2011 ROUND 6: Ninjas -V- Rabbitohs

[Jesbass]

Chuck Norris Texas Death Ninjas -V- South Sydney Rabbitohs​

-V-

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 (+ 2 reserves for the visiting team, + 3 reserves for the home team)
* 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 19th June 2011 (2100AEST)
Full Time: Wednesday 29th June 2011 (2100AEST)
Referee: madunit
Venue: Reliant Stadium

Previous Matchups This Season:
Rabbitohs 314 - Ninjas 413 (Round 1)
Ninjas 261 - Rabbitohs 259 (Willow Cup Round 2)

 

[edabomb]

Ninjas arrive, finally recovered from their Willow Cup celebrations.

Starting
paulquinn49 (c)
CobyDelaney
jamesgould
Hallatia
Stelios Giannakopoulos

Reserves
joshie
edabomb (c)
Raider_69

 

[edabomb]

Ninjas Substitution
Stelios Giannakopoulos out
joshie in

 

[paulquinn49]

PQ for CNTDN

One win from greatness

They will forever be remembered as the greatest team to ever play State of Origin, scrap that, Rugby League. The year was 2011 & NSW had the weight of the world, excluding Queensland, on their shoulders. Against all odds they lived to survive & were victorious…in one game!


With the State of Origin series locked at 1-1, next Wednesday the 7th of June will cement one team’s name in Origin folk law. Will Queensland continue their never ending domination & kill off the Origin concept or will NSW rise up, as the underdog & shock the Rugby League world, winning a series, from 1-0 down and in Queensland?


As a Queenslander supporter growing up in NSW, I copped it for years as a kid, when NSW winning was not celebrated, it was expected. That is why supporting Queensland was so important to me, the ultimate underdog, the unassuming battler vs NSW, the home of Rugby League and the far superior team. David vs Goliath, I never understood how people could support Goliath, to me it was expected and boring. If David lost twenty times before having his victory, it wouldn’t matter, it just made David’s victory that much sweeter.


It keeps getting mentioned, after all these years, all the victories, crushing defeats, the highs and the lows, how little actually separates the teams in victories & points. It has drifted a bit further in the last couple of years but for a concept that is 30 years old, it remains quite close when you think where the pendulum has swung. In the early years Queensland dominated, whether this is because Queensland wanted it more or NSW not understanding the concept, or taking it too lightly, there is no doubting Queensland embraced the concept & deservedly came out on top.


The inevitable then happened with NSW taking the concept seriously, playing with the passion & ferociousness the game was intended to be played with. NSW then had their time to enjoy many years of being champions. The tradition, the hatred, everything the Rugby League hoped State of Origin would be was finally born.


NSW while in an arm wrestle, occasionally, began to edge ahead, with many people including myself thinking that if Queensland didn’t win a series soon, Origin could die. The pendulum then swung again, Queensland rising from nowhere, with a new breed, a new generation ready to answer the call of a state, and the game of Rugby League to fight and win. Five years later the same statements were being said in NSW. If NSW didn’t win soon, Origin will die. Personally I don’t think Origin can die, but with NSW being in the position of having to get back off the ground, with the support of the people actually scared me. As a Queensland supporter you know you are passionate, you know the players are passionate & you know the stories or Queensland’s talent being poached, lured to Sydney for large amounts of money the Queensland competition could never afford.


Five years of complete domination by Queensland had me and many others thinking, when will this end, when will NSW say enough is enough? The thing about NSW as a team, and a state is that they never seem to stick together, someone always pointed a finger, and someone always kicked them while they were down. That toxic culture of negativity looked like it would destroy State of Origin, with the only way of representative footy looking interesting was Queensland playing Queensland A, or QLD City vs QLD Country.


The pendulum was moving, it hadn’t swung but it had potential with NSW putting in a brave effort in a narrow loss in game one. Game two was big, no matter what the result was going to be, it would either extend the Queensland run to 6 years or it would show the people that the greatest Origin team in history could be beaten by the underdog, David, by NSW.

We now enter game three in Brisbane, the media focusing on Queensland being a state in crisis, Meninga and his fraud of a coaching career. Paul Gallen, formerly the most had man in this universe, and four others, is being spoken of as a future immortal. The pendulum has indeed started moving, whichever way the pendulum decides to go on Wednesday night in Brisbane will no doubt cement one of these sides in greatness.


732 words

 

[griffo346]

Bunnies line up

Bubbles
Burne_Rovelli_Fan82
Monk
Marshall_Magic
Spanner_in_The _Works

Bench
griffo346

 

[TooheysNew]

CobyDelaney for the Ninjas

Note to ref: sections in blue are references to the song by the same title.

