'll be playing soccer (unlikely AFL if its an east coast child outside of VIC) anyways, at least until the age of 14-16, where the stats show they simply stop playing or take up other sports (like RL)

The code needs to appear to doing something, because it's too controversial not to appear to be doing something about it, but frankly you cant and wont stop fights happening in a physical game like RL. So you deal with it at face value and quietly adore the fact that this kind of physicality is precisely what your market craves.

[Manbush]

Edited version for highlights

Nate Myles rejects talk of Paul Gallen feud after Origin clash

Myles was happy to leave the ugly incident on the field.

"It's one of those things mate, it's Origin football," said Myles

Myles played down talk of a square-up at Suncorp Stadium in the return game and said he didn't think Gallen should have been sin binned.

"Not at all mate, how could he be in it?," he said.

"Let's be honest, everyone wants to see it (punches).

"I don't think he should be charged."

Meninga said he'd leave it up to officials to make a decision on what happened to Gallen.

"I guess in a normal game, 10 minutes in the bin maybe. It's Origin, we're comfortable with what happened," Meninga said.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 6658185686

[The Nickman]

Bring on game 2, *****.

[craigo]

[86 invader]

haha craigo... they are all quite funny but the homer one probably made me laugh the most...