Round 03 (2004) Sharks v Rhinos

[The Backpacker]

Sharks v Rhinos

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.

New rule: Home team captains allowed one extra reserve.

Full Time: Wednesday 21st April, 2004. 9:00PM AEDT (Sydney time)

Venue: Shark Park

Crowd: 21,090

REFEREE: salivor

Please Note: Only original essays, not used in previous games, will be marked by referees.

**Referee Blows Game On!**

 

[ParraMatt]

Rhinos Squad to Line-Up Against the all Impressive Sharks. Old Time Sharkie Jimbo Captains the Rhinos.

Jimbo (c)
ParraMatt (vc)
Yakstorm
Dodge
In-Goal

Reserves

Hightown Tiger
Ibeme

 

[Willow_2003]

Cronulla's team for this must win encounter:

Genius Freak
Mr Angry
Tamazoid
El Coconuto
Salmon

Bench:

El Garbo
McSharkie
Booyah

 

[Willow_2003]

Substition: McSharkie comes in for Tamazoid.

 

[Macca]

McSharkie takes the field in his debut match. He seems to be taking his time getting out there. He's getting . . . . . . . . a number off a mermaid!

721 words.

What would you do?

As early as I can remember I have watched footy. It was a ritual every Sunday night for my family to sit down and watch the main game, regardless of who was playing. Let me stress that I was a Rugby League fan first and a particular clubs' fan second.

My Dad grew up in Botany and he had seen South Sydney win 5 grand finals. My two older brothers were big South Sydney fans as a result. My Mum was a closet St. George supporter even though she would rarely look up from her knitting for a glance at the telly. My younger brother really had a thing for Tigers and even though he didn't exactly have much interest in Rugby League, Balmain was his team by default.

Now, being a Sutherland Shire boy I really liked the Sharks and attempted to support them from as early as six years old, however, always going to South's games and never seeing the Sharks play eventually took its toll. I was a Rabbitoh with a soft spot for Cronulla.

It wasn’t easy being a South’s supporter growing up in the Shire and I copped heaps from my peers at Primary school who were all Sharks supporters. 1988 was almost unbearable when Cronulla won the minor premiership and Gavin Miller was tearing the opposition apart. I felt like I really wanted to support them but I was too far gone. How could I give up on the bunnies?

In 1989 South’s had an amazing year on the back of a tremendous forward pack. That year the pigs boasted the likes of Mario Fenech, David Boyle, Les Davidson, Wayne Chisholm, Michael Andrews and an 18 year old superstar in the making, Ian Roberts. With Phil Blake, Bronco Djura and Craig “Tugga” Coleman really having an outstanding year in the backline, the Sharks couldn’t have been further from my mind. That was until South’s were bundled out of the finals by Balmain and Canberra, who went on to play one of the all time great Grand Final’s.

A very lean period followed for South’s and I can honestly say that it was very trying indeed. Just down the road there was this exciting team from my area that looked like becoming something great. I stuck by the Rabbitohs though and continued to travel to Redfern and then later the Sydney Football Stadium to see loss after loss.

While I was sticking by my first team I was slowly going to more and more Sharks home games. The brand of football they were playing was so much classier than South’s and the atmosphere at Shark park was remarkably more exciting.

Then it happened. Super League was upon us. I made up my mind quickly. I had two competitions to watch and a team I liked in both. I supported both. Obviously I had a much more enjoyable time watching the Sharks. I still couldn’t give up on the Rabbit’s though and when the competition reformed itself in 1998 I went back to calling them my number one side.

The following year was devastating for two reasons. The first being that South’s were obviously on the chopping block. I went to every game I possibly could but when the crowds were lucky to nudge six thousand a week, the writing was certainly on the wall. My Father and I made a very difficult choice. If South’s were omitted from the competition we would throw our support behind the minor premiership winning Sharks. It happened, the Rabbits were gone. What better way to start supporting your new team than cheering them on against the arch rival Dragons at Telstra stadium? That was the second devastation.

That Christmas I bought my Dad and Wife season tickets at Toyota Park. We still have them today. We are all Sharks supporters now. South’s came back into the competition but it’s not the same and we love our Sharks too much now.

I guess you could say I turned my back on South’s but I think I was a Sharks man first. I am certainly a Sharks man now. What do you do when your team is no more? I continued to support Rugby League and I am all the happier for it.

What would you do?

