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Willow Cup 2012 :: South Sydney Rabbitohs v Penrith Panthers :: Final

joshie

Live Update Team
Messages
3,115
jersey_rabbitohs_1.gif
-V-
jersey_panthers_1.gif


Match Preview: The Cup Final is here. The Bluebags and Ninjas have been previous champions but in this match, neither team will be involved. The brilliant Rabbitohs will play in their first Willow Cup final with their excellent run of form. They will have to topple, a short numbered, but powerful Penrith side. With some of the greatest writers to ever play F7s involved in this match, it should be a cracker of a match. So strap yourself in and get ready for some of the best reading you will ever witness.

Game Thread:
* This is a game thread only. Only game posts can be made here - team lists, substitutions, and articles.
* Any other posts may result in loss of points and is at the discretion of the referee.
* Only original articles, not used in previous games, will be marked by referees.

Naming Teams:
* 3 -V- 3 (+ 4 reserves for Both sides)
* No 'TBA' or changing players named
* Captains must stick with original teams named

Rules: http://f7s.leagueunlimited.com/rules.php
Official Word Counter: http://f7s.leagueunlimited.com/wordcount.php

Kick Off: Sunday 24th June 2012 (6:00pm AEDT)
Full Time: Sunday 1st July 2012 (Fulltime is at midnight)
Referee: Willow
Venue: The Front Row Stadium
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Monk

Referee
Messages
21,347
Rabbits walk off the bus looking fashionable and sophisticated, ready to win some hard-earned silverware to show off in their fancy new Trophy Case.

Give 'em hell Bunnies!

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Monk (c)
Lambretta
byrne_rovelli_fan82

Bench:
Bubbles
Marshall_magic
Non_Terminator
eloquentEEL
 

Big Mick

Referee
Messages
26,239
Panthers run onto the field to take on the Bunnies in the Willow Cup Final:

Big Mick c
Leaguenut
Madunit

RES:
Broncoman
Abpanther
[Furrycat]
Didgi
 

byrne_rovelli_fan82

First Grade
Messages
7,477
byrne_rovelli_fan runs onto the field, excited to be part of a finals game. Been a while!

~~~


Growth

“It’s usually three to five years, and that’s the tough part about the draft,” he said. “If you have a bad draft you may not see it right away but you’ll see it in five years. That’s why you don’t want too many years where you kind of cut the chain because that would catch up to you.” – Jim Nill assistant General Manager, Detroit Red Wings.

This past weekend I was following the 2012 NHL Draft at the Console Energy Centre in Pittsburgh, home of the Penguins. It’s that time of year when promising young players have their lives changed over the course of two days. Trades ‘n’ picks all happen in a short space of time as the future of these youngsters unfold.

However if an NHL club selects someone from the ‘new batch’ there is no guarantee of them having immediate success, no certainty they’ll be playing in the NHL the following season or if they even make it there in the first place.

Looking at the players gracing the league now, we tend to forget they’ve taken a long road to get to the top. It is unlikely for top prospects to have an immediate impact. Unless of course there is a ‘once-in-a-generation’ type of player such as Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.

In footy it’s the exact same method without the draft system of the NHL in place. These young, vibrant and talented kids have to work hard to get where they are, they don’t just turn into brilliant players over night, though if they’re from the same mould as Crosby, then its just by pure luck.

Every year the NRL’s Toyota Cup unearths brilliance but even if these babies make the step-up into the NRL and have a stellar first year run, their true potential will never come to bear fruit at least for a few more years.

So why is it when a new footballer appears on our radar; they are touted ‘as the next big thing’ but then fail to deliver over the next few years, or that we only see ‘their best years’ for a little while and after the good times they appear to fall into a hole? It’s as though we are not interested in nurturing the talent over the career of the footy player, we’re just interested in what we can get of them in a short space of time.

While it is true sporting athletes only have a small window of opportunity to maximize their profits there is still time for them to grow and nurture their talent the best way possible for their careers.

To be blessed with unlimited talent, freakish skills and the best ability might get a footy player and even an NHL player elevated to the status of super stardom however the star doesn’t shine for long as questions over consistency come into question and the potential to become better.

Warriors’ halfback Shaun Johnson is a perfect example. He came into the NRL season last year on the back off a very impressive 2010 with the NYC. He is one of the most talked about players in the game at the moment; his talent alone speaks for him. This year though we’ve seen the worst and best of him, and he hasn’t been able to clearly re-establish himself as the same player as last year. It is not because of a lack of talent, a lack of faith nor does it have anything to do with the opposition. He needs the time to develop, to hone his skills. The importance for Johnson is to be given the time to mature and elevate his game. He’s not a Kiwi great. Yet. One day in the near future when he’s in his late 20s he might but until then he’s just another guy trying to make it big.

The NRL is like a factory. Bring ‘em in, make ‘em work, as soon as they get old ship ‘em out.
The NHL brings ‘em in, nurtures them until they’re ready, elevate them and use them until they’ve run out then they move them on, by that time though there’s another little guy waiting in the wings.

So when the next Slater, Inglis, Lockyer, Hayne, Marshall and Dugan come along, don’t expect them to sprout wings and perform miracles. Give them 4-5 years before they really become the next great one / next immortal because true talent only comes to those who wait.

~~

744 words between the '~' lines according to the official word counter.
 

LeagueNut

First Grade
Messages
6,972
LeagueNut for the mighty Panthers - 727 words in total.


Time to go

The brain is an amazing thing. I don’t pretend to understand for a second how it all works – and thankfully I don’t really need to. As long as it keeps me breathing and wakes me up each day that’ll do me.

One of the more amazing functions of the brain is how it “protects” you from things you aren’t ready for. We can shut out all manner of things from the banal to the bizarre and everything in-between. When challenged with something we don’t want to accept there’s dozens of different “outward” reactions – some will get violent, some will turn to self-harm, some will blame, some will deny – but all will forget, until they’re ready to slowly open that door and face what’s behind. Some people like to make it their business to open that door for you, and while their hearts may be in the right place they’re the sort of people that deserve to rot in hell surrounded by cross-bred piranhas and maggots. (No, that doesn’t touch a nerve, why do you ask?)

