2012 FOUR NATIONS Final: Papua New Guinea vs Great Britain

[Monk]

Forum 7s - 4 Nations - 2012
PAPUA NEW GUINEA KUMULS -V- GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND LIONS

-V-

The crowds swarm into ANZ Stadium to watch these two out-of-towners battle it out in what is sure to be the greatest Four Nations game of all time. Fans will have to stay in their seats for the entire week, no toilet breaks or food breaks either. Will PNG finish the competition undefeated? Or will the British claim their first Forum 7's representative trophy? Stay tuned!​

Game Thread:
* This is a game thread only. Only game posts can be made here - team lists, substitutions, and articles.
* Any other posts may result in loss of points and is at the discretion of the referee.
* Only original articles, not used in previous games, will be marked by referees.​

Naming Teams:
* 3 -V- 3 (+ 2 reserves for both teams)
* 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 9th November 2012 (2100AEST)
Full Time: Sunday 16th December 2012 (2100AEST)
Referee: Non Terminator
Venue: ANZ Stadium​

 

[TooheysNew]

PNG stumbles off the bus, looking to finish the tournament undefeated.

Team:
CobyDelaney
Titanic
Misanthrope

Good luck everybody.

 

[Monk]

Leon the Lion leads the team out with enormous amounts of enthusiasm. Backflips and frontflips as far as the eye can see.

Great Britain
Drew-Sta
Lambretta
Monk

Bench
Hutty1986

Go the Poms!

 

[Drew-Sta]

Drew-Sta skips out onto the field with Leo the Lion.

Amazing Stace

I once was lost, but now I’m found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

Stace was a good friend of mine. I visited him once a week, and have been doing so, for about seventeen years. He’s known me a long time, and by know, I mean he knew me. He wasn’t a friend, or a brother, or a mentor – he was something else. Something far more important.

Stace was blind, and had been since he was involved in an accident about thirty odd years ago. Yet, he was a lover of rugby league and for the last few years, he was one of my most trusted friends.

Born in 1939, this old man of Newtown was one of the great followers of league. He played lower grades for the Bluebags in the 60’s, never getting very far but enjoying every game.

“Tough, they were, sometimes too rough, but fun all the same,” were his recollections of the day.

Stace wasn’t one of those ‘school of hard knocks’ men. He talked. A lot. And about emotions. Yes, I know – shock horror. Yet, he was resilient. Fought in Vietnam, endured his wife’s cancer in the 80’s before her passing, watched as one of his kids battle alcohol whilst another struggled through a gambling addiction. His life wasn’t easy. I suppose he took a different tact to most and decided to talk about it and muse over the meaning rather than recede into a hardened shell.

A friend of dad’s, he’s been coming to watch St George play since Newtown were unceremoniously booted out in 1983, Stace has enjoyed hearing the footy for about thirty years. The accident he suffered robbed him of a small pleasure he enjoyed; the battle of man against man in the quest for a victory.

“It was hard, no doubt. I mean, who wasn’t to lose their eye sight? I’ve never seen my grandkids. Held them, yes. Hugged them even. Walked with them, listened to their stories. These are all wonderful things, but I’ve never seen them. It’s, well… it’s emotional.”

He’s always thinking, always contemplating. He considers his relationship with the world an emotional one now. Since he can’t see things, he needs to ‘picture’ them in his heart, as he tells me.

“Far more memorable, mate. Have you ever had a moment imprinted on your heart? I’ve had plenty. No matter how bad your memory is, you don’t forget those.”

I would take Stace to footy games with me, and sit him in the stands. A few times people would ask me why I’d bring a blind man to a live footy game, especially when there was little commentary.

“Presence is a more powerful thing than you can imagine,” was my answer.

I remember sitting with him as Saints played Manly in the 2010 semi-final. It was the final minutes of the game and Saints were clearly on top. Suddenly, in a dramatic backline movement, Mark Gasnier broke free and powered down the sideline. The crowd roared, and stood as one. I can remember the scene vividly; it was powerful. I couldn’t, though, but glance at Stace. There, in the middle of an adoring crowd that was standing on its feet, sat a blind man crying.

I was puzzled.

“Why the tears, Stace?” I asked.

“I can feel it. Everything. I don’t need to see to know what’s going on.”

