PVP Shield Final (2005) Sharks Vs Knights

[roosterboy60]

[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Cronulla Sharks v Newcastle Knights[/font]

[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Game Thread
Please note - This is a game thread only, therefore only game posts can be made here (Teams, Articles).
Any other posts will result in loss of points and is at the discretion of the referee.
Only original essays, not used in previous games, will be marked by referees.[/font]

[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Both teams will be allowed 2 reserves.
Rules: http://f7s.leagueunlimited.com/rules.asp[/font]

[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Full Time: Wednesday 7th December at 9pm (Syd time)[/font]

[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif]Venue: The Front Row Stadium

Crowd: TBA
REFEREE: Antonius[/font]

[font=Times New Roman, Times, serif]**Referee Blows Game On!**[/font]

 

[griffo346]

Here is the Cronulla Sharks F7s side for the Shield Final

Team
griffo346
Genius Freak
KrypnotiK
Bookie
JW

Reserves
Dread
glockers

 

[griffo346]

griffo346 runs on and has a big hitup and busts through the knights defence


History of the town they call Penrith Part 2

Following the success of the 1990 and 1991 seasons, the Panthers looked to build on those. However, they never really reached heights again until mid 1990s, when Super League came to Australia.


The Panthers where disheartend by many different situations that came about, such as the 1992 death of Greg Alexander’s brother, Ben in a car accident involving other players. The team were to loose some very high profile players but also gain high potentional from the junior teams.


In 1992 the Panthers had struggled to mirror what happened the year before after winning the grand final against the Raiders. Injuries, internal dramas and a number of high profile departures to other clubs made sure the Panthers where brought back to earth in a big way. Among the departures were star players Greg Alexander and Mark Geyer. Geyer who shortly moved to Balmain Tigers for the 1993 season, Alexander play close to no part of this season. The Panthers had a very different side take to the ground.


In 1993, the same effort was produce from the Panthers, failing to impress or make the finals, but still saw the likes of Alexander and Fittler represent NSW and Australia.

In the season of 1994, Greg Alexander did the unthinkable and signed a two-year contract with the new team, the Auckland Warriors. Being almost two years after Ben’s death, he or the club hadn’t shown any indication that they have gotten over the death.


1995 saw another season where Penrith lost some more high profile players, they being Brad Fittler and Matt Sing. With the introduction of Super League, Penrith were to loose these two first class players, both to the Sydney Roosters. Also in the coaching ranks, there came the departure of premiership winning coach "Gus" Gould.


In the off-season of 1996/97, former player Royce Simmons became first grade coach . Along with Royce Simmons, Ryan Girdler stepped up as well as players to come through the junior ranks of the club, such as Craig Gower. With these exciting, young players reaching the first grade level, the Panthers saw the return of veteran great Greg Alexander, after a two year stint over in New Zealand.


1997 also saw three panthers to don the Kangaroos jumper; they being Ryan Girdler, Craig Gower and Matt Adamson.


1999 came along, and the fine club showed some potential.


2000. Gower, Girdler and the other young players took on the senior roles. It was the season when the Panthers finished in fifth position, but didn't win a game in their finals campaign.


2001 was a poor year for the Panthers. They received their third wooden spoon in their history in the competition. That result saw some major changes at the club in the positions of administration, coaching and training staff.


In the off-season of 2001/02, they secured the signing of Sharks coach John Lang and Chief Executive Officer Shane Richardson, recruited from English club Leeds Rhinos. These two guys where set to reunite their connection they had at Cronulla, for the Panthers before the season of 2002.


In 02, John Lang had a slow start with his coaching career at Penrith. Penrith not make the eight, in fact finishing third last.


In the season of 2003, the Panthers started as wooden spoon favorites and this was proven when they lost their first two games of the season, before collecting their first victory over the 2002 premiers the Sydney Roosters. With an impressive winning streak and club record of 8 in a row, Penrith won 21 of there 27 premiership matches to win the first minor premiership since 1991.


The Penrith Panthers went on to win the grand final against the Sydney Roosters 18-6, with Luke Priddis winning the Clive Churchill Medal and also saw Craig Gower stamping his class on the 2003 premiership.

However 2003 was sour for the skipper, with the players union and the NRL not coming to terms with issues. This assured that the Dally Ms where not going ahead, leaving Panthers fans outraged. But we all know who won it that year, don't we? I'll tell you; it wasn't Johns.


