THEFOOTY.COM

And While we're talking Expansion!

2012-02-23T06:16:00.000+10:00

McIntyre System FINALLY Scrapped

2012-02-22T21:01:00.001+10:00

After bearing the brunt of a concerted rant effort by the boys at thefooty.com, as well as cries from the millions of NRL Fans, the NRL has finally succumbed and scrapped the much maligned McIntyre system for the finals series, moving to the AFL model. From this season, the top four teams play for the right to have a week off, while giving the losers a second chance, while the bottom four enter knockout stage from day 1.

We have said for some time, that fans and the players deserve certainty when their teams are in the finals, and finally the NRL have listened and made the stage. Maybe, the ego is being removed from the league and decisions are being made with the fans in mind!!! Hooray.

Morris Explains Love For The Club - St.George Illawarra Dragons

2012-02-22T06:35:00.000+10:00

Morris Explains Love For The Club - St.George Illawarra Dragons

Brett Morris extends with the Dragons. More good news in the Year of the Dragon

Charity Shield to the Dragons

2012-02-19T09:30:00.000+10:00

The St George-Illawarra Dragons breathed hope into the millions of Dragons fans everywhere when they won the Charity Shield 18-12 over the Souths Sydney Rabbitohs. The game was a tough game and three Souths players were placed on report, while the referees were vigilant in the new "dancing" tackle with plenty of calls and penalties. The game always appeared to be in control, but it tool a late try to the Dragons to break a 12-12 deadlock and to take the spoils.

The Charity Shield is seen by many as the unofficial start to the NRL season, and with the World Club Challenge is seen as the perfect weekend to whet the NRL appetites and get the juices flowing. Season NRL 2012 here we come!!!

A Giant Win in a Giant Game

2012-02-06T19:24:00.001+10:00

The New York Giants came back with a vengeance in a fourth quarter winning drive to steal the Super Bowl 21-17 defeating the New England Patriots. The Giants started the better of the two teams and strode away to a 9-0 lead. However a Tom Brady inspired drive right down the field led to a Patriots touchdown which gave them the half-time lead 10-9.

The second half had it all, with the Patriots seemingly controlling the game at will, however the Giants stayed in touch through field goals, until a final quarter. The Patriots had plenty of chances to win the game, but crucial catches were left behind when needed most.
On the contrary, the Giants made the most of their chances with David Tyree catching a critical ball on third down in that final drive. Ahmad Bradshaw scored the winning touch down for the Giants, although as coached to do, he tried to pull up on the one yard line to drive down the clock and set up for the winning field goal. However as it turned out, scoring the touchdown have Tom Brady and the Patriots 57 seconds to win the game. And almost steal it they did, but two in completes with fairly simple catches, led to one final hail mary play from Brady and in the final numbers play, the Giants had five players to the Patriots three as the ball found the inzone and fell to ground, giving the Giants the Super Bowl Rings.

It was a great game, and one that went down to the wire.

Superbowl tomorrow!!

2012-02-05T12:15:00.000+10:00

The Big Dance is on tomorrow with the New England Patriots taking on the New York Giants. Should be an absolute rib-tickler of a game and really looking forward to catching up with THEFOOTY.com boys and wtaching it. Kick off for us is 10am Monday. My tip is that I think the Giants are the more well-rounded team, and they will come out on top.

What a Start to Pre-Season

2012-02-05T11:43:00.001+10:00

Well, Well, Well...Its great to be back here at thefooty.com and can I tell you, we have missed the actions and theatrics that have abounded around the NRL. And we havn't even started the season yet. So let's just have a quick look at some of the current headlines.

The All-Stars game was a great kick-off to the season with the Indigenous team giving up a 18-6 lead to go down 36-28 for the Artie Beetson Trophy. Great game played with plenty of passion and class.
The Manly Sea-Eagles are looking to sue their former coach Des Hasler
The lucrative dollars available to the league for exclusive mobile and digital rights seem to have evaporated based around a court decision favouring Optus to provide apps for their customers which allow broadcasting of games with as little as a 30 second delay.
Greg Inglis faces 6 weeks off, as he comes to terms with an injury sustained in the All-Stars game.
Sam Thiaday is talking tough, but looking flabby and unfit as he steps into the captaincy role at thr Broncos. The jury is well and truly out on his suitability and the public will surely pass early judgement on its success.
The season proper opens with the Saints and Knights on a THURSDAY NIGHT. WTF! The Eels play host to the Broncos on the Friday Night.
DAVID GALLOP still plays boss of the NRL.....???