Anyway, to the point – each year a number of NRL regulars with varying career stories must make that awkward decision to hang up the boots. Each year we collectively gasp in amazement at the amount of experience we’re losing – and yes, people like Hindmarsh, Civoniceva, Burt, Luck and Geddes will leave damn big holes – but life goes on and there’s a fresh crop of youngsters just champing at the bit for an opportunity to fill their sizeable shoes.

Most of us probably aren’t planning to make that decision for another 20 to 40 years or so. The short life-span of a top grade Rugby League player means they don’t have the luxury of “growing old gracefully” in their chosen profession – there’s no doubting it’s a young mans game.

So how would you react if you had to make that decision in your mid-30’s?

Maybe you’d put it off for as long as possible. “Just one more season, I’ll be OK…” – but somewhere in the dark recesses of your brain, you’d know it was time to go. So what are you waiting for? One last shot at glory, one final chance to leave a legacy, one ultimate shot at the big finish you deserve?

Maybe you’d deny it. You’d convince yourself that a new deal was just around the corner, or a new challenge would re-invigorate your game. You’d have your Manager scouring far and wide for a deal that meets your lofty expectations. And you’d probably get it too – your bloody-minded desire would surely impress some rookie decision maker and you’d saddle up for pre-season training, realise you were the oldest person there by about 10 years, and quickly delude yourself into thinking you’re about to have your best season ever.

Maybe you’d be steadfastly determined to go out in a blaze of glory – you deserve nothing less than a Grand Final win as your last ever match. You spend the whole pre-season with positive mantras about finally lifting that trophy until there’s only four weeks to go in the regular season and you’re ten points outside the top eight. Or maybe your team is right in the running for the title but you’re dead set struggling with 20 minutes each week off the Reserve Grade bench. But you’d do anything to have people talking about you one last time – and suddenly your brain thinks it’s a good idea to belt a referee, or mercilessly bag your teammates in the media, or knock out the opposition captain with a near-lethal flying elbow – you can retire a happy man with your name in blazing lights on the front page of the paper, regardless of what you have to do to get it there.

Or maybe you’d go quietly. Perhaps you know the dark clouds moving over the grandstand roof are coming at just the right time. Your brain has opened the door – you know the desire just isn’t there any more and you know the money isn’t enough on it’s own to keep you interested. You’re happy with your career, even if it didn’t quite reach the heights you expected. You love the game just as much as ever but the time feels right – as right as anything you’ve thought of before.

That’ll be me I reckon.

Time to go.
 

Lambretta

First Grade
Messages
8,679
Lambretta takes a dummy run, but somehow receives the ball. Will he knock on? The 748 words that follow will decide that fact.....

Colour blinded from truth?

Let me start by stating from the beginning that the first State of Origin match was everything that State of Origin should be. Two teams filled with the cream of Australian, Fijian and New Zealand talent all proudly representing the State where they would like us to believe they come from. Both teams showed flashes of brilliance, moments of madness and more passion than a warren of rabbits in mating season.

Yet, as the final whistle blew, all New South Welshmen wanted to talk about was the unfairness of refereeing decisions and their impact upon the result; while north of the Tweed, all the Queensland fans wanted to talk about was Queensland passion and their team’s ability to win the close ones. Fifty percent of the people watching that night were adamant that no try had been scored by Greg Inglis, yet from reading the blogs, forums and talking to Queensland fans it seemed that they were delighted with the correct decision handed down by the video referee.

So how is it possible for the same event to be both wrong and right at the same time? How can a “no try” decision be a “try”? In short, it isn’t possible. So why do we find ourselves in a world where there is no longer any black or white with Rugby League, only grey?

When Greg Inglis dropped the ball instead of grounding it, making himself a “fibber” as Phil Gould called him; surely he should have just walked away. Unfortunately, like the lure of the Maroon jumper that doesn’t belong to him, the lure of the four points was also too great and he raised his arm to celebrate a triumph that wasn’t his to claim.

We do have safeguards against sportsmen who aren’t that sporting: the wonder of the video replay enables us to slow down, rewind and watch repeatedly something that is usually patently obvious from the very first view. Yet thirty views later the decision is still wrong! It seems video referees repeat replays to sow seeds of doubt in the minds of the viewers. In short, by repeating a lie often enough they hope it will magically become the truth.

The sad thing about this whole affair is the complicity shown by supporters of Queensland, for whom it is far more important to beat New South Wales than to beat them fairly. When Bill Harrigan started making excuses to protect Shaun Hampstead and ultimately his own job, the howls of disgust from south of the Tweed should have been matched by the howls from the north. Instead, only ugly barbs of self-interest were thrown our way, and it’s not good enough.