2003 also saw the leaving of one of Penrith’s favourite sons, Scott Sattler. Fans where sad too see the end of this workhorse's career at the foot of the mountains. A nice way to exit the club, don't you think?


737 words including title

References:

http://panthers.rleague.com/history.php

http://www.panthers.com.au

 

[Misanthrope]

chriswalkerbush leads out the Newcastle Knights, who last year contested this very match as the Glebe Dirty Reds.

1: The_Joey_Show
2: thuganomics
3: Red and Blue Knight
4: chriswalkerbush (c)
5: brandell

6: MrCharisma
7: Parki

 

[The_Joey_Show]

The Joey Show charges on to the ball, hoping to make an early impression in his first final.

Hard Times – Summer in the City
The Gregorian calendar, the chart of choice in modern society for the display of dates and months, tells us that the four seasons of the year are almost exactly equal in length. This is a fact that I have always had trouble believing. I, for one, have always believed that winter is far shorter than summer. There is but one reason for this chronological anomaly. The NRL is not played in summer.

For me, rugby league has always been a drug. I was fed it through the bottle. Both my parents are addicts – I had no hope of being anything else. I have learnt to deal with my withdrawal pains over summer by getting involved in other sports, buying Christmas presents like there’s no tomorrow, and (since I reached the legal age) drinking too much. But none of those are working this year. Christmas shopping is more annoying than satisfying, and I would swap all the bludgeoned Matthew Hayden sixes and superbly weighted Nick Carle crosses in the world for the pure majesty of a single Andrew Johns cut-out pass. Alcohol is still good, but if George Best taught us one thing, it’s that you can’t drink all the time. The reason for this particularly torturous off-season? This year, I decided that rugby league wasn’t hard enough to give me my kicks any more. I had to try the good stuff. I had to sit with the Knights Crusade.

The Knights Crusade, for the uninitiated, is a Newcastle Knights supporter group started by regulars on this forum. From humble beginnings as five or so fans who decided to turn up to the Knights vs Souths game at Central Coast Stadium in Round 5, the Crusade had grown into a recognised supporters organisation with around 30 full-time members, and another 20 or so ‘casual’ members who come to as many games as they can. We now have a strong relationship with the club, and have moved from our beloved hill into the new Eastern Grandstand for next years games. The players know where we are, and without fail recognise and thank us for our support after matches. We are continually striving for change and improvement to our set-up, organising everything from a website (http://www.knightscrusade.com) to our own jerseys, which will make us more recognisable on game day and hopefully help us continue to improve our numbers.

But all these factors are merely the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the Crusade. Websites and jerseys and grandstand tickets do not make a supporter group. A supporter group is made by characters, by friendship, by passion. A supporters group is made by members who are willing to get on a bus from Ben Lomond (near Glen Innes) at 2am just for the right to sit with their mates in the pouring rain and watch their side get beat 50-0. A supporters group is made by a dozen or so fans who organise travel from Sydney to Newcastle every second week, regardless of work or other responsibilities, in order to be present when their teams graces the hallowed turf of EnergyAustralia Stadium. A supporters group is made by knowing that you whether you are at Toyota Park, Brookvale Oval or Telstra Stadium, you are never alone. You will have a mate that will stand at your shoulder and cheer with you, no matter how bad the scoreboard looks.

The Knights Crusade envelopes every member of the Knights family. We range in age from mid-teens to mid-forties. We come from all walks of life, and from all corners of the Earth. We are men and women, parents and children, black and white, Australians and Kiwis, gay and straight, teachers and students. But at the game we answer to none of these labels – we are just Crusaders.

The Crusade is always looking for new members, and anyone with a well-developed set of vocal chords and a passion for the mighty red and blue in their heart is more than welcome to join. St George Illawarra have the Red and White Army, Souths have the Burrow, and now the Knights have the Crusade. Remember the name, because we aren’t planning on going away.

But all that is for next season. For now, all I have is the countdown. After all, the next Knights game is only 95 days and 6 hours away.

729 words, including title.

 

[griffo346]

Sharks are forced to make a interchange now

KrypnotiK is out replaced by Dread

 

[Dread]

Dread for the Sharks

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An Insight Into the Pre-Season

The Cronulla Sharks are practising their sprinting, running back and forth with ever increasing pace. Some maintain their speed with ease, such as Brett Kimmorley, who holds the lead during every run. Others are clearly struggling with exhaustion, a lack of fitness evident in their heavy breathing and laboured steps. All the while, head trainer Trent Elkin stalks along the athletics track, barking orders and demanding more effort, greater commitment, ever increasing speed. This is pre-season training, the first step in the Sharks’ long campaign for premiership success in 2006.

