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2012 Round three :: Rabbitohs v Bluebags

joshie

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

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-V-
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Match Preview: The patchy Rabbitohs will come up against the struggling Bluebags. This side will be closer than people think and both squads are looking to turn their seasons around.

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 30th April 2012 (6:00pm AEDT)
Full Time: Sunday 13th May 2012 (Fulltime is at midnight)
Referee: gUt
Venue: Redfern Oval

http://f7s.leagueunlimited.com/images/ground_redfern_1.jpg
 
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Monk

Referee
Messages
21,347
The Rabbitohs run out of the sheds full of confidence that they can notch up their first win of the season.

Good luck to everyone, this is sure to be a cracker!

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Monk (c)
Bubbles
eloquentEEL
Marshall_magic
byrne_rovelli_fan82

Bench:
Lambretta
Scott Gourley's Lovechild
Non_Terminator
 

Drew-Sta

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
24,567
The Bluebag's rock up in the bus a little worse for wear after a big night on the turps.

jersey_bluebags_1a.gif

Run on side
1. Drew-Sta
2. Timmah
3. muzby
4. Cliffhanger
5. rexxy

Reserves
6. AlwaysGreen
7. Red Bear
 

Drew-Sta

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
24,567
Drew-Sta takes the first hit up!

---
Spreading the truth
The reflections of two South Sydney missionaries and their trek through Bondi Beach.

*Ding dong*

*The sound of footsteps behind the door before the rattling of a chain and the door sliding open*

‘Hi there miss! My names brother John, and this is brother Fred. Can we have a minute of your time?’

The old lady at the door spies the two young men suspiciously, aware of their red and green jersey and the ‘Book of Grudges’ in their hands.

‘Are you two… Mormons?’ the lady asked, part curious and part fearful.

‘No ma’am, we’re members of ‘The Church of South Sydney and the Latter Day Fans’, and if you’d just open me up to Chapter 2, verse 4 of the Book of Grudges, you’ll seen that Greg Inglis is the Messiah for –’

*The woman slams the door shut and you can hear the chaining of the door as well as what appears to be the cocking of a shot gun*

‘Well, that’s how it rolls sometimes John,’ Fred soothed as they walked back down the pathway to the street. ‘You didn’t do anything wrong, she was just… well, she wasn’t going to listen to the truth. Sometimes these non-believers know there’s a Messiah; they just don’t want to believe that Greg Inglis is he.’

‘Are they always so rude?’ John asked, somewhat shaken by the encounter.

‘Not always. Some of them quite politely say no and close the door.’

Fred stopped and sat down at a bench, opening a can of coke.

‘Let’s have a break here, John.’

John sat down, a worried expression still on his face.

‘Hey, Fred, can I ask you a question?’

‘Sure, John.’

‘Do you ever have doubts?’

There was a small pause after the question was asked.

‘Doubts? As in, do I doubt Greg Inglis is the Messiah?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Well, that’s a good question John. I mean, I have had some doubts when I was a young fan. There have been many days that I’ve wondered ‘When will the Messiah return?’ But, when we signed Greg, all my fears evaporated. Now, well… we wait until the judgement. When Greg will judge the faithful and the non faithful as he holds up the statue of power.’

‘The what?’

‘The other fans call it the ‘premiership trophy’. They say it has two guys called Norm and Arthur on it, but the revelation of Greg Inglis has shown us the truth of the matter. It is really the carvings of Russell Crowe and Shane Richardson embracing at Greg’s birth.’

‘Ah yes, the ‘Immaculate Interception’, when Greg was borne against the run of play.’

John seemed more certain of things now.

‘C’mon, let’s try the next house.’

The two of them approached, and rang the doorbell. A young man opened the door.

‘G’day.’

‘Hi there sir! My names brother John, and this is brother Fred. Can we have a minute of your time?’

‘You sure can! Would you like to come in?’ The man was friendly and open, before opening the door and letting the two men in.

‘Thank you.’

‘Tea, or coffee?’ The man asked.’

‘Ah, tea, thanks,’ John replied.

‘Coffee, good sir,’ Fred replied.

The man took them into his kitchen and sat them down at the table, before turning to prepare the drinks. John turned around and gave two thumbs up to Fred. Yet, to his horror, Fred had the pale look of fear all over his face.

‘Uh, err, do you have a bathroom, sir?’ Fred asked.

‘Yes mate, just over there,’ the man replied as he pointed down the hall.

‘C’mon, John, follow me,’ called Fred.

John, unaware of what had spooked Fred, followed him to the bathroom.

When they entered, Fred was visibly shaking and had opened the Book of Grudges to the page on St George.

‘What’s wrong, Fred?’

‘J-J-J-John, do you know who that is?’

‘No Fred, who?’

Fred showed the page to John, and on it sat the face of the man who’d let them into the house. The words ‘Anti-Fan’ sat underneath.

‘Who is it?’ John asked, suddenly fearful.

‘The man who stands as the arch nemesis of South Sydney fans. He began the lol@50uff$ movement.’

‘Who?’

Suddenly, a violent roar was heard outside, and the edge of an axe pierced the door. Again and again the axed pounded whilst Fred and John screamed in fear. Finally, the man’s face poked through the door, and with an evil grin, he spoke.

