ANZAC TEST (2007) Kiwis vs Kangaroos

[Willow]

F7s ANZAC TEST MATCH 2007
The F7s Anzac Shield

New Zealand Kiwis v Australia Kangaroos

v

Game Thread:
• Please note - This is a game thread only, therefore only game-related posts can be made here. Any other posts may result in loss of points and is at the discretion of the referee.
• Captains must post their entire team (including reserves) before posting and only those players listed may play this round.
• Only original marked articles, not used in previous games, will be marked by referees.

REP Match rules:
7 posts per team.
Teams allowed 3 reserves each.
Total (including reserves): 10 players per team.

Rules of play: http://f7s.leagueunlimited.com/rules.php
Full Time: WEDNESDAY 2nd MAY at 9:00PM (SYD TIME)

Venue: The Front Row Stadium

REFEREE: The Colonel
**Referee Blows Game On!**

 

[The Piper]

Australia run on

1. Waken
2. Pistol
3. eloquentEEL
4. roosterboy60
5. Willow
6. Master Vippo
7. Azkatro

8. Black Kitty
9. Prince Charles
10. Steel Dragon

Good luck to both teams

 

[LeagueNut]

KIWIS TEAM

LeagueNut (capt)
Jesbass (v-c)
Robster (v-c)
[furrycat] (v-c)
byrne_rovelli_fan82 (v-c)
Locky_Jr (v-c)
Mixmasterreece (v-c)

Reserves
griffo346
Murphdogg1
madunit

Please stand by as the haka is performed ...

(and good luck everyone!)

 

[[furrycat]]

Furry steps out and starts meowing furiously at the Aussies. He squats and buries right in the middle of the field. Realising everyone is watching him, he prepares to lead the haka.

Ringa pakia
Uma tiraha
Turi whatia
Hope whai ake
Waewae takahia kia kino

Kapo! HI!

Furry: Kapa O Pango kia whakawhenua au i ahau!
Team: Hi aue ii!
Furry: Ko Aotearoa e ngunguru nei!
Team: Au, au, aue ha!
Furry: Ko Kapa O Pango e ngunguru nei!
Team: Au, au, aue ha!
Furry (slaps Leaguenuts back): I ahaha!
Team: Ka tu te ihiihi! Ka tu te wanawana! Ki runga ki te rangi e tu iho nei, tu iho nei ihi!
Furry: Ponga ra!
Team: Kapa O Pango, aue hi!
Furry: Ponga ra!
Team: Kapa O Pango, aue hi! *perform throat slitting motion* HA...

GAME ON :crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy:

 

[Willow]

*Willow pulls on the Aussie jersey and runs onto the hallowed TFR pitch.*

Bumsucker's Special Talent

My school mate Mick Johnston had the rather unfortunate nickname of ‘Bumsucker’. Mick seemed to take it all in his stride, but he once confided in me that he cringed whenever he heard the name ‘Bumsucker'. Indeed, he said he looked forward to the day when it could put it all behind him and never hear, or read, it again.

Anyway, Bumsucker was part of an unrefined team of rugby league players. Every Friday we would meet in the local park, kick the ball around and play tackle footy. We all had our special talents; Bumsucker’s specialty was his sleight of hand… he could sell a dummy to a department store. We all knew it and we all fell for it… time and time again.

One particular Friday afternoon, ‘Thorny’ chipped ahead (that being Thorny’s specialty) while ‘Dense’ turned on the speed (speed being his special talent) and regathered the ball. Standing in traffic was me, and Dense would invariably treat me like a speed hump (that being my specialty). Bumsucker would play a supporting role and take the pass as our star defender ‘Smelly’ would reel Dense in. With only the fullback to beat and a winger on his flank, Bumsucker ‘threw’ one of his legendary dummies, and the fullback would swallow it, hook, line and sinker. With everyone looking on in disbelief, the sultan of sell strolled in to score under the posts.

This was no fluke. I’ve confronted Bumsucker myself I was fully aware of his reputation. I kept an eye on the unmarked support player but had every intention of hitting Bumsucker head on. With the intended impact just a seconds away, he would make a sideway glance, a motion to pass, and then look back at me before balancing himself to offload.

“Damn! He’s going to pass this time!”

I’d leave it as long as I could, step sideways just slightly and keep both players covered as well as I could. For all intents and purposes the ball looked certain to leave the hands, but it was suddenly back in his grasp and Bumsucker was away and racing... and like so many before me, I looked like a goose.

So how did he do it? Putting aside for a moment that we were rank amateurs, feigning to pass is a time honoured tradition which is no better illustrated than in the game of rugby league.

The experts write: ‘a dummy can unlock the tightest of defences’. Perhaps they say this so we dummies don’t feel so bad. In any case, the trick is not to use it all the time. Bumsucker knew this and would mix it up, sometimes offloading to a support player… just enough to make us think he did know how to pass after all.

As the ball carrier, you look towards the person you are feigning the pass to (the ‘target’), make the passing motion. At this point, timing and footwork - a deceptive step - is all important. The defender is drawn to your ‘target’ team-mate, the ball is then drawn back into your chest and you accelerate into the gap you created. If necessary, keep on the lookout for any players in support who are in a better position than you are.

The technique is simple enough to understand but it takes some skill to administer. As history has shown, not every player can do it while some players are definite masters of the dummy.

In the same year that I came to appreciate Bumsucker’s special talent, the poor bloke broke his leg. It was during one of our Friday matches. An ambulance was called and Bumsucker was carted off to hospital.

The next day he was on crutches and pain killers, the leg in plaster. As it turned out, his footy playing days were over. He never possessed the deceptive step again and his on-field confidence had all but deserted him. The once star performer on the field was now spending most of his time watching from the sidelines.

20 years later, I ran into Mick at a high school reunion. We recalled the afternoon when he was unlucky enough to break his leg - it was just one of those things, a freak accident. Mick has made the most of his opportunities, good job and great family... and he loves watching football. But after leaving school, he never played the game again.

*735 words*
*Ref: BBC website*

 

[LeagueNut]

LeagueNut ankle-taps Willow and steals the ball ...

LeagueNut (Kiwis)

What if I hadn’t written this story?

“What if ...” – the two magic words that can provide endless questions which can never possibly be answered. Most League fans can’t resist torturing themselves by asking these questions on a regular basis. Heck, I know I do it myself about five times more than the recommended daily limit (whatever that is!).