The season is just about to kick off guys, here we go!!!

WE ARE COMING BACK!!

2012-01-04T19:31:00.000+10:00

WE ARE COMING BACK!!

You may very well have been forgiven into thinking that the boys at thefooty.com had found other pursuits in which to channel their energy, and had given up on their site http://www.thefooty.com/

This post is simply to say, we are back in 2012, bigger, better and stronger. The controversial Snowy Fraser will return as well as Curly who will be posting their latest news and views on NRL 2012, along with following the Brisbane Second Division competition, in which Curly is coaching again in 2012.

Watch for our new beginning around the end of January and early February as we set ourselves up for a year to remember!!

Hasler Gone???

2011-11-10T08:44:00.000+10:00

In news that most rugby league followers have been expecting now since the Grand Final, Des Hasler has been stood down over alleged serious breaches of contract. Hasler is to face the Manly board to respond to the allegations.

It has appeared that an uneasy truce has existed at Manly between the board and Hasler since the announcement that he was leaving to join arch rivals, the Canterbury Bulldogs in 2013. Plans had been put in motion for the succession planning of Geoff Toovey over the course of 2012, but this now appears that it will be stepped up faster than planned.

Hasler, has been linked to announcements from senior Manly players of their intention to leave the club with Hasler, and the board has linked these announcements to Hasler.

AccuScore Launches Sports Forecasting App

2011-11-10T08:14:00.001+10:00

AccuScore, the leading sports forecasting company, renowned for offering the most comprehensive and accurate sports forecasting engine anywhere, has launched the free AccuScore App to bring its proven track record to the mobile devices of all sports fans. AccuScore provides users with everything they need to know before the game.

AccuScore is so proven effective that it is used by many top sports media companies including ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports, Sporting News and The Wall Street Journal. The AccuScore App brings all of this information to the mobile platform with its new FREE App.

“It’d be amazing to see into the future. While it’s not quite possible just yet, sports fans can at least use apps like AccuScore to see the latest statistical forecasts for numerous games and the players participating in them,“ says 148apps.com

The AccuScore App offers forecasts for NFL, MLB, NCAA, College Football & Basketball, NHL and NBA games. Included in the free app are the forecasted winner, winning percentage for each team, forecasted player statistics, real-time alerts and one free tip per day that projects margin of victory, total points scored in the game and who will win.

Additionally, the AccuScore App includes the leading sports fan communication network called FanConnect, connecting you with fans of all teams in all sports, via team lounges so you can chat, compare notes and forecasts, share, heckle, and more.

In-app purchases unlock further details for those who need even more information on their respective games.

High School Playoff Picture

2011-11-09T08:51:00.000+10:00

The Permian Panthers enter the playoff picture for the first time since 2009. They are coming off the demoralizing loss to the Abilene Eagles 42-14, which was the game for the Regional Title. This week they come up against the Arlington Bowie Volunteers, who have sat at or around the Top 25 ranked teams in Texas High School Footy this year. In the Division 1, Region 1 rankings Bowie are ranked at 8, ahead of the Panthers at 10. The biggest things the Panthers must do this week is improve their defence. They have been known to score, but their defence can be sketchy, although there were some promising signs against the Eagles. The Panthers, one of the most storied programs in Texas, deserve some success this time around.

The Bob Jones Patriots in the Alabama 6A High School Footy, won through their first round playoff to set up a rematch with the Hoover Bucs. The Bucs spoiled the unbeaten season of the patriots by defeating them in the final round of the season 41-13. The Patriots and Hoover are both ranked highly in the Alabama 6A and the winner of this game may just go onto to win the whole thing. Patriots program has been building over the last few years, and look to be heading to their first ever State Title.

