Round 8 (2009) Eels v Dragons

[Pistol]

Forum 7s - Round 8 2009
PARRAMATTA EELS V ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS

-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: Wednesday 12th August 2009 at 9pm (Syd time)
REFEREE: Gorilla
Venue: Parramatta Stadium

**The Referee Blows Game On!**

 

[bartman]

The Parramatta F7s Eels trundle out onto their home turf for the final time in 2009... primed for a big finishing run to this F7s season.

Parramatta Power
MarkInTheStands (c)
Someone
fanaticeel
phantom eel
- - - - -
Hallatia [CNTDN]
natheel
bartman (c)

 

[Dragon_psa]

The Dragons emerge from the tunnel and onto the turf with a steely determination to spring a massive upset.

3. Dragon_psa (c)
39. Dubopov (vc)
13. Big Pat
24. Hornbyslilhottie24
7. Baldwin

Reserves:

00. The Preacher
5. Jason Maher

Bring it on!

 

[Parramatta_Power]

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

Don’t speak ill of the Hill​

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I was searching through an old forum I used to post on called the Kennel a couple weeks back and I stumbled upon an interesting thread that caught my attention. Now apart from the usual threads praising Andrew Ryan’s worthy effort in the ranks of the Dogs, a thread entitled: “Getting rid of the Unwanted”… sound’s interesting doesn’t it.




Scrolling through the many points this particular member made including an amazing statement: “the Storm are dead weight, suck off News Ltd Profits and must be axed”, now you must be thinking this guy’s frontal lobe must have taken a serious whack. Anyways, I finally found the post which forms the basis of the issue I am currently discussing:




“The Hills are a commercial drag on our beautiful game. They are not appealing for future sponsors and provide little for the modern-day fan. It’s time we pave over this UNWANTED piece of history and build anew starting with some proper seating to enhance the spectator’s enjoyment”




When my eyes touched this very unthoughtful and harsh comment on something which has been associated with our game since the famous Dally Messenger who single-handedly lead a revolution of League in the Harbor City, it really got me. Suddenly, I was hit with anger and replied vigorously but why did I bother doing so? Why did I get so riled up? Here is detailed breakdown of what I posted back.​

A)It houses a great family atmosphere.

You may argue this statement but my personal and factual opinion is that on the Sunday Afternoon or the Saturday Night at Campbelltown Stadium or CUA, it is the parents and the kids who occupy the green terraces. When I went all the way to Penrith with some of my mates(Yes, I have friends!!!) to witness a great clash and a Battle of West between the Eels and the Panthers, I chose to sit on the Grass because A)The Western and Eastern Terraces were already sold out B)Didn’t want to fork out $25 just to sit all the way at the top C)I could maneuver myself through the terrace if I want a better seat when otherwise in general Seating, I would be restricted to a particular place in the stands and most importantly D)You really get a great sense of how unifying our game is: people of all ages from the Small to the Big, from the Young to the Old and from the timid of fans to those high on the sport we call the greatest cheering an barracking for their beloved team. It gives you a great feeling to be apart of it.​

B) It costs much cheaper to maintain

You may not notice this but many of the costs to maintain the stadium extend from the actual maintenance constantly needed for seating to ensure the safety of the customer. When you have an entire terrace occupied by the traditional green, the only thing that needs to be maintained is a weekly or monthly trim and that’s it. Stands need constant management due to the fear of unseen cracks or damage that a stand may suffer. Stand Maintenance excluding Electricity and Gas will usually equate between 25% to 30% of annual bills for a stadium consortium. This is a major cost component for teams renting the ground such as the Eels who recently had to pay an increase in their yearly stadium rent to the Parramatta Stadium Trust. So in the end, it is clear that there may well be an incentive for stadium owners to maintain the hill.​

C) Stadium capacity is increased with hills

The Hills contribute greatly to a stadium being able to hold an increased number of spectators than one which is completely an all-seater. My prime example: The Sydney Cricket Ground. In the 1966 Grand Final, the Saints beat the Rabbits in a memorable Grand Final finishing up 12-8 at the final whistle. Had it not been for the hills, a Australian Rugby League record crowd of 78,065 would not have been possible. Now without the Grassy Standing Area that once occupied 40% of the Ground gone the maximum capacity is a mere 46,000. 78,000 at a ground always beats a crowd of 40k, any-day. Whatever the stadium, it’s also more profitable too. However, I guess one could argue safety is a prime issue but without management, a disaster such the unfortunate events of Hillsborough in Sheffield, England can easily be avoided.