The pre-season is a vital component in any National Rugby League club’s efforts to win a premiership. Its purpose is to prepare the players for the oncoming year of football, lifting their strength and fitness levels to those required for the grind of regular rugby league. At the Sharks, the players train five days a week, with only the weekends to recuperate. Typically, the players are only be afforded two months holiday after the completion of a season, before launching straight back into regular training. With the top level of rugby league now strictly professional, downtime is kept to a minimum to ensure that players maintain a consistent level of fitness and skill.

Elkin, who joined the Sharks training staff in 2005, is methodical about how to best prepare the squad for a new year. ‘We have four strength sessions, two speed sessions, four or five skills sessions and two or three conditioning sessions every week,’ he explains. ‘There are so many aspects that you need to work on that you need all of these months before the season starts to get them all done.’

Training during the pre-season is also vastly different to training during the in-season. The pre-season aims to lift all of the players to acceptable levels across a whole range of skills. In comparison, when the competition arrives, practice sessions become a place to refine those skills, as Elkin extrapolates. ‘The players do a lot more work pre-season as opposed to in-season, purely because the guys aren’t playing.’

‘We spend a lot of time in-season focusing on recovery and game preparation, as opposed to working on more general aspects, like fitness or strength. During the in-season you’ve basically got to get ready for one game, then recover from that game in readiness for your next game. There’s no time for all the extra work.’

For the players, pre-season training isn’t all just a tough slog. While gruelling fitness work makes up a large portion of the schedule, there does remain some time for fun and games. For Cronulla’s young fullback, David Simmons, the atmosphere around the pre-season can be likened to attending a new school for the first time, with all of the new faces. ‘I think meeting all the new guys is fun, it’s exciting. We get to play competitive games on the field, like touch footy and Oztag. I love playing all of those games with the new blokes,’ he explains.

However, he speaks mournfully as he explains how the tempo will increase as the first game for 2006 draws nearer. ‘At the moment, training’s not that hard because we’re gradually building into the running and the bike riding, but when we come back for the next session, it’ll get a lot more difficult. By the time we’re finished, we’ll be doing six 200 metre sprints, with only walk recovery. It hurts.’

Unsurprisingly, he can’t wait for the arrival of the football season. ‘Regular season is a dream compared to this,’ he claims. ‘You might just have one fitness session a week during the season, but here you’re doing about four a week, with only the weekends off.’

Kimmorley, however, thrives on the challenge. He has clearly been putting in extra effort over the short break from training. Today, he has been out in front in every run. While others are evidently exhausted, he shows no sign of pain or weariness.

He explains that fitness is the greatest benefit of the demanding pre-season schedule. ‘The pre-season is good because you feel like you’re keeping fit, and it keeps you in good stead for when the footy starts,’ he says. ‘The disappointing thing is that you don’t get to play on Saturday or Sunday.’

However, even super fit Noddy has a limit. I ask him about the most difficult aspect of the pre-season. ‘The six thirty starts are a bit tough,’ he replies with a laugh.

---

746 words by the Official Counter

 

[brandell]

Brandell is back and bigger than ever as he takes one of his trademark hit ups...
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Getting Back Into the Game…


This year has been one of the most challenging years of my life. I moved back into college life after a year away and got straight into the thick of things running for positions on committee and directing my very own play. But with all the tribulations that I have faced in the last six months nothing could prepare me for the next five minutes and ultimately the next two months of my life. For you see it has been a long time since Rugby League has even entered this weary travellers mind, so when thrown the curveball by the great Walker Bush to write once again, my mind went blank.



Six months ago I would have argued for my team to the bone, but six months on I have to be told who we have signed for next year, six months on I only just realised how close we finished to the top eight, and six months on I realise how much we need to do next year to have a chance in the premiership. It is in a sense the same situation I face now, having to once again find a topic to write about that people will find stimulating. Having to write anything about something is hard when I don’t even do it at University, how the hell am I supposed to do it when marks aren’t on the line? I somehow have to convey an opinion on a game that I have had no feeling for in the past six months and then hope that a mark out of this world may be able to carry the cup back for the Knights.



Another tremendous life changing move for me as of late is the decision to begin training again so that I can play league once more next season. It has been four years since I put the boots on in a serious competition and next year I will take the field for the Armidale Rams. I originally gave up the game I love to try my hand at something that I had never given a chance - theatre, but after several years and good times I think I need to return to the place that gave me more headaches than smiles, but made me the person I am today.



