Round 6 (2007) Eels v Cougars

[Willow]

Round 6 (2007)
Parramatta Eels v Cougars

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 essays, not used in previous games, will be marked by referees.
Rules: http://f7s.leagueunlimited.com/rules.php
Home team allowed one extra reserve player

FULL TIME: Wednesday 25 July 2007 at 9pm (Syd time)
REFEREE: antonius

Venue: Energy Australia Stadium

**The Referee Blows Game On!**

 

[griffo346]

This is the Cougars team to take the feild against the Parramatta Eels and looking forward to maintain there top 4 spot in the competition

Starting

1: Griffo346 (c)
2: Steel Dragon (vc)
3: lockyno1
4: Sanchez
5: IanG

Bench

6:Griffette346
7: t-ba

 

[griffo346]

griffo346 leads the cougars proudly onto Parramatta Stadium
National Rugby League Player Drain

I will be talking about ways that can avoid the player drain on the National Rugby League (NRL) whether it be mentally or physically or the depth of the competition; there’s a drain on every player in the premiership.

The NRL have put forward a proposal to reduce the player burnout on the footballers by doing the following.

The NRL's new-season restructure will include:

• TWO byes for every club, with the 2008 season to start a week earlier
• CITY-Country to be moved from Thursday night to Friday night
• MONDAY Night Football to be scrapped for rounds before the City-Country match and the Anzac Test against New Zealand.
A few ideas will be put forward in my article

1. Use of a rotation policy.
2. Reducing of competition rounds.
3. Rescheduling of representative matches.
4. Amount of players taking their careers to England.

Use of a rotation policy.

This seems the logical idea to reduce player burnout and to keep the players fresh and by doing this giving premier league players opportunity to play in the premier competition the NRL.

The rotation policy works in other sports such as the Australian Football League (AFL) and the cricket with the one day international squad.

So why can’t it work in the NRL?

NRL squads have a maximum top twenty five players in there squads and with only seventeen players have been selected to play week in week out, so in my opinion I believe that rotating players would be good to make the players feel fresher also giving juniors a chance to prove themselves in the top grade.

Reducing of competition rounds.

Another idea in reducing the player burnout is by reducing the amount that a player plays, I guess this in twines with the rotation policy as well.

However if we had less rounds as it used to be in the early 1990’s it would lessen the drain on the players physically and mentally. Making sure the teams play eleven home games and eleven away games making it a twenty two round season.

Rescheduling of representative matches.

I believe that the NRL should look at reducing representative matches. I don’t believe we need the ANZAC match and that the city v country game should be at that date as it used to be back in the older days.

If I was to play the representative draw for the NRL I would go with having the City v Country on the ANZAC weekend instead of the test match because at its present moment the city v country match isn’t used for what it used to be used for and that’s the traditional State of Origin selection trial.

The State of Origin on the weekend instead of regular competition rounds hence reducing the regular rounds from twenty five to twenty two. I would also have the Tri – Nations removed at the end of the year in replace of the traditional Kangaroo tour.

Players taking their careers to England.

For this segment of the article it real concerns for the NRL losing highly sort after players in the premier competition.
I don’t know what it is, is it cash reasons wanting to set themselves up for the future hence the reason of accepting the big pay packet to go the Super League, or is it the thinking of a new challenge for a player in a different competition.

Questions have been asked why players go there and no players come from the Super League to play in the premier competition. In my opinion one of the main reason that players don’t leave England is the could suffer home sickness (especially if you’re a young bloke) but we have to be fair here I believe it is the cash that players being offered to play there, and also the clubs able to obtain more foreigners to their respective clubs as their allowed to have up to five players from outside of England.

The Rugby League International Federation should take into the account what the county cricket in England do they only allow two internationals to play for each county so they continue to produce there talent to feed into the respective clubs and be future players for England.
So wrapping this up it would be best for everyone concerned to have it reduced that way it will save physical and mental strain of the player and there fore we would have fewer injuries to our star players.


744 Words including title
According to the forum 7s official word counter


Resources used
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,22096215-23214,00.html

 

[The Engineers Room]

deleted

 

[Vaealikis Girl]

The Eels take the field, a few players are still tieing their shoelaces in the sheds

4. Vaealikis Girl
5. MarkInTheStands
6. Natalie's Daddy
10. bartman
22. Prince Charles

Reserves:
7. eloquentEEL
11. Goleel
1. filthy_spammers

 

[The Engineers Room]

***Natalie's Daddy #6 for the Eels***

Supporting Your Club​

I love the Parramatta Eels. Although I may not be the kind of fan that attends every single game, watches junior rep matches and has inside contacts at the club; I am that level of fan one stage back. I am a season ticket holder that attends every home game and arrives in time to see all grades. My father and I have been going for years and always make it in time to watch all the grades play. There is something satisfying about watching players before they become stars. Some of the best moments in rugby league have not occurred watching the first grade or NRL games but rather in these so called lower grade games.

