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2012 Major Semi-Final :: Dragons v Rabbitohs

joshie

Live Update Team
Messages
3,115
jersey_dragons_1a.gif
-VS-
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PREVIEW: This is it. The first grand final qualifier of 2012 will be hotly contested between the Dragons and Souths. Both of these teams have seen a revival of sorts this season. Both clubs were lowly finishers in 2011 but now both face the prospect of advancing to this years decider. No matter how you look at it, this is a fairy tale match. The Dragons have been on fire, claiming this years minor premiership and are favourites at the bookies to cruise into the final but the Rabbitohs have other ideas. One of the best sides who generally under perform, this side reckons they have what it takes to become champions. This is a massive game and who knows what can happen. Will the powerhouse assert their dominance or are the Rabbitohs destined for Glory?

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:
* 5 -V- 5 (+ 3 reserves for home sides; + 2 for away)
* 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

FULL TIME: Sunday 9th September 2012 (You have until midnight)
Referee: Drew-sta
Venue: The Front Row Stadium
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
108,127
PREVIEW: This is it. The first grand final qualifier of 2012 will be hotly contested between the Dragons and Souths. Both of these teams have seen a revival of sorts this season. Both clubs were lowly finishers in 2011 but now both face the prospect of advancing to this years decider. No matter how you look at it, this is a fairy tale match. The Dragons have been on fire, claiming this years minor premiership and are favourites at the bookies to cruise into the final but the Rabbitohs have other ideas. One of the best sides who generally under perform, this side reckons they have what it takes to become champions. This is a massive game and who knows what can happen. Will the powerhouse assert their dominance or are the Rabbitohs destined for Glory?
Brilliant.

Good luck everyone! :thumn

Bring it on!

Edit:

The Red V bus rolls onto the big F7s stage for the first time. The ref tosses the coin. The captains shake hands. We'll run into the wind in the first half.

ST GEORGE DRAGONS - MAJOR SEMI-FINAL, 2012
jersey_dragons_1a.gif


Tanner Ave
Everlovin' Antichrist
Hutty1986
Slippery Morris
Willow
(c)

Res:
Breathingfire
Godz Illa


Good luck one and all. :thumn
 
Last edited:

Monk

Referee
Messages
21,347
Nice preview Joshie!

The Rabbitohs are psyched to be in the finals after a tough year, but the team stuck together, put in the hard yards and we know we deserve to be where we are.

Here is the team hoping to get revenge on the Dragons for the regular season loss. Don't expect us to go easy on you just because you're the minor premiers!


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Monk (c)
Bubbles
byrne_rovelli_fan82
Marshall_magic
Scott Gourley's Lovechild

Bench:
eloquentEEL
Lambretta
 

Slippery Morris

First Grade
Messages
7,395
Slippery Morris, St George

jersey_dragons_1a.gif


Bad luck boys…..



Winning a premiership is the pinnacle of a player’s career. Going through a whole season playing great consistent footy along the way with your mates and finishing the season with a Grand Final victory would be a player's dream. If you ask a premiership winner to recall their greatest career memory, they will most likely say it was winning the Grand Final.

Unfortunately not all players get to win a premiership. The ones that hurt the most are the ones that have achieve everything else but a premiership. Players like Trent Barrett, Nathan Hindmarsh, Paul McGregor, Rod Wishart, Brad Mackay, Mark Coyne to name a few.

Some players never to win a Grand Final have captained their clubs or won awards like a Dally M for a great season on the field. Some will go down in the club's history as great stalwarts but the sad thing is they just missed out on that one goal they hoped to reach. These guys gave it all when on the field and were at some stage the best in the league in their positions. Unfortunately they have that one goal they missed out on achieving in their careers, that being a premiership.

Brad Mackay played in three Grand Finals, only to lose all three games. In one of those games he received the Clive Churchill medal for best player on the field. In another game the Dragons were in a commanding lead and looked a certainty to win the Grand Final only to fall short in the final minutes to a lucky Melbourne Storm side, a side that was completely out played for most of the game. Mark Coyne was also present in those three games. Trent Barrett, Rod Wishart and Paul McGregor got to play in one Grand Final being the one mentioned above where Melbourne Storm broke all their hearts.

Nathan Hindmarsh was involved in two Grand Finals for the Parramatta Eels. In one of those deciders they were favourites as Parramatta won the Minor Premiership and broke a stack of records that year, only to fail on the biggest day of the year. In 2001, the Newcastle Knights turned up and spoiled the party. Not many people predicted that as the Eels where huge favourites to win.

Stacey Jones was another fantastic player who never won a Grand Final. He was simply outstanding as a player and the heart and soul of the Warriors, only to play in one losing Grand Final. Plus, spare a thought for Paul Bowman, a one club man for the North Queensland Cowboys who followed the same fate as Stacey Jones.

Some players don’t even make a Grand Final appearance. There is a possibility Paul Gallen may finish his career never to have played in a premiership decider. He is 31-years-old now and has never had the experience of a Grand Final, yet he is captain of the NSW Blues. He will go down as one of the best to wear the sky blue jersey, a possible captain of the Kangaroos in the near future and has held the mantle as being the league's best back rower for a number of years.

