Round 01 (2004) - Lions v Souths

[Anonymous]

Lions v Souths

Game Thread
Please note - This is a game thread only, therefore only game posts can be made here (Teams, Articles). Any other posts will result in loss of points and is at the discretion of the referee.

New rule: Home team captains allowed one extra reserve.

**Referee Blows Game On!**

Full Time: Wednesday 24 March, 2004. 9:00PM AEDT (Sydney time)

Venue: The Colosseum, Rome
Crowd: 25,440

REFEREE: antonius

 

[Evilgrowler]

Evilgrowler runs on for the LIONS!

Our first game back in Brisbane.

What an exciting time this was for us. Our first live game of rugby league since the demise of the Reds. It happened to be the last round of the season before the finals kicked off. Broncos vs Dragons.

We arrived at the Broncos leagues club to catch a cab to the game. While waiting, a dark stranger said “excuse me mate. Do you know where we catch the bus to the game?” As I looked up, I was face to face with none other than Steve Renouf. As I stammered his name and held my hand out to shake his, I indicated to him where the bus was and bid him fair well.

What an awesome start to the evening. Loaded with flags, jerseys, giant blow up finger pointing hand we boarded our cab and we were off. The Suncorp Stadium is magnificent. I was seeing it for the first time. This was definitely state of the art. We parked ourselves in the southern stand waiting for the game to commence. The atmosphere was electric. I haven’t been with a real rugby league crowd in over a decade. To the left and down from me was a dozen or so St George Illawarra supporters. A very vocal group, especially the big fella in the tall red and white hat. Bloody funny bunch they were.

The match started poorly for the home side. 2 quick tries which were converted by Mark Riddell. Fortunately, the Broncos hit back with 3 or their own before halftime. The cheers that went up, sent a shiver through my spine. This was an amazing feeling. Something I haven’t felt since my last live game in Brisbane. The matches in Perth just didn’t compare to a live game in Brisbane.

The second half was a very tight affair. Mark Riddell busted over the line from dummy half to tie up the scores at 18 all. It looked a very soft try and was a disappointing effort by the Broncos defence. At this point, I’m hoping like hell we can break the 6 game losing streak. Our first game back just had to be a win for the Broncos. The big fella in the tall red and white hat stood up with flag in hand and pointed to Broncos jumpers in the stand behind him, shouting you, you, you. 1 beer too many.

Two penalty goals to Michael De Vere had the home side back in front, 22-18, until Riddell’s second converted try in the 66th minute put the Dragons up 24-22. This can’t be happening. Riddell was a machine and I despised him for what he was doing, what appeared to be single handed, to the Broncos.

He bulldozed over Brad Meyers, Dane Carlaw and Darren Lockyer to score under the posts. The frustration was obvious on the Broncos faces, but more so to the fans watching this one man demolition of our beloved team.

In the 68th minute, Petero Civinoceva was sin binned for reacting on a late hit on team mate Scott Prince by the Dragons second rower Brent Kite, although the penalty went our way, allowing Mick De Vere to equalise with 10 minutes to go. With about 6 minutes remaining, Darren Lockyer slotted a beautiful field goal to make the scores 25 - 24 in our favour. Then when Craig Frawley pounced on a grubber in the in-goal area, we thought we were home with a win, but the video ref decided it wasn’t to be and disallowed the try. My heart sank. There was still a couple of minutes to go.

I was on the edge of my seat, cheering the boys home, when a penalty awarded to the Dragons saw the now famous kick from 42 meters out split the posts to give the victory to the Dragons 26 - 25. Personally, I would’ve hoped the ref would’ve stopped the clock as Riddell milked every second, but alas it was not going to happen. Riddell lined up the kick and used all the time he had. My heart sank again as I saw it sail through the posts and with only seconds left on the clock, I knew the game was gone. I can’t really complain. I didn’t feel like I had lost anything. Everybody in my group had a good time and I was just happy to see the boys playing live again. However, the highlight of the evening had to be seeing Knightsmurf cheer the Broncos every time they scored. It’s a memory I’ll never forget and one I’m sure she’ll try and erase from hers.

741 words, including title.

 

[Seano]

The South Sydney team are fired up for a big one and heres the lineup:

1. Red Dragon (C)
2. Olympic Park
3. Skeepe
4. Dogs of War
5. Bunny Boy

Reserves
Seano
Robster


Good luck to both teams!

 

[roosterboy60]

The Lions Team

Roosterboy60 (C)
Zef (VC)
Everlovin' Antichrist
Parra_Panther
Evilgrowler

Reserves:
Weasel, Whoateallthepies, PK

Good luck to both teams!