It’s quite scary to think just how different things could be if one split-second decision had gone the other way. And I’m not talking about back office stuff here – “should we sign this guy or that guy” – I’m talking about the real battles on the field, where the ramifications can be both instantaneous and long lasting all at the same time.

So in the interests of sharing (and because my therapist thought it was a good idea), I would like to present the following thoughts to you.

The biggest on-field “what ifs” for the Warriors (1995 –2006):

Here’s my personal trio of selections. There’s plenty more, but that will have to wait for Part Two.

What if Joe Vagana hadn’t been subbed on?
Round 3 1995: Warriors 48, Magpies 12 at Ericsson Stadium

This is the most obvious one of all. By being substituted late in the match when the result was already sealed, Joe Vagana became the fifth replacement used by the Warriors that day. A local reporter cottoned on to the fact that there seemed to be an awful lot of replacements used, and ultimately it was Television New Zealand that alerted the ARL to the error (an act that still hasn’t been completely forgiven – but that’s another story!). The ARL whipped away the Warriors first two competition points, and the Warriors missed the finals in their inaugural season by that exact margin.

A finals berth in their debut season would have made an enormous difference to the success of the Warriors in their early years. Sadly though, we’ll never know just how big that difference could have been.

What if Villasanti hadn’t headbutted Fittler?
Grand Final 2002: Warriors 8, Roosters 30 at Telstra Stadium

Any true-blue Warriors fan can’t help but smile when they see Richard Villasanti launching himself head-first into Brad Fittler as he sat on the ground, already dazed from a Wairangi Koopu hit. But with the game delicately poised at the time, it proved to be a huge red flag to the Roosters forwards – and gave them the extra motivation they needed to run all over the top of the Warriors forwards on their way to a 22 point victory.

It’s easy to think that the superior fitness of the Roosters would have won in the end regardless – but there’s no telling just what would have happened if Villasanti hadn’t decided to smash the Roosters captain. Keeping the game close was vital to the Warriors chances of securing a maiden Premiership, yet after this hit it proved to be mission impossible.

What if Ben Roberts hadn’t busted the line?
Round 18 2006: Warriors 18 Bulldogs 22 at Telstra Stadium

The Warriors had strung together four wins in a row for the first time in three seasons before heading to Bulldog territory last year. People were suddenly starting to ask whether a finals berth could be on the cards for a team docked four Premiership points at the start of the season. Surely not!!

But when Ben Roberts (who showed NO compassion for his countrymen that day!) busted the line in the third minute of Golden Point extra time, the Warriors fate was sealed. Mark O’Meley crossed under the bar to seal a tight win for the home team. The Warriors were clearly shaken by the result, and promptly lost their next two games before stringing together another four straight wins late in the season.

Could the Warriors have won the match that day? Possibly.

Would the Warriors have gained an enormous amount of confidence in beating the Bulldogs? Absolutely.

Could the Warriors have made the finals by reversing this result and carrying that confidence into their next couple of games? Definitely – it may not have been “right” for a team punished for salary cap infringements to make the finals, but we wouldn’t have been the first and we certainly wouldn’t be the last.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to revisit my own parallel universe – because in there, all the “what ifs” have been answered just the way I like them.

To be continued ...


749 words (including title) in the F7's Word Counter. GO THE KIWIS!!

 

[The Piper]

Waken rakes the ball with thirteen in the tackle

The Encyclopedia of Forum Sevens Players

Touch Judge (b. 1958)
(University 1975-1980) 13 games, 1001 points, avg. score 77 (Western Suburbs 1981-1986) 23 games, 1988 points, avg. score 86.4. (Canterbury 1986-1988) 8 games, 606 points, avg. score 75.75.

As a junior forummer coming through the ranks of Balmain, he became the youngest captain in the University Forum Seven teams’ history in 1977, at the age of 18. The man known as TJ was a #1 back then, with stints as the number #2 and #3 to follow and fancied himself as a decent #5 as well. After the retirement of Jacko, former captain and F7s immortal, Touch Judge was made captain for the first time. Soon after his first game with the (c) beside his forum name, Touch Judge upgraded his computer to a HP Pavilion A1740N Desktop PC. A sensible investment or not? A few rounds into the season, two index finger injuries threatened his career.

But moving to the Magpies side, TJ made the first grade team and played in the 1983 Grand Final loss to the Eels. During the game, he produced an article that scored a magnificent 93, a first for any Wests F7s player in a final to collect a score over the ninety mark. In the high quality match, not even that great score was able to collect him the win, or even the Post of the Match award. Then after several season with the Canterbury club (during the time he won two premierships with them) he retired during the 1988 season when his internet connection was disabled, as well as being offered the position of the Bulldogs reserve grade coach.

As soon as his playing career was over it was time for a username change. Touch Judge was known from then on as Coach TJ. Coach TJ took to the job well and success was immediate, getting his team to reach the reserve grade grand final. Although they didn’t win the title, the previous first grade head coach stepped down in 1989, so Coach TJ took up the head job that very next season. The title of “F7s Coach of the Year” was given to him in 1990 when he managed the minor premiership. Again Canterbury didn’t manage to go all the way and in 91 the team did not even manage to make the finals. A controversial sacking came about, and Coach TJ found himself with no coaching job. But not for long.

What away to bounce back, hooking up with the Gold Coast Dolphins outfit and in 1992 and 1993, his first two years at the club, TJ helped inspire the Queensland based side to two Grand Final victories in a row; both over the Dragons and both with 20+ point victories in two five versus five matches.

During the dark time now known as the “Forum Switch”, Coach TJ was candid about setting up the Forum Sevens competition on the League Unlimited forums, which popularity at the time was ever growing. He made sure that the key player of the game found their way over to the new site. The Forum Sevens are found today on LU and have been even more successful on these forums than the “other” forum. During the first full season played out on the new LU forum, Coach TJ took up another coaching job, this time as New South Wales coach in F7s State of Origin.

Taking the helm of the side, lead by rookie newcomer Willow, Coach TJ won the series in a white wash. Following a drawn SOO series in the next season of F7s, TJ quit representative coaching the season after that; another win to the Blues. He was becoming more outspoken on his views of the game and before the end of 1997, Coach TJ gave it all up and was a Forum Sevens coach no more. To this day, Touch Judge/ Coach TJ is the most successful player/coach to play the second greatest game of all. He will be remembered.

