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Article by Adrian Rovere in LU
I tell you what it will be interesting to see what the reaction will be from Sharks fans if their team doesn't make it into the semi-finals.
The club has been starved of success having never won a premiership and not contested a grand final for nearly 30 years. They did make the GF in a mickey mouse competition in 1997, got beat of course, but most people particularly the traditionalists don't acknowledge that year anyway.
Their coach, the Vertically-Challenged Whiner, was ceremoniously dumped by his previous club only to be thrown a lifeline by the mob down at The Shire.
Alright, enough already. I'm sick of it too, but it was Ricky Stuart, who started it and who has maintained the rage by referring the Warriors counterpart Ivan Cleary as "The Warrior coach" and not by his name. I mean really, how childish, how pathetic!
And all because coach Cleary dare criticise Ricky over what he perceived were tactics by Stuart's players which were not in the spirit of the game ie: staying down after being hit in order to secure a penalty. Ricky's reaction was to launch a dummy from his lips, and commence his "the Warrior coach" routine.
It matters not whether Cleary was justified in his criticism of Stuart's team. What matters is the response to such criticism, to be delivered in a measured and dignified manner. Not bitch and moan and in a feeble attempt, comeback with something that is disrespectful and grossly immature.
So according to Mr Stuart, if my daughter loses out to someone in a ballet competition and my son is defeated in a game of chess, then I should refer to those responsible as "the fancy dancer girl" and "the bored game nerd" or something similar?
Nah, I don't think so. If they were wrongly accused of a certain action, I would explain to them that yes, it is unfortunate and is unfair, but that's life and incidents like these whilst tough to accept at the time can strengthen character and resolve. And just like the "dive" allegations by Cleary may have been harsh, perhaps even erroneous, build a bridge and get over it Ricky, cry me a river.
Surely Cleary's actions don't warrant being referred to by Stuart as The Warrior coach" for ever and a day. Perhaps there is a hidden agenda to all this. Perhaps Stuart is worried that The Warrior coach is going to be a better coach them himself.
If you asked me, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Cleary did finish up with a superior coaching record. If you dissect Stuarts record, it's not as good as many would have you believe.
He had blockbuster rosters in the lower grades at the Bulldogs with the likes of Roy Asotasi and Matt Utai in his team and when he took over from Graham Murray at the Roosters at the end of 2001, he was getting a club that was on the rise having performed courageously in the 2000 grand final against a white-hit Broncos outfit.
And have a look at the players at his disposal. A near-immortal in Brad Fittler, excting youngster Justin Hodges, Brett Mullins, England's best Adrian Morley, a much younger Craig Fitzgibbon who was at the peak of his powers, Craig Wing at his most brilliant best, Jason Cayless, who was rated the number one prop in the game, superstar-in-waiting Anthony Minichiello, one of the best young backrowers in the league in Michael Crocker and the very accomplished Peter Cusack. Flip! What a squad and what more would you want? Talk about a dream team!
And what do the Roosters have to show for it? One premiership in 2002 presented to them on a platter when the league plummeted the Bulldogs from first to last following the Oasis development scandal. A punishment which to this day I say was far too severe for the breech they were found to have committed.
At the time I advocated what I believed was a much fairer sentence; that being the Bulldogs lose enough points to place them ninth on the ladder. But no, the Roosters and Ricky Stuart would not have accepted that. Oh no, that would have been far too lenient. Or to put it more accurately, the Bulldogs would have still been our biggest threat to winning the premiership, so the league saw fit to completely snuff out the chances of one of the most exciting teams we've seen in decades.
And what was ironic at the time and the irony repeated itself two years later, the Bulldogs were quoted on about the third line of betting at around $10 to win the premiership in 2002 and they won in 2004 with much the same roster. Go figure!
When Penrith beat the Roosters in 2003 grand final, I reckon I was happiest man on the planet. First thing I did was ring former player and sponsor Lou Zivanovic, and congratulate him. Boy, was that a sweet victory.
