2010 Elimination Semi Final - St George Dragons (4th) v South Sydney Rabbitohs (5th)

[Non Terminator]

Forum 7s - Elimination Semi Final
ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS v SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS

-v-

Game Thread:
* Please note - This is a game thread only, therefore only game posts can be made here (Teams, 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:
* 5v5 (+ 2 reserves for visiting team, 3 reserves for home team)
* No 'TBA' or changing players named
* Captains must stick with original teams named

ALL THE RULES & REGULATIONS: http://f7s.leagueunlimited.com/rules.php

FULL TIME: Wednesday 18th August 2010 at 9pm (Syd time)
REFEREE: Non Terminator
Venue: Front Row Stadium

CLICK HERE FOR OFFICIAL WORD COUNTER

 

[dubopov]

The Mighty Dragons team for the semi clash v Souths is ..

dubopov (c)
murphyscreek (vc)
st linnane
dragonz rule
jason maher

dragon punk
hornbyslilhottie
dragon psa

 

[griffo346]

The Mighty Red n Green side to take the Drragqueens on

1. Byrne Rovelli Fan
2. Bumble
3. DaveQ
4. Marshell Magic
5. Griffo346

No Bench

 

[Bumble]

Choke is a five letter word
​

February 3, 2008. Super Bowl 42. The New England Patriots against the New York Giants. The Patriots had already won three Super Bowls in the past five years, but were on the verge of something that had only been done ONCE in the history of the NFL – the perfect season. They had played 18, and won 18. The two teams had already met in the regular season, and the Patriots had won. Most bookies had the Giants as 13-14 point underdogs.


If you don't already know what happened next, you can probably guess. The Patriots lost 17-14, to a last minute touchdown. They had been so close to perfection and blown it. Then the murmurs began..


The C word. The title that no team wants to be branded with.


Chokers.


As far as the NRL goes, it's a word that seems to be thrown around an awful lot, justified or otherwise. But who is really deserving of this moniker? Not the Dragons, who despite not having a halfback, won the minor premiership in the past two seasons? (barring a complete catastrophe) Is it the Rabbitohs, who currently sit outside the top eight, despite having the 'Best forward pack in the world?'


Perhaps it's the Penrith Panthers. Second for most of the season and now seemingly in free fall. They experienced a similar fall from grace in late 2009. The Titans who were well beaten in back to back finals games last year even though they finished in the top 4? Well, I was thinking along a completely different line...

In the past five years, nobody else even comes close. The only reason they weren't the 2009 minor premiers was a very dodgy video ref decision. In most peoples minds, they were the team to beat going into the finals. An easy win over the Knights in the first round, and everything was going along smoothly. The Dragons had already quietly bowed out of the race and when we reached the preliminary finals, they had already beaten the Storm, and thrashed the Eels and Broncos earlier that season.


Yes, they were facing a red-hot Jarryd Hayne and a team speeding out of control with momentum. Yes, they had lost two months earlier to the same team at the same stadium. But they were still the strongest team left...and in front of over 70,000 fans their season came to an abrupt end. So much hard work and dominance during the regular season had come to nothing.


Which brings us to 2010. Apart from losing Greg Eastwood the core of the squad remained the same. Not to mention Ben Barba and Jamal Idris being a season older and wiser. Most people expected them to keep up their 2009 form, and be amongst the contenders again. Now there's three games left, and they should just thank the Storm that they're in no danger of receiving the dreaded wooden spoon.


When they played the Dragons, we were promised payback. The fans were telling anyone that would listen that they'd get their revenge for that 2009 injustice. But once again, they failed to rise to the occasion – being held to six points in both encounters with their old enemy. And the Eels? The team that ended their season so suddenly last September? They too, saw off the Dogs twice, each time by a comfortable 16 points.


Then finally, nine days ago. After an excellent win over the Rabbitohs, Canterbury's season had been elevated from 'flat-lining' to 'life support'. So they traveled to Newcastle, knowing a win would see them right back in with a shout. Both teams were level on competition points, and both had everything to gain – but you wouldn't have known it. The Knights jumped out to a 30-0 lead and the final nail in the blue and white coffin was hammered in.


If their results of the last two seasons were just unfortunate, perhaps it would be unfair to call them chokers. But lets head back to the 2006 preliminary final at the Sydney Football Stadium. The Bulldogs are leading 20-6 at half time against a flat Broncos team. Cruising towards a second grand final in three years. Well, the second half to the tune of 0-31 saw them not only lose, but lose badly. And to this day, that's the biggest choke I've seen in an NRL finals match.


But at least they didn't blow a perfect season with a minute to go.


---


750 words including title

 

[murphyscreek]

murphyscreek for the Dragons......unfashionably early as always

750 words between the stars

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The Flag

The twelve year old boy climbed out of the Kingswood and said goodbye to his Dad. A cold gust swept down Culver St, accenting the chill in the air. The sky as grey as the boy’s mood. The prolonged cold spell seemingly in sync with the frosting relationship between the boy’s parents. He wasn’t actually sure what was happening, but for two months now his Mum had been on ‘holiday’, and the boy had been spending every weekend with his Grandparents at their house in Monterey.

It wasn’t all bad though. His Nan was a great cook, serving up meals of such delicious quality that he often risked the inevitable lecture on gluttony by begging for a third helping. Her food a stark contrast to the sad offerings his father had served up during the week.

