ANZAC Test :: New Zealand v Australia

[joshie]

Forum 7s - 4 Nations - 2012


NEW ZEALAND KIWIS -V- AUSTRALIA KANGAROOS

-V-

Match preview: The fierce rivals come up against each other once more; Australia head over the ditch to play the Kiwis. These two teams have faced each other on many occasions but none more is bigger than this. Lest we forget.

For the Australians: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcMuf8wE52k
For the Kiwis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dPcj_aC8fk&feature=fvst
For the referee: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNUCYy0cBHg

GAME ON!


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

Naming Teams:
* 3 -V- 3 (+ 2 reserves for both teams)
* No 'TBA' or changing players named
* Captains must stick with original teams named

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

Kick Off: Monday 16th April 2012
Full Time: Sunday 29th April 2012 (Midnight)
Referee: Gorilla
Venue: Mt Smart Stadium

 

[Big Mick]

The Australian's run out onto the field to take on the Kiwi's with Captain Big Mick doing a Kurt Gidley and captaining from the Bench.

1. Willow
2. Titanic
3. Joshie

RES:
4. Big Mick c
5. gUt

 

[LeagueNut]

Here we go for another great Anzac clash! (And thank God it's not at Eden Park)

Sidenote: As Big Mick is captaining Australia, and the last Panther (I think) to captain their country was Brad Fittler, I think it's only fitting we now refer to him as Big Mickler.

-----------------------------------
Team:
LeagueNut
byrne_rovelli_fan82
madunit

Bench:
Hallatia
Robster
-----------------------------------

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

Ka mate, ka mate
Ka ora' Ka ora'
Ka mate, ka mate
Ka ora Ka ora

Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru
Nāna i tiki mai whakawhiti te rā
Upane... Upane
Upane Kaupane
Whiti te rā

Hī!

 

[LeagueNut]

LeagueNut - Kiwis

==================================================

The colossal Anzac waste of time

Once again it’s been and gone. Another year with a pointless Test match and a couple of club games cobbled around a flimsy pretence of honouring our fallen soldiers.

The collaboration of Rugby League and Anzac Day is the biggest piece of politically correct garbage I’ve ever seen. And each year it becomes more nauseating as Rugby League becomes even more desperate to make a buck, effectively selling their soul for the sake of a few extra coins and some “feel good” publicity. The proposed talk of a Rugby League match being played at Gallipoli in a few years is the manure icing on a cake of shit.

It’s time to end the charade.

Unless of course the NRL would like to be honest for a change and admit that the Anzac spirit is nothing more than a great excuse for some warm (but empty) publicity and the chance to line the pockets of a select few. How else can you possibly explain the mish-mash of Anzac garbage that we have to put up with?

The Anzac Test is a joke. The Kiwis don’t even get to select their best team thanks to the roadblocks put up by the English Superleague clubs who recognise this sham of a match for what it really is. Plus if you really wanted International Rugby League to showcase our game at it’s absolute best then you’d wait until after the Origin series before picking an Australian team. It’s a game to highlight the “product” of Rugby League as a basic entertainment package and it has very little to do with celebrating the Anzac heritage.

The proliferation of Anzac-themed “special jerseys” is becoming ridiculous. It’s already obvious that clubs are capitalising on the flimsiest of reasons to produce one-off jerseys that will sell for $220 each and then never be seen again, but using Anzac Day as a reason to hock off their cheesy designs is abhorrent. But you daren’t say anything against them – they’re only doing it as an honourable Anzac tribute, and anyone who says otherwise is obviously a Nazi, an Islamic terrorist, or possibly both.

The “traditional” (I guess 10 years counts, right?) Anzac clash between the Dragons and the Roosters is another massive rort. If the NRL truly wanted to celebrate the Anzac spirit then why does it limit the Sydney market to only those two teams each and every year? Surely other clubs deserve the opportunity for a massive leg-up and the chance for a halfway decent crowd?

Also, I’m dying for someone to explain to me how anyone can call the Dragons / Roosters match a true celebration of the Anzac spirit when there was absolutely no acknowledgement of New Zealand during the official pre-match hoopla. Despite a fair smattering of Kiwis in both teams and (undoubtedly) a decent Kiwi presence in the crowd, everything at Allianz Stadium on Wednesday was 200% Australian. They might as well call it the Aac Day match and erect a flag proudly displaying a middle finger in the direction of the Tasman Sea.