One things certain, if Chris Anderson was in charge of the Roosters in 2002-04, they'd have won at least two titles, possibly completed the hat-trick. 'Opes would kill for a similar roster in 2007. But despite a much weaker squad in comparison along with injuries and suspensions to key players, Anderson has fared so much better than I expected. I had them morals to get the spoon. May still do, but it's looking increasingly less likely with each passing week.
Stuart had wonderful success at Origin level. But look at the players he had compared to those of Queensland's. Fittler, Johns, Gasnier, Kennedy, Buderus, Minichiello, Wing, Barrett, Hindmarsh etc up against Hannay (now playing park football in Sharkville), Flannery, Harrison (pretty much a premier league standard player), Fien, Marsh and a Darren Lockyer who openly admitted to performing poorly during the period Stuart was NSW coach.
Given these match-ups, it's any wonder the Blues clobbered the Maroons. Humphrey B Bear would been equally as successful as Blues coach such was the feeble squads that Queensland had at the time.
If Ricky does fail at the Sharks, and for Sharks' fans I sincerely hope he doesn't, because it would be great to see success come to the Shire, it seems there is another vocation he could make a go of.
Word is Stuart was instrumental in Craig Wing seeing the error of his ways and re-uniting with love interest Zoe Foster. Seems a few encouraging words from the Sharks coach put the relationship back on track to the extent that the wedding plans are well advanced.
I can see the logo on the business card: "When things get tricky, contact Ricky...the lurve god!"
Ricky, dont lose Craig Wings number
Quite simply, the best article I have EVER read from a League Unlimited representative. Probably the best article fullstop.
Adrian Rovere talents as a writer are developing quite nicely. He has taken a view which may make some people unhappy, but he has backed up EVERY fact with evidence.
He has taken the art of nulla hating to a whole new level.
For this, he should be nominated for the Pulitizer Prize.
Well done Adrian
http://www.leagueunlimited.com/article.php?newsid=14117
I tell you what it will be interesting to see what the reaction will be from Sharks fans if their team doesn't make it into the semi-finals.
The club has been starved of success having never won a premiership and not contested a grand final for nearly 30 years. They did make the GF in a mickey mouse competition in 1997, got beat of course, but most people particularly the traditionalists don't acknowledge that year anyway.
Their coach, the Vertically-Challenged Whiner, was ceremoniously dumped by his previous club only to be thrown a lifeline by the mob down at The Shire.
Alright, enough already. I'm sick of it too, but it was Ricky Stuart, who started it and who has maintained the rage by referring the Warriors counterpart Ivan Cleary as "The Warrior coach" and not by his name. I mean really, how childish, how pathetic!
And all because coach Cleary dare criticise Ricky over what he perceived were tactics by Stuart's players which were not in the spirit of the game ie: staying down after being hit in order to secure a penalty. Ricky's reaction was to launch a dummy from his lips, and commence his "the Warrior coach" routine.
It matters not whether Cleary was justified in his criticism of Stuart's team. What matters is the response to such criticism, to be delivered in a measured and dignified manner. Not bitch and moan and in a feeble attempt, comeback with something that is disrespectful and grossly immature.
So according to Mr Stuart, if my daughter loses out to someone in a ballet competition and my son is defeated in a game of chess, then I should refer to those responsible as "the fancy dancer girl" and "the bored game nerd" or something similar?
Nah, I don't think so. If they were wrongly accused of a certain action, I would explain to them that yes, it is unfortunate and is unfair, but that's life and incidents like these whilst tough to accept at the time can strengthen character and resolve. And just like the "dive" allegations by Cleary may have been harsh, perhaps even erroneous, build a bridge and get over it Ricky, cry me a river.
Surely Cleary's actions don't warrant being referred to by Stuart as The Warrior coach" for ever and a day. Perhaps there is a hidden agenda to all this. Perhaps Stuart is worried that The Warrior coach is going to be a better coach them himself.