Changing his username one more time, now to just TJ, the great man is still linked to the game closely in a managerial sense. He has sold his old computer and now uses a Dell C610 P3 1.2ghz Laptop. Other than assisting decisions on the new rules and regulations, as well as what teams should be invited into the new Forum 7s season, TJ spends most of his time on LU today starting annoying threads in the Canberra Raiders section.


750 words says the Official Word Counter

 

[eloquentEEL]

eloquentEEL throws the ball backwards for the Kangaroos to go forward
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Ctrl-Z

After watching the first few rounds of the NRL played with a large, football shaped bar of soap, I believe we could benefit from importing some coaching consultants from Deutschland. A good dose of German precision and engineering should help clear up the sudden outbreak of dropsies.

“Halt! Vot du yu sink yu are du’ing? Dumkopf. Zee ferst sing eez tu kontrol zee bol.”

We are however, highly unlikely to see the Gestapo coaching in the NRL any time soon (considering they’ve got their hands full with the referees and judiciary). Therefore, I may as well explore an equally imaginary scenario, motivated by the words of my fictitious Blitzkrieg officer, as I’m sure there are plenty of players that would love to have a Microsoft Windows based remote control which would allow them to “kontrol zee bol”.

By way of explaining the connection, Microsoft programs use shortcuts. One of these shortcuts is to hold down the “Ctrl” and “Z” buttons on the keyboard. Pronounced “control zee”, this allows the user to undo their recent work. For example, this article started off on the topic of the Midget Rugby League. Thankfully, I was able to use Ctrl-Z to undo my opening sentence and come up with something more inspired.

Whether they’ve dropped a high ball without any pressure, or fumbled the ball over the line, it’s pretty clear that the players would love to be able to undo the last play and have it over again. It’s not restricted to knock-ons either.

Ran around the back of your own player and given yourself up? Ctrl-Z.

Went for a 40-20 but kicked the ball out on the full? Ctrl-Z.

Tried to run around your opposite winger and got bundled into touch? Ctrl-Z.

Passed the ball forward into the head of a falling team mate? Shame on you. Put your head in your hands and search through your hair until you find that damn undo button. Ctrl-Z.

Picked up a season ending injury on a completely irrelevant and unnecessary play? Do a Michael Henderson and pound that undo button all the way through to China. Ctrl-Z. CTRL-Z! CTRL-F***ING-Z!!!

Who else could benefit? Imagine if a club could undo some of their contract negotiations. What if a coach could undo some team selections or part of his game plan? Perhaps we would see so many undos that we’d end up with a collaboration attempting to reach the unattainable perfect game of league; where ultimately, nothing gets done. Kind of like the annual coaches’ conference or the United Nations. Every time the attacking team undid a failed attack in order to readjust and score a try, the defence would simply keep undoing the play until they forced an error with a big hit, at which point the attack would undo the tackle, etc. etc. If everyone had the power of Ctrl-Z, then we’d have a never ending match where nothing happened. We wouldn’t even have a highlights reel of all the great plays because they’d keep getting undone. If it were available, it would be impossible to satisfy everyone and there would be a very fine line between coming up with a higher quality game and grinding it to a standstill.

Lucky this is all just fantasy.

Or is it?

When it comes to referees, they do actually have the ability to influence a match with the magic of “undo”. A word in their ear from the video ref could easily undo many incorrect decisions which are obvious to hundreds of thousands of home viewers, but they decided against it (unless there’s been foul play). Journos have the ability to edit their articles and undo unsubstantiated claims before publishing media beat-ups, but they prefer to sell papers. In both of these cases, actually using Ctrl-Z would be mostly beneficial. It’s bizarre to think that these people do have an undo function at their disposal, but choose not to use it, whilst many fans would happily sacrifice a body part to have the option in the first place.

Maybe someone will invent that NRL remote with a button to undo the odd brain explosion one day. Until then, we’ll just have to wait for that order of crazy glue to arrive.
____________

706 words

 

[Mixmasterreece]

"I love lamp".... I mean Mixmasterreece for the mightY KIWIS
_______________________________________________________

Extreme Makeover – Warriors Edition.

I woke up one morning and realised the club I once loved was gone.

My love affair with the Warriors didn't start in 1995, far from it. I'd watch a warriors game on a sunday if I had nothing else to do, but I didn't have any attachment to the club. It wasn't until late in the 1990's, at a time when the Warriors carved out a niche as 'Razzle Dazzle' footballers, that they captured the hearts and minds of casual fans like myself.

The team grew on me, like they were a colony of E. coli and I was room-temperature prime English beef.

For the next six years I was delighted to see the team get their act together and produce the type of football I'd miss my own wedding to watch. They were the golden years, when our success peaked in 2002 it gave us all a taste of what could of been.

The Warriors of 2006 lost their spark. The failings of 2004 and 2005 could be stomached - their performances weren't meeting the expectations of fans - but at least they showed creativity in the face of defeat. Twelve points down with ten minutes to go - you still couldn't write the Warriors off.

But that fleeting hope of glory in 2002, and the resulting disappointments since, saw one of the greatest over reactions in the history of New Zealand Rugby League. In the eyes of the club's stakeholders, if we weren't winning premierships, we weren't worth the investment. The solution to an under performing club was to completely remodel it – or so we thought. The management demanded a team more clinical in it's execution, and there was only one way to achieve that.

In what could be considered a U-Turn of club policy in the pursuit of obtaining consistent results, the Warrior's management began to radically revise the 'Warriors forumla'.

The first stage of this was to recruit 'Australian football brains', both on and off the field. Smart? Yes. Entertaining? No. The thought process behind it seemed to centre around the success of Kevin Campion at the club. I admit that Campion was a revelation, but he worked due to the club finding the right 'mix' between smarts and flair. Recruiting 6 Campions, wasn't going to, and didn't, work.

Percentage football and 'champagne rugby league' unfortunately do not go hand in hand. If you've recruited a number of players who play by the book, you have to remove the elements from the game plan that conflict with this. That has been the consequence of the Warriors recruitment strategy. To fit with the style of the players now on the club's books, the coaching staff had to cut out 'risk taking' from the game plan.

The consequences of this shift in strategy have been enormous. Gone are the trademarks of Rugby League's South Pacific entertainers, and those elements remaining are being smothered under an oppressive game plan.

When you break it down, the Warriors are not an exciting prospect to watch on a Sunday afternoon. It's not because we aren't performing, it's the fact that even if we were to perform, it wouldn't be on the back of entertaining football.