 

[ParraMatt]

Substitution: Ibeme replacing Dodge

 

[ParraMatt]

The Rhinos lead the Field for the 3rd time this year, Coming off two strong wins that have cemented themselves equal First on the ladder they continue to hold this record going against the Sharks.

ParraMatt off to In-Goal, In-Goal quick ball to Yakstorm, Yakstorm makes a break and throws a beautiful ball to Jimbo, Will he go over....



Lockyer the Great: Fullback of Five-Eight?

After Darren Lockyer's comments on the Bulldogs sex scandal and apologising for his mistake he has put his head down, and got those legs pumping in his new Position, The Five-Eighth roll.

I think I can comfortably say that most League fans think it was a good decision to switch Lockyer to Five-Eight instead of the position that benchmarked him one of the best player's in the world, Fullback.

In only a few weeks Lockyer has proven the Rugby League world that he is now a Qualified Number 6. His performance against the Roosters on Friday Night clearly demonstrated and helped his chances of granting him the Australian Jumper in his new position.

The Selectors will be feeling the heat over the next few weeks as they prepare to select a strong Squad to take on the Kiwis in the Anzac Clash late April. If the Selectors were clearly picking the Green and Gold simply on form then Anthony Minichiello would be the Australian Fullback with Darren Lockyer sitting with no dramas at Five-Eight.

Now alot of you may be thinking what about the likes of Trent Barrett. The Dragons are playing tremendous football lately and will want to prove the selectors wrong to hand the Number 6 Jersey to Barrett instead of Locky. I know that Laurie Daley agrees to this idea and stated "Im certainly a Barrett Supporter" but I believe this is garbage and only mentioning this because he's a Dragons fan and was the secondary coach for St.George last Year.

Other famous footballers spoke up on the issue, Andrew Johns said "His performance on Friday night only higlighted what a great player he is... if they were picking the side purely on form today, Lockyer would be in the Number 6 Jersey". Also Brad Fittler from the Roosters mentioned "I thought we (Roosters) went all right (on Friday). but Locky went really well and just took advantage of our mistake all over the park"

Players such as Laurie Daley and Brad Fittler, who were both centres by trade, never had any problems adjusting to the Five-Eighth Role and neither has Darren Lockyer and this has been proven clearly in the last 2 matches after defeating highly rated clubs in the Storm and the Roosters.

The Broncos have always had the Go-Forward with the likes of Tallis, Webcke, Civonceva and Dane Carlaw but since Kevin Walters and Alfie left they've stuggled to find creative attacking skills. Now that Lockyer is at second receiver we are seeing him more dangerous then ever. He has plenty of skills and puts the defence in lala land with his quick reflexes that stun not only the opposition but his own team aswell.

So who should wear the Number 6 Jersey for Australia from now on? The selectors must be having headache’s at the moment. They have two scenario’s to choose from. The first being, they could select the flawless Lockyer at five-eighth, and have the luxury of choosing inform players in Minichello or Wesser for example in the fullback role, while then choosing two quality wingers, which would also compliment the side. Or the other option is they elect for former Australian pivot Trent Barrett.

Barrett is gaining more confidence every week, and his form is also improving. If he is successful in obtaining the number six, Lockyer will be subsequently chosen at fullback, which then would push incumbent test player Minichello back to the wing, which many would consider him out of position, as he has made the fullback position his own over the past 2 seasons. This would then be seen as a kick in the guts to wingers who have been in superb form, but will be overlooked to accomdate others.

At the end of the day, when it comes to club or representative teams, players SHOULD be selected in their rightful positions. If they are good enough to be selected in the first place, they should be selected in their position, not be switched and moved to accommodate others. That’s not fair or ethical either. What sort of message does that send to players who have earned the right to represent, yet continue to be overlooked due to seletors picking players out of position.

Lockyer should be selected at five-eighth, no questions asked. He is in fine form, and is clearly the best number 6 in the game at the moment. He’s excelling for the Broncos, and would clearly stamp his authority at test level.

(748 Words including Title)

 

[SirShire]

Salmon storms out on to Toyota Park for the Sharks.

***********

“He was Newtown”

All of my father’s side of the family grew up in Marrickville. Up until my father’s generation, they were mostly all working class Australians, the type of ordinary Australians that went off to war with no complaints when their government called on them and went to work in the factories and oil refineries. That being said, they were all diehard league supporters, and so they supported their local club, the Newtown Jets. The Jets had a charisma to the working class as being the battlers’ club.

