Round 5 (2009) COUGARS v BLUEBAGS

[The Piper]

Forum 7s - Round 5 2009
COUGARS v NEWTOWN BLUEBAGS

-v-

Game Thread:
* Please note - This is a game thread only, therefore only game posts can be made here (Teams, 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:
* 5v5 (+ 2 reserves for visiting team, 3 reserves for home team)
* No 'TBA' or changing players named
* Captains must stick with original teams named

ALL THE RULES & REGULATIONS: http://f7s.leagueunlimited.com/rules.php

FULL TIME: Thursday 4th June 2009 at 9pm (Syd time)
REFEREE: The Colonel
Venue: Western Weekender Stadium

**The Referee Blows Game On!**

CLICK HERE FOR OFFICIAL WORD COUNTER

 

[Willow]

The recently hotted up Bluebags Ford XB panel van enters the ground, does several donuts and leaves scorch marks left in the turf... much to the delight of the cheering westie crowd.

The barn door doors open at the rear and the red-hot Black Kitty leads the team onto the field...

Bluebags

Black Kitty (c)
Willow (vc)
Gorilla (vc)
Drew-Sta
Timmah

Res:
Everlovin' Antichrist
Rexxy
​

 

[Black Kitty]

Black Kitty stumbles out of the Blue Bags XB, a little green around the gills and close to asphyxiation, reminding herself to never cook the guys scrambled eggs for breakfast before a game again.
_______________________________________________________


To jinx or not to jinx?

The opening riff to ‘Smoke on the Water’ starts resonating from my handbag in the otherwise quiet doctor's surgery. I fish around trying to find my mobile phone while some old duck wearing a tea cosy on her head gives me filthy looks. My brother's ‘self portrait’ photo stares back at me from the caller id window.

"What’s up?" I whisper into the phone.

"What are you whispering for?"

"I’m at the quacks. What’s up?"

He never rang through the day. Mainly because he never had mobile reception in the middle of nowhere places he worked. But also because his boss had given into the constant whining of the boys wanting to work through lunch to be able to take off early everyday. Especially in summer when they had to work through the hot Narrabri summers.

"Well," he says, "the boys and I were just talking and we were wondering if you’d mind going down to the TAB and putting on a bet?"

"But aren’t you going to the pub after work today anyway?"

They went everyday so it wasn’t an overly outrageous assumption.

"Yeah, but we want you to bet on the Kiwi’s… that way we’ll have a chance at winning the game on the weekend."

I laughed (as quietly as possible). "If you were close enough I’d kick you up the butt for that."

"Come on Sis, it’d guarantee they lose! You know you’re the best jinx ever!"

"Thanks brat! Now get back to work!"

I laughed and hung up on him, the old tea cosy lady gave me an extra filthy look, pointedly looked at the sign telling patients to turn off their mobiles and then went back to her Woman’s Day.

He was right, it’s a huge joke among all our friends. It doesn’t matter what sport or event is happening, if I go for a team then you can almost guarantee that team will lose. Often with outstandingly dismal efficiency. Or if it’s a party or wedding or some such, and I’m involved, don’t expect a smooth day. Even, for example, if I said ‘planes don’t just drop out of the sky’, one would probably land on your head, or mine.

One of the best examples ever of my jinx ability was in 2006. I maxed out my credit card to take a little trip to Sydney for the State of Origin game. Not being familiar with the Sydney area, and not really wanting to go on my own anyway, I bought a ticket for my little brother as well. I even went and bought him a maroons jacket and beanie to wear, as much as it sickened me. Born and bred in NSW, I’m sure he goes for Queensland just to get a rise out of me. It was going to be fantastic. New South Wales had never lost at Telstra stadium. I’d get to rub in our win the whole way home. I had, however, failed to remember my reputation for being the world's biggest jinx. Something that by half time I was starting to remember. By full time it was being rubbed in so bad I had Chinese burns from his mantra of, ‘Jinx. Jinx. Jinx’.