I’ve pondered those words for a long time. See, Stace would always tell me that the game isn’t always just what you see – it’s what you’d feel. He’d come to games and ‘watch’ me play Oz-tag. A half time, he’d come up and tell me what to do and without seeing anything at all, and with minimal commentary from friends, he’d know what to do.

I think we take for granted, sometimes, what isn’t empirical in the game. The statistics, the replays, the ‘athleticism’ – these are all helpful things. But it’s intuition which separates the good from the great.

I’m not sure what this article is about, nor am I sure why I wrote it, but I think it needs to be said. Rugby league isn’t simply a game that relies on sight and reaction time; it’s a game that is as much reliant on the intuition, the emotions and the ‘feel’ of the player as any other aspect. Good players know what it takes to win; great players know how to win. They know because they can feel it.

Words - 747

 

[Titanic]

Titanic for PNG (OWC 745)
__________________

The State of the State of Origin

As my life stutters towards its inevitable conclusion, I have had time to reflect on the many world-shattering events that have made me the person that I have become. Man walking on the moon, decimal currency, Vietnam, Premier Joh, the internet, Deep Throat, global warming and the State of Origin.

Much has been written over the years regarding this phenomenon. Born out of a sense of despair, fueled by partisan passions and driven by such sectarian philosophies as “mate against mate; state against state”, this battle royale continues to attract myopic debate months after the last ball was kicked in anger each year. However, the one topic that will snap the apathy from even the most wombat-like Australian is the issue surrounding player eligibility.

Somebody much more astute than me once penned that “history repeats itself because no one was listening the first time”. As I have no interest in boring you with re-hashing well-worn arguments about individuals who have or should not have soldiered-up for either of the great States, I won’t… but I will offer some potential options drawn from some of history’s landmark conflicts and their eventual resolutions.

The ancient rules of conquest allowed territories to be determined and in some cases re-determined and in others re-re-determined. It seems obvious to me that rugby league should not end up repeating itself because we chose not to listen to the lessons that history has provided. Should the winner take all? Should they graciously withdraw and let the beating be the lesson?

The Romans for example, used the strategy of uti possidetus (Latin: "as you possess") whereby there was a delineation of conquered land after a war with the spoils going to the victor. In rugby league parlance should this law be invoked, it would mean that the Maroon hoards would control everything from Thursday Island to Tasmania. That hardly seems feasible although with some of the selections of recent times it appears that uti possidetus is alive and well as players seem to drawn from the conquered lands regardless of their eligibility.

A little more conciliatory perhaps is the philosophy of status quo ante bellum (Latin: "the condition in which things were before the war") which would appeal to the more fair-minded amongst us. This process requires the winning State to retire politely, withdraw their victorious troops unconditionally and to allow for the complete restoration of the losers prewar status. If applied to rugby league’s Holy Grail, it would mean that no side gains or loses territory except for bragging rights. This contrasts with uti possidetis where each side retains whatever territory and other property it holds at the end of the war.

In contrast, it could be argued in hindsight that over the long history of interstate conflict the NSW clique should have practiced irredentism (Italian: irredento, "unredeemed"). As I’m sure you know, this is any position where a state advocates the annexation of territories administered by another state on the grounds of prior historical possession, actual or alleged. In NSW’s case when they were so dominant prior to 1980 many would argue that they should have applied irredentism and laid claim to all of Queensland.

No matter what history can serve up, from my point of view there is only one principle by which State f Origin should abide by and that’s revanchism (French: revanche, "revenge"). The medieval Frogs certainly knew their stuff and their manifestation of the will to reverse territorial losses incurred by a State. Simply put, revanchism means what is lost in one series must be regained by a counter-strike the following year. It draws its strength from patriotic and retributionist thought. It is often motivated by economic or geo-political factors. It would be hard to argue against this as it underpins the soul of rugby league where “I get knocked down but get up again” is the very mantra by which all States adhere to.

Let’s be honest. State of Origin is much more than an annual rugby league series. It transcends marriages, employment and the pub. These titanic clashes are related to the possession of natural resources such as stadia, although these physical challenges are mostly driven by culture, religion and ethnic regionalism.

History is rooted in fact and as demonstrated above it has answers to modern dilemmas. Give it up NSWailers, seven in a row means you are owned … everybody knows that possession is nine-tenths of the law.

