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The Tip Sheet – 2022 Ep 55: Is This The Maddest Week In NRL History?

The Tip Sheet is also available on Spotify and iTunes!

In possibly the most insane, drama laden week in the history of the NRL we have some of the most significant issues facing the game on and off field in quite some considerable time. Sixties, Spiro and Forty20 head the news edition of The Tip Sheet to discuss all of it…and we mean all of it in one of the most charged episodes of the show.

We kick off with the biggest headline in the game as the complex fallout from Manly’s pride/inclusion jersey weighs heavy across the code and country. The boys look at how it all played out – from mismanagement and miscommunication to deeper issues and implications.

The Titans have sacked Kevin Proctor after the backrower posted himself vaping at halftime in Round 19 to social media. Proctor was on a short leash after prior incidents and The Tip Sheet explores how the Titans are in the midst of a cultural crisis as they remain mired in mediocrity on the field.

From there it is on to the judiciary where Corey Waddell and Dale Finucane both received length suspensions. Spiro contends that the tough Cronulla lock was hard done by while the panel were in consensus about the Waddell decision.

After some NRL housekeeping, the show finally rolls on to the Parramatta Eels where a dive into the numbers shows that on both and team and individual level the Blue & Gold are below their best. Spiro applies the macro lens to the overall roster while Sixties looks at two underperforming members in the spine.

All this culminates in a look at the game on Friday night where the Eels need to upset the Penrith Panthers in order to keep pace with a frenetic scramble for the Top 4.

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22 thoughts on “The Tip Sheet – 2022 Ep 55: Is This The Maddest Week In NRL History?

  1. pete

    Thanks guys for the podcast.

    The Manly issue was a PR disaster. Hasler apologising on behalf of the club? Very poor form by the ceo and chairman. Roosters must have arranged it all.
    Kevin Proctor is guilty of what most Titans signings are. Just collecting a payday. He hasn’t put in for years.
    West Tigers were robbed. I’ve seen some bad calls. But this takes the cake. Felt clearly ran into Kapoa and faked the fall. Holmes was standing offside when he kicked the ball and Tigers tried to challenge that but it was refused. But Cowboys were allowed to challenge an obviously milked collision. If that was a home final or grand final? What a joke! Either give 2 points to Tigers or declare that the 2 points are null and void. Are we going down the soccer route where staying down and diving becomes the new normal.
    The Bunker is now using a get out clause “inconclusive evidence to overturn on field decision” Just allowing it to sit on the fence when it’s convenient.
    The Finucane head clash – He was out of control. He was reckless, careless and dangerous. No penalty on field? If everyone ran in like that what would happen. Everyone knows where their head is positioned (unless negligent). His head was kept high just like James Graham on Sam Burgess. It’s High risk but also high reward play.
    Look at great hits like Olam and where the head is positioned. IMHO It’s either deliberate or negligence and he should be rubbed out either way. I’m glad he got 3 weeks as it sends a message. Otherwise we’ll just see more of it.
    Waddell knew where his hand was too.

    Gutho and Mahoney are disappointing at best.Fullbacks are frequently running 220m per game. Joey Manu played 1 game Fullback and ran over 300m. Gutho is getting around 140/150. He’s pedestrian at the moment. And he’s our captain. I hope they improve but I’m starting to get the feeling they hit their ceiling last year and are just squeezing the last drop out of the lemon. I hope I’m wrong but it’s getting harder to be confident in their performances.
    10th defence, 13th goal line defence and 10th line break concessions. Poor attitude! Soft underbelly!! Poor leadership!!!
    Running out of time to turn it around.

    1. sixties

      Thanks for your takes Pete. Each of the news items would be a big talking point on its own in any week. Even with everything else happening, I’m still shaking my head at the Proctor incident. What was he thinking?
      Pete, our stats read bad, but the crazy thing is our finishing place is still in our hands.