With that said, I am dedicating this essay to one of the greatest men to ever strap on the boot and one of the hardest men to ever play for the mighty Newtown Bluebags. That man is the legendary Frank ‘Bumper’ Farrell.

Frank ‘Bumper’ Farrell was born in 1916, and was a legendary ball playing forward. He is arguably the greatest man to have ever donned the Royal Blue Newtown strip, and has been described as the typical Newtown man – working class, Catholic and fiercely loyal to the Bluebags. He played his junior football at Patrician Brothers Redfern, Marist Brothers Kogarah and with the Marrickville juniors, before coming to the Newtown Bluebags in 1936. Farrell was also a respected detective and had a distinguished career in the NSW police force, with a reputation of being one of the toughest and most respected officers to ever walk the streets of Sydney. Farrell was an officer during the period when Sydney was crawling with some of the most notorious crooks around.

From Farrell’s debut in the Royal Blue in 1936, he went on to play a record 250 matches for the club - more than any other player at Newtown and many of those games as captain-coach. ‘Bumper’ was also the captain of the famous 1943 premiership winning Newtown squad, when Newtown thrashed North Sydney 34-7 in front of a record crowd of 60, 992 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The 1943 premiership win is said to have been the finest day in Newtown’s colourful history and my grand father tells me that the cheer was deafening when ‘Bumper’ powered himself over the line for a try.

Farrell was also a successful representative player. He played a number of matches for Australia and New South Wales, but was unfairly dropped from the representative squads despite being rated by many as the best forward in Australia. This has been described by many of my family members who watched ‘Bumper’ play as being one of the greatest travesties in the history of rugby league. The move was believed to have been politically motivated. However, ‘Bumper’ would return to play his final representative game for NSW in 1950, a year before he would hang up his boots.

Farrell was an athlete that displayed enormous sportsmanship. Whilst being fiercely competitive out on the paddock, he was always the first into the opposition’s dressing rooms to console the defeated opponents, and held no grudges against teams or players once the full time was called.

Like many great athletes, Farrell’s spectacular career was not without controversy. In a game against St. George at Henson Park in 1945, ‘Bumper’ Farrell was accused of biting Dragon’s prop Bill McRitchie’s ear off in a scrum. Blood was flowing rapidly form McRitchie’s ear and he was unable to complete the game. McRitchie would spend over 20 weeks in hospital having his ear remoulded with skin grafts. An official inquiry was launched by the NSWRL into the incident, fortunately Farrell was voted not guilty due to the fact that his teeth were left in the dressing room. The ear-biting incident has gone down in history as one of the most infamous event in rugby league history.

Farrell retired from league in 1951 and spent the rest of his life associated with the club as a member of the committee and as a club president. He is also one of the few men to have been granted lifetime membership to the club.

‘Bumper’ Farrell died in 1985. Even up until his death, he was still a rough character who swore frequently, but refused to be fussed over by anyone. Many people regard him as being one of the greatest characters and toughest forwards to ever be involved in rugby league.

It certainly is a shame that you don’t see forwards with a passion for the game as big as ‘Bumper’ Farrell’s was, out on the park these days.

***********

743 words including title.

 

[ibeme]

It's ibeme onto the field for the Rhinos.

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What Could Have Been

The giant charging towards me came into full focus. My body instinctively braced for the collision before my mind hid behind closed eyelids. The impact was unforgiving. The energy transferred from the point of impact, through my chest, releasing itself in the form of a violent grunt from the depths of my throat.

Opening my eyes to witness the aftermath of the collision, I was surprised to see the source of my pain still before me, preparing for another assault on my already defeated body. To my surprise, I'd resisted the earlier onslaught, but I knew that I'd be unable to repeat the effort. He crashed over for an easy try.

As an introduction to Rugby League, it was enough to make my fourteen year old perspective question both my ability and psychological credentials for being out there on the field with what seemed to be merciless men. That's the fantastic thing about the unlikely setting in which I now find myself - that of an NRL Grand Final, in the change rooms preparing to run out in front of eighty thousand fans.

<*>

Lester is sitting at home on the porch overlooking the green rolling hills, from the one upon which his farmhouse is perched. Jittery fence lines lead hypnotically to the horizon and cattle graze lazily, but all isn't as calm as the scene suggests. Within Lester, an anxious feeling is building, one that had visited at this time of year for as long as he could remember. It's Grand Final day, and the big game is fast approaching.

