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Raiders Forum 7's team for 2005

greeneyed

First Grade
Messages
8,135
Good story R69. In fact, I loved it. I have fixed the spelling etc in a few spots in this version, so hopefully that might help in the marking of the story.....


It is a moment in my life that I will never forget, one of those special occasions where you pinch yourself to make sure you're not dreaming, it is a moment I have relived in my memory 1000 times over… and 1000 times again.

The day I had waited for all my football career, my first grand final. I could hardly wait and thanks to a lenient rotation policy, I had the honour of leading out my team, the St.Clair Comets, as captain. The team was full of enthusiasm, we were extra pumped as we faced our fierce rivals St. Marys. This was truly a local derby.

We gathered into a huddle and roared out our chant, we were ready! We ran onto the field and shook hands with the devil, the tension was building. The coin flew through the air as I casually muttered ‘heads’. ‘Tails, your call St. Marys’ proclaims the referee, a bad start for me and the lads, a sign of things to come perhaps?!

St. Clair kicked off, the St. Marys fullback collects the ball and immediately sent it wide to their massive winger. He put on a step and a shimmy, straight past our centre and raced away for a try under the dot, conversion successful. 6-0. The signs were ominous.

The game then became a tug of war battle, several half breaks and try saving tackles. With 5 minutes left in the first half their winger struck again, this time clutching on to a long cut out ball thrown by their halfback. Another conversion as we went into the half time break behind 12-nil.

A rev up from the coach had us fired up for a big second half and it started off great, our star front rower burst the line and off loaded to our 5/8th who strolled under the sticks to get us off the mark. Our hooker converted with ease, 12-6 and there was plenty of time left.

There was a spring in our step now and it showed, over the next 20 minutes we dominated, running in a further 2 tries, with one to me, collecting a great offload from our 2nd rower. The other went to our front rower but both were out wide so no conversions were landed. We had taken the lead 14-12 but there was 5 minutes remaining. A tremendous fight back but the game wasn’t over just yet.

With just under a minute remaining we still led the game 14-12 and had control of the pill. Our hooker delivered a shocking ball to our 2nd rower who spilt the ball. They had roughly 40 seconds to go 60 metres to win the game.

They spun it wide to their winger, the one who had troubled us all game, he steam rolled a couple as troops came from everywhere, we had about 5 blokes hanging off him before the he fell like a Red Oak. A sigh of relief went through out our team, but there was still time for one more play.

Their halfback saw we were short on the opposite wing, so did I. I raced quickly to the other side positioning myself outside the winger. He sent it wide quickly, their 5/8th drew our winger and passed to it onto his centre.

It was two on one, with the game on the line, I held off as long as I could before committing myself to the centre. As I moved for the tackle, I braced myself for the collision but he threw the pass! I saw it out of the corner of my eye and threw out my right hand in desperation…

As if glue was on my hands the ball stuck to my finger tips, as time stood still, it was like an out of body experience, as I watched myself run 40 yards down the park before being bundled into touch. The team surrounded me to pick my exhausted body up as the hooter sounded. We had won!

The team and myself erupted into wild celebrations. Players and coach rushed to the field, hugs and hi-fives were exchanged. The St. Marys lads were left to ponder the one that got away. The celebrations went well into the night, it was a feeling that I'll never forget and will forever live long in my heart.

The next season the team disbanded but every so often we all get together and reminisce about that game and how we will always remember that magic moment.
 

Raider_69

Post Whore
Messages
61,174
appreciate it greeneyed, i forgot to run it by someone for spelling, as all on this forum would know, spelling is not my strong point :lol:
 

Chippo Raiders

Juniors
Messages
2,246
I am gonna be chopped up for this one.........thought I would make it news :lol:


Steps in Stability

The Canberra Raiders have been stricken with controversy, and the fans have been at war in deciding where they stand in their views on the future of their team's management. Some fans have seen fit to automatically dismiss Raiders management as inept, untrustworthy and disrespectful to players past and present, and to the fans themselves.

I have encountered arguments which more or less consist of kicking out the management and coaching staff immediately. There are a few things one must consider when making such boastful and daring statements, the first being contract agreements.

All of the management, coaching staff and players throughout an organisation such as the Canberra Raiders are on contract agreements which entitle them to security in their work environment or at least a monetary entitlement if agreements go off course…eg Closure of a contract.

A prime example is the Adam Dykes scenario. He was released of his contract whilst it was still in operation at Parramatta. Dykes was subsequently off to Cronulla but Parramatta are still obligated to pay him a percentage of his 2005 earnings. If Raiders management were all removed of their duties, they would still be entitled to a rather large payout which would affect the organisations cash flow and cause rippling damage. The huge spending a move such as this one would create would harm their chances of getting the management they want, if we want big names such as Daniel Anderson or Laurie Daley we would be required to hold onto our cash rather than spend like a schoolboy in a convenience store.

