Round 10 (2005) Bluebags Vs Souths

[roosterboy60]

Newtown Bluebags v South Sydney Rabbitohs

[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Game Thread
Please note - This is a game thread only, therefore only game posts can be made here (Teams, Articles).
Any other posts will result in loss of points and is at the discretion of the referee.
Only original essays, not used in previous games, will be marked by referees.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Home team captain will be allowed 3 reserves, visiting captain will be allowed 2 reserves
Rules: http://f7s.leagueunlimited.com/rules.asp[/font]

[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Full Time: Wednesday 3rd August at 9pm (Syd time)[/font]

[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Venue: Henson Oval

Crowd: 12,180
REFEREE: Antonius[/font]

[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif]**Referee Blows Game On!**[/font]

 

[Willow]

The Bluebags arrive for their final home game of the year.
Welcome to debutantes SHD and CDF.

1. Willow
2. SHD
3. Moffo
4. Croydon Dog Food
5. Hoggy

Reserves:
6. edabomb
7. HMS Cheesemaker
8. Dragon_psa

Fire Up Bags!

 

[Pistol]

The mighty South Sydney Rabbitohs take the field for battle with the Bluebags.

Pistol (c)
Olympic Park
Rabs
Mambo
Dogs Of War

Seano
Terracesider

Let's get em boys.

 

[Moffo]

Moffo getting it on for the bags.......

The Tyranny of Distance


“Hello?”



“Yes hello, my name is Toby, I’m American and I’d like to know how far away the closest town to the back of Bourke is?”



“100km”



“Struth!”



As silly as an American may sound saying the word ‘Struth’, Toby in fact highlights a problem with rugby league in Australia. The problem being the size of our country and the costs associated with traveling around it.



England, the old dart, is home to perhaps the most successful sporting structure in the world; the English Premier League (EPL) and associated divisions. Through the FA, football in the country is administered to the adoring public on a four tier level, with opportunities to be relegated and promoted through the divisions.



It is a case of keeping up with the pace. If you aren’t good enough, see you later. And by golly it makes for excting times. I was over there last year and the way it runs is almost seamless, even the battlers like Exeter United have a chance of hitting the big time.



I wish the NRL was run in a similar way. There are so many potential locations for teams across our country. So many talented youth, so much potential support.


What is the problem you say?



Well two actually; the money and distance involved. Below the top tier of rugby league, there are not too many clubs raking in dollars. Teams such as Cabramatta and the Windsor Wolves, whilst being successful in the local community, have no chance of standing up to the financial challenges of being in a national competition. There is just not enough money to fund trips to Townsville, Melbourne and the like on a regular basis. Get the chook raffle going I hear you say. Well good idea, problem is, what happens when they run out of chickens?



Travel unfortunately is expensive. Camel back is a thing of the past, as is travel via the broomstick. That aside, rugby league in Australia is focused on keeping the elite strong. And for mine, this is a mistake.



One is only as strong as their foundation. There are a number of budding teams waiting in the wings across Australia and New Zealand; problem is that the NRL pays little/no attention to them. From Fremantle to the Flipping Central Coast, there is enough interest in the game to expand. Rugby League could have a 2-3 tiered competition if only travel and associated expenses were not a problem.


Thing with England is, everything is so close. Go a bit over an hour out of London and you are in Birmingham. 3-4 hours and you are well up north, near Newcastle, Liverpool and Manchester. An hour south of London and you are sailing along the white cliffs of Dover, not to mention Brighton and other seaside towns.



And it creates such passionate local derbies. Teams with a blade of grass separating them have the fiercest of rivalries. All in all it makes for good sport.



The problem with the NRL is that a team can play rubbish for a number of years and suffer no serious punishment in terms of where they play. Souths could come last every season until 2324 and they’d still be in the top division. We need something to spice it up. Give the emerging teams something to aspire to and the lower performing teams something to worry about.



We could set it up today. Do it along state lines. Develop these mini competitions and have the finalists playing off against each other. The top few teams get the promotion call up. How exciting would that be? Could you imagine the contests? How about watching Coffs Harbour playing the Bulldogs? (Well maybe that wouldn’t be such a good game). But still, it’d be great and lift the profile of these cities.



As mentioned before though, the tyranny of distance is quite a powerful drawback. Financially, the NRL would need to be a reserve bank in order to keep all of these teams afloat. Either that or set up an NRL RSL with 154,000 pokies in it.



As the great man Dalai Lama once said, it is healthy to dream. Any chance that we can fold Australia in half and start again?