Meanwhile in the depths of Victoria the Melbourne Storm are trying to start their own tradition of an Anzac Day clash against the Warriors. On the surface this appears to be another noble gesture but once again it’s a flimsy charade that uses the Anzac name for the benefit of a chosen few. I guess they’ve at least got it part right by including a New Zealand team and playing the New Zealand anthem, but heaven forbid the Kiwi public would ever get to see this game played on their side of the ditch! The ridiculously inflexible demands of the satanic TV networks add another nail to the coffin when they decide to show this “marquee” Anzac clash with a lovely kickoff time of 9:15pm in New Zealand, once again turning off a huge section of the Warriors fan base. It’s supposed to be an occasion to celebrate the Anzac spirit but the NRL is determined that it’ll only be seen in New Zealand by a handful of selected insomniacs or anyone who was too damn lazy to get out to a dawn service and had a nice sleep-in instead.

Honesty can be refreshing, but I doubt the NRL is keen to stick their hands up and admit to the hollow Anzac charade they churn out every year solely for their own benefit. It’s time to say enough – something desperately needs to change.


==================================================

749 words in the counter thing

 

[Titanic]

Titanic flexes his muscles for Australia (750 OWC)
__________________

Maybe I’m Just Old-Fashioned

When I was young, sadly I can’t use “younger” because it was so long ago, life was very different. I could go on for hours about the economy and the price of milk but I won’t. I’ll leave that to some old fart… oh yeah, I am that old fart… anyway, in these meanderings I will reminisce about representative rugby league and wearing your heart on your wallet.

Even though I was a dyed in the wool Queenslander and grew up idolizing Johnny Gleeson and Barry Muir I also worshipped "Mexicans" Bobby Fulton and Ken Irvine. Then, rugby league tests were the epitome of everything. Whether players came from Queensland or south of the border mattered not at all to me or my mates. They were Australians, playing for Australia, representing our culture, epitomizing the lifestyle we all enjoyed, resplendent in the green and gold.

Annually we witnessed a lopsided inter-state series, perpetually hoping against all odds that Queensland could lift the trophy. Often schoolyard discussions would revolve around “by how much” we would be beaten rather than “whether we could win”. Even though there was the obvious angst towards the players who had gravitated to the brighter lights and bigger cheques of the Sydney clubs, for young rugby league enthusiasts they were still our heroes… they were Australians first and foremost.

Those demi-gods like Artie Beetson may have once been Queenslanders or they may have been true-blue Sydney slickers such as Tommy Raudonikis but they were all ours once they pulled on the national jersey. They shared the same convict mentality. Their fathers and grandfathers, uncles and cousins had all fought in wars to protect our sunburned country. Land had been tilled and tears spilled by their mothers and sisters. We knew them, we understood them, we cheered for them and they bled for us.

And then came the changes…

Many old-time rugby league pundits blame changes in government and immigration laws. Others pass that blame on to the shifting goal posts of socio-economic demographics and South Pacific urban drift but I don’t. I am proudly a sixth generation Australian but I welcome anybody who legally qualifies to join our great nation. My wife is Chinese and I count people from many different countries amongst my closest friends. I mention this to underline that my views on the changes to my beloved sport have little to do with sectarianism. I lay the fault squarely at the feet of, in a word; professionalism.

Money… the root of all evil.

In 1995, as the rugby league world braced for what would become its greatest challenge, player lifestyles and the contracts that often determined a young man’s decision whether to continue playing or investing his energy in a more “normal” career, were linked very closely to what was affordable in the eyes of their employers… the clubs.

Once the ogre of the media moghul appeared, brandishing outrageous promises and ludicrous pay cheques, the world as we knew it changed forever. The game played primarily by tough working men for the love of the sport was about to be irrevocably altered into a short-cut to riches.