I still wince at the memory, despite it being a wonderful weekend, it was still proof that I can jinx anything. So the question of the moment was, do I stay loyal to my Green and Gold and put my hard earned money on my boys? Or do I try and fool whoever or whatever it is that rules the world of the jinx and put my money on the New Zealand team?

The answer to that really depended on who I asked. New Zealand supporters were all for me backing Australia. My Aussie friends would probably hang me by my toenails if I didn’t put my money on the Kiwis. In the end, I didn’t bet on either. I didn’t even get to see the game. As fate would have it I ended up in hospital and the last thing on my mind was the game.

So, the question remains. Did I beat the jinx? Or was it because at the time I didn’t care who won? I guess the only way to tell is to line up at the TAB on the 3rd of June for State of Origin and test the theory one way or the other. I’m sure I’ll be getting another phone call around then.


*** 750 words including title. According to the official word counter***

 

[Big Pete]

A growl is heard from the South-Western stand of the Western Weekender Stadium as the Cougars proudly make their way to the field. They'll be going into this match with their friend and captain griffo in their mind as he goes through a number of off-field problems. The side looks like:

Cougars:
1) Big Pete (c)
2) NKA (vc)
3) Matt23
4) IanG
5) lockyno1

Reserves:
6) dallymessenger
7) T-Ba
8) Bulldogs Force

Players wait eagerly for kick off...

 

[Willow]

Interchange for the Bluebags:

Out: Drew-Sta
In: Everlovin' Antichrist

Cheers.

 

[Matt23]

Matt23 runs out onto the field, yelling at his team mates...

The Video Ref​

​

The use of the video referee is again a contentious issue, dodgy call’s from the man upstairs are constantly upsetting the flow of the game, with there often pedantic decisions, viewing replays for minutes at time and ruining the game as a spectacle as a consequence.
The most notable example in recent times being the disallowed try the Bulldogs, Jamal Idris in the recent St George Illawarra – Bulldogs game, this was prime time match played on a Friday night, remembered for all the wrong reason’s, it was remembered for being a cracking game of rugby league, it’s remembered for the pedantic decision made by the video ref.
Personally I believe the video ref, should be going back to what they originally bought in for – to check the grounding of the ball, surely now with two ref’s and two linesman, surely they can make judgement call’s on play’s leading up to possible tries, surely that’s got to be a better option, then waiting, and waiting for the video ref to find the most miniscule excuse to not award the try, surely that would also make for a better spectacle.
Now regarding the Jamal Idris incident, the player at the centre of the controversy, Dragon’s five eighth, Jamie Soward protested his innocence after it was suggested in some circle’s that he “took a dive” and playing for a penalty by backing into bulldogs player, Greg Eastwood as fullback Luke Patten made the break which led to Idris' try. However, Soward denied playing for the penalty, claiming he was indeed interfered with and was not trying to milk the penalty.
In the day’s following it was revealed that the video ref did indeed get the decision wrong and was summarily stood down as a consequence.
What is the point of using the video ref when they are getting a large percentage of there decisions wrong, and ruining the game as spectacle, as a viewer, you know yourself know, your instincts tell you weather it’s a try or not, so why on earth does it take the video ref’s up to 3 minutes to decide weather it’s a try or not, another thing that should be happening, the two referee’s themselves should be going with there instinct, instead of making themselves look like scaredy cat’s and going to the video ref, and making us wait!
Personally I would rather we keep the video for groundings and whether an attacking player touched the sideline or the corner post. Objective matters, where there are clearly defined confines and as such, a clear right or wrong. Please, no more guesswork on obstructions, or whether the chaser had his back foot ahead of the kicker’s front foot or whether a player was illegally stripped or just let the ball go, I’d be far more comfortable with that.
If the video ref’s can’t get in right, the men in the middle should be afforded the same lee way as well.
I’m far more comfortable if the on field referee’s make the odd error here or there, that’s part of the game, and has been happening for as long as I can remember, at the end of the day I’d rather a game was decided my the referee’s in the middle, as opposed to the video ref.
Another thing that irritates regarding the video ref is the inconsistency’s, I mean one interpret thing’s one way and another rules differently, you know your at a game, you think for all money a tries going to be awarded, you watched a game the other night, a similar play or incident was awarded try, then the decision is “no try”, it’s confusing as it is frustrating, your sitting there thinking why the hell was that not awarded?.
Anyway’s that’s my take on the video ref debate, personally I’d rather the official’s in the middle decide the result of a game, rather then the dunce in the video ref’s box.
(659 words + heading)