Hey, if Johnny would agree to it, I’ve got a mean pair of scissors that would get the job underway. If nothing else, it would go a long way to solving the problems of Toby



Cheers,
Moffo

 

[Dogs Of War]

Dogs Of War returns to the field from a long layoff with injury and hits it straight up the middle





Improving the International Game




Rugby League has a problem the international game. Their just doesn’t seem to be enough top level teams, so we have a make do with Tri-Series. But things are looking up with a the French getting back into the ESL, Lebanon and Russia developing their own domestic competitions, but we also need to look at how other games survive given the same issues. Cricket is the first one that springs to mind for me. They have only 9 top-level nations and a few underneath in a developing nation’s structure, making their international game pretty competitive, and much more fun to watch. Maybe league can create a similar structure to base their international game from.



The first thing we should be looking at is possibly grouping developing nations into regions to begin with. Cricket does this successfully with the West Indies, who would be nowhere near as competitive if they were grouped into their individual countries (Just checkout how they went at the last Commonwealth Games). Areas such as the Pacific Islands would produce enough players to field a very strong international side in League, but individually they are just cannon fodder for nations such as Australia. This is not to say that nations such as Fiji wouldn’t have a national team. It’s just that these regions nations would play amongst each other. From their Pacific Islands team could be selected, providing both a pathway for the local league players in the area to higher honors, and possible pathways to the NRL or ESL. Hopefully players who already play in the NRL who come from these areas would choose to play for these sides as well. This would allow their experience to be passed onto other players from the regions, who would in turn, return to their local competitions and teach others the finer points of the game.



Rugby Union has already attempted something similar with their combined Pacific Islands team, it seems though that they want to keep this as an every fours year’s sort of situation. But the difference is that Rugby Union already has a strong footing in all of the countries that make up the region, but that said, they are still no match for the big guns of Union. This is where league can make a difference, everyone loves to follow a winner, and with a combined side from this Region, we could develop a great following for the code as their combined side proves to be up their with the best that Rugby League has to offer, and hopefully a flow on effect in these countries to develop more players who want to strive to play Rugby League. Union’s loss could be Leagues gain.



Other areas such as Asia could have similar setups, though nowhere near as strong as a Pacific Islands side, it would prove to be a stronger team than the nations going it themselves individually. And hopefully in the future their local competitions would develop as they have higher honors to strive for.



Why I am suggesting all this, is because at the end of the day, we need international Rugby League to have more relevance. Having 3 competitive nations and the rest making up the numbers does nothing for the code. These nations which I have nominated have no chance of being competitive in league in any foreseeable future, but with this structure we could have some real new competition at the top end of the spectrum.



The way I see it, a bit more improvement from France, a Pacific Islands side, another 10-15 years for Lebanon, possibly more input into the development of the game in Russia, would see us with a World Cup that is more competitive, and more enjoyable for all to watch. The game just wouldn’t have to rely on NSW vs. QLD being the pinnacle of the sport, it would just be a trial game for the real deal. Playing for your country, the way it should be.

Word Count 666

 

[Mambo]

Mambo takes to the field for the first time in the red and green after rehab from a career threatening injury from 2 seasons ago...my god its been a while.


_____________________________________________

NRL STAR WARS

A long, long time ago in a NSWRL universe far, far away there was a mighty warrior playing out the dreams of many youngsters. That warrior was the South Sydney Jedi. They dominated the galaxies, collecting many trophies and titles in the expansion of their gallactic empire. All was well in the universe and the mighty warrior was seen as the keeper of the balance of the force that made the NSWRL galaxy work. Some even considered this mighty Jedi warrior the ‘pride’ of the universe. Some said, when the Jedi were going strong, the NSWRL galaxy was going strong. A prophecy began that this warrior crew of Jedi would fall, and when all seemed lost, a ‘chosen one’ would come. At first, it would seem a gifted child, who would form into a man and restore peace and balance to the universe. The mystical prophecy mentioned defeating the '20th' curse. Nobody could understand what this signified? It mattered little to the powerful Jedi.

But then began a disturbance in the force. Other forces such as the St.George Gallactic Senate began to dominate the wars of the NSWRL. They concurred the NSWRL and ruled it for 11 straight years. Many firm believers of the old ways believed that there would be a return to the old ways and the prophecy would be complete. They kept the faith in that this warrior would return and concur. What the prophecy told was that balance to the force would be restored by this chosen young child. It seemed unlikely at the time.