‘Here’s muzby!’

---


Words - 750.
 

eloquentEEL

First Grade
Messages
8,065
eloquentEEL - Rabbitohs
________

The Condoned

Someone just lied there. Someone faked it. And someone displayed a penchant for Vaseline.

Far from a nervous attempt at producing amateur porn, these snapshots are actually all recent examples from our beloved National Rugby League. Witnessed by tens of thousands (or even hundreds of thousands) of horrified onlookers, the referees turned a blind eye and the matches carried on as if it is all par for the course and there is an unwritten rule that they are all perfectly acceptable practices on a football pitch.

Numerous players have stayed down for a potential high shot to be reviewed by the video ref and hopefully earn a penalty. The most obvious and flagrant of these incidents involves the player winking at his team mates. The tactic continues and the NRL has done nothing.

Dave Taylor feigned injury at a scrum before running full speed for a surprise hit up, yet the only outcome was a slap on the wrist for the Rabbitohs; to remind them that trainers are not allowed on the field during scrums (except in the event of serious injury).

James Graham smothered the back of his legs with a six pack of Vaseline (in order to make the oppositions’ hands slippery and therefore difficult for them to make subsequent tackles on the likes of Ben Barba and Kris Keating) and the commentators just shared a bit of a chuckle.

What do all of these examples have in common? They are “The Condoned”. They are plays (or should that be “ploys”?) which bring the game into disrepute and simply leave a bad taste in the mouth, but somehow keep getting overlooked by NRL officialdom. The rule makers haven’t addressed these and similar issues; and the so-called enforcers of the rules supposedly suggest that the rules allow for it. Well there is actually a rule which can be invoked to penalise those guilty of crimes against league. Included as a bit of a “catch all”, the rule book allows the ref to blow the whistle on play which is “not in the spirit of the game”.

”NRL Code of Conduct (17.3)” said:
Every Club and every person bound by this Code shall co-operate in ensuring that the spirit of the International Laws of the Game is upheld.

”International Laws of the Game (Section 15.1.i)” said:
A player is guilty of misconduct if he: behaves in any way contrary to the true spirit of the game.

The spirit of rugby league is about pitting one team against another in heavy contact. It is about endurance and testing physical limits. It is about guile and outsmarting your opponents with creative ball movement. It is not about finding loopholes in the rule book. It is not about sabotaging your opponents. It is not about milking penalties from the officials.

There may well be a fine line between exploiting the rules with a sneaky play or game plan (staying within the spirit of the game); and downright trying to cheat them. Examples of “The Condoned” have well and truly crossed the line. There is a difference between a game plan which involves purposely kicking the ball dead and one which calls for players to stay on the ground at the slight suggestion of a finger tip anywhere above the shoulders. There is a difference between decoy runs and decoy injuries. There is a difference between a well constructed run around to create space for another player and “assisting” a line break for your team mate by applying a lubricant onto your opponents’ hands.

Fans want to see real men in gladiatorial combat, not cowardly cats who are figuratively speaking, hitting below the belt. Fans are fed up with “The Condoned” crimes against league and it’s time for the officials to act. It’s time to remove this blight on our sport so that it can continue to thrive. It’s time to grow a pair and blow the whistle on lying down, Vaseline and faking it. May they all be banished back to the bedroom.
________
681 words between the lines (OWC)

References:
NRL Code of Conduct - http://www.rugbyleague.com.au/nrl/nrl_code_of_conduct.pdf

The International Laws of the Game - http://www.webcitation.org/5mYyri5Wv

James Graham’s Vaseline (28min mark) - http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/rugby-league-match-centre/live-eels-v-bulldogs-20120503-1y1cz.html

Dave Taylor faking injury - http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-inve/story-e6frfgbo-1226350466197
 

Bubbles

Juniors
Messages
416
Bubbles on for Rabbits
____________________________________
Much Ado About Nothing

With mere hours remaining before full-time the cursor blinks accusingly, the screen mocking me with its glaring emptiness; nothing, nada, nought. My brain is starting to throb dully with the swirling, twisting, unfocused ideas scrambling my brainwaves; zero, zilch, zip. I am bereft of inspiration, the well of notions run dry. Not for the first time I yearn for the bygone era of pen and parchment, if just for the visceral drubbing of pencil against notebook, a rhythmic drumming to draw focus. But, alas, I am a creature of this brave new world of technological advancement and cannot transpose myself back. A voice usually so strong and with an inherent need to be heard, swallowed by a vast crevasse of black nothingness. I pour a solid and generous shot of vodka into my cup, glad to have surrendered to the fact of my unfortunate chronic clumsiness and to have embraced the plastic and hope that a shot of courage can morph into a cartoon-style light bulb moment.

And then it happens, Parramatta take the field. Eighty minutes later and my husband is almost apoplectic from the immense effort it is taking to restrain himself from letting fly with abuse I can still almost hear, like some spectral echo from past Eels games. I recognise this exercise in restraint for what it is, a Mothers’ Day present, and I am thankful.