If you can stomach country music, having a basic knowledge of the song can help interpretation.
Rascal Flatts - What Hurts the Most

What Hurts the Most

Rugby league is a game of scintillating highs, and devastating lows. A career, a match, even a single moment can be charged with any number of emotions, and permanently etched in memory.

For me at least, the negative memories always remain the most vivid.

I remember standing in the schoolyard on my first day of year four, a group of other boys with me, waiting with anticipation as the two ‘captains’ chose their teams for schoolyard footy. The sun was warm at my scrawny back, the excitement fluttering in my stomach, and the ends of my spindly fingertips tingling with nervousness. One by one, each boy was selected, some for their speed, some for their size - others for their pockets full of red frogs.

Eventually, there was just one boy yet to be chosen, in the unenviable position of not being wanted by either captain. That boy was me.

I can take a few tears now and then and just let ‘em out
I'm not afraid to cry, every once in a while


Fast forward ten years, and no longer was a lanky young kid awaiting selection. Years of hard work in the gym and countless repetitions of training drills had left my body strong. My once scrawny back now rippled with muscle, and my spindly fingers were calloused and leathery from gripping barbells. I was ready for my debut in first grade. I had been for weeks. The excitement of my first game consumed my every waking hour, and many sleepless nights – pushing me to train harder.

I stood before the coach as he named the first grade team, just like I had every week for the past month. I heard every name but mine called out, just like I had every week for the past month.

Waves of disappointment washed over my body. It was disheartening, but I tried my best to hide my frustration.
Overlooked. Again.

There are days every now and again I pretend I'm okay


Instead of focusing on the continual let downs, I channelled that energy into working on my game. I strengthened my weaknesses, concentrated on my defence, and improved my line running. Finally, I managed to impress the coach enough to get my chance in first grade. The elation of my selection was quickly overshadowed by the daunting realisation that my opposition for my debut would be the Bulldogs – home of the largest forward pack known to man.

My first hit up of the match was solid, however so was the defence. I felt every muscle in my body scream in protest of the impact, as I was stopped by a wall of flesh. Eager to impress, I dragged my body off the grass, and in our next set, took another hit up. The impact felt less jarring this time. Perhaps it was the fact that the sting of the opening encounters had diminished, or perhaps my body was so sore already that my brain decided not to register any more pain. Either way, I was starting to feel like I could match it with the big boys at this level.

Towards the end of the first half, I packed into a scrum. Without warning, my feet slipped across the damp grass, and the scrum collapsed around me. I felt a searing pain across my back, and then nothing.

I lay on the ground, motionless. Unable to move my legs.

What hurts the most, was being so close


My team mates tried to keep me in good spirits throughout my recovery, but there’s only so high your spirits can go when you are unable to walk or run. Something so simple, so taken for granted, and yet so impossible.

Slowly, I drifted apart from my friends. I became more withdrawn and reserved. I could no longer relate to the lives of my old friends and team mates, and I found it hard to hear them speak of their action packed, active lifestyles, when I was reduced to this. Life in a wheelchair.

It’s not their fault, and I don’t resent them for what they are able to do. I just regret that one slip, one freak accident, could be the difference between their lifestyle and mine.

It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone
Still harder gettin' up, gettin' dressed, livin' with this regret


Scintillating highs. Devastating lows.

And never knowin'
What could've been

What hurts the most…

 

[Spanner in the works]

Spanner for the Rabbitohs ready to take a dive for the team.

708 words.

Is rugby league becoming like soccer?

Friday 24th of June 2011. Wests Tigers versus the Bulldogs. Ben Barba takes a run and all of a sudden drops like a sack of shit. A commentator says it looks like a sniper got him. He is clutching his knee and the worst is feared for a gifted player and one of the true entertainers in the game. We expect a penalty. The trainer comes out and “fixes” him somehow. Sure enough, after taking another exciting and dangerous run, we see the replay. A Tigers player has barely touched him and it looks like he has taken a dive. Even worse, it looks entirely accidental.

How about this one? Pick a game. Any round with any team it doesn’t matter. A player takes a hitup, the tackle is made and he is laying on the ground. This scenario goes one of three ways. Let’s look at the first scenario. All of a sudden the tackled player starts thrashing around as though he is having a fit. The tackler is seemingly attached to him still. He is trying to get up, but a new tactic is in play this time. The tackler has stuck his foot between his legs making it virtually impossible for the tackled player to get up. The tackler has his arms out acting innocent, looking remarkably like the “Jesus pose”, leaving the crowd half expecting the halo and wings to appear.