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745 Words (excluding the Title)​

 

[MarkInTheStands]

MITS returns to the follow after a lay-off after surgery.

The fickle nature of Eels fans

For Eels fans it has been a long eight months. Eels fans have been at part of a decision making process that has formed some new relationships and strengthened some others, while some relationships have been harmed - possibly irrevocably.

The fact that the current CEO of the club (who was supported by the existing Board) could not guarantee the financial future of the club was a massive driver in most Eels fans' minds that change was required. Eric Grothe's candidacy for the Football Club Board sparked what a large number of fans saw as the possibility for change, and they flocked to it.

Over the campaigning months that followed a great deal of negativity about the Parramatta club was publicly aired, and promises were heard from both sides in regards to fixing perceived problems that the club faced. The victorious Directors from the 3P ticket have since done two things that are of note: the removal of long-term CEO Denis Fitzgerald, and the appointment of a new Football Club CEO Paul Osborne.

The full effect of the election results will only truly be known in the months to come through the actions that Paul Osborne and the new Board take. Osborne has promised a great deal, from welcoming the club legends back; to the possibility of changing the jersey or the logo to those the club carried in its 1980s glory days.

But what interests me more is the fickle nature of Parramatta fans and their powerful lethargy. Whenever a problem has been presented to the fans over the last two months since the election win, their first reaction is that “the new Board will fix it”. The attitude of “I have elected a Board and now the Board can do everything without my help” seems to permeate Eel’s fans actions in both the past and present.

One of incoming CEO Osborne’s main goals is to increase club "Membership” in the greater NRL sense, which translates to getting more Blue and Gold army members or Season Ticket Holders. The biggest problem here is once again the fickle nature of Parramatta fans.

Following on from the successful 2007 season, the Membership Office reported that in 2008 there were about 4500 members, a rise of 10% on the 2007 number. The club also experienced an accompanying surge in Blue and Gold army members with about 1500 joining. It was noted that a fair percentage of those in the Blue and Gold Army were also Season Ticket Holders so there is some double-up in those numbers, but even if we take 1/3rd of the Blue and Gold Army as also being STHs you still had over 5,500 members of the club, compared to this year’s pitiful number of members (3,500).

I know some members only rejoined after the club secured a new coach in Daniel Anderson, with hopes of an improved season to come. The club also re-introduced the RegionEELS and Sparky's JuniorEELs this year to help expand the membership base. But once again we have suffered a drop of over 2,000 members - people who felt that after the 2008 season they would not spend their hard-earned cash and commit to the Eels.

To put a dollar figure on that drop, the top membership at Parramatta costs $285 and the lowest $98, so the average cost of a membership is about $150. If these numbers are accurate that is a possible drop of over $300,000 that our now "struggling” leagues club or a sponsor has to pay for, or indeed that our football office has to "do without”.

This culture of fan lethargy has been inspired by years of living off the profits and investments of the Leagues Club. Even with the football operations making massive losses over the late 80's and early 90's the side still played, backed by the Leagues Club and its income. Indeed even in our recent good years, the Leagues Club has continued to kick in a large sum of money and the fans have not needed to do anything but occasionally support the Eels in 5 year old jerseys while watching Fox Sports.

If the club can now yoke the support of those so engaged during the elections, the Eels will be in good stead. But if the attitude of "let the Board handle it" continues, the fans will continue to isolate themselves from their club... and all that will have changed is the faces on the wall at O'Connell Street.

750 Words

 

[hornbyslilhottie24]

A Man’s Game? ​

Rugby League. What comes to mind when you hear these words? Well for many “blokes” would be the first thing. Sure, Rugby League is mainly played by men, watched by men and ran by men. But what about the women? Next time you go to a game or watch one on the telly, look around. Survey the crowd. And you will be amazed at how many ‘chicks’ you’ll see.