 

[Collateral]

RedDragon – Souths

An Outsiders view on The South Sydney Rabbitohs

South Sydney have been the proverbial whipping boys of the NRL since they were re-instated a couple of seasons ago. Instead of improving, things have gotten much worse for the boys from Redfern. Infighting is a major issue for the club that seemed so passionate during their rallies to get back into the competition. Lack of quality players, coach and Administration are also influencing the horrible run.

Season 2003 was Souths worst season since 1946, with only 3 wins. Three wins in what? Twenty-Four rounds, not including the two byes of course.
The only reason they missed the wooden spoon the previous season because of the Bulldogs salary Cap dilemma.

My view on the whole situation is as follows:

The most major problem that Souths’ are facing now, is finding a quality coach. This doesn’t mean a coach that is going to come to the club and get them into the top 8 in one season, no, that wont happen even if they had Wayne Bennett as coach. What Souths need in a coach is a leader, whose discipline and overall knowledge on Rugby League reigns supreme, somebody like Tim Sheens or Craig Bellamy.
Sheens has had a huge influence on the Tigers club in one season. They didn’t make the top 8 of course, so why are all their fans and players so excited about the next couple of seasons? I’ll tell you. Its because Sheens is establishing a future for the Tigers. Instant success isn’t possible in their current situation, so he is thinking long term, blooding players like Benji Marshall, Dene Halatau and Robbie Farah. Quality juniors in a happy, solid, disciplined coaching and team environment is what is giving these rookies the ultimate chance, and in turn the clubs best chance at success aswell. Sheens is what you can call an excellent coach, mixing quality youth with quality experience and being patient enough to be prepared to develop it over several seasons.

Langmack, with all due respect, is a very average coach. He used five different halfbacks for Souths last season. He was trying to find instant success from unprepared rookies. Then they seem to be the scapegoat if the team losses. Granted they didn’t have any quality halfbacks ready to step up, but rotating them like he did is only going to be damaging to their confidence.
Langmack puts his heart and soul into the club that is clear, however that doesn’t make him a good coach. He needs to stop looking for short term solutions and start developing long term plans, aswell as discipline and structure.

Another issue for the Rabbitohs is their playing roster. They need to stop buying rejects and has beens with nothing to offer. Thankfully, this season they have recruited much more sensibly with excellent buys. The player/coach conflicts must stop. Personal issues need to be put aside for the sake of the team.
Having players such as MacDougall, Fletcher and Hill will be great for the younger players, but they need to stay fit to lead on the field, not just at training.

The Administration of the club needs to focus on football. Their fans don’t want to know about their personal vendettas against each other and clash of opinions. Instead of headlines such as “CEO to take legal action against fan”, there should be headlines like “CEO’s fan day a major success”.

Souths need to regain their own home ground identity and stop playing at Aussie Stadium. A move back to Redfern would be one of the first steps to success in my opinion, making it their own fortress. It might not be feasible, but it is very necessary.

On the field for Souths, they have one of the better forward packs in the NRL, with Stringer, Geddes, Hall, Manu, Fletcher, Smith, Harrison and Walker leading the way. They set a good platform. It’s the halves, and backs that have been letting Souths down. The forwards work tirelessly only to see the backs undo all their hard work with a stupid play or inexperience.

My prediction is another dead last finish for Souths this year, and maybe second last the year after unless something drastic happens.

I hope for their sake, the fans sake and my family Rabbitohs fans sake, that that something drastic will happen very soon.

Word Count
728 inc. title.

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

E.A. for the Lions.

10 late predictions for season 2004.

1. After a nasty hairdressing accident when the hairdresser mishears “leave it long” as “a Willie Mason”, Craig Wing’s immediate playing future is clouded when he refuses to step out of his house. Wing decides to become a recluse until a cure is found or enough gel can be manufactured to fix the problem. A similar accident nearly takes care of Brad Fittler’s season, but he luckily escapes with only a Matt Petersen and soldiers on.

2. Brent Webb will miss rounds 5 through 12 after he trips and falls into Mark Tookey during the Warriors round 4 match against Manly. Tookey is on all fours at the time. Tookey finishes the match but is not allowed to play in the round 5 clash against the Knights because he has two legs sticking out of his backside and that is deemed an unfair advantage by the NRL. Tookey returns to play in round 13 after passing Webb naturally, weighing 193 kilos, 10 kilos under his normal weight. Webb returns after numerous sessions with a Psychiatrist.