The boy had also made friends with a kid called Gary who lived around the corner on Chuter Avenue. They’d taken to going to Kogarah Oval for St George home games together, or at other times playing about with toy sailboats on the creek in Scarborough Park. They both loved AC-DC, the Bon Scott version.

Gary was of Tongan descent and was as passionate about the Dragons as the boy. Sometimes Gary’s older sister, Adi, would accompany them to the footy and the boy hoped she’d be coming this Sunday for the Wests match. The first time the boy had met her, Adi had kissed his cheek and told him she was a Princess. The boy believed her. She was the most exotic human being he’d ever met.

He pushed through the creaking gate and up to the front door where his Grandmother met him. Instead of a hug she looked him up and down before declaring;

“You need a haircut.”

And the boy knew there’d be no escaping the pudding bowl trim that weekend. From experience though, he correctly anticipated a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down.

“I had some old rags lying about…so we’ve made you something for the match on Sunday”, as she frowned, attempting to mask a smile.

“Pop’s got it out in the shed.”

He went out to the backyard but bypassed the shed door and walked around to the rear of the shed, Pop’s latest hiding spot where he smoked his rollies. The boy had witnessed a previous occasion when Pop had been busted smoking by Nan. It wasn’t pretty.

“Never take up smoking,” he’d warned, “It gives you horrible earache”.

He nodded towards the gift resting upright against the shed wall. It was a beautiful red and white flag. A big square of red material sewn to a white square, hand stitched and hemmed with immaculate skill. The flag was attached to a length of broomstick that had obviously been recently sanded and varnished. A lathe turned handle had been slotted onto the bottom of the stick, and as the boy picked up the flag it was as if that handle had been made to match the contours of his own hand.

Sunday afternoon couldn’t come fast enough. When it did, the boy, Gary, and Adi (yes!) walked up to Kogarah Oval. His friends had been suitably impressed with the flag and Adi spent ages running the smooth material between her fingers, declaring it to be Chinese silk.

At the oval they took up their usual position behind the goalposts at the northern end. The sight and sounds of the Dragons supporters lifted the boy's spirit, and today he added to the sea of red and white with his own magnificent flag as the crowd communally cheered on a dominant Saints team. Periodically, Gary would rush down to lean over the fence to join in with the scores of other kids to lead a chant by rhythmically bashing the tin advertising signs.

Bang…bang…bang bang bang…bang bang bang bang “SAINT GEORGE!”

Late in the match, Mark Shulman received the ball from dummy half and stepped off his right foot to explode through a hole and score under the post. As Shulman stood up he looked directly at the flag, then lowered his gaze to look into the eyes of the boy holding it. Shulman then smiled, and gave him the thumbs up gesture.

The three friends broke into a tumultuous celebration of ever louder cheers, jumping up and down whilst simultaneously trying to hug and backslap each other. Somehow, they didn’t fall down.

Thirty-three years on, it was still the best day ever.

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[St. Linnane]

Like the many games that proceeded it, St. Linnane takes the quick scoot from dummy half off the Murphys Creek hitup; hoping the catch the Rabbitohs on the hop as it were.....

750 words between the stars according to the OWC.

**********

I’d give it all up for the one before it

This Monday just past, round 23, marked my 85th consecutive attendance at a Dragons premiership match (including finals). That is 21 times to Wollongong and 14 to Kogarah Jubilee; 11 to Homebush; 4 times to Brisbane, Melbourne, Brookvale and Parramatta and three times across the Tasman to the land of the long white cloud. Throw in twice to Townsville, Newcastle and Canberra and you realise that I’ve travelled some miles to watch the Red V go around.

It’s a streak that includes 50 wins and 35 losses. A streak that commenced somewhat innocuously on the Queens Birthday holiday in 2007; where you might recall Greg Bird winked his way to an Adam Peek sin binning; as the Dragons went down 20-16 in front of 12,455 and the T-shirt Army broke through the Jubilee Oval fence.

But this is not a story about the streak, rather the game before it commenced. Round 12, 2007. A cold June Friday night at Kogarah as the Dragons took on the Broncos. The Dragons were 4/1 outsiders, having won three from ten and sitting fifteenth on the ladder; the Broncos only slightly better at four from eleven and twelfth, but coming in off a confidence boosting 71-6 thrashing of the Knights at Suncorp.

This was the first game in the Red V for a little bloke named Jamie Soward. Having been released by the Roosters, despite starring in the match on the Saturday before; Jamie reported for training at Kogarah on the Tuesday after. I can only imagine how tough it would be, being the new kid in a class that first met some seven months earlier.

I myself had known for some time I wasn’t going to be at the game, despite having a ticket to do so. For some inexplicable reason I’d chosen to do a uni course on a Friday night, and this Friday was the final exam for the subject. I’d already missed two games for the subject; but better still I’d missed two classes for the Saints.

I have since heard Jamie talk of the way he walked to the ground with his backpack on, mixing with those who were on their way to see what he could do. I recall Rabbs in commentary that night, suggesting that Soward had the names of his team mates marked on his wrists. I thought about how hard it must have been as a playmaker to call the shots in front of guys you had only met, many for the first time, only 4 days before.

Call the shots he did however, one conversion from two attempts and a match defining field goal got the Dragons home 11-4 over the Broncos. The passion shown by the players following the field goal showed how they knew it was a big win not only for Jamie; but also for the team. The match was also memorable for the fact that Ricky Thorby just about scored from his first touch on debut, instead, he was knocked unconscious just millimetres short of the line.

