2011 ROUND 7: Rabbitohs -V- Dragons

[Jesbass]

South Sydney Rabbitohs -V- St George Dragons​

-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:
* 5 -V- 5 (+ 2 reserves for the visiting team, + 3 reserves for the home team)
* 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 10th July 2011 (2100AEST)
Full Time: Wednesday 20th July 2011 (2100AEST)
Referee: Jesbass
Venue: Redfern Oval

Previous Matchups This Season:
Dragons 437 v Rabbitohs 88 (Round 2)

 

[Drew-Sta]

The mighty Saints roll up, and lol@50uff$ as they come off the bus.

Run On:
1. _Johnsy
2. DragonPunk
3. muzby
4. Everlovin' Antichrist
5. Jason Maher

Reserves:
6. Drew-Sta (C)
7. Cheesie-the-Pirate

 

[Monk]

Monk usher's the Rabbitohs onto the bus as he takes the reins from Griffo for the week

Starting:
Monk (VC)
Marshall_Magic
byrne_rovelli_fan82
griffo346 (C)
Non Terminator

Bench:
Bubbles
Bwuce
Matt23

 

[_Johnsy]

Johnsy gets off the team bus doubled over with laughter from anticipation, I don't think he'll even make the field.

750 words between the stars via official F7's word counter.
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Laughter is the best medicine, we’ve heard this proverb countless times. What are the origins of this proverb ? I don’t know nor could I find an answer.

Dr Craig Hassed stated "Laughter really is good medicine. It reduces stress, relieves pain, lowers blood pressure and boosts the immune system. It puts people at ease and lowers the tension level in your relationships. Frequent laughter may even reduce your risk for heart disease."

Dr. Hassed is a senior lecturer at Monash University within the medical Faculty. He has been instrumental in introducing a variety of innovations into medical education and practice via holistic, integrative and mind/body medicine, and reconnecting different knowledge systems. If this guy says it’s true it must be, right ?
really?

A quick internet search can reveal other beneficial claims;
Laughing 100 times equals 15 minutes on an exercise bike. Vigorous laughter increases heart rate & deepens the breathing rate, while using muscles in the face, stomach, and diaphragm. Laughter can reduce stress, help fight infection, and reduce pain. The levels of two stress hormones, cortisol and epinephrine which suppress the body's immune system, will actually drop after a dose of laughter.
Laughter causes positive changes in brain chemistry by releasing endorphins, and it brings more oxygen into the body with the deeper inhalations.
Laughter releases anger, fear, guilt, anxiety and tension.
Higher levels of an antibody (salivary immunoglobulin A) that fights infectious organisms entering the respiratory tract were found in the saliva of people who watched humorous videos or experienced good moods.
Researchers found after watching an hour-long video of slapstick comedy that the "natural killer cells," which seek out and destroy malignant cells, more actively attacked tumor cells in test tubes.

A recent study by Shevach Friekder found that laughter will also help women who are trying to become pregnant through in-vitro fertilisation ('IVF').
In a study of 219 women undergoing IVF published in Fertility and Sterility, an Israeli team led by Shevach Friedler found that the odds of success were greater among women who were entertained by a professional 'medical clown' just after the embryos were transferred to their wombs.
Overall, 36 percent became pregnant, as compared to 20 percent of women who'd had a comedy-free recovery after the transfer procedure. (1)


Another recent study showed those who have a good sense of humour and a propensity to laugh are less likely to develop heart disease. Meeting stressful situations with a sense of humour is relevant to heart health. Fostering a happy frame of mind may bring allergy relief. In the study, the allergic responses of study participants were significantly lower after viewing a humorous videotape than they were after viewing a non-humorous tape. Researchers are not sure why laughter may alleviate allergic symptoms. However, laughter does reduce stress, tension and anxiety, which may help strengthen the immune system. (2)

And it gets better
If you have diabetes, ensure you put laughter on the menu. Laughter helps control spikes in blood sugar levels after a meal. People who watched a funny video during dinner had lower blood sugar levels after the meal compared to the people who didn’t. (3)

With obvious health benefits why hasn’t rugby league in general grabbed this health revelation and integrated it into their weekly recovery process?

One thing is for sure rugby league has been laughing for a while now, do you remember this ?
Manly V Souths 1987, at redfern oval. Steve Mavin’s infamous Swan Dive no try. You cannot help but laugh at the poor bloke, no matter how many times you see the footage.

Of course there is the rugby league legend that just keeps delivering the laughs, Mario fenech

Gotta go to Nowra (4), Gidley boys prank Falcon (5), Lord of the rings (6).