It's like strolling down to the corner dairy and grabbing a copy of 'Hustler', only to get it home and find someones scribbled out the girl's privates with a black marker - you know the goodies are there, it's just that they've been cruely hidden from you.

With this new breed of Warrior, it's difficult to predict where the club will be five years down the road. Top 8 finishes may be obtainable, but a premiership would seem out of our reach. That 'X factor' does not exist within the Warrior's current playing roster.

It will not be easy to reverse the damage done to the essence of this club. The Warriors need to go back to the recruitment drawing board. Looking back at 2002 it should be obvious what worked. Our club reached the dizzing heights of finals footy through producing local talent, and giving them a license to use the gifts god gave them.

A team full of Ali Lauititi's won't be on song every week, so this needs to be counteracted with a few hard working australian grafters - not seven or eight. We as fans can accept that our team won't win every game, but not when that team is stacked with under performing foriegners, playing a bland style of football.

_________________________________
750 words according to the official forum sevens counter.

 

[Hallatia]

Locky_Jr on international debut for the Kiwis, picking up the play for country she is yet to even visit

♠♠♠♠♠♠♠
Eligibility?​

In 1908, following the induction season of Rugby League in Australia, one of Australia’s all time greats left the country to tour Great Britain with his trans-Tasman cousins. Messenger played in the rebel series against a professional New Zealand team, the ‘All Golds’ and was invited to tour England with New Zealand. It remains unclear whether this was because of the form he showed in the series or if it was agreed as part of his sign-on fee with the new code. Dally Messenger had played internationally for Australia in Union and after that went on to don the Green and Gold in international Rugby League becoming one of Australia’s all time best.

100 years later a Kiwi team shall again tour Great Britain to commemorate the century of league that has since past. Coming into this centenary year Andrew Johns; arguably Australian Rugby League’s greatest ever son; had vowed to don the great Black and White jersey so he too could be a participant in such a momentous tour.

Now that it has become impossible for Andrew Johns to take part in the tour, the call is put out to Brad Fittler and Darren Lockyer to play the part, which Joey now cannot*. Fittler, Johns and Lockyer are three of the greatest Rugby League players ever not just to wear the Australian jersey, but to captain the team and each have been offered selection for a traditional rival they meet absolutely no eligibility criteria for.

Nobody would dare stand in the way of either touring with New Zealand, despite the allegiance each have to Australia, the countless Green and Gold jerseys they have worn along with the captaincy each had of the team and the fact that none of them shall ever be called a New Zealander. Johns, Lockyer and Fittler when fit would each be welcomed to play for any team without fulfilling any eligibility criteria.

Of course the lines are crossed at times; therefore are constantly being blurred. With the pecking order constantly re-affirming itself, it is always quite clear that that when benefit can be reaped by those on top, then will the rules be messed with but when this is not the case, it is often seen that a tough stance is taken for the sake of it, even when there are no benefactors.


In the 2006 Tri Nations series; New Zealand fielded an Australian born player who had spent his second year living in New Zealand, had ancestral links to the country and had never represented Australia. The eligibility rules state that one must either be born in the country, have at least a third generation connection to the country or spent at least 3 years living there without having represented another nation for the past two years and if eligible to play for more than one country he is to elect one and stick with it until the end of the next world cup, or the expiry period of 2 years+.

Nathan Fein fulfilled none of these criterions, but claimed to have, thus started the “granny gate saga”. He and the New Zealand Rugby League were ostracized for the “granny gate saga” by the Rugby League community. It is true that there was some dishonesty through out the saga but were the results fair?

In Rugby League; players neglecting their origins are often seen, for whatever reason a player may choose to represent one side rather than another and they are often allowed. The eligibility has become so open that one can easily meet the criteria and represent one place when the public may believe that perhaps they should be representing another.

Much debate surrounded the case of Karmichael Hunt although; Hunt playing for Australia was well with in the perhaps farcical eligibility rules. Hunt’s is not the only case though, it happens very often, and with so many variations, there is no law about who should play where, if the likes of Hunt; who moved to Australia as a 14 year old play for Australia it is bizarre that within the same rule system, the Cayless brothers, born in Sydney choose to respect their heritage and don the black and white for life.

The lines are blurry and if it is so easy to become eligible for a country, why not just allow a player to align himself with the country of his choice?

___________________
*Daily Telegraph 23rd April 2007
http://www.news.com.au/sundaytelegraph/story/0,22049,21602782-5006066,00.html
+eligibility for international rugby league
http://greekrugbyleague.com/eligibility.php

♠♠♠♠♠♠♠​

747 words

 

[LeagueNut]

KIWIS SUBSTITUTION

Out: Robster

In: griffo346

 

[griffo346]

griffo346 (the Tonie Carrol of F7s) runs onto the feild for his debut as a KIWI.... Trys to do the HAKA but has no idea
ANZAC RUGBY LEAGUE

The ANZACS and rugby league players have some things that are common within each other; these are listed below:
• They fight for each other
• They represent their country

Hence why the National Rugby League has held this test in and around ANZAC Day for 7 of the last 10 years where Australia and New Zealand have competed in this emotional match.

There are a few memorable moments I’ve have read about and they would have to be when the New Zealanders came to Sydney for the first time to help kick off the football as a professional movement.
Anther memorable moment I’ve read about is “Rugby League and World War 1” - below is a quote I found very interesting when it came to league within the army.

A recent example...

"History shows that league officials in Australia took advantage of the war to build their own game. Lest we forget, Michael McKernan, a leading authority on World War I, in 1979 wrote an essay called Sport, War and Society. McKernan disclosed that rugby league officials did little to support the war effort. McKernan noted that according to official records about 75% of the unmarried rugby league players called up in September 1916 somehow managed to avoid the draft."

Rugby News magazine (New Zealand) April 2005

When the first match was introduced to the annual schedule it was known as the ANZAC test. This was controversial for its use of the term 'ANZAC' (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) and its perceived comparison of professional sportsmen with soldiers.

The first of these matches was in 1997 during the “Super League era” with Australia defeating New Zealand 34-22.

Trans-Tasman League matches have been going since the league started way back in 1908 and will celebrate its centenary next season. During these 99 years we have seen legends play our fine game.

