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2012 Round One :: Dragons v Warriors

joshie

Live Update Team
Messages
3,115
Forum 7s - Round One - 2012

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Match Preview: The resurrected Warriors take on the rejuvenated Dragons squad as both teams look to start their new era's with victories. Who will come out on top and what will do captains Willow and Robster have in store?


Game Thread:
* This is a game thread only. Only game posts can be made here - team lists, substitutions, and 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:
* 5 -V- 5 (+ 3 reserves for home sides; + 2 for away)
* No 'TBA' or changing players named
* Captains must stick with original teams named

Rules: http://f7s.leagueunlimited.com/rules.php
Official Word Counter: http://f7s.leagueunlimited.com/wordcount.php

Kick Off: Monday 5th March 2012 (6:00pm AEDT)
Full Time: Sunday 18th March 2012 (Fulltime is at midnight)
Referee: Non Terminator
Venue: WIN Jubilee Stadium
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Robster

Bench
Messages
3,950
special%2066-228x228.JPG

WARRIORS TEAM!!


Robster (c)
devoid
Half
Russel Crowe's Band
Sicknutter


Bench
Defence
cornelius_sulla
 

sicknutter

Juniors
Messages
3
Sicknutter, playing for the Warriors. Word Count = 748. :)

The Contenders – 2012.
Rugby league is back! The NRL, the toughest and most exciting club competition in the world has kicked off in 2012. So I figure it’s time to put ‘em on the line, as they say, and join all the other budding Nostradamus’ out there by making some predictions for the season ahead, starting with my top eight teams in 2012. My top eight teams for 2012 are, in no particular order, the Warriors, the Storm, the Sea-Eagles, the Dragons, the Tigers, the Broncos, the Titans and the Sharks. What are my reasons for picking these eight? Let’s start with 2011 Grand Finalists, the Warriors. This club has a wealth of young talent to draw from that makes them the envy of most other clubs in the NRL. Throw in a solid core of seasoned players that have been together for a few seasons now, the likes of Simon Mannering, Michael Luck and Manu Vatuvei and there’s little not to like about this team. Special mention needs to be made here of Feleti Mateo, who some would argue went through a coming of age at the Warriors in 2011. I believe he is ready for Origin in 2012 after making his desire to play for NSW known. While their coach Brian McLennan may be new to the NRL, his coaching CV leaves little doubt that he deserves his shot, having had success at every level that he has coached up to this point, including back to back English Super League premierships coaching the Leeds Rhinos.
In 2011, the Melbourne Storm finished minor premiers and got to within one game of the Grand Final after shedding a number of quality players following the salary cap scandal of 2010. This success reflects two factors that I believe will again see the Storm as a probable top four side in 2012. The first factor is the quality of the players that form the so-called “spine” of their team – Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater. In terms of the quality of its spine, Melbourne is second to none in the NRL. The other factor is the development systems and structures in place at the club. The Storm’s structured style of game means that around this exceptional spine new players can fit into the team relatively seamlessly.
2011 premiers Manly and 2010 premiers St George find themselves in similar situations, with some writing off their chances in 2012 as a result of a change of coach. The Sea Eagles have lost Des Hasler to the Bulldogs, while the Dragons have lost Wayne Bennett to the Knights. However, in my mind both teams still possess too many quality players to be written off and both should feature in the 2012 finals series. Manly boast an almost unchanged playing roster from 2011.
Will this be the year of the Wests Tigers? As usual in recent seasons they will start as one of the pre-competition favourites, but will 2012 be the year they finally deliver? They again boast the talent. Their quality forward pack has been further boosted by the acquisition of Adam Blair from the Storm. The combination of Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah will be crucial to their title chances, but there are questions about another key position – fullback.
It will be interesting to see how the Broncos fare in 2012 without the talismanic Darren Lockyer. I believe their young talent, better for last season’s experience of the NRL, and under the guidance of seasoned professionals such as Petero Civoniceva, new captain Sam Thaiday, Corey Parker and Peter Wallace, sees the club in good shape heading into this “post-Lockyer” era.
I think one can write off the Titan’s dismal 2011 season as an aberration from a club that has otherwise performed reasonably well. It was perfectly clear that by halfway through last season the club was already thinking ahead to 2012, and strong recruitment, coupled with the experience gained last year by young guns such as Matt Srama should see marked improvement in 2012.
Finally, I believe that 2012 will provide respite to long suffering Sharks fans, with a return to finals footy on the cards. There is little doubt that the club typically boasts strength in the forwards, particularly in the second row, and in recent seasons has developed some talented backs as well. Will Todd Carney provide the missing quality link between them? He’s on his last chance and I think he knows it, so I reckon he will.
 
Messages
21,783
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Russell Crowe's Band. Making his debut hit up in F7s for The Warriors.


750 words OWC. checkit

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*****************************************************

Same Old Sharks


Sunday 2pm
First home game of the season.
A healthy Sunday afternoon crowd that was willing, hoping that their local battlers could this season show something. Anything. This could be the game to get the fans all back on side. This club needs every bit of support it can get right now.