 

[Timmah]

Timmah eerily runs the same line as opponent Matt23, who will come out on top?
_________________________________________________

Video killed the Rugby League Star

Around Australia and New Zealand every weekend there are hundreds of thousands of people watching television coverage of the National Rugby League. The problem: only one goose is getting paid for it.

While the game has become increasingly reliant on technology, we still manage to get decision after decision wrong. Maybe this is because the rules of the game are becoming greyer by the day. Our good friends up high in the stand with their trusty green, red and (rarely) yellow buttons find themselves under the spotlight more than their on-field comrades. And there's a very good reason.

It’s often been said that ex-referees in the box means there is a “blanket knowledge” of the game, as those upstairs with the power supposedly have the best idea of how play works. The problem there is that they apply their previous on-field experience to a completely different game. The game that the current batch of video referees once took control of on the field has changed immeasurably. The type and quality of football changes infinitely from season to season and in addition to this, so do the rules.

The solution is simple in my book. Ex players are the way to go – and yes, I can already hear the howls of protest – protestations of bias. Simple, don’t let players officiate games involving their ex-clubs. They know where the dubious calls are taking place in games, what should and shouldn’t be given, and in most case have a fair understanding of the rules. A group of 10-12 ex-players (most of whom look terribly uncomfortable as commentators anyway) should do the trick.

Another part of the solution is to bring the decision-making process “back to basics”. The Video Referee was put in to adjudicate on whether a ball was grounded inside or outside the goal-line, whether Joe Fullback was onside racing through to collect the ball – those obvious things which make it either a try or no-try. If he couldn’t decide, it went back to the on-field ref. Too often now we have video referees erring on the “No try” side of caution, instead of doing what was intended – heading back to the man on the field. What happened to the Refs Call?

Then there are the grey areas. Over the 11-and-a-half years since the system was introduced in the Super League 1997 season, we’ve had video referees ruling over possible tries, and each year the rules they need to use to make decisions become more convoluted. In 2009 a new “separation” rule came into use, in effect meaning a player could almost bounce the ball between his hands before grounding. Even then, this rule hasn’t been applied consistently. Gone are the days where there was either grounding or not – it’s Rafferty’s Rules. Then of course there’s the fact the eye-in-the-sky is able to rule on offside plays, but is forbidden on ruling if a pass is forward or backwards.

It’s clear that what we need in that dreaded Video Referee box is people with common sense. Those who can see each play for what it is, instead of these overly literal interpretations of rules that cruel the chances of teams headed for glory, and decisions that rob the fans of a golden memory – that one fantastic try they saw at the game that day is now “that stupid disallowed try” because Joe Halfback ran into Joe Prop Forward a few metres off the ball (no prizes for guessing which incident I’m referring to in that veiled shot).

If all those proposals are to be ignored and we carry on with the current crop of button-pushers, we’ve got to limit the power they have. Restrict their input on the try to whether the ball was grounded, was it was over the line, was it inside the touchline, did the scorer touch the corner post, and was he onside or not? If the on-field referees can’t pick up an obstruction or forward pass in the lead-up, then that’s their mistake – there are two of them now, you know. The onus needs to be put back on the on-field referee to be active in refereeing the game, rather than letting play continue and leaving it to a man watching a TV.

Until that day, all we’re likely to see is the Video killing the Rugby League star – and as we saw in Origin One last night, in more ways than one.

_________________________________________________

750 words between the blue lines including the title.

 

[Big Pete]

Big Pete takes a quick dart out of dummy half he meets the line eagerly.