As a woman of the 21st century, all of the so-called ‘changes’ happening in society to do with women’s roles and all that, is natural to me. Sure, I’ve heard about the feminist movement and the like, but women being equal to men is a natural part of my life, and the lives of those around my age. As such, the seemingly ‘male’ game of Rugby League in Australia does not seem so ‘manly’ to me, so much that I consider my footy team to be the most important thing in my life, so much that I won’t marry a man unless he goes for the Dragons. And I know there are many females out there who agree with me.

But why you might ask? Well the short-shorts factor is defiantly one of the reasons, as are the good-lookers who run around in these short shorts, for all of us to enjoy. Attending the matches live, you may hear the occasional outcry of a woman, expressing her love, or desire for one of the players on the field. This is only natural, I mean, look at some of the players. But it is way more than that, at least for me anyway.

I have been going to the footy since I was eleven and over the years my brother and I have followed in our Dad’s passion for the Mighty Dragons. Sure, I can admit that lots of the players are ‘hot’ and enjoyable to watch, but it’s deeper than that. Footy gives me a passion for something in life – it’s not just a hobby, but something that consumes every aspect of my life – family, friends, and entertainment, just to name a few. As I mentioned before, the footy is the number one thing in my life. I love nothing more than heading out to Kogarah, Wollongong or indeed exploring other grounds and witnessing my footy team play (and hopefully winning), with my Dad and brother.

After doing a major assignment on women and their role in Rugby League in Australia, I came to a realisation that even though we have come far, there is still a long way to go. There is still a great deal of sexism within supporter bases of NRL teams, but I guess that is normal. Being a part of the ‘Dragon Army’, being a female and being young, I know that I have and will continue to receive ‘special’ attention from some fellow Army members. But I just take it all in my stride, because in the end we all share the same passion for our Saints!!!

Overall, I love going to the footy. I have my own banner which I take when I sit with the Dragon Army; I enjoy having a beer at the game with the boys and cheering our team to victory. From my association with the Dragon Army, and my love for the footy, I have made numerous friendships with a bunch of great guys and girls, and this is all part of our love for the footy. And the shared passion I have with my Dad sets him apart as my best mate, to so much extent, that most of my other mates are jealous of the relationship we share.

I can admit that I do love to have a good perve whilst watching the footy, which I know for a fact some of the boys do too. What I am getting at, is that next time you see a bunch of chicks, having a beer and cheering on their respective teams, think twice. In terms of passion for the footy, they are just the same as you blokes.

683 words, including title

 

[big pat]

[FONT=&quot]IT’S HARD TO SAY ‘GOOD’ BYE

[/FONT]​

Like all Dragons supporters, I like to talk about my team. I may not make it to every game, but I am one of the biggest supporters of the men in the red and white. Every week involves me spending half the day on the computer, reading about my favourite club, and putting forward my opinion. The closer we get to the weekend; the members of League Unlimited get a few words from the supporters of other clubs. On game day, the banter reaches its climax, and when the full-time siren has blown, cheers can be heard by one side, and a fair few profanities are dropped by the other. However, after a few days, peace is restored and congratulations are in order. Although, this doesn’t happen every week.

There is always that week, where time seems to stop. The week that makes you feel like you are the only St George-Illawarra supporter in the world. The week that goes very slowly – known as the bye week. During this week, you have nothing to talk about. There are no news stories about your club, because they have the week off, and there is no friendly banter from rival clubs. You are all alone with nothing to do at work.

Since South Sydney re-entered the competition, and there were 15 teams, one team had to sit out each week. Even though now there are 16, the bye week has become a custom. For some, this week is a good opportunity to take a breath, and reflect on what they have done wrong for the beginning of the season, and try to improve. For others, it is just a good deserved rest. But for the fans, it is a devastating week. If one bye was hard enough, there is always the lingering fact that there will be another one around the corner. This week wasn’t always around however. When I was younger, bye weeks were unheard of.