It makes you feel great, for those few minutes you are laughing everything is great, no hassles, no worries. Nothing embodies this sentiment quite like the following two quotes;

Osho Rajneesh - "When you have a heartfelt belly laugh, all parts of your being - the physiological, the pyschological, the spiritual - they all vibrate in one single tune. They all vibrate in harmony!"
Anne Wilson Schaef - "Laughter is like the human body wagging it's tail."


MaybeProfesor Provine (7). Is right when he says 
"Laughter is about relationships, it's not about jokes. It's a form of communication."
Well there is one clear defining communication method that makes all rugby league fans feel better about themselves. Come on, join in. You’ll reap the benefits instantly.

LOL@50uff$
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1- http://clowndoctors.org.au
2- Effect of humour on allergen-induced wheat reactions. Kimata, H., Journal of the American Medical Association 2001 Feb 14; 285(6):738
3- Laughter lowered the increase in postprandial blood glucose.
Hayashi K, Hayashi T, Iwanaga S, Kawai K, Ishii H, Shoji S, Murakami K.
4- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFOaVsNGbYQ
5- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgGF_KLfDjg
6- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaoD13mvCmc&feature=related
7- Robert Provine Professor, Psychology University of Maryland, Baltimore County

 

[Monk]

Monk leads the team out of the sheds for the first time in his F7's career, and surprisingly, the Cardinal and Myrtle Strips don't look half bad.

748 Words in between the stars according to the OWC.

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Where are they now? 2008 Toyota Cup, Team of the Year.

Though I do consider myself quite an avid NFL supporter, my true allegiances (though often questioned by close friends and family) are with the NRL. But being a fond supporter of the NFL has given me a close look at a lot of their practices, after three years in the league; experts grade a players worth to their team and dub them a “bust” or “gem”, or whatever term is circulating the papers (or internet) at the time.

So I thought to myself, “why not wait three years to grade players coming from the NYC to determine their worth to our competition”? When deciding which players to use for this article I decided to go with the 2008 Toyota Cup Team of the Year. It will give us a look to see how the stars of our lower grades are going in stepping up to the big league when given some time, so let’s start off with the back five:

The back five of the 2008 Toyota Cup Team of the Year is chock full of names every dedicated league supporter should know. Panthers Fullback Lachlan Coote has really been given the title of ‘future of Penrith’ after a very good first few years in the League. Broncos Gun and Queensland Winger Jharal Yow Yeh has become a revelation and a fan favourite this year, being the only member of this 17 to play State of Origin. Other Winger Kevin Gordon, has been promising at club level playing every game for the Titans in the 2010 season, as well as finishing as the clubs top try scorer with 12 Tries, however injury has washed out his 2011 campaign.

Centre Justin Carney had played 20 games with the Raiders, before being injured in Round 17 of 2009 and missing the entire 2010 season. During 2011 he has been in and out of First Grade at the Roosters. The final member of this ‘NYC Fab-Five’ was the booming Parramatta Youngster Tony (T-Rex) Williams. Despite being dubbed as ‘The next Israel Folau’ he was moved to the Second Row by Des Hasler shortly after moving to Manly.

The Halves for this team of studs were none other the Ben Barba and Chris Sandow, two electrifying players in attack, yet both have suspect defence. The former now plays Fullback for the struggling Bulldogs club, yet leads the entire NRL in Tries (with 14). The latter is playing Halfback for South Sydney and has been in career best form this year, coming third in the NRL in total points scored. Hooker Masada Iosefa has been in and out of First Grade during his time at the Panthers.

Prop Forward John Kite has only played 11 games of First Grade, 9 for the Bulldogs and 2 for his Current Club the Melbourne Storm. Whereas Russell Packer is having a reasonably successful career for the Warriors as their starting Number 8, he has played over 60 NRL games.

Daniel Harrison is probably the least ‘seasoned’ member of this star studded Back Row, only playing NRL for the first time this season, but in his three games he has looked promising. Joel Thompson has notched up over 30 games in Canberra alternating between the Second Row and the Centre position and has a knack for finding the Try Line, teamed up with other Back Rower Shaun Fensom who is only behind Nathan Hindmarsh in tackles made this season.

Moving onto the bench, Ben Hunt was a star in the under 20’s, and after 30 games for the Broncos he seems to have locked up a spot in the 17, and is looking like the future Halfback for the club. Matt Mundine has moved on to Souths from Saint George, and is still looking like a bright prospect despite not having played a game yet. In 2009, Jordan Rapana left the Titans to complete a two year mission for his Church; he now plays for the Western Force in Super Rugby. Ben Matulino remains a gifted back rower who has played over 70 games for the Warriors.

