Fox played the Newtown vs Parramatta GF from 1981. All I can say is wow. The game has changed so much in 20 years.
Gus Gould was playing, Chika Ferguson, Sterlo, Ella, Kenny etc....
I would love to hear your comments about the game. I was 6 in 1981 so I cant compare my thoughts of the game as it was to now.
This is what I noticed:
1. Where was the kicking game? The last tackle option was 9 times out of 10 a dart up the short side. Kicking was virtually non-existent.
2. The place kick for touch from a penalty. It all came rushing back to me.
3. The game was very very slow.
4. The defensive lines moved as single entities, there was no gang tackling evident at all. Only the closest players moved up.
5. Striking for the ball in the play the ball was funny to see again. I dont mind it actually. I tell ya, it makes the guys play the ball properly.
6. The Scrums!!!!!! They were like a rugby union ruck, the packs would clash and people would go everywhere.
7. Most of the penalties were from scrum infringements. Tommy Raudonikus (spelling) was penalised 3 times by Hollywood Hartley for a second row feed. Probably cost them the game too.
8. The goal kicking was atrocious, Mick Cronin's season success rate was 60%, Rex Mossip was in awe of such a high success rate!!!
9. The Commentary was amusing; it consisted of Rex making some very poor observations and getting excited. There was another guy with him that piped up every now and then with one or two word comment, very strange.
10. Neither side played field position, Newtown seemed quite happy to play from their own 22 line.
11. A try was worth 3 and a conversion was worth 2. Pffft!!!!
12. The Referee, if he was in todays game, he would be dropped in 3 seconds. half the time he just guessed I am sure.
13. The attack was very deep, most of the time the players were out of shot, that is how far back the backlines were.
14. Knock-ons were never called by the Ref, not unless it was a huge one.
Honestly, it was like a different sport. I pictured the Knights playing either side, fair dinkum it would have been 100-0 to the Knights. The players had the talent, that was obvious, but the lack of speed in the game and the lack of physical presence would have seen the older teams be blown away by the current crop........
I now know why Sterling loves Johns so much.
Gus Gould was playing, Chika Ferguson, Sterlo, Ella, Kenny etc....
I would love to hear your comments about the game. I was 6 in 1981 so I cant compare my thoughts of the game as it was to now.
This is what I noticed:
1. Where was the kicking game? The last tackle option was 9 times out of 10 a dart up the short side. Kicking was virtually non-existent.
2. The place kick for touch from a penalty. It all came rushing back to me.
3. The game was very very slow.
4. The defensive lines moved as single entities, there was no gang tackling evident at all. Only the closest players moved up.
5. Striking for the ball in the play the ball was funny to see again. I dont mind it actually. I tell ya, it makes the guys play the ball properly.
6. The Scrums!!!!!! They were like a rugby union ruck, the packs would clash and people would go everywhere.
7. Most of the penalties were from scrum infringements. Tommy Raudonikus (spelling) was penalised 3 times by Hollywood Hartley for a second row feed. Probably cost them the game too.
8. The goal kicking was atrocious, Mick Cronin's season success rate was 60%, Rex Mossip was in awe of such a high success rate!!!
9. The Commentary was amusing; it consisted of Rex making some very poor observations and getting excited. There was another guy with him that piped up every now and then with one or two word comment, very strange.
10. Neither side played field position, Newtown seemed quite happy to play from their own 22 line.
11. A try was worth 3 and a conversion was worth 2. Pffft!!!!
12. The Referee, if he was in todays game, he would be dropped in 3 seconds. half the time he just guessed I am sure.
13. The attack was very deep, most of the time the players were out of shot, that is how far back the backlines were.
14. Knock-ons were never called by the Ref, not unless it was a huge one.
Honestly, it was like a different sport. I pictured the Knights playing either side, fair dinkum it would have been 100-0 to the Knights. The players had the talent, that was obvious, but the lack of speed in the game and the lack of physical presence would have seen the older teams be blown away by the current crop........
I now know why Sterling loves Johns so much.