In 2005, I watched on as the mighty Eels won the Premier League crown and was heartbroken when they were beaten by St George in the Jersey Flegg grand final. But the next year, in 2006, was one of the most memorable seasons for me. Whilst the NRL team had the turmoil of losing a coach, I watched as Parramatta Premier League team was playing good footy and tearing teams apart. I watched good players being taken from this team only to be replaced with talented proxies. The 2006 season culminated in the grand final not the game between Brisbane and Melbourne that was merely an event after the fact for us. Parramatta did not play well that day but just as the Newtown Jets looked to finish our season, a young winger called John Williams came up with one of the most incredible tackles anyone has ever seen. He managed to stop the Newtown player from grounding the ball and bundle him in touch in goal. Parramatta went into extra time and finally after countless attempts, Parramatta’s hero for the day Marcus Perenara won the grand final with a field goal. We jumped up and screamed and yelled, “We won!”

Many years earlier, whilst watching a reserve grade match, I witnessed the greatest individual effort to score a try that I have ever seen. Parramatta trailed late in the match when Michael Ericson broke free on the right flank and streaked away. The cover defence caught him 2 metres short of the line with the crowd beginning to chant “10…9…” and after playing the ball he sprinted around behind his own team to get on the end of a backline move and score in the left hand corner. It was something I will never see again and most Parramatta fans would have missed it.

Fast forward to 2004, a Premier League side with players like Michael Witt, Chris Thorman, Jim Curtis and Jeremiah Pai, a first grade struggling and three incredible weeks of comebacks. After trailing by big margins at half time on three occasions the Parramatta Eels came back. On one occasion the win over Cronulla came about after the Eels trailed 24-0 in the first half and went on to win 34-30. Another game they were down 24-6 and were able to draw the game with Newtown 30 all. Both games were incredible to with a completely different team coming out after half time. It led us to joke that Coach Matt Cameron should use the half time talk before the game.

Whilst watching these games and being on the edge of my seat, it lead me wonder why other fans didn’t watch of even take an interest. Since then and to the present day, I can’t understand why so called fans turn up 10-20 minutes before first grade and miss what are some of the most entertaining games of football. Even the fans that do arrive early enough to see the game seem to pay no attention and carry on their inane conversations. On this website, a forum dedicated to these competitions is only rarely frequented and even then the majority seem to be fans of non NRL clubs like Newtown and the Bears.

Even looking at the situation from a value point of view, you are paying to see all the games, so why not get out there and watch some great football being played. Just remember that the stars of today all played in these games at one stage. So go on, get out there and watch: the cliff hangers, the try saving tackles, the freakish tries and the skill of these other stars of rugby league. At my team’s next home game I will be there at gates open, will you?

749 words

 

[lockyno1]

Lockyno1 runs on for the Cougars

BRING BACK THE SIN BINS

This will talk about an essential topic in rugby league at the moment- the sin bins. At the moment we have a situation whereby a referee is only able to send someone off for ten minutes if it is deemed a professional foul. This is a ridiculous situation as there are many instances throughout a match where you could send someone to the bin for five minutes instead.

The ten minute sin bin in my eyes is way too limited. The ability for a referee to ONLY send someone off for ruck infringements and for abuse is ridiculous to say the least. The current rules that do not allow teams to be punished for foul play is a blight on the game and it is getting to a point whereby teams are happy to commit deliberate foul play as there will be no penalty against them in reality.

With this said it is essential to look at the wider picture. Referees in general are often scared of making a wrong decision and a ten minute stint on the sideline would cost that side dearly. A five minute infringement is less likely to have a large affect on the score. This would increase the chance of referees punishing deliberate foul play, especially in the ruck area.

So with this understood what infringements should be sin bin offences? Well the first offence should be any person put on report by the referee should be sin binned for five minutes; this would act as a deterrent for deliberate foul play such as high tackles. This year we had David Peachey commit a high tackle as someone was about to score, and yet because of the current rules, the only penalty that he faced was to be put on report. That is hardly a punishment as it allows the defensive line to be re-set. In this situation there needs to be a alternative punishment for the referee, and a 5 minute sin bin would be perfect as it would punish the defender and would allow the attacking side to benefit at the same time.

Another sin bin offence has to be the ruck area. Too often we see teams just laying all over the play the ball area after a clean break. This is a disgrace on the game we love and it looks ugly. Too often refs are scared to put someone in the bin for ten minutes for this offence, but if the NRL gives refs a 5 minute sin bin option, we may see the ruck area a bit cleaner. This would increase the positive play by each side, as the cleaner the ruck is, the easier it is for backlines to function properly.