Every man to pull on the Kangaroo’s jersey was the pick of the crop; Masters of their art... although some men have made so much more of an impact to the game, men of the calibre of Reg Gasiner, Clive Churchill to Brad Fittler and Andrew Johns. I understand that there a fair bit of a gap between these great players but I haven’t the word count to list every player to don the representative Jersey.

Having these players in the history of our game is the reason the game is where it is now, and why we go on to remember these guys with the induction to the Immortals, the Hall of Fame, and with some players having medals named after them like the great Clive Churchill whom played for the might of the South Sydney Rabbitohs through their glory days.

In each game there has been a great player or a great team effort but generally they don’t over shadow the great plays that players pull off within this great game. It could be anything from a chip kick to a cut out pass to find the winger in space down the touch line.

These plays can also be pulled out of nowhere, with a magical inside pass to find the gap in the defence of the opposition. These plays can often lead to the breaking of a side, and when pulled off it can inspire a team to go on with the game or it can make the side cocky and therefore inspire the opposition.

Many individual milestones have been reached within our fine game from players making their debut and also being able to sing that national anthem for the first time, to a player playing his last game in the colours of his country.

I will leave this article with my last quote below

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.”​

659 words
according to the offical F7s word counter

http://www.anzacday.org.au/education...ememwords.html - Ode
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ANZAC_Test - History Section
http://rl1908.com/articles/nz-1908.htm - My Memorable moment
http://rl1908.com/articles/war.htm

 

[Jesbass]

In an act of true ANZAC sportsmanship, Jesbass dons his Kiwi jersey and decides to tackle every opposition player with his feet... :shock: :crazy:

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Brothers In Arms (750 words including title)

The soldier shifted nervously as the small landing craft made its agonisingly slow passage towards the steep and rugged coastline. With the sun yet to rise, he squinted his eyes and peered through the darkness at the shadowed horizon. With his heart pounding, the Lance Corporal gripped his rifle firmly, double checking that his bayonet was in place, as the lifeboat was rowed closer to shore, the first crackles of gunfire audible from the towering ridges ahead.

These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be​

Charles Savory was never far from controversy. Born in Auckland in 1889, the keen sportsman initially picked up rugby union as his sport of choice. After allegedly kicking an opposition player in a club match in 1910, and receiving a two year ban as a result, Savory switched to rugby league, where he earned a reputation as a fearless and rugged prop forward.

He represented New Zealand in the thirteen man game against Australia in 1911, and played to such a high level that he was invited to join the Kangaroos on their tour of Great Britain, not unlike what Dally Messenger had done for the All Golds only four years earlier.

Some day you’ll return to
Your valley and your farms
And you’ll no longer burn
To be brothers in arms​

Letting out a battle cry, the non-commissioned officer leapt from the boat and into the cold water of the Dardanelles, running as fast as he could, desperately trying to find safe ground amidst the fury of gunfire. As sunlight began to gently creep over the rugged terrain above them, the invading soldiers managed to dig themselves into positions in the side of the cliff.

Through these fields of destruction
Baptisms of fire
I’ve witnessed your suffering
As the battle raged higher​

During a 1912 match against Auckland club side Newton, Savory first found himself on the wrong side of the judiciary. Having been sent off during the game, and after a failed appeal, the burly prop was suspended for the rest of the season, costing him the opportunity to take part in a second tour of Australia.

The following year, just days after having been selected in the national side, Savory was caught in what he forever labelled a case of mistaken identity. At an inquiry held by the Auckland Rugby League, the Kiwi forward was found guilty of kicking and banned for life.

The New Zealand Rugby League’s reaction was swift, and although they selected another player to take Savory’s place in the tour, they allowed an appeal to be heard. After finding there was no case to answer, they allowed the former rugby union player to return to the playing field.

And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms​

The Lance Corporal took a deep breath as he looked over his equipment, making sure there was nothing missing and that he was ready for battle. The word had just come through: they were to advance on the enemy’s position. The soldier had encountered battle before, albeit on a rugby league field. The countrymen of his former opposition were now his comrades, fighting somebody else’s war in a far off land.

There’s so many different worlds
So many different suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones​

In the aftermath of Savory’s disqualification and reinstatement, a split formed between the Auckland Rugby League and the New Zealand Rugby League that still exists to this day. After earning another international cap in 1914, the man whom the controversy surrounded became the New Zealand amateur heavyweight boxing champion, before signing up to perform his duty after the outbreak of World War One.

Now the sun’s gone to hell
With the moon riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die​

Yelling out “I’m going to fight for my country”, Lance Corporal Charles Savory charged the enemy positions in an ill-fated attack. He was killed by Turkish artillery fire, and was later credited for his bravery during the battle. Despite what some league officials had thought two years earlier, Savory proved in death that he had been a worthy representative of New Zealand.

But it’s written in the starlight
And every line on your palm
We’re fools to make war
On our brothers in arms​

Lest we forget.​

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Sources:
www.cwgc.org
www.lighthorse.org.au
www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Krithia
www.letssingit.com - song lyrics - 'Brothers In Arms' by Dire Straits, 1985
Wanganui Herald, 26th July 1915, Page 5
'The Kiwis: 100 Years Of International Rugby League' by John Coffey and Bernie Wood

 

[roosterboy60]

Roosterboy60 onto the field for the Australian Team:

Through Good Times and Bad Times:

If you are a loyal fan of Rugby League, and more importantly your team, most people will know how this story would pan out. Every single team in the NRL have gone through bad times, and as a supporter you have to go through them as well.

As a younger Roosters fan, I started supporting them around 1998. Brad Fittler had been with the Roosters for three years and we were in the early years for making the finals every year from 1996-2004.

The first season I really remember, and the one that stands out (although I know if I thought about it hard enough I could remember the two other years), was the year 2000. Which I guess was the start of the Roosters Grand Final run. The game that stands out for me that year is the Preliminary Final against Newcastle when we came back from around sixteen points down to win. That is probably the highest I’ve felt as a Roosters fan. Only rivalled by the 2002 Grand Final, which would probably beat it just because of what the victory in 2002 meant.

Until the first weekend of October in 2003, I had never really felt a terrible football experience. But that changed when the Roosters lost to Penrith in the 2003 Grand Final and then the year after lost to the Bulldogs in the 2004 Grand Final. But despite those losses in the big one they were eased later on when you realise how much fun you had during the year watching your Footy team.

