Match Report:
The sun was beginning to set as the referee finally arrived to officiate the Ninjas -V- Panthers match at Reliant Stadium. The hosts sat fourth on the competition ladder but only a single competition point behind their visitors.
With the whistle belatedly at the ready, the referee signalled the kick off and both teams took to the contest with vigor.
First to score were the Ninjas, when gUt spied a fractured Penrith defensive line and he broke through, scoring just wide of the posts.
Haha, wow, that was definitely out of left field. In a strange way, it reminds me of the "Never Be Rude To An Arab" song by Monty Python - block your ears, kids! Even so, you did a reasonable job finding "adherents" to each religion, but the article would have been helped by some kind of concluding paragraph to complement the opening one. 84
Ninjas lead 84-0.
The Panthers had barely managed to regroup before the home side struck again, with joshie a picture of serenity as made a one-on-one strip and dotted down out wide.
As someone who has family members with mental illness, this topic definitely made me sit up and take notice. There was a raw purity about this article that really impressed me - I was gripped from beginning to end. A few spelling errors, such as "emphasized" instead of "emphasised" and "unsavory" instead of "unsavoury" restricted you slightly. Those are both American spellings, so Iíd recommend you change your word processing settings to UK English, Australian English, or New Zealand English, (theyíre all much of a muchness), to avoid those errors in future. Itís so great to read a true tale of redemption! 89
Ninjas lead 173-0.
Seeking to stop the rot, the Panthers struck back through broncoman, whose heavy hitup was enough to knock over the Chuck Norris mascot who had chosen the wrong time to cross the field. Somehow, in the ensuing martial art madness between the two teams, broncoman ran through untouched for a try.
This was an impassioned piece about the virtues of being able to participate at a match, rather than merely spectate from home. I was a season ticket holder with the Warriors from 1999 to 2010, so I certainly understand the passion. Alas, having been living in a different city since 2008 has made getting to the matches no longer worth the financial investment. This article was, unfortunately, let down by the grammatical flow. Often one sentence was made up of what would normally be two or three sentences, so it made it difficult to read in one "breath". Iíd be happy to clarify via PM if youíd like, as that was the main thing holding your piece back. 81
Ninjas lead 173-81.
Seeing his mascot take a tumble only caused Raider_69 to ensure he struck back, and that he did as he bent the line, then offloaded to send the fullback away to score.
Ha. Good ol' Denny. I have to confess to being a fan. (Random factoid of amazement: I once worked with the great man, many moons ago - well, sort of!) I could see where you were going with this, but it always felt like the rugby league link was a tenuous one. It was very original, which is great, but watch out for grammatical errors like "i" instead of "I". 85
Ninjas lead 258-81.
In the Panthers huddle, madunit revealed something: he was mad. And so, he vented this rage on the opposition in the shadow of half time with a bullocking run, eventually falling just over the try line to keep the visitors in the match.
A very humorous take on the NRL's approach to - or movement away from - common sense. It began to wear just a little bit dry towards the end, but I suppose thatís essentially the point! I would note, also, that it would have been better to have "an NRL" rather than "a NRL" in the "allege" definition. 88
Ninjas lead 258-169.
With that try coming as the half time siren sounded, the referee pulled out his deck chair and worked on his tan while the two teams went to their respective changing rooms.
HALF TIME: Ninjas lead the Panthers 258-169.
By the time the second half was only a few minutes old, it was clear that the team from Penrith had been given stern instructions during the break and they were intent on following them to the letter - none moreso than LeagueNut who dived onto a loose ball in the Ninjas in-goal to claim not only a try but the game's momentum.
Ha! Brilliant. The Warriors curse thatís really a short term blessing! This does seem to be a very real phenomenon. I enjoyed the tale itself, but watch out for grammatical errors such as multiple punctuation marks (??) or, in some cases, no punctuation mark at all. And as a pedant, Iíd argue that Campion played State Of Origin in Superleague and represented Ireland at the Centenary World Cup before he signed for the Warriors. 86
Ninjas lead 258-255.
Following the ANZAC Kiwi captain's lead, fellow Panther Azkatro side stepped the rushing Ninjas defense and scored under the posts, allowing the visitors to claim the lead for the first time.
This was beautifully written. As a Kiwi, I get more excited by international rugby league because I can actually support a team for legitimate reasons. When it comes to State Of Origin, Iíve always supported Queensland, but I was so pleased with the effort of New South Wales in game one. While not the most original article on the block, this piece oozed professionalism. Well done. 89
Panthers lead 344-258.
The match was called to a halt a short time later when an accidental head clash between Hallatia and rayroxon saw the former being stretchered off, and the latter stumbling around aimlessly for several minutes - but rayroxon insisted to keep on playing. Hallatia, meanwhile, was replaced by edabomb.
Jamesgould took advantage of the situation for the Ninjas, targeting rayroxon's defensive side and slipping past him to score next to the corner post, thereby reclaiming the lead for his team.
Ah, the fallen hero. Unfortunately, there are too many. I really enjoyed this piece and the flow through was completely natural. You painted both scenes ñ on the field and in the apartment ñ very well. 89
Ninjas lead 347-344.
With the match again decidedly close, new Ninjas substitute edabomb surged through, collecting a grubber in his own in goal, and then stepping and sprinting his way to the opposite end of the field for a length of the field try.
Well done - you caught me hook, line and sinker. I'd already decided by the end of the second sentence that this was a tale about Steve Menzies. I liked the reverse chronology, too. There were a few grammatical errors, but for the most part, this was a fantastic read. 91
Ninjas lead 438-344.
By this time, rayroxon's head injury was taking its toll, as the former Warriors player was found talking to one of the goalposts. He was politely escorted from the field to be replaced by Goleel with only a few minutes remaining.
Goleel's fresh legs made an immediate impact, as he was able to catch an offload and sprint away untouched to score for the visitors.
This was a very justified lamentation about the role of sponsors and how much material they take up. The Vodafone logo on the Warriors jersey isnít much better. As you note, it's a reality of the professional game, but I agree - surely it can be done better! Your voice was very clear and consistent throughout, but I noted a few grammatical bumps that held you back slightly. 87
Ninjas lead 438-431.
But the Penrith comeback was scuppered by the referee who called full time three minutes early! Controversy!
FULL TIME: Ninjas defeat the Panthers 438-431.
Score Sheet:
Chuck Norris Texas Death Ninjas:
gUt: 84
joshie: 89
Raider_69: 85
Jamesgould: 89
edabomb: 91
Penrith Panthers:
broncoman: 81
madunit: 88
LeagueNut: 86
Azkatro: 89
Goleel: 87
POTM: edabomb