I certainly don’t begrudge any person’s right to legally earn more money, after all Australia was built on the ethic of “a fair day's work for a fair day's pay”. I am happy enough for players to earn “overs” to play rugby league and am content to heed their arguments that a sportsman’s life-span is short while the risks are high. I can even accept that in comparison to other elite sportspeople, rugby league players are perhaps not remunerated in fair proportion.

However, I come from an era when sport was played on a level playing field, where the rules were generally clear and in the vast majority of cases adhered to. My malcontentedness comes from the increasingly loose interpretations of what constitutes “legal” in any context of rugby league… legal under the salary cap, legal tackles, legal tries and incredibly legally able to represent your country. Have we gone mad?

In my mind, allowing players to choose their regional or national allegiances is a rort at least as grievous as any salary breach. There can be no discussion, every player is what he is. The Australian team are the best players Australia can produce, not foreigners coerced into playing.

My son should never be in doubt whether anybody wearing green and gold is truly representative of Australia ... rather than some talented mercenary.

 

[madunit]

madunit for the Kiwis

Complicating the Uncomplicatable

Ever since the introduction of the Rugby League International Federation (the successor of the International Rugby League Board in 1998), the International game has been in a steady decline.

It’s inability to have set rules for the code in every country the game is played in has been a minor issue for many years, but the most burgeoning problem they have has been surrounding the one thing of which there was never an issue before.

The one thing which it would appear would be so crystal clear without any grey area whatsoever, the most certain of all certainties.

International eligibility.

The International body began its existence in 1927, initially known as the Imperial Rugby League Board. It contained representatives from Britain, New Zealand and Australia. The big ideas of post-war French officials lead to the creation of the International Rugby League Board in 1948. Paul Barriere was the chief of French Rugby League at the time and he put forward plans for a World Cup. The French provided the trophy and the venues for the first competition in 1954.

The International game blossomed and soon games were played in USA, South Africa and Italy among other nations. By the late 1970’s, Papua New Guinea had a test team. The game continued growing right up until the Superleague war in Australia put International Rugby League in disarray.

In 1998, the games governing body was again reformed, this time as the Rugby League International Federation. In its time it has increased the number of member countries to twelve, however with half of these nations all located in the Oceania region, it has seen a lot of players leave the smaller islands to play in the ‘big time’ in either New Zealand or Australia.

The RLIF believed it needed to clearly define set rules for player eligibility, which had previously followed the very practical and inflexible rule – You play for the country you were born in.

Four core rules were created to define eligibility, providing greater flexibility, but also creating great controversy and confusion. While the core rules seem solid enough, all they have done is taken a simple, obvious, clear-cut rule and muddied the waters in what can only be believed to be a misguided attempt to improve the game

Internationally, by allowing prominent players born in either New Zealand, England or Australia, to play for a weaker International side.

Sounds good in theory, but the RLIF insistence on flexibility has all but muddied the waters and made the whole process a joke. It’s turned the International game into a mess.

A player is eligible to play an International game for:

1. A country he was born in
2. A country in which either his parents or grand-parents were born
3. A country he has lived in for at least 3 years prior to selection
4. A country he has gained senior international honours in any sport

Players who qualify for dual International representation are seen as taking the ‘easy way’ to International level football by playing with their second nation so to speak, because they may not have been good enough to break into the team representing the country they were born in.

If a player born in Australia, but with Tongan heritage decides to play for Tonga, he is not allowed to represent any other nation….

….until after the next World Cup has finished, or two years have passed since his last international game for Tonga.

Herein lies the biggest issue with the entire guidelines. They are set this way to allow a player to play International football, but to also play for his country of birth down the track if he so wishes.

This concept entirely removes pride for representing ones country, the once highest accolade a player could ever achieve. It has cheapened the International game, essentially whoring it out in a pathetic attempt to improve the quality of the game internationally.

And that has failed.

These rules are farcical and borderline insane. There are many great ways this Federation can improve the game Internationally, but this cheap pathetic ploy is getting out of control and turning the game into a parody. There would be close to half of all senior Rugby League players eligible to play for different nations to that of the one they were born in.

These rules need to be scrapped and we need to go back to common sense, for the sake of the game!

745 words, including title

 

[Willow]

Willow | Australia

F*#ken Held!