In the next two months I will be trekking up and down Merewether’s beaches in an attempt to regather the 95 kilo frame that I once possessed. When at my prime I was a prop forward who could last eighty minutes when needed to and provide a solid line of defence as well as a reliable hit up every set of six. Finding my old self in amongst all the Big Macs and cigarette packets from the past four years will be tough, but with my mates behind me I should be able to find something even if it is only an inkling of what I used to be. It’s funny but I used to be so down on myself when fully fit that now when I sit back and look at old photo’s of myself, I almost reduce myself to tears. I had it so good back then and now I disgust myself.

From This to This

I think the whole point of this rant of mine is to convince myself and everyone else that if I can do it…well then so can you. Wait how can that be? I haven’t done it yet…Maybe the point is if I can try to do it then, well hell so can everyone else…That sounds nice. If I can try to reclaim my more youthful days and once again take the field both in print and in real life than so can everyone else. Who knows? Maybe I’ll fail at it and after a week of heavy beach sessions and no smoking I’ll give up and go back to the androtops and Quarter Pounders. But at least I would have tried it.



My motto is that it is better to have tried and to have failed than to have died wondering, to have quit before you begun because you never know just how far you could go. I’ll never die wondering and I’ll never again ask myself the question of what if, at the end of the day I would have gave it my best.



It works in all facets of life and this place isn’t any different from the great game itself...




750 words including title

 

[Bookie]

Bookie reclaims the pill in a one on one and makes a charge up the field for the Sharkies

===========================================================

SIGN HERE

Santa Claus, Leprechauns, the tooth fairy, the list goes on. Considering events which have occurred in recent months, we may also add NRL contracts to that list. If you dispute that statement, you may as well go buy some U2 concert tickets at $2500.

A contract in this day and age represents the economical, and if not more, bond between employer and employee. Every professional occupation these days has a form of contract, and these contracts are used to bind the two parties together for a certain amount of time. First grade rugby league is now a professional occupation, and as a result, contracts are signed. But these contracts have lost meaning, and are now merely a tad more valuable than a piece of paper with a players autograph.

Earlier this year, around the first week of the finals, I was proud of the Sharks performance. That week, the Sharks club also released more of the modernised heritage design jersey. Coming closer to my birthday, my parents kindly bought it for me and I was a happy little sixteen-going-on-seventeen year old. Now, the jersey looked a little blank with no number on the back, and as a method of fixing this problem, I came up with the master plan - ironing on the number of one of my favourite players. The one and only Peach was leaving, so the ‘1' was out of question. Instead, I opted for the ‘6' of Shire son Adam Dykes.

Two months on, news comes that he likely to go to England. And while my jersey will still signify my support for the Sharks, many will also believe that I am Greg Bird’s No.1 supporter, a case which I am not.

Now, I am one example of many. Danny Nutley. Lance Thompson. Jamie Lyon. Three favourite sons of their FORMER clubs. What about the fans who purchased merchandise in their honour? A lucrative deal, a SMS, a sea change. Plausible reasons, but not when there is a contract to be fulfilled. These players could have waited until their contracts had finished. They knew the clauses and conditions of the contract. They were meant to fulfil their obligations.

These player departures lead to depressed fans and depressed amounts of ticket sales, leading to a depressed game. The NRL needs to crack down on player movements and needs to re-evaluate contractual agreements, so that clubs can be assured that their players will stay at the club. Alternatively, players can be more loyal to their clubs and not make unorthodox decisions to leave the club. When Jamie Lyon walked out on Parramatta Eels contract, he had already experienced a few years in the ‘big smoke’ and knew what it would be like living there for another two years. If Lyon had disliked the city life, why did he sign a lengthy contract?

Clubs also need to pick up their game. An unruly text message between players can surely be sorted out by external mediators should they be needed. It is not a worthy reason to cut a senior player who is the arguable crowd favourite at his home ground. Clubs should also realise that this will only hurt their club through decreased levels of merchandise and ticket sales (it’s a demand and supply thing, you see). Even at the second chance, when protests were held outside the leagues club, the club did not take any action.

Rugby League is the game which everyone on this forum loves. We’re not footballers, AFL players or union enthusiasts. While we like the others, we try to put league at numero uno. Zahlen eins. Number one. To do this, Mr Gallop, Mr Rogers, Mr Fitzgerald - don’t let our favourites go somewhere else. We’re fans because we love seeing our favourites play out there. If the game wants to take over all other codes in Australia (and hell, even NSW, with the Swans and Sydney FC not doing too bad), we have to keep our supporter bases strong. Please, develop some more efficient contracts, and keep our players where they belong. Just sign here.