State of Nuisance​

For over twenty five years the Rugby League calender has been blessed by what's considered to be the pinnacle of competition, State of Origin. However over the past couple of seasons the ramifications of such a competition has left Rugby League supporters bemused and have often questioned whether the competition is worth the effect it has on the National Rugby League competition. In light of the upcoming State of Origin series the blight has reared it's ugly head and has left fans once again feeling frustrated leaving many to question the enormity of the situation and how it can be resolved. Every fan has their own theoretical solution and here's one I believe that has some merit. First of all though how is State of Origin becoming a nuisance and why must it be dealt with swiftly? ​

Obviously the most profound effect State of Origin has on the National Rugby League competition is it's requirement for top talent which robs clubs of star players in the lead up to potentially three State of Origin games, depending on whether or not they have the bye. This issue needs to be addressed quickly as the NRL competition has become noticeably closer and the significance of availability can determine whether or not a team can gain two vital competition points. However State of Origin doesn't solely affect clubs rather it also hinders the support of the competition and makes a mockery of certain club rounds. A prime example of this was Round 12 of this years competition which drew very little in attendance and produced such Rugby League classics as Parramatta vs. Cronulla and the Warriors vs. Tigers. Both games reeked of amateur tactics and effort and left the majority of Rugby League supporters with a bitter taste in their mouths. To make matters worse in what should've been one of the highlights of the season the second place Dragons vs. the forth place Panthers lead to a dour contest ending when St. George's experience got the better of Penrith. Significantly this isn't the first time this period has drawn criticism in fact last year the success of the Dragons was questioned when it appeared they had drawn an easy period facing weakened favourites in Melbourne and Brisbane. In a competition that wants to be taken seriously and supported by a larger audience such inadequacies must be addressed otherwise the NRL runs the risk of losing fans rather than gaining. So what must the NRL do to avoid this issue? ​

Despite the negative impact State of Origin has on the NRL it cannot be cancelled as it draws far too much interest and money to be simply cast aside into the Rugby League wilderness (Hello Rugby League 7's competition). Simply put the NRL needs to experiment and in a world prone to loving trial and error strategies I believe the NRL needs to give every club a bye before an Origin game to spike interest and release fans from sub-par matches that serve as nothing but trial matches for rookies or scrappy victories for the cellar dwellers of the competition. This may shock some people but fans are only interested in seeing matches that appeal to them. So if you gave them an option to see a full strength side or a team filled with debutantes including a park footballer who happened to win the lucky dip raffle at their local club I believe the full strength side would win hands down. Thus it's in the NRL's best interest to give the fans what they want as opposed to what's easier, heck if everybody decided to take the easy option every time would some of our best discoveries been made? Of course not! So the NRL has to do something they haven't done in quite some time and make a bold decision or two to attract some attention and hopefully in their minds gain some support. ​

Of course I can't help but feel some form of criticism to my idea. For such an idea to go ahead a compromise or two must be made in which case I believe the competition rounds will be scaled back to 22 reducing the seasons total games by 16. This may feel like an unpopular consequence to some but in the long term I believe it would prove to be in the fans, clubs and NRL's best interest.​

731 Words Including Title​

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

EA for the Bags.

Piggy Back Ride.

Once upon a time, in about 1894, Rugby League and Rugby Union didn’t exist, there was only one code and it was called Rugby. The line between the two games has widened significantly from the great Rugby split in 1895, yet today there seems to be a concerted effort, in Australia anyway, to bridge the gap.

But the effort is very one-sided. Rugby Union is struggling and its latest ploy is to piggy back on the success of Rugby League in this country. Lost amongst all the upheaval provided by the Matthew Johns affair, the Reni Maitua drug scandal and the Ben Ikin resignation from Channel 9 farce is the fact that Rugby Union has now almost unashamedly admitted defeat and thrown itself on the back of anything Rugby League has to offer in a last ditch effort to revitalise the sport in Australia.