After doing this research, I was quite surprised at how well the NYC was bringing NRL prospects through the ranks to be successful in the NRL. After writing this article, I am actually more confident in the younger players coming through and I truly believe we are leaving our game in the safe and capable hands of talented players.

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[byrne_rovelli_fan82]

byrne_rovelli_fan82 for the Rabbitohs!

~~


I've been wondering about this for the past couple of years when watching SOO. Don’t get me wrong here, SOO is a great three-game series and it is a very different level to just regular club football; but regardless of whether you are playing at the highest level or lowest level like grassroots, there's got to be a standard rules system for all grades.

How confusing is it for a player at the junior level being taught to play one way for the time they are in the lower grades, then when they get to the next stage they get told to play another way because its to the rules. Then when they elevate to the next level again they are told to play differently.

Since there appears to be some inconsistencies this is becoming a real problem I find while watching games in the NRL, City/Country, SOO and International. It really annoys me. I just can't figure it out anymore. Here are a few examples.

First of all Game 3 of SOO, won by the Queenslanders as they completed a sixth series victory over New South Wales. Congrats to the Queenslanders for a wonderful display and running out winners and well deservedly so by a score of 34-24. You can't beat a better team then that and it is hard to argue a case against the brilliance and dominance of the Maroons.

No matter how much the fans enjoyed the performance of the two sides; there is still concern over referee interpretations on rulings during the game so here are a few examples.

1- Justin Hodges had the ball, Queensland were in the NSW half of the field and making progress. He has the ball in possession and then gets tackled and is not moving much, but doesn't get put down and ends up standing in the tackle, but then comes the confusing bit. Hodges, at the exact same time the ref yells: 'HELD', Hodges then passes the ball. Ref blows it dead, but gives the Queenslanders another chance but more specifically he gets to play the ball again. I spat chips at this not because it was against the Blues, but because a few weeks ago when the Warriors played the Cowboys a similar play happened, when Shaun Berrigan (Warriors) was in the same situation of being held in the tackle, and when the ref yelled held he also passed the ball. BUT it was a penalty against the Warriors!! How the hell can that possible! Two plays, unfolded exactly the same way but the ruling were complete opposites.

2 - Cameron Smith scored a very nice try for Queensland in the first half. Now at first I didn't think much of the play it was a god try but when the players in NSW started asking for it to be looked at and the ref agreed this struck a chord with me. Now Inglis had the ball, got tackled and got up to play it, that part was all fine. Smith from behind snuck around and scored. Again I refer to a Warriors game this time against the Rabbitohs; seeing another similar move; Locke was denied a try because he was penalized for 'boring' in behind Inu. There is a bit difference between the two plays, but both Inu and Inglis were not in a position to move out of the way, and Locke and Smith saw the gap and dived over. So Smith gets given the try but Locke is denied. Strange on there

Where there are inconsistencies like the two mentioned it becomes frustrating for supporters to come to terms with the officials and their decision-making. Is it any wonder why the referees are constantly being criticized by fans and questions by players.

Rules are in place to help the game move forward and to maintain its status but when there are different rules in different grades players especially young players will struggle to make their mark in the big time as they have to constantly change and adapt to a particular style that suits the referee.

The referees’ and the referee boss will always have their own interpretations on rulings; they too need to understand where the players are coming from and common ground needs to be found for both parties. The referee might be the dictator in a match but they are also the teacher and all we ask as fans and players alike, is to see eye-to-eye on the football field.

~~

749 words between '~' according to the official word counter

 

[Drew-Sta]

Substitution!

Drew-Sta jumps in for Jason Maher.

 

[Drew-Sta]

Drew-Sta charges on for the mighty SAINTS!

---

Q and A

Tony Jones: Well good evening everyone and welcome to this edition of Q and A. Tonight we’re going to be discussing rugby league, and in particular the important question of South Sydney. We’ll mainly be delving into the depths of why we lol@50uff$ and whether this practice is acceptable or not.

To my left, and for the anti-lol@50uff$ movement I have Russell Crowe and supporter BunniesMan. To my right, as pro lol@50uff$ advocates I have two of the Redfern 4, Cliffhanger and Muzby. Sitting invariably neutral is David Gallop and Phil Gould.

Russell, would you like to kick us off?