"No one has ever gone to a game to watch a man blow a whistle."
- Col Pearce.

I heard a noise, looked around and saw the carpenter was unbalanced. He'd already dropped some paneling and was in danger of dropping more.

"Need some f**ken help here!" He yelled.

I helped lighten his load and yelled back, "you're f**ken carrying too much!"

"No f**ken worries, thanks!"

That was it. No fight, no egos, no offence taken. Just two blokes working in a noisy place with a deadline looming. Afterwards, we got out of each other's way and simply got on with our respective jobs.

When referee Matt Cecchin blew his whistle during the Dragons v Roosters NRL clash last Anzac Day, it made me wonder if he was out of his depth.

For those who missed it, Cecchin awarded a penalty right in front of the posts, ruling dissent against St George-Illawarra Dragons five-eighth Jamie Soward.

At the time Sydney Roosters were leading 22-16, one converted try in front. In the heat of the moment, Soward reportedly yelled "f**ken held" as team mate Daniel Vidot was pushed back behind the goal line by the Easts defence.

A Sydney Football Stadium crowd of 40,164 saw Cecchin apply no hesitation in penalising Soward for backchat. Not because it was personally offensive... No, the penalty was for appealing the decision and using the 'F' word in the process.

Immediately afterwards, Saints captain Ben Hornby questioned the wisdom of the ruling in the context of the match.

Playing his 257th game for the Dragons (breaking Norm Provan's record), Hornby said, "That's a big call."

Lucky he didn't use the 'F' word.

Cecchin agreed that it was indeed a big call, but still maintained his righteousness.

"I know it's a big call and it's right." Cecchin said.

Braith Anasta had no trouble slotting the goal, giving Easts an eight-point lead. With just four minutes remaining, that should have been game, set and match.

A dramatic finish followed but that's beside the point. For all intents and purposes, the referee decided to kill the contest. It was a petty decision, Cecchin taking exception to swearing and yelling on the football field. It seems that the gravity of the moment got the better, and his ego simply took over.

The formula for good refereeing is to be unnoticed and let the players decide the outcome. Even the late and great referee Col Pearce (in the days of players being referred to by number) knew he was sharing the football field with men, and he wasn't conducting a Sunday church service.

In Gregory's Guide to Rugby League (1965) Pearce outlined his refereeing philosophy: the importance to remain unnoticed on the field and help the players to turn on a good show for spectators.

"By this, I don't mean the referee should make himself the centre of attraction," Pearce said.

"In fact, the reverse is true. Of all the men on the field the referee should be the most unobtrusive. The less the spectators notice the referee, the better he is."

Pearce stressed that apart from family, no one has ever gone to a game to watch a man blow a whistle.

"Generally if the crowd is talking about the referee it's because he's giving the game more whistle stops than a country milk train."

Pearce's philosophy rings true today. We don't attend games to watch referees, we go to see a contest between two teams. When making an ego-driven decision that dictates an outcome, the referee is robbing everyone and should be sent back to the reserves for more training. Cecchin threw commonsense out the window and made a hasty blunder, a shocker decision for that stage of the game. In most games, you wouldn't see a referee penalise a player for swearing and you would certainly not see it in a State of Origin or Grand Final.

The only saving grace for Cecchin is that the players took back control of the contest. Saints charged home, dramatically scoring two tries in the final four minutes to snatch a 28-24 victory. One the best games of the year was not destroyed by the referee after all.

Now don't get me wrong, I know that referees have to be respected. But that respect is not unconditional, and the game's adjudicators should never be above scrutiny or criticism.

The last thing we need is another 'Hollywood' referee thinking he is the main attraction.


Words | 750
Ref | NRL.com; Gregory's Guide To Rugby League (1965)

 

[byrne_rovelli_fan82]

byrne_rovelli_fan82 for the Kiwis.

~~


ANZAC Day

The day was slightly overcast, drizzles of rain continued to pour down and the smell of wet grass filled the air. It seemed ironic the way the weather had suddenly turned after previous days of warmth and sunshine.