Firstly, we have the news that their Super 14 will be expanded then lengthened to compete with the NRL. Then we have their Wallabies v Barbarians clash scheduled a few days after State of Origin 1, and finally there is the absolute farce of having Wendell Sailor on television to promote the Wallabies v Barbarians clash. The same Wendell Sailor who was unceremoniously dumped by Rugby Union after a positive drug test nearly three years ago. The same Wendell Sailor who now plays for St. George Illawarra in the National Rugby League competition…

It is understandable up to a point. Whereas Rugby League in Australia has survived and even grown amid controversy since day one, Rugby Union has gone from its heyday in 2003 to almost dead in 2009. Rugby Union’s TV ratings have nosedived to embarrassing levels and their attendances have gone in the same direction The slide in TV ratings would be most disconcerting for Rugby Union simply because the last TV deal was signed after the euphoria of the success of the RWC in 2003 and that has diminished over the six years since 2003 to a mere blip. In 2003 Rugby Union ruled the roost, with the ratings for the RWC final bigger than anything Rugby League or AFL have been able to muster up in the last decade, yet the ratings for their premier events can’t surpass normal ratings for a Friday night NRL match. 2003 must seem like a million years ago to the ARU and its CEO, John O’Neill.

But their biggest problem is their lack of marketable players.

Paying exorbitant amounts for Rugby League stars only to see their profile diminish in time is not the answer, and never was, but apart from ex-Rugby League players, Rugby Union in Australia has a dearth of its own star quality that could be ultimately fatal and is partially the cause of their fall from grace.

For example, the Wallaby side to play the Barbarians this weekend is;
Wallabies: Adam Ashley-Cooper, Lachie Turner, Stirling Mortlock (capt), Berrick Barnes, Drew Mitchell, Matt Giteau, Luke Burgess, Richard Brown, George Smith, Matt Hodgson, Nathan Sharpe, James Horwill, Al Baxter, Stephen Moore, Benn Robinson. Replacements: Tatafu Polota-Nau, Ben Alexander, Dean Mumm, David Pocock, Josh Valentine, Quade Cooper, James O'Connor.

How many of those player names do you recognise?

Not a lot I’ll bet.

I can see six or seven names that I’ve heard of, but to be perfectly honest, if I walked past any player in that side on the street they wouldn’t get a second glance. Yet I live in Sydney, which is arguably Rugby Union’s number one heartland in Australia.

Hell, I’ll go further than that; my mentioning them in this article is probably as much recognition as most of them will get this year.

Wendell Sailor has a higher profile in this country than the combined profiles of all the players in the current Wallaby line-up. One player playing for the Barbarians (Sunny Bob Somethingorother) could claim the same and he’s almost been forgotten by Rugby League fans this season.


To put Wendell in their advertisement is either the height of arrogance, or the height of desperation, the latter being a twenty to one on favourite in that two horse race.

The situation that Rugby Union is in calls for drastic measures and an unprecedented swallowing of pride; they’re swallowing with everything they have at the moment.


718 words

References.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/spo...016551,00.html
http://blogs.sunherald.com.au/whoweare/
http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,25883,3551_5336841,00.html

 

[Willow]

Willow | Bluebags

Dennis Tutty

"He was like the Cassius Clay of rugby league - the bloke who dared to buck the system. He fought the league on principle. There's not too many blokes prepared to do that these days."
- Arthur Beetson.

What would you do if you were Dennis Tutty?

Never heard of him? Well, you're in good company. Mention his name to any young player today, and a good portion of them will draw a blank.

In the late 1960s, Balmain lock forward Dennis Tutty stuck up for his rights. In simple terms, he wanted to work for a different employer, but was told to put up and shut up. In an era dotted by false loyalties and extraordinary contract terms, a player was essentially 'owned' by his club. The New South Wales Rugby League rules of employment were specific: unless a club agreed to release a player, it was "entitled to retain a player's name on its registry indefinitely."

Tutty thought he could do better.

A series of legal battles followed, it went on into the 1970s. In the end, Tutty 'won', thus paving the way for basic rights now taken for granted by rugby league players.

But Tutty's life was turned upside down in the process. By the mid-1970s he was past his prime as a player, his marriage was finished, he lost his car and perhaps not surprisingly, he developed a stomach ulcer.

So was it worth it? From a player's right perspective, the answer is a resounding yes. But on a personal level for Tutty, the lines between success and failure become more than a little blurred.