The first bye was around the corner, and as my mighty Dragons were sitting at equal first place, I thought that the bye would be a good opportunity to sit back, and relax knowing that we could not lose the good position we were in. Little did I know that the next week would be slower than a wet weekend. On the Friday and Saturday after the North Queensland game, there was still a bit of banter and congratulations from both sides, but by Monday, everything had disappeared. It felt like the League Unlimited forum was a desert, and I was that one man with his back to the sun, watching a tumble weed roll by.

I needed something to get me out of this boredom, so I reached for the newspaper. The only scrap of decent reading material was something to do with the fallout from Origin I, and coming from a man who hasn’t watched the State of Origin in almost 10 years, that’s something. I would spend a few minutes every hour trying to remember which team we were coming up against this week, until the memory kicked in, and the disappointment realisation of the bye week happened.

And it was like this day in, day out for over a week. Anything could’ve happened to the lads while they were training down in Wollongong, but no one would know because the media wasn’t interested. I just wanted to get out there and cheer the boys on. I just wanted a single scrap of news about them, anything would do.

I was almost down and out on a Tuesday morning when I opened up the newspaper. There was the single piece of information that meant the world to me. The team had been listed for the following week’s play, and the realisation that our team does exist brought back my sanity. Then the posts started to flow on League Unlimited. People were getting back in the swing of their daily lives, and they were re-born. The banter was coming too. Although many Tigers supporters had already conceded defeat, at least they were talking with us. Finally, the world was back to the usual.

I don’t know how I survived the first bye, and I was lucky to survive the second. I am not a fan and I fail to see a point to it. All I can say is, I am dreading the finals, as there may be another one of those evil bye weeks.


749 Words. (including Title)

 

[bartman]

Out: fanaticeel
In: bartman

 

[Someone]

---

Good Luck Smith​

Truth be told, I was always a constant critic of Brian Smith. As a 13 year old in 2006, when Smith left the Eels I was happy. For years I cursed him when he was at the helm at Parra. Even after near success in 2005 I never praised him. I suppose perhaps I was too young to understand?

He could have easily had two premierships next to his name, but as it turned out he never won one while at the Eels - after ten years of trying. Smith then ventured into the enemy land of Newcastle looking for that elusive trophy; although first he had to repair a damaged squad who despite finishing fourth hadn’t really threatened the title race for years.

For his first year and a half at the Hunter region fans, sports commentators, and practically every man and his dog didn’t believe in Smith. He cleaned out the side and brought in younger players - some would say they were ‘no names’. However, it’s now 2009, and times have changed. The Knights are again looking at a finals spot so long as they can remain consistent.

Is Brian Smith now rated up there with the likes of Wayne Bennett? Career coaching stats would suggest otherwise, as Bennett can boast winning 64% of games coached, While Smith sits on 52%. However, some would argue that Bennett never faced the same coaching dilemmas that Smith has.

Rebuilding the Knights hasn’t been a walk in the park. Brian Smith loves a challenge. Although his next might just be impossible. Saving the Sydney Roosters from what some would say is self destruction.

Seven years ago, being a Roosters supporter must have been great. In 2002 Brad Fittler and the boys from Bondi did the ultimate. In 2003 they came close, while in 2004 they again fell short to a team much better than them on the day. But the next 5 years would be hard for the players.

Ricky Stuart, the former international coach, was asked to leave. Then Chris Anderson couldn’t handle the pressure of coaching a failing team. Who’s next? Brad Fittler answered the call and made an impression. After one and a half seasons in charge, Freddy seemed to be the man to fix the broken down club.

But just like the previous two coaches, Fittler too wouldn’t last much longer. 2009 might just go down as the Roosters worst ever year in history. The wooden spoon seems a given. If it wasn’t the coach enjoying a drink two nights before a game, the cake must go to Nate Myles. Maybe we will exchange the prize from a cake to a toilet, or maybe even a lecture about how to use one.

No matter the incident or punishment, fans are disgusted, tormented and sick to death of the constant controversies that contain the names of their beloved club. Is Brian Smith the man to change the Roosters? The Knights were a challenge, but the Roosters are going to be a step above. Sydney has been through 3 coaches in the last 5 years. Why will he be any different?