There are various advantages of the five minute sin bin, however the most obvious is in “big games” where most people realise the amount you can get away with in terms of high tackles, etc is higher than a regular club game. By re-introducing the five minute sin bin, there would be less foul play that individuals can do that will escape punishment. This will be excellent in the long run, as we all want many juniors playing rugby league, and the less foul play the better.

Another reason this sin bin should be re-introduced is to clean up State of Origin. Whilst it is important for Origin to retain its individuality, it is important to clean up some of the acts that happen during State of Origin. Too often we see high tackles go unpunished in State of Origin football and many young kids would deem that as “acceptable” behaviour which is not the image that league wants to convey.

Therefore, it can be said that the 5 minute sin bin is an essential component moving forward into the new Millenium. This would enable teams to be punished for foul play and would reward solid play from the attackers. This also would serve as a deterrent for serious ruck infringements which happen to be occurring more and more, with less penalties occurring. The re-introduction of the 5 minute sin bin should solve many of these current problems in today’s game.

699 words incl. title

 

[griffo346]

Steel Dragon has done a groin injury at last minute training and is not playing.
Substitute in: griffette346

 

[MarkInTheStands]

MITS takes his 2nd #5 Jersey, and runs on with,

Pain,
Pain is a wonderful sensation. It is the bodies self defense system. Pain tells you when something is wrong. It is a prelude to something going wrong. Pain was evident a few mondays ago at Parramatta Stadium in more than one place.

Firstly there was the pain on the field. People like Luke Burt, and Daniel Wagon, both strong and in form for our side we both off the field for a long time after injuries to Knee and Rib. But these players are professionals and should be able to win regardless of the pain.

Pain in the faces of the fans. Disgusted with their teams performance on a cold and windy night, as the fans showed their true colours leaving the ground ten minutes after the half time break. Others stayed true and watched the performance, some through grimaces and bowed heads as the woeful performance continued to take its ungodly shape. The comments, these are professional players and should be able to win.

Pain on the faces of those that lost the game. The Players and the Coaching staff were embarrassed with what had happened. They had put in a “Quicksand” performance. Where they started slowly and then after the so called “wake up call” of the Knights first try, they tried to get things back but the more they tried, the more things slipped away from them, eventually drowning in the quicksand, what every pulled that corpse out of the Quicksand pit to score two late tries was some would say purely instinct.

Pain is having to listen to the commentators through your sports ears tell you 12 minutes into the game that a 12 point lead is massive in these conditions, then 18 then 22. Repeatedly lining up to put the boot into the side during their commentary. Pain is having to listen to their hate and disdain for your club, as you club puts on a Quicksand performance.

Pain would have been seeing the Knights plastered on the back page of the News Paper tuesday, with some witty headline relating to the nonexistent coaches battle between Hagan and Smith. Luckily Coach Chris Andersen has spared us that pain for the most part.

But do you know what real pain is. What really hurts? The Monday morning halfbacks telling us which players are crap. Such and such a player has bad handling, drop him. Such and Such a player has no heart, drop him. The Team played with no heart and so on and so forth.

These people have done what to help the club get over the line? Have they been there at training, have they been to every session spoken with the player on numerous occasions? Have they tried as a coach to help the player develop? Do they think that what they say in some far flung corner of cyberspace means a good god dam? I would be sorry to inform them that it doesn’t.

This pain is applied to me from fellow Parramatta “Fans” on the Front Row and other forums. They seem to think that Parramatta as a club is the greatest club ever and should win every game comfortably, and if they don’t then they have the answer as to why and how it could be fixed. Their outbursts come from pain, pain that they have had their pride dented or will have their pride dented next time they go to work or school or a social gathering and talk football. Their pain is that 2 minutes of someone saying gees Parramatta had a bad game. Or maybe it is that day leading up to that, and the Anticipation of the small jibe. But their pain is nothing compared to those that have suffered great injustices in life. Those that have been tortured or abused in any why in life, those that have lost love ones to war and tyranny. Those that have lost love ones to disease. These people do not fear this, as a society we are for the most part caring and compassionate to these sorts of losses and yet we play with those that have lost a football game, why because those that have lost a football game are over reacting. It is for the most part a football game. It is entertainment, something to entertain you. Sure it might be a loss. It might be a spectacular loss, but it is entertainment. So to those who take losses too hard. Get a GRIP.

749 Words

 

[bartman]

Bartman makes an earlier appearance than last game for the Eels... cheers to Griffo for the sportsmanship.

- - - - -

Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard

When I was at school twenty-five years ago in western Sydney, rugby league was the undisputed number one winter sport for boys. Girls mostly played netball, but all seemed to still carry an interest in rugby league, its players and the success of the local team.

