What's new
The Front Row Forums

Register a free account today to become a member of the world's largest Rugby League discussion forum! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Willow Cup :: Dragons vs Ninjas :: Round 2

Monk

Referee
Messages
21,347
jersey_dragons_1a.gif
vs
jersey_ninjas_1.gif


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:
* 3 -V- 3 (+ 4 reserves for both sides)
* 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: Sunday 17th of March 2013 (6:00pm AEST)
Full Time: Monday 1st of April 2013 (9:00pm AEST)
Referee: LeagueNut
Venue: WIN Stadium

wollongong_stadium.jpg
 
Last edited:

joshie

Live Update Team
Messages
3,115
Fresh off a win the Ninjas are ready for the champions!

1. Eozsmiles
2. Jamesgould
3. Russell Crowe's band

Bench
4. Joshie (captain)
5. gUt
6. Cobydelany
7. Edabomb
 
Messages
23,952
The Dragons role into WIN Stadium after spending the week across the road at Chicko's:

1. redvforlife
2. whall15
3. Scott Gourley's Lovechild (c)

Reserves
4. Slippery Morris
5. Tanner Ave
6. tumbidragon
7. Elias1983
 

redvforlife

Juniors
Messages
588
Running out for my debut game for the Dragons


redvforlife

St George

jersey_dragons_1a.gif


He was worried


He may not have paid much attention to politics and the media, but it was hard to avoid this. It was everywhere, and it wasn’t good.

They said there are drugs in sport; that players were taking performance enhancers – that clubs were GIVING the players performance enhancers. This wasn’t good.

Everywhere he went the media was waiting for him, for any of them. They could smell blood in the water and they were desperate for a piece of it. They wanted gory details, betrayals, the makings of a reality TV show. He couldn’t give them anything, and wouldn’t anyway. He would not turn on the team, even if he had the information they wanted.

He’d gone to the club yesterday for a meeting – his contract was up soon and his manager was hoping for an upgrade. There had been ASADA officials there, walking through to a different meeting. He hoped it was just a standard check – a “dot the I’s and cross the T’s before declaring the club clean” type exercise. Surely they were clean. How could it be otherwise? But he was worried. This would not be good.

Every day a new report appeared in the papers. Every day there were more rumours added to the pile, and the whispers in league circles were starting to grow louder. They had been incessant for weeks, but now they were getting out of control. On Monday they had reported 50 players were going to be spoken to, Tuesday it was 14. Now they were reporting 47. Was any of it fact? If it was all wild speculation, maybe he could relax and get on with training. But there had to be truth somewhere. One of those numbers had to be closer to the truth. Not knowing was almost worse than knowing.

It wasn’t just the numbers. There were players being stood down indefinitely for “personal reasons”, there were players mysteriously named as injured before a ball had been kicked for the season, there were performances dropping from normally star players. There were a lot of rumours and a lot of unsubstantiated theories. But he couldn’t blame anyone for that. He didn’t care about blame. He was just worried. This was not looking good.

Another club had already begun to fall to the ASADA workers. They had lost staff – long-time trusted advisors had been asked to leave. The playing group was left in the wilderness without the staff they would rely upon for guidance. The club was publically cutting them adrift and they were on their own. And they were still expected to turn up each week and put their bodies on the line to win the game. Their futures hung in the balance; their lives were darkened by a cloud of fog – insubstantial and hard to fight. There was no “right way” forward. They needed to protect themselves; they needed to play; they needed to win. Maybe that would put an end to it all, if only for another week. He was worried. Others on his team insisted it was fine. It wasn’t their club, they were all clean, this would pass them by and all would be fine. He didn’t care it wasn’t his team. This was his sport. It was his league. And it was his future hanging out there with this investigation.

The season had only started two weeks ago. This was meant to be one of the most exciting parts of the year. Everyone was pumped about football being back; results mattered less than later in the season, the pressure was lighter. It was about the game and the fans were just excited to be able to see their players take to the field once more. There was only so much a cricket you could watch before you started to long for the contact sport. The thrill and excitement of watching the men on the field fight it out for the elusive two points. But where was all the excitement of seasons past? How could a crowd cheer on their team and get excited while worrying over this mess? In the back of everyone’s mind was the thought that this could be the last two points they record this season. Every win resonated with the thought that the points could be stripped and you could end up with nothing. This was meant to be a time of excitement and anticipation.