Can one man really change the entire culture of the club? Smith has done it before, so there’s no doubting him. I'd put my money on the Roosters to be in the top four by the end of 2012. He has exactly what a struggling club like the Roosters need. Discipline.

For awhile people have been questioning whether or not Freddy could punish or explain anything to his players, quite simply because he played with some of them. Fittler may have given his players a long leash, but Smith won’t. Voted the coach players wouldn’t want to play under in RLW’s player’s poll, Smith is obviously the right man to put fear back into the Roosters. A play good or leave the club policy will be welcomed, and soon the Roosters will look a new side. Imagine Queensland bench player Nate Myles shivering in England, playing for a team in the English Super League!

Opinions of fans and media can change fast. It’s taken loyal Newcastle locals and supporters 3 years to realise Smith is capable of bringing a premiership back to Newcastle, their first since 2001. Now I understand just how influential he is. Roosters' fans must be excited about the next couple of seasons.

Good luck to Brian Smith, although somehow I don’t think he’ll need it.

---
743 Words (including title)

 

[Dragon_psa]

Interchange:

Jason Maher on for Dragon_psa

 

[bartman]

bartman takes the fourth hit-up for the Eels, into some tough Dragons defence...

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The New Technology…

Technology and sport can be a wonderful combination. As a kid in the 1970s, I remember my sense of captivated glee at the first on screen use of “the duck” to accompany a dismissed cricket batsman’s walk back to the pavilion, should he have been unfortunate enough to suffer the shame of being dismissed for zero runs[1].

The quaint sprite graphic wasn’t very advanced by today’s standards, but in my lifetime the duck has been the tip of the iceberg when it came to ways in which technology began to expand the experience of live sports and sports telecasting. Technology started to change the once staid gentleman’s game of cricket and has since had an impact on all sports really, including rugby league.

The use of technology in rugby league also developed in the 1970s, with the slow motion replay becoming an exciting feature in Sunday night’s television coverage of the selected match of the round. Of course this was back in the days when we didn’t take such technological wizardry for granted, and even commentators (like Rex “The Moose” Mossop) paused in silence while they – and lounge rooms across Australia – watched this new style of footage that many would never dreamed might be possible.

Fast forward thirty years, and it’s abundantly clear the central role that technology plays in our sport today. We have live television coverage of every game and each ground has a big screen to show close-up views and replays to the fans in attendance. Coaches use walkie talkies and bluetooth headsets from their boxes high in the stand to communicate instructions down to their associates and trainers on ground level. The referees and touch judges are wired up with microphones for instant communication, and fans at the game can even listen to the referee’s comments through that neat little invention we know as Sports Ears. And we now have decisions about tries as often as not referred up to a video referee, who attempts to make use of all this modern technology to split hairs and come up with a correct ruling.

So we have the technology… but especially in the case of video referee decisions, the technology doesn’t always make things perfect! Human error will always remain a factor in the use of even the most advanced technologies, especially within a sporting context. As the world turns and technology evolves (but human judgement as always remains forever flawed), you can’t help but wonder where things will end up in the future…

The most recent interaction between new technology, sports and human judgement that grabbed my attention came from the world of American basketball[2]. Mid-game, Milwaukee Bucks player Charlie Villanueva decided to send a “tweet” (a text-based post of up to 140 characters, in response to the prompt “What are you doing?”[3]) to fans of his Twitter feed following the half-time talk from his coach. These were the words of wisdom that Charlie shared with his “followers”:

“In da locker room, snuck to post my twitt. We're playing the Celtics, tie ball game at da half. Coach wants more toughness. I gotta step up.[2]”

If you’re a fan of Twitter, you’d probably think this is like, sooooo amazing. But if (like me) you can’t really see the point of Twitter, you’d probably find it all a bit strange… The key issue here though is that Charlie Villanueva became the first professional sportsman to use this social networking technology in the middle of a match to communicate “personally” to his fans about exactly what he was doing and thinking at that moment in time.