Souths star fleet 1967, 1968, 1970 and 1971 saw a return to dominance. It seemed that noone could outgun the mighty weaponry of this fleet. But no such child had appeared to fulfil the prophecy. Many believers turned away from the old ways and even less gave any credence to the prophecy. They took their domination for granted. They shouldn’t have. Little did they know, many terribly hard decades stuck in fearsome dogfighting was to come, with little success.

The wheels of time turned, many emperors came and went in the universe. Emperor Manly, Emperor Parramatta, Emperor Canterbury, Emperor Canberra and Emperor Brisbane all came to power and then reneged it to another. And all the while, Souths Jedi remained in a galaxy far, far, far, far, far away. Nobody knew where they were or what they were doing? Small pockets of Jedi resistance existed, but the South Sydney Jedi beliefs were waning, wearing incredibly thin, and held no sway at all within the universe

But Master Yoda Richardson was busy learning his trade and teaching the Jedi ways to such gifted students as Obi McRae Kenobi and Annakin Braith. Many Jedi, hidden in caves on planets long dismissed as desolate and without life, started to believe that Annakin Braith was the chosen one. Annakin Braith was trained in the south Sydney Jedi ways, and took to small Jedi missions with impeccable results. The prophecy seemed to be fulfilling itself.

Annakin Braith did everything with renewed vigour. He dreamed of leading his beloved Jedi into battle. But the Jedi force was so diminished that it was agreed by the newly formed NRL Senate to expel the Jedi religion from the universe.

80,000 Jedi came from out of the woodwork in protest. They stormed the galactic courts by force. On appeal, they were granted acceptance back into the universe. But the Jedi still waned. It had been 31 years since the Jedi held any sway. Noone could fathom the prophecy would come true. But three years later, Annakin Braith was ready. All was built for the triumphant return of the chosen one. The Jedi was ready to be led into the golden age by their Jedi Master.

But all the while Annakin Braith’s heart grew cold for the Souths Jedi. The Rooster Trade Federation had turned his mind. They had showed him the dark side and what it had to offer, and Anasta could not turn away. Annakin Braith was confirmed as Trade Federation Leader. He was renamed Darth Anasta.

Jedi wept in all corners of the universe. Old Jedi were disallusioned in the prophecy, young Jedi could do nothing but weep in dispair and disbelief. Many, many Jedi expressed their hatred of Darth Anasta in open NRL Senate forums. All seemed doomed for the Jedi.

But all the while Master Yoda Richardson and Obi McRae Kenobi were elsewhere in thoughts. The training of a child, Sutton Skywalker was just beginning….

____________________________________

Word Count: 750 between the lines.

 

[Willow]

Willow runs on for the Bluebags.

“I am sure that God is a Dragon”

It is often said that the good ones are taken from us far too early.


The phone call came from a mutual friend at 9:00am. He simply said, “have you heard the news…?” I replied, “Stoney has passed away, hasn’t he?”

We expected it but it still came as a shock.

At just 49-years-old, Robert Stone passed away on Monday, 1 August 2005, at around 6:00am. He was in a coma and felt no discomfort.

The malignant tumours which were first diagnosed in 2003 had finally taken their toll. Throughout it all however, ‘Stoney’ never gave up the fight. Just six weeks ago he was still confident and his handshake was as firm as ever. Stuck in a wheel chair, Robert joked about his “lazy lower lip” which made it slightly difficult for him to speak. Despite this, he appeared lucid and was keen to work. He conceded that it was “two steps back and one step forward” but he was adamant it would take more than cancer to knock him off.

As a rugby league player, Robert Stone appeared in 170 First Grade games for the St George Dragons. From 1975-1985, he scored 26 tries but none more memorable than in the 1977 Grand Final when he romped some 30 yards to score under the posts, bringing the SCG crowd to its feet. In 2002, I interviewed Robert and mentioned ‘that try’. Typically, he joked about it, telling me it was more like ‘50 yards’ and that it was sure to get to a ‘100 yards’ by the time he was finished telling the story. Stoney’s time as a footballer was something he was immensely proud of.

“My two favourite memories of Rugby League are of scoring that try in 1977 and being told at Kogarah Oval one Tuesday night that I had been selected in First Grade,” he said.

In all, Robert Stone played 281 all-grade games for St George, only Norm Provan and Billy Smith have played more. He has the distinction of winning a premiership in all three grades (thirds in 1974, seconds in 1976 and firsts in 1977). He played for NSW in the first State of Origin match in 1980. In 1984, he was named Dragons' captain 15 times out of 24 appearances that year. Following a stint as captain-coach of Picton, Stone returned to St George as an administrator, eventually becoming the St George DRLFC Chief Executive and St George Leagues Club board member in 2001.