Then you have someone like Glenn Lazarus who not only won a premiership multiple times and for one club but three times and for three different clubs, all in different states. His first one was in Canberra, then Brisbane and finally Melbourne. Funny thing is he played for NSW but never won a competition with a Sydney based club. Geez, I am surprised no Sydney club picked him up because he probably would have won a premiership with them as well.

Then you have a player who will play fewer games including a winning Grand Final, only to be never be seen again. Craig Smith scored the winning try for Melbourne in 1999, finishing with a career of 22 games and a premiership ring on his finger. Others mentioned above have no ring and played over 200 games. Craig never played for his state, his country. He didn't even play for City or Country, yet he achieved something that some champions of the sport could only imagine.

Kudos to the Craig Smiths of the world. To the others, bad luck boys.

Sometimes it does not matter how good you are as long as you’re at the right place at the right time. It's a team sport, and even the most humble can claim premiership glory. That's Rugby League.


(749 words)
 
Messages
23,952
SGL - Returning to the paddock for Souths after a forced layoff / holiday.

NSW Cup – The NRL’s Ugly Step-Cousin?

That’s right Rugby League fans, the NSW Cup is coming to Grand Final day! Now for many of the die-hards who follow the trials and tribulations of a football team throughout the grades, this game will be pretty straight forward since they already know the set-up of the NSW Cup. For those that don’t, however, it could be a very confusing sight. Two teams in this year’s NSW Cup finals series, Windsor Wolves and Wentworthville Magpies, have nothing to do with top flight football history. Another, Illawarra, seem rather schizophrenic; dress like Steelers, players are Dragons, but are called the Cutters. Then also running around are two former First Grade sides in Newtown and North Sydney, and half a merged First Grade club which has merged with another club, Balmain Ryde-Eastwood. I could go on with the teams who finished outside the eight as well, but I can save that for another rant. Only two teams, Canterbury and Newcastle, are named for their affiliated club. This kind of disorganised chaos can make the casual fan feel alienated and I feel that the NRL, and the ARLC as a result, must accept a degree of responsibility.

Formerly known as Reserve Grade (amongst other guises), the NSW Cup is the competition where those souls unlucky not to be picked for the NRL’s weekend games end up. Names like Michael Lett, Justin Carney, Trent Cutler, and Sean Meaney run around every weekend, worshipped by the proverbial three men and a dog that turn up at Mount Smart Stadium No. 2 or Ringrose Park. It is a long way from the bright lights and big atmosphere of top flight NRL football, but does it needed to be treated as if it were the pimple on the arse of the football world? The answer is no, but it needs support. Some of the clubs actively get behind their NSW Cup sides, in particular Sydney Roosters (Newtown) and South Sydney (North Sydney). Others, such as St George Illawarra, devote as little time and effort as humanly possible to the venture seeing it as more an obligation to the remnants to the NSWRL. What needs to be done is to get the NSWRL to invest the time and effort into the competition as does the QRL with the Qld Cup. I understand that the two competitions differ, in that one went on to form the bulk of today’s NRL competition whilst the other still defends their own backyard as if they believe that the other is going to one day try and kill them off once and for all. But it is this passion the QRL has for its top flight competition that the NSWRL needs to harvest, and that is where the NRL and ARLC can come in.

The NSW Cup needs support from on high, as promoting this level of the game engages the community to invest much more into their club plus its current and future form. Unfortunately one of the ways of doing this, by having free to air coverage of the competition, has slipped by after the recent NRL TV rights negotiations came to an end. As a result, the NSW Cup is broadcast at the riveting time of 4:30pm on Wednesday. The Qld Cup match of the round on the other hand is broadcast live into Queensland at 2pm on Sunday as a lead-in to the NRL’s 4pm delayed broadcast. I am still yet to get a coherent response as to why this cannot be done into NSW and the ACT, but it is safe to say that whoever is in charge of looking after the best interests of the NSW Cup should probably be instead packing shelves at the local Foodworks Supermarket. The other, and probably more important way to make the NSW Cup matter to people is to treat it like a big deal. The emergence of the Toyota Cup since 2008 has shown that even with a visually inferior product (let’s be honest, all those kids seem to have feet for hands and the defensive abilities of a tackle bag), marketing the product as the future of the game has reaped rewards for both the NRL, Foxtel, and the players. The same process should be done with the NSW Cup, and the sooner the better before it falls away into complete nothingness.

The NSW Cup, here but forgotten.
 

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
108,127
Willow | St George
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al·lit·er·a·tion /əˌlɪtəˈreɪʃən/ [uh-lit-uh-rey-shuhn]
noun
1. the commencement of two or more stressed syllables of a word group either with the same consonant sound or sound group (consonantal alliteration), as in from stem to stern, or with a vowel sound that may differ from syllable to syllable (vocalic alliteration), as in each to all. Compare consonance ( def. 4a ) .

2. the commencement of two or more words of a word group with the same letter, as in apt alliteration's artful aid.

Origin:
1650&#8211;60; < Medieval Latin alliter&#257;ti&#333;n-, stem of alliter&#257;ti&#333;, equivalent to al- al- + liter&#257;ti&#333;, modeled after obliter&#257;ti&#333; obliteration but intended to convey a derivative of littera letter
Believe it or not, some people hate alliteration. Especially in sporting headlines.