3. Lance Thompson and Luke Bailey make so many tackles together that during St. George/Illawarra's round 3 match against the Storm at Olympic Park in Melbourne they fuse together whilst making a tackle. They are pronounced later by the team Doctor to be non-related conjoined twins. The NRL decrees that they must be counted as two players. St. George/Illawarra appeal against the decision and the NRL amend their decision: The conjoined players will only be counted as 1½ players. The NRL further decides that only playing someone not exceeding 70 kilos in weight or 150 cm in height can make up the extra 1/2 player. Alfie Langer comes out of retirement to take that position after promising never to sing “St. George can’t play” again.

4. Keith Galloway accidentally steps on Brett Kimmorley during the round 6 match against The Raiders at Toyota Park. Kimmorley cannot be found and is not sighted again until round 8 when the blade of grass he is stuck under is accidentally moved whilst line-marking is in progress. Kimmorley suffers no ill effects other than a chalk craving and a nervous tic whenever the movie “Honey, I shrunk the kids” is on TV.

5. Coach Nathan Brown, seething with rage at St. George/Illawarra's half-time deficit against the Sea Eagles in round 9, slaps himself into a coma. He comes out of the coma just in time to see the St. George/Illawarra/Cronulla-Sutherland/Tokyo/Chiahuaua Dragons win the Competition. In 2034.

6. Adrian Morley takes a heavy knock in the round 8 clash with the Raiders and tackles a runaway Winger in the last minute of the match when the Winger is in the clear and destined to score. Unfortunately for Morley, the winger is Ryan Cross. The Raiders win the match 22 - 20. When questioned about the tackle after the game, Morley tells the reporter “Two Pies and a Coke thanks mate”.

7. Whilst preparing to play their round 9 match against Souths at Penrith Stadium, Penrith realise at 2.10pm for a 2.30pm kick off, that they are at the wrong ground. They jump into the team bus and head to Aussie Stadium. They arrive for the second half and down Souths 54-16. Souths’ Coach Terry Hill blames a lack of ball control in the first half for his team's loss.

8. Parramatta’s Nathan Hindmarsh, after numerous warnings, is arrested during the round 8 match at Parramatta Stadium against Cronulla. Two Police officers run onto the field and arrest and handcuff Hindmarsh after Hindmarsh’s shorts fall and expose his butt crack for the 27th time in 2004. He is later put on a 6 month good behaviour, no Plumber’s crack bond. From round 9 onwards, his shorts are stapled to him, solving the problem.

9. Benji Marshall steps so hard in round 3 against the Broncos that he turns himself inside out. He returns in round 5 after being held in shackles until he sidestepped himself back to normal.

10. Wendell Sailor will quit Union and return to Rugby League with the Broncos when he is offered a reduced contract by the ARU. In his return match against the Raiders in round 16, Wendell plays only 15 minutes and is replaced due to exhaustion. When questioned afterwards about being replaced Wendell quipped “I did 4 hit ups mate, I was knackered. I haven’t touched the ball that much in the past two years”.

747 words, including title.

 

[choc_soldier]

parra_panther, the #4 for the Lions, sights a gap and runs towards it...


THE CENTRE OF ATTENTION

Over the past few years, victory over the Penrith Panthers would have just meant another two points most of the time for the opposition. It did not really create a ripple in the pool, as they were more often than not a team perpetually stuck in the bottom half of the table.

This year, victory over the men in black will be the most prized possession for any team in the NRL.

That’s one of the aspects of being defending premiers. The hunter now becomes the hunted. They are seen as fair game, the stand out feature in the jungle that is known as the 2004 Telstra Premiership.

Up until last year, the Panthers enjoyed relative anonymity. A loss would usually come as no surprise, and victories often carried the “upset” tag. Even last year, as they were making their surprise assault on the NRL, a number of people were waiting for the bubble to burst. As momentum built up throughout the season, which eventually resulted in a grand final appearance, there were not a lot of people, apart from the Panthers faithful of course, who were willing to say that they could do it.

But they did. It was the fairytale finish to the best season ever.

However, the euphoria has died down, and the goodwill that the rugby league family gave to the Panthers has all but evaporated.

A brand new season has arrived. Every team will start on zero points. Past reputations really mean nothing, unless you are the defending premiers. You have to prove to the league world that you can back up your performance, and everyone else will be attempting to shoot you down, in their quest to be the best.

In 2004, the Penrith Panthers will be the centre of attention.