I have a theory when it comes to watching games where I try and view contentious incidents that benefit my team by imagining how I would feel if it had happened against the team that I support. In 2010, when the Roosters went on a run to the Finals, they met the Wests Tigers in a game at the Sydney Football Stadium. With only seconds remaining and the Tigers leading by only a point, the Tigers fed a scrum and the Roosters pushed, regained the ball against the feed and went on to equalise. Why was this allowed? In every other game that season, scrum shenanigans led to a re-feed so the team feeding the scrum could retain possession. So, why were the Roosters allowed free reign to push? Using my “what if it happened to us” theory, the only conclusion I can come to is that the referee got it wrong and the Tigers should have won the game.

For most supporters that way of thinking is blasphemy but surely winning fairly is more important than our pride? Surely supporters of Rugby League should be able to set their passion and prejudice aside and start to demand honesty, truth and just outcomes in the games we love to watch?

But of course absolute truth isn’t welcome in the World of the fanatical, merely the truths we want to see. So we’ll carry on accepting mediocrity if it benefits us and howling injustice for every perceived slight. After all, we need someone to blame and we’d rather blame the cheating opposition or the men who make the decisions than admit our own warriors could possibly be at fault. We will continue to encourage the grey providing of course our own colours cause benefits from it. Go the Blues!
 

madunit

Super Moderator
Staff member
Messages
62,358
madunit for the Panthers

Home Ground

Every Sunday at sixteen hundred hours, members of the people’s army of National Rugby League, reach for the remote control and turn their television on to Channel 9 (or Channel 90 if you live outside of QLD and NSW) to sit and watch the delayed telecast of the game played that day.

And for the most part, those games invariably contain the Wests Tigers. As a Tigers fan this doesn’t particularly worry me too much, but the one thing that irritates many fans, including those supporting the Tigers, is the commentary by Ray Warren and his luminary Phil Gould about Sunday afternoon games at Leichhardt Oval.

These two old men, whose memories seemingly stopped recording data in 1989, will wax lyrical for the majority of the broadcast about AMCO Cup games and the old interstate clashes before Origin being played at Leichhardt.

If the game is in a particularly low point, we may even be subjected to memories of when the ground ran east to west (not north to south like it does today).

In fact, when you look at the TV guide prior to kick off and see “Leichhardt Oval” in the guide, you know, with military precision, exactly what commentary you will expect.

And with the precision of a Swedish clockmaker, they deliver.

Why is this irritating?

It’s because they are stating the bleeding obvious.

Leichhardt Oval is a magnificent ground. Unlike the plethora of stadia around the country and the globe nowadays, Leichhardt Oval has charm and a sense of loyalty about it. While the rest of the world has gone on to bigger and better things, such as 80,000 seated stadiums and the like, the grand old girl on the water has stayed true to her original self for nigh on eighty years.

The ground began as essentially park as far back as the 1880’s, with cricket mostly being played there. It wasn’t until Balmain Tigers planned a move there in the early 1930’s, that the ground was upgraded so as to accommodate fans who would invariably make the pilgrimage to the watersiders new home.

The first game the Tigers played at Leichhardt Oval was in Round 1 of the 1934 season, when they took on the best team in the competition and eventual premiers that year, as well as the team who Balmain would eventually merge with some 6 and a half decades later, Western Suburbs. Balmain lost 18-5.

From those halcyon days, Balmain turned Leichhardt Oval into somewhat of a fortress. From that first game in 1934 til the last game of 1950, Balmain won 61, drew 5 and lost 19 games there.

This period coincided with a decade of dominance by the Tigers, clearly their most dominant era in the games history in Australia. In that time, Balmain missed the finals just 4 times, appeared in 8 grand finals and winning 4 premierships.

Balmain would have success in the future as well, but not as consistently over such a long period time, yet they still managed to maintain an upper hand when playing at home.

Leichhardt was revamped in the 1970’s, her first major upgrade. The field was rotated ninety degrees and lighting was installed at the venue. Leichhardt Oval was a marquee venue. Before long it became home to Interstate games, preseason competitions and mid-week cup competitions as the lighting at the venue was a major drawcard.

The 1970’s and 1980’s were the busiest period in Leichhardt’s Rugby League life, hosting 395 matches between 1974 and 1987. To put this in perspective, in the 65 years either side of the 1974-87 era, there were 399 games played at Leichhardt.

The trees guarding the ground from the nearby water, the hill bereft of seating, grand stands and all the other mod-cons, the glorious old scoreboard which harks back to the days of a simpler but seemingly more honest time, are truly romantic concepts that warm the cockles of our hearts.