Nothing else came close – a few kids played soccer, but then had no real soccer team to got out and cheer for. Some guys had heard of rugby union, but our school didn’t play it and so you couldn’t really get enthusiastic about it. Some funny game where the ball bounced around a lot and the players wore tight shorts had just started its first team outside of Victoria, but no-one yet understood or cared.

How times have changed...

With our parents’ stories about rugby league’s rich history and their continued interest in the game, it seemed like things must have been this way forever! Saturday afternoons were spent waiting for the live coverage of the dedicated Saturday match on ABC television, and then you had a whole day to get ready for the rest of the games, all on Sunday and all played at the same time!

Sunday’s newspaper sport sections were overflowing with league news, predictions, and humourous columns. Getting ready that morning to go and see your team play – home or away – never seemed too much of a journey. You could even take a radio along and try and listen to another game being broadcast while watching your match – there were four radio stations all calling the Sunday action.

How times have changed...

Sunday nights were often spent at home trying to calculate the new competition table, once you had discovered that day’s results. On Monday morning the game was the first thing talked about when you saw your friends in the school playground. And Monday’s newspaper would be chocked full of rugby league news, through the back pages and in the special centre lift-out. Any other sport was relegated to a few token paragraphs further inside, somewhere near the lottery results and classifieds.

On school ovals across the region for the rest of week , the best moves from the weekend game were practiced and replayed - a cut out pass here, a run-a-round there, side steps everywhere. At recess and lunchtime the talk in the playground kept coming back to what position our team was on the competition table, and about next week’s game and how our team might go.

How times have changed...

Fast forward 25 years and the playgrounds of western Sydney today are most likely to be a very different place, with rugby league having less of a hold of people’s attention.

As far as sport is concerned, the Sydney market is now flooded and finds itself as home to an established and aggressively marketed AFL team, an established and aggressively marketed (albeit under-performing) Super 14 rugby union team, and a soccer team in the recently created national league of the world’s most popular sport – with Jimmy Barnes and the fans singing their club song.

As far as television, radio and newspaper coverage, rugby league now has to compete more than ever before with other sports – despite one media organization having a 50% controlling stake in the game! As the costs of running professional sport and paying players have increased, so has the need for the game to raise the maximum income possible. Exclusive broadcast deals have seen matches scheduled to suit TV schedules rather than fans wishes, and have seen a reduction in radio stations giving coverage to the weekend games. Our game is harder to come by for any newer and young fans - the fans that will be the game’s future.

So how can we change the times back?

The primary school I went to was the same one that Brett Kenny had attended ten years earlier. Even then before the advent of full-time professionalism players like Brett Kenny would still find the time to come to the school and visit, run some drills, give out some footballs. As kids we lapped up these visits from guys that would go on to be our weekend heroes.

Get today’s well paid professionals back down to the schoolyards like this, and you might find that Julio and his mates in the game’s heartlands will again start to choose rugby league over or alongside their AFL, union, soccer, playstations, and myspace...

- - - - -

746 words between the lines

 

[Sanchez]

Sanchez bursts on to an unexpected short ball from griffo for the cougars

------
Representing The Non-Represented

There are always players who go through their careers never quite being good enough to play representative football, yet could play for any rep team with honour and skill. I am writing this to highlight the immense depth the NRL have and the fact that selectors need not stick with the status quo but could choose the form team at any particular moment. I shall pick a team I feel would be next in line a for a rep jersey.
For the purpose of this exercise, a representative player includes anyone who has played:
International Matches
State Of Origin
City/Country

Note: All stats quoted are from Big League; Round 19

Fullback
There are many choices for the fullback position. The one that immediately springs to my mind is Wade McKinnon who has been playing extremely well for the NZ Warriors this season. With a mix of speed and strength his support play based style has garnered 15 line breaks. Contesting for this position would be McKinnon’s former Parramatta Eels teammate, Luke Burt and Dave Simmons from the Cronulla Sharks.

Winger
There are many choices for the wing position. Michael Robertson has been in try scoring fever for the Manly Sea Eagles and would finish off a large percentage of his opportunities. Many young wingers are in contention for spots. They include; Steve Michaels who has played every game this season for the Brisbane Broncos, rookie of the year candidate Israel Folau of the Melbourne Storm, Scottish born James McManus of the Newcastle Knights and currently injured Brett Morris of the St George Illawara Dragons would all be contesting wing positions. Wests Tigers sensations; the destructive Taniela Tuiaki and Chris Lawrence are also highly rated. My choices would be Lawrence and Michaels

Center
I have chosen two centers that I consider to be underrated. Ben Smith of the Eels has size, strength and speed and would easily cope with rep footy. My other choice would be Brett Delaney of the Gold Coast Titans. He is a good defensive player who is consistent in attack. Darryl Millard of the Canterbury Bulldogs and Michael Jennings of the Penrith Panthers