But, watching yet another game involving the Eels I was prepared and anticipating the expected laughs that normally ensue (duly stifled out of respect for hubby), however my current predicament has opened the door for an empathic chord to be strummed. After all, here sits I, an uncelebrated, anonymous set of fingers tap dancing across a keyboard, my only responsibility to my team mates, more faceless scribes hidden behind pseudonyms. And without a clue, without even a mere concept, I feel weighty expectation stirring a good dollop of panic through the maelstrom of my mind.

Now I have nestled my toes into the cavernous shoes of Kearney and I wonder whether he too is suffering from the prospect of complete and overwhelming nothingness. Short of spouting clichés and crunching out the company line, I wonder if Steve Kearney’s head is filled with the clanging of cymbals, as the monkey clashes out its chaotic tune in the void created by the absence of any ideas as to how to turn this team of his around.

Parramatta reminds me of the schizophrenic homeless lady who bailed me up asking for money and when I said I didn’t have any, got right up into my gobsmacked face and proceeded to scream obscenities. I simultaneously felt pity for the torment this poor woman’s existence must be, fearful before her erratic and unpredictable nature, and resentful about having been jarred from my cocoon of apathetic ignorance to face an ugly reality. Exactly like watching Parramatta play.

What answers does the coach have for the fans of this club? Let me repeat that... to the fans of this club? I’m not saying that there aren’t any sane, normal, balanced Parramatta fans, only that that I have obviously just never met you. So, you have a basket case of a club, a multitude of manic and maniacal fans who are beginning to resemble a mob of unruly villagers, tired of having their homes ransacked and burnt to the ground (fittingly) by the local ogre, now wielding pitchforks and stakes afire, hollering for blood. On top of this, all the planning, the strategising, the mistakes and the wrong turns and the well has truly dried up and yet the people still want answers.

For me if I produce nothing, or much ado about nothing, I have only to face the faceless and beggar forgiveness. For Steve Kearney, deservedly or not, he has the players to front in the sheds, beaten and despondent, the media whose collective eyes have rolled back into their heads as the smell of blood fills their nostrils and the band of vigilante weapon wielding fans, all hammering for ideas that just aren’t there; nothing, nada, nought.

I am at once thankful that my responsibility, while important to me, does not put me into a position where my limbs and organs are at risk of harm and am equally as grateful that the plight of the coach of Parramatta has provided me with a screen liberally littered with letters and alliteration!
_________________________________________
Word Count: 741
 

muzby

Village Idiot
Staff member
Messages
45,708
muzby takes his first hitup for the bluebags in 2012..

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750 words title to end (accoring to the OWC anyways..)

The Contract

Paul Gallen lay in bed, listening to his phone. He was in the middle of contract negotiations and his career was up in the air. Because of this, he’d had trouble sleeping. He was tired and didn’t want to answer, but he decided he shouldn’t let it ring out, so he picked it up.

It was his agent. “Paul, I’ve got bad news & I’ve got good news. Which did you want first?”

“Give me the bad first.” He grumbled into the phone.

“The Sharks have rejected the offer I’ve put forward for you. They’ve cut you loose.”

Gallen was stunned. This was his club, his life, his whole career to date. Now gone.

“So what’s the good news?”

“I’ve got you a contract with the Rabbitohs” said his agent.

“What the hell did you do that for??” Shouted Gallen.

“A contract is a contract”, said his agent.

Gallen had heard about the ‘Souffs Curse’, where successful representative players who joined the club watched their careers fade away to nothing. Where blokes had played out their entire careers without ever venturing onto the field during a finals campaign. Where the coach yells at the players instead of coaching them.

But he knew this was his only choice. Without this contract, his rugby league career was over. So he begrudgingly accepted.

When he arrived for the first day of training, he felt like he’d walked onto the set of a comedy movie. He saw blokes sitting there eating KFC, others trying to pass a football, but failing dismally, and a few more players running around in circles making “whoop whoop whoop” noises. He saw once proud representative players looking like mere shadows of themselves.

Despite this, he was determined to hold his head high and not let the Souffs Curse affect him. He trained extra at home and made sure he continued to keep his fitness and skills up.

However something changed on his first game day. The first time he pulled on the famed cardinal and myrtle jersey, he felt a bit dizzy. He tried picking up a football and dropped it. When he went to pick it up again, he fumbled it and sent it flying in the wrong direction.

He dismissed this incident and went to put on his football boots. After 10 minutes of trying he realised he was trying to put his shoes on the wrong feet.

Then it was the turn for the Rabbitohs to run out for the game. He ran out to a series of boos, although he noticed they were from his own fans. He saw the lol@souffs banners littered throughout the crowd. The reality hit home for him. He was playing for South Sydney. He hung his head in shame.

The whistle sounded for kick off, and the ball came towards him. Gallen went to catch it and knocked it on. When in defence following the resulting scrum, he missed two tackles in a row.

The ‘Souffs Curse’ was taking effect.

He pulled himself off the pitch and headed to the bench. Then he heard a group of fans yelling at him. Calling him a joke. Calling him a disgrace to the jersey. Then they threw beer all over him.

The dampness of the beer hit him and he jolted.

Jolted awake.

It wasn’t beer he was coated in. It was something else. Gallen had just woken up from a nightmare. He was safe in his own bed in Cronulla, the only thing covering him was his own sweat. He wasn’t a victim of the Souffs Curse, he was fine to continue being the super player he was used to being. He just needed the Sharks to extend his contract.

