Welcome to League of Titans

Round 18: RAIDERS vs TITANS (2023)

Watched this game on replay. I’ve long believed that there is fixing in the NRL and that call all but solidifies that view for me. There was no appeal from the Canberra players, Badger went looking for a reason not to award the try. The six again rule (which can be used without any scrutiny or appeal) essentially governs momentum now. Too often do the lesser teams get calls go against them at crucial times of the game.

Notwithstanding that rant, we need to find a way to have Jc and Aj on the field at the same time. 6min for Jc just isn’t enough. The more I watch AJ I’m convinced he’d be a better 6 than 1. He doesn’t actually play out the back of shape that well. His best moments come either on counter attack or when he’s around the ruck/down the short side. We wouldn’t lose much in kick returns with JC back there but I reckon we’d be a lot more potent in attack if AJ had his hands on the ball more often.

Unfortunately I think our seasons is done now. We have a very tough run home ahead of us.
 
Had the Fifita try stood, we would be sitting 5th instead of 10th..Some would say undeservedly but none the less 5th. Absolutely massive difference!
 
Bairstow stepping out of his crease and being run out. Shows even the experienced have brain explosions. That 12 point turn around by KP was the difference in the game.
 
shamus said:
Had the Fifita try stood, we would be sitting 5th instead of 10th..Some would say undeservedly but none the less 5th. Absolutely massive difference!
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I'm convinced the NRL has a predefined idea of who they want in the 8 and it is totally based on viewership.

What happens today? Annesley comes out and defends Badger or says she got it wrong, nothing happens to her for any amount of time and we are 10th not 5th. Clubs should be able to fine the NRL for piss poor adjudication that costs them fans and sponsors.
 
This is fair comment on the Maroon Observer:

"The Titans lost a winnable game against the Raiders. With more ball and more metres, Gold Coast only needed to stop one of any of the eminently stoppable Canberra tries to win the game. Not conceding in the first minute of the game should go without saying. Plenty of Titans assigned themselves to escort duty (and didn’t even do that well) on a Jamal Fogarty kick while forgetting to actually compete for the ball, allowing Seb Kris to come down with it. Brian Kelly gesticulated to the referee as the referee correctly played advantage on a Khan-Pereira knock-on and Matthew Timoko receded into the distance.

After all that, and even though Kasey Badger incorrectly denied David Fifita a try before half time1, the game still could have been won in the last minute. With 25 seconds left on the clock, the Blue and Yellows go for a Tino hit-up, followed inexplicably by Verrills going right to Boyd who lets Randall die with the ball. When every single game-breaking Titan plays on the left, this is as inexcusable as it is a perfect demonstration of the Tans’ shortcomings. The Titans may be capable of playing a more settled style than Holbrook’s panic ball but until they start thinking, they’re always going to be outside looking in."

I'm sure this will be the gist of Jimmy's message to the boys this week. Accountability is key. Otherwise you just look like the English cricket team and keep losing, while blaming everyone else (the rule book for Starc's catch, the spirit of the game for Bairstow's dismissal - well make up your mind!).
 
From the same article (makes sense for a Broncos fan):

"You might have seen a headline that apparently the Broncos are going to have a feeder relationship with Burleigh Bears, because the Titans have looked at this year's Blackhawks and decided they wanted a piece of that with their own team of branded failsons. This story, which seems like it should have a standalone section in this newsletter so potentially momentous as it is, is in no way confirmed or has anything further information, so I decided Ben Hunt is an alien would be a better use of space. Let’s wait and see if someone serious suggests it.

You might have also seen a headline suggesting Fa'asuamaleaui and Fifita are definitely going to leave the Titans because their contracts are supposedly null and void after the firing of Holbrook. Assuming such a clause exists, which is a big if, that would give the players the option to terminate their contract. It would be surprising if they extended to ‘26 expecting Holbrook, a guy who acted like a real ass at times, would still be there. I refuse to believe that management didn't consider also this if this clause actually exists, because this is Gold Coast, and not St George Illawarra, and management aren't planning on paying their demands for gross overpayments under the table and/or using the cap space to sign Ben Hunt."
 
What Holbrook behaviour is the author referring to? I don't recall him ever carrying on in a major way to the press
 
I thought he was referring to selections and bench rotations but that's probably my own personal bias making that assumption. He is a Broncos fan so I'm sure there's some unjustified bias in that statement too.