He was still worried. This was not good.

Words: 744
 

whall15

Coach
Messages
15,871
Making my debut, for the F7 Dragons.
-----------------------------------
whall15 for St George Dragons
jersey_dragons_1a.gif

The Apple Isle of the Forgotten

There is a land to the south with 500,000 people that is completely devoid of a professional footballing presence. This is a land that I not-so-subtly hinted to in the very title of this piece. It is of course, Tasmania.

Tasmania has been all but forgotten by the egotistical despot in control of their preferred sport, AFL who opted for a farcical invasion of Rugby League territory. The closest the Apple Isle got to an A-League side was a Tasmania United bid which was supposedly going to backed by a Saudi Sheikh, but that never got off the ground. This has left Tasmania as a no man's land of sorts with only a handful of re-located AFL and A-League matches in addition to an occasional Rugby League trial satisfying this state's thirst for professional football.

An expansion into Tasmania would, despite the relative lack of competition, still be a rather ballsy move for David Smith, John Grant and the rest of the Australian Rugby League Commission. Whilst the number of professional matches taken place on Tasmanian soil may be few and far between, there is still a local fervour for AFL which despite some dissatisfaction for the current regime in charge of the rival code would still likely be hard to overcome. There is, I assume at least a threat from the Tasmanian Tigers and Hobart Hurricanes cricket sides, although this is likely to be minor simply due to the fact that the two sports don't clash in terms of when they're played. The other threat in Tasmania comes from the fact that there is an unfortunate apathy and a lack of knowledge of the sport of Rugby League. In many ways however, this could be a strength as locals would not stick to supporting an established Rugby League side in another market, they do not support a NRL side therefore they would be ready to jump straight on board the Tasmanian Rugby League bandwagon.

A conservative or a cynic may not be so keen about a Tasmanian expansion, not only due to the aforementioned threats but simply due to the fact that there are a myriad of other expansion options. There is the commonly suggested option of consolidating an existing Rugby League stronghold like the Central Coast Bears bid (which could of course tap into disenchanted former North Sydney Bears supporters), the Brisbane Bombers bid to meet an existing need in a market of more than two million people and counting (or indeed an alternate Brisbane bid) and of course the Central Queensland bid to add another potentially strong regional side in the sunshine state. For the brave there is also an opportunity to resurrect the old Perth Reds from the ashes of Super League. There is also potential in New Zealand for a second side, although there is no current bid. There is of course a bid from a country with Rugby League as it's national sport in Papua New Guinea which in my view would be a fantastic move for the sport on the international stage.

It is now time for the answer to my ramblings and in my opinion it is of course unlikely that we would see an expansion into Tasmania when you consider the factors that I outlined above; those being that there is already a local level of zealotry for AFL and of course the fact that there are other more obvious and blatant options for the ARLC to think about. Despite this, in my own delusional mind there is potential for great success for Rugby League in Tasmania, not only in the form of a NRL club but based upon the establishment of a NRL club we could see a switch of support of sorts towards Rugby League, perhaps leading to an influx of juniors.

If nothing else, the absolute plethora of options for future expansion of the NRL is likely to come as a welcome headache in the future for the likes of Dave Smith, John Grant and co. This to me shows the great potential for continual growth for the NRL and this can not only come as good news for the NRL itself as a competition and as a business but for the game of Rugby League itself. This must be very pleasing to the millions of fans throughout Australia and the World. It certainly is for me.

---------------
736 words
 
Last edited:

jamesgould

Juniors
Messages
1,466
For the Ninjas.

The Trial

Dan marked the day down on his calendar. The first trial of 2013. He went through the months and counted how many days there were until the big day – 117. Pre-season training started today.

He pinned the calendar back to the wall and grabbed his gym bag. As he packed it, he felt a shiver down his spine. That trial meant everything to him, he was absolutely desperate to impress. He honestly couldn’t think of anything more important to him.

