2011 FOUR NATIONS Round 3: Papua New Guinea -V- Great Britain

[Jesbass]

Forum 7s - 4 Nations - 2011
PAPUA NEW GUINEA KUMULS -V- GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND LIONS

-V-

​

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 (+ 2 reserves for both teams)
* 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 13th November 2011 (2100AEST)
Full Time: Saturday 19th November 2011 (2100AEST)
Referee: gUt
Venue: Lloyd Robson Oval​

 

[joshie]

PNG run out for the last time in 2011!

1. Joshie (c)
2. Bubbles
3. Alwaysgreen

4. Edabomb
5. Henry the Octopus

 

[joshie]

Joshie appears as valliant captain for the mighty Kumals in 2011! Game number 21 for 2011!

Burn out


The National Rugby League has been criticized and slammed over the past few years for causing player burn out because of the scheduling of each season. Players are told that they must be available for 26 regular season rounds, and then may be forced to endure four more weeks of finals matches, before the glory that is rep footy starts. If selected at that level their playing won’t end to late November, having started in Late February to Early march and it is a big task to ask of anybody. To my knowledge if you were to play every single week over the year, you could end up having played 40 matches, including trials, rep matches, NRL games and post-season internationals.The medical world deals with sports injuries all the time in their emergency wards. Anything from a broken collarbone, to head knock induced comas and even brain damage is the normal challenge hospitals will face – and this is just in grass roots football. As the players get older and learn to hit harder, the injuries get worse, and over 60% of Junior Rugby League players had been sidelined with an injury for more than two weeks in 2010. This can be cause for alarm, that even before the elite stage, human bodies can be quite fragile.*


The system used by the NRL and Australian Rugby League coordinators in 2011 consisted of the normal 26 rounds, 3 State of Origin matches on Wednesday nights, a City v Country match and an ANZAC test followed by a Four Nations tournament lasting four weeks. Throw in the NRL v Indigenous All Stars clash, along with, on average, 2 club trials, and this season players have been exposed to 37 matches to play in. This could potentially pose lifelong health risks in the long run with sports athletes more likely to develop illnesses like arthritis’s, dementia, blood clots to the brain and even shortened life spans. People, organisers and businesses forget that the players are people and not just business pawns.*


Over recent years, the NRL has seen an increase in pectoral muscle injuries, and this is blamed purely on player burn out. Rugby League is a high impact, contact sport, with virtually no holds barred. Your body is placed under extreme situations which can cause major and minor health problems as previously discussed. But with the nature and economy of the game, is there really a way to tone down burn out? The NRL has taken a step toward possibly doing so, by promoting a standalone weekend for the ANZAC test and City v Country clash in 2012, with rumours that State of Origin matches could be played on Monday nights to give players a minimum of four days turn around and recover in 2013. Will these be effective? Only time will tell.


Now this is not exactly the same but I can see the point of view of each player that has come forward to the media in a brand new light. In 2011 I have played every single week of competition for the forum sevens competitions, racking up 20 matches over the season, competing in four different competitions and having an absolute ball along the way. It has been one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life but I have taken a hit lately and the ideas that normally fluently run through my mind, are struggling to show their way to me. To hit the 650-750 word range becomes very difficult moving forward into a rep season, making it difficult to pull out big plays in big games. Although this article will be played in my final match of the year, with the PNG Kumals unable to make the final, it has been a stretch. I started two Darren Lockyer pieces before throwing in the towel with frustration. That brought me to this topic, but next time I won’t get so lucky.*


So as I sign off for 2011, I leave you with this thought, what are we really doing to our players and writers in booking such stressful seasons? Does the slogan, no pain no gain really fit, or will we have to complain about it until the cows come home? I believe it will be the latter. Nevertheless, thank-you for the season, and I shall be writing in a team near you in 2012.