I can’t recall the questions from the exam, but I can recall that I spent a fair bit of time during it thinking about how the Dragons were going. I can remember driving home with the radio off and sitting down to watch the game as if it were live. It is a funny experience watching a game on television as opposed to being there. Shouting at the TV just doesn’t have the same effect as shouting at the players; you don’t chant and cheer watching a TV either.

Jamie went on to play every game for the remainder of the season, for a record of six wins and eight losses; and finished the Dragons highest point scorer for the season.

Despite where my mind was that night I somehow pulled a high distinction for the subject; graduating my Masters degree with a distinction average.

Now I learnt two things that night, the first is regardless of how interesting you may think a university course will be, if it is held on Friday nights, it isn’t more important than football; and secondly this Soward kid was going to be something special, he just needed the opportunity to show the world what he had. I’ve been sideline at each of his 79 other appearances in the Dragons colours, though I’d give it all up to have been at his first. Well maybe…

**********

 

[byrne_rovelli_fan82]

byrne_rovelli_fan82 for the Rabbitohs

~~~

2008 finals all over again

It wasn’t so long ago when the NRL world watched on in awe as the 8th-placed NZ Warriors won an amazing game against the 1st placed Melbourne Storm. Not only did they become the first team ever in the history the NRL to be placed 8th and beat number 1, they kept their momentum going the very next weekend when they came up against the Sydney Roosters.
The amazing come back of the Warriors at the time wasn’t even assured until the very last round of the regular season. They lay in 8th spot as they went across to Sydney to take on the fledging Parramatta Eels. As the game got underway there were two scenarios that lay open during the game, as fellow 8th-placed team the Newcastle Knights were hoping the Eels could get the victory so they remained in the top 8. Where as if the Eels could pull off a massive miracle then they had the chance to sneak into the top 8 back door style.
Once the game got underway the gap between the two teams was more than obvious. The Warriors had much more to play for then the Eels did. After all with the Warriors they had the chance to get into the top 8 and secure their spot to play in September, something only 8 teams have the opportunity to do every year while the Eels were just looking to try and finish off a very disappointing season.

Since the competition has become a lot closer over the years, predicting where certain teams finish has only ever been just an over-educated guess and with the Warriors this is no exception. They had provided some great entertainment throughout the season and at the same time they had games where they played poorley. Soon they started winning just when it mattered. Going into the last round their playing future beyond the regular reason wasn’t assured only victory would attest their position.
The other piece to the jigsaw involved who they would play in the first week of the playoffs if they beat the Eels. They played on the Saturday while their possible top spot opponents’ in the Manly Sea Eagles and Melbourne Storm, both teams did not play each other but had other opponents’ and either a victory or loss would propel one of them to top spot and relegate the other to 2nd position.

In my own personal preference I had hoped the Sea Eagles would lose their game and the Storm, whom took on the Rabbitohs at Olympic Park would win. In that perfect scenario the Warriors would then come over to Melbourne to take on the Storm in week 1 of the finals.
The result of week one spoke volumes of the capabilities of the Warriors as they beat the Storm and Roosters in consecutive weeks before they came up against the high-flying Sea Eagles.
This year there is a strange but familiar feeling to the Warriors run home. Right now they sit in 6th position so they are a little better off in the top 8 table then in 2008. Still with three weeks to go nothing is safe as they will be well aware a loss could put them back into the difficult spot of fighting it out with the teams below them; but a win would keep them closer to the teams ahead of them.

They must keep winning and keep an eye on other results for the teams in and around them. If it all works in their favour they could find themselves in familiar territory to 2008. Only this time they won’t need to take on the daunting task of Melbourne but instead their next task could potentially end up at Wollongong, Gold Coast, Campbelltown, Blue Mountains or the Chook Pen and even possibly a trip back to The Nest or Suncorp.
There is life yet in this competition and for the Warriors, once written off as wooden-spoon contenders are close to embarking on another exciting roll of finals football. And just like the old team from two years ago they will go in with very little expectation from their fellow Australian counterparts, but they’ll have momentum and a massive fan base spread out over the two countries.

Listen out for that siren because it is going to blowing long and loud as the Warriors 08 form comes to bear fruit for 2010, coupled with their heavy beards and spunky haircuts.

~~~

There are 749 words between the '~'s according to the official word counter

 

[griffo346]

Griffo346 running on for the rabbitohs in his first ever finals appearance
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Suburban Football Grounds


In this article I will discuss my opinion to why we should come back to these grounds and why I don’t like big grounds for regular National Rugby League games.


Grounds like the old North Sydney Oval (Bears) , Henson Park(Newtown) are grounds that teams and fans love as they are close to the action and can feel every hit up and every tackle in the game.


Grounds of current teams that are inactive for the time being


Belmore Sports Ground: Canterbury Bulldogs
Capacity: 25,000 including9,000 Seats


Belmore Sports Ground was originally a circle shaped ground and was opened in 1920. It was then officially opened as an rectangular shaped ground in 1968.


Redfern Oval: South Sydney Rabbitohs
Capacity: 20,000


The South Sydney Rabbitohs Rugby League Club played at Redfern Oval between 1948 and 1987. The former NRL ground has a main grandstand on the wing with seats on either side; a hill surrounds the rest of the ground with a few rows of seats near the fence.