Missed field goal gives win to Vikings

2011-10-31T10:03:00.001+10:00

The Minnesota Vikings survived a late missed field goal attempt by Carolina's Olindo Mare and beat the Panthers 24-21 at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday.
Mare missed the 31-yard attempt wide the left with 29 seconds remaining after the Panthers (2-6) had driven from their 24 to the Vikings 13.
Minnesota (2-6) had taken the lead on a 31-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell with 2:43 remaining.

Hoover Spoils Patriots Undefeated Season Attempt

2011-10-31T09:57:00.001+10:00

HOOVER – Connor Short threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns as No. 7 Hoover (9-1) ended the regular season with a win over No. 7 Bob Jones (9-1) in a matchup of ranked Class 6A teams. Short completed 21-of-28 passes and connected with Josh Jackson on scoring strikes of 12 and 40 yards. “Connor has started to come into his own as our quarterback,” Hoover wide out Caleb Sims said. “He had a great game for us tonight and made some big plays for us. He is getting better each week and we need him with the playoffs starting next week.” While Short was executing the game plan for the Bucs offense, Hoover's defense physically manhandled the Patriots. Trent Dunn and Brad Shaw combined for 19 tackles and three sacks as they chased Bob Jones quarterback Jeffery Moss all over the field. If Moss wasn’t running around, he was overthrowing receivers. “I told our kids that we had to get more physical, and I am proud of the way they played,” Hoover coach Josh Niblett said. “Except for a couple of trick plays, I thought we played a solid game on defense.” After Andrew Dunn booted a 20-yard field goal to cut the Bucs’ lead to 6-3, Marlon Humphrey took the ensuing kickoff 96 yards straight up the middle of the field for a touchdown. “Any time your defense or special teams can score, that is huge,” Niblett said. “Overall, we played a solid game. Now, we have to come to work and maintain that level for five more weeks.” Dakota Daniel scored on a 27-yard run. He finished with 75 yards rushing on 12 attempts. Michael Powers connected with Jarrett Brown on a 31-yard scoring pass. Kyler Jackson added a 10-yard touchdown run to complete the scoring for the Bucs. Nick Richardson found Moss on a double pass for 12 yards for Bob Jones’ only touchdown. Both teams are headed to the state playoffs next week. Jeff George, Birmingham News, October 27, 2011.

Panthers over Bronchos

2011-10-31T09:55:00.000+10:00

(www.odessapermian.com)

OCTOBER 28th- The Panthers clinched a playoff spot with a thrilling 36-29 come-from-behind win over Odessa.

MOJO opened the game with a 65 yard scoring drive, capped by Jack Wilkins' 20 yard touchdown run. Odessa's Johnny Campos answered with a TD run of his own to tie the game at 7-7. MOJO made it 14-7 with a 23 yard TD by JaQuille White. After forcing a punt, Permian looked to extend their lead but the Bronchos had other ideas, stepping in front of a Wilkins pass and taking it back for the score. Wilkins hit Van Powell from 20 yards out to make it 21-14, but the Bronchos responded with a 78 yard scoring drive. The PAT hit the upright, leaving MOJO ahead 21-20. On the next Permian possession, Clay Adams was stripped of the ball in a pileup, with the Bronchos recovering. Campos got Odessa into the endzone with five seconds on the clock. The Panthers went into the break down 26-21.

After a scoreless third quarter, the Bronchos extended their lead with a 40 yard fourth quarter field goal. Kacey Ryan came off the bench in relief of Wilkins, and on the fourth play of the drive hit Andrew Perez for a 59 yard catch-and-run touchdown. Van Powell made a diving catch to get the two point conversion, and the game was tied 29-29 with 3:33 remaining. A big stand by the MOJO defense forced the Bronchos to punt, setting up the wild finish. On the first play of the ensuing drive Powell took a screen pass from Ryan, bounced to the outside, then raced up the sideline for the 85 yard touchdown that won the game.

Panthers over Lee Rebels

2011-10-23T07:22:00.000+10:00

News Courtesy of www.odessapermian.com

OCTOBER 21st- The Permian Panthers improved to 2-1 in league play with a 17-16 win over Midland Lee.