Midway through 2004, after a match against Canberra the modern day legend of the Sydney Roosters, Brad Fittler, announced he was to retire at the end of that season. While we were expecting to hear that news at any stage it still came as a bit of a shock. As history shows it he was only one try away from going out a winner.

So in 2005, the players and the fans embarked on a new era of the Roosters. I didn’t expect much that year, although it was very hard to know what to expect after a legend retires. It wasn’t a bad season I guess when you look at it. A team who lost one of the best players in the world was only a game away from the Semi’s and if they had of made it who knows what it may have done for the future years.

Last year was definatley my worst as a Roosters fan. Only 8 wins last year, the coach was sacked and some players leaving that we would miss (all apart from one. For most people). But the one thing I noticed last year sitting in the season ticket area, which I had since 2002, is that the fans can stick loyal to the team and can also have a laugh when the team is playing poorly. Although last season was the worst Footy to watch on field from my team, it was probably one of the most enjoyable speaking to the people around me and trying to keep our spirits up. Roosters fans seem to have a good sense of humour and it did show when we needed it the most.

So we came to this year. A new coach and a relatively inexperienced team comes in and we lose our first five games in a row. You could argue that in one or two of those matches the effort wasn’t there. But apart from twenty-five minutes against Manly I disagree with that, as you could see the effort was there and they were trying their hearts out.

Entering this year as a supporter was a bit like 2005, not sure what to expect. Our first win of the year, last week, was indeed our 1000th win overall. When you have been going through a tough time a win feels so special. It may seem stupid to the younger supporters who’s team always makes the finals, it did to me once as well, but not anymore. Never take your teams success for granted because it’s more than likely it won’t last. I do expect the Roosters to comeback this year and over the next few years and become a force again. But I do urge any teams supporters, that when you are going through a bad time, stick by your team, as it will feel better when you come out the other end.

747 Words.

 

[Master Vippo]

Master Vippo charges into the line for the Aussies.

The Merritts of a political selector (or lack thereof)

Can you imagine if the Dally M half-back of the year didn’t make it on a Kangaroo tour? If the prop leading metres gained and offloads wasn’t even considered when the representative season came around? If a player is considered to be the best at his job in the league, then he should be rewarded for it. Sometimes, a player can be made to look better by those around him, and in that case, maybe he doesn’t deserve it. But how about if he was in the worst team around, doing better than everyone else, and still didn’t get picked. Sounds ridiculous doesn’t it? There is no way a selector in his right mind wouldn’t choose a player performing like that?

Try pulling Nathan Merritt aside and telling him that. He was leading try scorer in the league last year, in an utterly beaten team. This year he is playing just as good. It is a winger’s job to find the try-line, and Merritt has been finding all sorts of creative ways to get there as of late. As a winger he as all the skills, speed, a good jumping catch, vision and even a nice kicking game if he is closed off from the try-line. His defence as been unremarkable, but how many wingers are there whose defence is?

Being ignored for the tri-series last year I can understand. There were players last year who were very dominant, even if Merritt was leading try-scorer. But to leave Merritt out of a game like city-country is an insult to the man, who obviously puts a lot of effort in, and gets results. The high standard of football that Merritt puts on display in a beaten team is so remarkable, that it makes me very excited to see what he could do in a team with some genuine superstars around him. He is, like Blacklock, a winger who hunts for the ball, which, like it did for Blacklock, often reaps rewards. But, again like Blacklock, Merritt’s efforts have not been acknowledged by selectors. It appears to this league follower, that apparently scoring tries is not necessarily in the job description for a representative winger, which seem ridiculous to me.

It is a case I have seen before, when Preston Campbell won the Dally M medal, then went on to win a premiership with the Panthers a couple of years later. As with most sides that win the premiership, Penrith mad a much higher in the Australian side than they had for several years, but Preston Campbell, was strangely absent. Possibly there were incumbents, but possibly in the squad or other teams the following year could have benefited from his mix of unpredictability and consistency, but the call didn’t come for a few more years and even then it was just an Australian player-less country bench spot.

There is an attitude amongst our current selectors of sticking with the same players who have been tried before, and while the teams they select may win, that doesn’t justify their selection policies, the best players should rewarded, regardless of who has played well there in the past.

I believe Queensland isn’t afraid to make hard calls, look at dropping Prince-who at no stage was playing badly- for Thurston. It seemed like a risky move, but by backing form players, over incumbents, they scored an unlikely series victory over us. And expect more like it if they continue to select in this way.

I, for one, am very sad for Merritt and others like him, who for whatever reason; miss out on earning individual rewards, because of narrow-minded, clique-y selectors. I hope that this policy changes, and instead of some clubs being over represented, we have representative teams who truly are the best 17 players in their positions in the competition.


645 words, apparently

 

[Pistol]

Like Baloo the Bear, Pistol displays the Bare Necessities for Australia with

The Berro Necessities

Shaun Berrigan. When you think of the name, it doesn’t necessarily ring out with the greats of the game today. Lockyer, Johns, Meninga, Daley, Lewis, Walters, Langer... It just doesn’t seem to fit when you add in Berrigan. But rest assured that if you ever want to form a side, Shaun Berrigan is one of the guys you MUST have in your side.

Never one to big note himself, Berrigan would always tell you that he is only there doing his job. But look outside the square and look at the big picture.

The size of his heart belies that of his stature. He possesses an enormous amount of what former WWE Champion Mick Foley (known as Mankind, Cactus Jack and Dude Love) would describe as “testicular fortitude.” He never takes a backward step nor does he shy away from a confrontation. It was last year when he was seen as ridiculously out form when the Broncos came upon the Bulldogs and an in form Sonny Bill Williams. The entire night, Williams ran the ball at Berrigan with gusto and every time Berrigan cut him down. Tough as teak.

But it didn’t begin there. Berrigan began cutting his teeth in first grade as a centre and an interchange player in 1999. But he had ambitions of playing in the halves. Alas, there were quality players in those positions at the time in Kevin Walters and Allan Langer. When Langer retired, Ben Ikin stepped in.

It was 2001 when Berrigan moved into the halves. He had moderate success. He wasn’t the atypical halfback, choosing to run the ball more often than using the playmaking option, showing that he was willing to take on the line and big boys. Although his success was moderate, he certainly held his own against the best. His efforts garnered him his first Origin jersey in 2002 at five-eighth and it continued in 2003 when he won the halfback jersey. However it came at a cost. Brisbane’s form post origin was abysmal and there was a positional switch for Berrigan, from halfback to centre.