Grounds of merger teams that could be used more often


Campbelltown Sports Stadium: Wests Tigers
Capacity: 20,000


Campbelltown Stadium has been used for top level rugby league since 1987 when the Western Suburbs Magpies made the move from their inner western base of Lidcombe. At that time the ground was known as Orana Park.


Leichardt Oval: Wests Tigers
Capacity: 20,000


Leichhardt Oval has a main grandstand with two levels on the main side, a large grass hill with a limited number of seats on the outer side. Seats and standing room at one end, and two small grandstands at the other end. These small grandstands are all what remain of the ground when it used to be a oval field running East to West.


At the moment the Wests Tigers currently play three games a piece between these grounds with the remainder at ANZ Stadium.


In the current format for this team I firmly believe that if they played the games as a fifty fifty concept instead of having a spasmodic crowd in a big stadium such as ANZ Stadium.


The successful club to do this is the St. George – Illawarra Dragons with them playing half their home games at each venue.


Win Stadium: St George – Illawarra Dragons
Capacity: 20,000 including 11,000 in seating


WIN Stadium has three main grandstands which are at the Western, Southern and Northern sides. Opposite the Western stand on the other wing of the ground is a grass hill. The latest addition to WIN Stadium is the Northern Grandstand which was opened in 2002, has two levels of seating, and is situated in front of the WIN Entertainment Centre.


Win Jubilee Stadium: St George – Illawarra Dragons
Capacity:20,541 including 8,500 in seating


Kogarah Oval, was constructed in 1935 and is the home ground of the St.George Illawarra Dragons who also play games at Wollongong's WIN Stadium. The ground was formerly the full-time home of the St.George Dragons before they merged with the Illawarra Steelers. The Dragons relocated back to the ground in 2003.


Current clubs like the Parramatta Eels, Penrith Panthers, Cronulla Sutherland Sharks are the originally based teams whom still use their suburban grounds


Parramatta Stadium: Parramatta Eels
Capacity: 20,000 all seated stadium


Located in the heart of the city of Parramatta, Parramatta Stadium is situated on the banks of the Parramatta River, adjacent to the historic Parramatta Park. The Stadium is home to the Parramatta Eels Rugby League Club. The Stadium grew from the ashes of Cumberland Oval.


Credit Union Stadium: Penrith Panthers
Capacity:22,500 including 8,000 in seats


From a spectator's view, it is an excellent ground to watch rugby league, rugby union or soccer - all of which are played there - because you are never too far away. There are excellent corporate and media facilities.


Toyota Stadium: Cronulla Sutherland Sharks
Capacity:22,000 including 9,000 in seating


The stadium was built in 1960 and has a nominal capacity of 22,000. The Toyota Motor Company currently hold the naming rights to the stadium. The Sharkies Leagues Club sits beside Endeavour Field.


To sum all this up although these grounds lack the capacity, these grounds provide the best overall atmosphere for the crowd and players.
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719 words according to the F7s Word Counter

References:


http://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/stadiums.php?id=14
Details on Belmore Sportsground.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campbelltown_Stadium
Details on Campbelltown Stadium


http://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/stadiums.php?id=96
Details on Redfern Oval


http://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/stadiums.php?id=139
Details on Win Stadium


http://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/stadiums.php?id=59
Details on Win Jubilee Stadium


http://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/stadiums.php?id=85
Details on Parramatta Stadium


http://www.austadiums.com/stadiums/stadiums.php?id=86
Details on Credit Union Australia Stadium


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endeavour_Field


Details on Toyota Stadium

 

[Dave Q]

Dave Q in Bunnyland!
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Birdsense

I don’t know about you but I have always had an interest in the strange and inexplicable, not that these are the sort of things one should worship or be possessed by, because you go crazy.

I think it’s amazing that the human mind has shared experiences and beliefs in terms of the senses. We see, touch, feel, hear, and smell. And it’s interesting although sometimes tragic that some of us have more or less of these qualities.

But step out of human experience for the moment and have a look at the animal kingdom. Some animal’s senses are very different from ours. I am not just talking about the “sonar” that bats and whales use to navigate and even communicate; I am talking about the sense of speed, time and presence. Are these things the same for all things on earth? The surprising answer is “no”

Take the humble bird.

You and I can approximate the time it will take for a thing to pass one point to another given a certain speed. But if a bird could talk, it would give us a very different estimation. Why is it that birds can sit on a road and then a micro-second before they are about to get run over, take off in very casual fashion? Why is it that the seagull can cruise over the ocean, suddenly dip into it and pull out a tasty fish. How often do think we could jag that?!

Where to birds get all of this additional time from? Well according to animal behaviorists, the answer is simple. Birds see everything in a type of slow motion and their sense of presence is much more acute than us.

So when a car is travelling about 60km and reaches say a foot away from the bird, well, in the birds reality he has about an hour to vacate the area. What we experience in micro-seconds they experience in minutes.
That sounds quite fantastic and unbelievable, but it’s true.

And of course, if there is any truth in the world, it is represented by our beloved game of games, rugby league!

I was thinking about the application of the bird technology. We have all this gear now, what if the bird academics and the medical profession got together. Sort of weirdo modern Frankenstein arrangement!

I can see teams, impregnating their players with this bird sense. This would be a secret at first because its league!

Imagine Billy Slater, maybe the quickest and sharpest player in the comp as it is, imagine him with these skills.