The phone rang. Gallen lay in bed, listening to it. After the nightmare he had just been through, he was really tired and didn’t want to answer, but he picked it up.

It was his agent. “Paul, I’ve got bad news & I’ve got even worse news. Which did you want first?”

“Give me the bad first.” He muttered, suddenly feeling like it was Groundhog Day.

“The Sharks have rejected the offer I’ve put forward for you. They’ve cut you loose.”

Despite having a similar occurrence in his dream, Gallen was stunned. This was his club, his life, his whole career to date. Now gone.

“So what’s the even worse news?” Gallen asked, butterflies filling his stomach.

“Souths said no too. Your career is over.” Replied his agent.

Gallen smiled.
 
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byrne_rovelli_fan82

First Grade
Messages
7,477
byrne_rovelli_fan82 for the Rabbitohs

~~

Not those guys again…

Q: What do Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk have in common with; Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal?
A: Everything.

When anyone mentions the Melbourne Storm the names of Slater, Smith and Cronk, undoubtedly always comes to mind, even a non-league fan would know who they are without watching the game.
The exact same situation is true for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL), as soon as the club gains a mention in any media; immediately the names of Crosby, Malkin and Staal are included in the same breath.

So is this form of branding required in the professional sporting era? Sport as a whole has changed dramatically over the years since its early days. Athletes are far more professional than they have ever been; the games are no longer just an amateur pastime and it is world where sporting success is still the ultimate goal but the business model is in greater effect.

Between them, Slater, Crosby, Malkin, Smith and Cronk have amassed impressive awards and accolades, while Staal is yet to stamp his mark in this area though one believes he is close to gaining his own recognition. Crosby alone is one of a kind, having been touted as ‘The Next One’ from all through his early days, and when he claimed both the Stanley Cup in 2009 and then the Gold Medal in 2010 it all but sealed the deal on his potential. Slater on the other hand is perhaps arguable rugby league’s greatest fullback, more so in the modern era of the game and he too keeps picking up awards left, right and centre.

It’s great for the individuals to perform as well at the top of the sport and to gain great success throughout their careers. Though them being present doesn’t make the team win, the team doesn’t revolve around those guys alone. Slater is brilliant for sure though it is help with the support he receives from players around him like Cronk and Smith and they too benefit from having him and the rest of the guys. Crosby gets a lot of help from Malkin and Staal and the underrated guys on the team.

Here lies the problem, both clubs are being recognized because of the calibre of players they possess and no matter the feats they accomplish on the sporting field/ice it will always boil down to the individuals mentioned. This then gives way to complication in creating brand awareness and loyalty of the sporting product. No longer are fans really interested in the success of the team, instead it has become all about who plays for the team and if they are good enough to be part of the team.

It is easy to see why sometimes us, as fans find it frustrating when we hear either one of these clubs getting all of the attention. We’re not envious because they’re better than our own team, we don’t hate them because they’re always so successful. It’s the fact those players are the only thing associated with the team and it seems unfair to the rest of the players on the team, always being seen as playing second fiddle to ‘the big threesome’.

Instead, tell us how their young players and give us updates on the other established players. The team is much bigger than just focusing on a few whom also happen to be some of the best to play the sport.

The Penguins are the first to have slowly been able to move on from the shadows of their three stars, mainly due to the long-injury layoffs, forcing the rest of the team to stand up.
Melbourne have yet to shake the shadows of their own stars, though come representative season they do manage to change direction and allow for the others to put their hand up.

It is one thing to create awareness of the sport and ensure the general public know about it, but the honeymoon is over and everyone needs something fresh. There is no need to keep marketing the individual players anymore. Their success will see to that, it’s the real product, which needs to be rectified. So don’t tell us if Slater breaks another try-scoring record, we really aren’t interested in another update about Crosby’s return to action from concussion issues (which has been over for a while now); we just want to know about the team and not ‘those guys again’.

~~

747 words between '~' lines according to official word counter.
 
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Messages
14,028
[FONT=&quot]Marshall Magic on for Souths [/FONT][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]​

