Redneck Redfaces

[POPEYE]

I am the King! For a short time atleast..

I knew it almost from the beginning . . . told the lady here then that loves you and she pissed herself laughing

 

[POPEYE]

'I've always known how good I am . . . .' That's how it begins and the rest is certainly worthy of the great man. He mentions how he's finally got the Eels back on track almost singlehandedly, by following his guidance the team can make the finals.

I've got news for you Jarryd, the arrival of Arthur is the reason you've had to pull your finger out, afraid you are of being left behind.

 

[POPEYE]

Very good mate of mine is a one-eyed Eels supporter, he argues the Parramatta district produces so many players they contribute more to the welfare of the game than most clubs, therefore the club deserves preferential treatment if talent were to be allocated. He gets the shits when other clubs do better without what he says is the same effort, so naturally I ask him how many Parra juniors are now in the 1st grade Eels team.

I'll leave it to others to break down the rosters of clubs and tally up how many local juniors in the top grade but a quick look at Parra shows there aren't many. Wentworthville is the Eels main feeder, just so happens it's in the Parramatta district so my mate says the district is supplying juniors, my response is a feeder area of a club that contributes to it's well being should be classified part of that club's district.

The Roosters will claim all junior clubs on the Central Coast are now part of their district, something Manly missed out on, and rightfully so. Stands to reason therefore if the NRL are so keen to keep juniors 'in the fold' they first must ask clubs to take out a patent as it were on districts they plan to embrace both financially and spiritually. It's of course then up to the NRL whether to grant those 'patents'

The smart thing for a club to do would be to pick out which feeder districts it wants to call it's own, could be the other side of the Black Stump or next door. Doesn't matter if Penrith takes over Wenty and Parra takes Windsor . . . contribution is what counts. I wouldn't mind if the NRL granted 2 junior feeder clubs to each club and told them they get preferential treatment in keeping the resultant juniors.

Penrith for instance should have Windsor and apply for most of Group 11, Parra have Wenty and Group 10 maybe, Melbourne has Brisbane Easts and Sunshine Coast, Cowboys would include the shit hot Northern Pride in their selection, and so on. The trick in all of this as it would be in any draft is prevent stacking of juniors and hiring a coaching staff capable of extracting the talent

 

[POPEYE]

Now the favourites again, Inglis returns to being the first picked Aussie fullback if Slater is injured, Sammy B has gone from f**k off to please don't go, the most exciting 5/8 in yonks has arisen, a centre touted as Origin material . . . good mooorning South Sydney.

Fmd, I had half a vibe the Broncos were going to win, I know how the Lol@Souths wankers must feel struggling to massage half of something. Forget the pissant cup, Souths are chasing a far better goal, a seat beside the elite teams who are never far away. Well, it would be good to do a Dragon and get the monkey off the back but the monkey and the dragon are back deep in the den . . . little future in that

Actually, this year is looking great for promoters, they have their products in a bigger melting pot than usual and they don't really care about one day in September, only 2 sets of supporters do that, they want their brands highlighted in a 26 round battle. With any luck the premiership may finally live up to it's promise

Instead of the top 8 being a f**king joke to keep the media laughing we might finally begin an era where the top half of the comp is really a new contest, a separate entity devoid of foregone conclusions. Maybe one day we'll see the 9th placed team being lauded as almost making the cutoff, not merely missing out on the chance to be canon fodder

 

[POPEYE]

Hayne will never be the best fullback in the game let alone the best player, firstly his positional sense in defence is inadequate and secondly the truly great players don't remonstrate with referees to the detriment of the team.

The NRL are f**king hypocrites, a dangerous intentional point of the shoulder to the head of a player is ignored because the perpetrator is carrying the ball. Do the f**kwits think it doesn't hurt when you're not in possession . . . if they want to stop the use of the shoulder then do it properly.