There is a kick downfield, usually well away from him (except if it is Souths, then its inevitably right to him!). Billy would then have the time to

· Run onto the sideline and do a 40km bike ride,
· Change his uniform,
· Have a full facial done by a beautician,
· Meet and greet his family,
· Dance Swan Lake twice over,

Before as cool as you like, dance around the ball as it came down holding his arms to his side and then at the last micro-second catch it.

On return, he would have an age to determine where the defenders were and how he could get around them. He might even decide to run the ball back to the try line, stop just before he crosses it, run back to the defender, and put a huge step on him….just to show off.

Or take Benji Marshall, his famous “pass to himself.” He could pass it and as it flew through the air, he would have enough time to sign a hundred autographs, and then return back to catch his pass.

Imagine this kind of thing in coaching. Imagine a coach knowing exactly where the opposition players will be in 3 minutes time. In commentary, Sterlo would have to speak very very slowly and then be careful that he didn’t get ahead of the vision on the TV.

“If you leave for that slash now, you are going to miss Peter Wallace kick a field goal from 45 out, after that, the Dubbo Drought are going to score in the corner, and it’s going to be refs call, so just hang on a moment”

Of course it would be very useful for law enforcements authorities, who could try to place you under arrest before you commit the actual crime… actually geneticists are working on that now, but that’s another story!!
__________________________________________________________________________________
749 words above the lines!

 

[Jason Maher]

Jason Maher returns for the Dragons after a long run sitting on the bench. After picking the splinters out of his arse, he latches on to a lovely ball from St. Linnane and scoots down the touchline...

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One More Converted to the Cause

It is an interesting experience becoming a dad for the first time. The entire organisation of your life changes to accomodate this little screaming bundle of joy. Questions that have never occurred to you before suddenly become very relevant. There's the immediate questions like "Where do I buy all this babay stuff?", "Do I buy all new stuff or go for hand-me-downs?", "Cloth nappies or disposable?". Then there's the down-the-line questions "What school will I send my kids to?", "Will we put them in child care so we can both work?", "How many kids do we want?". Then of course there's the universal "How the f**k am I meant to be a dad?!"

But over and above all these is the one question dear to the heart of every new dad: "What football team will my child support?" I'll freely admit that the thought of my kids growing up to support the Broncos or Melbourne fills me with absolute dread. Worse, they could go for one of the Saints traditional Sydney rivals like Canterbury, Souths, Parramatta, or (please no!) Cronulla. I'm sure everyone reading this who is a dad (or mum) can relate to these feelings.

Sure, it is inevitable that there will be conflicts over many things - music, clothes, money, boyfriends/girlfriends, housework. All part of growing up. But it's nice to think that Rugby League and the mighty Dragons will be the one point of enduring harmony, even if my kids decide they want to sit at the opposite end of the ground.

So, with these anxieties mind, when my daughter was born 4 years ago, I began planning a strategy to make sure she understood that though she may have many choices in her life, her football team would not be one of them. The first plank of the strategy was to make sure from the youngest age that it is very visible which team I follow, and rely on the monkey see, monkey do tendency of young children. This was simple because I have always been the type to make it obvious which team I support. The second plank of the strategy was direct encouragement, neatly folded into teaching her to talk: "Say 'go the Dragons!'. Now say 'boo the Broncos!'". Other planks in the strategy included: the giving of merchandise as gifts; spot-tests of loyalty - "which team do you go for?"; watching the footy with her on my knee and pointing out which team is the Dragons (curse alternate jumpers!); and as a means of reinforcment, good old reverse psychology: "Go the Broncos?" "No Daddy, boo the Broncos! Go the Dragons!"

The point of all this is that ensuring the next generation clearly knows the difference between good (Dragons) and evil (Broncos) requires a concerted and varied effort. The culmination of all this effort on my part was a trip to Rebel Sport to kill time before heading to the footy. My then 2-year-old, upon seeing the rack of Red Vs, piped up "those are your shirts Daddy!". Then, upon spying the red kids t-shirts on the next rack, she opined "and those are my shirts Daddy!" Now, what father with a heart not made of stone could resist such a show of loyalty? I promptly bought her one of the shirts (even though it clashed violently with her pink pants). The punchline: the Dragons got up against the Broncos, 24-20, with Ben Hornby having a blinder.

Now I know some may think of my methods as something akin to brain-washing, but those would not be supporters of Rugby League. Any true supporter of the greatest game of all would appreciate how vital it is to instruct the next generation in the right way to go, in particular the right team to support. No sight is greater than going to the footy and seeing multiple generations of a family all decked out in club colours and enjoying the wonderful experiences that only our great game can provide.

Earlier this year my wife gave birth to our second child. My success with my daughter led me to proudly and confidently proclaim my son as a Dragons fan. I'm sure time will prove me right.

I'll end with a note of caution: sometimes your efforts can be too successful. Earlier this year, trying to teach my daughter the right way when it comes to State of Origin, I received the response: "No Daddy, not go the Blues, go the Dragons!!!". Touché.

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750 words between the tildes.

 

[DRAGONZ_RULE]

Looming up on the inside in support of Jason Maher, DRAGONZ_RULE calls for the ball. The first line of cover defence draws near, Jason waits until the last possible moment before throwing a brilliant flick pass back inside - DRAGONZ_RULE streaks downfield!

DRAGONZ_RULE realises the cover defence will catch him, but with 749 words between the stars, he sees Dubopov in the corner of his eye and attempts an audacious cross-field kick .....

