NRL NRL Round 1, 2026 Discussion

[Jaffa J]

Bulldogs aren't looking scary Dragons unlucky on that call

 

[sydneywarrior92]

If Penrith, Melbourne or Brisbane have 60% of the ball against the dragons, the game is over by half time. We aren't the only top 6-8 team with clunky halves. I mean is TB that much worse than Galvin in pressure situations? Crighton bailed him out big time tonight.

 

[regenerated borg]

Whew, thank f"':k for that... dogs kept me alive in the knockout pool... can hate them for the rest of the season now.... hahaha

 

[snake77]

The Bulldogs had some pretty terrible sets at the end there where they could have worked for the field goal.

Also had plenty of field position in the second half.

Got away with that one.

 

[snake77]

Funny commentary from Cronk near the end when they made that break off the Burton chip and chase.

They went the wrong way obviously. Cronk Burton should have called for it.

He likely was calling for it. It doesn't mean you are guaranteed to get it. Haywood is a makeshift dummy half. He should have been aware his half was there.

 

[Tokyo Warrior]

On second thought, I’ll take Ponga for Barnett

 

[snake77]

Two enjoyable games. Helps when they are close.

 

[MrFrankWhite]

On second thought, I’ll take Ponga for Barnett

lm reconsidering my stance on KP.

 

[sydneywarrior92]

In hindsight, the 2 NRL games matched two very similar teams against each other which I think helped with the closeness. Newcastle and Cows are both very open attacking teams who have strike all across the park. Bulldogs, Dragons are more defensive oriented teams like us that like to wrestle in the gutter. Don't know if we learned anything new about any of the 4 teams though that we didn't know from last year:

1. Dogs can grind teams into the dust but lack the polish to put 40 on a team. No contender has 40 tackles in the app 20 of a mid team like the Dragons and needs to go to GP to win.
2. Cows can score pts but can't defend even if their life depended on it (why they are bottom 6).
3. Dragons can get close but never get over the line (edge 8 at best).
4. Knights have strike but ultimately struggle without their first string halves pairing (look what happened when Sharpe got injured).

 

[Beastmode]

lm reconsidering my stance on KP.

He would excel under Webby

 

[WAH MAN]

He would excel under Webby

He would fit in a lot of ways but we don't have leverage to get him remember? Compassionate grounds is our best hope. That and Luke Skywalker becoming a fully patched Jedi member.

 

[Beastmode]

He would fit in a lot of ways but we don't have leverage to get him remember? Compassionate grounds is our best hope. That and Luke Skywalker becoming a fully patched Jedi member.

We swap him for Barney no????

That seems like a fair trade to me!

 

[WAH MAN]

We swap him for Barney no????

That seems like a fair trade to me!

I'd take it if it was on the table. I remember negotiating my last car with the dealer and his face screwed up like a snotty tissue when I made my offer. So don't let me on the negotiating team.

 

[Makasene]

He would excel under Webby

In part but I think he is more likely to succeed in a team where he is not required to be a leader.

JFH, Clark, Egan, Ford, Metcalf - we have plenty of leadership.

KP would just be required to play his role which I think he would nail.

 

[FormerlyJamesW]

lm reconsidering my stance on KP.

Yeah, night and day from his recent form...

 

[WAH MAN]

In part but I think he is more likely to succeed in a team where he is not required to be a leader.

JFH, Clark, Egan, Ford, Metcalf - we have plenty of leadership.

KP would just be required to play his role which I think he would nail.

He need not be a leader but an organiser would be good. A playmaker. A face for the organisation.

 

[Wah's Up]

Some guys have all the luck


View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hp0aBoJfG9M

 

[sydneywarrior92]

Just returned back from Vegas. Two entertaining games but I wonder just how much we can take out of it. After all, we were supposed to be wooden spooners after our catastrophe last year. Penrith also followed up their Vegas win last year with 5 straight losses and a pretty lengthy stint at the bottom of the ladder. For all we know, Cows could turn it all around and end up world beaters and position themselves in the top 4 like we did after Vegas. Also hard to believe the world beating Hull KR will end up being that bad in the SL competition. Great spectacle but results do have a habit of being a poor predictor of actual competition results.

 

[Canonball]

Some guys have all the luck


View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/hp0aBoJfG9M

A thoroughly Inspirational smack to the head.... https://www.nrl.com/news/2026/03/02...tta-inspired-by-resillience-of-samoan-rookie/

 

[Naynay]

Just returned back from Vegas. Two entertaining games but I wonder just how much we can take out of it. After all, we were supposed to be wooden spooners after our catastrophe last year. Penrith also followed up their Vegas win last year with 5 straight losses and a pretty lengthy stint at the bottom of the ladder. For all we know, Cows could turn it all around and end up world beaters and position themselves in the top 4 like we did after Vegas. Also hard to believe the world beating Hull KR will end up being that bad in the SL competition. Great spectacle but results do have a habit of being a poor predictor of actual competition results.

I think there is too many outside factors for vegas to mean anything.

Like the rumours last year that the wahs spent all night at a concert the day before or the raiders guys getting drunk and being idiots in the hotel.

If you turn up and treat it like a boys trip you probably get what happens to us or Hull