A champion rower, Tutty was graded with the Balmain Tigers in 1964. In the same year, the 17-year-old was the youngest player to appear in a grand final when Balmain were runners-up to St George. Three years later he played for Australia and was selected in the first Test against New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

In 1968, Tutty's view of the world took a dramatic turn when he asked permission to play for another club. Balmain refused his request and Tutty lodged an appeal with the NSWRL, but withdrew the appeal after the Tigers offered a better deal. By comparison, St George and Australian centre Reg Gasnier (coincidentally Dennis Tutty's cousin), was able to secure a better deal by threatening to leave his club. But even the great Gasnier didn't dare to play elsewhere in the old Sydney competition, his threat was to play rugby union.

In the 'professional' sport of rugby league, big name players in the 1960s were working day jobs as brickie labourers and truck drivers while the league was experiencing record gate takings. But for Tutty, it was not so much the money as it was about the choice of club, and the matter was far from over.

In 1969, Tutty again asked to be placed on the transfer list, but Balmain kept their star forward on the retain list. Tutty responded by sitting out the next two seasons, a decision that ultimately cost him a spot in the premiership winning team of 1969.

Tutty began legal action in May, 1969. War was declared and the battle lines were drawn. The NSW Equity Court then granted Tutty's application - the NSWRL's transfer system was declared invalid as an "unreasonable restraint of trade".

The NSWRL, in their arrogance, appealed the judgment. The conflict continued for another two years before the High Court of Australia upheld the Equity Court's decision on 13 December, 1971. The repercussions were felt immediately with numerous NSWRL players seeking better deals with other clubs.

Tutty went back to playing with Balmain, and then Penrith and Easts before ending his playing career, perhaps ironically, with Balmain. Tutty went onto to become coach of the Tigers in 1980.

He now lives on a pension in Forster on the NSW mid-north coast where he has lived for the last 30 years, and has been described in the media as being "lifestyle rich".

Quiet and unassuming by nature, Tutty never asked for, nor received, much support from other players. He simply took it upon himself to fight against institutionalised inequity. Living on the wage of an unskilled worker, he financed the action himself and saw it all the way to the High Court - an extraordinary achievement.

In 2008, the Rugby League Player's Association announced that their annual player award will be named after Dennis Tutty - long overdue recognition for one of the heroes of the game.

| 750 words |

References:
Interviews with James Hooper of the Daily Telegraph in 2008. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegrap...006066,00.html
The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players. Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson.
Dennis Tutty: An Australian Hero. Braham Dabscheck http://www.athletesalliance.org.au/f...ortingHero.pdf

 

[gorilla]

*gorilla wakes and realises the day is fraught with opportunities....*

****************
Fan-dom

What makes a fan, as the yanks say, “root for their team” ? Leaving aside the snide, obvious humour associated with the idea of ‘rooting’ and the juxtaposition of the recent NRL sex scandals - why does a fan choose or end up supporting their team or club ?

My personal reasons are a mix of family ties and first team colours and guernsey, but there are many varied reasons why we choose or end up being a fan.

Fan is actually short for fanatic but we use it in a more general sense – as a follower, a supporter, rather than the beady-eyed, tragic, intense type we could imagine. Fans come in all shapes and sizes and degrees of fan-dom, from the once a year State of Origin fans, to life-long, never miss a match and travel to each game type of fan.

There are almost as many reasons for becoming a fan as there are fans – because it’s a subjective decision. We make it, sometimes unconsciously, and at other times it’s even forced on us when we have no choice.

The most typical reason in the last 100 years of rugby league is geography or one’s residence. This was most common in past decades, when the competition that we now know as the NRL was largely Sydney based. Of course, the same principle applies to Brisbane or the country area competitions. Players even had a residency rule and from this geographical focus grew the game’s tribalism, which exists even today, whether it’s Canterbury, Newcastle, ‘the Shire’, or even the Gold Coast. Fans for State of Origin and international teams are the basest level of geographic support.