Sunday’s home game against Newcastle was hugely important for everyone associated with the club. The membership team, who work incredibly hard each off season building a membership base on a shoe string budget. The fans of the club who have endured 19 wins in the three full seasons since Greg Bird was stood down (including the Raiders home semi, the Sharks won 18 games in 2008). A loss here would be a 10th successive loss. That’s happened a lot recently.

Appropriately, The Cronulla Sharks put in one of their typically inept displays that have been a characteristic of the last three seasons.
The crowd never got into the game. How could they? The performance dished up by the home team was indicative of a group that doesn’t have the first idea what it takes to compete week to week in the premiership. Put simply, it was unprofessional.

There were glaring errors. Sam Tagaetese dropped the pill with the line begging. John Williams crossed the line off a forward pass. Ben Pomeroy made a break then managed to crash into his own support runner. In the end they were defeated by a Newcastle side that didn’t even get out of second gear. The Sharks scored one sole consolation charity try of a dubious video referee decision. From my view on the North West hill I don’t think we scored. But I did see that this team is fundamentally lacking in just about every area.

Who’s to blame?

Start at the top. Management have hired Shane Flanagan for one reason and one reason only. He’s the cheapest possible hire at that position. The club has well documented financial issues. So they hire someone who in this fan and members (SHA-26798. For the record) opinion is not qualified for the position.

Shane seems a good enough guy. I met him at the end of the season in 2011. The Sharks had just lost again to the West’s Tigers but he was good enough to sign a poster and have a quick chat. However at 9 wins and 24 losses at 27.3 percent it’s hard to argue he is doing an acceptable job of coaching the team. By comparison Chris Anderson was sacked after 51 matches with a record of 24-27. Stuart Raper was given the boot after the club lost 10 games in a row to end 2006. Flanagan has achieved the 10 streak on Sunday. He won’t be sacked as it is round two and the club can ill afford another payout.

The problem for the Sharks, the Fans, Shane Flanagan and Captain Paul Gallen is that without the football operations budget to compete with the rest of the league, they cannot make any drastic improvements, unless Todd Carney re discovers the form he had in 2010.
The Sharks simply do not have the resources to win matches consistently. This club does not lack playing talent. The clubs all spend the same money on the salary cap (well, they are supposed to anyway) however the money other clubs spend on all other football related expenditure dwarfs Cronulla’s. The best assistants, coaches, video replay staff, trainers etc are not available to the Sharks.
The side lacks the professionalism of the other clubs. As a result The Sharks lose a lot. When you lose so often you don't get on Free To Air Television. When you can’t make Free to Air your ability to sign a major financial partner is greatly diminished. Cronulla and Canberra did not get chosen for a free to air game in the first 5 weeks of the season. Neither club has a major financial partner.

This week’s game against defending premiers Manly is do or die for the season. A loss here followed by two tricky road games and the season could be over when St George-Illawarra visit in round 6. To start the season the club was talking up their playoff aspirations.
Its time for Cronulla to stand up. For themselves, their fans and everyone involved at Captain Cook Dive. God knows they need something to cheer for. The Sharks have after all won only 19 games in the past 3 seasons.


*******************************************************

Sources

http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/coaches/Shane_Flanagan/summary.html
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/coaches/Chris_Anderson/summary.html
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/coaches/Stuart_Raper/summary.html
http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/teams/Cronulla_Sutherland_Sharks/results.html?page=6
 

WarriorDefence

Juniors
Messages
206
Making my debut for the mighty warriors- heres 748 of the best words i could string together.

I hate Michael Ennis, really hate him. Given the chance i would give him so many right hands, he would be begging for a left. Why? i don’t know. I have never met the him, he seems like a decent guy in the interviews I have seen. Hes never done anything to me but i just cant stand him.
Why do we hate certain players? do we even need a reason? there must be one- but what is it?
Some guys, like Ennis just have a face only a mother could love. Sounds ridiculous to base your opinion of someone purely on their appearance but we all do it. How many times have you heard someone say "look at that twat, i just want to wipe that smug look off his ugly mug" or words to that effect.
Its not just their physical features but often their expressions and mannerisms that tick us off.
Then there is the success factor. We love to hate the teams which have been too successful. First to spring to mind are the broncos teams of the nineties. More recently Melbourne and Manly have taken up that role. Not only because they beat the teams we support but also because success tends to bred confidence. Often this confidence soon turns to vanity. There’s a certain swagger associated with guys like Slater, Smith and the Stewart brothers that rubs people up the wrong way.
The media also play a part in who we love or hate. Often painting a player in a certain light, whether it be as a saint or sinner. The amount of media coverage a particular player or club gets can also cause ill feeling. Surely im not the only one who is sick of hearing about the tigers and their unstoppable march towards the 2012 premiership? every time you pick up a paper or turn on a TV there is Marshall and Farrah- kingpins of the best and most exciting rugby league side in the world.
This seems to be an obvious attempt by the NRL, NSWRL and Sydney media to combat the creation of the Greater Western Sydney AFL club. However being a warriors fan (whose club struggle for a mention even on shows such as nrl on fox or the footy show- little own getting an extended story on prime time news) this unyielding tiger coverage really puts a salt in my coffee.
But do we really hate these players? or do we just love to hate them?
In his prime Gordon Tallis ticked most my "reason to hate them" boxes. he played for the broncos, the most successful club of the time. Often the focus of media attention, he had a real arrogance about him on the field and a big angry looking head that was just asking to be hated.
Then in 2004 a funny thing happened- Tallis retired and i missed him. I missed his aggression, i missed his ugly mug and more than anything i missed sitting in front of the TV hoping against hope that someone would absolutley smash him.
It was then i realized that i never hated him at all, just loved to hate him. All the resentment was gone because when you really think about it all these reasons for hating a player- their look, their teams success, the over the top media coverage, it all would have meant nothing if only they played for my team.
We need these villains in our game because without them there is no one to boo and if there is no one to boo what do we have to cheer for? wheres the fun in beating a team full of players who you like?
This is why i cant wait for Willy Mason to return. Then i can start hating on him and have a reason to hate which ever team he plays for even more than i already do.
I can look forward to the warriors playing him in the hope that Matulino or Vatuvei will knock him the hell out. I will boo him from the terraces or on the TV and he will give me a reason to cheer even louder for my own side.
So thanks for that big Willy and Mr Ennis, the Stewart brothers, and all the other villains in this mighty game of ours. i wish you all the very worst and hope only bad things happen to you all- well until you retire that is.
 