In a way, it is a refreshing change, from the same four or five teams that have dominated the NRL over the past five or so years (that is, Brisbane, Parramatta, Bulldogs, Roosters and Newcastle). The Panthers are the new kids on the block, perhaps heralding a shift in the power base of success.

However, with the attention comes pressure to perform. If the Panthers can make the top 4 again this year, and at least make it to the preliminaries, it will be seen as enough to prove that they are a team to watch out for in the next few years. If they limp into the eight, questions will be asked about their capabilities, and if they miss out on the finals all together, 2003 will be seen as a fluke.

Players like Wesser and Galuvao, who were only seen as solid first graders leading up to last year, will now be targeted individuals, as they are now seen as the best in their respective positions of fullback and the second row.

But on the flip side, players like Lewis and Clinton will now be at the forefront of representative selection if they can maintain their form in the first half of the season, because they are driving forces behind a dominant team, and that attracts attention.

With the competition becoming more even by the year, it is a fine line between success and failure. Win a few games, and you will stay on top, lose a few games, and you will be scrapping it out amongst the pack, and if that continues, be treading water at the bottom of the ladder. A good start to the season is seen as being crucial. Be a slow starter, and catching up might be an impossible task.

The pressure will be on the Panthers to perform this year. Retaining their squad from last year (with the exception of Scott Sattler and a few fringe first graders) will ensure that at least on paper, they look strong. The hunger to perform will be there – Craig Gower and his team have had a taste of what success is all about, and it is not something that they will let go of without a fight.

However, they have not been blessed with a dream start to the season, with the first two months involving showdowns with teams that are capable of taking out the premiership. It is a test that will appeal to the Panthers, to see if they still have what it takes, and it is a salivating thought to all their supporters, who are keen to see this dominant run continue.

All I can say is bring it on!

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Total word count: 749 (including title)
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[olympic park]

IT’S TIME TO BIN THE BYE!
Olympic Park for Souths


The bye has to be the most ridiculous focus of our fixture each year in the NRL season. Yes, some may argue that this is only because we had to admit a 15th team into the competition, but this article is not going to discuss whether South Sydney should or should not have been re-admitted into the premiership, rather the repercussions of this happening. Currently there are 26 rounds of rugby league in a season. With 15 teams this means that each team play 24 matches (12 home and 12 away) and receives 2 ‘bye’ rounds – which are rewarded with 2 points as if the team has won and evens the competition out at the end of the year with all teams receiving 4 points. 26 rounds was created and fits well in a 14-team competition, each team playing home and away throughout the year. Byes fall randomly for all teams at present – mostly 1 per week though at some time 3 teams will all have a bye simultaneously.

Season 2003 started fabulously for the Melbourne Storm because as the NRL season begins one week earlier than the AFL season, it gave rugby league a free week of un-interrupted media coverage, and what a shot in the arm it was – the sports section of the newspapers had stories of players, back page articles, and even covered the match in detail! The AFL weren’t too happy about the ‘free kick’ given to league considering they usually blanket the media with their own code and give no other sports any chance of coverage. However, the 2004 season started with Melbourne receiving the bye, allowing the AFL pre-season to dominate the sports stories in the media and the Storm from receiving the attention it deserves. Also it hasn’t helped with the sexual allegations relating to the sport tarnishing the image of this great game – it almost seems that the game lives from crisis to crisis at times!

The NRL is looking to have a 16th team join our competition to eliminate the bye and there are 2 worthy candidates of getting this team – each with their pros and cons. The Gold Coast is Australia’s fastest growing region and would give Queensland (often seen as the junior partner of the competition) a much-needed third team. The Central Coast on the other hand is the area where much talent is being developed in the sport – junior league is strong and there is a wonderful stadium which presently gets little use in Gosford. Both regions really need a team of their own but the competition really needs to have an even number to ensure that teams don’t get a bye.

If we go on the current model and decide that 16 teams are the way for our competition to flourish, then only one of these teams will be created at which ever region is deemed to be the best in the interest of the game. However, both teams desperately need a team of their own to ensure that juniors remain in our game rather than being taken over by the two sporting threats to rugby league – rugby union and AFL. An option could be that a poorly-performing Sydney-based team is relocated – but alongside mergers this certainly comes at a risk and the effects of failed mergers (such as the now defunct Northern Eagles) are still very prevalent.

