DRAGONS: Was it a sporting fluke?

[Buddy]

Congratualtions to all St George Illawarra supporters on your first premiership.

Pity some St George supporters are trying to hijack it as their own and get offended when anybody suggests otherwise.
As Bob Millward said, "They had the money and no players and we had the players and no money". So does money win you a premiership or players?

Anyway, now that all the hype is more or less over, let's put this year into perspective.

After winning in 2005 the Tigers have had to endure a period of many supporters calling their win a fluke. Why I am not sure.

So was 2010 a fluke?

The Tigers did not receive the massive gifts from the NRL in 2005.

1/ Did the NRL remove the best team in the 2005 competition?
No, they had to beat all other 15 teams.

2/ Did they get gifted an international player midway through the competition?
No. What irony that the NRL kick out a team for salary cap breaches yet allow an extra international on top of the other 12 representatives that St George Illawarra already had for the remaining $50K in their salary cap. How many rep players do the Storm have? No doubt it is all above board.

3/ Did they put in place a referees boss who was an ex-player?
No. Some of the decisions in the last couple of years have been as dicey as the Tandy tackle. That Eastwood "holding back" of Soward. The Gasnier try against Manly. The knees in Lote's back which broke his ribs with Jeremy Smith being found guilty. If the Tigers score that goal, how different would this year have been? Yet all Finch can say is "Sorry we got it wrong. That video ref is taking a week off to get it right".

4/ Did they have an Archer refereeing their games?
No. Interesting that Archer has come out defending his 15-1 stats saying they have been the best team the last two years. Amazing how none of the other referees have similar stats vs St George Illawarra. If they revert back to the one referee system, goodness help the team playing St George Illawarra if Archer is the referee.

So was this year a fluke? St George Illawarra have been a blimp on the radar when it comes to Grand Finals this century with what has been one of the best player rosters going around. Nothing. Zilch. Zero. Not even a runners up cheque. All of a sudden they win a Grand Final in a year where they get all the favours (see points 1 to 4).

So it begs the question that if they don't win the Grand Final in 2011 with the best player roster in the competition with 12 representative players and arguably access to the best juniors in the country coming out of the Illawarra plus the best coach in the world plus with ex-Dragon Finch moving on plus an independant commission to hopefully properly police the salary cap and referees, will people say that the asterisk on the 2010 NRL premiership actually means a sporting fluke? I think most will.

 

[typicalfan]

Using a quality lure there. Complete rubbish all the same

 

[Rocket]

So was 2010 a fluke?

Go ask Saint Benny the same question. If he says it was a fluke then I won't argue with him, being the best coach in the world and all.

 

[Mong]

Does money win you a premiership or players?

Ask Man United & Chelsea..

You don't have/keep the players without the money..

Thread FAIL..

Nice try though..

 

[Jono1987]

:lol::lol::lol:

At least there is some newish material being used. However you fail for not posting this on your main account princess.

 

[BIKER_DRAGON]

No fluke and it's the Dragons 16th premiership END OF.

 

[hunters]

Oh dear.

1. There were no completely illegal teams found in 2005. If there was they too would have been excluded.

2. It was a legal transfer - get over it.

3. Yeah, because the ref's have made no mistakes the last few years other than in Saints favour.

4. They are the best team the last two years, they will have the best stats and one referee has to be at the top of the list.

Saints won, deal with it (in better fashion than the hollow congrats at the start of your post)

 

[dice]

Note that even "Saint" Benny said he was very glad the halftime score wasn't what it could have been. Only the ignorant actually believe Saints would have recovered from a 14-0 deficit and that the refereeing didn't affect the roosters chances.

 

[user_nat]

1/ Did the NRL remove the best team in the 2005 competition?
No, they had to beat all other 15 teams.

Even the Titans?

 

[typicalfan]

Good thing that the Roosters weren't entitled to a 14-0 lead then!

 

[Saint Doc]

lol!! I love all the dragon haters who are now desperately clinging to whatever they can now that we are the champions. But to humour you:

1. No the NRL did not remove a team of cheats in 2005 that were over $1million over the salary cap.

2. No, the tigers did not sign a former international. And yet back ending contracts is common place, the dragons put their eggs in one basket to win this year and will pay the price next year without international jeremy smith, state of origin rep costigan, rising star jarrod saffy and former international and clive churchill medal winner luke priddis. Great decision though because it worked.

3/4. Lol at the refs bias. Yeah because there was no controversy at all regarding the anasta try, or the creagh strip which lead to a roosters try the next set! And lets not forget that the roosters probably should have been knocked out week 1 if the scrum had been repacked as it should have been!

Quality trolling though, Im impressed. Maybe you should stop wasting your talents here and send this to David Gallop, im sure once he reads your compelling arguments he will strip saints of the title and give it to its rightful owners, the tigers!

 

[grouch]

The Tigers effort in 2005 is regarded as a fluke because they had a largely average season, scooping the main prize after the favourites fell away. The club hadn't appeared in the finals for, what, 9 years prior, and didn't return again until 5 years later.

They were wearing Bradbury's iceskates, and after reading this thread I'm wearing lolerskates

 

[dice]

With all the key injuries to Broncos and many other teams in the top 8 some of us would argue the Saints were the Bradbury's. At least the Tigers didn't need the refs assistance in two sudden death games.

PS: funny how Saints fans can't see the hypocrisy of criticising Tigers premiership despite Tigers winning 15(?) games in a row.

 

[This Year?]

Of course it was a fluke....how else could going 31 years without a premiership be justified. No matter what people say, the Saints are sh*t and everyone knows it because everyone says so.

 

[HowHigh]

So was 2010 a fluke?

No
Two minor premierships.

If the Dragons didn't win it, they'd be called chokers.
Now when they do win it, its called a fluke?

lol loving the jealousy of other teams fans

 

[taxidriver]

my money says the op is the baron

 

[Everlovin' Antichrist]

All I can say is;

Derp.

 

[dragon_around]

Did we fluke the minor premiership twice?

hur dur derp

 

[dice]

Even the Sharks have a won a minor premiership. When you factor in injuries, rep season, and training cycles, the minor premiership is nothing to get excited about. But please don't get let facts confuse you.

 

[_Johnsy]

26 unanswered points in pouring rain, held the supposed form attacking team of the comp to 0.

I had no idea some where taking the loss this hard.