Russell Crowe: Yeah, look Tony, I think it’s just bad form. I mean, there’s only so much hassling you can take before it’s time to set the record straight. Souths are a proud club, we don’t deserve this and I have no idea why it persists.

Muzby: lol.

David Gallop: I suppose from a supporters point of view, it does grant a certain enjoyment to other teams. I mean, it’s not often you have such a roster as Souths and still manage to only beat the Roosters by 1 point. Really, Brian Smith coached sides are so relaxed that anyone with a little bit of enthusiasm should be able to roll over the side.

Cliffhanger: I agree, David, I think it’s just all part of the rivalry. Whilst it’s sad to see my beloved Roosters hit rock bottom, it did make Rivalry Round that little bit more intense. Not to mention seeing a fat Greg Inglis get run down was highly amusing.

Muzby: He’s so fat.

Bunniesman: HEY! Don’t you DARE call Greg Inglis fat –

Tony Jones: Sit down Bunniesman, and you might want to wipe the dribble away from your mouth.

*Bunniesman pauses to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand*

Bunniesman: As I was saying, Greg isn’t fat. Not that I usually spend time looking at topless men but I did study Inglis without his jersey on last night and there really was no excess fat on him whatsoever. The love handles, the gut, the chest, all very slim and toned.

*There’s a brief silence in the room and Russell Crowe shuffles uncomfortably*

Phil Gould: Moving on, I think the whole matter has become a little childish, but the reality is that these things happen all the time. I mean, Russell started the book of fueds –

Muzby: lawl

Phil Gould: – and this naturally is the extension of this. I mean, supporters are the ones with the longest memories and everyone loves a good laugh.

Tony Jones: And is this all it is? Just a good laugh?

Muzby: Look, Tony, I think the whole thing is more than that. It’s a movement, a religion. Everyone needs to laugh and the inexhaustible efforts by lol@50uff$ and their fans always give a chuckle to rugby league supporters.

Russell Crowe: It’s people like you Muzby that ruin the game of rugby league

Cliffhanger: This coming from a man who throws’s phones at people when he’s angry?

Phil Gould: *chuckle*

David Gallop: *chuckle*

Tony Jones: *chuckle*

Bunniesman: It won’t matter next year Rusty, we’re all over 2012.

Russell Crowe: Don’t touch me.

Tony Jones: So we have a question from the crowd.

Audience member: Russell, what have the impacts been to crowd figures since people started lolling@50uff$?

Russell Crowe: It appears as though crowd figures have remained stable –

David Gallop: *muttering* What crowds…

Phil Gould: lol@50uff$!

*Bunniesman stands up and throws a shoe at David Gallop, which sails right over his head*

David Gallop: *sigh* Why did we ever let you idiots back into the game…

Russell Crowe: Hey, you take that back!

Muzby: lol@50uff$

Cliffhanger: lol@50uff$

Tony Jones: Ok, it seems this is getting out of hand. Final comments?

Russell Crowe: I think it’s time people stopped. Enough is enough.

Bunniesman: Yeah, and just you watch – We’ll win next year!

Cliffhanger: We’ll continue to lol@50uff$. We have no reason to finish.

Phil Gould: Can’t see any reason to stop people from doing it.

David Gallop: It's good for ratings, so it's good for me.

Muzby: Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, I’m always gonna turn around, and lol@you!

*Russell Crowe stands up and throws his mobile phone at Muzby, narrowly missing*

Muzby: lol@50uff$

---

Word count 730-something

 

[Drew-Sta]

Please note, I have to leave tonight due to a death in the family and so won't be available to substitute anyone else in. Cheesie is VC should he need to sub himself in.

Cheers,

Drew

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

EA for The Dragons.

Starch that collar Ref..

Way back in the 1960’s referees like Col Pearce were almost robotic in their demeanor. They had a look and an attitude that said “I’m in charge here gentlemen, don’t give me any lip and we’ll get along fine”. They knew the player’s name but never called them by name and the players knew where they stood with them even before they took the field. If a player harassed Col Pearce the way Refs are harassed today, he’d be warned once and if the player transgressed again, he’d be showering well before his team mates.

Fifty odd years later and we have referees who now think it’s acceptable to call players by their Christian name or surname, they allow players to approach them in a manner Pearce would abhor and they spend most of their time telling players what they can and can’t do, rather than just simply refereeing.

Thirty odd years ago the first of the referees to start the ball rolling made his debut. Greg Hartley was his name and he was arrogant, cocky, demonstrative and aggressive. His main aim seemed to be that he be seen as a star as big as any player.