Poor decisions can affect our reputation in a business sense as well. Sponsors and advertisers like to be part of an organisation built on strong foundations and is highly stable, in the business world instability is a sign of weakness, so wholesale changes on management will a create distrust for our organisation making it seem a bigger risk with less reward. The potential loss of sponsors would generate further losses in the cash flow and it would take a long time for such deep wounds to heal and many of these wounds could be there throughout the Raiders existence.

The issue of stability works at all levels of life and indeed all levels of the Rugby League world. For a side to become successful it needs to be able to use a low number of players, and it needs to generate trust around the team, Stuart and Daley were so dynamic because they were stable and they were together for year after year. But a club is like an iceberg. When an iceberg floats only 10% of it is above the water the other 90% is below. A Rugby League team is 10% on the field, the other 90% is hidden from view, and that is why having stable members off the field is more important to the clubs survival than the players that run out for us.

The views of these fans that are anti-management are seemingly impatient, success driven and a little clouded, by which I mean that they don't necessarily understand the full impact of their somewhat unrealistic protests. Bad decision making stems from a lack of understanding - if you cannot see or read something for what it is, how could you rightfully make an insightful decision on it? The absence of patience in waiting for a long term plan or goal to fulfil itself doesn't help our cause.

Too many times, a coach must create premiership success in less than 18 months or they are out the door, when the alternative is to allow a few seasons for the coach and players to become so compatible and understanding, and for the rookies and juniors this coach has mentored, start to bring in the bucks so to speak. A coach that can fulfil a plan is rare in today's rugby league, but look at Wayne Bennett who helped create a dynasty with Brisbane or Steve Folkes to overcome obstacles and setbacks, people like this don't just drop on your lap, they must be allowed the confidence to create their own distinct style.



As well we can point out that the majority of these fans are in affect saying "Our management has made some woeful decisions in 2004 and I would like to see an improvement", but there are some who just want to wholesale change which will put the very club that Raiders fans are trying to save, in further danger.




its 749 words
 

Raider_69

Post Whore
Messages
61,174
i like it, i may not agree with the setiments (ie retaining these clowns) but it made some very good points that made me think about my stance :clap:
 

Raider_69

Post Whore
Messages
61,174
honestly, if that dosnt score an 7.9+ ill give the forum 7's gig away!!!

(disclaimer: i will not accually give the forum 7's gig away if by some chance this dosnt score a 7.9+)
 

Kris_man

Bench
Messages
3,582
Chippo - your article is intelligent, and i like that. my type of article. it's got a few basic grammatical errors (i can edit it if you'd like, but only if you want me to), but fix them up and it'll be a top article i reckon.

69 - normally those "recollection" articles are not my go, but you did a bloody good job. as i was reading it, i couldn't wait to read on to find out what happened in the final minutes! great stuff, the refs will love it.
 

Chippo Raiders

Juniors
Messages
2,246
Point out some, look I think a little I may tweak....I will post this after the weekend I think.....so plenty of time, I don't want to repeat last time. Give me some of the errors to correct I really haven't even proof read it yet....in FACT I have just started an hour ago....
 

Raider_69

Post Whore
Messages
61,174
half the reason i posted that one is to sus out skeepe as a ref
i knew we'd have a few intelligent type opinionated peices, woodgers is doing a comparason (or last i herd) so if i threw in a personal peice we would have all 3 basis's covered and see how he tends to swing as a marker :)
 

Chippo Raiders

Juniors
Messages
2,246
Raider_69 said:
honestly, if that dosnt score an 7.9+ ill give the forum 7's gig away!!!

(disclaimer: i will not accually give the forum 7's gig away if by some chance this dosnt score a 7.9+)
You might not But I would be thinking it
 

Kris_man

Bench
Messages
3,582
in paragraph 4, change to:

The huge spending a move such as this one would create would harm their chances of getting the management they want. If we want big names such as Daniel Anderson or Laurie Daley we would be required to hold onto our cash rather than spend like a schoolboy in a convenience store.

in paragraph 7, change to:
The views of these fans that are anti-management are, seemingly, impatient, success driven and a little clouded, by which I mean that they don't necessarily understand the full impact of their somewhat unrealistic protests. Bad decision making stems from a lack of understanding - if you cannot see or read something for what it is, how could you rightfully make an insightful decision on it?

The first sentence of paragraph 8 is very hard to read. i don't know how to fix it, 'cos i don't know what you're trying to say.

hopefully it doesn't seem like i'm nitpicking, these are just very minor errors.
 

Chippo Raiders

Juniors
Messages
2,246
Thanks mate I have fixed the first two. The third I am looking at whether I will totally reword it, it doesn't fit in with the rest of the article
 
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