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Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
108,126
The St George Dragons bus rolls into Jubilee Avenue and passes the Legend's Walk before finding a great parking spot behind Stoney's slab. Past greats are there to greet the current F7s squad. The Warriors do their haka, the Dragons respond with a neat display of flame throwing. The crowd cheers and the chant goes up: Fire up!

ST GEORGE TEAM
:::::F7s Round 1, 2012:::::

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Willow (c)
Everlovin' Antichrist
Hutty1986
Tanner Ave (on debut)
Breathingfire

Interchange:
Dragon_psa
Godz Illa
Slippery Morris (on debut)

Good luck one and all. :thumn
 

Tanner Ave

Juniors
Messages
539
Tanner Ave for the Mighty Dragons
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Steal City

In life we often criticise people for “selling out”. For many people, the idea that an individual would put fame, fortune and success over an unwritten tablet of core values is a pretty hard pill to swallow. It defies a time-honoured list of morals that they have determined to live by.

Selling out is rarely associated with the Australian way of life, especially if you are from the blue collar tribes that line the major cities of this great country. The act usually reserved for individuals (rightly or wrongly) like Peter Garrett’s political alliance, or Anthony Mundine and his “pro” boxing fights. But one city is bucking the trend that Australians have lived by for years, one city that cares not for the core values it prided and built itself on, one city that has sold itself in pursuit of fame, fortune and the success we all crave.

That city is Newcastle.

It seems that the town of Newcastle and supporters of the Knights have been hijacked by their desire for success. This is a town that for many years stood with pride in their jersey as local juniors grew into local stars, playing the game of league with passion and pride. Yet, they are now intent to see the ultimate prize of a championship come to town no matter what the cost.

The writing was on the wall many moons ago when Paul Harrington gave interview after interview about the desire to see change in Newcastle, and Brian Smith was the man to do it. What followed were amazing headlines and dodgy decisions when and a family man was shown the door - Brian Smith's hatchet had landed! He dumped a man who represented all of the finer values of the town of Newcastle, values that apparently were the reason Newcastle was different to every other team. We were led to believe that it was more about who people are and what they stand for over the simple desire to win. Yes, I refer to the Adam Reynolds and the way he was treated. What a shock to us all, he was as blue collar as they come (literally) and Newcastle was a town as blue collar as they come. A marriage made in heaven! But suddenly through this situation we were seeing a new, different, changing Newcastle.

"Ahh, that bloody Brian Smith", we all cried. "He is going to tear that team apart!"

But we were fooled, the Newcastle board pranked us good. It seems that Brian Smith was a muppet of the faceless men, for their desire of success, it should have been the warning to all of us, that this club and ultimately the town was about to sell itself out!

We see clubs changing their jersey every two or three years and as supporters we understand the need generate revenue. In response, we try to stretch our budget as far as possible - to try and support by buying what we can. But to see your colours and the very essence of your club change without an outcry from the fans, it is clear that the whole city has jumped onto the wagon and and abandoned those concerns that were once considered paramount.

Now fast forward to today where we see a new coach hired at the expense of Rick Stone. A local boy, Stone had been waiting for his chance. When that chance finally arrived, it was snatched as quickly and easily as broccoli from a child.

Since then we have witnessed the recruitment drive and tracked the way players have been bought, and brought into the team. It leaves the question out there: What is more important, Rugby League or the way Rugby League is played?

Possibly the most alarming fact is that the city and people of Newcastle have not only copped it, but they have embraced it. They support the way their club represents their city. If Newcastle was built on the values of the blue collar worker, it is going to live the future as a green collar worker. It’s the colour of those incarcerated, no matter what their crime. For this team is now a fraud, impersonating a group they are no longer part of.

Maybe they were always this way.

Their theme song:

Playin' hard, playin' tough, Just plain good is not good enough, We're gonna show you what league's all about, If there's a lesson to be learned we're handing it out.

Lesson learnt. Sell outs!