<*>

Pumped up by our coach’s final words, we rise to our feet. The intense roar invading the tunnel from the stadium tells us that our opponents have just entered the arena. It's our turn. We walk proudly towards the light. The crowd sense our arrival, and react with an expectant hum. The pace starts to pick up ahead as adrenaline plays it's role, and finally I find myself jogging to keep up. The noise builds as the bright tunnel exit grows, until eventually it's behind me and I'm met by a wild ocean of colour and noise. I'm floating.

<*>

Lester's growing anxiety is evident as he shifts awkwardly in his seat. His wife, Joyce, offers herself a familiar smile, in acknowledgement of her own understanding. She'd seen him like this before.

<*>

A massive cheer at the completion of ‘Advance Australia Fair’ signals that it's time to take our positions on the field. The stadium is hushed. The referee checks with his touch judges before blowing his whistle, announcing the start of the Grand Final. It's accompanied by an explosion of thunder from the crowd and a wall of men rolling down field towards us. This is it.

<*>

Lester's fists clench themselves. He sinks deep into his torn weathered seat, as if preparing to take off on a ride. Joyce watches on, following his feelings - his highs and lows. She can see his tenseness, witness his relief, and feel his disappointment. "Poor thing," she says amusingly to herself.

<*>

The match has been a torrid blur. A quick glance at the clock reveals that there are just five minutes remaining in the match. We're up by two points, and have been defending on our own try-line for the last ten minutes. The heavy workload has taxed our energy levels. I have to give the boys a lift.

Just then I see Shane Boon heading straight for me. The biggest, most intimidating player in the NRL, and he's targeting me as the small guy in our line. Now is my time. His thunderous legs pump up and down like giant pistons as he surges towards me. Instead of waiting for the ominous mass to collide with me, I run up to meet him, catching him in the early stages of his run. I snap my bent knees straight, spearing my shoulders up under his arm to where the ball is exposed.

<*>

"Lester! The game's about to start," comes his wife's voice from inside. She's removing a cake from the oven. Lester regains his senses, before heaving himself to his feet for the shuffle into the lounge room. "You were out there for a long-time," says a knowing Joyce as Lester enters the house. "What were you daydreaming about this time?"

"I was just wondering what might have been if I'd kept playing football when I was a youngster".

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747 words (including title and separators)

 

[Mr Angry]

6. Mr Angry - Cronulla Sharks
____
The story of the Young Future Captain (YFC)

Age 8: YFC takes up Rugby League, playing for his local club.

Age 10: YFC is still playing and he is the best player in his team, and everyone says to each other and to him how good he is.

Age 12: YFC is appointed captain and is still the best player in the team, still being told how great he is, by all.

Age 14: YFC is told by all and sundry that he is a fantastic player, he is captain of his weekend and school teams now. Being the captain of the successful school football team comes with certain privileges, a lesson well learnt at a young age by all YFC's in all sports.

Age 16: YFC is now getting picked for the youth representative teams, and is still the best player in any team he plays in. - There is no dispute - YFC is a great player. YFC trains well and is disciplined; many a NRL club is now chasing his signature. At 16 years old, YFC starts practicing his signature, something he will be asked for over and over from fans, player manager's all the way through to NRL club CEO's and multi-national sportswear corporations.

Age 18: After 2 years of youth rep football where he is a standout player YFC is selected as Captain of the Junior Kangaroos - He tours England as captain and plays great football. His club once again asks him to sign contracts to lengthen his time with them. Although flattered by the club's desire to keep him there, YFC has his first 'I just want to play football' moment.

Age 20: YFC is graded and before to long is in first grade, he is playing great and everybody including the papers says how good he is. The greatest accolade though comes from his peers, YFC has heard people tell him for years how great he was, but to hear it from one of his childhood heroes, he is now playing with is confirmation of the talent he knew he had, and why these clubs and corporations treat him the way they do.

Age 22: YFC has made a name in first grade, lots of people tell him how good he is, but now some critics have emerged saying he could do more. He is selected to represent his state. He receives a call from his player manager, telling him he needs to re-negotiate his contracts ASAP as his value has increased.

Age 24: YFC has had 2 years of Origin now and has been one of the best he has also been selected to play for his country and has performed great. The captaincy has been mentioned in the papers. He has plenty of fans and plenty of critics. The tabloids start to research his personal life looking for the dirty laundry.