Could another option be to introduce an 18th team to our fold to keep the numbers even? We do call ourselves the NATIONAL rugby league yet we are extremely focused on the eastern seaboard of the country – and even have a team which isn’t in Australia! We live on a huge continent with a relatively scattered population – and would it make sense to have a team located in the western third of the country? The Perth Reds were established as a team in the west, however due to super-league the team was culled, and the possibility of expanding rugby league into new territory was ceased. An 18-team competition could survive playing at least 25 rounds in the season – leaving one round for an international match (eg Australia vs New Zealand).

Either way with the expansion of our game, the bye MUST be eliminated to ensure fairness to all teams. As Shaun Micallef said on his short-lived television show Micallef Tonight: [the bye] – INTO THE BIN!


Total (including Title): 736 words

 

[Dogs Of War]

Improving the Video Referee
Dogs Of War - Posting for Souths

I couldn’t imagine Rugby League played at the top level without the video referee again, those heartbreaking decisions when you watch the replay and it’s no try, the bloke has dropped it 5 foot from the ground, but the referee gave it anyway and cost your team the game. I never want to go back there. But sometimes watching the game you do feel like that’s were we are at, you watch the replay, it seems pretty clear cut, the commentators agree with you, then the decision comes and it goes against what everyone thought, and you think, What game is this bloke watching?

So some mates and I got around to thinking what needs to be done, ways to tinker but not tamper with the process. In the NFL they have had the video referee in, then out, and now it’s back in again. But in it’s present format it’s a much better beast. Now the onus is on the referee to make the decision on what happened on the field when reviewing the play. So what’s the big deal, the NFL is nothing like NRL, they have downs and about 5 seconds of play to review, we can have 30-40 seconds of play to review I hear you ask.

Well, how I see it working is as follows, it goes to the video as per normal, the referee goes to the end of the field where a box with a video screen is located (Watch a game of NFL and you will undoubtedly see this contraption) and he can view the play, now the referee is viewing what elements of the play are in doubt to him, he has already viewed what happened on the field and he just needs make the play clear in his head, unlike the video referee who is watching the play on TV like yourself. The referee would be able to manipulate the video and ask for different angles on the play, just like the video referee can do now. In this day and age the technology to do this is available.

You would also still have the video referee available to assist in on the fly decisions such as head high tackles and illegal play that may have occurred, out of sight of the referee and any other instances were the referee feels the video referee could assist in his decision. But what this is all about is giving the power back to referee, it may be a bit more pressure for him, but referee’s had to make these decisions before the video referee was available so it’s not like it hasn’t been done before.

This will make better referees, they will be better able to handle the pressures the game of rugby league throws at them, decisions under pressure will become an afterthought, rather than a handoff. The referee will be back in control of the game, rather than talking to a bloke who is unseen and makes the decision for him. We want battle-hardened referees, especially now as the competition starts to even out between the top teams and the bottom teams, every game seems like a grand final.

In closing, no matter what system you employ there are always going to be problems associated with it. The man upstairs being only able to view what happens on the field via video replay, or the man on the field trying to handle the pressure of making that crucial decision, but with this system, the man on the field would be better able to handle that crucial decision when he has everything the man upstairs has plus his own view of what occurred on the field. And that’s what it’s all about, a better-informed decision.

The only other option we could consider would be a Who Wants to be a Millionaire style, allow the captain to go up the referee and use one of his wildcard picks and ask the crowd for the decision. One of those decibel meters could be used and on cue you are asked if it’s a try or no try, the loudest wins. At least in would make more supporters turn up to games knowing that it could be just their voice that makes that critical decision go for them!



Word Count 718 including title.

 

[Bunny Boy]

Attention South Sydney heroes...

Bunny Boy making the yards for South Sydney....

Letter to the Players of the South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club.

Lads I’m sure you all know, what the South Sydney faithful have had to endure in a very difficult 13 years. In recent memory, the mighty cardinal and myrtle have struggled on the footy field, and no one has felt the pain more than the fans that go week in week out and hold the players in such high regards, that calling them heroes is nothing out of the ordinary.

1989 was the last time, our club, the most successful team in Rugby League played in the national competitions finals. It’s been a long wait between drinks for our ardent fans, which support the club win or lose, the latter being the most common of late, and most bitter pill to swallow.

Boys this is a plea to you, to every single one of you South Sydney heroes, to go out there, and tackle, run and play with that Rabbitoh on your heart like you have never played before. First and foremost as professionals you should do it for yourselves.

But most of all, we the fans of this club, should be the ones for whom you are willing to spill blood for. I don’t think anyone can deny the South Sydney fans of being the most loyal fans in the game, if not the world. Lads you are playing for the most famous jersey in the game, if you get into the 8 the papers will be covered from front to back of your achievements. This should drive you on.