Twenty years later the man who has become the blueprint for modern referees, Bill Harrigan, made his debut carrying some of the same traits as his predecessor Hartley, but the massive improvements in technology meant that Bill Harrigan was able to foster his desire to be as big a part of the game as the players.

Mission accomplished, but at what cost?

Hartley and Harrigan were the antithesis of what a referee should be in our game. Referees should be confident not cocky, humble not arrogant, restrained not demonstrative and passive not aggressive. In other words, they should be clones of their 1960’s counterparts not semi-clones of two latter-day misapplications.

The difference between the 1960’s Referee and the current crop is palpable. The modern Referee dresses louder, talks all game like Rain Man at a QANTAS fan day and gets less respect than a Boer farmer at a Mugabe family barbecue.

The game needs to divest itself of this nonsense and go back to making referees just simply referees again. No more calling the players by name, use the number on their backs, that’s what the numbers are there for. They could also do with a make-over. Instead of trying to find the most outrageous fluorescent colour to dress them in, find alternatives to the team strips that don’t draw ocular attention. Dress them down, not up, they’re not Barbie Dolls.

Don’t stand for players remonstrating with the Referees, any remonstration should be a sin-binning offence. Players are remarkably resourceful when it comes to finding ways and means to influence decisions but they aren’t stupid. If they know they will leave their teammates one short for 10 minutes for storming towards a referee they’ll stop doing it.

The other modern feature of refereeing is the propensity for telling players what they can and can’t do mid-game. Forgive me, but isn’t the job of a referee to referee? Since when has the word “referee” meant that in-game instruction on the rules of the game will be given?

Stop it and stop it now. If a player infringes, penalise him. Don’t warn him, don’t allow him to avoid an error which may cost his team points or metres.

Tone it down, get back to refereeing and stop trying to be seen to be doing it correctly, just do it correctly. The rule book is there for a reason and we, the fans, don’t want or need to spend time concentrating on what the referee is doing.

It’s bordering on laughable that Bill Harrigan, a man partially responsible for what we have currently parading as referees, is now their boss. A man so full of himself that he has his own website dedicated to, well, himself. A man so well-versed in self-adulation that his motto is “In a league of his own” as though he is somehow special and revered in The Great Game.

We’ll make you a statue after you’re dead Bill, but for now run the referees by that old adage “a good referee is one that you don’t notice”. If you long for respect, here’s your big chance, do the right thing for the game and not the right thing for Bill Harrigan. What you helped bring to refereeing should be a memory, not the norm.

747 words, including title.

Reference;
http://www.billharrigan.com.au/

 

[Bubbles]

Bubbles posting griffo346's article on his behalf
_____________________________________________________

Best and Worst of 2011

As I sit here we are heading into Round 20 of the 2011 Telstra Premiership and I really wanted to write an article giving my opinion as to the best and the worst buys of 2011. Annoyingly, a Fox Sports Journalist has beaten me to the punch. The names listed below are five players whom he believes fall into the best of 2011 category, as well as some he considers bolters. While it is his list, I have added my own thoughts and opinions in regards to his selections.

Blake Ferguson (Canberra): Blake Ferguson was brought from the Cronulla Sharks in 2010 as a Centre. Despite the fact he was going gangbusters at the Sharks, he chose to take a contract at the Raiders and has proved to be an outstanding buy for the Green Machine.

Casey McGuire (Parramatta): Since Casey has come to the Eels, his experience and composure has helped the Eels to stay in touch in the hunt for a top eight spot, however it is notable that while they have gained much with the signing of McGuire, they have lost an ear-marked key player in Daniel Mortimer, who has fallen by the wayside.

Tariq Sims (North Queensland Cowboys): Signed as part of a package deal along with his brother from the Broncos, Tariq was looking like he had the goods to become a truly damaging footballer (many having touted him as a future Origin player), until he was cut down with injury a few weeks ago.

Jeremy Smith (Cronulla): Seen as one of the casualties of the salary cap scandal of 2010, Smith has brought his experience from Melbourne to the Cronulla Sharks. He was an unsung member of the Storm squad, however has been a key part in the Sharks season to date and if they make the top eight, will be instrumental in their finals’ campaign.

Aiden Tolman (Canterbury-Bankstown): Another player who has been touted as a future Blue’s Origin player, with many believing he should have been picked for this year’s series, Tolman is a meter eater and a damaging forward and I believe we will see big things from Aiden, including a Blues’ jersey in 2012.

Bolters: Adam Cuthbertson (St George Illawarra), Kalifa Fai Fai Loa (North Queensland Cowboys), Wade Graham (Cronulla), Feleti Mateo (Warriors).