Age 26: YFC has been one of the best players in the game for years now, has played State of Origin, has played for his country, this year his club side wins the premiership. His contract negotiations weigh heavily on his mind, this will probably be the last time all the signature chasers will chase him, and the new YFC is working his way up. The tabloids have virtually stopped writing about his fantastic playing career and are concentrating on his personal life instead.

Age 28. YFC is appointed captain of his country. He is hounded by fans and the media, his young wife is hassled in shopping centres and public places, people pointing etc. Every word YFC says is reported in ten different ways. Fans and Media alike regularly attack YFC's moral values; he goes to games where they have signs about his mother.

Age 30: YFC has been hounded for 2 years now critics and fans alike always have an opinion. YFC's skin is so thick now he does not even notice the critics anymore and tries not to say much as they tend to twist and sensationalize everything he says. He feels uncomfortable walking around in public as he is instantly recognized and hounded. He is still undisputedly one of the best players; however he becomes more reclusive as time passes.

Age 32: YFC retires, and says "You beauty I can be a normal person again."

YFC is asked occasionally to consider coaching; he thinks back to playing career chuckles to himself and declines the offer.

Want to be the YFC?
_____
WC: enough but not too many

 

[yakstorm]

Yakstorm for Rhinos:

Lack of consistency and respect costs Trans-tasman clash its’ profile

There is one clash in Rugby League which outdates Grand Finals, State of Origins and even City – Country, and this Friday will see the two rivals clash for the 101st time since both teams picked up a Northern Union rule book. Despite this long history however, the clash will only play a minor part in the weekends fixtures, it will not be played in front of 50,000 people, or even be televised live, rather treated with the same standard as a regular round game with a little bit more media coverage.

The ANZAC Test is a clash that could be so much more, especially when you see in most other sports, the Trans-Tasman rivalry is usually considered one of the jewels in the crown of their yearly calendar, with the most well known being Rugby Union’s Bledisloe Cup. Now whilst the League test match will again draw higher television audiences, that is still not a sign that the clash has captured the hearts and minds of the League public. Rugby League fans have shown many times in the past they like to watch the game on the television, even if their team is not playing, as shown by clashes like last years final between Melbourne and Canberra which drew around 3 million viewers despite only being shown at a reasonable timeslot in New South Wales and Queensland.

So why, a clash with so much history, has it struggled to get the crowds in and establish itself as an event in its own right? The sad fact is, it is cause the League community hasn’t given it the respect it deserves. Rather the only ones who have shown true pride in every one of the 101 clashes is the players and to a degree most of the coaches.

Now this is not to say there haven’t been those in the time in the different roles of fans and administrators who have given the concept a chance, in fact in the last few years the effort is back into trying to establish the clash as an event, not just another fixture, but there is a lot of work still to be done.

Firstly the trophy of the clash, ask anyone what its called, and you will either get one of two results from 99% of people, that is “I don’t know” or “it is the Trans-Tasman trophy”, in fact neither is correct, the trophy they are playing for is the Bill Kelly trophy. Now for those who do not know Bill Kelly, he played one test for Australia in 1914, and 10 minor games for New Zealand in tours in 1912 and 1913. He is one of only a few players either to pull on the Black and White and Green and Gold (though at the time it was Blue and Maroon, but they were the Australian national colours of the time).

Now back to the trophies, since 1907, Australia and New Zealand have battled for five trophies. The Courtney Trans-Tasman trophy, Bill Kelly Trophy, Lion Red Challenge Cup, RL International Trophy, and another trophy which was given for the clash during Bob Hawkes reign. None of the trophies, with the exception of the Trans-Tasman, has been heavily promoted, with promoters using two different trophies last year, with the Bill Kelly in October, and the RL International Trophy in August.

The lack of consistency with the silverwear has cost league in that department a potentially very strong promotional tool.

The next failed level of consistency is the number of matches each year. It is almost a throw of the dice how many clashes will be played between Australia and New Zealand. In 1999 it was 3 matches, in 2000 it was 2 (Including World Cup final), in 2001 we just had the one, same with 2002, whilst last year we had 2, whilst this year we could potentially have 4 matches if the Kiwis and Kangaroos both make the Tri-Nations final. Promotions have also been hap-hazard, the ANZAC test concept (which possibly should be played on ANZAC day) has re-emerged after a 3 year hibernation.

Finally the timing of the clash as in the same weekend as a full fixture list of NRL matches does nothing to help raise its profile. Even if it was played in a split round there would be a lot more focus on it, but such a concept is unlikely in the near future.