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LIFE, LOVE AND RUGBY LEAGUE: A HELLISH PARADISE

CHAPTER 5

“TRY, TRY, TRY!!”

The players ran over to the tryscorer, celebrating together. The parents clapped and cheered. It was 14-0 with a kick to come, and only 18 minutes of the U16s Grand Final between Bluey Wilson’s Renown United and the Minor Premiers, Kingsgrove Colts, had elapsed.

There was one big problem, though …

Kingsgrove were winning.

The Grand Final wasn’t going to plan at all. Bluey had hoped to take the match by the scruff of the neck and lead Renown to victory in the ultimate Cindarella story. Renown United, competition cellar-dwellers midway through the season, had stormed into the Grand Final on the back of 11 straight victories. It was no coincidence that Bluey had started playing for them 11 games prior.

Renown’s plan had been to kick off deep, smash the Colts players in the first set, establishing their dominance early. It had gone wrong, though, and it had gone wrong quickly. On just the third tackle of the match, the Colts carved through Renown’s defensive line like a hot knife through butter, using a brilliant second man play from deep inside their own half. Once they broke into the backfield, it was a simple case of drawing the fullback and passing to one of three unmarked players on the inside. It was the type of daring play that requires confidence, and Kingsgrove, having only lost once all season, had it in spades.

A few minutes later, Kingsgrove got a cheap penalty, with Renown’s forwards lying all over the tackled player in an attempt to slow down the play the ball. Kingsgrove shifted the ball from right to left, and then immediately spread the ball back to the right, with the diminutive Colts winger diving over for a try in the corner. The sideline conversion was hooked to the near side, but the score remained an impressive 10-0 after just seven minutes.

Soon after, a simple knock-on by Tom Edwards gifted Kingsgrove another golden opportunity. It was one they didn’t waste. 14-0, kick to come.
And yet, as the Renown players stood in a huddle behind the try-line, Corey Smith – the team’s Captain – remained upbeat.

“Come on, boys, we have started badly but we can still win this thing! We need to stop giving away penalties and dropping the pill – this is the Grand Final, fellas! WE ARE RENOWN! WE CAN DO THIS!!”

Bluey’s head was down, though. This was all going horribly, horribly wrong. He’d imagined himself single-handedly winning the Grand Final, and wooing the girl (that girl!) in the process. Following the conversion, Bluey jogged slowly back to halfway, staring down the barrel of a 16-0 scoreline.

Suddenly, a voice: “Come on, Bluey, you can do it! Believe in yourself!”

Bluey’s head snapped up. His eyes darted through the crowd. Whose voice was that?!

Again: “You can do it, Bluey!!”

And then he saw her. It was the girl. Calling out to him. Urging him on.

“She believes in me,” thought Bluey. “She believes in me! I CAN DO THIS!!!”

With renewed optimism, Bluey decided to try a variation on the team’s kick-off plan. Kingsgrove were expecting a deep kick, about 10m to the left of the uprights. Noticing that Kingsgrove’s right edge second rower had drifted in off the sideline, Bluey decided to keep the ball low and aimed for the sideline. He struck it sweetly, and the ball landed just in front of the Colts player before bouncing right over his head, going into touch.
Half of the crowd, so quiet to this point, finally had reason to cheer. Renown had a scrum, 20 metres out. Could Bluey weave some magic and get Renown onto the scoreboard?

He fed the scrum. Drifted across field, causing the defence to jam in. Threw a short pass to his teammate, quickly wrapped around the back. Got the ball back from Corey, having created the overlap on the outside. Then, like a flash, Bluey dummied on the outside and scythed through the gap created by the Colts defender misreading the play and drifting too wide. He sprinted towards the try-line, slid over the chalk … TRYTIME!

The conversion, from 10 metres to the right of the posts, was a mere formality for Bluey.

16-6.

Renown were back in the contest.

The U16s Grand Final of 1994 was in full swing, and although it had taken almost 20 minutes, Kevin ‘Bluey’ Wilson had announced his arrival …

To be continued ...

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

 

[Marshall_magic]

Marshall Magic to close it out for the bunnies

741 words between the lines

------------------------
The Tiger’s Nine Lives

It is common knowledge that a cat has nine lives. It is also common knowledge that a Tiger is a member of the cat family. After a great run through to the premiership in 2005 it’s been four seasons of heartache for Tigers fans like myself. After a great win in down at Campbelltown on Sunday over Penrith, the finals drought appears over, and we could not be more relieved. Ironically since 2005, 2010 has produced arguably the worst football from the Tigers, yet consistently they have won ugly late in the piece or had something go their way to help them. Now that the stress of the season and the finals drought is all but over, I thought I was have a bit of fun, here is a look at what happened to the first eight lives and how the Tigers are down to the last of their nine lives.