When I checked the date on the calendar I knew why the weather had changed; today was April 25th ANZAC Day. It is a day where we remember those who had fought bravely for the freedom we now enjoy; we remember the sacrifice they made for the future they wouldn’t live to see. We remember, no matter what happens Australia, and New Zealand will always have each other in times of grief. We look at one another and hold out hour hands and say:

‘Everything is going to be ok’

For all our hatred on the sporting field and fighting dominance in our football codes this is a day where none of that mattered, there was to be no winner and no loser it was a day when sport recognizes, it was about competing at the best of your ability and doing it for yourself and your mates.

So, as I walked down the long stretch of road of Swan Street towards AAMI Park I had a feeling, something told me this was no ordinary game and even after attending the previous three ANZAC Day games this one felt different. The streets in and around Melbourne were filled with pride and there were no enemies. The front gates of the stadium filled with lines of Storm and Warriors supporters and in the depths of the stadium’s mass size it looked reminiscent of a trough filled with tired, mangled bodies.

There was nervous excitement between the two groups of supporters eager to see what the game would deliver to them and yet they were willing to accept defeat even before personal glory.

Football has never seen a better set of rivals fighting it out on the football field than it has between the New Zealand Warriors and Melbourne Storm. Three years ago when this concept came to bear fruit the weather was not too dissimilar to this season. Cold, wet, windy and absolutely miserable, where both teams had their chances to win but failed to take advantage. The game ended in a 14-all draw, and the exhaustion they showed after highlighted the true meaning of the occasion.

Three years on and as the new version kicked off there was a feeling of more of the same and for 70minutes it lived up to the truth spirit of ANZAC Day. The teams fought hard as it became under the cliché; war of attrition.

Even though the Storm ran away with the game in the final minutes the strength of the match had already been won and the triumph had blasted its song because for 70 minutes we were treated to a real game of footy. There was no flash in the pants plays and run away tries. It was close it was nail biting and fitted the occasion a close game is a great game.

The spoils of victory went the way of the Storm though the Warriors could still be proud of their part in the game; they have always answered the ANZAC Day call with great determination. They were never once put off by the daunting task of coming into Melbourne. They had been and they had conquered before, and knew they could almost do it at will. They relished in the challenge, as did the Storm also wanting to show their pride and passion just as the soldiers did heading off to battle knowing the mammoth task set in front of them.

We, as fans appreciated the effort made by teams, they are the ones representing us and like the lives lost on the battlefield our teams have the honor of showing the courage and sacrifice of the men and women fighting a more dangerous battle. At the end of the game fans showed their deep appreciation of the players by giving both teams a loud and rapturous applause as they left the field.

On a more personal level, two fellow fans and I, later caught up with the Warriors also giving our appreciation and it was greatly welcomed.

The NRL deserves credit for making this concept a reality even if it is just another way for them to earn more revenue, because it has breathed new life into the meaning of ANZAC Day on the football field.

~~

749 words between the '~' according to the official word counter, title included.

 

[joshie]

Oh, Na Na, what's their name?

Paul Gallen. What instantly just shot through your mind then, reader? Was it the fact that this one man can make over 150 metres in a game consistently? Was it the fact that he has carried the hope and faith of his whole shire, for the whole entire time he has been at Cronulla? So many questions come to mind when you think of great players, but the greatest players, or the highest ordered villains, are the ones that you remember by one simple name or abbreviation. Sit back and enjoy this article, a piece about how a first name, can set the world on fire regularly or make you think “what a moron”.

Hopoate. Let us start with possibly the funniest name of all time in Rugby League history. John Hopoate, a former Manly-Warringah Sea Eagle, father of teen sensation William and boxing newbie, Hopoate is one of those guys you could point the finger at. This man stuck his finger up the rectum of a few opposing players during his playing days and this is where the infamous slander begun. I remember in year 6, we sung a a song and it went a little like this:

“You put your left finger in, you pull your left finger out, you put your left finger in and turn it all about, you do the Hopate with a shade of brown and that’s what manly are all about.”

It is safe to say this ‘King of the Ring’ will never live down the day he pointed north and was suspended from Rugby League.