(750 words)
 
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Breathingfire

Juniors
Messages
1,575
Breathingfire pumps his fist in excitement as he crashes over for the Dragons second try! :D

Breathingfire
jersey_dragons_1a.gif



Attitude

Attitude is a word not uncommonly heard in Rugby League circles. A word bandied about by many a player, and a prominent utterance in the vocabulary of any coach worth his salt. A good coach knows that the foundation of a good performance starts with a good attitude.

Attitude can be defined as a state of mind or a feeling; disposition. In the context of rugby league, the definition of attitude becomes more complex. Indeed it can be said that attitude begins with the individual, however a group of 17 players take the field and together they form a “collective attitude”. The balance of 17 different personalities, positions, skill sets, talents, forms, and status within the playing group gives birth to a very delicate and fragile composition. The coach has the unenviable job of working and refining this balance in a manner that promotes and fosters a positive collective attitude. The success of any sporting team hinges on this balance.

The great players often speak of it; the lesser players often seek it.

The great teams never cheat it; the lesser teams hope to beat it.

Fulltime training regimes, technology and the evolution of various performance indicators, along with an even spread of talent thanks to the salary cap, has seen the gap between our respective clubs close over the last decade. The one primary mitigating factor that stands to separate the good teams from the bad is attitude.

The contrast between good and bad attitude was on display in the last two fixtures of the St George Illawarra Dragons rugby league season. The red and whites were poorly beaten in one of the worst losses in recent memory against the Canterbury Bulldogs at ANZ Stadium in Homebush only a week ago. No respect for possession, lacklustre defence, poor communication, a drop in intensity and a complete lack of starch in the forwards had the alarm bells ringing out Kogarah way. A very obvious attitude problem had bled through the squad and had supporters calling for Coach Steven Price’s head after only two games.

What a difference a week in footy makes, or should we say what a difference a good attitude makes.

The Dragons came out hungry in front of their home crowd folklore and put right the wrongs of the previous week’s debacle. When one considers that the structures of the previous week were only marginally different and the majority of the squad from the Bulldogs game remained on board, the question might be asked; what was so different?

Well, attitude!

The Wests Tigers were no match for the mighty Red V and appeared to suffer from their own underwhelming attitude, with sloppy handling, missed tackles and poor discipline the theme of the night. The Dragons played with tenacity, ferociousness, commitment and respect. There was evidence of attention to detail and a desire to do the little things right. Each member of the collective put in that little extra effort to play for the full 80 minutes.

It all sounds so simple, yet it takes great character and strength to come out and turn things around in front of a notoriously uncompromising supporter base who wanted blood after the previous weeks disgrace.

The irony of it all is that the uncompromising nature of the supporter base may have in fact been the catalyst for the shift in attitude within the playing group. The supporters of this great club demand nothing less than the absolute best.

So it should come as no surprise that the playing group demand exactly the same of themselves. Their pride was hurt and they had a point to prove. The sea of red and white supporters that coloured the hill at WIN Jubilee Oval when lesser supporter groups would have stayed at home, showed a commitment to the cause. We had faith in our team, faith in our club and faith in ourselves. We had a great attitude! Thankfully, it was vindicated by the attitude on the playing field.

As the old saying goes “you reap what you sow”.

[676 words]
 

Robster

Bench
Messages
3,950
Robster and Willow trade punches in a epic encounter.

----
WE NEED A 2ND KIWI NRL TEAM!!


When I think of a local derby I always think of Cronulla Sharks against the St George Dragons and the South Sydney Rabbitohs up against arch rivals the Sydney City Roosters. But unfortunately me being a Warriors fan since Day 1 in March 1995 , I have never felt the passion of my team going into battle with a local team.

Now there is hope. Owen Glenn has only had shares in the New Zealand Warriors for the past couple weeks and now the multi millionaire is pushing for a 2nd NRL team based in New Zealand.

It's in my opinion that Rugby League is changing. The amount of Kiwi's coming through the ranks of the Toyota cup are staggering. If you think back to the late 90's basically almost the whole New Zealand Kiwi's International team were made of Auckland Warriors players. It was fair to say that back then a 2nd New Zealand NRL team wouldn't of gone down well at all due to the depth of Kiwi talent.

Now it's 2012 ,and the total of New Zealand Blooded NRL players named in the Round 3 squads other then the Warriors is 56. That total makes up 3 teams in the competition. And the amount of New Zealander's in the Toyota cup are almost double that total. Today New Zealand has the best player in the World of Benji Marshall. Wouldn't it be great for Kiwi talent such as Benji Marshall and a upcoming star of Cowboy's Jason Taumalolo have a 2nd team in New Zealand as a possible new club??

For years, if not decades we have witnessed and most of us got use to Australia dominating the NRL, the World Cups and Tri/Four nation tournaments. Now unbelievably the Warriors getting worshiped by fans at the airport, the Kiwis winning the Four nations of 2010 and would you believe it?? The latest Rugby League World Cup in 2008. The World cup win was quite possibly the greatest watch on the living room couch in my entire life. The Rugby League World 2008 was predicted by many that it would be a tribute World to Australian Rugby League. But that wasn't the case as the conclusion proved that New Zealand has come a very long way to become a dominate force in the 13 a side world. Certainty the proudest day as a Rugby League fan that bleeds Kiwi.