2004 rolled around and Berrigan started it off in the centres. His form early on in the piece was outstanding. He had all the moves and was simply carving it up. He was odds on to gain an Origin berth in the three quarter line until an injury curtailed that ambition. However, 2004 wasn’t over in terms of rep jerseys. Berrigan won a starting centre berth on the winning 2004 Tri Nations tour.

His form carried over into 2005 where come Origin, he was the leading try scorer for the NRL and the first centre picked for Queensland. Things were as bright as the fire from a thousand suns. But the sun soon set on his season. His form dipped, he lost his place in the Australian side and Brisbane was bundled out of the finals again.

2006 started somewhat on par with the finish to season 2005. His form wasn’t anything to write home about. His centre spot was on the line. Michael Ennis injured his knee and Wayne Bennett shunted Berrigan to hooker. Brisbane soon gained some momentum. Berrigan’s form, although not outstanding, garnered another Origin jersey. That made 4 different Origin series in 4 different jerseys.

It was post Origin 2006 where Berrigan soon became the in form number 9 in the comp. The finals rolled around and instead on hobbling into the finals like a pirate missing a peg leg, Brisbane cantered into the post season high on form like a Group 1 Melbourne Cup winner.

It was the preliminary final in week 3 when Brisbane played Canterbury at Telstra Stadium. Brisbane trailed 21-6 at half time. The turning point was a 50m burst off a Justin Hodges break that led to a try. The put down amplified the effort exerted. Who was it at the end of it? You guessed it. Shaun Berrigan. History went on to tell us that Brisbane went on to defeat Melbourne in the decider 15-8. History also told us that the Clive Churchill Medallist was………. Shaun Berrigan.

So there you have it. After many different positions “Berro” has shown that he has a lot of versatility. His attitude and approach to the game make him as tough as a week old toffee. Add all that up, you have one player who can cover a lot of positions and who gives his all every time. Simply put, “Berro" is essential.

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749 words

 

[Azkatro]

Azkatro for the mighty Kangaroos.

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

The men behind the mascots

There are 16 NRL rugby league teams at present. Each and every one of those teams has a mascot. Something that represents their corresponding club in a way that varies greatly in it’s level of meaning and relevance.

To be brutally honest, I am totally disillusioned with the weight behind some club’s mascots. Let’s take the Roosters as an example. The “Roosters” logo came about when a French touring side proudly wore their jersey with Roosters moniker in all its glory on the vest. In a nutshell, Easts thought it was cool, so they decided to be the Roosters.

Or what about the Panthers? Their mascot came about from a graphic artist who won a contest. There’s a bit of history that suggests that a black panther was once spotted roaming the area, but that’s about all.

The Rabbitohs are named after an old legend in which rabbits would often be seen darting around the streets of the local area. Players would catch and skin the rabbits for extra cash. Hardly the stuff of heroes, is it?

I could continue going through all the clubs and the reasons behind their mascot, but they just get weaker. Is there something particularly special about storms down in the Melbourne area? Have YOU ever seen any dragons roaming around St George or Illawarra? How many rugby league identities from Newcastle have ever been knighted?

In light of the lack of substance behind these names and mascots, I’ve decided to give some weight to them by going through each team and naming a player who best fits the club’s moniker.

So without further ado, here we go. In alphabetical order of course!

Broncos
Brad Thorn has a face like a horse, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he took his boots off and revealed horns on his feet.

Bulldogs
Andrew Ryan is a great defender. So often when someone makes a half break, he’s the first player there to grab him by the leg and not let go.

Cowboys
Justin Smith would fit into one of those old spaghetti western movies perfectly. With an akubra and spurs, he could paint a wagon with the best of 'em.

Dragons
Simon Woolford is arguably the angriest player in the history of the game, and Fox Sports used to run an ad featuring him where smoke was coming out of his nose and ears.

Eels
Tim Smith gets the ball in attack and darts left and right just like you’d imagine a real eel darting around underwater. He’s a slippery customer too!

Knights
James McManus has the perfect name for a knight in shining armour. You could just imagine the Newcastle faithful bowing to him as he ran onto the pitch, chanting “Hail Sir McManus!”

Panthers
Rhys Wesser is the epitome of the black panther. He is fast, has a muscular physique, and is, well.. rather black! Not to mention he is always on the prowl when his team is on the attack, ready to pounce at any given moment.

Rabbitohs
Nathan Merritt is fast like a rabbit, and if you don’t get your hands on him quick enough, he will take off like a shot. He kinda has big ears, too.

Raiders
Andrew Dunemann might look like the classic Viking Raider you would envision, but give him long hair, a beard, a fur coat and a sword – and you’ve got your ultimate Raider warrior!

Roosters
Sam Perrett has the kind of haircut that could just as easily be the comb atop the head of a real rooster. A weak link I know, but they have something else in common – neither can fly.

Sea Eagles
Steve Menzies, with his trademark headgear on and prominent beak, could quite easily be mistaken for an eagle.

Sharks
When you see a shark approaching, you fear you’re in danger of being attacked. The same thing happens when you see Greg Bird approaching.

Storm
When there’s a storm approaching, the atmosphere changes from one of relaxed and comfortable to tense and on alert. The same thing happens when you have to defend against Greg Inglis.

Tigers
Tigers are big, strong, fast and scary looking. So is Taniela Tuiaki.

Titans
Luke Bailey is a big, strong man who commands respect and makes mere mortals bow before him. The Greek Titans did the same.

Warriors
Sam Rapira has an ugly, scary face that could knock you backwards with just an angry glance.

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747 words. Liftoff!

 

[byrne_rovelli_fan82]

byrne_rovelli_fan82 for the Kiwis!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
‘Memorable’

Sunday April 29th 2007 must go down in history as the most confusing and heart-pounding NRL match of the year and if not the century. From a position of utter strength, the Warriors had shot themselves in the foot, not from playing badly but from incompetence of the match officials. As Michael Witt and Nathan Fien had legitimate four-pointers disallowed, a few fans may have had flashing memories of the 2005 late round clash with the Sydney Roosters. In that match, at least four trys failed to be awarded with some of the most bamboozling decisions. At this critical stage, the Warriors looked to be:

‘Out on their feet’ as every decision in the book went against them, the Roosters adding further salt into open wounds as they piled on the points. It is said no one then would have given the Warriors a chance of coming back. In the last two years, they have played well and won or just self-destructed into thin air. This did not turn out to be the case. As the Roosters started to relax and fall on their heels thinking they had the match won the Warriors mounted their comeback. Playing simple football and not attempting to over-play their hand, they put on the points. A try constructed from easy hit-ups, quick play the balls and smart dummy-half running saw them gain momentum. Out of nothing really, halfback-turned hooker Lance Hohaia bounded over then not more then two minutes later fullback Brent Webb out-sprinted everyone including the game’s elite fullback Anthony Minichiello to get across the line. Finally, in the last few minutes Hohaia broke Roosters hearts when he dived over after equally good breaks from two previous play the balls.