With our rugby league players’ infamous usage of mobile phone self-portrait photos (Todd Carney), text messages (Mark Gasnier) and facebook status updates, it can only be a matter of time before we see this Twitter fad also catch on in the NRL playing sheds and sidelines! Can you imagine…?

“Trainer kindly brought out my mobile while we r waiting for da conversion. That AFL looks like a fast sport, may not get time to tweet during games next year? Damn!”

“Time 4 a tweet while doing number 2s at half time. At least I made it out of da corridor this time.”

“Sh*t, just glassed the missus. Was an accident of course. In fact, it was such an accident that I might just tell em it was my flatmate? Any1 got any better ideas?”

Sometimes new technology just makes bigger twits of us all…

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Word count: 748 words between the lines.

References:
[1]http://www.cricinfo.com/columns/content/story/297167.html
[2]http://blogs.abc.net.au/thesportsdesk/2009/03/half-time-tweet.html
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter

 

[dubopov]

Saints prop Dubo checked his pants recalling the fearsome clashes of the days of yore, realized he was dreaming, and proceeded to get stuck into the Eels.


THE AMBULANCE SHIELD

The off season seemed to drag on forever, particularly after training got into full swing in early January. Like most front rowers I much preferred playing the game to any form of training even though I probably needed fitness more than most.

Don't get me wrong, I was dedicated and keen, but training inevitably bored me sh*tless; I had little interest in repetitive drills and tiresome roadwork. 1982 was going to be no different despite the fact that I had finally graduated to First Grade and was widely touted as the probable Rookie Of The Year.

The last year had been tumultuous with the tragic end to the season with our loss to the Mungo Wilkes-led Lions in the U18 Grand Final followed closely by the loss of Mungo and his father in the last of our drag races.

I had managed to pretty well forget everything and get on with life until I went to the Engineers Arms after training one evening and met the new recruits that the arch-enemy Lions had signed up from Tamworth; the infamous Grimes triplets - Barry, Bruce and Brian.

On shaking the hand of Barry, I did a quick double take. He was the spitting image of the not-so-dearly departed Wilkes, as were his roughead siblings. Sensing my astonishment, Barry spoke up.

" Bet youse pricks didn't know we were related to Dr Wilkes. He was our father. Mum was a nurse at Coonabarabran when dad was an Intern sewin' his wild oats ".

" Yeah. He always helped us out ", butted in Bruce whose head had scars on the scars, " he gave us the chance to play in Sydney."

" Yeah ", chimed in our Captain Baldy McDougall, " a chance youse blokes f**ked up."

The fearsome triplets simultaneously glared, scolled their beers and moved out in unison. Barry gave me the proverbial death-stare and had the last word as they departed, " We know how dad and our brother died, young fella. You'll be feelin' the pain they felt on Saturday week in the Ambulance Shield. We'll be puttin' you in the Ambulance merkin."

The next ten days didn't go as slowly as I'd hoped and training was a delight when I thought about the intended revenge of the rock apes. I was usually nervous before a game but this time I was deat-set scared. I put on a brave front but was trembling inside when we lined up.

Things just seemed normal early on, I did a few tackles and took the ball up a couple of times. At about the ten minute mark I got the first taste of blood when I copped a swinging arm from Barry which rocked me and forced me to knock on. Barry hovered over me and gave me a mouthful.

" Change ya pants merkin. Get ready to be smashed again next ruck."

It wasn't an empty promise, he belted me again in the next tackle and I spilt the ball. I desperately dived for the ball. Bruce dived in at the same time and the point of my forehead collected the middle of his head. I was dazed and confused and covered in blood and I thought I was dead until I realized the blood was all his. His head and been split open like a watermelon and the ambulance sped on the field to rush him to hospital.

The delay in the game waiting for the ambulance return allowed me to regain my senses and continue playing, although just on half time I wished I'd gone off. A rampaging Brian had gathered the ball and was running straight at me like a steamroller. As I tensed up waiting for impact, Baldy made a great legs tackled which resulted in me falling awkwardly on top Brian.

A resounding crack reverberated around the ground and the triplet clutched at his snapped ankle which displayed a large shard of shin bone. Once again the ambulance wailed into action to transport the second of the bastards to the Holy Cross. We went for oranges.

