Oh, this.

Now, THIS IS NOT A RACIST COMMENT, but it's like the media HAVE to have an eloquent black guy, just to appease the PC brigade.
Football with Collymore and Crooks (the fact that it's verbal diahorrea seems to be lost on them and their bosses) and the UNBELIEVABLELY tedious Clarke Carlisle.
Don't get me started on Offiah, he's neither eloquent or TV friendly, just a "face" that people know.

Can we ban pundits, please. It's either stating the bleedin' obvious, like John Wells, or just wummery like Schofield, or at times Phil Clarke.
For TV games, I tend to walk out at half time/full time, or just put the telly on mute, and just watch he replays. I find my blood pressure s much more normal, and the cat less frightened in the corner.

I've given up following him on Twitter. The guy is nothing but an odious moron. Yes, he's a Rugby League legend, but he's probably the only legend that stuff's that fact down people's throats on a daily basis.

Actually scrap that, there is one other who does that............fatty Schofield. Who was actually very quiet last night. I assume it's after his comment that "you won't win a GF with Flanagan at scrum half" spectacularly backfired on him.

I agree.

You can't beat rugby league fans for a bit of paranoia.

The Flower punch was the turning point of the game and there was not a lot of great flair rugby league on show, so editors have to show something that has a main talking point.

I remember in the World Cup there was a fairly dull game between Uruguay and Italy, and all we heard about for about two weeks afterwards was that one player had taken a bite out of someone's shoulder. They weren't focusing on the 'positive aspects of the sport' then were they?

In cricket all we have heard this week is about how Kevin Pietersen has slagged off his team mates. The media has just stirred that up not caring about inflicting maximum damage on the image of English cricket. It's the English media that has been stirring it.

The media feed off negativity, positivity doesn't sell papers or net subscriptions.
Last year it was Westwood
Year before a player losing a testicle.

No such thing as bad publicity. Fact of the matter is, the game wouldn't have received a fraction of the exposure if has in the last 24 hours, had the incident not occurred.

Yeah we might draw in some of the UFC crowd....ker-ching $€£

It's the one thing I hate about mma too...strikes to flat out opponent. Although at least in martial arts, it's the part and parcel of the bout. Last night was similar to the shot Dan Henderson landed on Mike Bisping a couple of years ago in UFC.

I agree..... don't have a problem with it all. Bring on the publicity. ..

I've never seen Gary lineaker comment on rugby league before. I think he tried to say imagine if that was a footballer..... so I did...I thought of the world's greatest footballers and thought of Zidane. Maradonna and Suarez lovin fruits the lot of em...have no idea what point the big eared idiot was trying to make.

But thanks for watching

Quote ="the flying biscuit"I agree..... don't have a problem with it all. Bring on the publicity. .. I've never seen Gary lineaker comment on rugby league before. I think he tried to say imagine if that was a footballer..... so I did...I thought of the world's greatest footballers and thought of Zidane. Maradonna and Suarez lovin fruits the lot of em...have no idea what point the big eared idiot was trying to make. But thanks for watching'" Aye, I seen that tweet from Lineker, you never see footballers doing anything like that... m.youtube.com/watch?v=vF4iWIE77Ts

Quote ="the flying biscuit"I agree..... don't have a problem with it all. Bring on the publicity. .. I've never seen Gary lineaker comment on rugby league before. I think he tried to say imagine if that was a footballer..... so I did...I thought of the world's greatest footballers and thought of Zidane. Maradonna and Suarez lovin fruits the lot of em...have no idea what point the big eared idiot was trying to make. But thanks for watching'" Aye, I seen that tweet from Lineker, you never see footballers doing anything like that... m.youtube.com/watch?v=vF4iWIE77Ts

I have to agree with the Pie, pal...now dont get me wrong I'm not condoning it, smoothing it over or considering it was anything short of a red card...
but he does look to hesitate about that punch for a fraction of a second and he does kind of roll it as opposed to following through.
It's almost as if he did think about it but thought he would lose face if he pulled out of the punch. When he put his hands to his head it wad like he was saying to himself why didn't I pull out of that punch?

you watch it again in slow motion, there is definitely a pause... Perhaps he was looking to home in with the punch as to put it on his nose? Yet I don't see it as that, the 1st punch hurt him that 2nd didn't.

If there was a pause then surely that makes the punch more intentional .

well it certainly does seem to indicate that it was though about!

It is not the greatest publicity for the game right now. But I think a lot of people will be looking forward to next good Friday. In football a ban tends to end just before the return grudge match, People will want to see Flower play in the next game against saints so that we can all see the reaction. Football is all about the soap opera that goes on away from the pitch, I just hope sky ramp up the hype because that is one thing they are very good at.

I'm amazed people are so surprised, you see it every week with Wigan. Ratch was taken out last year and we lost players against them this year, only a matter of time till their hoose tactics cost them. Horrible team, horrible coach and horrible hooligan wannabe fans.

Fully agree about the tactics, and it was only a matter of time before it caught up with them, hope now somebody at Wigan realises this. Don't agree with the fans comment though, yes there are you usuall glory hunters but we all get them from time to time. mr Wane needs to take a fair bit of the responsibility a: his comments pre match B: the half time team talk down under. A great insight into how he coaches and the shi@house tactics he encourages.

There is one person who I blame for this incident and it is Shaun Wane, having watched the Warriors Down Under documentary, it really does show what a little scroat he is. His tactics are poop house ones and the way he gets his players up for it is to maim someone. What was one of his comments from it, go and knock them out, I cant give you much more free reign than that. That about sums it up.

Did you work for The News of the World

He is right about the depth of exposure
When was the last time a nobody or even a somebody from RL was top of trending on twitter?

All over Talksport today. Part of me is thinking we need this controversy to publicise the sport.

Saints have all but one of their halfbacks out injured. The one halfback they do have on the field is knocked-out of the game by thuggery in the second minute after the Ape has spent the week talking-up his 'hatred' of Saints and his 'do what it takes' attitude to winning. Coincidence ? I don't think so. The more I think about it the more I think it was a decision by Wane to target Lance Hohaiai (yes I know its spelt incorrectly) and put him out of the game like the did Ratchford last year.

Every team in SL will at some point be aggressive in their approach to certain games, but the Goons got what they deserved on Saturday having got away with it for the past few seasons..... whether it be cannonball tackles, late shoulder charges, high shots, or just punching a man already incapacitated on the ground.

Flower will be held to account for his actions by the RL and cop a grade F ban. I'm guessing Wane won't be for his admission through his own words of the house tactics he employs.

Interesting to read on my SS News App that GMP are speaking to St Helens & the CPS about potentially bringing charges against Flower.

I agree absolutely with 'Anozira', 'Johnkendal' and 'comeonyouWolves'. Nothing as bad as this, but all season Wigan have gone out to rough up the opposition and take it close to the illegal. Very clear in the games against Leeds and you could say it worked. Of course it's a tough game but if you go too far it can take away some of the skill and perhaps it's no surprise that something like this happens eventually. Perhaps a part of the blame should fall on shoulders other than that of the player himself.

I have also wondered for some time why yellow cards are not used more often. If they were such an approach might not seem quite so attractive.

+1. I'll be surprised if charges are bought.
I think it is more of the police showing a profile, being in seen as in a position to act as a warning to others in amateur level not to think that it won't be acted upon.

what does a grade f carry..is it a long ban..???

8 matches

Where I work there are about 70 staff and three of us are RL fans. Usually there'd be very little talk of RL week-to-week, yet today there was loads. I reckon twenty people must have commented on it to me today.