Benji. Yeah, you guessed it, Benji Marshall. The Tigers main man, the greatest player to ever play on a Sunday afternoon according to Phil ‘Gus’ Gould; Benji is recognisable by his first name only. I play in a social competition of Touch at my University, Griffith University in Brisbane, and I screamed out “oh the Benji” as I stepped in one game. I then remembered I could not step and said “nek minnit” and took the touch, but that is not the point. A player who can be recognized by a big oaf trying to step saying his name, is a player of great potential and worth. I wonder if he can live up to the hype this time.

Sonny-Bill. Another man in the same section of fame as Benji Marshall, he is the biggest cry baby Rugby league has ever seen. His famous shoulder charges, strong attack and great offloading ability sky rocketed him to fame, and women, before he had a massive dummy spit in the middle night. Ironically, the cowardly SBW became even more of a household name after his self-centred, pretentious actions.

Locky. Darren Lockyer was the first player to play over 350 games in the top flight, after he equalled Terry Lamb's record of 350 first matches in 2011. He marched the Broncos to a preliminary final and in his final touch, with a broken face; Locky slotted the winning field goal to see the Dragons off. It was a fitting and heroic end to a stellar career, which included so many highlight reel moments. When the siren sounded at Suncorp and the score was 26-26, the Broncos were going to extra time against Parramatta; Locky kicked a cross field bomb to Denan Kemp who won the game. This man will be remembered forever.

JT. The prolific Cowboys five eighth will be in the same category as Locky when he retires, as JT enters my article. Thurston has been doing his bit at the Cowboys for years, but that is not where he revels. It is in the origin arena where this man thrives and he will go down forever as one of the best Maroons to ever play the game.

So there you have it; an assorted selection of greats, nobodies and guys who just like the texture. So Mister or Mrs. Reader, what do you think about when you hear the name Paul Gallen? Some players need to put in everything, every week to be noticed, others need to be given a name that just happens to stick. If your having a bad game and your Benji, your all sweet, but if your Benjamin Hampton, you could get dropped. What ever happens, Rugby League will always give you a nickname and they will always bear consequences.

 

[byrne_rovelli_fan82]

3 v 3, well done all participants and good luck

Go the Kiwis!!!

 

[Hallatia]

well in all and GO TEAM!

 

[gorilla]

Kangaroos

Titanic
Interesting idea and premise but not as focussed as could have been to solidly make specific or numerous points . Grammar and punctuation depreciated in ways that detract from higher scores.
83

Willow
Generally an attractively written post with a strong expressive voice. A finer delivery could have been achieved by stronger attention to theme.
85

Joshie
Promising read that was based upon a verbal or colloquial style better suited to, say, stand-up delivery, than written. The delivery voice needs careful structure and the post’s general simple arrangement could have been improved by better paragraphing and sentencing.
82

Kiwis

LeagueNut
A really solid rant that just kept going. Colloquial and strongly presented, but which could have been much improved by better paragraph structure and delivery.
81

madunit
A good summary that reads like a paraphrasing that has been topped and tailed, and then interspersed with commentary. Generally competent with decreasing structure as the post progresses toward the finish.
79

byrne_rovelli_fan82
A slightly obvious story, but a well constructed and presented appreciation of the match and history. More carefully drafted than most others but with slowly decreasing interest or creative value as the post completed.
85

Result: Kangaroos (250) def. Kiwis (245)
POTM: byrne_rovelli_fan82 (85) and Willow (85)

 

[joshie]

Thanks Gorilla for the markings and solid work Kangas

 

[Titanic]

That'll do lads - a win, is a win, is a win - thanks for the gallop (no pun intended) ... commiserations Kiwis, feel free to try again next year ... thank you referee for the effort.

I'll just retreat back under the rock from which I ventured

 

[Willow]

Go Aussie Roos!

Thanks ref, especiallly for stepping in when needed. The theme? You can't handle the theme!

Commisserations Kiwis and well played. Pretty sure you normally have the wood on us.

 

[byrne_rovelli_fan82]

Thanks Gorilla,
Wow. never had a POTM before, total first for me having been part of F7s since 2006. 5 points separating the teams good work to all I say.

 

[LeagueNut]

Well done everyone, cheers to the ref and congrats to the Aussies :thumn

And a special mention to byrne_rovelli_fan82 who showed well and truly that she was the rose between the other two thorns in the Kiwis team