A passionate Kogarah man and always in touch with supporter’s concerns, Robert Stone was instrumental in the push to have the Dragons return to Kogarah Jubilee Oval in 2003. With poor weather forcing construction to fall behind schedule, Stoney was spotted shovelling gravel near the western grandstand. The next day he was overjoyed, telling me on the phone how they managed to get a concrete slab laid in the rain! Impressed by his effort in beating the deadline, supporters dubbed the new terrace ‘Stoney’s Slab’ – a simple block of concrete which Robert Stone himself declared as one of the best spots in the world to see a game of rugby league.

Robert Stone epitomised the great spirit and dedication of the St George community.

While pondering the scale of works that had been completed at Kogarah Oval, Stone said, "We thought we had no chance of getting through it. Not only was it a community project, and it was marvellous to see the community coming behind us, but I am sure that God is a Dragon."

But perhaps the greatest achievement should be reserved for his family. It’s hard not be touched by the support shown by Robert’s wife Anne, daughters Melissa and Belinda, son Michael, mother Iris and brother Peter.

A neighbour and family friend took the time to share his experiences. In particular, he touched on a recent visit the Stone household.

“I would often find myself at their house having Robert throw me into his pool in a humorous attempt to teach me to swim. We all have very fond memories of Robert in our street. He was a kind compassionate man who looked out for the other neighbours.”

He then went onto to speak eloquently of his visit the night before Robert died.

"He looked very peaceful," he said. "Anne jokingly remarked that she expected him to jump up at any moment and yell, "Sucked in, I had you going didn't I?""


*748 words*

 

[rabs]

rabs for Souths

“Build it and they will come”

I feel happy to say I am a changed man. I’m no longer bitter and I now see what is rational and in the best interests of rugby league in Australia. I’m sure there are still many, many fans that remain like I was. What I’m talking about is my changed attitude to the existence of the Melbourne Storm rugby league team in the NRL competition. I guess the circumstances for me hating the Storm were ripe and I just couldn’t see what was good for the game. Melbourne comes into the competition and a few short years later South Sydney is booted out. News Limited made the decision on both counts – money and not football tradition ruled. For me the Storm were scum and no one could tell me otherwise. Now it’s time to look forward for the good of rugby league.

“Build it and they will come” - the famous line from the baseball movie “Field of Dreams”. Kevin Costner built his field for the great baseballing ghosts of the past to congregate. With the news that the Melbourne facility Olympic Park is to be upgraded by 2008 to the tune of 100 million dollars, we should finally see decent crowds in Melbourne. This should be the final piece of the puzzle needed to get the average rugby league crowds in Melbourne up to and over 20,000. The 20,000 fully seated stadium will be used by the Storm and the Melbourne soccer team in the A-league comp. It is part of a government development to reconfigure the Olympic Park precinct in a similar fashion to what Sydney has done/is doing with the Homebush Bay area. It will have an option to extend to 25,000, which in my opinion should be done initially.

The Storm is attracting a lot of 8,000ish crowds and this is pathetic when you consider the love of sport Melbourne people have. Success has not been a problem with Melbourne winning a premiership and making the finals 5 times in 7 years of existence. Olympic Park must be the problem and while I have not been inside the facility I have walked past it a few times and it does look outdated. With a decent stadium and the all-important modern corporate facilities that go with it things should finally turn around for the Storm.

There are 2 years until the due date for completion in 2008. The NRL and Storm management need to ensure they are ready for this. Rugby league has already made the first few steps at grass roots level in Victoria. Bayside Secondary College has implemented a rugby league program into their curriculum and are the Victorian representative in the Arrive Alive Cup. The Storm are also starting to get nibbles from believe it or not Aussie Rules clubs to hold coaching clinics for primary school age children. This small beginning has to be followed through on with an aggressive push to get kids interested in rugby league. To back it up the NRL must sort out the farcical free to air TV situation. State of Origin - the games showpiece. NSW and QLD have to get past the narrow-minded view that we own it and take a game each year down to Melbourne for the good of rugby league. This will be hard to swallow but we must do it.