He slung the bag over his shoulder and headed out the door towards the gym. Taking a look around his surroundings as he locked the front door, he breathed in deeply. It starts today, he thought.

***

6am jogs weren’t Dan’s favourite pastime, not by any means. Today he was getting pushed way beyond his comfort zone, too.

He struggled to take his mind off the pain he felt in his legs, and get them into some sort of automatic rhythm that he wouldn’t have to think about.

He came to a hill and the pain got worse. There was seemingly no way he could keep going, but still he pushed himself further. His legs seared with pain, and his lungs began to burn as he reached the top of the hill. He gasped for air like someone emerging from several minutes under water.

He reached the top of the hill, and his legs buckled. His body crumbled into the path, and he began to vomit.

He’d never pushed himself so hard in his life. As he wiped his mouth dry, he tried to picture the trial – if he impressed in that, it would make this all worthwhile.

***

Dan checked into the gym yet again. This would be his tenth visit this week. The girl at the reception smiled at him.

“Back again?” she said.

Dan was awe-struck, but managed a smile back. “Yeah, sure am. I’m training for the trial. You err ... you going?” he managed to blurt out.

“Sure am, wouldn’t miss it!” she replied enthusiastically. “Are you ... are you playing?” she asked, slightly puzzled.

“Um, might seeya there!” Dan abruptly blurted, hurriedly making his way to the changing rooms.

He tried to calm himself down, but this was going too perfectly. Once reception girl saw him at the trial, there would be no way she could resist his charms.

***

There was precious little time left until the trial, as Dan sprinted between shuttle cones. It was vital that his footwork was at its optimum if he was to perform as he hoped.

He pulled up, finishing the session. D Day was on Saturday, and there was absolutely nothing more he could do to prepare. He was in peak physical and mental shape – his time had come.

***

It was halftime in the 2013 Warriors-Broncos trial in Dunedin, and Dan’s moment was here.

As he watched the players walk off, he stripped down ... taking care not to attract the attention of security. As their attention waned with the players off the field, he took his opportunity, jumping the fence and heading for the centre of the field.

His pace was first rate, exactly as he’d hoped – the training had paid off! Suddenly, something caught the corner of his eye. The already roaring crowd hit a new level of decibels – crap – Ruben Wiki was heading towards him!

Wiki took him down from behind in a classic legs tackle. Dan thanked his stars it wasn’t a shoulder charge. As the security headed towards him, Wiki jogged off, and he saw the chance to go again.

Using the footwork he’d worked months on, he swerved past the security and towards the gate down the far corner which would lead to escape.

His footwork was sublime, the hours of drills paying dividends.

As he reached the fence, he dived up, but couldn’t quite pull himself over. Dammit – not enough upper body work! He felt security around his ankles and was pulled down into the security’s clutches. The crowd groaned at his near escape being thwarted.

Dan’s heart sunk. Security eventually peeled off him and he was lead away. As he trudged off dejectedly, he noticed someone in the crowd. It was reception girl! She was waving frantically at him. He tried to wave back, as best he could.

She blew him a kiss and yelled out “See you Monday!”

“Geez mate, put it away.” one of the security guards muttered to Dan, as he couldn’t help but show his pleasure.

748 words.

Note: I was going to attach this photo to the article, but didn't want to give away the ending for anyone glancing through the thread. So here is a link to it instead: http://www.odt.co.nz/files/u68/wiki_PIXEL.jpg
 
Messages
21,783
Making my debut for the Ninjas in 2013
75o words according to the counter.





Back to the Future

Remember when you were a kid and you were excited about just about everything?

The simple times. Backyard footy. Sunnyboys in the summer and Hey Hey! It’s Saturday! on the weekend.

I was reminded of those care-free days this week when "Raiders Lime" re-appeared on the supermarket shelves last week. I was taken back to a simpler time when I opened that carton. The 90's. When the Raiders were kings.

Raiders Lime was the only thing I could stand about the Raiders during their heyday. I was one of the few not on the bandwagon, in a town basking in the glory of their heroes. The Raiders were gods amongst men in this town.