Or the second scenario. Let’s say it’s Barba who has been tackled. He starts thrashing around trying to get up. The tackler is still laying on top of him been like Jesus, yelling at the ref that he is innocent and he is holding on to me. However, it turns out the tackler is a prop. A 115kg prop can’t get a 70kg fullback off him? Are they taking the piss? Maybe it’s a new form of “planking”. The third scenario is just the same except the roles are reversed. It’s the fullback who makes the tackle on the prop. This time though the prop IS holding on to the fullback. How on earth can a fullback get away from a 115kg prop who is holding on to him, when these guys can bench 150kg and more? They can’t.

All these scenarios are common. It is the last three that are the worst ones though. These are intentional, and have a presence of mind about them. It is obvious to everyone that they are trying to milk a penalty. Even the refs and commentators say it. Yet they continue. And it looks remarkably like a game of football. They go about their game, but whatever chance they get they will aim to get a penalty. A penalty based on nothing. A penalty that 30 years ago would have never happened. Soccer reminds me of that for some strange reason.

I’m sure you’ve all seen a game of soccer. Someone goes to make a tackle, they miss them completely, yet the player that was to be tackled takes a massive dive. Hell, they could be a stuntman in a bad action movie they dive that far and that high. Or how about when they take a corner or a free kick? The players are jostling for position which is fair enough. But for some bizarre reason they complain they can’t get away from a player, when a close observer can see that it’s just questionable practice and milking, which replays confirm later. They to do the Jesus pose and shout at the ref? Are those wings going to come out anytime soon? Maybe they aren’t angels. Maybe they are fairies. Are rugby league players’ fairies?

Maybe I am wrong. Maybe it happens in every sport. But I have to ask. Why do players continually do it, when it is obvious to everyone it is a) milking and b) not in the spirit of the game? And why do referees regularly agree that it is worthy of a penalty? It just seems a strange role reversal that the players are the ones who are thinking while the referees are the ones who aren’t. Are coaches encouraging this practice? There’s winning and then there is the spirit of the game.

 

[byrne_rovelli_fan82]

byrne_rovelli_fan82 for the Rabbitohs

~~~
Regarding James Maloney

In season 2010 many teams showed great depth and improvement, while others fell by the wayside looking in desperate need of a face-lift. One of those clubs was the Parramatta Eels, a team that has so much potential but has delivered very little, though there are a number of teams in the same boat as the Eels. A major problem area for the Eels revolves around their halves.

To fix their problems in the halves the Eels sought any options available but with no substance. In the mean time the Warriors were starting to make some serious noise in the competition, and their 2010 recruit James Maloney was starting to turn heads on both sides of the Tasman. Parramatta were impressed and somewhat bitter at his development over there since he was in their lower grade team for quite sometime and then moved down south from Sydney to Melbourne where he continued to develop, and had a chance to play in first grade.

Conscious of the decision, the Eels made in not keeping Maloney they decided it was time to make a play for him, but kept their options open. However the Warriors soon squashed this rumour a short time later and the Eels went in a different direction.

Now, nearly a year later rumours on Maloney’s future beyond this season is back in the spotlight, this time with a possible link to the South Sydney Rabbitohs, whom were involved with the Eels for bargaining power for Chris Sandow. Since the Eels won the bidding war and have now signed Sandow to the club from 2012 the Rabbitohs have been left to lick their wounds and go searching elsewhere.

They have some options they are considering and will look further however it still remains to be seen if they are only at the short term for 2012 and plan for something bigger in 2013, or if they just want to get this out of the way to secure their future.

Three days before the Warriors ANZAC Day game against the Storm in Round 7 (24th April) New Zealand newspaper site www.stuff.co.nz reported the Warriors had excised the extension in Maloney’s current contract thus ensuring his stay for 2012. However this was not widely reported in the media and only occurred on the one site. Even the Warriors own website didn’t make an announcement. Still it was good news for both James and the club.

Since then speculation has risen over his future, as following the Warriors v Knights game a report through yahoo.co.nz said his future was uncertain, some fans had even speculated further about it when hearing him speak of current situations on radio as well.

Then came RLW’s report quoting: Maloney wants out. In the span of 24 hours things were a flurry of activity over what was going on, if he wasn’t happy why was he staying and so on. The next day; nzherald.co.nz got the word from Maloney that what he had said in the RLW interview got taken out of context, while aspects of what he said was true he maintains things were not as bad as they seem.

According to the RLW interview Maloney said he wasn’t granted compassionate leave. The nzhearld report has the Warriors CEO saying he had never asked for one in the first place.

My question: If Maloney was asking for leave on compassionate grounds why did the club deny it to him?
My answer: When an employee asks for compassionate leave there must be an indication somewhere something is happening and it’s personal. In this circumstance I see no reason as to why the employer should deny the request, the only logical reason I can think of, is the club knew something was up and they didn’t want something to go down without their knowledge.

The Warriors CEO also made a very interesting statement about the possibility of clubs trying to entice players to break their contracts.
If this is what is happening then the league has to take some action. Obviously money talks in the business of professional sport; however creditability and integrity plays a key role as well.

Finding quality players in any position is a tough ask for any professional club, and they know when they're onto a good one. The Warriors will need to make a decision quick on his guy's future beyond his extension before this little gem gets taken out of their hands.
~~~

750 words between the '~' according to the official word counter

 

[Monk]

Monk runs out onto the field, wearing bright Pink boots... what isn't it the fashion?
732 Words between the lines according to the OWC.