The kick-off to the second half was to end my first grade debut. Barry had ordered a shallow kick right to me on the 10 metre line. He rushed through and as I was waiting, seemingly in slow motion, he clenched his fist, steadied himself and wooompah - he smashed me right across the forehead breaking his f**king arm on impact. Another ambulance trip.

..... Apparently we won.

 

[phantom eel]

Phantom Eel gets cranky and rounds it out for the Eels F7s side...

- - - -

Turning Players into… People

Another week, another headline. More negative publicity for the game, through the off-field actions of one of its participants. It’s almost enough to make someone who’s supported the game for close to 50 years shed fifty tears of frustration.

Alleged domestic violence. Sure it’s sadly a part of our wider society, but it’s hard to find anyone who seriously thinks there’s an excuse for it – recklessly accidental, drunken, or on purpose - in this day and age. The attitude that women are second class citizens who “deserve” to be slapped around by their men has thankfully grown weaker by the generation, and I hope I live to see such attitudes become pretty much extinct.

But here we as fans now face the situation where one of our most talented and promising modern rugby league players appears to be the embodiment of that outdated, damaging attitude. The courts will reach a decision about the charges that police have laid, but the news of Greg Inglis’ alleged actions doesn’t sit well with this older generation fan. Not well at all.

Back in the days before full-time professionalism, our top level rugby league players all had “real jobs”, and trained part-time two evenings a week. Between the weekend games, these players had to mix with work colleagues who weren’t involved in the sporting world, people who would not put them on a pedestal as they plied the tools of their weekday trades, people who just by their presence would force our star players to remain grounded and remind them of what rugby league was all about.

Back in the 1970s and 1980s, the game of rugby league was rooted in a working class culture. Players worked, fans worked, and there was a sense that the guys representing your area and wearing your team’s colours were “normal people”, who you might bump into at the pub, or who might come out to fix your plumbing problems. Even though we had our “silvertail” clubs like Manly, and clubs representing the then more affluent areas like Eastern Suburbs, there was a common thread between most of the people involved in rugby league at all levels.

The game really seemed like it was all about the fans. And to be honest it should still be.

As fans it’s natural to want to relate somehow to the players in the teams that we are driven to cheer for and support. But when the actions of these players demonstrate attitudes that are some way out of step with modern society, we feel less compelled to feel the passion we all share for our favourite sport. The seeds of a feeling of distance are planted, and this is how some people – including older fans, or young families – might reach the decision to eventually stop attending rugby league games. The empty realisation or feeling that players are just guns for hire, and (to appropriate a common political reference) that “they don’t play for me”.

Of course both time and the economy have moved on since the 1970s, the 1980s and the Super League war of the 1990s. We are now in a full-time professional era where the game is referred to as a “product” and season draws have been determined by media broadcast prerogatives rather than to maximise live fan attendances. We have no choice but to come to accept this, since the media broadcasters are the ones who foot the bulk of the income for the code that pays for club grants to cover the spiralling cost of full-time professional player salaries.

Which brings me back to our star representative players like Inglis (and Stewart and Bird before him), who end up in that particular brand of strife that results in police charges being laid. A brand of strife that results in negative headlines for rugby league and extended coverage of players off-field activities, devaluing and taking the focus away from the exciting “product” that is modern professional rugby league. A brand of strife that makes people question their heroes, and their connection to the game.

The NRL administration could do a lot worse than to take a leaf out of the 1970s and send today’s players out to work in the “real world” for one day per week, amongst “real people”. Take them out of the cocoon of full-time professionalism, and hope that some of them take the opportunity to learn how to be decent people that stay out of strife.

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748 words

 

[Dragon_psa]

Dragon_psa subbed back on for Jason Maher.

 

[Dragon_psa]

​

Dragon_psa storms onto the field for the Dragons, scattering Eels forwards in his wake.​

The greatest of the modern era?​

“The greatest club side of the modern era”.

Perhaps it’s a phrase that is thrown about with gay abandon. Maybe it’s a saying that rolls off the lips with the ease of lifting a pillow. When it all boils down to it though, who could you classify as the greatest? When I talk about the modern era, I guess I’d have to classify it as being the era from 1980 onwards (purely for argument’s sake).