To summarise, while I do agree with most of the players listed as the best buys of 2011, I would have replaced Casey McGuire with, say, Wade Graham, or even Feleti Mateo from the Warriors.

On the flipside of the coin, here is his list of the worst buys of 2011.

Luke Capewell (Gold Coast Titans): The former South Sydney livewire was bought as a halves partner to Scott Prince. With Luke only playing 28 games for Souths before moving to the Gold Coast there were big expectations on him to perform, however in a struggling side he has not stood up.

Mark Riddell (Sydney Roosters): The former Dragons and Parramatta Hooker was brought back from Super League to add experience to the Chooks. Unfortunately, he failed to rekindle his NRL career and never really had the pace to continue with his return to the NRL and has now retired, having failed to finish out the season.

Matt Orford (Canberra): The Raiders pinned their season’s hope on the player they call the Ox when star playmaker Terry Campese went down towards the end of the 2010 season. As Campese was not due back from injury till midway through the 2011 season, big things were expected from the Ox. However he failed to win them a game and is now finding himself behind young players like Sam Williams and Josh McCrone.

Greg Eastwood (Canterbury-Bankstown): Sadly, Canterbury-Bankstown fans have seen little minutes or impact from the former Kiwi Backrower. Eastwood is an experienced forward playing in a beaten pack and looks a shadow of the player who left the Dogs at the end of 2009 to take up a contract with UK club Leeds Rhinos.

Paul Whatuira (Parramatta): Although Paul is a proven international performer who brings class and experience to most backlines in the NRL he has failed to make an impact at the eels.

Bolters: Justin Carney (Sydney Roosters), Chris Hicks (Parramatta), Greg Inglis (South Sydney), Kris Keating (Canterbury-Bankstown).
I tend to agree with his choice of bolters, however, especially since Origin, Greg Inglis wouldn’t be considered in this category

Reference:
http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/nrl-premiership/foxsportscomau-asks-users-to-pick-the-five-best-and-worst-buys-of-the-2011-nrl-premiership-season/story-fn2mcuj6-1226097460463

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Word Count: 748

 

[Cheesie-the-Pirate]

Substitution for the St George Dragons.

Cheesie-the-Pirate (VC) in for DragonPunk.

 

[Cheesie-the-Pirate]

Cheesie-the-Pirate runs onto the field from the bench.

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Football’s Debt

On the first Sunday in October 2010 Dean Young became a member of an elite group; premiership-winng player for the most famous rugby league club of them all. After the siren Dean and his father Craig, another member of that exclusive club, embraced tearfully. Those tears reflect the enormity of the achievement of winning a premiership, but for the Youngs there was something that made it additionally special.

In a 2006 season match against Cronulla Young suffered a knee ligament injury that required major rehabilitative surgery. Unfortunately his rehabilitation was significantly happened when he contracted Golden Staph through during the surgery. Young wouldn’t return to the Dragons team on a permanent basis until 2008. For Young it was an amazing achievement requiring huge investments of time and commitment to turn the bleak injury into victory in 2010.

For Young then we see the ultimate redemption in his successful journey for potential career-ending injury to a premiership ring. Unfortunately though this is only part of the picture.

The unfortunate fact is that players like Dean Young will never fully recover from their horrific injuries. In a normal week during the football season Dean Young trains less than one hour with the team. His knee is so bad that he literally run for no more than a game a week plus a very brief training session. To maintain his fitness he must swim and use other low-impact athletic techniques. He is basically disabled, yet somehow manages to take the field regularly and even play in higher-impact Origin and Test matches.

The flow on from this is that players like Dean will suffer from these injuries well after their football career is over. For a player like Dean who has been good enough to command significant paycheques for his football efforts this isn’t a complete disaster. If he has been prudent over that career he should have saved to help him transition to a career after professional sport. Moreover, given his status as a favourite son of the club it’s quite likely that he will find himself a role in the football department at the club,

Still, a player like Dean Young is the exception and unfortunately not the rule. For every player that suffers a debilitating injury and somehow makes it back to the top there are countless others for whom that injury will mark the end (or at least the beginning of the end) of an all too short career. A short career that may not have provided that player with the financial resources they will need to create a new life that can accommodate their chronic injuries,

This is compounded by the fact that many people who pursue a career in professional football are unlikely to be interested or well placed to pursue a professional or administrative career that might be kinder on their chronic injuries. Indeed, for many of them the pursuit of that career is likely to have interrupted the education that might have supported such a career change.