_______________________________________________


Mate vs Mate: A Selectors Consistency.

20*.
The total number of players the NSW Blues have used at Fullback, Five Eight, Halfback and Hooker over the last 5 State of Origin Series (2006-2010).

9*.
The total number of players the QLD Maroons have used in their key positions (1, 6, 7 and 9) over the last 5 State of Origin Series (2006-2010).

Is it any wonder that Queensland is 5 from 5 over that span? While the Blues have been chopping and changing the ‘Core’ of its squad over the past 5 years, Queensland has been perfecting their squad and it has moulded into a great mixture of youth and experience. Even with Lockyer retiring at the end of the current series, Cronk is ready and willing to take his place in the starting line-up with several Origin matches under his belt.

But of course we all know that Rugby League is a team sport, so why not take a look at the total amount of players used by each state over the 5 years of Queensland supremacy, surely it would be much closer right? Wrong. According to my amazing Mathematics and using my fingers to count, the Blues have used an astonishing 66* players over the past 5 years. You could make 5 teams of 13 players each with that and still have a player to spare. The Maroons on the other hand have only used 41* players, which, in comparison is 3 teams of 13 with 2 players to spare.

What is even better for the Queenslanders is that in the ’09 and ’10 Origin series’, they only brought in 5* players (3 in ’09, 2 in ’10) who hadn’t played for the Maroons in this period of dominance. The only one with Origin experience out of the five was Willie Tonga who played Game 2 and 3 for Queensland in the ’04 State of Origin Series.

In comparison to these 5* players that Queensland blooded in that period, New South Wales blooded an astounding 26* Players who had not played in that period of Queensland victories (2006 onwards). Though quite a few of them were players with previous successful Origin experience, such as; Trent Barrett, Trent Waterhouse and Anthony Watmough.

So why is this important? How can we attribute the Blues loses to lack of consistency in the camp? We’ll we simply have to look at what Queensland is doing, it works. Stick a bunch of good kids together and watch them grow because you know they’ve got it in them to be great.

It might not happen straight away, after all Thurston and Lockyer lost their first series together as a halves pairing in 2005. It would have been Slater, Lockyer, Thurston and Smith’s first full Series together as a ‘Core” had Slater not been dropped for Bowen (much to the disappointment of Maroons fans). Slater would eventually play Fullback for QLD again, but that wouldn’t come till much later in the 2008 series, where the Maroons had the Series won after game 2. Slater wasn’t able to reclaim his Origin Fullback role permanently from Karmichael Hunt till the 2009 series.

If Soward and Pearce are in-fact the Blues halves for Origin 3 in Brisbane, this will be the first time since 2003 where NSW has the same halves pairing through all three games of a State of Origin Series. The Blues have had at least one change in both the Five Eight and the Halfback positions in each series since Timmins and Johns were the halves for the Blues in 2003. For the record, the Blues won the 2003 series 2-1, and the only player in the team today from that squad is Fullback Anthony Minichiello.

It really shows what an important core can do for a team. When the team is familiar with the way its playmakers play, then as Queensland have shown you can be successful. When you show confidence in a player and his abilities, then that confidence will transfer though to his game. Just look at how much confidence the Blues Selectors showed in Mitchell Pearce, they stuck with him and throughout this Series he has been one of the best Blues players on the park.

Footnote: * - All numbers are a result of me finger counting the number of players from Teams Lists on Wikipedia, they should be around the right value though.

_______________________________________________

 

[griffo346]

griffo346 on for Marshall magic

 

[griffo346]

Coaches in the National Rugby League

I guess on the back of the latest publicity about Mal Meninga whom is the Queensland Coach not addressing his players at half time in the second state of origin in Sydney two weeks ago, You have to think is it just a job title or is it a role for the person selected to do the job most people would say it’s a role for the selected person to do but I beg to differ well in the modern game anyways.

I say the role of “COACH” or head coach I should refer it too seems to a minimal role now as many teams have coaches for different areas of play these would be a backline coach, forwards coach, kicking coach and teams have a goal kicking coach each coach has their own role to play and answers to the head coach with in the article I will discuss roles of the various coaches and why they are needed.