 

[Lambretta]

Lambretta carries the weight of expectation of Milton Keynes, nay the whole of Great Britain into this game - 690 words from this point on.

Show me the money – and me and me and me.

My little sister’s nickname is “me me” – a legacy of her egocentric childhood personality whereby she needed to be involved in everything, and the centre of attention at all times. Her cries of “and me, and me, and me” were a constant refrain as we grew up. This is the memory that was awakened when I read about the recent attempts by some players and clubs to gain a larger part of the television funding increase before the start of the 2013 season.

Now, I understand players wanting more; after all, anyone who has ever turned up for work thinks they deserve more money! I am not sure, however, that immediate salary increases for some of the best paid people in the game is in the best interest of the game itself. I’ll try to explain why, using the example of a competing code.

Back in the nineties, Rugby Union in Australia was awash with cash. Big international competitions were bringing in television royalties, the national team was successful, Super 12 Rugby was formed and Rugby League players were being lured to change codes in return for huge payments. All the money swilled around at the top end of the game and the code seemed to think that the good times would last forever.

Fast forward twenty years and Rugby Union in Australia is politely described as “troubled”. The national team is performing well below expectations, the club game has been seriously devalued and there is a lack of genuine talent coming through the ranks. A case-in-point, Israel Folau, a man who has never played top level Rugby Union, is being paid a huge amount of money for a short term contract. There is no pretence of wanting him to learn the game – it just smacks of desperation. So what on earth went wrong?

In short, Rugby Union built their success on very shaky foundations: paying talented individuals to play for today while paying no attention to the future. The attitude was “be brilliant and others will do everything to be like us – nothing more is needed”. How wrong that attitude turned out to be.

Strength must always be in the foundations. Get the bottom right and the top will be a far more stable place. Rugby League has long recognised this, investing in junior development; but Rugby League has also enjoyed a long period without any serious opposition in its heartlands and those days are coming to an end.

Both football and Australian Rules football are putting focus (and in the case of the AFL substantial funding) into enticing young kids from Rugby League heartlands to play their codes. Cash-starved schools and local councils have been given equipment and clothing, and even playing fields, on the condition of exclusivity for their code. Rugby League will soon find itself with serious problems at a professional level if the code ignores what is starting to happen in its own backyard at grassroots level.

It is not, however, all doom and gloom for Rugby League: NRL teams have increased memberships dramatically over the past five years, game attendances are on the rise, and, importantly, the code has made moves to unite its fractured governing bodies, in order to best meet these challengers head on. The latest television deal has almost doubled the revenue going to Rugby League, putting the code on the front foot financially for the first time in a long time.

The NRL must turn these current positives into long-term benefits. Yes, retaining the best players within the code is important - the players who entertain us beautifully each week should earn the sort of money that keeps them playing Rugby League. Just as importantly, however, the code must continue to inspire the Jonathan Thurstons, Jarryd Haynes and Robbie Farahs of tomorrow into taking up the code in the first place.

This means making funds available for the set-up and maintenance of playing fields, amongst other initiatives. The NRL must put focus and funding into the grassroots, or we may find ourselves without any Rugby League superstars in the future.

 

[TooheysNew]

CobyDelaney for PNG

Closeness

Rugby League brings people closer. I know that sounds like a blatant play-on-words about the physical aspect of the game. But my intention is much more literal, with a basis in the realm of emotions.

When the Newcastle Knights won the premiership in 1997, the elation on their faces was evident, their emotions raw and unfiltered. Darren Albert’s whoop of joy, the broad grins and quiet tears of every player in red and blue – elation, off the back of an entire season of hard work.

Off the field, the same thing happens. In the crowd stand the best of friends – men who were complete strangers not two hours before, now firmly bonded by their love of their team, and of our great game.

And this closeness is never more evident than in a time of crisis.


April 2012 was one of those times.

The training session started like any other. A Thursday afternoon. Sweltering heat, stifling humidity, and a team of semi-professional footballers struggling their way through the training session. The air was thick with testosterone and the overpowering scent of body odour, as sixteen men crashed their way around the training paddock.

Sixteen.

Tom wasn’t there. His teammates hadn’t seen him since the Saturday before. This was not overly concerning – he worked long hours in the mines, and had a wife and small child – so his time spent with his teammates was fairly limited.