If you asked me, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Cleary did finish up with a superior coaching record. If you dissect Stuarts record, it's not as good as many would have you believe.
He had blockbuster rosters in the lower grades at the Bulldogs with the likes of Roy Asotasi and Matt Utai in his team and when he took over from Graham Murray at the Roosters at the end of 2001, he was getting a club that was on the rise having performed courageously in the 2000 grand final against a white-hit Broncos outfit.
And have a look at the players at his disposal. A near-immortal in Brad Fittler, excting youngster Justin Hodges, Brett Mullins, England's best Adrian Morley, a much younger Craig Fitzgibbon who was at the peak of his powers, Craig Wing at his most brilliant best, Jason Cayless, who was rated the number one prop in the game, superstar-in-waiting Anthony Minichiello, one of the best young backrowers in the league in Michael Crocker and the very accomplished Peter Cusack. Flip! What a squad and what more would you want? Talk about a dream team!
And what do the Roosters have to show for it? One premiership in 2002 presented to them on a platter when the league plummeted the Bulldogs from first to last following the Oasis development scandal. A punishment which to this day I say was far too severe for the breech they were found to have committed.
At the time I advocated what I believed was a much fairer sentence; that being the Bulldogs lose enough points to place them ninth on the ladder. But no, the Roosters and Ricky Stuart would not have accepted that. Oh no, that would have been far too lenient. Or to put it more accurately, the Bulldogs would have still been our biggest threat to winning the premiership, so the league saw fit to completely snuff out the chances of one of the most exciting teams we've seen in decades.
And what was ironic at the time and the irony repeated itself two years later, the Bulldogs were quoted on about the third line of betting at around $10 to win the premiership in 2002 and they won in 2004 with much the same roster. Go figure!
When Penrith beat the Roosters in 2003 grand final, I reckon I was happiest man on the planet. First thing I did was ring former player and sponsor Lou Zivanovic, and congratulate him. Boy, was that a sweet victory.
One things certain, if Chris Anderson was in charge of the Roosters in 2002-04, they'd have won at least two titles, possibly completed the hat-trick. 'Opes would kill for a similar roster in 2007. But despite a much weaker squad in comparison along with injuries and suspensions to key players, Anderson has fared so much better than I expected. I had them morals to get the spoon. May still do, but it's looking increasingly less likely with each passing week.
Stuart had wonderful success at Origin level. But look at the players he had compared to those of Queensland's. Fittler, Johns, Gasnier, Kennedy, Buderus, Minichiello, Wing, Barrett, Hindmarsh etc up against Hannay (now playing park football in Sharkville), Flannery, Harrison (pretty much a premier league standard player), Fien, Marsh and a Darren Lockyer who openly admitted to performing poorly during the period Stuart was NSW coach.
Given these match-ups, it's any wonder the Blues clobbered the Maroons. Humphrey B Bear would been equally as successful as Blues coach such was the feeble squads that Queensland had at the time.
If Ricky does fail at the Sharks, and for Sharks' fans I sincerely hope he doesn't, because it would be great to see success come to the Shire, it seems there is another vocation he could make a go of.
Word is Stuart was instrumental in Craig Wing seeing the error of his ways and re-uniting with love interest Zoe Foster. Seems a few encouraging words from the Sharks coach put the relationship back on track to the extent that the wedding plans are well advanced.
I can see the logo on the business card: "When things get tricky, contact Ricky...the lurve god!"
Ricky, dont lose Craig Wings number
Quite simply, the best article I have EVER read from a League Unlimited representative. Probably the best article fullstop.
Adrian Rovere talents as a writer are developing quite nicely. He has taken a view which may make some people unhappy, but he has backed up EVERY fact with evidence.
He has taken the art of nulla hating to a whole new level.
For this, he should be nominated for the Pulitizer Prize.
Well done Adrian
http://www.leagueunlimited.com/article.php?newsid=14117