The milk recipe has changed a bit. So has the team and the city it resides in.

I will always support rugby league. However there is a growing indifference to the Raiders in Canberra that the club needs to address, if they intend to regain their supremacy as the number one ticket in town.

Lack of on field success has been an issue. The Raiders have certainly dropped in popularity since they last won the premiership. Canberra is a fickle town - we are used to winning things, and years of false starts and unrealised expectations have affected the resolve.

The rise of the Brumbies in the years immediately following the Superleague war gave those that turned off rugby league a new local team to get behind. They were a perennial force in the early 2000s.The Brumbies are contenders again under Jake White and perceived in Canberra as the game for the higher socio-economic fan base and the local business community.

The Raiders are long overdue a big season and need one to win back the hearts and minds. Appropriately they were soundly beaten in their first two fixtures and scraped past St George Illawarra in their home opener. Hardly an inspiring start to the year.

Expectation were perhaps foolishly raised this season after a late season surge in 2012.There is still time, but the fan base is sceptical given recent history. Debate still rages amongst the die hards regarding David Furners performance as coach. Most conversations end in "well his brother is the CEO, so same old."

This current Raiders team should be better than they are. The majority of this current crop came through the 2008 Under 20's premiership team. However they have not seemed to kick on. The club have a chance to build something here and definitely need to if they wish to remain relevant long term in an increasingly congested market.

Unlike the early 90's the Raiders now face strong competition from the AFL and ARU for corporate and fan support in the nation’s capital. Lack of success and poor player behaviour in recent years has not helped the clubs cause.

Local product Josh Dugan was front page news for all the wrong reasons earlier this month. He was rightly sacked but damage was again done to the Raiders image in the capital. This would not be such an issue at a Sydney club, where some team’s fans are far less concerned at off field indiscretions. However Canberrans are increasingly becoming scared hand wringers begging to be told what to do by the nanny state. You can tell by the amount of road signs warning us of every potential danger. We love to be obedient, outraged and concerned in this town.

The GWS Giants are slowly gaining a foothold and with every scared mother pulling their child out of junior league due to the likes of Dugan, Monaghan and Carney style incidents. The attraction of the Victorian game and their perceived superiority grows. I see more and more Giants, Swans and Bombers stickers on the backs of cars on my way to work each year and it is a disgrace. There should be a clear dominant force in this city and that should be the fighting green of the green machine. However there is a perception in Canberra that AFL players are better role models for youngsters than rugby league players.

The Raiders have to shape up. If not for their fan base, then for themselves. The city expects better and the Green Machine cannot rest on its laurels. It would be great for the club to return to the glory days of old. When they dominated on the field with merciless attacking play. When even the milk was green.
 
Messages
23,952
And the skipper makes three!



----------------------------
Scott Gourley's Lovechild - St George Dragons


Foul Play - An NRL No-Man's Land



Foul play in Rugby League is nothing new. Western Suburbs greats Tommy Raudonikis and Les Boyd were renowned for dishing out foul play in the 1970s. Unlike the past however, the NRL has entered a period where the punishments for foul play are limited at best. This in turn has led to mismatches on the field immediately after the foul play has been committed, and off the field with arguments of whether the hit has been graded correctly.

On-field penalties in particular appear to have gone the way of the dodo with placing a player on report the preferred option. "On report" started out as a good idea: a player who infringed in such a way that did not warrant a sin bin but did require a post-match look would find themselves on report, and heading for the match review committee. These days, anything short of the 2012 hit by Matt Prior on Johnathan Thurston gets put on report. This has been made worse after the banning of the shoulder charge, as seen by Ashley Harrison not having a clue he played his 250th First Grade game after a Richie Fa'aso hit. The result often becomes a lopsided affair with the penalised team keeping all 17 players available for the game, while the infringed team are down a player and often struggling to stay in the match. Even worse is the current explanation of Chris Sandow being able to shoulder charge players, saying that his left arm makes a "wrapping motion", or in layman's terms, "we haven't penalised him and now need to find an excuse as to why." Solutions, particularly from the media, often revolve around an eighteenth man sitting on the bench in case of such a situation, but this is a makeshift solution to a deliberately created problem.