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I just found it interesting to read a Broncos fan perspective that also holds Badel and co in contempt.
 
Compared to Holbrook you can see a massive difference already in Lennihans pressers. Even on the weekend he completely blamed the team for inviting bad luck into the game and letting this stuff happen, questioned the call but at the end of of the day it was our own fault.

You can't just get rid of how dumb this team can be but he's trying his hardest to prevent a lot of the problems with gameplans and interchanges.
 
“Brings our game into disrepute”: Annesley launches incredible tirade at media, defends Fifita decision

Controversy has flowed from Saturday afternoon's game between the Canberra Raiders and Gold Coast Titans, but the NRL have confirmed David Fifita's try was correctly overruled by the bunker.

On the stroke of halftime, Fifita had appeared to score for the Gold Coast, only for the bunker to overrule the decision, suggesting he had pushed defender Jamal Fogarty out of the way on his path to the line.

Replays appeared to show Fogarty had indeed been pushed, but only after running directly into the path of Fifita and coming to a virtual stop.

The NRL's head of football Graham Annesley said during his footy briefing on Monday that it was important to look at a number of aspects of the try.

"We need to look at a few aspects of this. Firstly, that Jamal stops. It's a funny way of stopping if you ask me. I can't see him stopping. I can see him about to get run over by a player about twice his size, but I can't see him stopping," Annesley said.

"After the contact when David Fifita gets the ball in his hands, Fogarty is trying to kick the ball just as Fifita catches the ball, so he is still trying to kick the ball dead before Fifita gets his hand on the ball. To say that he isn't contesting or that he has stopped, I don't know what people were watching.

"[On the issue] of whether Fifita brushes past him or not. Fogarty is entitled to run towards the ball. Yes they are on a collision course, but Dave Fifita is all over him and that's a handful of jersey that he [Fifita] has got, dragging it down. That's him dragging the jersey down from the back. He doesn't brush past him. He doesn't make incidental contact.

"Even if there is a case that Fogarty is escorting and deliberately trying to block Fifita, that is not for him to decide. That's for the referee to decide. You can't just grab players and throw them out of the way without the ball.

"If Fifita doesn't get to the ball and the referee decides that Fogarty is escorting him, then the referee will decide whether it's a penalty try or not. "

The comments around the try will do little to improve the mood of the Titans, who felt post-game that the try should have been awarded.

Annesley then lined up the media, saying he couldn't believe some of the comments that had been made.

"I have to say that the amount of derogatory comments publically about this decision is so out of kilter with what actually happened. You would think that this decision by the bunker was the greatest injustice ever perpertrated on a team since we have had video assistance on the field<' Annesley said.

"I have read and heard things like 'diabolical', 'the Titans were dudded', 'unbelievable', 'the worst call of the year', 'that Jamal Fogarty deliberately stopped in front of Fifita' and 'that Fifita just brushes past him'."

The NRL's head of football then said that while people could make up their own mind, the reaction to the try had 'brought the game into disrepute.'

"To be frank, it brings our game into disrepute, the people that do this. They don't take the time to examine things properly. I'd be happy if they just said, 'that's a tight decision and it will be interesting to see what the bunker say here'," Annesley added.

"Some of these descriptions I have read out - why would anyone want to work in the bunker? Why would anyone want to be a referee when they are subject to this sort of attack over something that is perfectly defendable.

"People can still make up their mind over which of these players is most at fault, but to suggest this is such an outrageous, unbelievable, diabolical decision is just ridiculous frankly."

The Raiders won the game by two points.

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I've seen it all now. Annesley clearly no better than that inadequate bunker. Needs to go from that role. So out of touch with the game and the officiating has gone to absolute s**t under his watch
 
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Bunch of cheats, pure and simple. It will take a team to not return to the field after half time for the NRL to continue to do nothing.

To sit there and say why would anyone want to be a ref or sit in the bunker is a cop out. Why would an organisation this big want to stand behind incompetence and double down. Pathetic competition we have to put up with , not even close to being professional
 
Obviously commentators with a collective thousand more games experience than you disagree .
Each week there are mistakes and you trot out this response.
Rubbish calls by referees bring the game into disrepute.
Bring back the two referees and they might make less errors.
Muppets
 
Dobes said:
“Brings our game into disrepute”: Annesley launches incredible tirade at media, defends Fifita decision

Controversy has flowed from Saturday afternoon's game between the Canberra Raiders and Gold Coast Titans, but the NRL have confirmed David Fifita's try was correctly overruled by the bunker.