There’s still a way to go and the NRL needs to do more especially with the TV situation, however with a lead in of two years they have no excuse really and lets hope they don’t sit back and wait for everything to fall into place (though I am sure it will eventually, even if they are negligent). The NRL must somehow ensure rugby league at a decent hour on free to air in Melbourne and work with the Storm in getting more grass roots level programs happening. In turn the Storm needs to ensure they continue to have on field success, losing Matt Orford and Steven Bell from their squad is not a good omen but they do still have some very decent and crowd pleasing players in the team. In the end success on the field is what the fans flock to. If they can fulfil this part of the plan I can see them needing that expansion to 25,000 and then some, to cater for what is surely the keenest sport attending market in Australia. “Build it and they will come”

Word count 750 words

References:
http://www.melbournestorm.com.au/default.asp?sec=1&ssec=1&pg=166


http://sportsaustralia.com/articles/apr05/artid3024.html

q=cache:LdM8ISTwqCIJ:www.arldevelopment.com.au/uimages/370.pdf+victorian+school+rugby+league+storm&hl=en

 

[olympic park]

An Antipodean in Europe
Olympic Park for Souths


For the past two months I have been very fortunate enough to be traveling around Europe and the UK. I had received a bursary to go and study near Cambridge and participate in a course alongside many other young students from around the world. I took in the sights and sounds of varied places that I had never visited before in my life such as England, Croatia and France (previous to this, my only overseas experience was my numerous trips visiting nearby Tasmania). I loved it, and can’t wait to go back.

So what does all that have to do with our great game and why am I writing about this, I hear you asking?

Plenty.

After finding out that I had been accepted into the course, I made it an effort to find out how far away the rugby league ‘home’ was from where I was supposed to be. No fan of our beloved game going all that way from the far corner of the earth (which we call home, or Australia) would even consider traveling 25,000-odd kilometres and then not attend a match!!

The internet’s a wonderful thing really when you aren’t looking for online casinos, pornography or how to make homemade bombing devices, and from the comfort of my own home was able to find out and plan which match I wanted to attend and which teams I wanted to see play. It also worked in the reverse whilst I was over there – as well as communicating with friends and family, I was able to keep track of how my beloved Melbourne Storm was faring! To have tried to decide on a match to attend before the advent of the internet would have been near-impossible, and chances are I wouldn’t have even attended a match.

I decided after careful consideration on the Hull vs Huddersfield match which was being played at the KC stadium in Hull. I booked some accommodation in the nearby large city of York (as a poor student, one is unfortunately limited in travel accommodation and whilst I would have liked to stay my entire trip at the league-famous George Hotel in Huddersfield, it was neither a realistic possibility or did it suit my hip pocket!) and traveled by train to the ground. An hour later (but only some seventy kilometres away – we have different ideas of distance on this side of the world!) the train was arriving into the station and from the front steps I could see the glistening white KC just a short walk away.

The stadium looked very imposing on the television watching last years Kangaroos tour (at 5am on a Sunday, and then showing up to church bleary-eyed soon after!) but it was only on entering the ground that I truly appreciated the intimacy that English sporting venues have. We do build big stadiums in this country, yet it is the smaller venues which really make the game come alive. I won’t comment on the over-priced ticketing (the equivalent of AU$30 for a concession ticket isn’t what I call a cheap day out!), but it was definitely money well spent. I had a ball – sitting up near the Hull FC cheer squad and joining in the singing and chants, bringing home a scarf, and seeing Hull win despite some suspect refereeing decisions!

They seem to be more intense supporters over there – whether it’s just that rivalries are either steeped in longer traditions, or the fact that all the teams play in such a confined land area that nothing is too far away I’m not sure. The crowd was reasonably well behaved, but given that the only thing on offer seemed to be warm beer I’m not too surprised! And the referee copped abuse from the fans like nothing I’ve ever heard at an Australian sports venue…

My conclusion is now that regardless of what whingers who follow other codes say, rugby league is alive and well on both sides of the world. It has a great atmosphere and supporters who truly love the great game. It was an experience I will never forget, and was definitely a highlight on my travels. Whilst I couldn’t move to England (terrible weather and the food… yuck! Everything is deep-fried or served with chips!), Croatia was the most beautiful country and I am even considering packing up and moving there. But alas, there’s no league.

If only they were to spread the faith to Croatia…

-----
Word Count: 750 Words (inc. Title & name)

 

[SHD]

SHD hits back for the Bluebags


______________________

True Immortality


Like a lot of kids, I grew up on football with my Father. He taught me the rules, took me to my first games, taught me to hate Manly, the works.

So naturally, he regaled me with tales of games long ago, of men who’s boots had been hung up long before I was even a part of this world. Oh and believe me, living in Kograh as a boy and being a third generation Saints supporter who rarely missed a home game with his mates, he had a lot to tell.