If the going gets tough, which I’m sure it will at some stages of the season, just look around you for that red and green. Look around at the 12 other men on the field with you busting their guts. Don’t let them down. If your lungs can’t take it anymore go that extra step, push yourself that much harder. That’s how legends are made. Those are the foundations our great club was built on. John Sattler playing with a broken jaw is synonymous with grit, toughness and determination. Johnny Sattler’s pride in the jersey and his own performance should be apart of every single one of you, because you too are representing that same great jersey that has won the most premierships.

When the going gets tough, look to the stands and the fans who are always there for you, and who love every single one of you. Look in their eyes and see how much it means to them to see South Sydney become a glamour club once more. Look over to the Burrow, the fanatics who sing for you week in week out wherever you may be.

There is not a better chance in the last 13 years for a South Sydney team to finally bring a smile on the faces of their long suffering fans. We the fans have faith in you, your coach has faith in you, but most importantly, you should have faith and trust in each other, but work hard to build that trust.

I’m sure most of you know how much we South Sydney fans despise the Roosters, it’s a tribal thing. Its 90 years of history between the clubs. It’s us South Sydney fans copping the wrath these last few seasons because the “Roosters have revolutionized League”. We say bollocks to that, they are always in our shadows and always will be, and Round 1 will be just the way to underline this.


2004 is a huge year boys, let’s wipe the slate clean and make this a year to remember. Let’s make it one that individually and collectively as South Sydney we will be proud of. I plea with you all, help make South Sydney the force we once were! I promise that by doing this, you will forever be a South Sydney legend!

SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS – THE RELIGION – 1 LOVE!

........

After this letter, the boys in red and green went on to produce one of their best displays since returning back to the NRL.

Word count: 692 including headings.

 

[roosterboy60]

Roosterboy60 (C), 1, Lions

NRL Season Placing’s Part 1.

Yes I’m one round late but here is my top eight for season 2004. There are not too many surprises but I think I will get one or two wrong. I will also give you a reason for why I think they will come where I think they will come this season. The bottom seven teams will come in my next article in the next game.


Roosters 1st: I may be a bit biased but I still think that the Roosters have the best team on paper. Their first round performance wasn’t very good and with Craig Wing out for sometime it may be a little harder for the Roosters but I still think they will be minor premiers and hard to beat come finals time.

Bulldogs 2nd: Their first round display showed that although they have had off-season dramas they would be up there with the best. If talents like Braith Anasta, Brent Sherwin and others can stand up and play to their potential they will be a real premiership threat. Watch out for Sonny-Bill Williams this year as well.

Penrith 3rd: Last year’s premiers may find it harder this year but their players will stand up to the task. They won’t be first but with players like Craig Gower, Preston Campbell will guide them through to a final position. The only problem they may face is if they get injuries as they had a fairytale run last year with them.

Raiders 4th: They will back up their terrific year last year with another one this year. Mark Mclinden will be their best player this year. He had a great debut season but since then really hasn’t lived up to his expectations. Simon Woolford and others will also be strong performers.

Warriors 5th: People are either saying they will be premiers or close to it, or not in the eight at all. I don’t think they will win the premiership but they will do very well this year. Stacy Jones, if not injured, will once again prove his class by leading the Warriors around the park. If he does get injured I still think the Warriors can win without him which has been proven in the past.

Storm 6th: The Storm will once again be the surprise packet of the year. If Matt Orford can play the whole season, along with Scott Hill, I think they could be a dark horse of this year’s competition. Although I don’t think they will win the premiership they may surprise a few teams along the way.

Knights 7th: Are they a one-man team? I don’t think so. Although they rely a lot on Andrew Johns they still have some class players in the Gidley brothers, Ben Kennedy and others. I don’t think they will perform at their best but they will make the eight and will be a threat in the finals series. If they do lose Johns early in the year though then it may be a different story.

Broncos 8th: The Broncos are a hard one to tip they could either be right up there, down the bottom of the eight or even out of the eight. I think that they will be down the bottom of the eight. Darren Lockyer will shine at five-eighth but fullback will be a huge problem for the Broncos this season. As with the Knights, if they perform at their best they can be up the top of the table. Watch out for a big season from Gorden Tallis this season.

That’s my top eight for this season but don’t be surprised if I get a few wrong. We will have to wait and see over the next 6 months.