On the stroke of halftime, Fifita had appeared to score for the Gold Coast, only for the bunker to overrule the decision, suggesting he had pushed defender Jamal Fogarty out of the way on his path to the line.

Replays appeared to show Fogarty had indeed been pushed, but only after running directly into the path of Fifita and coming to a virtual stop.

The NRL's head of football Graham Annesley said during his footy briefing on Monday that it was important to look at a number of aspects of the try.

"We need to look at a few aspects of this. Firstly, that Jamal stops. It's a funny way of stopping if you ask me. I can't see him stopping. I can see him about to get run over by a player about twice his size, but I can't see him stopping," Annesley said.

"After the contact when David Fifita gets the ball in his hands, Fogarty is trying to kick the ball just as Fifita catches the ball, so he is still trying to kick the ball dead before Fifita gets his hand on the ball. To say that he isn't contesting or that he has stopped, I don't know what people were watching.

"[On the issue] of whether Fifita brushes past him or not. Fogarty is entitled to run towards the ball. Yes they are on a collision course, but Dave Fifita is all over him and that's a handful of jersey that he [Fifita] has got, dragging it down. That's him dragging the jersey down from the back. He doesn't brush past him. He doesn't make incidental contact.

"Even if there is a case that Fogarty is escorting and deliberately trying to block Fifita, that is not for him to decide. That's for the referee to decide. You can't just grab players and throw them out of the way without the ball.

"If Fifita doesn't get to the ball and the referee decides that Fogarty is escorting him, then the referee will decide whether it's a penalty try or not. "

The comments around the try will do little to improve the mood of the Titans, who felt post-game that the try should have been awarded.

Annesley then lined up the media, saying he couldn't believe some of the comments that had been made.

"I have to say that the amount of derogatory comments publically about this decision is so out of kilter with what actually happened. You would think that this decision by the bunker was the greatest injustice ever perpertrated on a team since we have had video assistance on the field<' Annesley said.

"I have read and heard things like 'diabolical', 'the Titans were dudded', 'unbelievable', 'the worst call of the year', 'that Jamal Fogarty deliberately stopped in front of Fifita' and 'that Fifita just brushes past him'."

The NRL's head of football then said that while people could make up their own mind, the reaction to the try had 'brought the game into disrepute.'

"To be frank, it brings our game into disrepute, the people that do this. They don't take the time to examine things properly. I'd be happy if they just said, 'that's a tight decision and it will be interesting to see what the bunker say here'," Annesley added.

"Some of these descriptions I have read out - why would anyone want to work in the bunker? Why would anyone want to be a referee when they are subject to this sort of attack over something that is perfectly defendable.

"People can still make up their mind over which of these players is most at fault, but to suggest this is such an outrageous, unbelievable, diabolical decision is just ridiculous frankly."

The Raiders won the game by two points.

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I've seen it all now. Annesley clearly no better than that inadequate bunker. Needs to go from that role. So out of touch with the game and the officiating has gone to absolute s**t under his watch
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With this statement Annesley proves he is a coward merely trying to protect his employer and a fellow employee of the NRL.

What a f*cking joke.
 
The Birdman said:
With this statement Annesley proves he is a coward merely trying to protect his employer and a fellow employee of the NRL.

What a f*cking joke.
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Worse than that. I'm convinced he would not have come out with that garbage had it been a male ref in the bunker.
 
Annesley has been a blight since forever and in all his iterations, still blowing it out his butt where his whistle is stuck sideways.
 
I would think he said the decision was correct as the NRL needed to save face as it was a clear the outcome of match changes due to half time straight after. You can always argue that a sliding doors situation happens, and the game is never the same. But due to half time that is not the case in this instance and Titans win by 28-26 points after Tannah kicks conversion after 1/2-time siren sounds.
 
Normally Annesley would say, yep we got it wrong, which is frustrating and all the more annoying cos it doesn thelp hearing that on Monday... but this even tops that.

Doubling down, and gaslighting everyone while we were CORRECT is wild and exciting, and I for one appreciate our new bunker overlord.

Reddit consensurs was 99.999% in the favor of a howler, and even raiders fans knew it. no one defended it.

GRaham Annesley: 'Hold My Beer'
 
Well he is good at gaslighting, I'll give him that. Since he's been in charge, I no longer understand the rules of Rugby League (or maybe I just think I don't). He's so clever!
 
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