Halfback/Standoff
There are many young halves running around at the moment. Canberra Raider Todd Carney, Dragon Jamie Soward, Titan Josh Lewis, Warrior Grant Rovelli, Storms Cooper Cronk and Eel Tim Smith would all be contesting these positions. Based on experience Cronk and Smith would be chosen. Based on youth former Sydney Roosters Lewis and Soward would be chosen. I think the best combination would be Cronk at halfback and Carney at standoff. Cronk has experience leading around representative players, both backs and forwards and Carney has shown being a marquee player at a Raiders team bereft of high profile talent he can lead by example. I feel these two would meld together well

Props
There are a large amount of props to choose from. Warrior Evarn Tuimavave is always been full of impact off the bench. North Queensland Cowboy Shane Tronc has come close to Queensland SOO selection. Bronco Ben Hannant is always improving thanks to the tutelage of Shane Webcke and Petero Civoniceva. One of the best props this season has been Tiger Todd Payten. Youngsters Luke Douglas of the Sharks and Dane Tilse of the Raiders have also shown signs of being very good players.
I would choose Payten because of his ball playing and leadership ability and Hannant for being consistent. Tuimavave would make the interchange bench for his impact and Tronc deserves a spot based also on his consistency

Hooker
The obvious option here is Sea Eagle Michael Monaghan. Has proven all season how important he is to his teams 2nd placing on the table. The closest challenger to Monaghan would be Cowboy Aaron Payne, who if wasn’t playing at the same time as Cameron Smith, would be the starting Queensland hooker
2nd Row/Lock
There is plenty of depth in these positions. Inspirational Raiders captain seems an obvious choice for lock and captain of this team. His fitness and high pain threshold would inspire this team every time. He also always high in the tackle counts. Yet more young players, Eel Feleti Mateo and Knight Cory Patterson have already shown this year that they are players of the future, with their off loading ability. Finally Steve Southern would offer steady experienced option off the bench.

Team:
McKinnon
Micheals
Smith
Delaney
Lawrence
Carney
Cronk
Payten
Monaghan
Hannant
Mateo
Patterson
Tongue©
Tuimavave
Tronc
Southern
Payne
-----
746 words between the lines

 

[griffette346]

griffette takes on a sip of the magic water and runs on off the bench for her debut

English Super League V National Rugby League

With this article I will discuss the benefits of each competition and just why I think which one is better then the other. In my opinion each country has a different side of the game all be it the same sport.

English Super League

The English Super League has the reputation of being a retiring competition, players that go there when there time is up in the National Rugby League.

But I seriously think that’s not the right way to think about it but they do have a fair few Australians, New Zealanders and Pacific Islanders go there on what they call a international player system, all be it that each team in the Super League are allowed to have at least five international players on their player roster.

The Super League is also different besides the big money the top players can earn over in England.

In my opinion the Super League would be better off if they reduced the amount of foreign players that come to the clubs, also the Super League would be benefited by following what the South Sydney Rabbitohs have done with the Leeds Rhinos by agreeing to a player transfer and the two clubs to have joint training camps then following this is a pre season game against each other in Florida in the United States.

The development of Super League players is that similar of their counter parts the NRL where they have competitions under 18s, under 21s and under 23s. However the Super League doesn’t name there competitions Harold Matthews or S.G Ball they still have the relevant age limit for each grade.

As with the NRL these grades feed into the Super League clubs where players dreaming of playing the top grade can gain development contracts while at school and be signed at a early age to start there career.


National Rugby League

The National Rugby League is the most superior competition as it has more teams, more rounds then the Super League.

The junior talent pool with in the NRL is set to be much more significant then their counter part the Super League in the way of more funding been put into the NRL.

In this section I will talk about how the NRL develop their players to one day become super stars of the modern game. The plan from the NRL is to make our juniors stars and not to loose them overseas or rugby union, like the soccer does when they loose the stars to the premier league in England.

The plan is:

To introduce a national under 20s competition it will be known as the Toyota Cup. The cup will be used as a development competition with sixteen teams each team will field players from the ages of seventeen and nineteen.

The competition will be mimic the structure of that of the National Rugby League where each game will lead into the first grade games on the respective game day, allowing the supporters being able to see the up and coming players and future stars of the NRL.

NRL CEO David Gallop has also said that the competition will use a salary cap and that there will be a heavy focus on life outside of football for the player.

With the introduction of this new competition will there be complications also would it affect the current structure of the way the games are scheduled on game day, the answer is yes with the junior competitions getting a face life and restructured to suit this new competition, the junior games that will be affected is the Harold Matthews (under 16s) and S.G Ball games (under 18s) to include the respective NRL clubs to field a team in the respective age groups.