There is already an on-field solution for referees - the sin bin. Demonised by the media as unfair on the punished team, what they failed to realise (or even worse, deliberately glossed over) is that is the exact point. Currently only seen during a professional foul such as holding down a tackled player after a line break, the sin bin is due to make a return. Foul play must be punished immediately, and the sin bin provides a good deterrent to players thinking of engaging in such play. No First Grade player wants to let the team down, particularly in the modern era where any weakness is zeroed in on like a surgeon with a scalpel. Will this see a reduction in the big hits we all love? Most likely. However, we will also be in the best position to have a thrilling eighty minute game as opposed to a game where one team scratches about for an extended period battling greater fatigue and a man advantage.

Off field, the match review committee determine a player's guilt and recommended punishment. This is passed on to the judiciary to preside over and pass judgement in the event a player feels he is innocent of the crime, or feels his punishment should be downgraded. So serious has this become, clubs are providing Queens Council lawyers to argue for downgrades to punishment to their players. An unsuccessful defence in turn flows on to the side as a serious punishment and deterrent to foul play. A successful defence leads to precedent in the NRL, and knowledge to the players that serious foul play will be dealt with leniently for the remainder of the season. Legal council is impacting on the judiciary negatively and these lawyers should to be cleared out, or at least reserved for only high grade offences which could have legal ramifications for the individual down the road (for example, Stephen Kearney's spear tackle on Jarrod McCracken). This in turn can have a positive effect on reducing foul play in the NRL by showing players that anything deemed illegal will be dealt with to the full extent of the laws of the game.

The NRL finds itself on the preverbal precipice regarding foul play. At the moment leniency shown by on-field referees, the match review committee, and the judiciary mean that players these days should feel almost invulnerable to serious punishment. Bringing in a sterner line with rulings will have a positive impact on foul play on the playing field, bringing a better spectacle for the audience with greater flow of play and a more consistent ruling across all games every week.

-----
746 words
 

eozsmiles

Bench
Messages
3,392
Eozsmiles
Ninja
747 OWC inc. title

THE BLINDSIDE



Travis stalked the sideline like the match was his prey. Rehabilitation had filled his life and it took thousands of kilometres on the exercise bike to get back here. He was a tougher and hungrier person now than when he last played. That was when he was seventeen years old, over two years ago now. He lasted nine minutes that day. It had been his first match in ten months. Today was only the third time he had pulled on a jumper in three years. In between those times were three knee reconstructions.

A liberal coating of Grippo spray hid the clamminess of his hands as he clutched an interchange card. Nervous, but relieved and proud to be back here. With steely intent he crossed the white stripe and into the fray.

The plan from here was simple - take a run. Travis was an honest footballer and knew he'd be rusty. But he could prove straight away that he was ready. He wasn't scared. And he wanted to play. He'd wanted it since the minute he woke up after surgery. He'd wanted it since he saw how upset his Nan was to visit him there. He wanted it when his arse hurt from that exercise bike. Most of all he'd wanted it since his peers started making NRL squads, players he was better than. That lit a competitive torch which burnt alongside his intrinsic pride.

Within seconds Travis had made his way to first receiver, made eye contact with the dummy half, and began his first run as an adult. The play-the-ball was fast and the markers slow. A firm pass hit his belly flat on the advantage line. Travis' right arm wrapped under it and his right foot dug into the grass as he stepped and accelerated into the half gap behind the ruck. Ignoring the markers, he switched the ball to his left arm in readiness for an offload while fending at the defence swarming from the right. He grabbed a handful of his opponents jersey with his right hand, shoulder and elbow fusing to hold him at bay, then extended his left arm in search of support.

For an instant, Travis felt like he hadn't missed a game. He belonged here. It was a perfect moment. Everyone around him moved in slow motion but his mind was crystal clear.

Then he felt it.

Travis thought the second marker was beaten but he had kept chasing. The tackle was as they should be - low and hard. Travis' brittle left knee buckled and stretched once again. He never saw it. But everyone heard it.