 

[Big Mick]

GB&I Squad for this game vs PNG:

1. Big Mick c
2. Non Terminator
3. Cliffhanger

 

[Big Mick]

Big Mick runs out onto the field for GB&I

I'm supporting the underdog!
​

“The Australian psyche has a deeply implanted admiration for the underdog. It supports individuals and teams that triumph against the odds”

“We cheer loudest when the underdog wins and rejoice in the notion that regardless of where you are from, you still have a chance of going all the way”
​

Supporting the underdog has been a part of the Australian sporting landscape since foundation and the NRL is no different. It’s the great notion that if your team is out of contention, you will support the team who has the least chance of winning. Why as a culture do we do this? Wouldn’t it be more logical to choose a winning team? Everyone loves a winner right? In Australia the notion of “I’ll support the winner” is not a part of our culture while there is an underdog to support.

As Australian’s we love the underdog. A team that after year’s of battling with heartache and defeat has conquered all before them. It all reverts to the theory of the “Aussie battler” who with nothing at all manages to rise to the top and reach the pinnacle of their game. In rugby league there is one of these stories every season. A team that comes from the shadows that everyone wants to see win as they appear the least likely to achieve it. In 2001 it was the Knights. Despite the Novocastrians having the “Andrew Johns factor”, Parramatta were touted as invincible and no one could find a feasible answer to how Newcastle could win. However, people supported Newcastle in droves and urged Newcastle to their second premiership.

In 2011, it was the New Zealand Warriors. Despite being defeated by 40+ points in the opening round of the finals series by the Brisbane Broncos, the Warriors secured a second change and used it to full effect. The Warriors bounced back defeating the Tigers & the Storm on their way to facing Manly in the Grand Final. As usual, in Grand Final week, the Australian culture immediately jumped on the Warriors bandwagon, but that additional support was not enough to bring the trophy back to New Zealand.

In 2003, the Penrith Panthers were the underdog, having won the wooden spoon in 2001 and finishing12th the following year; critics were again predicting the Panthers as wooden spoon favourites. Despite all their inexperience the Panthers completed a remarkable season finishing minor premiers and making it to the grand final to face the defending premiers, the Roosters. The Roosters were again favourites, and the underdog supporters lifted the Panthers to a heroic and fairytale victory.

The 2004 series gave us another memorable underdog in the North Queensland Cowboys. In their first ever finals appearance, the Cowboys went from seventh place to beat the Bulldogs and Brisbane to play the Sydney Roosters in the preliminary final. Everyone was trying to get the Cowboys a famous victory, but it wasn’t enough to make that elusive grand final.

But the question we must ask is where does this effectuation derive? Is it to due the Australian nature of wanting an even competition? We live our lives by suggesting that it’s ok to have success and to be part of a successful club, but that success should only last so long. We crave the day that the best is being beaten by those who are given no chance.

We forget that these successful clubs of today, where once overshadowed by the successful clubs of yesteryear and will again be overshadowed by the successful clubs of tomorrow. Success is brought about as a result of the hunger after defeat. In a vicious cycle success will happen again, through the heartache of supporters, tenacity of the coaching staff and the ability of the players to conquer adversity…..but only for a while.

Whether it is the upcoming Four Nations final between Australia and England or a 2011 team from outside the top 8, we will again see an underdog emerge and capture the hearts of Australia’s public. Like the Warriors of 2011, we’ll see a team lift us to a place where we feel genuine joy. In 2012 let us all hope that our team, whomever you support, will be that underdog who emerges from the ashes and grabs glory in most unexpected circumstances, because we all know that winning when no one expects it, is the sweetest victory of all. And in any case...who doesn’t love an underdog!

745 words (OWC)

 

[Cliffhanger]

Cliffy for Great Britain
705 words

Stupid Queenslanders​

I still remember getting up at 4 am in 2003 to watch the Kangaroos take out the Rugby League ashes series 3-0. The memories of Adrian Morley getting sent off in the 12th second of a match for a high shot on Robbie Kearns, Darren Lockyer and Craig Wing stealing the opening match for the Kangaroos in the dying seconds are still fresh in my mind.

Representative Rugby League just seemed to be in a better state back then; you couldn’t wait for international matches, you were desperate for an opportunity to see players like Darren Lockyer and Andrew Johns in the same team, Shane Webke and Luke Baily in the same forward pack. After watching the 2003 Origin series, I just could not wait to see the best of both sides play side by side.