Roles of various coaches’ change from team to team where some coaches could have dual roles to play maybe the backline coach could also be the kicking coach? And at a real stretch you could see say the forward coach being the goal kicking coach of course this comes down to whether these coaches have the credentials to fill these roles clubs could see this as cost cutting if coaches could double up on their roles within the club.

The role of the back line coach.
It is plain to see that the role of this coach is somehow not really needed but could be used on a part time basis as most of the ideas stem from the head coach to these coaches. The coaches are used to try and iron out the problems within the backline and maybe try and get quicker ball to outside backs, try and finalise what the team does on last play options and most of all try and optimise their attacking ability with the players they have.

The role of the forwards coach.

The forwards coach can be a vital source of knowledge to a football team as in the modern game it’s not all about just throwing the head back and plough through the opposition’s defensive line. It’s more about seeing the opportunity to have the chance to get a offload and seeing the chance of second phase play so then the backline can utilise the ball to the best of their ability during the set of six. The forwards lay what some people determine as the platform to the set of six trying to gain so many metres during the set of six they can achieve, The forward pack is genuinely described as the engine room of a football team, The coach would be trying to get them to stop giving away stupid penalties whilst in defence so they don’t put them under extreme pleasure whilst in defence so they can maximise their energy usage in attack.

The role of the kicking coach.

As mentioned in the backline coaching section this coach is a universal type of a coach as some clubs could employ him as a dual coach to save money if clubs do this they genuinely find the coach to have either played in the halves or have some experience in this area over time. This sort of coach would be mainly used to finalise last play options if the team is looking to make ground and even if the team is in the attacking 20 metre zone they know whether to kick across the field or put the grubber in behind the line for try opportunities.

Summary

In summarising this all up I believe there is a role for these coaches but I don’t think they need to be addressing the team like mal had Michael Hagen do so during the state of origin last week I think if you’re named as head coach I think you should be addressing the team yourself.


671 words according to f7s official world counter

 

[joshie]

Joshie in for the Ninjas

740 in OWC

_________________________________________________
Growing up in the age of technology has been a fantastic and easy ride. The use of computers, the use of laptops and even more recently the use of smart phones has brought the whole world to our fingertips. Instead of scouring over countless amounts of history and fact books; I can use Google. Instead of writing a letter and sending it halfway across the world; I can send an email which will arrive in seconds. The world has literally gone from a large city like structure into a small country town; everyone knows everyone and their business. This is a great advantage to have in everyday life, but as I have found out, especially last year in one certain week, it is the biggest disadvantage that you can face.


I am only 18 years of age, the new generation of adults and I fall into the apparently “good for nothing” Gen Y category. Growing up all I heard was I was going to amount to nothing if I follow my friends and their habits. If I drink, have sex, smoke pot, don’t attend school and abuse elderly people, I am fitting into the stereotype. There is nothing more satisfying to us then breaking free from our parents and this is because of how society is portraying us. The media has forever tarnished our image, because apparently we are fighting, sleeping around and drinking every weekend. There is nothing we can do right, we are all bad. And if you work in a profession such as rugby league, where the media plays such a huge part, you will find that if you piss on a wall once, you’re forever what we call a bad boy.


Darren Lockyer and Alfie Langer both have had their history in the media of doing saints work and producing marvellous play; and credit is due where it is due, but both these men have also had dark sides. Darren Lockyer allegedly assaulted a man, tackling him onto a pool table in a pub, in an altercation which received minimal media attention. Alifie’s case received a lot more attention for stripping down and dancing virtually naked but all he received was one week off his coaching roles. Should someone in the stereotype that we call Generation Y tackle someone onto a pool table, hell would be served upon the individual, all due to the technology we have grown up so accustomed to. We would wake up and find headlines of “WELLS ASSUALTS PATRON AT PUB; SHOULD HE BE SACKED?” and “NRL TO TAKE SEVERE ACTION AGAISNT PLAYER: Gallop” this is just how the game is evolving and with so many older generations putting this label on us, what can we do?


Labels are the one thing that every person in society hates; one for me in particular. As a lifelong Melbourne Storm fan the one label that has stuck with me is ‘Cheater’ and it hurts. Pouring thousands of dollars into a club through various ports, wearing my heart on my sleeve every week as I watch, talk them up, defend them over allegations of grapple tackles, in the end I’ll always be known as the kid who supports the cheaters. No one likes labels and generation Y is a label that can hurt. If I dared to say “oh this forty nine year old is a s**t and the whole generation must be doing it based off of this one girl” I would be hung. The moral high ground older generations stand on would bring me down to feel like a mere kid who is nothing in the world. And in the sport world, this same kid is a cheater. These labels can also come about through the media, with one of the worst labels that can be placed on a young person “a good for nothing schoolie” walking through cavil Avenue last year in this magical week, I was not seen as a grand final winning Rugby League player or a high school graduating kid, I was seen as a trouble maker, due to these labels.


