Angrier than a room full of Fox League writers and NRL 360 hosts, slower than a Bunker decision, with more complaints about the NRL draw than all NRL coaches combined and as big a bullsh!t artist as Phil Gould, it’s time for the weekly Rugby League rant of The Gurgler’s NRL Donkey, who provides his NRL Donkey’s 2025 NRL Round 15 Expert Tips as well as offers an alternative, slightly unhinged view full of sass of the world of rugby league and beyond for another week.

The NRL Donkey’s 2025 NRL Round 15 Weekly Rant

So Newcastle coach Adam “Whingescreens” O’Brien had a problem with fans booing his side down 0-16 at half time last round, apparently accusing the fans of not knowing anything about rugby league. First of all, can he be sure they were Newcastle fans. Perhaps Manly fans still have a grudge for that infamous 1997 NRL Grand Final loss or the even more infamous Mark Carroll v Chief nuclear collision. I disagree. Not about the Manly thing, but about booing.

If I was in Newcastle, and I have no reason to be, as I’d much rather be in Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Coonabarabran, and on the plains out of Narrabri, in no particular order, but not Byron Bay. Never Byron Bay. That place is a living, breathing YouTube episode or infomercial of some pathetic influencer that poisons the earth with their opinion and greed. I’m pretty sure they don’t know rugby league, and what they know or think they know I don’t care for, I’d probably would have booed too.

Back to Newcastle, via the plains of Narrabri, where apparently the hot sun is a killer, I’d argue the fans of Newcastle very much know their rugby league. Their team had lost four in a row at home, which is pretty hard to take in the colder months where beer is much less inviting to ease the pain, and given their team have scored on average 13 points a game this season up to that point, they were presuming their team wouldn’t be able to score more than the 16.5 points required to overtake Manly. So they booed because they knew the stats and form and worked out their team wasn’t going to win. It may be pessimistic sure, but it very much proves they know their rugby league. Well, at least Newcastle’s rugby league. Which on the whole, has been not so great in 2025.

Plus, as hard as it is to take for players, coaches and mascots, it is a fan’s right to boo. It’s what used to happen before social media allowed gutless keyboard warriors to send death threats to players and their families. Unless you knew the players phone and/or fax number, all you could do was boo. And boo the fans did. And do. And they have every right.

I remember sitting on a hill at the old Dolphin Oval watching pre-Broncos QRL, with the coldest of cold winter sea breezes blowing in, fans booed when their team deserved it, and their team had to like it. And if the players didn’t like it, there was always a post-game carpark bout available. Pre social media, mobile phones and Fox League when Buzz Rothfield was only 65 years old and only reported on NSWRL and still sucked, players and fans could punch on after the game if they wanted. I have no proof they did. But they could if they wanted. And some always appeared like they wanted to.

Then Mr O’Brien says the fans that booed were the ones that cheered after the game. Well duh……It counters his argument that the fans didn’t know rugby league.

If the fans didn’t know rugby league, then they would have wondered what Golden Point was. Or what involves a point. And they wouldn’t have known that the game went for eighty minutes and walked out at the hour mark thinking that was full time. And there was a distinct lack of balllllllllll being yelled like AFL fans do. So they obviously weren’t AFL fans. And the fact that the fans cheered when their team had scored more points than the other team proves that they know rugby league.

It could be worse. They could be Dragons fans who had to endure a 50 point thrashing by the Dolphins on the weekend, and they had a lot longer to go home. They also know rugby league, as most of them turned on the Flanagans after the game. Given my “love” for the Flanagans, I found it funny. As a Dolphins fan I found it thoroughly enjoyable. In fact, almost as good as it gets.

And the Broncos winning made it 2/2 for Qld sides at Suncorp Stadium for June, after Qld sides lost all four games in May including Men’s and Women’s Origin. And it appears that DCE has been blamed for one of those victories. Sadly the Qld Origin also unveiled the inclusion of Kurt Capewell. The answer to an Origin question that no one asked. Except for why is Captain Plod selected and not Corey Horsburgh. Maybe Billy Slater wants to be like Ange and win something in his second season and be sacked. Sadly his Season Three wasn’t better than Series Two. And Series Four looks like it has jumped the shark as they say in television. The only shark I like is Greg Norman. Maybe Greg could save the Qld Origin team. Greg can do anything.

Talking of under par, here’s this week’s expert tips.

The NRL Donkey’s 2025 NRL Round 15 Expert Tips

THU – CRONULLA v ST GEORGE-ILLAWARRA

At least Newcastle aren’t kicking off this round. A local rivalry that thankfully isn’t too badly affected by Origin. And when I say not badly affected, just the one player from either side made the Origin team/s. The Dragons were spanked by the Dolphins last weekend, and Sharks in general are even more ferocious than Dolphins. Especially the Great White Shark. Both animal and Greg Norman. Law of the jungle/ocean applies.

Cronulla by 36

FRI – GOLD COAST v MANLY

Hopefully there’s a safe space this weekend for DCE to get some sympathy from the crowd to feel better about being dropped from Origin. <Checks Notes>. Oh, it’s on the Gold Coast…..Hmmm, isn’t that the club where DCE….Oh yes it was….Oh well. Better suck it up then.

Gold Coast by 6

SAT – NEWCASTLE v ROOSTERS

At least this game isn’t starting the weekend off. And I do wonder if Newcastle’s fans will know rugby league enough to know that this game is on Saturday and the Roosters are a team from Sydney. Stats say Roosters, but who can trust stats during Origin. Maybe I don’t know rugby league.

Roosters by 20

SAT – COWBOYS v DOLPHINS

The Dolphins know how to score points don’t they? Amazing that a team that lost their first four games and looked a bit ordinary are now 7^th and have one of the best for and against in the comp. And last weekend without Ray Stone. How did they do it?

Dolphins by 12

SUN – SOUTHS v BULLDOGS (Olympic)

Oh great, with Latrell Mitchell out on Origin duty, Fox League will only have Lachlan Galvin to talk about. Fox League’s tongue would have been very dry by the end of Monday night. Bulldogs were woeful in their last Origin-affected game. But they have Lachlan Galvin and Fox League now.

Bulldogs by 8