As a younger boy my reactions were awe and wonder over these demi gods my father must have seen run around the paddock who made todays players seem reserve grade at best. I felt a sense of disappointment I never got to see Langlands take a catch, Reg Gasnier bust the line or witness Craig Smith connect with a prop at full pace. Of course, as I got older and wiser I realised that many of these tales and recounts had suffered at the exaggerations of an old man and that the players I watch here and now aren’t as inferior as he’d have me think… Awe turned to argument, and whilst at obvious disadvantage having never seen my father’s generation play where he has mine, I felt compelled to insist that my heroes are just as skilled and tough as those of forty years ago.


“Tough? That glass man Barrett? Saints will never win a premiership with him around. Now Billy Smith was a real half… as hard as they come. A real prankster too…”

”Never win a premiership? Have you seen our win loss ration with and without him? He’s key to our team! I know he’s had back luck with injuries but he’s far from a pansy.”


Of course being two generations of alpha males we were just picking sides for the sake of arguing. I wasn’t born until 1986, and he barely followed the modern game as I do. But it mattered little.


“Hornby? Who? How often does he treat Kogarah to a tryline to tryline run like Langlands used to? Nobody will think anything of him when he’s gone.”

“He might not be made an immortal but he IS our rock at the moment. A player doesn’t need to be flashy to be great…”


After years of this, it was a trip to the footy which gave me perspective in a way nothing else could.

Round 25 2004, Tingah’s farewell game and the day of an amazing comeback against Manly at Kogarah Oval. I’d been finding my own way to games recently and this was the first I’d attended with Dad in well over a year. After the amazing result we went to the leagues club for a few beers together, where we found none other than Billy Smith.

Dad had a copy of his book that he asked Billy to sign, which he did and ended up sharng some memories with my father. When Billy left I looked at Dad and saw that he had tears welling up in his eyes. At that moment I realised that the short old man he had been speaking to moments before was a giant to him. I realised that my Dad probably couldn’t recall many individual details about games from his childhood to use in arguments. I realised that none of that mattered at all because memories are what made these men as great as they were in all the stories I’ve been told. The impact they had on thousands of people just like my father, the number of men they were the childhood heroes of.

I’d never really understood the term “immortal” until that day.


Nowadays when I’m awestruck by the Brilliant vision of Barrett or the mesmerizing footwork of Gasnier, I flash back to what it must’ve been like for my dad sitting on the hill at Kograh in the exact same state of mind as me. A kid watching his idols.

Then, sometimes, I flash forward and see me telling the same overblown tales to my kids. I’ll leave out the bad games and the injuries, of course.


“Did you see that flick pass? Well come on Dad, you’ve got to admit he’s something special.”

“…it was good.” He conceded. “But do you know what the difference between Mark and his Uncle is?”
”what?”
”Mark got caught by those three blokes. Reg would’ve gone right through them.”

We both smiled.


______________________________________________________________


Word count: 750 Including title.

 

[Pistol]

Pistol for South Sydney takes to the Henson Park turf, happy in the knowledge I am.....

Contracted for Life​

For a person on the outside looking in, the football fraternity seemed a little odd. For I had not seen a game played before, therefore I had no idea what to expect once I had become engrossed in the love of the game.



I was entering a new world, literally and figuratively. My parents took my older sister and brother and myself from the volatile environment of Ballymena, Northern Ireland to a new life in Australia. Settling into a new life, school and friends was a daunting task, but I soon developed the secret to get through it. Rugby League. I was a young bloke growing up in the North Queensland town of Ayr. My old passions of Hurling and Gaelic Football seemed redundant in a small league mad community. As a 10 year old I turned on the television and I was greeted by the image of Allan Langer slicing through the Illawarra defence in the pre-season Toohey’s Challenge. From that point on, I signed on for life, not only as a Broncos supporter, but a supporter of the game of Rugby League.



I can remember some of the images that are still very much the embodiment of what I hold as the true face of the game. The State of Origin that year was the most nail biting series on record. Two points was the margin that separated the sides in all three games. And who could forget the second game of Origin that year. Lewis and Geyer stood eye to eye, nose to nose. Intense moments like that and I knew that I would be watching this game until I am a toothless old fart with more hair up my nose than on my head.



1992 held special memories for me. I was able to play touch football for my school, the Queen announced it was an annis horribilus (horrible year), which usually means it was a fantastic year for everyone else, and the Broncos won the premiership beating St George in the Grand Final. Watching that game was a defining moment. I saw one of the best tries ever seen in a decider, a brilliant display from Allan Langer and as usual, a tough all round effort by the Broncos. Steve Renouf ran the length of the field to score after some brilliant work by Willie Carne. Langer was at his brilliant best, marshalling the troops and creating havoc. I knew then that I was ensconced in league. This is my team. This is my sport.