But on this occasion, nobody had heard from him. The coach hadn’t received a text message saying that Tom was babysitting, his wife hadn’t called to say he was stuck at work… nothing.

And that was disconcerting. Totally out of character. In this tight-knit team, a no show was unacceptable – and Tom wasn’t one to let his teammates down.

No-one said anything during the training session, but each man knew what the others were thinking. Dreading.

Later that evening, their worst fears were realised. Tom had attempted to drive home from work after a double shift, lost control of his car, and slammed into a tree. He was gone. His wife was now a widow, and his daughter no longer had a father.

It was then that the true spirit of Rugby League became evident.

The following Monday, the church was packed. Tom’s family took up the first three rows in the church. His workmates took up the next two. The rest of the church, the standing area at the back, and halfway down the street were his teammates and their partners, the coaching staff, the club board, several opposition players, and even some guys Tom hadn’t played football with since his junior years. Every one of them standing close, drawing strength from each other, supporting each other.

Tom’s father stood up to speak. He talked about how his son was a hard worker, a kind and gentle man with a heart of gold. He spoke of his love of friends, football, and family. His voice cracked, and a tear slid silently down his cheek, as he spoke of the love his son had always shared with his wife. Every one of his teammates had an empty place in their hearts as they thought of Tom’s child, and wife, and the hard times they had in front of them. Every person wished they could help.

So it was not really any surprise that every one of his teammates dug deep into their pockets to make a donation to the family. Even the players who were down on their luck themselves – everyone found something to donate.

But it didn’t stop there.

In the months following, Tom’s death, his wife felt the true power of the spirit of Rugby League. She was never short a babysitter, even when she had to work long hours. The boys made sure of that. And there was always a friend there to listen when she needed to talk. The “wives and girlfriends” filled that void. She didn’t even pay a cent when she needed to move to a smaller apartment. She simply mentioned it, and eight blokes turned up with utes. Tom’s daughter even learned how to ride a bike, courtesy of the biggest, meanest prop the club had on the books. There was no limit to the team’s willingness to help.

And the kicker? Tom had only been with the club since pre-season that year. A grand total of nine weeks. Such is the strength of the bond that Rugby League can form.

 

[Misanthrope]

Misanthrope rushes out onto the field for Papua New Guinea with a last minute surge

Christmas Suggestions for NRL Clubs​

There's tinsel on the tree, carollers in the street, and kids across the country are getting excited to unwrap the gifts that old Saint Nick leaves for them under the tree come December 25th.

And while action figures, Barbie dolls, video games, and Lego may reign supreme in the hearts and minds of children this festive season - don't forget that your NRL club is also ticking off boxes on their advent calendar and writing letters to Santa in hopes of a big surprise this Christmas morning.

Whether you're a member or just a casual fan, now's the time for you to be out shopping for the gift that will make your NRL club's Christmas all the sweeter. But you don't need to resort to mail tampering or email hacking to find out what your NRL club's heart desires - I've got the inside scoop for you below. Here we go!

Newcastle Knights
An ATO gift voucher to the tune of $2.7 million dollars ought to do it. With the club in dire financial straits and their own chubby, rosy cheeked man with a penchant for small men hiding out in the tropics - why not give the gift of continued prosperity this festive season?

Manly Sea Eagles
Their notoriously stubborn fans seem to have trouble making the trip away from Brookvale, so how about investing in a travel kit to help them with the journey? Included inside are a toothbrush, map of Sydney, return CityRail ticket to Circular Quay, and a Rich Bastard to Bogan dictionary for those long trips to the Shire or western suburbs.

Melbourne Storm
A copy of the acclaimed How to Win Friends and Influence People ought to help them shrug off their label as most hated club in the NRL. I do believe rule #1 in the book is "Don't grossly rort the salary cap in a bid to win premierships".

Parramatta Eels
With the Eels' trophy gaining another piece of... ahem... 'silver'ware this year, why not give them a simple organizer to help them deal with the clutter in their kitchen? Or, if that's too much of a stretch, I'm sure getting that battered piece of woodwork replaced by something in mahogany or pine would really make it stand out.

Cronulla Sharks
With The Hobbit hitting cinemas this festive season, maybe a gold pass to catch a movie about an insular man who leaves the Shire will help to broaden the minds of league's least welcoming fans.