There was an incident earlier this year when LeagueUnlimited was accused of using too much alliteration in the headlines of match reports.

"Rigorous reporting has been relegated to repetitiveness," they said. Or words to that effect.

Like many professional football codes, Rugby League has all the hallmarks of hard hitting headlines, providing us punters with a profusion of predictable puns. Don't get me wrong, I like to see the Roosters 'plucked', or the Cowboys 'stampede' and I always love it whenever the Dragons 'fire up' and 'slay' their opponents. But these puns are running on a well beaten track, sometimes we know the headline before we even turn to the sports pages. Now, starting every word with the same letter is a step up in class from this. Indeed, give me an artful attempt at alliteration any day of the week.

Rugby League is custom-made for cunning compositions but coining a clever colloquialism requires a catalogue of creative characteristics. Do it right, and the normally cynical readership will smile for a winning second. Do it wrong, and for an hour you'll be accused of being a prickly prankster who procrastinates... you see, that last bit just didn't hit the mark.

Here are some of my favourites:

  • Dynamic Dragons neuter nimble Knights
  • Brittle Broncos caned by cunning Canberra
  • Brutal Bulldogs batter stunned Storm
  • Cowboys deadly in Darwin destruction
  • Manly make mince meat of gallant Gold Coast
  • Worrying Warriors win over surly Souths
  • Shifty Sharks survive slippery Eels
  • Terrific Tigers take apart pitiful Panthers
Is this artform dying?

As the origins of the word show, alliteration has been around since the 1650s. It is a simple game of words that has evolved with the living language of English, and is a diversion that seems to have stood the test of time. But here in the 21st Century, with all our new fangle gizmos and electronic distractions, and an increasingly cynical emo mindset, it seems that people no longer have time for word games.

If it is dying, then it's a crying shame. In my opinion, alliteration has never been more relevant.

On occasion, when our team isn't playing in the finals, we supporters might venture into areas that few of us would normally dare to tread. So imagine my anticipation as I went in search of the weekend's headlines, hoping to see the Storm Scuttle South Sydney and the Cowboys Crush Battling Broncos. But no, I searched high and low, through the Fairfax publications, NRL.com and Foxsports... I even ventured into the trashy tabloid arena. Oh yeah, I already mentioned Fox.

It wasn't all doom and gloom. While they seemed to have abandoned alliteration, at least some of the headlines were trying to pack a punch. But overall, it was abysmal. The official publication, NRL.com, really let the team team down with Cowboys beat Broncos and Melbourne down Souths. WTF? I refused to read anymore.

Suffice to say, I hold grave fears for the fine art of headline alliteration. Purposeful penmanship provides a pleasant prose during an otherwise wasted weekend... especially when your team has been eliminated and there's no Cricket to be found.

My view is that we can never get enough of the stuff - a grotesque gag, a puerile pun, a pitiful play on words... it's all better than no joke at all! But of course, some 'alliterants' (is that even a real word?) may get a little carried away, and there'll forever be those who try to censor this colourful craft.

Or to put it in a language we all can follow...

Alas, adamant alliterants always aggravate angst-ridden antagonists.

Words | 750
Ref | dictionary.com
Many thanks to Timmah and the LU Live Update team.
 

Bubbles

Juniors
Messages
416
Bubbles on for Souths
______________________________
Fair Game

I can’t begin to count the number of times I have heard lamentations online and in life in regards to the loss of loyalty and integrity from the game of Rugby League. These used to be frequent and emotive, however over time voices have dimmed, fallen silent or are attributed to a breed of old-style League head, irrelevant in the modern era where professional sport has ingested old-school sportsmanship and then used its bones as toothpicks.

Now, I know I’m going to sound like a crusty old person waxing lyrical about bygone years and better days and that sounds about right, but crusty or no, it doesn’t make what I have to say altogether wrong either.

Never has this issue of player loyalty and integrity seemed so poignant as this last couple of weeks where we witnessed the farewell of one-club legends Nathan Hindmarsh and Luke Burt. To me, the moment seemed bigger than simply two footballers hanging up their boots to rest their weary and battered bodies. To me, it felt like a symbolic closing of an era, a time where club loyalty was more than just a catchphrase conveniently trotted out in the presence of a microphone.

I know that through the 'shits’n’giggles' of the last minutes of Hindmarsh’s career, a fitting end to someone who transcended club affiliations to become a fan favourite with his impish outlook on life, I felt a sadness, as if I were witnessing near to the last of the ilk of player raised with an ethos of hard competition, unfaltering fidelity to club emblem and lofty ideals of fair sportsmanship.

Just a few weeks ago I witnessed a fellow Rooster supporter use the word ‘hate’ in the same sentence as our very own one-club statesman, Anthony Minichello, something I thought I would never see come to pass. It was in relation to the man known as the Count’s recent on-field performances, to put it in context, however I was shocked to see the vitriol spewing forth from a small handful of our supporters.

After all, as fans, don’t we want and expect our players to bleed for the jersey, to endure physical torment most of us couldn’t fathom, all in the name code and club? Don’t we, ourselves, shed tears of joy, tears of frustration and of pain for our team? Don’t we have to dig deep within ourselves to dredge up the passion and the pride sometimes to continue cheering and showing up with our support, even when it feels as though we’re masochists with low pain thresholds?

