Angrier than a room full of Fox League writers, more at fault for rugby league’s ills than Lachlan Galvin and Phil Gould combined and ducking for cover like a Melbourne Storm Assistant Coach, it’s time for the weekly Rugby League rant of The Gurgler’s NRL Donkey, who provides his NRL Donkey’s 2025 NRL Round 19 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 19 Weekly Rant
Not for the first time, and surely not the last, the Angry Any that is Ricky Stuart right.
How refreshing to hear an NRL coach actively encouraging booing of an opposition player.
And wonderful he was sticking up for rugby league players over journalists.
Unlike other coaches, Ricky knows that his fans know rugby league. Well he presumes they do, because why else would people turn up to Canberra Stadium in Green clothing in those temperatures.
Booing is a fan’s right, it can either be used a distraction for opposition teams or a motivational tool for their own. What other way can you quickly and easily give feedback for the product you are consuming. Maybe the NRL could introduce a five star system via a NRL Fan’s Eye App that the results are fed into the dressing room at half time to let the team and individual players know what the fans think.
But think of the technology to do that. Apps, someone to plan and build all that, keep servers going to keep the app alive, add advertising to pay for it. So much to do.
So given how badly the NRL do technology with The Bunker, maybe they should stick to booing. Not booing themselves, although given their officiating and picking Ashley Klown to be the Origin ref, maybe they should boo themselves.
Just remember if you’re booing an opposition kicker, make sure it’s for the right reasons. For most it’s because you don’t want an opposition player to score more points than they have to. Only rugby league journalists would be low enough to boo someone because of their relationship to the coach. Or any other personal reason.
You do wonder sometimes why rugby league journalists are rugby league journalists, because a lot of the time they seem to hate the game more than anyone else on earth. And not just temporarily like fans of underperforming teams, proper year-round hate.
Of course Buzz is the most hate filled, but his saving grace is he appears to really dislike Gus Gould, which is funny.
Sometimes booing doesn’t work. Like when Bulldogs fans booed Ezra Mam last weekend every time he touched the ball. After an hour of Super League standard rugby league, the Broncos woke up, inspired by Ezra Mam, and stole victory from the previous competition front runners. Making it 0/2 for the Bulldogs v Broncos this season.
Given the lack of success with the booing, a fan attempted something different by throwing a water bottle onto the field. Although it isn’t sure whether it was a Bulldogs or Broncos fan. And if it were a Bulldogs fan whether the bottle’s destination was Ezra Mam, another Broncos player or Lachlan Galvin.
It certainly wouldn’t have been aimed at Man Mountain Xavier Willison who was so good that Channel Nein couldn’t be bothered interviewing him. Talk about people who don’t know rugby league. When he becomes the next best Prop in the game behind Payne Haas they’ll care. As long as he never moves to the Warriors.
A bottle of water is kind of dangerous, but nowhere as bad as the olden days at olden Lang Park where beer cans were hand delivered to match officials by fans who wanted to let them know that 1980’s King Wally was not allowed to be sin binned. Or having known and occasionally drunk XXXX Bitter in the past, perhaps the Queensland fans were simply rejecting the drink itself.
What would be funnier is if one club had the guts to turn one night into a La Tomatina special. You know, that thing in Spain where everyone throws tomatoes at each other. You could do it on a Thursday night game, where there’s usually bugger all fans anyway and fruit would liven it up. Perhaps it could be part of a fruit themed, healthy eating round where fans can bring in certain fruit at certain grounds.
The players at the rockmelon game would be very wary of stuffing up, so their concentration would be sky high, and lead to a better standard of rugby league.
But that’s all a pie-high dream. Pardon the pun.
Speaking of fruit, here’s a fresh bunch of grape Round 19 Expert Tips.
The NRL Donkey’s 2025 NRL Round 18 Expert Tips
FRI – CRONULLA v DOLPHINS
It’s the battle of the Fins. Two coastal teams from opposing states playing each other. Seems like a good time to ask AI to come up with a punny name for the clash. Here are some of the suggestions.
“The Great Bait-Off” – sounds like “bake-off,” but with ocean flair.
“The Fin-ale” – for a dramatic, pun-filled final showdown.
“Sea-rious Business” – because it’s seriously silly.
“The Chomp-ion-ship” – because someone’s biting their way to victory.
“Porpoise vs. Predator”
I suggested something involving Greg Norman because of Sharks references and a presumption he has played at the Redcliffe Golf Club. But AI rejected that as silly. Which is pretty rude given their above suggestions.
Dolphins by 10
SAT – NEWCASTLE v MELBOURNE
Newcastle have beaten Melbourne the last two times they have visited Newcastle. Seems hard to believe. And hard to believe it will repeat.
Melbourne by 10
SAT – ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA v ROOSTERS @ Kogarah
This game is far less interesting when not on Anzac Day. And it’s not really that interesting then. Almost as uniteresting as the two Roosters fans I saw walking out of the ground before half time last weekend against the Tigers.
Dragons by 2
SAT – NORTH QUEENSLAND v BULLDOGS
If the Bulldogs lose to busted ar$e Cowboys then it will probably be Lachlan Galvin’s fault. And funny.
Cowboys by 12
SUN – WARRIORS v WESTS TIGERS
The Tigers have lost eight in a row to the Warriors. But……they had lost eight in a row to the Roosters before winning last weekend.
Tigers by 4
SUN – PARRAMATTA v PENRITH
I wonder if Penrith will rest Origin players or not. And whether if they do if it will work out as good as it did last time. Which then makes me wonder whether Penrith are better off without them all the time. Considering one of them is Nathan Cleary, probably not. Either way, this game couldn’t be more Channel Nein.
Penrith by 6
SUN – GOLD COAST v BRISBANE
For some reason I can’t help but think of Warwick Capper when thinking about this game. I wonder if he could have been any good at rugby league in his prime. Maybe he can coach the Titans when Des Hasler steps down. I then think who would want the job.
Broncos by 12
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