Post Match NRL 2007 Round 17 - Cowboys vs Warriors

[LordGnome_old]

Ruben Wiki Captain celebrates their win after the NRL game between the Warriors and the Wests Tigers at Ericsson Stadium, Auckland, NZ. May 20th 2006. CREDIT : JO CAIRD
Photo: Digital Image ©Action Photographics

Wiki, Price together again for Warriors
Friday, July 6, 2007 - 7:15 PM
After six weeks of musical chairs, the New Zealand Warriors front-row returns to its intimidating best against North Queensland on Saturday night.
Queensland Origin prop Steve Price and former Kiwi skipper Ruben Wiki will line up together at Dairy Farmers Stadium for the first time since late May.
A rib injury to Wiki and Price's Origin commitments have kept arguably the NRL's most feared front-row partnership apart since round 11.
And while it may not be good news for the Cowboys, Warriors skipper Price is looking forward to linking back up with his vice-captain.
"I do really enjoy playing with Rubes ... he's someone that the opposition certainly respect and we're really looking forward to him getting out on the field again," said Price.
The Cowboys are expected to have all three of their Queensland Origin stars - Johnathan Thurston, Matt Bowen and Carl Webb - back up from Wednesday's game, with Webb set to go head-to-head against Price in the front-row.
Price played nearly the entire game in Origin III because of Queensland's horror injury toll, but said he would have no trouble backing up.
"I'm a bit sore today, but that's just normal," Price said.
"My recovery's been really good from the Origin game ... I suppose (how much I play against the Cowboys) depends on how the game goes, but hopefully we'll play very well and I'll get to play the way I usually play."
After losing six in a row mid-season, the Warriors have now won three straight to surge back to the edge of the top eight.
Coach Ivan Cleary labelled the Warriors' 22-6 win over the Gold Coast last week as the club's best performance of the season.
The fourth-placed Cowboys, meanwhile, returned to form with a win against Canberra two weeks ago before having the bye last round.
They have won their past three games against the Warriors at Dairy Farmers.
Price admitted stopping Thurston and Bowen would be a key for the Warriors, but added the visitors couldn't just worry about the star Cowboys duo.
"He's an important part of their team, but I think if you just focus on him or Matty (Bowen), I think you're going to get burned by an Aaron Payne, or Jason Smith.
"You can go through the whole side, there's plenty of guys that have got a lot of ability.
"So we've just got to focus mainly on what we've got to do.
"We've just got to defend very well and hopefully not give them too many opportunities."
Source: AAP
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[J_Hallow_old]

slightly off the topic but is anyone also annoyed and bird and kimmorley talking smack about price and his charge downs. i mean bird of all people talking about "not in the spirit of the game" his team was famous for taking dives. that really grinds my gears

 

[raypower_old]

Tell me about it. Kimmorley was unfortunate to be injured but to suggest it's a cheap shot is just sour grapes I reckon.

Greg Bird is one of the biggest grubs in the game, as if he has a leg to stand on (mind the pun) He's always dropping knees and elbows into tackles and working the head region. He obviously has a short memory to forget about his knee drop charge from a couple of season back where he got suspended for 8 weeks or whatever it was. He's probably still got a chip on his shoulder that he got caught.

I guess the charge down is a risky ploy and incidental contact is bound to happen every now and again but the fact is if Price was going for the man he could've done a lot more damage if it were intentional. Unless they outlaw charge downs it's going to happen every now and again. Do you see Tate whining that because there were multiple people in the tackle that's why he got injured? It's a part of the game and although it puts kickers in a vulnerable position I think the rule is fine as it stands right now.

 

[Skinny_Ravs82]

Agree about Kimmorley complaining and whinging. He's being such a big sook. Yes, it was unfortunate it happened but I don't ever believer Pricey would do anything intentional.
Those are the type of risks you take when playing a game of football and you just have to deal with it regardless. It is like saying Hayne was stupid to fall on Tate and doing his knee! I am upset with Hayne for it but in the end, it happened and there is no going back.

Anyway Kimmorley and co in the Sharks tend to whine about anything and they are probably aw about it coz one former Sharks player in '05 I believe had a similar incident with Pricey and the Sharks were calling foul then.