This is what we have in our Hindmarsh’s, our Burt’s, our Minichello’s, not to mention those we’ve seen pass from the game, the likes of Sterling, Ettingshausen, Lockyer and the like. In Rugby League circles we like to throw the term ‘untouchable’ around, usually in relation to the oft unpredictable and complex judiciary system, however there is one context within which the term should be used and that’s when it pertains to the last of the one-club players who have given their football lives and loyalty to our emblems.

I have heard it said that “No player is larger than the club” and that since Minichello no longer has anything to offer he should stand down for the good of the team. This is Mini, who rose through the ranks of interstate and international Rugby League until, perched at the pinnacle was struck down cruelly by injury after injury, leaving him a shadow of his former self, but retaining the same spirit, enthusiasm and unwavering loyalty to his beloved Chooks. Isn’t this exactly the time where all the years of pain and torment, triumph and joy and sacrifice on the part of Anthony, when we should be giving just a little of that back by allowing him to decide when he has had enough, when he no longer has anything left to offer on the football field?

There are some players, very few left indeed, who should never be fair game for the hunger of the fans to rip into their own when starved of success. These players should be the ‘untouchables’ of the game, out of reach of attack and they should absolutely be allowed the dignity of deciding in which manner and when they depart the field for the last time. They have earned that and in this day and age of recyclable relationships, ideals and loyalties, they should be revered, never disrespected.
________________________________
Word count: 744
 

Tanner Ave

Juniors
Messages
539
Tanner Ave : St George - And loving it.
jersey_dragons_1a.gif


St George Illawarra funeral eulogy by Tanner Ave

For those of you who are supporters of this club and are tempted to be filled with anger... anger towards any one individual because of our loss, I can only say that I feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling.

But we must rally together for the good of our communities, work colleagues and more importantly our families... St George Illawarra, the NRL team with the famous Red V, winner of 16 premierships and home to three immortals. Officially born at Kogarah School of Arts on November 8, 1920. A famous club with expectations of success while holding the core values of honour, loyalty and passion, its history is thick with achievements and honours.

The Dragons as they have become affectionately known, were eliminated on a Sunday night - September 2.

On the day their life support assisted season came to an end, the Dragons were celebrating the great careers of two of their favourite sons, this would be their last campaign. The setting for this elimination was right, the feelings at the end were right, however, it was all at the wrong time. The scenario was planned for at least another four weeks later. But painfully, like many good Dragon teams before them, their season was cut tragically short. Effectively losing their battle for survival.&#8232;

In the difficult days that followed the death of their 2012 season, it has been a roller coaster of emotion down Kogarah way. Let's ask ourselves what type of supporters we are?

For those that are angry and frustrated, what does that achieve, and why? For those who are sad, don't be! All of the emotions that engulf our proud supporters, all the thoughts of potential evil towards different factions - be it the NRL, the Leagues clubs, or wherever - they must not tear us apart. Instead, bind us together so that we move forward into our future with unity.&#8232;We must make a stand. We owe it to the brave souls who went before us, we owe it to the generations to come. More importantly we owe it to Rugby League across the world. Other teams can only dream of the history this club has, they can only dream of the emotions evoked into its supporters as it is in the dragons supporters watching the red V. So we need to set the standard and example in times of trouble. Our passion, pride and loyalty must shine through the impending off season.

For those tempted to turn their backs and for those tempted to vent their frustration, let me implore you to consider the consequences of such actions. Dean Young, ran onto the field in pain for the Red V to be glorified, not ridiculed. Captain Ben Hornby was labelled the greatest competitor by the greatest coach, because of his desire to see the Red V lifted above all else.

Be mindful of these heroes and honour them with the same qualities they have exampled in their careers. Keeping in the front of your mind your favourite memories; Ben Hornby's Grand final catch heroics. Dean Young running onto the field at anytime, making that extra tackle for his team, his fans, his passion.

What we need in Kogarah is not division, not anger, not judgement. What we need is unity. Unity is something we can normally boast about, something that separates us from the rest, be it in Melbourne, the Gold Coast or New Zealand. We need to stand together now like we do at away games, loud and proud of where we stand in history and not on the ladder.&#8232;We have had difficult times in the past eras of Nathan Brown and Brian Smith, we may have many more eliminations like this year under Steve Price.

But as they come, so does the next time of premiership glory. With 2010 fresh in our minds, knowing that on any given Sunday, united, we fill Jubilee like pilgrims converge on Mecca or Jerusalem.

Let us stay united in the tough times, our Red V is a symbol of a historic past and a hope for the future, we must dedicate ourselves to upholding the values of that Red V. Values that can't be bought with money, can't be evened out with the salary cap, and is there for all to see on Grand Final day when the true believers are in full voice singing together - out of tune, but in unity.

Words : 749
 

Hutty1986

Immortal
Messages
34,034
Hutty charges onto the field for St George...

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In the grips of finals fever!



There’s been something special in the air this week. You can feel the tension and the excitement. The NRL finals are here, baby!