I wanted the Dogs beaten but the use of the shoulder had me hoping they'd win and did Sandow tap the ball after the 40/20, all I saw was him catch and run . . . I could be wrong, maybe he's not brain dead

 

[Jason Maher]

Most predictable rant in history.

 

[POPEYE]

Most predictable rant in history.

So you agree with the shoulder

 

[POPEYE]

Penrith play Souths in the grand final, you're Ivan Cleary and like the rest of us have noted that Keary is the difference between the lethargic Rabbitohs of old and the energetic new. Not only has the little bloke transformed the team in attack he is equivalent to a Jack Russell in a chookyard in defence.

Can't take the bloke out with foul play ala Terry Lamb on Ellery Hanley so you tell miniature iron man Adam Docker to tuck the ball under his arm and shoulder charge Keary into Disneyland. Deliberate charges like Gower on Jackson last night should be made as illegal as they are in reverse . . . Josh is a Gulgong boy and we don't play like that

 

[POPEYE]

Didn't bother with the Roosters/Tigers game after I saw the close-ups of those wonderful waterlogged supporters at Leichhardt, I knew the courage on their faces before the game was the best it was going to get. The look of despair on Jarrod Croker's face during the early game was enough for one day, made me think of the great players over the years who deserved to be in a better place

Those of you that saw the Dragon's coach play would recognise the similarity to his signature broken play romps in the way the team played the edges. Mary liked to cruise around the opposition in the same way Eric Grothe snr did. Good game of footy with the difference being Mary took oranges to the break and Sticky lemons . . . half time always separates the gooduns from the ordinary

Can't wait til Flanagan takes over the reins again, the Sharks will be top of my wish list once more, there's something about this mob that stirs the Digger spirit. After the supplement malarkey is buried and deadwood like Luke Lewis, part timers like Gallen and the injury prone are supplemented with young wannabes it will be clear sailing. I reckon this year could have been the best thing to galvanise the joint

 

[gypsy]

Bullshit

 

[POPEYE]

Bullshit

Crikey, that's even more mosquitoesque from you. . . tell me where I went wrong

 

[POPEYE]

Seriously, what is there to stop Cronulla emulating Manly, all the Sharks have to do is establish a culture. The Seagles have a small band of local supporters, board management that struggles and is still arguably the most impressive League club team on the planet, all because of culture.

You'd be hardpressed finding a seat in the MCG if every Manly supporter in Australia congregated in the joint, all Cronulla has to do is metamorphose from a sooky Eeyore into a White Pointer. They used to call Manly the Seagulls, although they deny it, so there's hope for the Sharks yet.

Ennis might be just what they need, a loud mouth who'd rather niggle than whinge and hates to miss games and Wade Graham to show the way, let's hope he's on deck when Flanagan returns. What the Sharks have now is a window of opportunity, a chance to be epitomised as the Aussie battler, a dangerous opponent and most importantly an attraction for budding champions and rogue supporters outside the Shire

ASADA imo has been a blessing in disguise, the rapscallion in me will have me cheering for them from here on in if they can take advantage of a new beginning

 

[POPEYE]

A thread has just began about injuries which will no doubt expand into a shitfight about which teams should of could of if only. We all know injuries or lack of them will decide the premiership when talent alone should be the common denominator, crying over spilt milk when the NRL has the foresight of an alley cat is desultory

Players have always been paid whether they play or not but today's game is more demanding, the old catchcry 'I'll be ok to play' is being substituted by 'I'm not 100%'. Coaches have no choice but believe and players are becoming accustomed to excusing themselves, albeit for a good reason most of the time

Today's players are more highly strung, intensity magnified by the increased speed and resultant contact so injuries are suffered exponentially. The least the NRL could do is allow replacement of injured players in extenuating circumstances with 2nd tier players.

