Where to even begin?
I was away for the weekend, miles up the River Kwai on a resort which floated on the water flowing rapidly beneath it.
No power, ergo no internet. Happily taking the break from society, and blissfully unaware of anything happening away from our location.
Heaven.
On the way back home on Sunday afternoon, I stayed off the internet for fear of learning the result. Admittedly, I did cheat and have a look at Watch NRL, opening the replay of each of the other games and selecting to show the individual scores.
Wow. It seems those who are serious contenders, up against lightweights, had started to flex their muscles. It’ll be interesting to see if we follow suit, I thought to myself.
So we get home, I power up the tv, and settle in to watch the absolute shit show that was dished up.
Post-match I thought I’d jump on here to see what was being said, and the first thing I see is this thread title. Like most of the rest of you, it just floored me.
I remember joining up to these forums way back when forums were just starting to become a thing. It was pre-UK sojourn, which started mid-2001, so sometime between 2000 and 2001, I guess. I really don’t recall Frenzy ever not being a part of our little community. It seems he was there from the get go. And he was always the one we listened to the most.
As with a few of you guys, he and I traded barbs on here a few times, particularly in the early days.
I never met the man, save for saying “hello” as we both sat around a table in the Leagues Club pre-Peach/Stevo last game. He was deep in conversation with someone, I with someone else. That was about it.
We eventually ended up bonding over a love of African cichlids.
I don’t recall how it started, but one of us must have posted something about keeping them (I was breeding them at the time), next thing pms are flying around with photos of our different setups, and talk of the varieties we kept. A kindred spirit.
In the years since he would pm me from time to time, as with a lot of the rest of you, with whatever he knew was going on behind the scenes. Always “for your eyes only, don’t breathe a word”. A confidence I never betrayed. Mostly, his info seemed good, and I was happy to be deemed worthy of receiving such information.
On the forum, his input and analysis was always top shelf.
He possessed a knowledge of the game I’ll never have, and had ways of looking at things which made me stop and think about my own analysis.
I didn’t always agree. But that’s what forums are about, right?
The introduction of the “like” function on the forum was an interesting one.
When someone “likes” a post you’ve made, it can provide a little dopamine hit. Confirmation that you’re not an idiot, and your point of view is valid. This was especially so with a “like” from Frenzy. If he agreed with me, I must be on the right track.
Ironically enough, with my lack of posting lately the last reaction I had from anyone on here was from the man himself. It was also his “Frenzy’s Faves” post in the lower grades thread which was the last thing I read before heading up the River Kwai. I switched off communications, safe in the knowledge Frenzy was on the case, and his posts would keep me up to date when I returned.
I value the input of everyone on here, but Frenzy was the one we all looked to.
I don’t really have the words to adequately describe how his loss will be felt, other than to agree with others and say the place won’t be the same without him.
So rest easy, Frenz. Go find Mr Angry and laugh on from above at the rest of us poor fools suffering along with this Godforsaken club.
May we meet again,
Don