But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. The body of league had an infection. In 1995 it contracted the near fatal illness, Super League. It was sad moment because my beloved Broncos were defecting to the dark side. It was then that I decided that would not follow a particular side. Because the Broncos made the wrong decision, that didn’t mean I should as well. The ARL had my support.



Then the year that really broke the sport up came. 1997 proved that Rugby League was on the precipice of a cliff and was in danger of falling off. The competition was split in two. It was one of the worst years of league on record. The only good thing that came out of that year was Newcastle winning the premiership for the ARL competition. I must say I don’t like them but that was game that really held together the fabric of league. Darren Albert with that glorious try helped save this sacred institution.



The reunion of the competition in 1998 was somewhat of a bittersweet symphony (as Richard Ashcroft from The Verve would say). We saw the great game under one roof again, I returned to the Broncos fold but we bid farewell to a few teams. Adelaide, Hunter, Perth, South Queensland and Gold Coast were culled as part of a deal brokered by Ian Frykberg and Neil Whitacker. Then suddenly the sunset in the middle of the afternoon one day in 1999. South Sydney was cut from the league. A black eye and a spit in the face for tradition. I certainly sympathised with the Souths faithful. League isn’t league without them.



Then the darkness faded. Light returned. South Sydney won their appeal for to be re-instated. It was a great day for the game. The healing process had begun. My faith in the league gods had returned. Rugby League is in my blood. I am glad I have signed on for life.

748 Words including the title

 

[croydon Dog food]

A late injection of Croydon magic

------------------------------------------------------------------

Action Jackson


Cult heroes come along in times of crisis…they just do nothing to aid the situation.


In 2001, the Wests Tigers reached their lowest ebb when they were trying to recover from innumerable scandal relating to drug abuse and at the same time quell the dissent that was escalating within the club. These events that transpired hit the club with such suddenness that they were barely able to respond with a contingency plan.



The fans were equally as stunned. Television interviews that were conducted before the Wests v Canberra game on the following Sunday revealed their dichotomous feelings of anger towards the club and players involved, and on a deeper level a nervous uncertainty over the immediate future of the infant club. A reoccurrence of factionalism was also placing intense strain on the merger.



In this context it is not surprising that the arrival of a new winger would go inconspicuous. The usual talk of football selections had been replaced by heavy debate. Indeed few people had given the upcoming game against the Raiders any thought.



The result was much unexpected; the under strength Tigers beat the skilled Canberra side. The Sydney Morning Herald report commented on the ‘desperate’ and ‘inspired’ attitude of Wests which propelled them to victory and also heralded the unearthing of ‘a new star’, winger Jackson Kaufusi. The blistering and robust winger scored two tries which lifted the Tigers into a wining position.



The Monday Telegraph also lauded Kaufusi’s two-try debut under the headline “Action Jackson”. Comparisons were drawn between this debutant and Wendell Sailor and usually measured commentators were unequivocally stating that Jackson would become a dominant force. Was this response reasonable after only one game?



Jackson was an opportunist and I do not mean that in a sinister way. His arrival in the team was overshadowed and in fact brought about in reaction to external events. He also came at a time that Wests fans were desperately seeking somebody to draw their attention away from the gloom that had inundated the landscape. In this sense we can be forgiven for our hastiness to proclaim the rookie as a hero-in the making.



But, it did not take long for the true Jackson Kaufusi to emerge, although in the meantime he had changed his name to Lipina. The enigmatic winger became notorious for his sometimes farcical moments on the field: going down ‘injured’, his two handed leaps of faith and madness with the ball. Whilst many of his performances for the Tigers were forgettable he is certainly not forgotten. This is due to amazing ability Jackson had to, well, um bugger things ups.



On one horrendous Sunday afternoon the Tigers were completely thrashed by the Eels. The score ended up 66-12 and half of Parramatta tries came through exploiting Kaufusi with bombs into the sun. At times he resembled a floundering octopus flapping around vainly as he tried to catch balls from the ground.



Afterwards Lipina would drag himself back into the in-goal and sit on the ground outside the huddle. He was fatigued and a crest-fallen man.

On another occasion, Lipina lay motionless on the Campbelltown Stadium surface after being ruffed up in a tackle. Great concern was duly shown to the injured player and the game abruptly stopped. The referee approached Lapina and asked what was wrong.



“I have a headache, sir’.


In a later match against Melbourne in a single half he displayed his entire array of plays- the one handed grip of the ball, the chip kick while returning a downfield kick and the 2-metre forward pass.