The best the NRL could do is remove the advantage of multiple tacklers by having referees call 'held' immediately the ball is wrapped up. No-one wants to see touch footy but there's no reason for players to be forced to the ground other than slow down play. 'Slowing them down' is by far the biggest contributor to injuries

It is contradictory to remove the thuggery once used to intimidate the ball carrier and then allow the defenders time to inflict worse injury . . . fast play-the-balls should determine the game

 

[POPEYE]

Were the Dogs really that impressive against Parra and are they 'On the Road Again' as the media predict. When they smash the Tigers prepare for 'Hallelujah Hasler' . . . if Potter gets anywhere near on the scoreboard Dessie is no longer a supercoach

I can't remember Snake ever having a whinge or a sulk, nor not throwing his body into defence of the tryline and most of nearly 150 tries he scored looked as impressive as any I've seen. Pity in a player's stats there's not a column for 'Tries Saved'. I digress, Arthur knows Manly's secrets but a few of his players don't listen too well . . . 'Chris, tap the f**king thing with your foot'

Saturday 5.30 at Suncorp could be the shock to the Bronco system that the Knights need to help Benny find out who's who for next year. How'd you like to be in Barba's shoes, he'll be looking at the big screen wishing he was watching a try replay instead of Benny taking notes. Be interesting if Maranta goes well in #1

I don't give a shit what the commentators say about Lui's transformation at #6, my eyes tell me the plodder is going to be treading water against Keary. Now, if Qld hadn't of disregarded the little bloke he could be playing alongside Thurston, the mind boggles with that combination. As it is the rejuvenated Rabbitohs at home will only get beaten by complacency

The Roosters aren't playing any more reliably than Melbourne which means if the Warriors play the way they can with a full house team and at Mt Smart . . . pity McFadden, he's the real deal imo

Sharks v Raiders could be match of the round . . . no spooning around in this one

A plee from Kelly to be remembered by coach Henry should be a f**king chorus including Sezer, Zillman and a few others who suffer from broken nail syndrome. No doubt the Titans could beat the Dragons if they had a team that played together most of the time. I'd rather feel happy for Mary than sorry for the GC

F**k it, Roberts is playing. Here I am with fingers cramped from being crossed for Melbourne every time The Jinx plays and Cleary doesn't appear to have a care in the world. Ivan might just be the coach of the year if Penrith make the top 4 but it won't make any difference if he wins the gf . . . doncha just love that Dally M Rubbish

 

[POPEYE]

Got to laugh at Peter FitzSimons, the only thing that would stop him being laughed out of a gathering of men is his size. That horrible boring game he sprang from is well represented by the red bandana he wears, well suited to each other. Union is basically an attraction for men who are usually affluent but not gifted enough to play League.

The wanker knows no more than anyone else, including ASADA or most of the players concerned, of who is legitimately to blame for the use of peptides. Can you imagine blaming Union players if they were to be 'caught' doing the same, after all they are players of a sport that's only game plan is head down arse up and kick, their decision making is tantamount to which finger to pick a boogey

Cronulla's bad boys at worse didn't trust their instincts and at best trusted who they thought should be trustworthy. We often do 65 in a 60 zone and accept the fine but to ask us to sign a document saying we are habitual wrongdoers putting the lives of others at risk is nonsensical

Lousy analogy I know, but no sillier than expecting grown men, who should have known better and will in the future, admit to something that in the scheme of things is a misdemeanor so that they can be punished and ridiculed exponentially.

Fitzy is not unlike the guilty Sharks players, he has too much time on his hands, hopes to get paid for doing something he loves and is unaware of how easy it is to make an a f**king idiot of yourself, especially when it comes to delving into something he knows sfa about

 

[H.H]

Got to laugh at Peter FitzSimons, the only thing that would stop him being laughed out of a gathering of men is his size. That horrible boring game he sprang from is well represented by the red bandana he wears, well suited to each other. Union is basically an attraction for men who are usually affluent but not gifted enough to play League.