Fast-forward onto last Sunday’s game and it is fairly easy to recognize the signs from this game to the match in 2005. Down 16-8 with not much more then ten minutes on the clock, again experts and fans alike resigned to the obvious. A third straight loss on the road. However much like catch-cry of ’05, the Warriors did not overplay their hand and went back to playing simple footy. It’s how they had previous constructed their wins so far in 2007. By peeling off a simple off-load as Steve Price does he put his team on the front foot and gave a brilliant open opportunity to Wade McKinnon to score. Not only did he pull it off but also it set alight the next few minutes, and with just under five minutes to go a 2-point loss at least didn’t look as bad as before. However, this Warriors team was far from finished and despite blowing a chance on the outside, they put the pressure of the Rabbitohs and got what they desired. An error. Surely, surely not. Could they do it? Almost as if a miracle fell from the sky, the Warriors did it. 40 seconds on the clock and they once again broke hearts across the Tasman in Sydney.

Another memorable moment still fresh in the minds of fans is their August-round match in 2006 against the Melbourne Storm. Here was one heck of a mouth-watering game with two clubs not Sydney based and both with a history of finals football. Everyone out rightly assumed the Storm would walk over the Warriors:

‘Take them to the dry cleaners’ a term expressed prior to the match. Once again, the Warriors proved they could overcome any hurdle thrown in their path. It wasn’t a game filled with as much controversy as previous games but it still provided the same epic and heart-wrenching feelings.

Even more dramatic came in early ’05 when the Warriors went up to Newcastle, with the Knights struggling to stamp their authority on the competition even with the world’s best player at the helm. A memorable match too this one was, as not only did the Warriors come from behind to beat the odds. A mirror image as the Warriors also snatched victory in the final seconds

It is amazing to think how much the ‘changing of the guard’ has affected this team since 1995. From virtual no-hopes into a team, many fear to come up against. Despite losing much of their talented, sparkle since their Harlem Glob-Trotter days, they are still showing signs of it in little glimpses. They know they don’t need to use it in 80minutes of hard-hitting football, just at the most unusual and unlikely of moments their flamboyant creativeness comes to the fore.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
750 words

 

[[furrycat]]

Furrycat squats and buries in the middle of the field and flings his faeces at Azkatro, for the Kiwis.

And how would you like to pay for your Medical Bill Williams sir?

So there I was... sitting inside a McDonald’s toilet cubicle in Newcastle, trying to find a way to pass the time. As I could feel the remainder of the Quarter Pounder with Cheese digesting, my eyes began to sway towards the graffiti messages written on the back of the cubicle’s door. After filtering through the usual sexual requests and Alan Jones jokes, I managed to find an interesting comment written by some young chap named “Doodlez”.

“Dunny Bill Williams did it here- hurt his knee too”.

Now, before we go on, I don’t usually indulge in replying to toilet humour, but I felt I needed to set young “Doodlez” straight. I put on my thinking cap, pulled up my trousers (in that order), and wrote a reply in my best handwriting:

“Dear Doodlez; please retract your latest statement RE: Sonny Bill Williams. He is an amazing talent and you are just jealous you don’t have superstars like him in your side. Regards, Furry”

With my head held high, I left the toilet cubicle with only a small square of paper stuck to the heel of my shoe, feeling as if I had accomplished something by educating a young Novacastrian. I was itching to see his reply, so I returned to the same cubicle everyday to check if my pen pal had returned the favour.

After about a week of constantly going into McDonalds and running into the toilets, the staff became suspicious and told me that if I did not buy something, I was not welcome in the restaurant. Alas the day finally came and I had a reply from the uneducated swine that had the nerve to bad mouth my man crush. I read the reply out loud to get the full effect of what I was reading, disturbing the man sitting in the cubicle next to me:

“At least our guys can play a full season. Dunny is a superstar off the field more than he is on it!”

I was shell shocked; my thoughts were silent and all I could hear was the sound of a man next to me working very hard. As much as I hated to admit it, the freak that was writing messages to me on the back of a toilet door was right...

Phil Gould summarised Sonny Bill’s career perfectly when he was commentating the match against the Tigers. As he saw Sonny Bill limping off the field with what appeared to be a knee injury (which ended up only being a small cut), Gould said:

“Every week you think it's going to be the time when Sonny Bill does something, and every week this happens."

I’d rather agree with the guy who writes me messages in a toilet cubicle than Phil Gould, but alas I have to bite my tongue and agree yet again.

Sonny Bill Williams is fast becoming one of the most over-rated and over-hyped players in the history of Rugby League. Injuries every year, and opportunities to show his ability wasted because he cannot stay on the field. Off field dramas, it never ends for Sonny. It seems almost a life time ago that he first debuted for the Bulldogs in the centres against the Eels in 2004. In such a short span of time in that match, he made several line breaks, scored a try and was solid in defence; causing comments of “The best Kiwi ever” and “the potential to be the best” to fly around the commentary box. The fact is you wouldn’t have found a rugby league critic who would have disagreed... in 2004.

Its 2007; and the hype is still there. However, the proof isn’t in the pudding, and I’m beginning to wonder if Sonny Bill will ever really achieve his full potential. The tear to his meniscus in 2005 has put severe doubts over the length of his career, as he will never be able to participate in full contact training for the remainder of his playing days.

Even though clubs are putting in their strategies “Shut down Dunny = Success”, he is still just that rookie from 2004. Sure he has been around for 3 years now, but until he can string together a season and silence his critics, he’ll always just be known as “Dunny Bill” for his overshadowing off field incidents, rather than “Sonny Bill” for his on field achievements. Prove me wrong Sonny Bill.

749 Words.

 

[[furrycat]]

The ref has fallen asleep :crazy:
*takes the whistle*
*blows a few penalty tries to the Kiwis*