Certainly there are many fine candidates. Let’s examine some of them.


Manly 1996:

This was a club side that was built on solid defence. Led by the Rugby League immortal Bob Fulton, the Sea Eagles of 1996 were a side that swept all before them that year. 1996 consisted of twenty two rounds. Manly lost only four of those games, with the worst losing margin being 10 points (against North Sydney in round three, going down 20-10). Cliff Lyons and Steve Menzies were the catalyst for this amazing season, along with diminutive half/hooker Geoff Toovey. The defence that Manly employed during the season conceded a mere 191 points, while they scored an incredible 549! Manly went on to beat a gallant St. George in the decider 20 points to 8 to cement their place as one of League’s all time great club sides.

Brisbane 1992:

Since their inception in1988, the Broncos boasted a roster that was the envy of every other club in the competition. Players such as Lewis, Langer, Renouf, Walters, and Lazarus rent asunder almost every challenger that year. Again, they only tasted defeat four times, with the only match with a losing margin of 13+ being a fourteen point loss to
Penrith at Lang Park in round four at home. Finishing minor premiers, Brisbane became the first side from outside of NSW to take the trophy home, much to the chagrin of almost every New South Welshman (especially Dragons fans after sodomising Saints 28-8 in the decider). The Broncos that year scored an impressive 506 points, while conceding 311.

St. George 1985:

The Dragons had been somewhat out of reckoning since their last title in 1979. Saints only lost four games that year, with the worst losing margin being 10 points against Canberra (played in Newcastle of all places!) in round 12. Saints finished as minor premiers in all three grades that year, and won both grand finals in the lower two grades, only to agonisingly lose by a solitary point to Canterbury in a dour match. Saints fans argue to this day that a turning point in that game was Graeme Wynn being decked in a scrum by a Bulldogs player, only for Canterbury to receive the penalty. As a Dragons fan, that one still resonates as an agonising day, even more so than the losses in 1992-3, 1996, and 1999.

Melbourne 2007:

The Storm in 2007 was a side that exuded greatness. They scored an amazing 627 points to end up with a for and against differential of 350. They ended the season on 44 points, which is a massive feat, with only 3 losses for the whole year! They powered through the finals to make the big one and pounded Manly 34-18 in a one sided match (eclipsed the following year by Manly in beating them 40 points to nil – some payback!).

Parramatta 2001:

If any story could compare with the heartbreak of the 1985 Dragons, it would have to be the 2001 Eels side. Parramatta ripped almost every team a new orifice in 2001, culminating in a minor premiership that boasted an incredible 839 points scored, finishing with a differential of 433 points. Raging hot favourites heading into the grand final against Newcastle, the Eels seemingly lost their nerve, with the Knights rushing out to a 24 nil lead at halftime. Parramatta mounted a momentous comeback in the second stanza, only to go down 30-24.

There are a few other teams in the 1980 – 2008 period that could lay claim to the best club side of the modern era, but to list them all would exceed the word limit. Who the greatest team of that era is would have to be purely subjective, and a matter of personal opinion. If someone was to ask my opinion though, I would be tempted to say the 1985 Dragons, but that would leave me open to accusations of bias (not that it would bother me in the slightest!).

Manly 1996 would be my next choice.

750 words including title.

 

[The Colonel]

Time, ladies and gentlemen....

 

[Dragon_psa]

Congrats Parra, a good win getting all 5 in versus our 4. Hopefully we can make a fist of it next season.

 

[bartman]

Thanks to the Dragons team for the match.

I'm feeling for you guys coming in one short here, and knowing the effort Dragon PSA goes to. Credit to you all, and hang in there and look forward to clashing with you next season :thumn.

 

[Jesbass]

Dragons, I'm with bartman on this one. Keep at it. You've clearly got the passion and the talent. The only thing you lack is depth. Hopefully 2 or 3 more recruits, and you'll be home and hosed in 2010. :thumn

 

[Willow]

Another champion effort from the Dragons skipper. Hang in there mate.