I miss the days when the best players in the competition were spread between both states. Even better, test players could play in city country, leading to a far more exciting rep match and an even more intense selection process. In 2003 when there were no real ridiculous selections (apart from Darren Smith for the Kangaroos,) there were so many strong contenders for each position and the selectors could not get it wrong. City/ Country was an opportunity for the NSW selectors to find their team and Origin an opportunity for the Australian selectors to put together there’s.

In 2011 it is a lot more difficult to get excited about the Kangaroos matches, Queenslanders dominate the Australia side, just like they have dominated Origin over the last five years and personally I am sick of it. I find it difficult to become so emotionally invested in a side dominated so much by Queenslanders, it would be like supporting the Blues when they were made up of half a dozen Manly players, there would just be those moments in the match when you felt in desperate need for a wash. The match loses a special element which makes it special, which is seeing this new team play together, who haven’t done so before, watching these new combinations and seeing how well they mesh together. Now, watching Australia feels like watching Queensland, you begin to pity our oppositions because you can’t help but feel they are playing a side, which has become so accustomed to playing together.

Perhaps part of this feeling of detachment from the Kangaroos comes from jealousy or bitterness, losing six Origin series in a row was far from easy, a part of the NSW supporter in me died after every series loss. Your brain becomes partially numb to the experience, and rather than feel absolutely shattered after each loss, you just feel bewildered and a little dead on the inside. I guess having to then cheer 70 per cent of the side which crushed your spirits is not exactly easy. What’s worse? The future keeps looking brighter for the cane toads, as if it was not bad enough they had the four best halves in the game, there’s another one quickly coming of age. For NSW the promising young rookie cupboard is looking a little bare and while there is no doubt the retirement of Lockyer will have some impact on the Maroons, with the likes of Cameron Smith, Billy Slater and Jonathon Thurstan sticking around for a few more years the nightmare does not appear to be ending anytime soon. On the other hand with NSW, it is hard to be too optimistic, sure we have Gallen but even he cannot do it all on his own, one need only look at Cronulla’s record to realise, Gallen, is a top player, not a God. Who our 2012 halves will be is anybody’s guess, same goes for our fullback, hooker four of the most important positions and they may be filled by debutants.

So maybe it is my bitterness towards Queensland and their recent success which has turned me off watching the Kangaroos, unfortunately I am not above that. Do not get me wrong, I’d take a victory over the Poms or the Kiwis in any form it comes, but at 5 am on a Sunday morning I just have better things to do.

 

[Jesbass]

A little later than expected, the referee blows full time...

 

[gUt]

Papua New Guinea Kumuls

Joshie - Burn out

The author compares the rigours of playing a long season of pro rugby league with the mental drain of a long series of forum 7s and asks, is it all worth it? I am tempted to get into the discussion because it reads like a thoughtful forum discussion starter. There’s nothing wrong with this approach and the fact that I want to engage is in its favour. However I feel that the author ironically illustrated his point about writer’s fatigue by appearing fatigued in some aspects of the article’s conception and execution. If I could be sure this was deliberate I’d mark it higher. Not bad though.

Score - 78

Great Britain & Ireland Lions

Big Mick - I'm supporting the underdog!

A thoughtful article that could help guide a Martian visitor through the curious aspect of the Australian sports fans’ psyche – the love for an underdog. It’s a worthy topic for discussion and this piece is a good launch pad. I felt the author could have gone a little deeper into the subject, maybe at the expense of one or more of the examples listed. A few grammatical and English errors distracted me as well, but this article got me thinking – a good sign – and overall I enjoyed this.

Score - 83

Cliffhanger - Stupid Queenslanders


At turns angry, sad, wistful and funny, this piece was in danger of losing me a couple of times until a punchline or insightful comment enabled me to see the issue (too many Qlders… what issue? ) from the author’s perspective. You were in danger of losing marks for veering into pure SOO territory after pitching your tent in Internationals territory but the final paragraph tied it up well. A good read.

Score - 89

GB & I put a solid 80 minutes together to crush the exhausted Kumuls 172 to 78.

POTM Cliffhanger

 

[joshie]

It was intentional haha!! Thanks anyway, it's been a good year for me nevertheless