The wanker knows no more than anyone else, including ASADA or most of the players concerned, of who is legitimately to blame for the use of peptides. Can you imagine blaming Union players if they were to be 'caught' doing the same, after all they are players of a sport that's only game plan is head down arse up and kick, their decision making is tantamount to which finger to pick a boogey

Cronulla's bad boys at worse didn't trust their instincts and at best trusted who they thought should be trustworthy. We often do 65 in a 60 zone and accept the fine but to ask us to sign a document saying we are habitual wrongdoers putting the lives of others at risk is nonsensical

Lousy analogy I know, but no sillier than expecting grown men, who should have known better and will in the future, admit to something that in the scheme of things is a misdemeanor so that they can be punished and ridiculed exponentially.

Fitzy is not unlike the guilty Sharks players, he has too much time on his hands, hopes to get paid for doing something he loves and is unaware of how easy it is to make an a f**king idiot of yourself, especially when it comes to delving into something he knows sfa about

Good post.

 

[Cloudsurfer]

Got to laugh at Peter FitzSimons, the only thing that would stop him being laughed out of a gathering of men is his size. That horrible boring game he sprang from is well represented by the red bandana he wears, well suited to each other. Union is basically an attraction for men who are usually affluent but not gifted enough to play League.

The wanker knows no more than anyone else, including ASADA or most of the players concerned, of who is legitimately to blame for the use of peptides. Can you imagine blaming Union players if they were to be 'caught' doing the same, after all they are players of a sport that's only game plan is head down arse up and kick, their decision making is tantamount to which finger to pick a boogey

Cronulla's bad boys at worse didn't trust their instincts and at best trusted who they thought should be trustworthy. We often do 65 in a 60 zone and accept the fine but to ask us to sign a document saying we are habitual wrongdoers putting the lives of others at risk is nonsensical

Lousy analogy I know, but no sillier than expecting grown men, who should have known better and will in the future, admit to something that in the scheme of things is a misdemeanor so that they can be punished and ridiculed exponentially.

Fitzy is not unlike the guilty Sharks players, he has too much time on his hands, hopes to get paid for doing something he loves and is unaware of how easy it is to make an a f**king idiot of yourself, especially when it comes to delving into something he knows sfa about

Haven't read what he said this time but generally agree with your summation of him...the bold bit is so far from the truth here in NZ, the myth having been turned on its head over the past 100years. If it's true for Oz then it's no wonder they struggle...
I choose to watch more RL these days for various reasons & have learned to appreciate the game but can't get why people keep comparing the 2 codes - they might have the same roots but they are distinctly different games. Personal taste (or what you are used to, grown up playing/ watching) aside, no one is forced to watch RU if they don't choose to. If you do, don't watch it expecting to see a game of league

 

[POPEYE]

Just taking the piss Cloudy ol' mate, I regard Union v League the same as Netball v Basketball. At junior Netball played on concrete I got into trouble telling my daughter to pass the ball on the move like the big girls do, other youngsters were planting their feet before passing and f**king up their knees. Fitzy is planting his feet because someone's told him he knows best

I got as far as the third try last night before catching up on recorded World Movies became more important, surprised to learn the Tigers won the second half. Either Dessie's mob played like Labradors or Pied Piper Robbie decided he had punished the townspeople enough. Seems Farah wants the Tigers to grow a Big Willie . . . won't stop premature ejaculation

If the Sharkies tell ASADA to go f**k themselves as they should, these blokes have been punished enough already, will the dawdling NRL elephant have too long a memory. That is the risk these players have to take. Can imagine Greenberg instructing his cronies at the judiciary to go hard in any further indiscretions.

Common sense should allow the NRL to grant a pardon, in itself an all round face saver, let it be known there will be zero tollerance in the future and get on with the game. Trying to create a precedent is a folly for men who are interested in justifying their existence more than seeking justice

 

[gypsy]

Absolute tripe.

 

[POPEYE]

Absolute tripe.

My old man may he rest in peace loved tripe, pig trotters, brains . . . maybe he ate yours