    2. BDon

      Finucane is a totally professional player, that looked totally unprofessional, with no real hint about what he was trying to do in the sense of technique. He was trying to smash Crichton and inspire his team but it had reckless written all over it. And the bunker fumbled again.

  2. Shaun

    For a different and welcome take on the Many pride jersey debacle Jioji Ravulo’s article on colonialism and religion and the Pasifika communities is worth reading. But I will make the observation that, unlike the NRLW, there are no current out gay players in the NRL.

    I don’t often feel sorry for the Tigers but I did on Sunday. I’ll make another meta comment and the problem is that no one is accountable in the NRL especially those in leadership positions.

    I shall venture out on Friday with some trepidation. Who knows, maybe the footy gods and goddesses will smile on Parra.

      1. Shaun

        Would love to but an early start for me on Saturday so heading straight home after the game. But will try to get up there before the season is over.

  3. Milo

    Interesting times sixties and co. All I’ll say here is that the NRL and in this case manly chose to make political statements through their players. Many people would like to attend a game and or watch on tv without the politics being shoved down their throat.
    Felt sorry for wests tbh and it seems lower placed teams often get the bad calls
    Which Parra team will turn up this week? I think mentally we cannot win the Gf let alone make the 4…but let’s see.

    1. John Eel

      Could not agree more Milo. Manly set out to make a political statement and it has backfired badly.

      They failed at every level. They did not communicate with their community, the players. There is an old saying that sport and politics don’t mix. This has shown how correct this is.

      There is no playing this down the pride flag has international awareness of being the symbol of trans sexual identity.

      1. BDon

        JE,religion in sport is a different issue. We could never understand why the local Pats teams took trial games against us public strugglers so seriously.

  4. Anonymous

    I believe lines need to be drawn in sand . If we accept these types of jersey we are a step closer to accepting trans gender women or men playing nrlw . This needs to stop football is football no a place for religion or politics.

    1. Rhubarb

      No place for bullying and booing own players either but that dosent seem to bother a minimal bunch of cowards .

    2. Gol

      I’ve got some really bad news for you about why rugby league started if you don’t think politics belongs in the sport.

  5. Luke Winley

    Hey boys
    Love the podcast. Dont care too much for off field controversy. In regards to the on feild controversy in the Tigers game I actually for once agree with Paul Kent. The Tigers player runs in arc and definitely takes three quick steps as he approaches Kyle feldt to get in his line and in my opinion he knew exactly what he was doing, regardless of where his eyes were looking. I’m probably well and truly in the big minority but in my opinion Ashley Klein saw it as it happened and it’s only the fact that we all felt sorry for the Tigers losing in an agonising way that this controversy has been so big.
    Chad Townsend in my opinion was challenging the decision to end the game which I believe he is well within his rights to do.

  6. Joseph Makowich

    I like spirro. He understands that fundamentally the systems in defense aren’t working and our goaline defense has been terrible for years under ba. Just remember, kidwell and Murphy are Arthur’s choices, meaning its all on him for responsibility.
    Spirro knows that ba needs to be sacked asap. His interchanges are terrible, his continual choice of his son is very confusing. and our attack is poor with too many one out plays as Billy Slater and Cam both said we’re one dimensional in attack.

    Ba is cooked and needs to go on Monday morning. BA out

    1. sixties

      And for those that claim we don’t allow criticism of BA on this site, here we have our podcast regular in Spiro offering his criticism.
      By the way Joseph, BA won’t be gone on Monday, nor should he.
      Forty explained the bench minutes and rotation as he saw it.
      How about offering a different solution to the bench options and the minutes played?
      Or do you want to play Junior and RCG for less than 50 minutes or Matto for less than 60 minutes, because that’s at the core of the rotation.

    2. John Eel

      I did not hear Smith and Slater say that we are too one dimensional. However I will accept your word on it.

      But do they understand that BA’s systems have beaten the Storm in our last three encounters.

      A question for them might be, when was the last time that the Storm beat the Eels without Cameron Smith?

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