In a boast for this new competition there has been talks that the pay TV provider foxtel to secure rights to show 2 of these games a week, In my opinion I reckon this would be a great idea to show the up and coming juniors on TV especially for those fans of their clubs that can’t attend all games to see this talent.

In wrapping this article up in my firm opinion although biased I believe the NRL is the superior game out of the two competitions.

719 Words including title
According to the F7s word counter

References used

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Cup_(rugby_league) – National 20s Comp
http://www.barla.org.uk/Home.asp - British Development

 

[Vaealikis Girl]

A late change for the Eels. #7 eloquentEEL in for #22 Prince Charles

 

[eloquentEEL]

eloquentEEL runs in off the bench for the Eels
___________

IXNAY ON THE IFFBAY

Forget the ARU. Forget the ESL. The NRL’s biggest threat is an unwitting inside job! What makes it even more ironic is that it’s being caused by the push to curb conflict, yet the final result could be the most violent ending of all… murder!!

So how can I make such bold statements? What’s the connection here?

Rugby league is built on conflict and rivalry, yet recent history has shown that the NRL is doing everything in their power to cut out any conflict… aka “bringing the game into disrepute”. The judiciary is encouraged to hand out ridiculous suspensions for a player’s hand gently brushing the head of an opponent (eg. Fuifui Moimoi on Berrick Barnes) or swearing at an official in the heat of the moment (eg. Andrew Johns); large fines are incurred at the first hint of coaches speaking out against referees (eg. Neil Henry); and the NRL steps in to play big brother if there are any major contractual disputes (eg. Steve Turner).

A bit of a brawl on a footy field? Well we certainly can’t have that. I know… let’s penalise the 3rd man in. Oh please, spare me. Footy fans enjoy a bit of a dust up (there’s a good reason that Arthur Beetson’s “state against state, mate against mate” punch is one of the most cherished moments in rugby league folklore). And if we enjoy a single punch, then we absolutely *love* an all-in brawl. A large part of the basis for league is mateship and courage. We need to see our heroes sticking up for each other in the trenches. It helps kindle that fire of tribalism in the crowd. It has a positive effect on team mates too, bringing them closer together and eventually resulting in greater trust and loyalty; and therefore, better footy.

It would be a tragedy for footy fans to lose their distaste for the opposition, yet that’s the way we’re headed. We *need* a villain to boo when they run out. We need a target to heckle every time they touch the ball. How can a footy fan be satisfied if they can’t identify a public enemy #1? And how can there be a villain if there is no conflict?

For fear of the judiciary, intimidating defences are now on the path to extinction (eg. Adrian Morley). Instead of hitting hard, they prefer going into tackles in numbers; grappling and holding down, twisting and turning in order to slow down the ruck. Footy fans *need* fast, exciting play. Attention spans are only getting shorter, so a lot more excitement is required to grab and hold onto that attention. The game seems to be slowing down far too much. The solution is simple: take a good dose of ‘harden the f*** up’. The NRL could do a lot worse than borrowing a saying from 3-on-3 basketball (incidentally, a ‘non-contact’ sport)… “no blood, no foul”. Certainly make players responsible for any injuries they cause, but apart from that, let them go hard and reward them for doing so. Personally (and this links in well with the previous point) I’d prefer that they schedule sessions to practice boxing instead of Greco-Roman wrestling. I have a sneaking suspicion the players would prefer that too.

Apart from the written rules aimed at stamping out conflict, there also seem to be unwritten rules (eg. the senior NSW player having to remain nameless when speaking out about coach Graham Murray). It would be better if these unwritten rules were the other way around. For example, it would be great if players could declare an unspoken war aimed at punishing divers (generally agreed to be a true blight on the game) by targeting them with aggression. Conveniently, this could be facilitated by the introduction of my previous suggestion.

Thankfully, there is still a glimmer of hope with some avenues of conflict still open to us league lovers. When I think about some of the more exciting rugby league related incidents in the last few weeks, they’ve revolved around conflict. Thankfully, coaches (Steve Folkes) and players (Craig Gower) can still speak their mind when having a go at the media (Danny Weidler). Thankfully, coaches can still have a public verbal (Jason Taylor and Michael Hagan). Now all we need to do is encourage more conflict between players on and off the field.

Reg Reagan, for your long-standing stance on “Bring Back The Biff”, I salute you!

CATTLE DOG!!!


___________
745 words

 

[Vaealikis Girl]

#4 Vaealikis Girl for the Eels (took a long time to get those shoelaces tied)

Rugby League…… An enjoyable day out or a test of endurance?