MOJO got off to a good start, receiving the opening kick and marching down the field on a 15 play scoring drive. Jack Wilkins hit Van Powell from 10 yards, and the Panthers were up 7-0. The Rebels fumbled the ensuing kickoff, with Jordan Leake recovering to set the Panthers up at Lee's 35 yard line. Wilkins would hook up with Powell again from 11 yards out. MOJO went into the lockerroom with a 14-0 lead.

The second half was a stalemate until the fourth quarter, when Lee showed they weren't quite dead. After Brett Becker added to Permian's lead with a 37 yard field goal, Lee's offense began to show signs of life. The Rebels capped a 60 yard drive with a two yard touchdown run, then made it a one score game on the next possession with a 36 yard field goal. The Panthers tried to run out the clock but could not convert on 4th down, leaving the Rebels with a little over two minutes to tie the game. Lee got the touchdown they were looking for with six seconds remaining, setting up a heart-stopping finish. Rather than kick the PAT for the tie, the Rebels faked the kick and threw for the endzone. CB Javier Gavaldon was able to tip the ball just enough to break up the pass, leaving the Rebels down by one point. Lee attempted an onside kick but Wilkins fielded the ball cleanly, and the Permian victory celebration began. With the win the Panthers are 2-1 in district, while Lee falls to 0-3.

NEXT UP- The Rumble at Ratliff, with Permian vs Odessa on Friday, October 28th. Permian will be the visiting team. JV teams play on Thursday.

Bob Jones Finally Wins at Ogle Stadium

2011-10-23T07:19:00.003+10:00

DECATUR, Alabama – Fifth-ranked Bob Jones High and Decatur were dead even at halftime Friday night, each with three points and 98 total yards. But the visiting Patriots rode two big plays to a 17-3 win at Ogle Stadium. Unbeaten Bob Jones improved to 9-0 overall and 7-0 in Class 6A, Region 8. “It’s just an historic win for us,” the Patriots third-year coach Kevin Rose said. “Bob Jones had never beaten Decatur at Decatur High School. That was our objective all week. We just continued to play great defense. And our offensive line took control of the game. It was a total team effort. All three phases of the game contributed. No turnovers.” Nick Beavers had 12 carries for 145 yards and one touchdown, an 89-yard burst up the middle on the Patriots first play from scrimmage at 7:58 in the third quarter. “I just saw the opening, and I took it and just ran for my life,” the senior running back/kick returner said. Senior quarterback Jeffery Moss, who has committed to play basketball at Murray State, completed 11-of-15 passes for 87 yards. “We had that big run our first play second half,” Moss said. “And the rest of the way it was just defense.” The Patriots defense made the second big play when Reggie Ragland sacked Decatur quarterback Will Laughlin, forcing a fumble. Rishad Goode scooped up the loose ball and ran 95 yards for a touchdown with 5:41 left in the game. “I was thinking we got a little relief so that was good for us, so the defense has got to step up,” said Ragland, a senior linebacker/receiver who has committed to Alabama. He finished with eight tackles, including his sack. Andrew Dunn made a 36-yard field goal with nine seconds left in the first half. He also averaged 32.6 yards on his six punts and put the ball in the end zone on a kickoff. Decatur (4-5, 4-3) got a 41-yard field goal from Jackson Walraven with 3:45 left in the second quarter. “That’s a very good football team,” Red Raiders coach Jere Adcock said. “They’re very athletic, they’re extremely well coached. We were very well prepared for them. I thought our kids played very well. Like all great teams, great players, they made the plays when they had to make them.” The Huntsville Times, October 21, 2011.

Permian Lose our to Cooper

2011-10-15T22:56:00.002+10:00

Abilene Cooper showed the step-up in class that Permian will need to do if they are ever to challenge for the title again, when they defeated the Panthers 55-35.