In spite of all his absurdities he managed to sustain his title of hero, although it had rapidly been qualified to ‘cult hero’ after a reoccurrence of many of the examples I have listed.



It is not that fans indulged in his misfortunes, we are not that sadistic. I can only say that there was something so unusual about his arrival and his unconventional way of playing that brought a smile to even the gravest of fans. In retrospect, we can also laugh at our own impulsiveness to bestow Lipina with the title of ‘Hero’.


Perhaps Wests fans should have been more judicious about lumping expectations on players after only one game and handing out glorified titles. But then came along Benji Marshall and supporters were already labelling him a hero before a single game. He has a lot of hard work ahead of him if he is every going to attain the coveted title of 'cult hero', just asked Lipina.


Words: 733.

 

[antonius]

Ref Blows Fulltime.

 

[Pistol]

Thanks Timekeeper.

Bad luck on the 4 posts Bags. Well done to Souths. Good effort all round.

 

[antonius]

Newtown Scores

Moffo
The Tyranny of Distance
746 Words.

Hits the problem of expansion/promotion/relegation on the head "distances in Australia" It’s a good dream, but to do it would (as the Writer points out) cost a lot of money.
Score 86



Willow
"I am sure that God is a Dragon"
748 words
A testament to a man whose’ name conjures up the words "St George". I’m old enough to remember Robert Stones playing days, fine player, and one who epitomises what the dragons were all about in those days.

Score 87

SHD
True Immortality
750 Words

I liked this one. Very well written, and something that I can relate to. I take my young fella to the games, and have prob gone down the same road as your dad. Imagine when Parramattas’ Jim Porter came to our place one day for a BBQ and we started chatting about the Eels golden years. Time certainly does embellish achievements.
Score 89

croydon Dog food
Action Jackson
757 Words

I have to admit I am not too familiar with the subject of this piece. I found it an interesting read though, (despite a few spelling errors) and it certainly points out how quick we are to bestow labels on players.
Score 88 minus 2 word count penalties. 86

Newtown Total 348



Souths Scores

Dogs Of War
Improving the International Game
666 Words
Some thought put into this piece on improving the international game. Full use of the word count would have expanded the piece to it’s betterment I think. Some minor spelling errors that were not penalised.

Score 84

Mambo
NRL STAR WARS
752 Words
Very clever, very entertaining read.

Score 90 minus 2 for word count 88

rabs
"Build it and they will come"
750 Words
A piece on the building of the storms profile in Victoria, to take advantage of the new stadium. What other areas need to be addressed.

Interesting read, some good thoughts well presented.

Score 86.

Olympic Park
An Antipodean in Europe
750 Words

Nice recollection of a game watched overseas, and the differences to watching the game here. Interesting read.
**Note it is wise to put your name at the start of the piece followed by the title, rather than the way you did it ie:- title, your name and team, then the article. I did a word count on my computer and fortunately it came out at 750 wrds. However when I did it on the official one (that will be used starting next round it came out at 754 words.) It is something to be aware of.

Score 86.

Pistol
Contracted for Life
748 Words
Following the game for life. Well written piece on an introduction to a foreign sport, and the eventual conversion.

Score 85.

Souths Total 429.

Result Souths 429 defeated Newtown 348

MOTM SHD

**Note There were several differences in words counts posted, and the counts I got both on my counter, and the soon to be official one. One in particular where the writer put his name and team between the title of the piece and the body of the article. For some reason my counter came out at 750 Words. The official one at 754 words. In this case the author wasn’t penalised because I used what I would normally use (my counter) Not only his had an error in the count, several others differed on the Official counter. Considering that from the next round onwards ALL articles will be counted on the official counter, it would be wise to check your pieces there before posting. The pieces that were penalised this round were both over on both counters.

 

[Seano]

Well done to both Souths and the Bluebags. Well done Mambo on a great debut and SHD for MOM

Ill leave Pistol the captains knock....

 

[Pistol]

Strong effort again Souths. Congrats to SHD for MOM and to Mambo for a great debut article. Thanks for the swift marking ref. Good luck for the last round Bags.

 

[Willow]

Congrats to Souths on a tremendous showing. And thanks ref for a quick and professional marking.

Well done to all the debutantes. Special mention to new Bluebaggers SHD and Croydon Dog Food, players of the future who are really going give this comp a shake.

Thanks very much to fellow bags who rallied to get all five posts in during my absence. We almost got there.

 

[Willow]

btw, special congrats to SHD for his MOTM.

 

[rabs]

good game both teams and a pity to be one short, thanks antonius