​

Rugby league has always been a sport of competitiveness and rivalries but when did friendly banter become drunken abuse? So footy fans have always enjoyed a beer and a bit of a laugh at enemy supporters but when did it turn from this to having to fear walking alone to the bathroom? Has the fun been taken out of enjoying a hot dog and a beer on a warm sunny day at the footy? Crowd figures continue to drop, has the game become less entertaining or is it just more appealing to watch it from the comfort of your own home, with better views and away from flying fists and bratty kids?

It feels as though the occasional idiot that you might encounter every so often has become a regularly occurring event. That one person who screamed in your face seems to be everywhere you turn. Remember that one game you went to where the guy behind you was so drunk he tipped his entire beer down the back of your seat? Now you find yourself attending games wearing a swimsuit because it is no longer a one off. How about when you took your young child down to the fence to shake hands with the mascot? Your kids would be lucky to catch a glimpse of the mascots on the sidelines these days, let alone get close enough to touch them. Though, who can blame the mascots, I doubt anyone would continue to ask for the punishment of being hit, spat on, and have bottles thrown at them.

Are others experiencing these same difficulties while attending the footy or do I just attract trouble? Maybe as I get older I’m just starting to notice things more, maybe I need to lighten up but the more I attend matches, the more my mind is taken back to my younger years. When I finally got to go to my first match at eight years old I was stunned when I was allowed to wander freely with my friends. “Just stay inside the stadium, you’ll be right” my father told us. Recently while at a game with my brother his words to my nephew were very different, “don’t go anywhere, there’s too many people around”. During my teenage years the most popular thing to do on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon was to go to the footy as soon as the gates opened and sit around on the hill in the sun watching all the grades. I don’t know about anyone else but I find it slightly painful sitting on those seats for four or five hours.

That was back when $15 got you entry and food and drink. Did anyone ever think they would be paying the $40 or more that some stadiums are charging now? How about $5 for a bottle of Coke? It continuously becomes harder for families to go to the football. It might not even be so bad paying so much for a ticket to actually see the game, though that’s also becoming harder. One would assume that buying a ticket in the front row would mean no one would be in front of you blocking your view, not the case. It appears that even people sitting in the second row feel the need to stand at the fence the entire game. You’ve got one woman, who seems to be suffering from the effects of a lot more than alcohol, waving her flag even when the opposition scores, making sure to flick it in your face every single time. Then there’s the guy who goes to the bathroom more than my grandfather and just has to stop right in front of you every time. While all this is going on you sway side to side, gritting your teeth, attempting to get a glimpse of what you’re actually there to see. Occasionally you might see a flash of a jersey flying past, or maybe even the ball if you’re lucky.

So when we’re getting ready to go and support our team in this week’s match should we chuck on our jersey and scarf or should we instead opt for shoulder pads and a mouthguard? Is it really an enjoyable day out or simply a test of endurance? Is it us, the supporters, who should be receiving the trophy at the end of the season?


737 words

 

[griffo346]

IanG has the flu and couldnt train all week and is not playing.
Substitute in: t-ba

 

[griffo346]

Posting by proxie for t-ba as he wassnt able to come on

t-ba comes on as a sub replacing the flu ridden IanG and it is also his debut


THE RUGBY LEAGUE PANTOMIME

Unless you have been on a trek trying to discover lost Incan gold deep in the Peruvian mountains for the last month, you would have noticed the explosion of acrimonious events that have occurred in Rugby League lately. It’s hardly a rare thing for Rugby League to attract controversy, but it seems for the first time since John Hopoate graced the football field that much of the hullabaloo is on events actually occurring on the football field! More of it I say! Rugby League is a sport that thrives on controversy and the more the game focuses on on-field antics, the better! It’s always great to have a player whose on-field persona is almost universally reviled, and no one has stepped into the shoes of the great Hoppa.

Into the Digital Age

For those who do not remember, or have suppressed the memory of quite possibly the dumbest man to grace the premiership in its one hundred season history, John Hopoate was the classic pantomime villain of Rugby League. Whenever the Rugby League World needed a villain, Hoppa would come, entering from stage left Hoppa would jump into the spotlight. Replete with cape, monocle, top hat and evil looking moustache he would do something stupid, with an obliging crowd booing, hissing and throwing rotten fruit at him.

Hoppa was the Sadistic witch, the Evil Uncle and Wicked Stepmother all rolled into one, a larger than life character whose antics seemed so preposterous you could scarcely believe that one human could do so many dumb things in a lifetime. Ultimately, he paid for his crimes with his career, but despite his particularly heinous behaviour in 2001, rarely generated any truly damaging headlines.

People might think that frothing loonies do not have a place in Rugby League. I’m of the opinion that it is the exact opposite. I’d rather the characteristic outbursts of stupidity that seem to plague certain players be kept on the field. Who do you think did less damage to the game-Julian O’Neill or John Hopoate? In my opinion, we should embrace these characters. Punish them accordingly of course, but value them for the contributions they make to the rich tapestry of Rugby League history.