[FONT=&quot]---------------------------------
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Potentially The Worst Compliment Ever[/FONT]​
[FONT=&quot]It’s a word that is tossed around a lot when describing up and comers. It is not restricted to rugby league or sport in general, but it ventures into all aspects of life. The term is ‘potential’ and it is usually given as a compliment. But what does potential really mean? Is it really that nice a thing to say about someone? Is it actually an insult? Is it neither? Both? Let’s get into it.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]One of the commonly used contexts of the term is in physics, when referring to potential energy. Potential energy is “the energy that exists in a body as a result of its position or condition rather than of its motion.” In other words, it is energy waiting to be used, and the extent of the potential energy depends on the position and surroundings of the object. However unless this potential is unleashed, it will stay in its current form forever.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]To link that usage of potential to a player, it basically is saying that a player has the ability to become a star because of their size, speed, strength, etc rather than what they do on the field. A 19 year old kid who is 110kg, 190cm and runs the hundred meters sub 12 seconds would be talked up by his club as having potential to be one of the game’s premier back rowers. In fact, just by reading those facts you would think he’s at least a first grader in waiting, however, what you don’t get is any indication of his skill level, ability to read the game, make a tackle or even catch the ball. You would be basing the assumption of his potential off his size and athletic ability. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]That being said, often these incredible athletes do push through, but do they always become stars of the game? How many potential superstars have failed to make it to 50 games? How many end up playing park footy by age 25? On the other side of the coin, how many stars of the game today were barely rated at a younger age? Back in 2004 Joe Williams was seen as a better halfback with a brighter future than Cooper Cronk. In 2005 Tim Smith was touted as the next Peter Sterling, when he hit his peak years he was one of many halves battling for a jersey at the lowly ranked Sharks. Think about how many clubs in the 2005-2008 period churned out a player they described as “Sonny Bill without the injuries.” Setimata Sa is one who was described that way, where is he now? But since 2004 has any back rower come into first grade and dominate the way Sonny did? [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Another take on potential is this from Donald Trump, “I’ve been hearing about potential all my life, all these guys with potential...you know whenever they say potential that usually means because they’re not performing.” This really ties back into the scientific definition of the term potential, and how the compliment has little to no bearing on performance, but is instead based on certain attributes they bring. When you really think about it, Trump’s assessment is pretty much bang on the money, you only say they have potential when they aren’t performing, it’s almost an excuse for them.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]If some young kid is turning it on with the big boys, you aren’t going to say he has potential, you will say he’s a gun, or he is a star, whereas if you have your young athletic giant who is struggling with certain aspects of the game, you will say he’s got potential to be a star. Basically the difference between the star junior and the potential star junior is the star junior performs from the word go, whereas the potential star takes a season or so before anyone knows whether or not he can perform.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Now, just because a kid is deemed a potential star of the game, doesn’t mean he is no good, Dave Taylor was hyped up big time, and took a few years to find his feet but now is one of the better back rowers in the game. What needs to be understood is just because a kid has this so called potential doesn’t mean they are going to be a star. It also means they may live off it for a few years before people realise they are no good. How far can you go on potential?[/FONT]


[FONT=&quot]-------------------[/FONT]


[FONT=&quot](747 words between the lines)
[/FONT]
 

Rexxy

Coach
Messages
10,604
Rexxy for the Bags

ou sont les neige d'antan


Forgive me Father. It’s been eight years since I wrote my first Forum 7s article, and a lot of water under the bridge. Have a pew, pack the pipe and crack a coldy. The game's on tele and the sound's down.

My first F7 story (some call them articles, some think of them as essays) was written eight years ago using Word 2001, which was a behemoth of bloated code and complex menus. Tonight I have dictating most of the story into an iPad and prettied it up in a text editor - using the same techniques one would use to polish an orphan, gnarled turd.

Back in ’04 my team St George, was just building nicely towards some long deserved success. One year later we would have six NSW Origin players and a team that went almost all the way. Tonight it’s announced we have two SOO players, and are coming down from a high – having won the comp in 2010. Any non-believers can Kiss My (Premiership) Ring now.

In my first article, I talked about the first game of the season and how blowing time-on marks the end of summer, and summonses the cold winds of winter. Today I would merely say, goodbye hot, hello the cold. The seasons change so quickly we seldom have time to take the doona off the bed. The joints are starting to ache and the knees knock.

I wrote about Geoff being at the game with his dad, who had just suffered a heart attack. Life being stranger than fiction, it turned out his dad lived longer than Geoff, who was cleaned up by a drunk driver in 2008.

Then there was my friend Brendon who was on the hill at Kogarah that day I tried to capture. His mum had died and to this day he hasn’t really gotten over it. He looks older but grins like a madman when he thinks of that grand final win.

There was Garry, a successful retailer riding high. A failed marriage and the GFC claimed all his savings, and is now on the pension. Instead of grandstand seats he is on the Hill where he claims you meet a nicer class of person.

Which leads me to Tracy who had I only met a couple of times, back in 2004. She had just been chucked out of home and was sleeping on sofas and floors. She is now a respectable mum of two and a hard worker who never misses a game.

Gaz used to hold fort at "Stoney’s Slab", the then new concrete landing at the Southern End of OKI. Not only has Stoney’s slab gone, but so has Robert Stone, who worked so tirelessly to get the Dragons back to Kogarah. I never saw Gaz after they turned that area into a swank corporate enclosure. I hope he enjoyed the Grand Final and is out there somewhere in “fan land”.

I still see my friend Con. He and his dad go to games and relive old times over schooners of mysterious black substance that *could* be beer at the “Wah hotel. His dad is in a retirement home, but Con breaks him out for game days.

Back then, the game was lost 21-12. Tomorrow the Saints play the Panthers away and the pundits claim it will be an easy victory.
But again the books wont reveal the ordinary lives of the ordinary Australians –who each week wrap their aspirations and dreams up in their crocheted rugs and thermoses and sit on the hill to watch the footy.

And here is the message for the new ARLC. Don’t change the game just because you can. We don’t want 4 quarters, we don’t want more ads, we don’t want any more night games, or away teams that have home grounds further than a 3 hour car drive. We don’t want referees thinking they are bigger than the game, or commentators with long agendas, or ground announcers who wont shutup.