=========================================

716 words - Everything, including this thing I'm writing here.

 

[Genius Freak]

Genius Freak returns from a stint in the UK to continue the proud Cronulla tradition.

Football Guy



Not even Jim Jericho’s closest friends know his deepest, darkest secret. Had they of known, Jericho would have been met with fear, derision, disgust, and even loathing from the people who mattered to him the most. He would have been shunned from exclusive social circles, and ostracised from the world he loved. You see, by weekday Jericho is a mild mannered accountant. A quiet, polite, well-groomed, slightly nerdy figure with little impact on the world around him. Despite this, he is highly educated, accomplished, and well respected in his field. He moves through the upper echelons of corporate finance, is invited to classy social gatherings, and is known for his knowledge of fine wines. On the weekend however, Jim Jericho undergoes a transformation. He becomes; ‘Football Guy’.



Football Guy is Jericho’s alter ego and antithesis. Football Guy is completely unfettered by social conventions like, tact, morality, and rationality. His world is pure black and white, often with lashings of blue, but completely without grey. He lives and dies for one thing. His team, and their success.



Football Guy is unkempt. He frequently foregoes Jericho’s more staid attire, preferring a well-worn jersey that reeks of month old VB. Football Guy’s verbal acuity is less than half that of his alter ego’s. He is unable to complete a single sentence without some form of profanity, and all too often his outbursts are reduced to wild, angst-ridden mumblings. RUN! PASS! F&$K YA! Would not be unusual.



Sadly, Jericho is unable to control the appearances of the beast inside him. He has tried everything from relaxation therapy, to chaining himself inside his house and locking himself away from the world. Somehow though, Football Guy always manages to get loose and return to a football field somewhere. He is drawn by the same mysterious longing that draws lycanthropes everywhere towards the full moon.



And as strange as it may seem to some, Jim Jericho’s initial transformation had nothing to do with any errant barrels of toxic waste of scientific experiments gone wrong. There were no surprise nuclear blasts or radioactive spiders either. Put simply, Jericho’s transformation was as gradual as it was sudden. For years, Jim Jericho was a normal sports fan, able to attend games at will, without batting an eye or spawning a beast. But gradually, a great sense of injustice built within him. The bad refereeing, the specialist treatment given to Andrew Johns, rep teams not being picked on form, the continued rigging of the Dally M’s, The Roosters, Chris Anderson, all of these things and more, ate away at Jericho’s psyche until one fateful night when it all became too much. Jericho had been at home, calmly watching a game with a well aged Merlot when it hit him. The Bulldogs hadn’t got back the ten. Again. Jericho snapped. Football Guy emerged.



In the blink of an eye, Jim Jericho began to change. He let loose a primal scream which shook every house in his street from its foundations. He followed this with a string of violent oaths and curses so vulgar that they pre-offended the next three generations of children who would be born in his suburb. He tore off his neatly tailored polo and chinos, and found that underneath he was wearing a battered jersey and stubbies. And as a final gesture, he hurled his Waterford crystal wine glass violently at the image of Tony Archer on the screen of his 120 inch plasma TV. The TV exploded, spawning a mushroom cloud which was visible from space. Jim Jericho laughed maniacally, and set off in search of a VB. Football Guy had emerged.



Though Jericho does everything in his power to hide his secret identity from those around him, Football Guy has been highly visible around the NRL. He’s the guy you see being held back by sixteen Maori security guards at Ericsson. He’s the guy on the fence at Toyota, braying for Miniciello’s head. He’s the guy who enters Olympic Park with the armed escort, and who leaves followed by the armoured tank division, and several very nervous looking special-forces snipers. He’s the guy you spot lying under Tim Mander’s car, tinkering with his brakes. In recent times, he has been spotted at two games simultaneously, giving rise to the belief that more people are succumbing to the same tragic illness. And that maybe, just maybe, the potential to become Football Guy lies deep within all of us. Just waiting for the chance to break free.

Word Count: 750

 

[Misanthrope]

CWBush looks to inspire his team with a late charge

Faking It

I’ve got a confession to make.

It may be hard for you to believe, but this charming, intelligent, and all around well liked guy wasn’t always thus. Oh, I’ve always been intelligent – but the others developed late in high school after more than my fair share of bullying, social ostracisation, and basically having the crap kicked out of me on an emotional and physical level.