I feel Owen Glenn needs to push for a Wellington Team. Based on the crowds for the Hurricanes, the Sevens Rugby Union tournament and even the Wellington Phoenix I can safely say that the Wellington locals would treasure a NRL team that would see them getting a bigger crowd then the Wellington Hurricanes. I also for allot of reasons that the New Zealand much prefer watching NRL then Super 14 Rugby Union. In Round 1 the Warriors attracted almost 40,000 in attendance whilst the Rugby Union Auckland Blues team struggle to even get a quarter of that amount. Rugby League viewing has improved rapidly in past decade.

Below I have made a fantasy team filled of New Zealanders that don't contain any Warriors.

1. Josh Hoffman, 2. Sam Perritt 3: Gerard Beale, 4: Steve Matai, 5: Jason Nightingale 6: Benji Marshall 7: Kieran Foran , 8 - Roy Asotasi, 9 - Isaac Luke , 10: Sam McKendry , 11: Jeremy Smith, 12: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, 13: Frank Paul Nuuausala. Bench: Frank Pritchard, Greg Eastwood, Ben Roberts, Shaun Kenny-Dowall.

Oh imagine the rivalry of two New Zealand teams locking horns with one another. For me as a Warriors fan I can only Dream of having a local derby between Auckland and perhaps Wellington or Christchurch. I can dream at this stage. But I hope in 2015 or little bit beyond I can witness my first local encounter in New Zealand. Oh just IMAGINE!! A Kiwi Rugby League dream indeed.

--

652 words.
 
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Hutty1986

Immortal
Messages
34,034
Hutty charges back into the fray for 2012...

Hutty1986
jersey_dragons_1a.gif

Rugby League; a heart-stopping obsession

“You are going give yourself a bloody heart attack if you keep going on like that, it’s just a game of football!”

So said my mum to me back in 2004, after my beloved Saints had again managed to enthusiastically grab defeat from the jaws of victory. Those were tough times as a Dragons supporter, always having a so-called ‘star line-up’ yet failing to meet expectations year after year. Every week I would ride them like a beaten favourite, taking each loss like a dagger to the heart and each win like a home run in a nunnery.

But why does watching my side win mean so much? My dear old mum was probably right you know, I take my footy way too seriously. I’m passionate and I don’t shy away from that, it makes the rollercoaster ride that much sweeter, for better or for worse. Such is the life of a Rugby League tragic and being a Saints fan is more akin to masochism, until the past few years of course. Watching the Dragons win the 2010 premiership was one of the greatest moments of my life. I’m getting married in August and while that will be the pinnacle, the memories of 17 months ago will never fade.

What makes me feel better is the fact that I’m not the only one. Go to any NRL ground over the next 29 weekends and you will see them there - the nutters and the ‘never-say-dies’. Screaming at every call that goes against their boys, politely reminding the referees that the opposition have, in fact, “been doing it all day.” I don’t really know why I call them nutters because I’m one of them, beer in hand, jersey on my back screeching and yelling, jumping and fist-pumping. March 1st was a historic day and a Thursday evening that I had been looking forward to ever since Darren Lockyer had kicked the Drags from the comp the previous September. We were to play Newcastle, in Newcastle with more sub-plots than a Mills & Boon novel. The great Wayne Bennett taking on his former club, Darius Boyd up against his old team-mates and a plethora of ex-Saints in the Knights line-up.

My team would go on to win a nail-biter 15-14 in golden point, the first time we had ever triumphed in the lottery of extra time. I was delighted but this was probably after I had loudly informed each and every other resident in my building that Beau Scott was “the most brainless bloke on the planet” and various other remarks about the legendary Jason Nightingale. Was it worth the stress for just one win, in round one no less? You bet it was.

Since moving to Canberra in 2006 I have gotten to know quite a few Raiders fans and have been to plenty of Green Machine matches. Everyone else in Australia might think the nation’s capital is full of corpses in suits, but the Raiders supporters do love their team. It’s been pretty well-documented in the media that St George Illawarra have left Canberra Stadium beaten in every single match since 2000. I have seen first-hand six of those defeats and six of the most jubilant celebrations by fans in lime green you could ever imagine. Bruce Stadium is a cold bugger of a place and not much fun when you’re an away fan who’s just seen his team get pumped again. I don’t mind though, it’s what makes this game of Rugby League great. You take the mickey out of your mates when your side beats theirs and you cop it in return if their boys are too good.

The media seems almost certain the boys in red and white will miss the eight this year. No Bennett, no Boyd, no Gasnier, no hope. I don’t believe a word of it and I remember the time that Manly were tipped to win the spoon a few years ago. They didn’t go so badly, I think they won the grand final that year to the tune of 40-nil.

Luckily for my mother, I have lived out of home for a long time now and she doesn’t have to hear too many of my famous rants. I’ve chilled out a bit since 2010, but I’m just as passionate as I ever was.

And my heart hasn’t given up on me just yet.

(734 words, including title)
 
Messages
42,632
EA For the Dragons.

jersey_dragons_1a.gif


The New Crystal Ball.