South Sydney Rabbitohs
With Russell Crowe calling it quits at the club he helped save for irrelevance, it might be time to get on the phone to Jetstar and purchase the club some one way tickets to Perth. We hear it's lovely between March and October.

Sydney Roosters
Sonny Bill Williams gave the club an early gift by signing with them, but I can't foresee it ending in anything other than tears. A one year subscription to Dolly or Cleo should give the club plenty of inspiration to help them get through the inevitable break up when Sonny Bill decides he's always wanted to play championship darts in the UK.

Gold Coast Titans
Word out of Titans HQ is that their new strength trainer has some rather unorthodox training techniques involving a lot of leather, chains, and ball gags. I'm thinking that a copy of 50 Shades of Grey ought to help players, staff, and fans get into the right mind-set as the club looks to reinvent itself as the Gold Coast Gimps.

Penrith Panthers
With their 2013 season unlikely to see them ruling the roost, a membership with the Greater Western Sydney Giants should give them a good sense of perspective. No matter how bad things get at Centrebet Stadium, they'll always have the park crowds and woeful football of the Giants to brighten their days.

Canterbury Bulldogs
You could do a lot worse than pitching in to expand the Bulldogs' trophy cabinet. With the side they've got for 2013, I see big things ahead for them. The bastards.

The Rest
If I haven't mentioned a team above, it's probably because they're just not interesting enough to warrant comment. So, if you're a fan of Saints or the Broncos or the Cowboys get them a ball in a cup or a PacMan video game or something. Liven them up some.

​

WORD COUNT: 723 including title

 

[Monk]

Monk runs onto the field as the speakers blast out the awesome sounds of Billy Joel.

750 Words according to the OWC

++++++++++++++++++++++++

Just the way you are

Don't go changing, to try and please me,
You never let me down before.

I’ve always been okay with change. In most aspects of my life I can generally feel the way the tides are flowing and I find it easier just to flow with the current rather than oppose it and find myself struggling to keep up with the rest of the world. The rest of my family are slightly less agreeable in that sense, and they’re not afraid to break out the wooden spoon and give the tides a good talking to when it affects their old school ways.

“The shoulder charge? The bloomin’ shoulder charge? All the bloody mums out there are complaining about the big hits, it’s a contact sport, if you want your kid to be safe put him in a tutu and send him off to dance school”

I couldn’t help but get excited as I felt the familiar rush of the ‘talkies’ come on. When my uncle’s blood gets boiled, he presses on like a freight train.

“Where’s the character and integrity of the game got to? I just don’t understand how a game can pride itself on having big hits and booming tackles and then steps on its own shoelaces and ban something which has become such a big part of our game.”

I understood where he was coming from, he was right, and a lot of people felt the same way. But games don’t move forward by making popular decisions where everyone is happy and living in lollypop land with sunshine and rainbows. Not every decision that the Independent Commission is going to be easy to make and universally agreeable. Their job is to consider the longevity of the game, and make decisions which will benefit us (the fans, the future players) in the long run.

As I enjoyed the feeling of a sane agreeable conversation in my head I popped back into reality as my uncle continued his rampage, it was great to see someone so passionate about such a small part of the game.

“I mean you have to think that the Inglis incident is really what sparked this whole fiasco, but that wasn’t even a shoulder charge, it was a decapitation! Really, you have to wonder what’s next. Are they going to take studs off the boots because they’re too dangerous? Are they going to stop playing games in the rain in case someone takes a tumble? Where do they draw the line on player safety?

As my uncle continued to rattle of the extremes of how the NRL could further protect players I had another think to myself. If it doesn’t work out, the NRL can always bring it back cant they? It’s not like when they make a new rule its set in stone or anything like that. Not every correct decision gets made the first time around, and if I had my way maybe the NRL could spend this year educating all the players about the shoulder charge and the dangers it possesses.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
― Nelson Mandela

I know most players realise that Rugby League isn't the be all and end all of existence. But there are a few who think you can still live off the money made playing sport and spend the rest of your life chilling out. Some players are still surprised to hear a buzzer sound at the end of Golden Point to signal a draw. It seems stupidly obvious to say it but players need to be educated in all aspects of Rugby League, we know a few of them aren't the ripest apple on the tree, so why should it be up to the players to teach themselves rules that they don’t know existed?