Everything that happens on a football field exudes sound. A collection of slaps, grunts, moans and howls. A thud followed by a gasp for air reflects the ferocity of a collision. A sigh accompanies a bad bounce.

The groan that Travis let out held more than physical pain. It told of more anguish than a close call could bring. It was deep and dense and guttural.

It sounded like a broken dream.



Gary sat for a moment. He knew that both he and his son were being watched. The people in the stands had known Travis' family for years. They knew his struggle. They held the same dread.

Gary knew, and the people surrounding him knew. But he didn't want them to see his desperation, to feel his helplessness. He didn't want them to think that Travis needed him to run down those stairs to hold his hand and wipe away tears again. But they knew that was what Gary wanted to do and what Travis needed. Because their kids were on the same field, with the same hopes and frailties. The possibility that it could be their child sprawled on the turf, unable to rise, never fully left their minds. So as the stretcher neared the sideline, those people began to respectfully applaud.

Gary started to make his way toward the cold dressing room. A lady with a familiar face held a tissue in one hand and lightly touched Gary's arm with the other as he went by. He felt tears in his chest but wouldn't let them reach his eyes. Not yet. This wasn't the first time he'd had to meet his son on a stretcher. The first time had been frightening, but this time was worse. Because Travis' hands never went to his knee. They went to his eyes.

He knew this would be the last time.
 
Last edited:

Monk

Referee
Messages
21,347
The final whistle blows 44 minutes overdue.

9oclock.gif


3 v 3 - Love your work lads!

EDIT: Original Post updated to include a Referee.
 
Last edited:

LeagueNut

First Grade
Messages
6,972
Hi all - I've done a rough first draft of the marks and (as usual) I'll come back tomorrow and polish it off. See you in 24 hours.
 

LeagueNut

First Grade
Messages
6,972
Hello again :)

Dragons

redvforlife
He was worried (744 words)
This one builds up nicely but doesn’t have a payoff – or is that the point? It leaves us hanging, much like what ASADA have done so far. I found it a bit hard to follow towards the end as it seemed to jump from the players view to the fans view and back again.
Score = 77

whall15
The Apple Isle of the Forgotten (736 words)
An interesting left-field expansion option, mostly well written but lacks a bit of punch as it drifts towards a conclusion. Proofreading is your friend – you accidentally a word in the second paragraph.
Score = 79

Scott Gourley’s Lovechild
Foul Play - An NRL No-Man's Land (746 words)
A very good opinion piece that makes plenty of good points. You sound like you could make a living as a judiciary lawyer.
Score = 84


Ninjas

jamesgould
The Trial (746 words)
A pleasure to read. I went from a slightly puzzled frown to a big smile once I realised what was going on. Thanks for not putting the photo in as well!
Score = 87

Russell Crowe’s Band
Back to the Future (744 words)
A solid argument – I hear you, and I think fans of many clubs could relate to a lot of your points. Watch your punctuation though, it looks like a couple of commas were somehow replaced with fullstops.
Score = 80

eozsmiles
The blindside (747 words)
Damn that’s sad. I don’t know if it’s a true story but it very easily could be – and I think I nearly heard the scream.
Score = 84

Result: Ninjas 251 defeated Dragons 240
POTM:
jamesgould (Ninjas)

Well played all :clap:
 

jamesgould

Juniors
Messages
1,466
Thanks a lot for the quick turnaround on the marks, ref! :) And thanks for the tough contest, Dragons.

Well done Ninjas, into the final - what a great start to the season!!! Our new players doing Mr Norris really proud. :D
 

Monk

Referee
Messages
21,347
Damn some quality reads across the park. SGL - you made me sad that I had to let you go, you've got a great crop of players though so I look forward to taking you lads on!

Ninjas, got talent oozing from your backside, you will be a hard side to take down this season!

Nutty, quality reffing as always. :ls:
 

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
108,126
Btw, great debut efforts from whall15, redvforlife and eozsmiles. I thought they were all great reads. :thumn

Well played one and all. :clap:
 

Latest posts

Top