Yes indeed, life was tough for this precocious young man until one fateful day in September of 1997. Before you get all misty eyed and expect a tale of how I discovered the Newcastle Knights and drew confidence and a feeling of self satisfaction from their achievements – I should dispel something for you.

That’s crap.

Anyone who lives entirely through their football team is bound to live a disappointing life. If people based their own happiness entirely on the success of their football team you’d have a lot of suicidal Souths’ fans and a lot of smug Roosters fans. Well, the latter is probably true actually…

My point is – rugby league (and, to a lesser extent, Newcastle) stepped into my life when I was at an all time low and gave me an ‘in’ to the social circles that had been making my life hell. When I returned to school in early 1998 I suddenly had something to talk about with all of the guys. In a country town there are really only two topics of conversation – farming and football. I might have lived on a farm, but damned if I was reducing myself to discussing the merits of various species of cattle and sheep just to be popular. I’d rather be dead.

So, when a conversation started up over whether Brisbane or Newcastle were the ‘true’ 1997 premiers, I could not only understand what the guys were talking about – I could also have an opinion. Just like that I went from being that weird guy who does his work in class to that weird guy who does his work in class and likes the Knights.

Over time my interest in the game began to evolve beyond simply knowing how Newcastle went on the weekend. I’d be able to recite the table to anyone who asked, as well as citing the results and scorers from the weekend before. Like some kind of idiot savant I was adopted as the unofficial Dave Middleton of my year. That’s right; I was Dave Middleton before being Dave Middleton was cool. It got to be that, when an argument needed to be settled, I was asked.

But I soon learned this wasn’t enough. If I was to be liked by my male peers, I had to be more than a font of rugby league wisdom. I had to live and breathe the game like so many of them did. In 2000, make or break time if you want to enjoy your final years of high school, I made the next logical step in my evolution. I pulled on a pair of boots, put aside my books, and stepped onto the field. I remember my first attempted tackle like it happened mere moments ago. Big Nathan Newbie, now a bouncer and all around bad ass, made a break and was stampeding down my wing. Foolishly, hopefully – I stepped in front of him and attempted to go low.

It was an abysmal failure.

What resulted was a dislocated shoulder and a whole bunch of back-slapping from my team mates. I think in that moment I went from being just some guy to being a part of the clique.

I don’t remember when I stopped faking it and when I started to legitimately love this game. At first it was all just a ruse – a way for me to shrug off the stigma of being a teacher’s pet, but over time it grew on me. I went from simply knowing results to watching each and every game on Fox Sports. I went from making snide remarks about opposition players to genuinely respecting their prowess. Oh sure, I still made snide remarks, but behind it all was that kind of respect you have for all great men.

What did this? The 2001 Grand Final win? Scoring my first rampaging try? Being asked to play for the school team?

Or maybe I loved it all along, and it just took me a few years to realise it. Sure, I started out faking it, but now I can’t imagine my life without league.

WORD COUNT: 750 including title

 

[MrCharisma]

MrCharisma come off the bench with a late run at the line

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2007 is the year of the Pom

It was late this season when the NRL announced that it would expand it’s competition from 15 teams to 16 with the addition of the soon to be Gold Coast Titans. Many fans went into a frenzy with the thought of another Queensland based side and further strengthening of Queensland State of Origin while other like myself shed a tear with North Sydney/Central Coast Bears having being forced back and ‘screwed’ by the NRL once more. As the months have gone on, I’ve grown acceptance for this new team to a point where the other day I was in the Titans forum chatting with members about their possible recruitment. Many have questioned who they’ve bring in, after all they need both short term and long term success for different reasons, but; through the thick of it all, I’ve always had the answer…

More Poms!

That’s right

You heard it from me

No matter who you talk to, they’ve got a least one person from the United Kingdom who they believe or know will be there. As it is there are too many established superstars in the NRL and to recruit a team from that would be costly and would limit the depth of the Titans. So that is where the Englishmen come in.

As it stands, there is currently only one established Englishmen and I think we all know who we are talking about, Sir Adrian Morley. His gritty, tough nut and wild approach to football has always excited the fans and kept him in the spot light. For years and years I’ve heard more of the Poms say they would like to come to the NRL for the challenge of playing in the best Rugby League competition in the world. A couple of seasons ago, Cronulla had to make a choice between taking Brett Kimmorley or St Helens lock/stand-off Paul Sculthorpe and this kind of trend has continued with guys like Kris Radlinski, Stuart Fielden, Jamie Peacock, Andy Farrell, Chris Thorman, Marc Calderwood, Keith Senior and many many more stating they want to play the great game but very few have been given the chance due to the British playing a different and slower paced game and there for have little to no need for a high payed yet untested player. After all, why would a salary cap restricted club fork out $250k - $300k on a player who could be a dud and as a result, lose promising juniors or loyalties.