So before you label, before you act, assess the situation, especially in the sporting world. Everyone at the Melbourne Storm this season are not cheaters, we as fans had nothing at all to do with it and Generation Y kids are not good for nothing trouble makers and we all deserve a fair go. And we expect it.
_____________________________________________________

 

[Bubbles]

Bubbles to take the final hit up for the Bunnies!
____________________________________

I Need a Hero

Anyone who has lived enough years is made painfully aware that life can sometimes line you up in its sights and use you for target practice; indiscriminate and relentless. Sometimes it’s a heart shot that pierces your chest, shattering the clavicle and shredding vital arteries. Sometimes it takes the form of a ramrod that slams into your guts, taking the wind from your lungs with its blunt force. Then there are the times that it eviscerates you, slicing you from neck to naval, spilling your insides onto the floor.

Having suffered the effects of the latter such life injury, I find myself Sunday afternoon, my hands clutching my intestines, pleading through gritted teeth “Please Roosters, please give me something good.” Alas, my prayers were unanswered.

It is these times when you have been left feeling powerless, shredded raw, it is then that you need something that will rip you from your conscious state and lift you out of your own skin. These are the times that I turn to football to distract me, to give me this much needed out-of body experience.

With my beloved Roosters offering nothing in this department, my eyes are set squarely on Game Three of the 2011 State of Origin Series. I know that we New South Welshmen, as a hopeful collective, are all desperate for a win, all imagining the papers awash with blue the following morning. However, I need this. At a visceral level, I need this. I need to feel the adulation and excitement as the Blues use their superior mobility to wrong-foot and outlast the Maroon pack. I must have that searing joy as the siren sounds and the Blues are finally on the winners’ side of the scoreboard.

I need a hero. I need someone to stand tall, above the pack and to lead the boys to what will be a famous victory. I need a special player who will find some extra fight, some extra breath where there is none to be had, a man who will thrash through the pain barrier and will carry his struggling comrades with him. In short, I need Paul Gallen.

I am one of many, I’m sure, who have been eating their fill of humble pie in regards to Mr. Gallen. I remember when the first whispers began, earmarking him as a future Blues’ Captain and I remember being aghast at the idea. I’ll gladly admit that I’m not a huge fan of niggle, sledging and general grubbiness. I believe, in most cases, that it is the average player’s compensation for lack of real and genuine talent. In fact, like many, I believe that Mick Ennis is only in the Blues’ team on the merit of his peskiness, to put what he does in mild terms.

Paul Gallen has been such a serial offender in the past and this alone has disqualified him, in my eyes, as genuine captain material... until now.

Sometimes we are fortunate to see the evolution of a player, of a human being during the course of his career and in Gallen’s case I think that everyone who was witness to his efforts in Game Two will agree that it was truly a coming of age performance. Those who don’t are either blinded by prejudice, or are Queenslanders!

I will never forget one of the greatest days, the greatest eighty-odd minutes of my life, played out on the October long weekend, 2002. One, amongst many, highlights for me was having the privilege of watching my favourite player, my hero, Brad ‘Freddy’ Fittler take the Grandfinal by the scruff of its neck and lead his team to a resounding victory. By force of his innate talent, his will and his very presence he rose above and from lofty heights sealed the trophy for his much parched club and fans.

His side, his State needs Paul Gallen to repeat his performance of last Origin. We, the masses, will be holding our breaths and praying to the football gods that he rises again and leads his fellow combatants through the full gambit that is State of Origin.

Most importantly, I need to feel inspired. I need to be lifted by the joy that comes from watching a team you support passionately pull themselves out of the chasm of the last five years. Just so, I will push my guts back in, lift myself up from the floor and rejoin the roller-coaster called life, whole once more.
____________________________
Word Count: 748

 

[jamesgould]

For the Ninjas:

The Prize

Marcus examined his surroundings as he entered the temple. Long columns pillared the ancient room, leading up to a ceiling that was almost too distant to make out. The light from his flame flickered the room around him, making it appear as if things were jumping out at him from every corner. Scary things.

He wrestled with himself to put those thoughts into the back of his mind, as he saw what he had come for. On a pedestal on the far wall was the case. He knew what was within. He cautiously approached the steps leading up to the prize, glancing nervously from side to side. Finally within reach, he opened the chest.

Empty!