 

[commonsense_old]

nah common guys as much as i love pricey its very dangerous those charge downs. have any of you guys ever had a knee injury?? ive screwed up my ACL many times and even when u recover from knee injuries they are never 100%. physically and esp mentally.

i definitely think that has to be a bit of change in rule in the charge downs. we have to protect our kickers.

bird is a hypocrite and has no right to talk cos he does the exact same thing.

 

[Skinny_Ravs82]

Yes the kickers should be procted BUT they should know that they are targets regardless, and it is a risk they have to take. Not every charge down in dangerous. Half the time the charging players miss their target anyway and ball is long gone and they also by pass the player. Only once in a while they might get hit and even IF they get hit they just land on their arse. Plain, simple. It's footy. Get over it

 

[Skinny_Ravs82]

Although, in saying that, if it happened to Ravs and Witty I'd probably be just as upset as the Sharks! lol

 

[commonsense_old]

of course u would be upset if it was one of our players.

this is how it works. when a footy player kicks the ball he puts all his weight on one leg (his non-kicking leg). that leg is prob the most vulnerable. if you get a huge forward launching his body at his legs serious damage can be done, esp to that non-kicking leg. just take a look at scotty prince. poor guy got his legs chopped hard and was out for a season and a half.

its funny how u say its footy, just get over it. if youve ever had a sports injury u wouldnt be saying that. i cringe everytime i see an injury occur. in footy u cant avoid it sometimes like when simple tackles occurs an injury can easily be inflicted. but there is difference btw giving someone a shoulder charge and just lauching their body into their legs. its plain stupid to ban charge-down attempts, but they have to tighten the rules for it to protect the kickers legs from injury.

 

[Skinny_Ravs82]

Of course I know that, I don't like seeing players get hurt too. I hide me face with some of those serious ones. However, this is football and it does happen its not like it can be prevented. That's like saying all big hits should be outsted by the NRL. Where's the fun in that? Big hits are part of it, injuries are and as bad as some as can be that in itself is a risk. Deal with it, be upset but carry on.

 

[commonsense_old]

well then why not bring back the grapple tackle. its an effective defensive move to slow the play the ball. forget that its dangerous but hey thats footy right?

 

[tookeytookey_old]

Ruben's best performance for the season I thought last night, really stood up with some good charges at key times. Very involved.

 

[Skinny_Ravs82]

Yes he was tookey, made some good saves too

 

[Skinny_Ravs82]

well then why not bring back the grapple tackle. its an effective defensive move to slow the play the ball. forget that its dangerous but hey thats footy right?

Did I say that? No. Grapple tackles were outsted for a reason, just as a penalty is given if plaeyrs are put in a dangerous position now. That ruling ws good and is being used well. The thing is if you get so paranoid about protecting layers over every single thing that happens in a game, you are just going to have powder puffs running around calling for penalties everytime something is done

 

[commonsense_old]

i know grappling was taken out for reason, as should rocketing ur body to someones knees. both a very dangerous. as i said b4 shoulder charging someone to put pressure on them is different to just simply attacking their knees.

to me i think that is plain dirty. sorry to say it to steve price, as much as i love the guy. no way am i saying steve price is a dirty player. but sometimes he gets to over zealous and just launches himself too far and it just ends up that he is charging down the players legs rather than the ball.

i reckon its just like the grapple tackle. its a dirty tatic to gain a competitive advantage. im just glad that the majority of charge downs are directed at the ball rather than the legs.

 

[Viking_old]

I think Price dived off to his right at the last moment as Kimmorley kicked off his left foot which resulted in Price travelling horizontally and Kimmorley ran into him., so he was wrong footed at worst. We've seen Price do multiple charge downs before with no malice, this time he got caught out. I hate to see players hurt but I wish it had been Bird, the filthy diving grub. Maybe Price could have skittled Gallen and taken the two dirtiest players in league out at the same time.

The other point people forget is that you don't have to kick on the last tackle if it's going to put you danger eh? Kimmorley must've seen Price bearing down on him but still chose to try and get the kick away.

The worst part of this is that Stuart's still the national coach so Price has little or no chance of playing for Australia now. How long's he been residing in NZ......?