As a proud and passionate St George Illawarra supporter, the 2012 season has been a tough one. Two golden point losses, our annual meltdown against Canberra and no top eight finish means I’ll be watching the end-of-season games in a far more relaxed fashion. Despite having no genuine team to follow, I’m very, very excited about this year’s finals series. So many questions will be answered; can Des lead his new side to glory against his former charges? Will South Sydney finally end over 40 years of miserable mediocrity by winning the premiership? Can Melbourne win their first legitimate comp since 1999? Ah, so many subplots and so many chilled beverages to be had!

The opening three games of the finals series have spurred me onto thinking that the answers to my three questions are in fact yes, no and yes. On Friday night, fans rolled into ANZ Stadium to witness a potential classic between the reigning premiers, Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, and under-the-radar’ Dessy’s minor premiers, the Canterbury Bulldogs. This was a match-up for the ages, the experienced and powerful Eagles against the flashy and dangerous Doggies. While the game turned out to be ferocious and hard-fought, I think a drinking game involving sculling after every knock-on and Anthony Watmough penalty may have been more entertaining.

Alas, despite my sour grapes-infused comments, the reality is that the Dogs are now 80 minutes from a decider and a battered Manly stay alive to battle North Queensland next weekend. The second course of the week one finals feast was served up in chilly Melbourne, where last year’s minor premiers the Storm took on the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Despite the confidence of League Unlimited’s array of Bunnies fans, lead by the indomitable BunniesMan, it was a long night for the Pride Of The League. Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk had no time for fairytales and the red-and-greens first September appearance degenerated into a nightmare to the tune of 24-6. Therein lies both the beauty and rollercoaster ride nature of the finals; One group of fans are now looking ahead to a home preliminary final while the Rabbits need to knock off Canberra in a week’s time.

You know, being a Brisbane fan must be a pretty sweet gig. Say what you want about their poor end to 2012, any club that’s won six premierships in under 25 years would be pretty fun to follow. But that’s the past and in the present, the Broncos aren’t all that good. Last night, the geldings travelled up to Dairy Farmers Stadium in Townsville to play the ‘little brother,’ aka the Cowboys. For Brissy’s supporters, this had all the makings of a tough night at the office; and it certainly was, the younger sibling making up for years of beltings, thrashings and taunting in a 33-16 training run. It’s farewell to the Broncs for another season and I can imagine the Caxton Street pub did a pretty roaring trade as the locals drowned their sorrows.

My local drive-through bottle shop made a few bucks yesterday as I and a couple of mates (fans of similarly rubbish clubs) sat down to watch the action unfold. As three blokes who love their sides with a fiery passion, this was an excellent opportunity to relax and not give a flying Fittler about the results. Matt King has a broken arm you say? That’s not ideal! Manly will have trouble fielding a backline next week? Cheers to that!

The mighty Red V won the premiership only two years ago and to a certain extent, I’m still basking in the glow of that success. St George Illawarra didn’t make the cut this year but as they say, you gotta’ deal with the lows so you can enjoy the highs. For fans of perennially-underachieving sides like Cronulla and Souths, this represents an elusive opportunity to end years of torment by going all the way to premiership glory. Just like Manly saluting skipper Jamie Lyon’s grand final try last season or Knights' fans getting goose bumps any time the name Darren Albert is mentioned.

The NRL finals can be cruel, they can be devastating. For a chosen few, their very own version of footy supporters' Nirvana is edging ever closer.

The finals are here, baby!

(742 words using Official Word Counter)
 

byrne_rovelli_fan82

First Grade
Messages
7,477
byrne_rovelli_fan82, excited to be participating in Forum 7s finals first time in a few years!

~~

No trophy, no worries.

As I sat, at my locker I listened to the noise going on all around me. Every one of my teammates went about their game-day routine with ease, nobody acted different they were all the same. It was nice. It made me feel at peace in sense.

Though I have known for a long time this day would come and I’d prepared myself for the impending goodbyes; a lot of it still felt a bit surreal. This is all I’ve ever known, my whole life up until now has just been about playing football, week-in and week-out. If I got lucky I had the chance to play out a full season, and if not, I’m bound to the sideline watching everyone else have fun.

My line of work wasn’t like the every-day guy. I didn’t have a 9-5 job although there have been moments in my career where 9-5 sounded more appealing. I can even bet those guys working the 9-5 would love to swap places with me. All I did is go out on the field and play with my mates kicking around a football and get paid.

There was more to it though, it wasn’t just all fun and games for my teammates and I. The blood, the sweat and the tears. The agony and the ecstasy of our fluctuating fortunes. I had seen the best of our abilities when we were at the height of our powers but I had also seen us at our worst. This wasn’t a game for the faint-hearted. It can eat away at you and can tear you up from the inside.

I have heard only the great players are recognized for their achievements and the only way to gain such an honour is having the ability to win trophies year-in and year-out. Bullocks! No league player’s career should be defined by winning some trophy. Even when the best in our game, the likes of Darren Lockyer and Andrew Johns have won the NRL Trophy and been crowned a champion it is only one part of their career. For one time out of many a player gets to call themselves a champion. Then what happens to them? Some fall by the wayside and are never heard from again. Championship trophies come and go, one minute you’re everybody’s hero and then, next year there’s a new hero and you’re not the hot shot anymore.