Rugby League is the golden invisible thread that runs through the east coast Australia, weaving a wondrous fabric of collective experiences. Pull the thread, like you would with a jumper, and it could collapse.

And with the dreaded Abbott and his merry men of right winged zealots amassing at the gates, in the future we are going to need ever bit of enlightenment we can get.

http://forums.leagueunlimited.com/showthread.php?t=68100
 
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Monk

Referee
Messages
21,347
Monk hops onto the field for Souths, suddenly very aware that he put on shorts which are a a few sizes too small...

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Football Rants and Well Fitting Pants.

I sidestepped the Old Italian man, who was undoubtedly in a rush to pick up some last minute groceries. I turned into aisle number four. Trolley full of Skim Milk and Low Fat Yogurt; I was disgusted at what I had become. I took a walk a few metres to browse the huge variety of pasta which now stood in front of me. After what seemed an eternity, I decided on the familiar brand of Salt Reduced Penne Pasta. I took it from the shelf, palmed off the stack of Parmesan Cheese and threw a cut-out pass. The pasta flew into the trolley with amazing accuracy and the crowd roared!

Let me kick this one off by saying I’m not the healthiest guy in the world (the empty bag of Tangy Rib flavoured Shapes in the bin says as much). While I try to eat healthy and stay off the booze most of the time, I do enjoy a night out on the town, or a quiet night at home staring into the TV with an Extra Dry in my hand.

I know from experience that there isn’t an off switch that I can magically flick If I want to eat healthier, sometimes it’s best to start with baby steps (switch to salt reduced foods, etc). When it comes to footy stars and the booze is the same deal. When the Sharkies took in everyone’s (who isn’t from Canberra/Goulburn) best friend Todd Carney, the masses roared saying “Tame the beast! No alcohol! Burn him at the stake if he dare take a sip of that unholy substance!” Taking all drinks away from Toddy would be like the Missus throwing out my Monday night succulent steak and replacing it with a Tofu Salad. I won’t have a bar of it!

So that’s one extreme of the spectrum, the other would be taking him off the leash and letting him drink Body Shots off pretty ladies and staying out till all hours... akin to letting the missus take you out to a Mexican all you can eat buffet. It may seem like a good idea at the time, but when you spend the next day sitting on the toilet thanks to the extra Chilli Sauce you just had to put on those Fajitas (or in Todd’s case, face-planted-into-toilet). Somehow it just isn’t worth it. Todd is the example all people use when discussing players and their off field issues and whatnot, and why the hell not? The kid is all over the place mentally, but he’s got a bucket load of talent and it’s a shame to see it go to waste.

The question I ask is this (Yes there is a point to all this rambling nonsense). Why do clubs have Alcohol Bans when it has the potential to blow up in their backside and leave them with a painful scabby-fleshy wound? Last year the Roosters had an Alcohol Ban, and as a result had to ditch arguably their two most talented players in Carney and Hotel Boogie-Man Nate Myles. While it made for a nicer smelling dressing room, was it the best move for the Roosters? Now Carney is suiting up for his very first State of Origin and Myles has reclaimed his “Always playing well for a Queensland side” stature as a member of the Gold Coast Titans.

Right now, we’re a society which accepts that everything is generally okay in moderation. If you want to have a drink, you are more than welcome to, but the onus should be on the player to sort himself out and accept the consequences. If he embarrasses himself by pissing his pants at a press conference, right now, somehow it’s the clubs fault. “Hot off the presses, Bulldogs star Trent Hodkinson refused Diapers by Club Management!” If I go out to dinner to eat Indian food, I have to accept that I’m okay with spending the next day locked up in the house, running to and from the bathroom.

It’s unfortunate that we have come to a point where some players still need to be treated like kids. If they want to play the game when they are 18 or 19 years old, they need to be ready for the media scrutiny that comes with being a professional athlete. If they want to be treated like an adult, they damn sure have to start acting like one.

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742 Words According to the OWC
 

Cliffhanger

Coach
Messages
15,228
693

Killer Instinct​

We all have those moments when we are watching a match. Those moments when we witness a player do something extraordinary which leaves us in awe and wondering how the hell they managed to pull it off? It is in part why we enjoy watching them so much, they do things which appear almost impossible. We even expect them to wow us.

There is one thing I see every week, in every match, that will never cease to amaze me. It is the way these players can be at each others' throats for 80 minutes and then just switch it off when that full-time siren sounds. Even when these players have suffered a crushing defeat; once that final whistle is blown, everyone gets along. That forward who charged out of the line and knocked to your feet is now a bloke you want to have a beer with. It is bizarre and yet extraordinary.

How do they do it? How can they go from having no mercy towards their opponent one minute, to shaking hands and having a laugh together the next? It is as if the become a different person on the field. Like they focused solely on their goal and the means to achieve it and in order to do this successfully, they must dehumanise their opponents and in some cases the referees too. Think about it, how often have you seen a player you always thought was a 'grub' go out of their way for a fan or been patient with a nosey reporter and thought to yourself, 'wow he is actually a really nice guy'? Billy Slater comes to mind as one of those players who does some questionable things during a match but seems like a nice and amiable chap off the field. It seems being able to be a different person on the field, is in part what makes him a strong competitor.