March 2012

The Wests Tigers announce that they’re on the lookout for a $500,000 a season second row forward whose skills include getting in the way of teammates, miss tackles constantly, get penalised at least 4 times per game, act like Randy “Macho Man” Savage in every tackle and disappear frequently during a game of Rugby League. They are unsuccessful in their quest because there’s only one Adam Blair.

South Sydney fans declare after their performance against Penrith that their team is a certainty for the top 8 and that they are obviously premiership favourites.

April 2012

Channel 9’s The Footy Show is accused of having 5 minutes of actual Rugby League content. Channel 9 immediately reigns in this outrageous behaviour and puts the Producer on notice that it had better not happen again.

Channel 9 announces that it will show one Rugby League match nationally on Sunday the 15th of April. Channel 9 claims that this proves their commitment to increasing the profile of Rugby League nationally, even after twenty odd years of not showing Rugby League nationally.

No one at Channel 9 gives any indication that they know what the word "irony" means.

May 2012

Channel 9 announces a new reality show called “Ten fat bastards who used to be famous”. The show will be hosted by whomever hosted the last failed chubby-chaser fantasy reality show and will star 6 ex-AFL players and three celebrities who were thought by everybody to be deceased. Channel 9 claims that this proves their commitment to increasing the profile of Rugby League nationally.

June 2012

The Australian Rugby League TV rights contracts for the next 5 years are signed off. Channel 10 secures the rights to 3 NRL matches per week, Foxtel secures the rights to 5 NRL matches per week, Channel 7 secures the rights to State of Origin and International matches. Channel 9 secures the right to spend the next 5 years in a dogfight with the ABC for the number 3 position in the TV ratings race. Channel 9 doesn’t claim that this proves their commitment to increasing the profile of Rugby League nationally.

Channel 9 announces that from 2013, as the only Winter Football code they have any rights to is Rugby Union, they’ll be adding 3 AFL shows and 2 NRL shows to their content.

No one at Channel 9 learnt anything from recent events and no one outside Channel 9 is surprised.

July 2012

The worst-kept secret in Rugby League is confirmed, Sonny-Bill Williams has signed for the Roosters for three years beginning in 2013. It is written into his contract that he is allowed to travel to the United States once a year to participate in the TV show Bum Fights. It is believed, by his management team, that participating in that show will increase his credibility in the sport of Boxing.

August 2012

AFL team GWS’s attendances dwindle to sub-10,000 and the Swans to less than 20,000 making the net attendance gain for AFL in Sydney a few thousand.

The CEO of the AFL, Andrew Demetriou, in an interview on Channel 9 explains that the less-than-stellar inclusion of the GWS and Gold Coast Suns teams to the AFL is nothing more than a blip on the radar and that the AFL’s Australian sporting domination plans are still in place. When it’s pointed out that he has denied that AFL are trying to dominate the sporting landscape of Australia Demetriou tearfully explains that he’s actually the human incarnation of Pinocchio and that surely everyone would notice if he had been lying. Demetriou then instructs his aide to fly to Wiesbaden in Germany to scratch the end of his nose.

September 2012

As a retirement present Parramatta announce that they’re halving the salary of every other player in the squad for the year 2012 and increasing Nathan Hindmarsh’s salary to 50% of their salary cap which is commensurate with the amount of effort Hindmarsh has given in relation to the rest of the Parramatta side.

South Sydney’s fans do what they do almost every September; they watch teams they don’t support play in the Semi-finals.

30th September 2012

Cronulla-Sutherland lead the Grand Final 14-6 with 30 seconds to go, they are in possession deep in the opposition's half when the Mayan prophecy for 2012 comes true…



724 words, including title.
 
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half

Coach
Messages
16,735
half | Warriors

Where are the Chinese kids?

Across Sydney, Chinese boys are being told they can’t play rugby league – and not by their friends, but by their parents. It happened to me.

It’s the oft-repeated story.

“We Chinrese don’t pray no lugby reague,” my Chinese mother yelled, brandishing a leather strap in her left hand and a study guide in her right. “Ten year old and don’t know carcurus!” At this point, my father would chime in, “Oh rook what you done. You upset your mother and bling shame to famiry. Sometimes I rish I have no son.”

They beat me. I swore I would never mention rugby league ever again.

I remember the long walk back to my study den, which doubled as a bedroom for me and my four sisters. I tore down my ET and Ryan Girdler posters from the wall and picked up my violin, playing a sad song to match the moment.

“Yeah, you better plactice. You won’t win school concert praying rike that,” my mother asserted, mocking me from across the apartment. She was right. I was a mess.

That’s how it happened. I was almost lost to the sport. For the ten years that followed, I did not play nor watch rugby league.

Chinese immigrants, a fair portion of Sydney’s population, stubbornly cling to the culture of our homeland. It is a culture with values that are uncommon to most Australians. The Chinese are a fiercely proud collective, united by strong family bonds. We believe in hard work and sacrifice, and most of us are impossible to please. Even after years of success at school and spending hours night after night working for the family business, be it ironing shirts or washing dishes, it’s not rare for a Chinese boy to receive absolutely no positive acknowledgement from his parents before graduating from university.