I looked across the room and I can’t help but smile. He stood at his own locker head bowed hands clasped together. To me, this was a guy who is a true definition of a great player. It’s just a shame he gets ridiculed more for his error rate then he does for his brilliant ability.

Further along the room I spy the show pony. He’s young he’s brash and he’s full of energy. Perhaps one day he’ll be a leader here; he is already part of the team’s future as they move from the old to the new.

These guys may never get their hands on the glory of the NRL trophy but they don’t need to. They are carving out their own shot at greatness, in a different way. One will be remembered for his sheer strengths, size and speed and brilliance in the air. The other remembered for his slick skills and undeniable talent. An NRL Trophy would look nice along side their name, sure, just as it would have looked great with my name. But I’ve come to realise it’s not all about the glitz and glamour anymore.

I’ve done my job. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. My body aches from the pain, it’s been screaming at me lately though. Finally I decided to listen to it.

‘All right boys let’s go!’

It had all gone by in such a blur; we’d done our final preparations’ we’d given each other our best. Now it was time.

The boys filed out of the room one at a time. The clatter sounds of football boots echoed through the concrete corridor, my fingers tingled the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.

I didn’t have an NRL Trophy; I wasn’t etched in rugby league folklore. I had no sparkling Dally M medal sitting on my bedside table. It didn’t matter. I didn’t need anything special to highlight my journey. The roar of the crowd and the support of my best mates was enough.

~~

743 words between '~' according to the official word counter.
 
Messages
42,632
EA for the Dragons.

jersey_dragons_1a.gif


Death of a Magpie

To the Wests Tigers Board of Directors;

Dear Sirs or Madams,

There have been a few dark days in the reasonably recent history of the Western Suburbs Magpies Rugby League Football Club. From the day in 1983 when the NSWRL attempted to expel the Magpies (later rescinded due to legal action) to the moment the current joint venture with the Balmain Tigers was announced in 1999. The club history since that day in 1999 is littered with trials and tribulations, but few of those are as disgusting and deceitful as the decision made by you, the Wests Tigers board of directors, to field only a Wests Tigers team in the 2013 NSW cup competition. The Western Suburbs Magpies Rugby League team will be no more at NSWRL level, a level at which it existed for 100 odd years.

Assuming that decision is ratified by the NSWRL I have but one thing to say to you people; you are a complete and utter pack of bastards.

You have now given the Western Suburbs Magpies the ultimate &#8220;screw you&#8221; and the sad thing is, its supposed Wests Magpies people doing some of the screwing. Well, not all of us are happy to be the centrepiece of a Chinese finger trap. We&#8217;ve had to put up with you taking most of the NRL games and big drawing teams away from Campbelltown which relegated most Magpies NSWRL home games to stand-alone fixtures. We&#8217;ve watched as you allowed beloved local Campbelltown players to move to other teams in order to sign big dollar players who have the heart of a small rodent and you now see fit to hand out the ultimate slap in the face to Magpie supporters, the only real link the Magpies had with the top club levels of Rugby League is about to go the way of the Dodo.

Forget the Magpie on the sleeve or the collar, it isn&#8217;t fooling anyone. The Wests Tigers is now, and will forever be, a reincarnation of the Balmain Tigers put together at the expense of a once proud club. The once a year Black and White jumpers will be nothing more than an ironic reminder of what you people did to the club that spawned that great jersey.

For years you&#8217;ve sat back and allowed the Magpies NSW Cup side to struggle, giving the bulk of any talented leftovers from the NRL squad to the Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers NSW Cup side and left the Magpies to fend for themselves with left-over and unwanted players. Even allowing for that disgraceful state of affairs and the fact that the Magpies had become a laughing stock in the NSW Cup, it was still the Magpies and to plenty of Magpies fans, it was somewhat comforting that they still existed.

The worst of it though is that some of you represent the two main Leagues clubs of the Joint Venture, Wests Ashfield and Wests Campbelltown. It&#8217;s ironic that two licensed clubs that made their name and their fortune on the back of the Magpie have now been instrumental in laying that Magpie to rest. You should be made to cease using the name and logo immediately you frauds, you unredeemable miscreants.

The Magpies final match in the NRL was a 60-16 massacre at the hands of Auckland. The Magpies final match in the NSW Cup was a 76-4 thrashing at the hands of, ironically, Balmain.

Those are the final memories you and your predecessors have given to Magpies fans.

It is my hope that somewhere in the near future, karma evens the score up with you so you know the feeling of having your club taken from under you not once, but twice by people who should have been doing their utmost to preserve the club identity. I cannot believe that this day was not inevitable and even planned from that fateful day in 1999. It is to your eternal shame that these events have and will take place you callous mongrels.

My own allegiances have been eroded sufficiently to the point where I no longer consider myself a fan or supporter of the club. My heart isn&#8217;t in it and it will never be again. The disrespect handed to generations of players and fans alike is the last straw for this old Magpie. After having endured being treated like a second class citizen for too many years, feel free to stick your club where the sun don&#8217;t shine.

Sincerely,

EA

749 words.

http://www.weststigers.com.au/news-display/Unanimous-support-for-Wests-Tigers-NSW-Cup-team/63584

http://www.westsmagpies.com.au/home/001/php/


http://stats.rleague.com/rl/seas/1999.html
 
Last edited:

Monk

Referee
Messages
21,347
Monk runs out of the sheds and sees a single supporter wearing Red and Green in a packed Stadium.