Even the betrayal by the Balmain club in the mid 90’s to change its name and move to Parramatta stadium couldn’t last. Leichhardt’s charm had won over everyone and Balmain soon came crawling back, like a child to its mother, happily reunited.

Not even a big screen can make the ground look out dated. It just reveals how much technology looks out of place in our true environment with nature.

With our home.

Our home ground.

Thehill2.jpg


736 words, including title
 

Big Mick

Referee
Messages
26,239
Big Mick runs out onto the field for the Panthers in the final!

#BREAKING​

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For the most part, the 2012 season has been a success off the field for the NRL. The number of scandals has been limited with the majority of players seemingly now able to control their behaviour off the field and conduct themselves as professionals. However this professionalism does not seem to be being reciprocated by those covering the sport. Inconsistency and agenda driven articles are the norm today as the focus on research has given way to gossip column journalism.

The media has the power to manipulate our thoughts and turn us against the game we so dearly love. Instead of focusing on the fantastic projects undertaken by NRL teams and its players, it is more in vogue to focus on the negative and dig as far down as possible to find the next scandal to show “NRL in CRISIS”.

The standard of journalism in Australia has plummeted in recent years with the growth of social media and the proliferation of gossip column journalism. Avenues such as Twitter have provided a breeding ground for established journalists and those trying to make a name for themselves in exposing NRL players and being the first to “BREAK” news.

In the NRL this type of gossip publication has grown considerably in recent years. Whether it is the “Bec and Buzz” section of the Daily Telegraph with their weekly “revelations” or Danny Weidler’s back page spread in the Sun-Herald, this type of media is driving the industry to a place where speculation and agenda are more important than substance and research.

Nothing highlights this concerning trend more than the longstanding fued between the Daily Telegraph’s sports editor Phillip “Buzz” Rothfield and his well-known agenda against the Penrith Panthers and more specifically, Phil Gould. Whether it is “doodlegate” or the recent inaccuracies in his article claiming the Panthers are a club in “crisis”, Rothfield is the leader for inconsistency in journalism.

Every day there appears to be a new angle or story from Phillip “Buzz” Rothfield, mostly of the kind that lacks substance or research. It is well known that Phillip Rothfield has yet to visit the Panthers facility in 2012, or attended a Penrith game, yet feels compelled to make his opinion known and comment on a team he has no intimate knowledge of.

Rothfield claims that the Panthers are a “club in crisis” but fails to acknowledge that not only are plans in place to succeed for 2013 and beyond, but 2012 is proving a success as well. While the NRL team is currently in 15th position on the ladder, this result is not a reflection of the club’s progression and culture change; it is merely one part of the bigger picture.

In 2011, when Gould took over, the Panthers lower grades were at a historic low. All grades were struggling and the failure of the NYC team was continuing despite the pipeline of junior talent. In 2012, all of the Panthers lower grades look like reaching the finals for the first time in years, while NSW Cup & NYC teams are currently first in their respective competitions. While the results have not been there for the NRL squad, injuries have hampered any potential charge at the finals, not Gould’s administration.

Rothfield also fails to acknowledge the recruitment for 2013 where the Panthers, for the first time in a decade, were able to attract four marquee talents in their prime. Then again, reporting actual facts would not suit Rothfield’s agenda against Gould.

To further highlight this blatant inconsistency is Rothfield's history of reporting with regards to NSW and Sharks five-eight Todd Carney. On the 28th February 2011, Rothfield wrote that Todd Carney’s multiple indiscretions should have resulted in him being incarcerated to “be taught a lesson – once and for all”. No less than eight months later on 25th October 2011, after a contract signed, sealed and delivered at Rothfield’s beloved Sharks, all was forgiven and the good guy stories followed - labelling the move as a “perfect marriage”.

This inconsistency with agenda driven editorials has become common place in the media in recent years. It is unfortunately a sad reflection on our game and the state of journalism in Australia today. The sad reality is that quality journalism is no longer a priority. The priority now lies in reporting fast and first without regard for facts or appropriate research. Journalistic content with substance doesn’t matter as much agenda-driven gossip which drives hits and Retweet’s - that is the biggest tragedy of all.

747 Words


REF:
Buzz’s Blog – Feb 28, 2011
Buzz’s Blog – October 25, 2011
“Gould takes long view & builds up Panthers ranks, Brad Walter, 22nd June 2012
 
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Monk

Referee
Messages
21,347
Monk goes for the Field Goal as time expires, but did it go through the posts?

730 Words