- 747 Words including title

 

[In-goal]

Lets Get It Right

April fools day just past was the 10th since that forgettable day in 1995 a day that the Rugby League world will never want to revisit again, a day when friendships were put on hold and legends cast aside as the battle for control of the greatest game got under way.

Since then Rugby League has come up against many hurdles some in which it has jumped, but far to many it has run straight into. For instance the handling of the Western Reds, Adelaide Rams and to a lesser extent the South Queensland Crushers three clubs that promised not only fans and the game so much but also the Rugby League community as a whole. This is just a small example of some of the many wrong doings and let downs our game has had to deal with over the past 10 seasons, but under all these clouds of darkness there has been rays of hope coming in the form of the game itself.

Were Rugby League failed to take to the Super League idea in Australia it was a much different scenario in the Northern Hemisphere, in the UK the RFL(Rugby Football League) decided to give total control of it's top tear to News limited in the creation of the Super League.

Super League opened with a real bang in Paris one summer night in 1996 a massive crowd came to see the now defunct PSG host the Sheffield Eagles two clubs that were supposed to take the game beyond it's traditional boundaries, but once again this wasn't to be. Lack of support and vision from the so called directors of the game let these clubs slip, one into an oblivion and the other to the realms of the National League maybe never to return to the top flight again.

This year Super League celebrates it's 9th season in the Northern Hemisphere, although the bright lights of Paris no longer cast an eye over the game a presence grows strong in the south of France were a club buy the name of U.T.C hope to bring a French feel back to the game.


In a competition once dominated buy the giants of world Rugby Wigan RLFC, we now see 4-5 clubs with real aspirations of being crowned champions, this has seen a swell in attendance not only across the top of the Super League but all the way to the relegation zone. For how long can this feel good factor last is anyone’s guess so it's time for the RFL to make the right decisions and let the game grow.

The importance of the French game has been long underrated, buy the entire Rugby League world, in the years that France truly challenged for global supremacy the game was never stronger on the international stage. Many people that can remember the Touring French sides of the 50’s still say that it was some of the greatest Rugby seen to this day, it’s hard to compare for me considering I wasn’t even born the last time the Kangaroos were defeated in a series.

Little do many people know that France hosted the first ever Rugby World Cup back in the early 50’s with great success they managed to make the inaugural final against a power house Great Brittain of the time leaving both Australia and New Zealand in there wake.

Bringing me back to U.T.C. they can offer the game something in which it hasn’t had in many years a new image for a game that has fumbled with success and tackled failure so well, the ability to reopen a part of the games great history, which has lain dormant for almost more than 30years.

So once again Rugby League is in a position to kick on and move forward for the first time in a decade and it's with great anticipation that I hope the sports governing bodies can make the right decisions and let our game move not only with the times but for the betterment of the Rugby League community.

Word Count: 674

 

[El Coconuto]

Sex and Sports
El Coconuto posting for the Cronulla Sharks

Meat pies and sauce, Starsky and Hutch, Chris Anderson and Courtney Act. Sure one could do without the other but let's be honest for a moment; one's quite not the same minus its partner. Such is the changing nature of our society that there is a seemingly new pairing influencing our media plagued world, 'Sex and Sports'. I understand fully how I could've been less controversial and entitled the article 'Sports and our changing society' which in essence is the real discussion at hand, but who are we trying to kid here?

The primary problem for me as an editorialist here, is trying finding where to begin such a broad discussion? Do I start with the Canterbury Bulldogs or possibly even the Kobe Bryant case? Do we really want to hear the David Beckham story all over again? And did anyone else just notice that each of these examples came from three different sports each at different corners of the world proving testament to the out of conrtol spread of this practice?

Often the only question looked at in all this is who's to blame? The cheater or the alleged victim? The answer to this equation is best offered in two parts.

Firstly, the media does answering the question no favours whatsoever. Their primary objective is to write and filter through materials that will capture our attention and eventually our money, time and television ratings. What we receive is little more than regurgitated facts that are more often than not misinterpreted by the time they reach our eyes and ears.

But media and all other 'excuses' aside, lets be totally honest with ourselves here. The topic at hand reflects nothing more than our society, and the changing morals and values that come with it. The latest Bureau of Statistics indicates clearly how much we as a society of living people have changed. Faith in religion has dropped and De Facto relationships continue to rise at a rapid rate. So where exactly am I taking this?