621 Words Including Title

 

[skeepe]

skeepe dons the #3 red and green jersey and hits it up

Media Killed the Rugby League Star

The headlines have been everywhere all week. Jamie Lyon, retired at the ripe old age of 22. A man with so much potential, such a great future that some say he could have gone on to be one of the best centres the game has ever produced. Yet he has apparently given it all away to return to his childhood home town of Wee Waa, seeking a return to the country lifestyle he grew up with.

On face value, that makes a little bit of sense. Moving from Wee Waa, population 2,000, to a city that, population wise, is 2,000 times bigger in Sydney would no doubt be a huge culture shock. Different people, different way of life, and it can be difficult to adapt. It is only natural that, after 7 years in the big smoke, a country boy can grow to be a bit weary of the hustle bustle lifestyle. This is just one argument put forth by the newspapers, no doubt there will be more in the coming weeks.

What this situation does, though, is force us to assess the way young kids, particularly those that have moved from the country, are treated in today’s football club. You only have to look at all the media attention that the likes of Benji Marshall, Sonny Bill Williams and Karmichael Hunt had received before they had even touched a ball. Add to that mix the likes of Terry Campese, Ryan Powell and Todd Carney, who are yet to debut, players that their clubs have constantly said will be at the forefront in the future, and we begin to see a pattern emerging.

It is obvious that football clubs are putting far too much pressure on their young stars-in-waiting. Terry Hill agrees. At his retirement press conference, Hill was quoted as saying that there would be a lot more walkouts from over-pressured young players in the coming years. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, “Hill said the media would soon "find out" what was happening within clubs to make players quit.” He was also quoted as saying "It's happening now. I don't want to get into it . . . you will find that all out later."

So, what is the answer? Do we rap the youngsters in the proverbial cotton wool until we think they’re old enough to cope with the attention? That might work, but it certainly is not the best solution. What might help is if the media’s constant speculation on how good young players are going to be in the future stopped. It does not help when almost every day, a 17 or 18 year old reads a story about themselves saying how good they are going to be, or how much the club is going to rely on them in the future. How much pressure is then placed on them if they fail to live up to the lofty expectations the media, club and public has placed on them? For some, they may never recover.

This may account for what many like to dub the “second year syndrome” where a player is absolutely fantastic in their first year in the competition, they are hyped up all through the off season as vital for the chances of their team, and they fail to produce performances as dazzling as those they produced in their rookie year. Some prime examples of this are Andrew McFadden and Owen Craigie. Both were highly acclaimed in their rookie years, both had fairly average second seasons, and now find themselves rarely playing first grade. Perhaps that is a little unfair on both those players as injury has certainly played a part, however the expectations placed on them certainly contributed heavily as well.

While it may seem from the average fan’s perspective that there is a problem with the way young players are being treated in today’s game, it is quite possible that is not the case and things like Jamie Lyon’s walkout are simply isolated incidents. Indeed, nobody will really know if we have a problem unless Terry Hill’s predictions come true and there is indeed a lot more walkouts of young players over the coming years. We should all hope, for the sake of the players, the clubs and league in general, that this is not the case. It’s an old cliché, and also an obvious statement, but young players are our future. If we don’t look after the young, we won’t have a future.

750 words including title

Sources:
Hill predicts more walkouts by young players
By Steve Mascord
Sydney Morning Herald, Wednesday March 17 2004
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/16/1079199228419.html

Wee Waa - Cotton Capital
http://www.weewaa.com/

 

[Zef]

#3 Zef Lions

THE SACRED FEMININE

“The Davinci Code” by Dan Brown is a book that seems to have been read by just about anyone that reads and that would include me too. It’s a good read, a page-turner even, but it doesn’t have much to do with League.

In the book there’s a randy cult who believe in “The Sacred Feminine”, their beliefs run along the lines of the world having gone a bit too macho, resulting in the root cause of the wars we wage and the prejudices we carry. But that still doesn’t have much to do with League.

So what am I going on about then? Well I’m glad you asked.

I’m a proud Dog supporter in very troubled times. Now I’m not gonna be stupid enough to get into what may or may not have happened on the night of “that incident”, I’ll leave that to the cops. But if we take the word of Bulldog board member Peter Mortimer (and I do), then at the very least there was some “immoral behavior” on that infamous night. So the question has to be asked - “Why?”

Which brings me to The Sacred Feminine.

NRL season launch 2004 and the accompanying promotional campaign, are by the NRL’s own admission, targeted at women. Yet take a look around the Rugby League world and we are just so macho-macho man. Can this be a factor in the psyche that leads to a night of “immoral behavior”? I think so. I think we need to get in touch with our feminine side. And the best place to start is to take a tip from The Wallabies.