1.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Round 1 win against Manly – Manly run out to a massive lead at the break. A bit of ill discipline from Manly in the second half and the attacking flare of the tigers lights up the SFS and they get away with a good comeback win.
2.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Round 4 win against Canberra – Canberra basically have the game all sewn up at halftime, but right on the halftime bell the Raiders try to push a pass, Lote swoops and Marshall scores. A second half massacre sees us get home by 13 points, in probably the most unconvincing 13+ victory in the history of the NRL/ARL/NSWRL.
3.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Melbourne Storm salary cap rorts – The Storm were a lock for a top 8 spot, most likely a top 2 spot. Relegating them to last place effectively made the team who finishes ninth, eighth. Let’s face it here; the Tigers are chronic ninth place finishers, 3 times in 6 seasons (04, 07 and 09). Also, finishing in eighth out of fifteen teams, a mediocre season could very well see you sneak into the top 8.
4.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Round 15 win against Canberra – This game was a botch-a-thon. The team that was going to win was the team that botched the least amount of tries. In the end brilliance of megastars like Daniel Fitzhenry and Beau Ryan got us over the line.
5.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Round 17 win against Brisbane – Brisbane minus origin stars at Suncorp, which means no Lockyer, Folau or Thaiday. Even then it the game was one massive cripple fight, and it took all 80 minutes to put away a Toyota Cup side. Had one of the Broncos big 4 played, we would’ve been beaten. Luckily we had Farah that night.
6.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Round 19 win against North Queensland – Probably the most ordinary side in the competition at this point. Yet we gifted them a 16 point lead, and had to produce another big second half comeback. We did pull it off, although we made it as hard as possible. A special mention here went to Benji Marshall and his 1/6 with the boot, almost eclipsing Brett Hodgson’s 2006 ground record of 1/7.
7.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Round 21 win against Cronulla – Another team anchored to the bottom of the NRL table, and another should-win match turned into a struggle. The Tigers have been the Sharks bogey side for several years, but this was one we should’ve lost to them, with a dreadful performance put together. What looked like a fair try to Ben Pomeroy or at worst a Sharks penalty was given as a Wests Tigers penalty, which lead to an unconvincing 4 point win.
8.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Round 25 game against Storm – Although this match hasn’t been played yet, the draw has favoured the Tigers for two reasons. Number 1 the only game we have against the Storm is after their rorts have been exposed, buried and pretty much forgotten. The playing for pride period is over and the players will be winding down. Number 2 the game is at Leichhardt where the Tigers dominate the Storm, not in Melbourne where we just don’t win.
9.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]The last life of the Tigers in 2010. Maybe this life will ride out all the way until grand final day when the good guys lift the trophy aloft again for the first time in 5 years. Maybe they’ll just fizzle, crash and burn in week 1 of the finals, hopefully not though. We may even get a second chance in the finals, 10 lives!

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

 

[dubopov]

Dubo had been a high all week...it was the MIGHTY DRAGONS first semi since he'd started playing. TAKE NO PRISONERS !!!!!!!


THE OTHER BROTHER

Ring-ins have been part and parcel of Aussie sports' folklore for well over a century and are usually associated with the Sport Of Kings (and Rogues). In recent times the most famous racecourse ring-in was the brilliant ploy to substitute the well-performed Bold Personality for the veritable donkey, Fine Cotton, which was sensationally backed from 33/1 into 3/1.

Brilliant ploy you say ? It was so obvious. Too obvious in fact. All money wagered on Fine Cotton was lost so the bookies cleaned up. In a little known twist to the plot, the horse which was given the race after the disqualification, Harbour Rule, was backed from 7/1 into 7/2, giving those in the know a sizeable payout. There were rumours of a "boat-race" circulating within minutes. .. but I digress ..

Rugby League has not been without its ring-ins, even at the highest level, the most notable being the infamous "Mickey Lane" who played a trial for St George in Grafton prior to the start of the 1978 season. "Lane" starred in the match and was heralded as a great new find, until Brisbane top-liner Mitch Brennan came clean and admitted that he used the name in case friends in Brisbane thought he was a failure if Saints didn't sign him.

Most League rings-ins though have less noble motives and usually involve substituting a good player as an unknown to win, a very common practice in bush comps. Virtually every bush club has pulled this sort of stunt at some stage, even I did it when I was playing for the Wobbygong Wombats in the early 80's. Mind you, I set up a ring-in for a very noble cause - brotherly love.

My older brother and I had played League at Representative level, yet our younger sibling, Alby, who loved League as much as anyone, had never played a game. He was too young to have competed in our backyard bashathons and generally was overshadowed in everything by his identical (well almost) twin sister Annie.

When I finally got Alby fired up and ready to play in '82, the June 30 deadline had passed and no new signings were allowed. I had forgotten that rule after I had promised Alby a run when our regular halfback 'Pig' Wallace was suspended. I decided that Alby would become "Errol Latimore", a fruit picker who signed up but left town before playing. Additionally, I got Alby a wig and headgear which would camouflage him from opponents and supporters.

I got Alby to train with the team during the week and although he was fairly quiet, the boys liked him and he fitted in well. Everything was going smoothly until we were in the dressing sheds before the match against the Lopenza Lizards when our prop Jock McAndrew took me aside.

"Mate, is that brother of yours on the level ?", he queried.

"Level ?? .. What do you mean mate ??"

"You know, like .. um .. is he a .. you know .. um .. does he bat for the other team ??"

"Huh ??"

"Is he a nice person mate ?"

"NAH !! No way mate !"

" Good mate .. I musta been imaginin' it.. he seemed to be starin' at me c**k."

I wasn't certain, but I figured I'd know if my own brother was a nice person. You would, wouldn't ya ??

Anyway any doubts about him were dispelled early in the game when Alby flattened two blokes with real bell-ringers. One of them was Denby Wilkes, a cousin of my old arch-enemy Mungo, the not-so dearly departed. There were no doubts whatsoever after Alby burst through four defenders, swerved to beat the fullback and sprinted away to score just on half time. He was brilliant; I was so proud of my "Errol". He was a sensation.

Wilkes and his cohorts tried their level best to upset Alby in the second half but nothing worked until scumbag Wilkes tried a 'Hopoate' on him.
After a scuffle on the ground, Wilkes got up disbelievingly and blurted, " f**k, he's a fuc"..

He didn't finish his sentence. Alby decked him with a beautiful right cross and sent him to Disneyland.

"You f**king pervert", shrieked Annie "Don't ever, ever try that again you filthy merkin." .. Wilkes had missed his target by a couple of centimetres.

I was stunned. There before me was a ring-in sister for my ring-in brother. Apparently, Alby had really wanted to play but he knew his twin wanted it more.

.. and I was proud of my sister .. she was sensational.

............................................................................................................................................................................................................

Reference .. "Saints: The Legend Lives On" Ian Heads

 

[Non Terminator]

Letting you all know, this is about 10 minutes from being announced. Stay tuned.

 

[Non Terminator]

DRAGONS 442

Murphyscreek - The Flag (750 Words)
This is why you're in Rookie Of The Year contention. This is why the Dragons are in contention. Beautifully written, love the humour in there, especially regarding Adi. Easy to say, loved reading it.
92

St. Linnane - I'd Give It All Up For The One Before It (750 Words)
I could remember this day well. To be honest, I was cheering for him. Always enjoyed watching him, ever since he lead that unbeatable (literally) 2004 outfit. Can't say I feel the same these days after watching him kick our ass (was it something we did)? Brilliant.
89

Jason Maher - One More Converted To The Cause (751 Words - 2 Point Penalty)
First of all, always gotta watch out for that sneaky word count. Hit me before. Anyways, onto the article. I have thought about this before. I have a nine year old step-brother. He won a Matt Cooper tazo and now loves the Dragons. You should know how much that thrills me (not to mention he got it on Anzac Day, 2009...). I loved this article, you'll have to teach me your ways.
88 (Was 90 Before Penalty)

DRAGONZ_RULE - Life, Love And Rugby League Chapter 5 (749 Words)
First of all, that's one hell of an intro before the stars! It's been interesting following this story, and I can easily say, I'm looking forward to seeing how it ends.
86

dubopov - The Other Brother (750 Words)
I love these articles. I'm pretty sure that's no secret. Can I just say, you use symbols as whole words, in the example Huh ??" I don't know whether other referees would mark you down, and I'd hate to see it happen. Otherwise, great read!
89

RABBITOHS 354

Bumble - Choke Is A Five Letter Word (749 Word...s)
Not bad at all, it's good to remember the times (well, except if you're a Canterbury supporter I guess), and you've brought back some good points to share your argument. I actually thought of another one you might remember. Round 1...I think it was 2008? I remember them being up 20-0 at the break, losing 28-20 to Parramatta. But, you didn't need that one. You used the word limit to perfection.
89

Byrne_Rovelli_fan82 - 2008 Finals All Over Again (749 Words)
I remember that horrid night well back in 2008. I was sent a text, "I hope your Roosters are winning." Never had any confidence to be honest. You've written it well, but to be honest, I can't think of many true similarities between the two teams, as you've said, the Warriors are in a much stronger position this year. Still, a good read.
86

Griffo346 - Suburban Football Grounds (718 Words)
I'm really sorry to have to say this, but this article I simply cannot score. I looked at most of the references and in each of them I saw the exact same wording that was seen in your article. Copy and paste. That's it. You would've scored well if you just told me your thoughts of the grounds, instead of some general information. Barely did I see anything come from your personal opinion or thought.
0

Dave Q - Birdsense (739 Words)
Gotta say, love how you introduce Rugby League there haha. A weird article, but that's how you bring out the best in you. If that made any non-offensive sense! A great read.
89

Marshall Magic - The Tiger's Nine Lives (741 Words)
This is a bloody great read. Mind you, we used two lives against the Tigers. Brilliant! I just cannot say more. The only thing I will say is it would've been a bit easier to read if you used paragraphs, but I didn't mark down for it.
90

DRAGONS 442 d. RABBITOHS 354
MOTM - Murphyscreek (Dragons)

 

[dubopov]

Well done MIGHTY DRAGONS !!!!!!!! Many thanks to NT for the very quick marking .. bad luck Souths, all the best for next year ..

 

[Marshall_magic]

Thanks for the quick marking NT. Well done to the Dragons, all the best for the rest of the season.

Mad Thursday Souths?

 

[DRAGONZ_RULE]

Thanks for marking so quickly, NT!


Awesome to get our 2nd win of the season on the board! Undefeated for a few matches now (including two ties!), hopefully we can keep this momentum going into Week 2 of the Finals - GO DRAGONS!!


Thanks for the match, Souths - congratulations on a solid 2010, and best of luck in Season 2011!

 

[Titanic]

Hey Dubo ... I worked late last night and one of my colleagues popped in for a chat as I was having a peek at your game ... I must report that we both laughed ourselves sick at your article ... pure gold ... great work mate, I wish I'd though of it.

 

[Jason Maher]

Bloody hell. Not sure where the extra word came from, but oh well. We won! (First match I've been involved in that we've come out winners, by the way).

Thanks for playing Bunnies. Would have been tight if you hadn't had an article disqualified (especially with my penalty). Hopefully you'll all back up next year for another go round.

Cheers NT, really quick on the amrkign. Very much appreciated. I am sorry though, I cannot teach my ways to a Rorters fan...