The fact is it isn't my job, nor the media's to determine who is guilty and who isn't. That's for the Federal Police and alleged assailants to deal with. What it is our job to do is to ensure we pave the right path for the most important market that Rugby League as a sport has; its youth.

Unless the example is set now, the stars of tomorrow will walk into the big league with a distorted view of what it means to be a role model. I revert to Duncan Crosby's letter to the Daily Telegraph saying:

"What the game of Rugby League needs is not more players or the ego's that accompany them, but role models instead. I don't pay for my children to see football players or 'money-making professionals'. I pay admittance fees for them to see their hero's in which case the criterion of a role model must have significantly changed since I last looked."

It's sad to imagine that a change in cultural beliefs could even possibly play a role in shaping the character of the future sports star. Unfortunately, that's just reality.

Rugby League didn't step into unchartered waters with its 2004 sex scandals. It merely became another reflection of a world that has changed from what we so pleasantly thought it to be a decade or so ago, and that's not necessarily a good thing either, but who's in any position to halt the unstoppable trend. As every day people, we need not be concerned about the problems as much as we should the solutions. Preservation of our young stars should be reason enough for the media to leave the issue for the proper authorities to deal with. Although do we really expect that to change anytime soon?

We could discuss this issue for a long time and from so many different angles but in regards to the biggest gossip junkie, the media, who is really to blame after all is said and done; those who write the rubbish for the young ones to read, or those who buy the rubbish that keeps the media frenzy in business?

Let's think beyond the circle for a moment. A lot more is at stake than a couple of tarnished club and code reputations. Deal with it now, or face the prospect of a much more ill-fated future for both the game of Rugby League and the people whose lives it will change for the unthinkably worse!

Word Count: 750

 

[Jimbo]

Jimbo runs out in the #7 jumper, having been given the honour of captaining the Rhinos for the forst time

McIntyre – Yay or Nay?

Much has been written about the McIntyre system in recent years, most notably when a team appears to be disadvantaged at the business end of the season. Should we keep it? Should we change it?

The basic premise of the McIntyre system is to reward teams for finishing as high as possible on the ladder each year. The top four teams get a home final, and the associated benefits of home crowd, a cut of gate receipts, food sales, etc. Conversely, finishing lower in the top 8 places teams in danger of being eliminated after the first week.

This is the part of the system I really like. The format for week 1 basically rewards the top two teams the most, giving them the opportunity to play the theoretically weakest two teams for a week off. Some will say it is too big an ask for teams 7 and 8 to play the top two teams in the Minor Premiership for their survival, but the simple answer is if teams want to avoid these positions, they must play better throughout the year.

Another criticism of the system is that teams 3 and 4 could be eliminated if the bottom four teams win in week 1. This is akin to saying "if my Auntie had balls she would be my uncle." At the end of the day, any team which finishes in the top four and loses in the first week in front of a home crowd has no business calling themselves Premiership contenders in the first place.

Similar criticism has also surfaced regarding the fate of the Minor Premiers if they lose in Week 1. They then go to sudden death in week 2, which may seem unfair, but if the best team can't knock off eighth best at home, surely there's no way they would get the job done on Grand Final day.

A look back over the five year history of the system certainly shows that it has met it's objective of rewarding the top teams. Only once have the Minor Premiers missed out on a Grand Final spot (Cronulla, in 1999), and only once has a team contesting the Grand Final finished the regular season outside the top four (St George Illawarra, in 1999). Grand Finalists have been as follows:

1999

Melbourne (3) v St Georle Illawarra (6)

2000

Brisbane (1) v Sydney Roosters (2)

2001

Parramatta (1) v Newcastle (3)

2002

NZ Warriors (1) v Sydney Roosters (4)

2003

Penrith (1) v Sydney Roosters (2)

Interestingly, the Minor Premiers have won only two of the four Grand Finals contested, but this is actually another benefit of the system. It demonstrates that while it may be difficult, it is not impossible to reach the Grand Final from a lowly position, as the Dragons showed in 1999, and the Roosters in 2002.

Occasionally the system throws up a mismatch which initially seems to disadvantage a particular team. In 2001, Cronulla finished the regular season in fourth place, and had accounted for the fifth-placed Broncos in Week 1 and a shot at a losing team in Week 2. Unfortunately for them though, the 7th placed Dragons had grown an extra leg in Week 1, meaning Cronulla's reward for it's fourth position and good form was a sudden death match-up with the second placed Bulldogs.