Hi Mum!

746 Words according to the OWC.

Go the Rabbits!!!

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

The Legacy

Being born and raised in Wollongong, the majority of my friends are either Dragons supporters, or not interested in football at all. But there are those few lucky supporters who, like myself, were raised in a household of a very different nature. From a young age we were trained in the harshest of conditions to love a particular team, the penalty for violating such a sacred tradition? Most of the time you were threatened with simple things, such as: Death, Starvation or Adoption. However, if you were really unlucky a spanking with the dreaded Wooden Spoon was your punishment, and it was no idle threat.

My father was raised in Paddington, a brisk five minute walk from the Sydney Football Stadium, his school even held their sports classes at Moore Park (it was so long ago, his memories are even in black and white). He grew up attending every Roosters home game, and when he was old enough he travelled out of the suburbs to watch their away games as well. His love of the Roosters now flows through my veins. From the moment he bought me my first Roosters jersey, I have never looked back.

Unfortunately, not all parents have such ease getting their children to support their team. (I even have a traitorous cousin who we lost to the Dragons and their evil mind tricks). Let me paint you a picture of a situation I witnessed the other day, as a father tried to get his son his very first Tigers jersey.

A father takes his son into a local sports store, intending to buy him his first Tigers jersey. The son is led to the appropriate section of the store and his father takes the Tigers jersey off the rack and gives it to his son.

Son: “NO! Timmy from school goes for the Bulldogs, I want a Doggies jersey! Tigers are stupid dumbfaces!”

Dad: “Just try it on, you might really like it!”

The son, in a fit of rage grabs an oversized Bulldogs jersey and holds onto it with one hand as though he cannot live without it. In the other hand, he holds a Bumblebee Transformers figurine which has suffered from the perilous experience of being a young child’s favourite toy; It may be missing an arm and a leg, but the kid obviously loves it more than life itself.

Son: “No! I want Bulldogs!”

Father: “Let’s just keep looking okay?”

Desperation in the father’s voice becomes more apparent every time he opens his mouth. He then drags his screaming son towards the changing rooms and comes to the conclusion that he is in fact the worst father in the world. The son stomps into the change room, throws the Tigers jersey on the ground and slams the door behind him.

Son: “It’s too big daddy”

Father: “Come outside – I’ll take a look, you’ll grow into it anyway”

The son opens the door and his father stands there horrified. His worst nightmares have come true. His kid stands sporting a XL sized Bulldogs jersey and the biggest grin he had ever seen in his life. He has to think fast, he would sooner die then have his son wear a Bulldogs jersey.

Father: “Hmm... it is a bit big, let’s go have a look for a smaller size shall we?”

Convinced he has won the battle, the son eagerly walks back to the plethora of jerseys which remain on their hangers, each one seemingly waiting for a supporter to grab them and love them. As if it were a jerseys dream to have beer spilt down the front of it. The father continues to pull out Tigers jersey after Tigers jersey in a desperate attempt to get his son into the family colours. All hope is seemingly lost.

Son: Stop pulling out dumbface jerseys, I’m bored let’s go home.

It feels as though a dagger has been stabbed into his side, the father has lost all motivation to live. What if his son becomes interested in AFL? He’ll be mocked by the entire street!

Son: “DADDY LOOK! A BUMBLEBEE JERSEY!!!!”

The father turns around and his son is holding up a Balmain Heritage Jersey, which matches the colours of his Bumblebee toy. He then takes a look at the price tag, even though its $70 more than the other Tigers jerseys; he knows that having his son grow up a Tigers fan is more important than anything else.


+++++++++++++++++++
 
Messages
14,028
Marshall Magic on late for the Bunnies

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Desperate Times and Inspirational Endings
Comer Cottrell is known for a lot of things. Most notably he is known for founding his company Pro-Line Corporation in the 70s. One thing he is not known as is a Rugby League genius. This may seem ridiculous as being an American the chances of Cottrell even knowing what Rugby League is are slim. However his quote would suggest differently.

&#8220;Some of the greatest inspiration is born out of desperation.&#8221; What does this have to do with Rugby League? On the surface the obvious answer would be nothing, but when you look a little deeper at a few examples from 2012, you can see a clear link.

Rewind back a couple of weeks, to Monday August 27, Melbourne are hosting Cronulla to round out round 25. The Storm look shot to pieces and the Sharks are looking like picking up an unlikely win. With less than 5 minutes on the clock the Storm were down and out needing two tries to win. Porch lights in the Shire were switched on. However in the space of 5 minutes the Storm went from dead to laying on a pair of late tries to steal the game. What inspired them to lift and snatch that victory? In a word, desperation. Their season had been slipping away, and a home final in week 1 was looking less and less likely. If the Storm lost that game, they would have been going into the semis with little to no momentum, yet now in many eyes they are the favourites to take out the premiership.
Go back even further, to Wednesday June 13, game 2 of this years&#8217; origin. After a sin binning to Cooper Cronk, NSW had run out to a 10 point lead, before a try to Greg Inglis just after the hour narrowed the gap to 4. NSW fans all around the country had that feeling of déjà vu. However the NSW line held strong and repelled wave after wave of Queensland attack. Then the moment everyone had been waiting for, when many go up for the ball and Brent Tate comes down with it. He is certain to score when a desperate Michael Jennings scurries over and whacks it out of his hands. A play that summed up a desperate Blues performance and one of many that inspired the team to a memorable victory.