Gold Coast doesn’t have that!

Gold Coast is a re-established franchise who can play hit and miss with it’s players without any major problems, after all… what does the club stand to lose when it has nothing to begin with?

Since the announcement of the 16th franchise, six Great Britain representatives have been brought into the main lights for the NRL for 2007. Brian Carney has already signed to play for Newcastle in 06 before moving to the Titians for 07, Richie Mathers is rumoured to leave Leeds to take up the Titians vacant fullback role, Stuart Fielden is heavily linked with the Sydney Roosters, Jamie Peacock and Keiron Cunningham have declared they want to come down soon then finally Mark Edmondson has signed a deal with the Sydney Roosters to link up with English hard nut Adrian Morley. If you think that’s the end of the invasion, you’d be wrong. Before Marc Calderwood took up a deal with Wigan, he was in discussion with the Penrith Panthers.

Considering this was only 2005’s off contract list who has expressed interest in coming to the NRL, I think we are going to be thrown off with what 06 brings with more players moving from all clubs and then looking for replacements. But how does this make 07 the year of the Poms?

Great Britain has always been under fire for not keeping up with the NRL pace at the International scene with only Morley playing NRL but with Carney and Edmondson already signed and plenty to follow, the Lions will go into camp with more knowledge about NRL players instead of relying on videos as well as new training and defensive strategies. As a huge Lions fan, I know for a fact we can’t defend and couldn’t use the sliding defence to save us. New Zealand might have taken this years Tri-Nations out, but a young Lions pack is growing up and will pounce in 07!


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Word Count: 745

 

[JW]

JW for the Sharks.

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Adjectives To Describe The Greatest Of Them All

So, who am I? Let me tell you a little about myself.

I came into this world over a century ago as a result of conflict, alienation, bitterness and contempt. I served those of a blue-shaded collar and was expected to blossom and thrive as the way of the future. My elder cousin and his aficionados often sought to compromise my standing in society and ultimately my very existence, but I proved to be much too resilient and defiant for their endeavours to succeed.

I travelled to lands far and wide and was met with mixed receptions. But no matter where I chose to spread my wings, those who took to me would admire, value and cherish me forever.

As I grew older, I grew larger. I came into the lives of people from all corners of the globe and became a passion to many of them like none other. I can be seen in people’s backyard’s, at your local park, on the TV or in the daily newspaper. I am talked about and discussed every day by various people in various places. I urge all forms of opinion and criticism about me to come out into the open and I use them as a catalyst for chance and improvement.

Initially, I was adored by hundreds. Today, I am worshiped by millions.

I extract exorbitant talents from the gifted athlete. I encourage unity and teamwork. I expose lethargy, resignation, submission and any unwillingness to push through all known boundaries. I can strike fear, apprehensiveness, anxiety and even terror. But I can also bring about gracefulness, elegance, charm and beauty.

I pride myself on my flamboyance, my unpredictability, my flair and my dynamic, energetic and sometimes aggressive nature.

I offer opportunity and adventure, but strictly for those who are brave, devoted, purposeful and wholehearted.

Being of an elevated standing within the community, I’m often viewed as a role model. I inspire, stir, touch and motivate others to achieve the highest of goals whilst instilling critical traits such as leadership, sportsmanship, comradery and the spirit to persist and never give up or let go.

Openly, my peers dissmiss me. Yet secretly, they fear me. At times, I even treat myself with unessential disrespect. But I am strong, durable and unrelenting. Whatever the challenge, whatever the dilemma, I have the demonstrated ability to regroup, revive and revitalise myself.

To some, I bring happiness, enjoyment and a sense of community. For others, I induce emotions of passion, tribalism and pride. I have an unparalleled ability to unify people from countless nationalities, backgrounds, races or creeds.

I am forever growing old, yet continue to reinvent myself.

In the eyes of those who love me, I am their priority, their passion and, in many instances, their life. To them, I am simply the greatest of all.

The next time you see me, hear of me or find yourself in a discursion about me, ask yourself how I make you and others who share your passion for me feel. Ponder what I bring to your family and friends. Think about what I bring to your life and what emotions I strike inside you. I may just be one of the more important things in your life.