It should come as no surprise that the Chinese have taken none too well to rugby league. It’s a scruffy game for the working class. Even someone who has only spoken English a fraction of his or her lifetime will notice that rugby league players have limited vocabularies. The Chinese look down upon this. Unlike other immigrants to Australia, we hold class aspirations. Mind you, we don’t watch union either. My dad once wore a Waratahs’ polo, and that was only to impress his boss at work on casual Friday.

So if Chinese people are not watching rugby league, what do they do in their free time? It’s a trick question; we don’t have free time. That’s a big part of the problem. We certainly have no time for rugby league – well, most of us anyway. Rugby league defies everything the Chinese appreciate in life. A typical game of rugby league is riddled with more errors than a white friend’s maths test. While most rugby league players would simply consider knock-ons and forward passes a natural part of the game, for a Chinese boy they could be the harbinger of nightmares for years.

But times are changing.

Perhaps I am not the best example of a Chinese convert to rugby league. I was free to make my own choices in life after my parents died in a terrible 4WD accident in a Hurstville car park, caused by my mother accidently stepping on the accelerator when she meant to brake, and not seeing another vehicle, a bus, right in front of her. But more and more Chinese teens are following the Western standard and ignoring their parents. If you get rolled at a basketball court in Sydney, it could well be by a Chinese boy. Disoriented Chinese youth are organising study groups but actually coming together for casual sporting activities, particularly basketball games, away from the eyes of their parents. Dexamphetamines give them ample time to study well beyond midnight, so their parents are none the wiser to their ruse.

Why are Chinese kids playing basketball? The answer is simple: Yao Ming and Jeremy Lin. The NBA is massive in China due to the popularity of these stars. Imagine what a Chinese star could do for rugby league. I won’t be that star – I’m too small and timid to be anything but a fringe first grader. But when the Chinese finally have an NRL superstar to call their own, we will finally stand up and take note. We are worse than Australians. We love a Chinese success story.
 
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Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
108,126
Willow | St George
jersey_dragons_1a.gif



Roll Call

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"Everybody wants to believe it, that's what makes it so clever."
- Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock)

I have been asked to put together a roll call of the worst Rugby League writers over the last 20 years. The tabloid gimps who think their farts smell like cinnamon buns.

But first, I think a good rant is in order.

It is abundantly clear that the modern media thrive on creating news, rather than reporting news. Anyone who doubted this should have been swayed by the recent phone hacking scandals in Britain. The fact is, journalists are now on the lower rungs of society when it comes to being trusted. A recent Readers Digest survey in Australia ranked journalists 40th in a list of 45 professions. Indeed, some criminals are considered more honourable.

But it wasn't always that way.

When I was a young bloke, Peter 'Chippy' Frilingos was a good sports writer. Before the internet and the modern media bombardment, the best way to get a detailed report of a Rugby League match was to buy the paper. In the 1970s, I read The Daily Mirror every Monday morning and I would go over every word in detail. Frilingos knew his stuff, he had that ability to bring the reader to the game.

But as he got older, or maybe it was me, I began to notice the simple match report making way for sensationalism and hyperbole... or as we used to say, just general bullshit. No longer could I read a match report and feel like I was at the game. Instead, I had to cut through a jungle of unrelated gossip, rumour and innuendo just to get to the scorecard.

This style of tabloid reporting found a new low during the Super League war of 1996-97. The level of bias and political jockeying during this time was appalling to say the least. In what looked like a race to the bottom, The Daily Telegraph took the lead, and at the head was one Peter Frilingos, now the publication's chief Rugby League writer.

It was around this time that I stopped reading newspapers. After all, there other ways to keep up with the game.

"Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul."
-The Principal (Billy Madison)

The thing is, the tabloid gimps have gone too far. People always liked a bit of gossip, but to take over to a point where the game becomes a secondary event shows total disregard for the reader. More and more people are turning away from the gutter rags because there are now alternatives, but also because many of the writers and commentators simply insult their intelligence.

Of course, the nonsense isn't confined to the printed media. Television and radio are no slouches when it comes to creating a yarn. TV league commentators and radio announcers also push to influence opinion; they have that power and are arrogant enough to promote an agenda because they think it is their 'right'. Truth is, they're just another opinion that should be taken with a grain of salt.

Let me show you how easy it is...

"I could list examples but now I just ask you, the reader, to stop reading the tabloids."
-Willow (Forum Sevens)

Hoped that worked. Somehow I doubt it. But at least we have established the irony in my rant. Of course, the tabloid writers are usually not this honest with their readers.

One more thing before I get to my roll call...

It is a sad fact that the modern league writer has to compete with other tabloid columnists just to get a look in. They have to write crap just to get earn a basic wage. Yes, they're actually fighting over scraps in exchange for their soul. So the arrogance from those at the top appears to be endemic, for the time being at least.

End of rant.

So without further ado, here is a roll call of Rugby League's worst tabloid writers over the last 20 years.

Top of the list is Frilingos. The rest of you scumbags will have to take a ticket. 'Chippy' only gets a guernsey because he should be remembered for once being a decent writer.

Oh sorry guys, you probably wanted to see your names mentioned here. Alas, I won't be giving you any free publicity today. Call it an ego thing... I'm sure you can relate to that.

Words | 750
 
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joshie

Live Update Team
Messages
3,115
Midnight.jpg


No more articles to be counted; over to the ref.
 