Bob Jones Clinches Region Title

2011-10-15T22:54:00.000+10:00

MADISON, Alabama – Thirty-four Bob Jones seniors helped the Patriots win the 6A, Region 8 championship on Senior Night. “This victory means a lot for us,” said senior Reggie Ragland. “It solidified as region champs. It was a very good night for us seniorwise because we went out with a bang.” Bob Jones (8-0 overall, 7-0 region) scored on each of its first-half possessions. Quarterback Jeffery Moss connected with Ragland with 9:10 left in the first quarter on a 19-yard scoring pass. It was the first of five touchdown passes by Moss. Adam Dunn ran the two-point conversion. Midway through the first quarter, Jamel Harper scored on a 33-yard reception. Nick Richardson scored on 10-yard and 28-yard catches. Nick Beavers had a 27-yard touchdown reception, while Kevin Wright completed a halfback pass to Ryan Crooks midway through the second quarter. Adam Dunn made good on all PATs. Sparkman’s only score came in the third quarter on an 8-yard pass from Grant Banks to Tyler Caldwell. Moss finished with 147 yards, completing 9 of 14 passes. Carlton Rice for The Huntsville Times, October 14, 2011.

Manly Wins GF and Scores Kangaroo Spots

2011-10-03T20:45:00.001+10:00

The Manly Sea Eagles took advantage of some dodgy refs calls to steal away from the New Zealand Warriors to take the NRL 2011 Premiership 24-10. The Manly Sea Eagles seem to get the rub of the Green with several obstruction penalties not blown and a sensational Anthony Watmough play the ball as he faced the sideline. But as everyone knows, you play to the whistle and Manly did that well.

Manly were rewarded with five players named in the Kangaroos squad for the Four Nations tournament. The squad is:

Darius Boyd, Daly Cherry-Evans, Cooper Cronk, Robbie Farah, Paul Gallen, Keith Galloway, Greg Inglis, Chris Lawrence, Luke Lewis, Darren Lockyer, Corey Parker, Matt Scott, David Shillington, Billy Slater, Cameron Smith, Brett Stewart, Glenn Stewart, Dave Taylor, Sam Thaiday, Johnathan Thurston, Akuila Uate, Anthony Watmough, Tony Williams, Jharal Yow Yeh.

Grand Final Day Prelims

2011-10-02T15:11:00.001+10:00

Well, What a cracker so far. The Bulldogs won the NSW Cup in the final in the final seconds 30-28 after the Auckland Vulcans came home strongly to come within a whisper of stealing the game. The Bulldogs were the Minor Premiers and deserved to win, and to win in the final seconds of the game was a fitting finale.

The Toyota Cup was another cracker with the New Zealand Warriors seemingly home and hosed at 30-16, although they started to close up shop and this combined with a Cowboys team finally starting to work the big Warriors around, came home to level it on the hooter. Kyle Feldt had a chance to win the game for the Cowboys, but failed with his conversion attempt. In Golden Point time, Jordan Meads of the Warriors slotted a field goal to win 31-30

Geelong AFL Premiers

2011-10-01T20:49:00.000+10:00

The Geelong Cats defeated the Collingwood Magpies to take the 2011 Premiership at the MCG today. The Cats trailed at quarter and half-time, but a strong second half saw them overtake the Magpies with momentum and steal the game 119-81 and winning by 38 points. It was the Cats third premiership in five years and has set themselves up as one of the great sides in history.