It may not be the best comparison but I liken it to a parent banning their kids from ever drinking alcohol because someone else’s kid skinned his knee while out on the town. No explanation as to what alcohol is, it’s just off limits. Wouldn't it be better to just educate your kids on the dangers of over-consumption rather than just to force everyone to go cold turkey? I know it might not be a fool proof plan but try educating people before making rash decisions. It can’t be the worst idea.

I could not love you any better,
I love you just the way you are.

++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

[Monk]

Thar she blows.

NT said he'll hopefully get the marks up tomorrow night after work.

 

[Non Terminator]

I should write that I am marking now.
Stay tuned and good luck one and all!

 

[Non Terminator]

GREAT BRITAIN

DREW-STA
Amazing Stace (87 points)
A lovely piece regarding a friendship that builds with Rugby League. Good imagery, well written piece.
I think back to the only blind person I know, who I didn't like, and he didn't like Rugby League.
This story is a great one.

LAMBRETTA
Show Me The Money - And Me And Me And Me (86 points)
Formative, showcasing opinions well. Can I get paid now?

MONK
Just The Way You Are (0 points)
I hate that song.

Just The Way You Are (86 points)
Well formed, again, showcasing your opinion well. Giving a great personal account.
I still hate that song.

PAPUA NEW GUINEA

TITANIC
The State Of The State Of Origin (0 points)
It took me five attempts to type that heading.

The State Of The State Of Origin (88 points)
Sixth time's a charm. Great use of wording in this article.
Possibly the simplest thing I've ever said.
Congratulations for using words!!!
Mostly latin.

COBYDELANEY
Closeness (87 points)
A heart gripper. Great use of descriptive picturing.

MISANTHROPE
Christmas Suggestions For NRL Clubs (87 points)
Quite hilarious ol chap.
You always worry about marking something like this, whether it pulls off or not. Humour is a subtle thing.
I gotta give this one the thumbs up though.

GREAT BRITAIN 259
PAPUA NEW GUINEA 262

Congratulations Kumuls! Particularly Titanic who picks up POTM!

Congratulations Lions too, the best form GB side yet.

Thank you to all who have participated in the Four Nations.

 

[Misanthrope]

Hooray! Way to go PNG. Fantastic team effort for the third game running.

Commiserations to the British, they put up a hell of a fight.

 

[Monk]

Congrats to you PNG'ers you guys are a trio of classy blokes. It was enjoyable to start a little Four Nations rivalry, hopefully we can keep it going into next season.

To my fellow poms, chin up - we did alright, we'll be back to get that trophy next year

 

[Lambretta]

So near and yet so far

I will keep working on ideas for the upcoming season
Wish I'd had more time to work on another idea - I reckon it would have scored higher.

Here's to the next NRL season. Cheers and congratulations to PNG - ripper article Titanic..... for a bloody Queenslander.

 

[Willow]

Congrats PNG And Titanic on POTM.

Every article was a winner imo... great match to end the 2012 F7s season. :thumn

 

[Titanic]

From the wilds of Cambodia where I arrived last night.

Yea team! Never let it be said that an eclectic group of fuzzy-wuzzy'd pensmen can't hold out the combined might of the home countries ... don't worry GB that was a fine effort and there is solace in the fact that if that dreary little island hadn't been conquered as much as it had then we wouldn't even have a language.

Thanks NT for the kind "words" and Coby and Misa for just being youse ... until next time.

Finally, season's greetings to you all.

 

[Drew-Sta]

Well done PNG - You're a tough team to beat! some phenomenal writers and great articles Well done and congratulations!

Thanks to Monk, Hutt and Lamb for an awesome ride

This was a lot of fun. Onto next years F7's!

 

[Hutty1986]

Congrats PNG-A wonderful side and great effort in the final!

Well done my GB bretheren, its been a pleasure writing with you guys...now onto 2013.

Merry Christmas all

 

[TooheysNew]

Wow. Undefeated. Awesome.

Thanks for the game Monk and his merry men. You're definitely right about the mini-rivalry we seem to have established. Worthy opponents.

To my teammates - thanks for just being available, and making this the easiest captaincy gig ever. Much appreciated. Beers are on me.