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Messages
17,427
Note: (OWC Given Amount/Actual Amount)

Marks - DRAGONS vs WARRIORS

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DRAGONS

Tanner Ave - Steal City (OWC 750/749)
The writer has given us their insights amongst the changes regarding the culture of the Newcastle Knights. I had figured this topic might come up in the Sevens this week, but I gotta say, it's better than nearly every opinion piece I've seen so far, either from a Dragons fan or just a League Tragic. This includes newspapers, however, beating them is no feat! The layout is good, a nice balance of fact and opinion. A bit of emotion displayed in there too, enjoyable and well written.
86

Breathingfire - Attitude (OWC 676/676)
The writer has given us an article displaying the meaning of Attitude in Rugby League. This article is also an interesting read, well in-depth with a good flow. It's an amazing word, however, even with a bad attitude you can still win games (I am a Roosters fan haha). I wish you wrote something longer, not for marks, but to see more that you have to say.
87

Hutty1986 - Rugby League; A Heart-Stopping Obsession (OWC 734/734)
The writer has allowed us into his obsession with Rugby League, and more importantly, their beloved Dragons. A well-structured piece that captures emotion, with some signs of hope. The rollercoaster is the best thing, it really is. We can all relate to this one.
87

Everlovin' Antichrist - The New Crystal Ball (OWC 724/727)
The writer has given predictions with the help of their own crystal ball, in the months to come. It's always good to see a bit of humour in this competition, and it's always great when it works. It would be nice if some of these predictions worked too. That is not the important bit, it's an enjoyable piece, well written.
86

Willow - Roll Call (OWC 750/750)
The writer has given us a rant about the rise and decline of Rugby League's so-called professional media folk. It is a great opinion piece, well documented and best of all, well flowing. The photo and the quotes, very well fitting too.
89

jersey_warriors_1.gif

WARRIORS

Sicknutter - The Contenders (OWC 748/748)
The writer has given a prediction, letting the readings into whom he thinks will be the eight sides that will make the finals in 2012, giving reasons why. You go into some detail about each one of them, but sadly that is all that a 750 word limit can provide, so it's always hard to nail one of these. A good opinion piece. In saying this, the layout can use some work, paragraphs always work well, it is always a little hard to mark a piece that is presented in one giant block. Also, your last section (about Cronulla) has been displayed in a smaller font. That one won't lose you points here, but something to be careful about in the future. Good luck for your future articles.
84

Russell Crowe's Band - Same Old Sharks (OWC 750/750)
The writer has shown not complete frustration, but a detailed look into the limited success of the club, I assume they support. Major problems are documented throughout the article, with comparisons of different occasions in the past written, which I thought was a good touch. It has been a rough time for Cronulla fans in the past few years, I was among those hoping they'd give their fans something to cheer about. Good luck for the season.
86

WarriorDefence - Untitled (OWC 748/748)
The writer has given us their insights into players they tend to dislike. The article is pretty good, giving us reasons why they are disliked, mind you, can never have a show without a villain. Sadly, the layout of the article has lost you points. First of all, as said previously, paragraphs are the best thing. Second, there are a few spelling errors (such as "Farrah", only one r) and a few errors with grammar. In saying that, good attempt for first try.
83

Robster - We Need A 2nd Kiwi NRL Team (OWC 652/651)
The writer has given us their reasons for wanting a second New Zealand team in the National Rugby League competition. It displays all of the great things New Zealanders have done in the past few years, owing success. First of all, it is way too short, you have limped in with the naming of the team, which, thanks to the OWC, tells me that 49 words have been used there. Also with that, you have:
1. Josh Hoffman
5: Jason Nightingale
8 - Roy Asotasi
Ben Roberts
Four different ways of displaying your players, it needs to be consistant. You also seem to have an issue with grammar, particularly "Kiwi's", which doesn't need the apostrophe, and "Now it's 2012 ,and the total", where the comma is misplaced. There are, in fact, a few examples where a lone comma counts as a word in the Counter. Without these there, you would lose a further five points. You are getting fully marked however. Other than this, good read. Sadly however, the errors in grammar have cost you dearly.
74

Half - Where Are The Chinese Kids (OWC 0/735)
The writer has given an interesting in-depth history regarding not only his, but other Asian relationships with Rugby League, and sport in general. First of all, the layout of the article, and the flow of it is spot-on, and with it being an interesting read, it's always a great bonus. Good read.
87

FINAL SCORE
DRAGONS 436 d. WARRIORS 410

PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Willow (Dragons)

Notes:
First to the Dragons, I know Willow well, and it seems like the group have bonded extremely well. Always a dangerous sign, looking forward to seeing what you have to offer in this new era.
To the Warriors, welcome back first of all. I see in another thread that you guys are starting a locker room, and it is the most important thing you'll use in this competition. Proof-read each other, whilst gearing each other on to get the article in on time. If you do this, you will be contenders. Best of luck!
 
Messages
17,427
Also, I apologise if my comments are a little unorganised. Not only am I getting right back into this, but, with house hunting, I'm feeling, ironically, a little unorganised. Glad to be back in the groove, bring on this ever-lasting competition.
 

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