In Rugby League, pain is just part of the game and just like you cannot be afraid of copping a few knock, you have to be prepared to inflict pain, on your opponent. It is a reality of the game and being able to become a completely different person on the field is a skill that can be especially handy in Rugby League, it is part of what of what gets a player in the right zone for competition. You have to believe you deserve this more than your opponent because in this sport you capitalise on your opponents weaknesses, celebrate their mistakes, stop them from achieving their goals, chase them down and knock them to the ground. Hesitate for one moment and an opportunity escapes you.

Most NRL players are nice enough guys off the field, they have great respect for their opponents and appreciate their level of skill and hard work. However, during those 80 minutes of a game there is no place for empathy, you have to be harsh to be successful. You have to tap into that primal killer instinct. The part of you, which does not worry about how your rival will feel and only cares that they are your rival and thus must be stopped. Your success comes at the expense of your opponent's. It is a sport where doing much as you can to achieve victory often means having to target an opponent who you know is not 100 per cent or picking out the player who is having a bad game and you have to have conviction in doing so.

There is a reason the old cliché 'nice guys finish last was coined and it probably has a lot to do with the fact that in competition, being a nice guy is not in your best interest. During a game, being nice is a handicap, it prevents you from putting your best foot forward. How can you be nice and hope for your opponent to lose at the same time? How can you be willing to shatter their dreams if you care about what they will feel? You cannot, for 80 minutes, these guys are not people, but obstacle in the road to your success.
 

Timmah

LeagueUnlimited News Editor
Staff member
Messages
100,874
Timmah gets in late realising his team needs him... leggo Bluebags!

jersey_bluebags_1a.gif




Friday Night Folly

Friday night’s delayed telecast of the annual Suncorp Stadium double header has seen a raft of NRL fans having a dig at Channel 9, calling the exclusive free-to-air rights holders all sorts of names for not broadcasting the matches live.

Personally, I used to agree with them. Why weren't they pandering to my needs as an NRL fan? Then this year, it occurred to me. It’s not really Channel 9’s fault. At least not in principle, anyway.

Let’s start with some background. The two occasions Channel 9 has supplied delayed 7:30pm telecasts this season were on the representative weekend when the Kiwis v Kangaroos Test Match kicked off at 6:15pm Australian Eastern Standard Time, the second being Friday’s double header where the matches kicked off at 7:00pm and 8:45pm respectively.

Why isn’t it Channel 9’s fault that these broadcasts went to air on delay then? Well firstly, while we love and adore this great game, and understandably those of us close to it want to watch it live, the NRL is just ONE product (or commodity as network cronies might call it) on Channel 9. Simple fact: commercial networks run on ADVERTISING DOLLARS. With A Current Affair and The Block currently airing prior to the NRL on a normal week, the fact is that (regardless of the quality of show) both OUTRATE the NRL whether we like it or not, and command greater interest from advertisers.

For that reason, when the NRL tinkers with the schedule and a match isn’t kicking off at the regular 7:30pm timeslot in order for it to be shown live, then Channel 9 has a decision to make. Dump a strong rating program at the risk that the NRL won’t rate the same? The risk involved there brings me to the next element of their decision.

Channel 9 clearly recognise the majority of viewers are creatures of habit. Had Friday’s broadcast gone to air live at 7:00pm, there would be a different group of people complaining just as vocally that they weren’t aware of the change in kick-off time, or even others who face long travel times home from work. Straight away, the potential for lost ratings is obvious.

We come around now to the question about digital multi-channelling. In the bargaining stage of the “I can’t watch the footy live” grief process, fans ask constantly “why can’t they put the NRL on GEM?” The answer is simple – they’re not allowed. If they shifted it to GEM and made it a live broadcast, they would not be able to play it on Channel 9, as the government anti-siphoning rules dictate that first-run sport must be played on the primary commercial channel in the main markets.

The solution lies with the NRL and their scheduling. The two instances where fans have cried in anger about the games not being live are when the NRL has tinkered with kick-off times. Kicking games off at 7pm or 6:15pm on a Friday night simply shouldn’t be happening. If the annual test is to be held in New Zealand, then it needs to be played on a Sunday where the scheduling and broadcast timing is more flexible. Friday night footy simply shouldn’t be on the menu for the Warriors – it’s not practical for TV. As for the double header, the days of it being a Friday nighter are surely numbered. While the crowd figure in 2012 certainly bounced back to 41,000 from a paltry 32,000 last year, the concept needs a reboot. Bring it in as a Super Saturday arrangement – or if it must stay on Channel 9 a Sunday afternoon. Maybe even share it around to Sydney when the time, or combination of teams, is right.

In the instance of Friday night, there is a role Channel 9 had to play – purely based on advertising the broadcast. A series of articles on their website previews the NRL round ahead indicated the broadcast was live, and the Electronic Program Guide included “LIVE” wording, which was false advertising under the circumstances.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand people’s frustration as passionate NRL fans. The unfortunately the reality is that we aren’t their world at Channel 9 - and they’d survive just fine without the rights. Any other network would treat us just the same under the same circumstances.

