Redneck Redfaces

[Bandwagon]

Elliots doing a fairly good job over the ditch, even before the warriors current run. Having lost many a game to quality opposition after leading at around the 60 minute mark, he didn't panic, nor would it seem did his club.

12 points in three minutes before the break says he's not quite there, but the final 10 showed he's damn close to consistently getting eighty minute out of his charges.

That won't be the last party he crashes this year.

 

[Morfs]

Melbourne and Sydney would have gone into their games expecting tough opposition but not a loss, just to win without injury enough, Melbourne even experimented a little which was almost suicidal when two supercoaches are involved. Even Inglis looked a little reticent in the best game of the round but Maguire should be happier considering the fatigue factor with his giants.

Apart from this, which is a valid point, I took the resting of Cronk to be a calculated gamble by Bellamy to give Finch an extra game under his belt with the first grade side before we have no choice but to play him. While it made for a nervous game yesterday, I think the side will be better for it, as it allowed them more time to see how Finch works, but against NRL opposition. I'm leaning towards the Titans getting the win next week, but it may not be as easy for them now.

 

[POPEYE]

I was being more cynical than derogatory and you're probably right about giving Finch a run, Bellamy however wouldn't have expected such a torrid contest. There is also the danger that come hell or high water Cronk would play Origin and the last thing Melbourne need is for him to turn a niggling injury into a catastrophic one.

 

[Morfs]

A good dose of cynicism is healthy. I've actually since read that Cronk pulled up a bit sore after last week, and Bellamy initially wanted to play him, as the Origin players were given a rest from training. The decision to bring Finch in was made late Thursday. I suspect it was 50/50 between the above, and keeping Cronk fit.

I'll be bloody happy when Origin is over this year. Even more so if all the Storm players avoid serious injury.

 

[POPEYE]

Watching the Storm presser I got the impression Bellamy was still in two minds about the validity of whether or not Cronk should have played but in the end a 2 point win is as good as a thousand

 

[Morfs]

When you consider that both the Roosters & Manly lost this week, a 2 point win was certainly as good as a win by a much higher margin. We now have a nice two game buffer against the third placed team, and remain hot on the Rabbbits' tails.

 

[POPEYE]

Their are two teams that are designated the ones to beat, Souths and Dogs. Rabbitohs will keep their powder dry barring accidents for the rest of the season and the Dogs are a protected species which shits me no end.

Whoever thought up the byes and scheduling, forget the refereeing, to favour CB should be hanged drawn and quartered. If the Dogs had of muzzled some of their pitbulls earlier they would already be nipping at a rabbits foot.

 

[POPEYE]

Woke up this morning to a whole pile of fmd eminating from every media crevice, at least Joel can pack his shoebox and slip out the back door while the arsewipes are preoccupied. What could I write about that would lighten the mood . . . sfa methinks after most of us have just been stampeded by stupidity

Many years ago I realised I would never be special so I decided to be a non-conformist, which is the next best thing, all the explanation needed from a soc from western Sydney who became an inaugral Storm supporter. Chris Anderson was the perfect man to begin a culture that is the envy of the League universe and I hope one day every team achieves the same.

Imo Bellamy is as much a creation of that culture as any player, he owes the joint no less than it owes him. Anyway all that aside, my ramblings are about players that not for the club's sake but for theirs could be superstars if they played for Melbourne. Not talking about the likes of Albert Kelly who are capable of living in a world of their own but blokes like Liam Fulton.

Watching a potential Origin player like him withering on the vine is depressing, he deserves what only teams like Manly, Melbourne and soon Souths have. There are many other players that stand out in need of a culture to realise their potential, nothing to do with opportunity, James McManus would have been an Origin regular playing for Melbourne imo

 

[Big Tim]

McManus would have made a Ricky Stuart (or Menninga) team, but not a Daley team. He is an old school player, but he doesnt have the flair of a Ferguson, Hayne or Merritt.

Daley seems to like those players whose strength is attack.

Jimmy is serviceable in this area, but wont create an opening from his half of the field.

He is an invaluable part of our team, and gets a pittance in both pay and recognition because he is on the wrong wing.

 

[POPEYE]

I have no doubt McManus would handle Origin but my point is that there are players out there like him that would thrive in a strong culture and watching Fulton play brought that to mind. Jeremy Smith exudes an aura of being taught his trade in such a culture, some potentially great players are languishing in clubs that are not up to the task of cultivating their talent.

 

[Big Tim]

No doubt, some clubs seem to produce quality player after quality player. Whilst others are like revolving doors when it comes to retention and, to use your words because I cant think of my own, cultivation.

I would add Joel Reddy to that list of players who would be that player in the right environment. I thought he was one of those guys that would never be a superstar, but he would be the type who gives the same professional performance week in, week out. Something that alot of teams, mine more than most, need.