One of Rugby League&#8217;s biggest rivalries in Australia involves the clash of the two remaining foundation clubs, the Roosters and the Rabbitohs. In 2012 this rivalry got even better, with two memorable clashes, one taking place on Monday March 5, when it looked like the Bunnies were going to pick up a victory over their rivals. Up 20-12 with less than 5 minutes on the clock the game was as good as over, until Jared Waerea-Hargreaves crashed over to set up a grand stand finish, although even some of the more optimistic Roosters fans thought it was mission impossible to jag the victory from the jaws of defeat. The Roosters on what was the last play of the game, make inroads spreading the ball to the right, it then shifts back into the centre of the field where young gun Boyd Cordner has it in some space. He grubbers ahead, and club legend Anthony Minichiello wins the race to snatch a memorable victory. Now back it up a little, what on earth would inspire a back rower of less than 20 games to grubber in some space on a do or die play? In fact, what inspires a back rower to grubber at all?

Fast forward to Monday July 16, the two teams meet again, this time with 5 to go it is the Roosters up 22-12 when the Bunnies jag a late try to set up another grand stand finish. The kick off goes deep and Taylor runs it back when some space emerges on the fringes. Taylor gets it to Farrell and the Bunnies are away. The move is finished off when Adam Reynolds crosses under the sticks. Warren Smith on commentary says he has seen everything. It was the most incredible end to a game ever, nobody could have possibly imagined it ending like that. A desperate Souths team snatch a famous victory over a side who won in almost identical fashion a tad over 4 months earlier when the 2 sides last met. A desperate team pulls off one of the most incredible victories ever. Amazing stuff.

-----------------------

750 words between the lines
 

Drew-Sta

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
24,567
Results

St George - 428

Slippery Morris - 82
It's hard to believe Paul Whatuira won two premierships in three years, yet someone like Mark Coyne or Nathan Hindmarsh went without. Agree with the sentiment that sometimes its simply a case of good timing.

Willow - 92
Wistful Willow wrangles words with wonderful wesults. :)sarcasm:) Mate, you've got the gift. Loved it. And also true; the monumental meaning of words with which we woo each other is shamefully subsiding into&#8230; OK, I'm trying to hard. You're right, the digital generation is losing its wordsmith abilities - to cultures detriment.

Tanner Ave - 85
Good article. Summed up the feeling I have too. Really enjoyed the passion though; you have a fair bit of talent so keep writing!

Hutty1986 - 82
Strong article. A couple of spelling / grammar errors (LeagueUnlimited, not League Unlimited) but otherwise a fun read. I agree too - it's easy to watch finals footy when your side isn't in it; just as long as it doesn't take too many breaks from the September games!

Everlovin' Antichrist - 87
Emotion-charged letter and one I was sad to read. I cannot believe they're doing it, and I can honestly say 'I feel for you'. I have long held the suspicion that the Tigers board is a worse pack of rodents than the Saints one; this confirms it. I hope you continue to watch the game, and the Magpies resurrect one day.

South Sydney - 429

Scott Gourley's Lovechild - 84
Topical conversation and one I'd love to have at a higher level with the ARLC. Few sentence structure and grammar errors cost you, but otherwise a sharp article

Bubbles - 90
Sadly, the search for success in rugby league and the media's intent to deride a club for anything less has led to the systematic devaluation of ideologies and ethics for our great sport. What you raise is a sad fact, especially given it is usually fans who are happy to dig the boot in without understanding. To see Dean Young retire was a sad but thrilling moment; sad that he would not continue to play, but thrilling to know I saw a clubman play that loved the team more than his body. If only all players were like he and Hindmarsh.

Byrne_Rovelli Fan - 83
A really touching story, and one I'm sure most footy players would read and feel captured the emotion of their careers. It's hard to imagine how it must be to 'only' be a Colin Best or Keith Galloway; strong and consistent players but never the likes of Greg Inglis or Shane Webke.

Monk - 88
Loved it. Understood it. Appreciated it. If my offspring are not Red and White, I think I'll lose my shit. Great article!

Marshall Magic - 84
Solid article and a grounded view of what deperation can do in the face of oblivion. I liked it. Well done.

Backpacker Points
3 - Willow
2 - Bubbles
1 - Monk

South Sydney (429) defeat St George (428).

Well done both teams, it was a thoroughly enjoyable match to read and I am thankful to see such quality running around in both teams.
 

byrne_rovelli_fan82

First Grade
Messages
7,477
WOW. I'm shocked, I'm over joyed I'm...I'm speechless!!!

Thank you Dragons for a great game, thanks Drew-Sta for marking it all today.

Thanks to my fellow Bunnies team mates. YAHOO!!! I can't freakin' believe it! Go through the whole season with no wins, get the only 1 in the last game of the year and now making a grand final. Amazing, absolutely amazing bunch of people we got!
 

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