The New Villain?

Now that he has been gone for over two years, who will take the Place of John Hopoate? Steve Matai, the heir apparent to Hoppa’s title, was charged for head butting Wests Tigers Chris Heininghton, and went to the judiciary to defend what most commentators in the game argued was an indefensible charge. 45 minutes later, the games Ersatz Hoppa emerged, victorious against the weight of public opinion. The Crowd, in this case much of the RL community, generally wailed and gnashed their teeth at this grave injustice. What people seem to forget is that the Ugly Stepsisters and the Wicked Fairy, despite early victories in their respective stories, eventually get theirs. If Steve Matai is indeed the bad man in the dashing cape, by the end of the story justice will be done and everyone will live happily ever after.

Another recent incident was Jarryd Haynes ‘dive’ against the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium. Wayne Bennett’s uncharacteristic outburst at Haynes momentum killing bout of ‘concussion’ was certainly a hot topic of discussion, in particular in an environment where the Rugby League public has become increasingly vocal about the infiltration of ‘diving’ into the modern game. Paul Gallen certainly fulfilled the role of the pantomime villain against St George-Illawarra a number of weeks ago, earning his team a penalty and then winking at the opposition. Whether or not Hayne actually committed a ‘dive’ on the weekend is still a matter of conjecture, and will likely remain so, but it is still generating a lively debate. Now I’m not sure how this one goes, whether or not Jarryd Hayne is Sleeping beauty and Sam Thaiday is an Ugly Stepsister, but it sure grabbed people’s attention, and it wasn’t about this Bulldogs player mucking up here or this dragons player driving without a license there!

A villain of pantomime proportions is a time honoured tradition in Rugby League. In an age were so much of the game seems to be geared towards what our stars are doing in their spare time, I personally find it highly refreshing that we’ve still got a supply of ‘super villains’ running riot within the specified dimensions of the football field on game day, rather than just restricting their antics to off field indiscretions.


Word Count: 749

 

[Willow]

 

[griffo346]

good luck eels its good too see we have a 5v5 game

go you cougars

 

[antonius]

Eels

Natalie’s Daddy.
Supporting Your Club.
745 Words.
I liked this piece. You’re on my page with your thoughts on the “lower” grade games; I wouldn’t miss them for all the reasons you mention in your article.
Score 88

MarkInTheStands
Pain
749 Words
What it means to lose a game. Reading this suggests to me that the writer rushed it, some basic spelling errors, and minor grammatical errors spoilt it.
Score 83

Bartman
Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard
746 Words
Nice read, brought back a few nostalgic memories.
Score 86

eloquentEEL
IXNAY ON THE IFFBAY
745 Words
I’m with you, nothing wrong with a bit of biff in the game.
Score 87

Vaealikis Girl
Rugby League……An enjoyable day out or a test of endurance?
737 Words
Is a day at the footy the same anymore? I agree with your comment re the hill. I definitely can’t sit on those seats for 5 hours.
Score 86

Cougars

griffo346
The National Rugby League Player Drain.
751 Words
I think I spoke about this in your last game. The ideas you have for your articles are good, but poor spelling and grammar are killing your pieces. I can’t give you a decent score when the reading is so difficult. You could use the spell check in Word and that will check both for you. Or as suggested before get a teammate to read it through before posting.
Score 65 minus 2 points for word count error. 63

Lockyno1
BRING BACK THE SIN BINS
Should the 5 min sin bin be introduced? The writer puts forward some reasons as to why he thinks it would be a good move.
Score 83

Sanchez
Representing The Non-Represented.
746 Words
A subject that has been done many times in the 7’s competition. The writer puts together a team of players that would hold their own in the representative arena
Score85

t-ba
THE RUGBY LEAGUE PANTOMIME
749 Words
We really have had some clowns in the game haven’t we? Well written, and good reading.
Score 88

Griffette346
English Super League v National Rugby League
719 Words
Good subject, but like your partner Griffo it suffers from poor spelling and grammar. You guys really need to spend a little bit of time using the MS Word spell check, and reading over the piece before posting. A good idea as I’ve said to Griffo is to get your teammates to read it through for you.
Score 70

Result Eels 430 defeated Cougars 389
Players of the game t-ba, and Natilie’s Daddy.

As mentioned in the game comments some of the players need to concentrate on their spelling and grammar, getting that wrong can really affect your score badly. I have to mention also the really good sportsmanship shown by Cougars captain Griffo346, without going into details he really did show that winning the game isn’t above sportsmanship, congratulations Griffo big pat on the back. Stick with it, you guys will only improve.
:thumb