Family ties and influences are huge. Look around at any game-day crowd and there’ll be little babies wearing team colours. Those little suckers have no idea that they’ve just been born into fan-dom and will likely continue in life. A favourite uncle pushed me to a particular team, and I indoctrinated my kids (except the middle one who I sadly let have a choice).

Peer group pressure, the team you might have first played for, even the club which visited your school when you were young all have similar influences. The fan’s commitment often starts in a the young as that’s when they’re most influenced and play or follow sports. Ask a Jesuit.

There are less obvious and less rational and logical reasons – the team colours or mascots appeal to fans, even cheerleaders might attract. For all I know, maybe little people or dwarves everywhere support the Rabbitohs because of that Shetland man who was Reggie the Rabbit for years.

Just the weight of success can make a fan. There is an excess of St George fans around who are aged between 55 and 75 years old who followed the Saints in their ‘never-before-never-again;’ success of 11 straight wins. You only have to see a team, which has been unsuccessful in recent years, get into the semi-finals and beyond to see the fans come out of the woodwork – getting on the bandwagon because nothing attracts like success.

Players attract fans as well, whether fans learn to love a player and then the team and club due to the disciplined grunt of a heavy tackler, the slash of outside backs in attack, or just some pretty-boy (these days naked in a calendar) halfback.

One thing I’ve noticed is that those fans who started off with a team or club and who switched later in life are most likely to be a fan because of the new club‘s or team’s style or play or success. Some of my friends who were brought into fan-dom by their families switched clubs because they saw something special in another team, or club – maybe even watching another team beat their old man’s side and they liked the way that team played.

The reasons are many and varied because it’s so terribly subjective We are bombarded by images, sounds; we play or watch, we hear others extol or damn a team. Imagine being at an impressionable age in Sutherland at the moment. Sex scandals, racist comments, murmurs of bankruptcy, a losing team (2/10 wins), drug scandals, board members resigning, and so on.

It makes you wonder how and why a little kid will turn up in the blue, black and white to watch his team train and play, to cheer and to cry. Sometimes the most powerful emotions and decisions just don’t make sense.
*****************
750 weords between the stars

 

[Pistol]

Thar She Blows

 

[Willow]

Thank you time keeper. Good luck one and all. Over to you ref...

 

[Big Pete]

I just wanted to formally apologise to the opposition for the lack of competition. We had an interupted pre-game losing our captain who generally does an awesome job organising the team and sadly the low attendance is the result.

All the best ref!

 

[The Colonel]

Bluebags

Black Kitty - 89

The Jinx. Almost sounded good enough to be a Jim Beam Ad. Well written article. As for your brother, the heat out this way does strange things to everyone.

Willow - 88

An important contributor to the modern game both on and off the field. Largely forgotten but very good to see him remembered in such a way.

gorilla - 87

The reasons for entering fan-dom are wide and varied. A good solid article exploring the different reasons and their traps for the young players.

Timmah - 86

Another reasonably balanced look at the contentious position that is the video referee.

Everlovin Antichrist - 88

A reasonably thoughtful look at the apparent desperate attempt by Rugby Union to claw back much of the ground it has now lost.


Total - 438

Defeated

Cougars

Big Pete - 86

The State of Origin has a large impact on the general play of the NRL, particularly when sides miss players during the season. A decent look at the effects of such scheduling.

Matt23 - 85

The video referee will always be a contentious position in the NRL whilst it is used. A well balanced argument agai on how they could be better utilised.

Total 171

POTM: Black Kitty

 

[Timmah]

Cheers Colonel

 

[Willow]

Thanks heaps Colonel.

Commisserations Cougars. Good luck with the rest of the season and hope to see you in the semis.

Great work Black 'Ugg Boots' Kitty on the POTM.

 

[Black Kitty]

Thanks for the marks Colonel, and the POTM
better luck next time Cougars, hope it all works out.

 

[LeagueNut]

Backpacker Points

3 points - Black Kitty (Bluebags)
2 points - Willow (Bluebags) & Everlovin Antichrist (Bluebags) :thumn
1 point - gorilla (Bluebags) :mrgreen: