I'll have to dust off those in demand 2014 window Bulldogs flags. Could be the beginning of a great era hopefully.

I've switched the game off. It was obviously going to be a one sided affair from the kickoff. Cronulla are being outplayed but I can see souffs are getting massive legups in all departments. Not an enjoyable game to watch.

The Sharks are being booted out the back door now.

I watched the game and Leumileumi or however you spell it almost single handedly fvcked it for us.

Sounds about right.

There was nothing in the penalties or restarts but the Sharks stuffed themselves with missed tacles and poor completions. They did it to themselves.

Two rubbish games of NRL this weekend. Brisbane Lions garbage in ALL. Swans and Wallabies saved the week. 

The sharks did themelves no favours. Souffs deserved the win and were far superior, but the line between a flat pass and a forward one is less than minimal and they are the calls that can go a longway to you winning or losing the contest.

If the Rorters are not going to win the comp it is not all bad. I am glad Floppy Fitzgibbon...the only person to make 900 tackles ins a game...899 of them flops..is not going to be a winner first year of coaching an NRL team. May be mellowing but the Rabbits and the Eels are not as annoying as they used to be.
As far as NSW Cup goes Okunbor and Leumeleume on the wings are heartstoppers. Okunbor started out taking the high ball like Greg Brentnall but them at a vital time took the ball and spilled it cold when tackled by someone about half his size. LeumeLeume makes Okunbur look like a rock.

Gee...he has only played something like 320 more NRL games than you...the hardest comp in the world. 

In both cases Okunbor and Leumeleume the raw ingredients are there but skills, concentration and decision making need a lot of work. Both will need a lot of improvement to play consistent NRL in 2023.

Okunbor is just good enough to possibly make the cut with a lot of work on catching the ball.

It is disappointing when Semi finals are not a contests.

The games were better the week before, but I am wondering about the quality of the Sharks / Cows game.

Next round I expect Souths v Panthers to be a quality game.

Cows v Parra could be anything, it is the game most likely to disappoint, but it could also be a classic. The Cows are a hard team to pigeon-hole, they have a lot of x-factor.

I have found the NFL YouTube channel, I'm a Chicago Bears fan, well enough of a fan to watch highlights of their games.

I had a couple of mates who played the game in Sydney, they explained how it works to me.

Like league it is mostly won in the middle.

But regardless the highlights can be action packed. Live at a game it is like test cricket with the bunker reviewing every ball bowled.

My main interest was if our flashy car would still be in the carpark after the game and the TV reception the Mexicans partying on the truck next door were getting. Seemed like the Mexicans in the carpark had more fun than the fans in the stands.

Okunbor is a unique size and presence on the field that (with some good coaching) and smart play by the halves, can be a go-to play.

He certainly needs some work on his catching and intensity over 80 mins but he is worth keeping and someone who can offer something in first grade.

In that reserve grade gane Wakeham put up 3 good kicks, Okunbor make 3 good catches and that was our first 3 tries.

Okunbor got up so high for the 2nd try and the kick was so well placed that it was probably a try in NRL.

Wakeham's kicking game was spot on in the first half.

2nd half a different story, Okunbor came up with a simple drop on a hit up and Wakeham put in a few dud kicks.

My conclusion  - at their best both players are NRL standard, if not top 17, definitely top 30. Both need to work on decision making and consistency, but players are not robots.

My belief is that Wakeham is by far and away the best halfback at the club. 

I've said this many time before.... he is the only one I've seen that plays off the cuff and has a larger repertoire of plays in him. You need that in a halfback. The difference between him and say a Cleary or DCE or Moses etc is those guys just do it at a higher execution rate. 

So as you say, if he can increase his efficiency and reduce his error rate, he is easily an NRL halfback. 

I think we'd be flogging a dead horse playing Flanno ahead of him

I don't know why Potter kept picking Flanno, Wakeham had a long suspension at one stage.

Even BBO has plays in him.

We will see what the 2023 season brings.

The half and hooker must have all options on the table including running and kicking or the defensive decisions are limited making it easier for them

Exactly. It just showed how poor the Sharks really are. Highly overachieved because they had a great draw. 

I just can not comprehend what go’s on in OKs head. He is clearly a very strong and skillfull player. But looks clueless the majority of every game he plays. 

You've nailed it, it's in the head. I think in everything he does, his mind is muddled by past errors. He needs a mind coach and a restart.

It's the distinct lack of effort in some plays (mainly in defence) that does it for me. He just doesn't react like a player that is giving it his all. And he should. He has been in and out of first grade for 2-3 seasons, how many opportunities does he expect to have? I could take the occasional error if he had a real go but you see him get beat in defence and just give up on the play altogether. Attitude can take you a long way in NRL and his isn't good enough. I wish it was because he offers us an aerial threat in attack which can be like gold when you have good halves. It would also allow us to move Kiraz into centres where I think he is better suited. Another one for Ciraldo to figure out i guess...

All depends on what we are paying him. At present he has earned a bare minimum wage and a shot in reserve grade.

In spite of his flaws I now think that wing is his best position, the rest is up to him. But with a better additude and improved fitness he could make the grade.

With a new coach coming in he may get an opportunity, sometimes a new coach can get a player back on track. I don't even know if he will be here in 2023.

The reserve grade GF is an opportunity for guys like Wakeham and Ok to push their case, here or elsewhere.

Wakeham is playing well and always had this level of ability. Should he get another shot at NRL, he needs to back himself and play his game.

Same for Ok earn the opportunity, then take the opportunity, otherwise 15 years down the track the chance of a NRL career has gone by. Give it you best shot then no regrets.

Attitude on and off field, and especially at training are often the part not considered by many saying this guy should be half, hooker, etc… 
talent alone has unlikely ever resulted in a sustained career at the top…

Loving MSM articles today about how chucking a sickie on Friday will cost the economy and big businesses hundreds of millions of bucks… 
Meanwhile very little coverage about what the endorsed holiday will cost and it’s affect particularly on small business, casuals and P/T workers…
Remember, everything is your fault… climate change, killing grandmas, other people feeling crap about themselves, all of history etc etc… except inflation, food prices, and fuel prices… that’s some Russian blokes  fault…

I blame the commuters for not using trains resulting in lost funds in the coffers of the Sydbey Trains who in turn cannot afford to pay higher wages to rail staff who are so Aussie proud and care so much for public safety that they won't operate foreign made trains!

Because the buck stops here....

Killing Grandamas is a slow moving but lethal Greenacre  street gang.

Slash the tyres on the mobility scouters then run away.

Leave the tyres intact and they will run you down..

Under torture the Grandmas forced me to confess that Dman insulted the Queen. I meant Freddy, but I think that they have got the wrong idea.

Still, nice knowing you.

Strong as an ox and almost as smart

Are Skelton and Docker-Clay both injured?

Yes, Docker-Clay, BBO and Seafood all taken out by hipdrop tackles.

I seem to remember Skelton was a muscle injury, he might be back for the GF.

Seafood has been out a long time, perhaps also a chance.