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


My Fair Lady

The bar stunk of false promises and unwashed hair, a train delay meant I was stuck in the hellhole that was Redfern on a Friday night. Every single Bunnies jersey in the joint was one of the cheap imitations purchasable from Paddy’s Markets or Best and Less. One bloke had even ironed a giant ‘7’ to the back of his jersey, as if to fool the other supporters into thinking he were Halfback for the almighty South Sydney Rabbitohs. Unfortunately for him, the number was far too big for his jersey, and the bottom of the 7 nearly reached the bottom of the jersey. I looked to the door for a moment and a gorgeous woman walked into the bar. Eyes fixed on the barman she demanded ‘the usual’ and scanned the bar for who I assumed to be her drunken father. As she looked from table to table, our eyes locked and I couldn’t help but feel the warmth of her gaze. My entire future was there for the taking. This was a woman I could take home to my parents.

She sat down on the table closest to the pinball machine, almost begging for conversation, guy after guy walked up to her table and was denied an invitation to sit down, yet I still wanted to. Eventually I went and sat down next to her without asking if she wanted me to. My confidence struck a chord with her for some reason and an exciting conversation followed. We talked as though we had known each other for years. It was all too good to be true, and as if God were punching me in the nut-sack for wanting something perfect, she took off her jacket and I saw the horror underneath.

Sitting atop her perfect figure and making her Hazel eyes look even more beautiful was a hideous jersey. I fell off my bar-stool in disgust and disbelief. How could something so pristine and amazing associate itself the downright filth that is Scum Sydney? What’s worse is that I had already invited her to a family barbeque the morning after. I could just imagine the old man choking on a Prawn skewer when she compares winning the Charity Shield to winning an actual Premiership. Mum would probably just pack her some extra portions to take home, along with some more to share with her family as well. How embarrassing...

I decided to dedicate the rest of the night to improving her Tri-Colour knowledge. For all I knew she was forced to become a Rabbits supporter, maybe her father brainwashed her when he saw she had a full set of teeth. Surely no one in their right mind would don the Cardinal and Myrtle. As I taught her the rich history of the Red, White and Blue, I took comfort in the fact that she seemed to remember it all without any problem. When the time came for me to say goodnight and hop on my train, I felt confident that she would happily support the Roosters, for they were the superior club.

As she pulled up to my folks’ house the following morning, I noted that her car had four wheels and wasn’t missing any windows, she looked smoking hot and my mind continued to struggle with the fact that she could be a Bunnies kind of Girl. Maybe it was Russell Crowe’s beard... Maybe I should grow a beard?

The barbeque went off without a hitch, though I expected she was used to food cooked over an open flame. God only knows the number of nights she had to chew through the bony flesh that was a toasted sewer rat. Ugh, I tried to block out the disgusting thought. As soon as I finished dinner, I piled the plates on top of each other, and noticed my Mum smiling like she was looking at some sort of beautiful painting. My old man was grinning too, as though he had just watched Freddy sink a one-pointer to win the game. Unfortunately my new found Redfern lass noticed this and saw it as an opportunity to ask me “So when are you going to tell them I support the Rabbitohs?” My mother started laughing and my old man stood up and walked over to me and whispered in my ear. “At least she’s not into AFL”.
 

Monk

Referee
Messages
21,347
Awesome to get 3v3, will be an epic game for sure.

If the ref didn't blow fulltime, does that mean we can submit bonus articles for some extra points? :sarcasm:
 

Lambretta

First Grade
Messages
8,679
Apparently Rothfield read my article...lol WOOPS!

I hope he did Mick - the Panthers are doing great things to turn their fortunes around. Like the Roosters, who are also attempting a complete culture change, the Panthers results on the field have been disappointing. But that's not to say that things aren't turning around and looking in from where I sit I sense the Panthers have a genuine long term plan, other than band aid solutions designed to avoid imminent disaster.

Well done on the Panthers for backing themselves and doing what's in the best interest of the club in the long run. Phil Rothfield has an anti Phil Gould agenda and it colours his ability to think clearly about the issues. Everything he writes in relation to the Panthers and the Roosters for that matter is about petty point scoring and making himself look big, rather than writing articles that are factual, well thought out and well researched.

I hope reading your article makes him think twice, but of course that means he would have to think first.... and that's clearly beyond him.

PS Sorry about the rant in a game thread - extra time or not.
 

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
108,126
I've received word that I'm reffing this game. This post to let y'all know that it should be done tonight. :thumn
 
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