Too many clubs with too many "could be's" and no realistic way to turn them into dependable quality.

 

[POPEYE]

Origin is carcinogenic to fairdinkum League, one of last year's grand finalists allowed to get off scot-free against a team donating it's core players. Next time it will be the Dogs against Melbourne under the same circumstances, the NRL have the hide to call Ferguson dumb. Play the f**king shit stand-alone and minimise the damage . . . fmd I hope the Roosters win.

Tigers are at home against an Origin/imbecile affected team, Raiders should still get the money if they want to be a real threat in this appropriately numbered season. As an aside, wonder if Dugan was showing Ferguson the quickest way out of a contract.

At least the Eels/Souths game won't suffer because of Origin, donating a fullback each one way or another would have evened things out, that is of course if Parramatta had any hope of matching the rest of the Rabbitohs.

Keeping players they can't do without should see a comfortable win for the Titans over the Storm who will need every bit and more of their 3 point buffer to help heal the Origin scab.

 

[POPEYE]

In case anyone wondered why high rise has no 13th floor it's because you can't be guaranteed that people working on it wouldn't be reticent or use it as an excuse for avoidance of duties, in a hotel many people won't even sleep on it. Spare a thought for Dave Smith who will be a believer in voodoo by season's end and there are probably more chickens that will get their throats cut before it's over.

Like 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang' you can't help but f**king giggle at 'League '13' and the ironic thing is the wankers who LOL at Souths will still get the last laugh, no-one in their right f**king mind will want this year remembered. Even the AFL won't let League win a hand, they bluffed with doping and trumped us with rape.

A few years ago when Ferguson was with Cronulla I told bellyache the bloke would play Origin one day. Not sure which he thought was more laughable, that or my claim Dugan should be fullback, my reasoning was being egotistical f**king meatheads would not interfere with their playing . . . now I know what it's like to watch a dog eat the finger you wanted sown back on.

Surely Anderson is counting down the days as well, what better year to get lame brained rule experiments out of the way and look forward to spending the off season in rationalisation. Knee jerking will not be acceptable in '14 and maybe we might even see a season of League next year unaffected by the scourge of Origin.

By the way, it's official, Ashley and I hope '13 is the year of the Blues, what better way to top off a f**ked season

 

[sensesmaybenumbed]

:roll:


You'll die one day and still be complaining about it a week later...

 

[AlwaysGreen]

A good read once again pops, especially the part about predicting Dugan and Ferguson's future.

I'm playing lotto tonight, any chance you can give me the winning numbers in a week's time?

 

[POPEYE]

:roll:


You'll die one day and still be complaining about it a week later...

You've got to learn to read between the lines, more reason for sarcasm than complaining . . . I've got 5 teams at least in with a chance at the Shield

 

[POPEYE]

A good read once again pops, especially the part about predicting Dugan and Ferguson's future.

I'm playing lotto tonight, any chance you can give me the winning numbers in a week's time?

Even when I ridicule myself you still don't understand . . . maybe I should have written in crayon

 

[sensesmaybenumbed]

You've got to learn to read between the lines,

Write some new lines then. The ones you have now are more worn out than BunniesMans behind.

 

[POPEYE]

Write some new lines then. The ones you have now are more worn out than BunniesMans behind.

It's not that easy mate, especially when the only way to improve the game is dig out the soapbox. I'll try not to lose your patronage of this thread by being more diversified and less repetitive. You don't really think I hate the GF do you.

 

[POPEYE]

Irony is a funny thing, attributed more to accident than purpose, makes you wonder how many ironies we may have missed out on. Take for instance the Toyota Cup in '08 and '09 when Albert Kelly and Daniel Mortimer were wowing 'em with their brilliance as a halves pairing.

Mortimer was rushed into the top grade in the second half of '09 when Hayne started skipping down the yellow brick road and looking for a trip down memory lane ever since. Daniel, along with everyone else, couldn't reproduce those halcyon days next season, didn't matter that he was too inexperienced to put under such pressure.

Whether Kelly missed Mortimer or thought he was being left behind he too became a casualty of bad management, could have been by his own doing but nevertheless. Anyway, for whatever reason we had a halves pairing that if managed properly could have been setting Parramatta Stadium on fire today, maybe even remembered alongside Kenny/Sterling.

So what did we end up with, 2 babies that were almost thrown out with the bathwater, both now given 2 year extensions as key players for their clubs. I suppose we can consider ourselves lucky that we'll get to see Kelly turn into the champion it appears he'll be, Mortimer maybe a little less glamorous but the irony is that if it weren't for impatience/ignorance/stupidity they could have been passing the ball to each other still.