Not that I’ve ever been the arrogant type, of course…


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557 words, including title.

Sources and References:

Image - ASTSPORTS (http://www.astsports.com.au/files/R_league/Pic 2.jpg)

 

[Misanthrope]

I'm posting on the behalf on Red and Blue Knight as his net provider is down.

The Crusade’s Greatest Ally - Part 1

I was on a great high on the second of July of this year, in fact all Newcastle Knights fans were. It was a week to the day since our breakthrough first win against the Panthers after fifteen rounds of heartbreak.

We all had a spring in our step and our smiles were all a lot bigger as we
headed into EAS on that chilly Saturday afternoon hoping for a great day atthe footy against the Sydney Roosters.

Members of the Knights Crusade were heading over to the club’s official shopto purchase some warmer merchandise for the cold night that lay ahead when Iwas stopped by a man exiting the administration building. He said to me “Youknow you really should smile more in photos Jamie”. I didn’t know it at thetime but at that moment I was just been introduced to a man who would become my beloved supporters’ group greatest ally.

I was stunned at first and had no real idea who this man was. I asked him
“Sorry, but who are you?” He replied “Sorry, my name is Ross Cadell, I’m
the clubs new Sales and Marketing manager. I saw your photo’s from our
Penrith win up on the League Unlimited forums”. It made sense now, I didn’t
recognize him because he had only been in the new job for two weeks and he had obviously viewed the Knights forum here on League Unlimited - hence knew who I was.

“Well I best be off, I’ve got a function to attend” said Ross and with that
we parted ways. My friends then asked what that was about and after I
explained it I thought nothing more of it. Eleven days went passed until I again saw Ross at the Knights barbeque day. As I walked into the stadium he walked past me with Ken Conway. Ross gave a polite but quick hello and wave, Ken didn’t even acknowledge me. That’s when I knew he was different - that he was a real decent bloke.

The Crusade continued going from strength to strength, gaining more exposure and more members. Then on a Sunday afternoon at home against the Cowboys the Crusade was joined by a man in a pin stripe business suit - it was Ross once again. He explained he had been reading up on us and what we’re all about and he wanted to see for himself. I knew he was taking too much interest in us to just want to “see what it is all about”. I was about to ask him about his high level of interest, perhaps he wanted to make us the club’s official supporter group already, when he pulled out one of his business cards and offered it to us.

As Ross was about to leave I pulled him aside and asked him “Why such the
high level of interest in us?” He responded “You guys sat through fifteen rounds of crap and are still here growing as a supporter group. I think it’s about time the Knights fans had a supporter group who are on a first name basis with the players and will be well known by rival fans.” It was then that I knew that I had gained a very good friend and that the Crusade was about to get bigger then I expected.

Later that week I received a phone call from Ross asking for some figures
about the crusade - home and away attendance averages. He then expressed interest in getting us our own supporters’ bay for season 2006 - big news for a supporter group that started out as five people on the hill at Energy Australia Stadium in round six against New Zealand.

I arranged to meet Ross before our round twenty one game against the Melbourne Storm.

We discussed figures and possible areas for a bay for the Crusade in season 2006. He also explained that he did not want us to have any ties with the club what so ever, we’ll be the club’s biggest supporter group and be known by every Knights fan but we will have no official affiliation with the club itself. We will be a supporter group run by us - the supporters. I couldn’t help but feel ecstatic. Something I had grown to be so passionate about was about to become bigger then any of us ever thought, a lot bigger.

To be continued…

WORD COUNT: 748

 

[RABK]

Just got back online Chris, thanks for posting that for me!

My isp was down when i got home from work ten minutes ago, i rang CWB and asked him to post for me, hope that is ok?

 

[antonius]

Ref Blows Fulltime.

 

[griffo346]

its not a problem red and blue knight
good luck to the knights 5v5 its going to be a tough tussel thanks to the referee in advance and thanks must go to the sharks we have done a awsome effott getting this far i am really impressed

 

[RABK]

Yeh best of luck to both teams, should be very close.

 

[Misanthrope]

Thanks to griffo for allowing the late post, it'll be good to see a final featuring two sides submitting 5 v 5. Let's hope that I don't have to step in for extra time duties again :lol:

Good luck everyone!

 

[The_Joey_Show]

5 vs 5... wouldn't expect any less in a final.

Congrats and good luck to both teams. May the best team win.