He ducked down immediately, anticipating the poison arrows which flew towards him. Looking back at the door, he noticed a huge boulder rolling from the adjacent corner. Putting his head down, he sprinted for the door as fast as his legs would take him.

A big dive took him thought the door just as the boulder collided. Outside he scrambled to his feet and took off again, narrowly avoiding the flying shrapnel as the temple exploded into a million pieces.

That was a close one, he thought.

He took a final look at the temple before quickly scurrying off into the jungle. He really thought he had found it, this time.

***

It was a Wednesday morning, and Walter was ready to pounce. He’d been waiting for this moment for months.

He walked up to the apartment door, took aim at the lock, and paused only for a second before squeezing the trigger.

Time was of the essence - the door lurched slightly, and Walters kicked it open the rest of the way. A surprised, overweight, balding man, slowly rose from the couch.

“DON’T MOVE!!!” Walter yelled. “GET DOWN!!! ON THE FLOOR, RIGHT NOW!”

The man calmly did as requested. Walter moved towards him and applied handcuffs.

“Was wondering what took you so long.”, the overweight man uttered, in a smug voice. “You won’t find it here, you know.”

“I’ll be the judge of that, you bastard.”, Walter rasped back.

Walter moved around the apartment, which was sparsely decorated to say the least. Within five minutes he had examined the contents carefully. Another five and he had smashed everything in the apartment. With growing fury – seemingly ready to combust at the slightest provocation, he proceeded to rip up the carpet and strip pieces of wallpaper.

“You really think it’s under there?”, the overweight man sneered. “Come on ... you know I don’t have it. How can you hide something under floorboards in an apartment? I’m not risking my bond for anyone.”

“Where is it?”, Walter asked ... breathless, and in the calmest voice he could muster.

“Far from here ... don’t you get it? You should have learned by now. You will never win.”

“I’ll find it, it must be here somewhere ...”, Walter trailed off as he resumed his search.

The overweight man just laughed.

***

Shaun awoke at 5am. Usually it took him 10 minutes to pry his eyes all the way open, but this time they sprung apart like repellent magnets.

This was the chance.

He could see Matt was still sleeping. He hated to do this to such a dear friend, but they both knew that this was something bigger than the both of them.

Shaun slowly raised himself, quietly putting a few pillows under the sheets in case Matt stirred and glanced over.

He then made his way out the building and towards the outhouse, blood rumbling and pumping through his head like thunder. Reaching into his pocket he played with the key he had skilfully palmed the night before. He looked at it nervously ...

He pushed it into the outhouse’s lock, knowing there was no way back now. Walking through the door, he knew exactly where he was going. He walked quietly but purposefully towards the metal cupboard. Opening both doors simultaneously, he pushed the paper documents aside and greedily snatched what he had came for.

He exited the outhouse and walked back towards the back door. Planning to leave the key on the footstep, he suddenly noticed an electronic beeping.

“Oh crap, the alarm!”

Shaun sprinted towards the street and tore off down it!

From a distance he heard the scream of pre-pubescent vocal chords: “NOOOOOO!!!!!!”

Shaun looked down at his best mate’s former possession: a Darren Lockyer Captain Signature card from 2009, numbered out of 50.

Finally got the prize.

 

[Hallatia]

Hallatia for the Ninjas

Fifty Reasons the Melbourne Storm will win the Grand Final in 2011.