Patriots remain unbeaten at 6-0

2011-10-01T20:42:00.000+10:00

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – Bob Jones did its homework. The sixth-ranked Patriots, hoping to exploit an opening they saw on film, picked apart Huntsville’s secondary and again played stout defense Friday night to remain unbeaten at Milton Frank Stadium. Bob Jones scored on its first four possessions – converting third-and-long three times and fourth-and-4 once – and went on to a 37-15 victory. The Patriots (6-0, 4-0 in Class 6A, Region 8) led 28-0 at halftime. “A solid win over a good football team,’’ Bob Jones coach Kevin Rose said. Huntsville fell to 3-3, 2-2. The Patriots got 220 passing yards from quarterback Jeffery Moss and seven catches for 167 yards from Nick Richardson in the first half alone. “Coach Rose told us all week to play outside the hash marks, and we just took advantage of it,’’ said Moss, who finished with 242 yards on 16-of-21 passing in three quarters. “We watched film, and I studied the defensive backs like I’m supposed to do,’’ said Richardson, who didn’t have a catch in the second half. “And I’ve got a quarterback that got me the ball.” While Richardson did most of the damage, Kevin Wright set the victory in motion on the game’s opening possession. Facing third-and-18, Moss was flushed from the pocket and found Wright near the sideline for a 33-yard gain and a first down. Three plays later, Nick Beavers, who led a ground attack that amassed 228 yards, including 60 on a fake punt, scored on a 29-yard run. On Bob Jones’ next possession, it faced fourth-and-4 at the Panthers’ 17 when Beavers caught a 4-yard pass for a first down. It initially appeared Beavers was stopped short, but a first down was ruled and five plays later Jay Rogers went in from the 1. Andrew Dunn’s extra point made it 14-0 with 1:14 left in the first quarter, and the Patriots were on their way. “I’d like to brag on my offense,’’ Rose said. “I’m always talking about the defense. The offense really played well in the first half.’’ Richardson caught a 49-yard pass on third-and-17 to set up a 7-yard TD pass from Moss to Kyle Taylor in the second quarter. Bob Jones made it 28-0 when Moss caught a 17-yarder on third-and-10 to set up a 35-yard scoring strike from Moss to Richardson at the 6:13 mark of the second quarter. “It’s one of those things where you feel you’re in position to get off the field and they make a big play,’’ Panthers coach Scott Sharp. “It’s hard to keep overcoming those mistakes." The Patriots got a 34-yard field goal by Dunn in the third and, after Deonte Moore put Huntsville on the board with a 3-yard TD run with 8:11 left, finished their scoring with the 60-yard fake punt return by Darius Tibbs with 6:06 left. Huntsville added a 6-yard TD from Moore and a two-point pass. Mike Easterling for The Huntsville Times, September 23, 201

Warriors Knock Over Storms Redemption Year

2011-09-25T06:47:00.000+10:00

The New Zealand Warriors have done the unthinkable, and that is give their countrymen the opportunity to think about something other than the Rugby Union World Cup, as the dismantled the Storm's 2011 quest for redemption in the Preliminary Final 20-12 to advance to the NRL Grand Final next Sunday against Manly.

It was a quality performance by the Warriors, who just two weeks ago suffered a humiliating loss to the Brisbane Broncos and were on the verge of being eliminated, then steadied and steeled themselves and eliminated two of the title favourites in the Tigers and the Storm. Can they produce a third week in a row is a big question being asked, but seeing how most people hate Manly, I would be hopeful that they can.

Is it a dream to suggest that New Zealand can win the RWC and the NRL Premiership?

Bob Jones Wins Again

2011-09-24T16:04:00.001+10:00

The Bob Jones Patriots Football team won Friday's NonConference game against the Spain Park Jaguars by a score of 28-13.

Happy Homecoming for Permian

2011-09-24T16:02:00.003+10:00

Courtesy of www.odessapermian.com

SEPTEMBER 23rd- Permian had a happy Homecoming on Friday, defeating Lubbock Monterey 56-14.

MOJO dominated from the opening kickoff, as Jorrion Wilson scored on the third play of the game. The Plainsmen answered with a 74 yard drive to tie the game at 7-7. That was as close as Monterey would get, as the Panthers responded with a 67 yard kick return by Andrew Perez, and big passes up the seam from Kacey Ryan to Nestor Castellon. Wilson tacked on two more scores to stake MOJO to a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter. The defense rose up in a big way on the next Plainsman possession, as Jordan Leake batted a pass, then grabbed the ball out of the air and returned it to the Monterey 10 yard line. Ryan scrambled into the endzone on the next play. After the defense forced another three-and-out, Ryan hit a streaking Andrew Perez on the far sideline for a 36 yard touchdown strike. Brett Becker's extra point gave Permian a 35-7 halftime lead.

The second half was more of the same for MOJO. Leake got another turnover for the defense, chasing down the Monterey quarterback and knocking the ball loose from behind. Ryan hit Perez for the second time on a 27 yard catch-and-run TD. On the next MOJO possession, Ryan would hit Josh Ontiveroz on a seam route to get the Panthers back in striking distance. Jack Wilkins capped the drive with a one yard TD run, and MOJO was well in control with a 49-7 lead. JaQuille White ended the evening with a four yard plunge for the final Permian score.

NEXT UP- MOJO takes their open week before beginning district play vs Midland High on October 7th.