In the past decade the NRL has come some way to alleviate this issue. Especially noteworthy has been the requirement for Toyota Cup players to be in a course, an apprenticeship or a job during their time in the under 20 squad. With luck this will provide some of those players whose career has come to an unfortunately and untimely end with a means to rebuild their lives around a career outside of football. Still, even for these more recent players who have had some support from their club in building that career they will still be way behind where they might have been if they hadn’t pursued a football career in the first place.

What we cannot do is prevent these players from enduring chronic paid and other issues for the remainder of their lives. It is a risk that simply cannot be mitigated significantly in a full contact sport like rugby league. The sport owes all of the players a debt for the risk that they take. The players take this risk in full knowledge but we must respect the players for what they give up for the game.

At the very least every time we see a triumphant return like Dean Young we all should remember all those players who haven’t been able to turn a disastrous injury into a victory lap. Just like Dean Young these footballers deserve our respect and thanks for the risks that they take for the game.

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748 words between the lines.

 

[muzby]

muzby grabs the ball from cheesie, and goosteps his way up the field for the dragons..


750 words from title to end, including forum code for the image.




Star Power


Russell Crowe was angry. Really angry. Here he was, a respected Hollywood star who had spent $3m on the South Sydney Rabbitohs. He had led his proud team for the past 6 years.

He had attracted international stars such as Greg Inglis and Roy Asotasi to his team. He had put in place the best strength and conditioning staff and a premiership winning coach.

But still, he was angry. People were laughing at his team.

He couldn’t take much more, so he knew it was time to take action. He picked up his phone (which for a reason we won’t disclose, was being held together with electrical tape).

The other end picks up. “This is the actor Tom Cruise”.

“Hi Tom, it’s Russell Crowe here. You may remember me from such films as Romper Stomper and Gladiator.”

“Hi Russell, I don’t think we’ve caught up since you stormed out of that Scientology meeting”.

“Sorry Tom, I’ve been busy. Really busy. But I’m hoping you can help me. You’re a fairly influential guy in Hollywood”

Tom starts chuckling, and Russell can just imagine Tom’s bright white teeth shining as he says “Heh heh heh, well Russell, I am one of the top actors here in Hollywood. How can I help you?”

“Well Tom, I have a bit of a problem, you know how I own the South Sydney ..”

“Sorry to interrupt Russell, just give me a minute will ya?”

Russell waits on the line and hears what could only be describe as a short, sharp buzzing zap followed by the unmistakeable sound of a woman’s shriek of pain.

“Hi Russell, sorry about that. I left the door unlocked and Katie was trying to make a run for it again. Thankfully I had my tazer handy. We’ve got about 3 minutes till she comes to, so better make it quick”.

“Well Tom, firstly that’s just absolutely shocking, pardon the pun. As I was saying, I have a problem. I’ve spent millions on my own private football team, the Rabbitohs. You remember them? You came to a game with me.”

“Oh, the cute little bunnies!”

“Rabbitohs, Tom. Mean, fighting Rabbitohs. But yes, that is them. It seems that nobody in Australia is taking them seriously anymore. We haven’t had much success, but we have tradition. And quite frankly, I’m sick of it and want to do something big. Something massive that will make people take note.”

“Uh huh” says Tom, as Russell can hear a pen writing on paper.

“Laughing. At. Rabbitohs. Got it.”

“Are you sure Tom?”

“Yes Russell, I’m Tom Cruise. I’m freaking Maverick, man. I don’t get things wrong. How much time have I got? When are you next over here?”
“Two weeks time, for a bit of work on the new Superman movie.”

“Ah yes, Superman, I love a man in tights. I’ll have something knocked up for you. Something big that makes a statement to all of Hollywood. Anyway Russell, I‘ve gotta go, Katie is stirring and Suri is looking at her mother with a look of concern.”

“Thanks Tom, I look forward to seeing your work.”

Russell hangs up the phone, grabs a glass of 21 year old scotch and kicks back in his lounge room, smiling and knowing that in two weeks time, all of this laughter will be gone. People will know that he, Russell Crowe, has been able to single handily stop people laughing at the Rabbitohs.

Life was good again.

Two weeks later, Russell’s private jet touches down in America. As he’s passing through customs, he notices people are whispering and pointing at him. He smiles and touches his Souths cap. When he reaches the customs desk, the girl says to him “Oh, you’re Russell Crowe. Tom Cruise has been telling everyone about how excited he is that you are coming to see his work”.