50. Because they can (this time).
49. They are due - after several years at the top of their game they need a (legitimate) premiership to show for it.
48. What couldn’t a storm beat? Seriously, thunder and lightning very very frightening . . . etc.
47. Redemption for the ordeal last year.
46. Their dynasty would not make sense without recorded premierships in the history books.
45. Craig Bellamy deserves one for reals.
44. To prove that even without another set of books, they are still better than your team.
43. 2007, 2009, ____? What comes next in this sequence?
42. Gareth Widdop – something premiership winning about that kid (possibly tiger blood).
41. They have shed the fat (also known as Greg Inglis).
40. They have it to play for and knowing what it feels like not to, how could they settle for anything less?
39. They are working hard to market the game in Victoria and it is finally starting to show in the ratings, they may even actually have fans now - what can't they do?
38. They are the only team in the NRL with a lightning bolt on their jerseys and lightning bolts are pretty “winning”.
37. I am pretty sure several of their players have the famed “tiger blood”.
36. Their creativity, every round they find new ways to thrill audiences and thwart opposition plans.
35. Their constant redefinition of the rules of Rugby League.
34. Because they will do anything and everything not currently against the rules to win the premiership.
33. The state of Victoria needs something to take pride in.
32. Their depth and wealth of talent across the park.
31. To silence all the haters.
30. Because the finals series misses them and they miss it.
29. They have not had enough regular season games televised by Channel 9 yet.
28. As evidenced by this list, there are at least 50 different reasons why they will win it.
27. It is not a long way to the top for them from here with their already being first.
26. Now that they have the outright lead again, they don't want to be going and giving that away.
25. My octopus predicted it last year.
24. They know how to win a Grand Final or two.
23. Their trophy cabinet got stripped bare last year and their excuses for having an empty one just are not cutting the mustard with the new kids.
22. The Melbourne boys want their jewellery back (or similar jewellery which could be substituted for their old stuff).
21. The state Victoria is such a sh**hole that the Melbourne Storm have had all the time in the world to become the best Rugby League team in the competition.
20. Weather patterns this year have been showing us the sheer power of the storm.
19. The incredible versatility of both their players as individuals and their side as a whole.
18. Sydney-siders need something else to whinge about.
17. They are incredibly well covered in every position.
16. Their last line of defense will do anything and everything physically possible to protect the try line.
15. No individual in the side is irreplaceable.
14. Winning comes naturally to them.
13. They systematically got rid of all the unnecessary strains on their salary cap.
12. Because they do not choke in September.
11. They have the best coach in the NRL who coached his side to four consecutive grand finals and two premierships but was robbed of the titles by a club who had been bending the rules. He deserves to regain or better those credentials.
10. My bookie said so.
9. Number nine and captain Cameron Smith - best player in the game at the moment, easily the most consistent and a real premiership winning hooker.
8. Purple patch.
7. Number seven; Cooper Cronk.
6. Any competition would have to go through them to win it.
5. Billy Slater.
4. They have the best “spine” in the NRL – I hear that sort of thing is what wins these things.
3. Because I said they will.
2. They are better than the 15 other teams in the NRL.
1. I am not done listing reasons . . .

712 words

 

[madunit]

Poor attempt at a full time whistle blows some 78 minutes late

Full time!

Working on punching out the scores tonight for you all.

Hang onto your pants people!

 

[Willow]

It's full time in Tokyo...

 

[madunit]

Cheers Willow, if only melbourne was on a normal timezone with everyone else.

 

[madunit]

Here are the scores!

NINJAS - 416

paulquinn49 - 'One win from greatness' - 732 words - 82
A brief look back, and somewhat forward into possibly a new Origin dynasty. a few small grammatical errors, but nothing that affected the article

CobyDelaney - 'What Hurts The Most' - 747 words - 85
An emotive piece about a players struggle to reach the big time, only for it to be taken away so quickly by a freakish accident. Well written and the links with the song tied in beautifully.

joshie - no title - 82
An interesting attempted link between labels placed on Gen Y people and the those on the Melbourne Storm. I feel the article idea was a great concept, but it needed a bit more work, as it felt slightly disjointed and I feel the link wasn't as strong as it could have been. I did enjoy the way you thought outside the box for the concept.

jamesgould - 'The Prize' - 85
A clever story full of beautifully written action scenes and drama before revealing 'The Prize'. Great stuff. The lead up to revealing the prize was so good, that the prize really could have been anything and it wouldn't have affected the article quality.

Hallatia - 'Fifty Reasons the Melbourne Storm will win the Grand Final in 2011' - 82
An interesting list, some of it seemed a little repetitive, but there was a good mix of humour in there and some debateable facts (from the eyes of non-Storm fans lol)

SOUTHS - 415

Spanner in the works - 'Is rugby league becoming like soccer?' - 83
An interesting look into milking penalties from your average frustrated rugby league fan. Well written aside from a small number of minor errors which didn't affect the mark.

byrne_rovelli_fan82 - 'Regarding James Maloney' - 84
A look into the off-field dramas surrounding James Maloney's contract and just one of the possible many dirty tricks employed by players/clubs to talk with other clubs while still uner contract, in the pursuit of a better deal. Well written piece.

Monk - 'Mate vs Mate: A Selectors Consistency' - 85
A great insight into the NSW Origin woes, searching for an instant fix to end the QLD dominance, and how now, they may have realised all along they were doing it wrong. Well written and researched.

griffo346 - 'Coaches in the National Rugby League' - 77
An opinion on the various coaches involved at teams nowadays and whether they are all that important. Poor grammar made this article hard to read. Some paragraphs were just one long sentence. Possibly some research into the roles of the various coaches would have improved the article significantly. Good angle though.

Bubbles - 'I Need A Hero' - 86
Great piece about the coming of age of Paul Gallen and the hope it brings to one fan disheartened by his clubs poor showing this year. Speaks volumes for all of us who have had league dreams shattered by a poor performing team. Magnificently written.

Ninjas 416 def Souths 415

POTM - Bubbles

 

[Hallatia]

God that was quick:crazy: