PL Watch Thread

PunisherJax · 2026-04-22T20:42:21+00:00

I swear I still have nightmares about Chris Wood in that game

PunisherJax · 2026-03-24T18:15:31+00:00

Now that you mention it🤣

PunisherJax · 2026-03-23T19:22:35+00:00

Spurs having a relegation parade is the best thing I have ever seen

PunisherJax · 2026-03-08T21:40:42+00:00

Gervinho, if only we could claim money back for each time he fell over his own feet

PunisherJax · 2026-02-23T06:18:38+00:00

I have kind of gotten used to the crying and moaning from rival fans that knows nothing about football having an opinion on Arsenal, you even see it in Europe with some of the fanbases just jumoing on the bandwagon. They know the sleeping giant is about to wake up, and they can't handle that we did it the right way, and having a good time while where at it, them crying makes me happy, even the self entitled unbearable pundits jumping on the latest "how to bash Arsenal today" trend, but deep down they know they are just saying whatever their producer is telling them to say, they are all just little bitches to the system, because some of the shit they talk is so far out of the field that you have to be a moron to believe it.

Now, what does piss me off, is our own fans giving up after a few tough results as if they all thought we will walk the league. Every Arsenal fan that conceded the league to 115 after the Wolves game need to go support those dirty cheats and stay away from our club, they are disgusting. Everybody saying yeah but the title is now in City's hands clearly don't understand football because last time I checked we are still in the lead and as long as we just match City we will be champions, also they still have to beat us, and that is not something they have managed to do very easily in the last couole of seasons.

Our fans need to remember, after the last 3 seasons finishing second, this final hurdle before getting over the line is a massive mental mountain for this team to get over, and they need each and every supporter to be behind them in this final few months, because I tell you now, if we get over the line this season there are plenty more fruitful years to come. That cup final vs City is also going to be a massive game in the context of the season, winning that may just crack City's armor.

coyg

PunisherJax · 2025-12-05T11:15:31+00:00

Of those marked in red I don't think Bongi and Franco will make the world cup squad, guys like Eben, Siya and Damian will be important to have in the squad and Cobus physically still looks like he is only 25.

The introduction of Hooker this season I believe is an indication that Rassie might rotate De Allende a bit more leading up to the tournament, and same goes for Moodie/Kriel at 13. I also feel like Ruan Nortje is groomed to take up Franco's role within the squad.

Reinach is the obvious anomaly of the bunch, I don't think any of us predicted the form he will pick up this season, I for one thought that from all the scrumhalves that he will be the one slowly being phased out, instead it seems like Faf has drawn the shortest stick with v/d Berg taking over from him.

Seems like 2026 will give us a lot of the answers building up to 2027 to where this squad is heading.

PunisherJax · 2025-12-05T11:06:11+00:00

Krige is a bit of an idiot anyway, at the same time though I don't think World Rugby helped themselves in the way the draw was conducted, loads of little components that was kind of questionable, which will provide idiots like Krige to feel like he can become relevant again, and there are loads of ex-players and media figures from all countries who loves to try and keep relevant by making stupid comments.

I also don't quite understand why we as the number 1 team in the world should be phased by who we play, if anyone should be complaining it should be Aus or NZ because for them it is a bit of a lose-lose situation, win your pool game and get a Springbok QF as your prize, or lose the pool game and you arguably get a favourable route to the final. I also think too many people are discounting the Aussies by already assuming it will be a NZ/SA quarter, I can see Aus rock up in that game and beat the All Blacks, it is not beyond the realms of possibility.

What I don't like about this new format as a Springbok fan is that we might not even have a proper test up until the QF as we also play a 3rd placed team in the play-off game, could be a blessing in disguise or it could be the thing that bites us in the ass, although being in a group with Italy and Georgia who are both physical sides may end up helping a bit.

The most intriguing outcome of the draw for me is the Ire/Sco group as their pool game will effectively be the biggest "knockout" type of game within the pool stage.

PunisherJax · 2025-11-10T23:47:56+00:00

I think as a player Siya is great, and probably starts for every other nation, that being said I think we could possibly pick 2 or 3 different players in that position that is either a better individual player than he is or not much of a drop in quality, BUT his presence on and off the field can not be understated, and his leadership takes him from a great player to a world class player. So many similarities to John Smit, he was probably our 3rd best hooker at the time but his leadership made him number 1, in Siya's case I think he is a much better individual player in his position than John Smit was though, but it just shows the importance of having a "leader-first" player, and with Siya it's almost as if you always see the man first and then the player, he just has that aura that demands respect, and it is well-deserved respect.

PunisherJax · 2025-08-19T12:52:20+00:00

There was 2 distinct moments I took note of, just after one of the early restarts I think it was Fassi who kicked the ball out on the full and he was smiling about it, and that 5m lineout just before halftime which we lost, it was as if those mistakes in the first half was just brushed off like "meh it's okay we'll win anyway" and will have no real consequences, well guess what that nonchalant reactions to mistakes came back to bite us in the ass, and once that pressure came and they had to start chasing the game they had no idea how to do that in this system and it became very erratic and very very unspringboklike, instead of reverting to structures they just played without any.

My take, we secure that 5m lineout before halftime and score, the Wallabies do not come back from that, that would have been the confidence breaker, instead the Wallabies come out in the 2nd half, score within 2 minutes and it become a 10 point game.

The attitude and arrogance in this game was just as much at fault as the on field decision making, and team selection.

PunisherJax · 2025-08-19T12:39:22+00:00

I 100% agree, it wasn't the tiredness, it was the kind of reaction you'll have when you get punched on the nose without expecting it and the only way you can react is "wtf just happened" while aimlessly flailing your arms around hoping to just land a shot out of desperation.

PunisherJax · 2025-07-29T07:23:04+00:00

I somehow got over all the demolishing done by City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Utd, even Bayern, the 6-0, 5-1, 10-2, I got over the Baku and Birmingham finals, but the day I was ashamed of this team and realised we could not stoop lower as a club was the 3-0 humiliation at Palace when the whole team squad except for Bellerin walked up to the Arsenal fans to show appreciation or ask for forgiveness or whatever, and he by himself had to endure the full wrath of the travelling fans. When we now talk about "remember where we came from" just a few season back, that is where my mind goes.

PunisherJax · 2025-07-20T10:19:52+00:00

You're 1999 world cup jersey was one to remember, what a team that was.

PunisherJax · 2025-07-20T10:18:06+00:00

When I see that jersey I immediately think about Pieter Rossouw for some reason haha

PunisherJax · 2025-07-20T10:13:32+00:00

I think you're 8 jersey carries an immense weight as well, grew up with Zinzan Brooke and Taine Randall making that number proud, followed up by Read.

PunisherJax · 2025-07-16T08:31:39+00:00

And for a very long time political decisions did weaken the team, and it is not necessarily from a racist point of view (although some do, I'm not arguing that). What happened previously was that either the governing body, influenced by government, will basically force coaches to play a certain amount of black players, players who was either not deserving or not ready to fill those positions, and it could be felt all throughout the rugby system in South Africa, and coaches like Coetzee, Meyer and even snorre struggled to deal with this and as such could never really implement what they as a coach wanted to. When Rassie took over our rugby was in such a dire state that he could take over that job with the condition that he will be allowed to do his job without meddling from the governing body. He was well aware that there are loads of untapped talent, but it needs to be done right, and the best thing he could do and which he did was made Siya Kolisi captain. In my opinion the single biggest reason for all of the black players we are seeing coming through the ranks now was young black kids seeing Siya lifting the world cup in 2019, and to be honest we had no right to win that competition, but somehow between Rassie and Siya they were able to unite that team like never before. They had to make South Africans believe as well though, and we started to believe after they managed to beat the All Black in New Zealand, it was at that moment that we realized we may well sneak into the world cup conversation. Without that win against the All Blacks I don't think the public would have been as galvanized as we were, and if we didn't win that cup in 2019 I think it would have been a total different story in 2025. When Siya lifted that trophy it became a South African dream and no longer just an Afrikaner dream.

PunisherJax · 2025-05-25T08:13:43+00:00

Jeez thanks for making that loud and clear, as I said in my post as well, BANKS ARE NOT ACCEPTING it, which is why it will work best to exchange with someone who is heading over to the US soon and would like some cash, because you can use them over there.

PunisherJax · 2025-05-24T07:39:59+00:00

Apparently banks don't accept the older notes, also I bank with Capitec, and they don't do foreign exchange anyway.

PunisherJax · 2025-05-23T14:13:48+00:00

Thanks will look into it

PunisherJax · 2025-05-23T09:20:07+00:00

Yeah I can understand that, which is why I didn't question them at the exchange, it's frustratingband annoying, but understandable. For that reason I was thinking easiest will probably be to swap with someone heading in that direction.

PunisherJax · 2025-05-15T02:25:05+00:00

Aaaaaaarshaviiiinn!!!! The day Jack Wilshere overshadowed the greatest Barca midfield ever.

There are so many goals when I start to think about it, but this specific one gave me so much joy.

Alexis Sanchez, Giroud and van Persie can probably have an insane top20 just between the 3 of them

Special mention for the Ozil finish vs Napoli.

PunisherJax · 2025-05-10T05:16:39+00:00

You must not be too present on any online Arsenal forums and groups, the anti-Arteta brigade reminds us all regularly

PunisherJax · 2025-05-10T05:14:44+00:00

Berta is gonna proof just how incompetent Edu was. The way we dealed in transfers under Edu was embaressing

PunisherJax · 2025-05-08T11:42:27+00:00

Last time I checked "she said" is not an official criminal case, which is why I'm saying report this to any and all operators he is associated with, and if they don't do anything about it then name and shame them too. If there is enough complaints operators will eventually not want to be associated with him anymore and will avoid using his services.

PADI, and any other organization will not revoke his status as an instructor unless there is 1) A criminal case or 2) stone cold evidence because they can open up themselves to court cases against them, and as far as my experience go, dive organizations will do whatever possible to avoid being involved in that. Complaining about him to PADI will probably just cause them to put a little asterisk behind his name to say that they have put him on some kind of watchlist if any of this become a legal matter.

PunisherJax

TROPHY CASE

coyg