“Oh really?” Replies Russell, with a sly grin “What has he done for me?”
“It’s big, really big.” Says the customs girl. “I don’t understand what it means, but you wont miss it.”

Russell jumps in his limo and directs the driver to the movie studio. As he is halfway there he lets out an obscenity that can’t be repeated here. He yells at his driver “Stop. Stop this bloody car right now.”

Russell gets out of his limo, and screams “Tom, you idiot!” as he casts his eyes upon the Hollywood hills and sees:

 

[Marshall_magic]

Marshall Magic tries to mount a late comeback for the Bunnies

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[FONT=&quot]Game Going Soft, or Simply Progressing?[/FONT]​

[FONT=&quot]Let me take you back to a time where things were different. A time where if a school kid was out of line they got hit with a stick yet by the time they finished, a day of skylarking wasn’t just the norm, it was encouraged. A time where people had Saturday night fever and danced the night away to the Bee Gees or alternatively would go and rock out to the bat out of hell that is Meatloaf while rolling around in the bottom of their jeans. A time where you could light up a ciggie inside a pub on a Sunday afternoon sit back, have a beer and watch the North Sydney Bears and the Newtown Jets go at it at Henson Park. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The Bears and ‘Bags will throw everything at each other, swinging arms, eye gouges, you name it. The field has no grass on it at all, and the game resembles that of a mud bath. But it is in no way shape or form considered grubby; instead it’s tough, and the players are real men, working full time to support their football career, which consists of a few training sessions on weeknights and a game on the weekend. As backward as this time may seem, it is known now as the 70s. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Now fast forward to 2011. Think of how things change. Teachers are hung, drawn and quartered for harming a student, finishing school skylarking is funny until someone crosses the line and puts honey on a handrail. The Bee Gees are a source of comedy in satirical retro movies and a meatloaf is only a hot dinner. To have a smoke you need to go outside, away from the footy, where the Bears and the Jets will most certainly not be seen on TV, but instead in the NSW Cup, a second tier competition.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]But if you were to watch first grade, the swinging arms and other classic 70s defensive plays have been rubbed out. Even more, further acts that weren’t even around in the 70s have been rubbed out too. Things like grapples, chicken wings and the new cannonball tackles. Scrums are merely a method to restart play and no longer a contest for possession, no pushing or driving there. A desperate slide to stop a try is now considered leading with the knees and results in an 8 point try if contact is made with the try scorer. The question really needs to be asked, has the game gone soft?[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]A quick answer would be, yes, it has, but the more you think about it and how society has changed, is it more the game trying to keep up with the time. Compare the NRL to any other sport played in Australia and tell me it still doesn’t sit above the rest in toughness. Rugby Union is so slow you could bake a cake while waiting for a scrum to be packed, and AFL is just as ridiculous as it always has been, signing serial NRL turnstile Karmichael Hunt up and praising his tackling skills. Soccer players are still abused from the outside looking in for their diving and theatrics. The remaining sports are all non-contact sports. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The game is still number one for toughness, and with a rapidly changing society, it’s good to still hold this title. With rules and laws getting tighter and tighter as people become more and more sheltered, it is very hard for a tough game to maintain its masculinity. Rugby Union still has the contested scrums that League abandoned all these years ago, from this perspective, I don’t think it adds anything to their game; it slows it right down and achieves nothing. In fact most of them seem to end with penalties. The scrums we have, whilst in terms of a contest for possession are a joke they offer teams a chance to put on a structured play, and we’ve seen many great tries scored from these situations. The tough elements from yesteryear are still in place in our great game, but the game itself has moved on. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Fast forward another 40 years to 2050, things again will be different. Fashion, pop culture, discipline will all change. Teams will be introduced, others will die. We may wish the game would get back to the toughness of 2011. But one thing’s for sure; Rugby League will be the toughest game on the Australian sporting landscape.[/FONT]
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745 words between the lines

 

[Jesbass]

The referee blows full time, then realises that he's completely starkers!

 

[Cheesie-the-Pirate]

My eyes!

Thanks all and good luck.

 

[Marshall_magic]

4 v 5 is disappointing, but none the less some interesting reads there.

 

[Jesbass]

Please note, I have to leave tonight due to a death in the family and so won't be available to substitute anyone else in. Cheesie is VC should he need to sub himself in.

Cheers,

Drew

Drew-Sta, speaking as an individual, but also on behalf of the Forum Sevens community as a whole, please accept our deepest condolences.

And as us Kiwis would say: kia kaha.

 

[Titanic]

ditto on behalf of the Titans