And besides - it’s all likely to change in 2013 anyway with a brand new rights deal. Fingers crossed!
 

Monk

Referee
Messages
21,347
As much as I hate that teams have a knack for getting all five articles against us; there are some amazing reads in this lot. Sure to be one heck of a game.

Best of luck everyone, over to you Ref.
 

gUt

Coach
Messages
16,876
I'm reffing this one now, I should have it done tomorrow. I've started marking and so far it's a great match.
 

Drew-Sta

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
24,567
gUt, don't forget to look under your pillow. I think the tooth fairy has left you a present :sarcasm:
 

gUt

Coach
Messages
16,876
Thanks to both teams for a really entertaining match. You guys all rose to the occasion here and I recommend anyone popping their head in to check the scores, take the time to read these.

Rabbitohs – eloquentEEL - The Condoned

Well stated case against the plague of diving and laying down for a penalty. The subject is something you’d have to walk a long way to find someone who disagrees with you. I’d have liked you to take the next step and detail what you think would actually happen on the field, what the refs should do in the moment. As a relevant aside, my Ag Science teacher of all people said to me that if something’s worth writing you shouldn’t bother with parentheses. It’s something I noticed about your writing as well.

83

Rabbitohs – Bubbles - Much Ado About Nothing

All I can say is, well done. Really good introspective piece. Great imagery, lots of earthy humour and the odd hint of violence. This really struck a chord with me and at times it read almost like prose. Maybe I’m getting carried away.

93

Rabbitohs - byrne_rovelli_fan82 - Not those guys again…

The author makes the argument that the over-exposure of certain star players detracts from the efforts of their team mates and damages the brand potential of club and code. The article was put together well enough and argued in a measured way but I found the premise needed a strong supporting argument and I just don’t think this piece was up to the job. The best example of the cause of my ambivalence is “So don’t tell us if Slater breaks another try-scoring record…” (continues). This was meant as a summing up and needed to pack a punch but in my head it’s just not correct. Anyway, not a bad piece by any means.

82

Rabbitohs – Marshall_Magic - Potentially The Worst Compliment Ever

I’ve got mixed feelings about this. On the one hand it was well argued and lit a bulb over my head – from now on I am going to pay more attention to the way this word is used and by whom. But on the other hand, it seems a fairly minor language crime in a world where language is being systematically murdered. In any case, I’m not sure ‘potential’ really is a compliment, is it? If it is, it’s a pretty weak one that can be taken in many ways… hey wait a minute, that’s what you were saying all along! Well there we go, the article worked after all. You could say it fulfilled its… never mind.

84

Rabbitohs – Monk - Football Rants and Well Fitting Pants

As a fellow salad-dodger this article had plenty of appeal, and if I take off my sympathy bib it has plenty to say to me as a football fan as well. The author has done a good job of bringing football stars’ off-field dramas home by comparing his domestic culinary trials and tribulations with the difficult task some NRL players have of not being complete grog monsters. Some funny lines and observations, this is a well-rounded piece. I think you missed a trick though, I believe there was room to stretch the analogies further into more comical territory. Curse you, word limits.

87

Rabbitohs - 429

Bluebags - Drew-Sta - Spreading the truth

Great story, well put together, descriptive. Clever use of dialogue and setting. I personally enjoyed the setting and the theme but it was let down by the punch line being a forum in-joke. I was hooked on your story all the way thru until the very end, when I got away.

91

Bluebags - Muzby - The Contract

An amusing and slightly bitchy piece that I’m sure will find its way into one of the lol@Souffs threads where it’d be a hit. I was tempted to mark this down for its reliance on the classic LU in-joke but the fact is this curse really does exist. Some funny moments, especially Gallen’s first day at training.

86

Bluebags - Rexxy - ou sont les neige d'antan

The author harks back to an earlier time with something like nostalgia. I say “something like” because this is no sentimental ‘those were the days my friends’ lament. It’s a bit hard to pin down what this is, mainly because much of it relies on the reader knowing something about the author’s referenced original 2004 article and the people he presumably introduced in that. As a reader I have no emotional investment in the people listed. However passion for rugby league and its place in peoples’ lives does burn through clearly. Overall it’s a little unfocused and so it falls a bit flat I’m afraid.

80

Bluebags – Cliffhanger - Killer Instinct

A solid piece that muses on handshakes between men who are trained to do everything they can to destroy those opposite. Some, maybe most of the content and arguments can be applied to some or most sports so I don’t think you’ve managed to tap into a unique rugby league trait here. The strongest parts of the piece were when the author took the reader into the heads of the players, especially into the dark, animalistic zones. I would have liked to spend more time there. A few little grammatical issues let down this otherwise good article.

84

Bluebags – Timmah - Friday Night Folly

A polite rebuttal to a ‘first world problem’ that affects us all (well not really). Well-reasoned and clearly articulated, it managed to be strident without a hint of it devolving into a spray. It also takes the extra step of offering a solution of sorts before kind of shrugging its shoulders at itself. I liked it.

89

Bluebags - 430

Rabbitohs 429 defeated by The Bluebags 430

POTM: Bubbles (93)

Backpacker

Bubbles 3
Drew-Sta 2
Timmah 1
 
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