When was the last time you heard of The Wallabies getting themselves into off-field dramas? I mean sure they happen but nowhere near the frequency that seems to pervade League lately. Is it because they're a better cut of man? Is it because Union has higher standards than League? Or is it something much simpler than that? I think it's a very simple reason - women.

Lately, whenever The Wallabies travel they take their wives with them. Camp Wallaby up at Coffs is basically a family getaway. And it proves what we all know – that if there's one way to make men behave it's to have their women around. Even the bachelors amongst a troop tend to behave when they're in front of their mate’s women. So there’s an immediate solution that would be much more effective than a thousand security guards. Having security guards around just gives the d.ckheads amongst men (and there’ll always be some) a challenge. But you put their women around them and even the thickest of heads wouldn’t dare cross them.

I think League in general and The Bulldogs in particular should have a very close look at getting their women travelling and socialising with the team as much as possible. Not only would it help to curb anti-social behavior, it would send a positive message to sponsors and supporters as well as providing more than just lip-service to the notion of getting women more involved in League. Sure it may add a bit to hotel bills, but at least we’ll get a booking in a decent joint – at present The Dogs would be lucky to get a bed in Bates Motel.

But I wouldn’t stop there either; I’d also have a good look at administration positions within the club with an eye to where a woman’s touch could be applied. I think there are certain positions that should be targeted directly for women – Football Manager’s a very good place to start. After all, do you think any lads would go out on the town and be anti-social if they knew when they got back to the hotel there’d be a cranky woman with a rolling pin waiting for them?

And I think there’s a couple of places on The Board waiting for them too – any Board, whether it be the Dogs or The NRL. Sure some may say it’s reverse discrimination against men, but let’s face it – we want women through the gates and buying our football jerseys so let’s not get all precious about having them involved in the administration of our game. We need a woman’s touch because we’ve gone too macho and lost track of our social responsibilities. We need to get in touch with our feminine side.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go and bake a cake – maybe even do my hair.

749 Words inc title

 

[antonius]

Ref blows fulltime.

Be back soon with all the scores. 8)

 

[roosterboy60]

Good luck to both teams.

 

[Seano]

Well done to both teams and good luck

 

[antonius]

Game marked, authors unknown.

LIONS SCORES


Evilgrowler Our first game back in Brisbane
744 words

Descriptive account of the writers first day at the footy after a long absence
Score 8.3

E.A. 10 late predictions for season 2004.
747 words
Tongue in cheek look at possible headlines for this season.
Score 8.3

Parra-Panther THE CENTRE OF ATTENTION
749 words.
A look at what it’s like to be the premiers from a fans point of view, well written with some good thoughts
Score 8.5

Roosterboy60 NRL Season Placing’s Part 1.
621 Words
A look at this writers top eight and his reasoning.
Score 8.0

#3 Zef Lions THE SACRED FEMININE
749 Words
Good read, the influence a womans touch may have on players, clubs, and club boards. Some of the points raised whilst maybe said tongue in cheek, are viable arguments for their involvement in club structures.
Score 8.5

Lions Total 41.6

SOUTHS

Red Dragon An Outsiders view on The South Sydney Rabbitohs
728 Words
Solid analysis of the problems at Souths, some insightful observations and suggestions, well written.
Score 8.6

Olympic Park for Souths IT’S TIME TO BIN THE BYE
732 words
Look at the bye from a different angle (missing the jump in Victoria) increasing the comp to 18 rather than 16 teams, some interesting thoughts.
Score 8.3

Dogs Of War Improving the Video Referee
718 words
Some interesting ideas on improving the Video refereeing. Whilst they may cause some argument as to the viability of them, some good suggestions.
Score 8.2

Bunny Boy Attention South Sydney heroes
684 Words
Impassioned plea from this fan to his teams players for the coming season, written with obvious feeling, and hope. Well put together.
Score 8.4

skeepe Media Killed the Rugby League Star
750 Words
Very well written article about young players and the pressure put on them from many different areas. Some good food for thought
Score 9.0

Souths Total 42.5

Five V’s five, a very good game and as the scores indicate very close, Souths just pipping the Lions

Souths 42.5 defeated the Lions 41.6

MOM Skeepe for Souths

 

[Robster]

Well Done Lions!! BUT congrats to my bunnie Mates Great work skeepe with MOM performance *CHAMPION*

 

[Seano]

Congratulations boys, very well done to both sides!

 

[ParraMatt]

Congratulations Souths. Good Start.