On the face of it, this seems terribly unfair. Many asked why the Sharks should be disadvantaged in this way, but in my view this adverse situation is what finals football should be all about. However the real story was that the Bulldogs had several injuries to contend with, and were struggling for form, and the Sharks eventually prevailed 52-10.

A Similar situation arose in 2002 when the 7th placed Dragons played the 2nd placed Knights at Marathon. Many expected Newcastle to make short work of it, but a wayward knee to the back of Andrew Johns left them in dissaray, and the Dragons eventually prevailed. The fourth-placed Roosters might well have felt aggrieved at having to play team 2 after accounting for Cronulla, but they prevailed on their way to an eventual Premiership.

There will never be an ideal system, but in my view though, the McIntyre system is the best compromise. The objective of any finals system is to find the best team, and the best way for a team to avoid any pitfalls in the system is to finish high on the ladder and keep winning.

748 words including title

 

[Genius Freak]

Genius Freak #1 for Cronulla

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The Biggest Sports Euphemisms of All Time

Sport is a business. More so now than ever before. The “Weekend Warriors” of previous eras are now gone, and have been replaced by young professionals who spend their lives alternating between playing golf and Playstation 2. In a similar fashion, clubs are moving away from being run and managed by former players who struggle to string together coherent sentences. More often than not nowadays, clubs are run by businessmen for whom the almighty dollar comes first, and the game itself, second. With the businessmen come spin-doctors whose sole purpose is to keep us coming back, to keep us buying merchandise, and to keep us believing that things aren’t as bad as they seem. To do this, the spin-doctors of sport have come up with what I believe is the biggest euphemism of all time. This euphemism is, REBUILDING PERIOD.

Forget terms like ‘Surgical Strike’ and ‘Collateral Damage’, ‘Rebuilding Period’ is without a doubt the biggest euphemism ever. What it basically means is that your team sucks, and is going to suck for the next little while, but in the end everything will be fine. This euphemism is considered by spin-doctors to be a complete argument, and to render any and all questions moot. The best thing about the term however, is that it stretches like bubblegum so that the actual ‘Period’ itself can last as long as the spin-doctors want it to. This of course does not work with other euphemisms.

Take the euphemism ‘Collateral Damage’ as a counter example. The term ‘Collateral Damage’ is Army talk for, “We killed 950 civilians, but we think we got one guy who may or may not have been making anthrax in his garage.” Now if you use it selectively, the term ‘Collateral Damage’ will let you get away with murder. The problem with this term however, is that you can only use it so many times before people get irritated, and have you removed from power. This is not the case with the term ‘Rebuilding Period.’ It is possible to be in a rebuilding period for decades, and the simple invoking of this phrase allows you to get away with murder to almost the same degree as does, “Collateral Damage.”

The thing is of course, that unless you’re Chris Anderson, a ‘Rebuilding Period’ is not something you initially set out to achieve. Most teams start the season with high aspirations, and only invoke this catch cry when it becomes clear that the team is in trouble, and the jobs of those in power may be on the line. ‘Rebuilding Period’ is a term that you usually invoke about round ten, right around the same time that fans start burning effigies of the coach at home games. But wait, there’s more. The term, “Rebuilding Period” comes complete with a companion. Whereas ‘Rebuilding Period’ offers up some vague hope that things will change in the future, ‘Rebuilding Period’s’ sister euphemism, ‘Mathematically Possible’ can be invoked once the season is well and truly over. The theory behind this term is similar to that of ‘Rebuilding Period,’ but it offers up much less hope, and is a sure sign that those in charge are grasping at straws, and surfing the Career One website in their spare time. The term ‘Mathematically Possible’ works as such. “OK, if we win every game from now on, and lots of other teams lose by fifty points for six weeks in a row, and Saint George and Newcastle take key injuries between now and then, and if every single one of our players have the greatest games of their lives between now and September, then there’s an outside chance that we may, and I’m not saying we will, but we may, be able to squeak into eighth position on the ladder. But don’t hold me to that.”

Yes, euphemisms are fast becoming more and more common among boards desperate to placate disgruntled, disenfranchised fans. They are used to stop rioting, lynchings, and above all else, non-renewal of season tickets for the following year. The only sadder thing than a club that engages in euphemisms though, is a fan who relies on them to hold his head up high among his friends and colleagues on Monday morning. These euphemisms include, “We won the second half,” and “We won the comp in 1979.” Saint George fans everywhere, you know who you are.

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Word Count: 737 Including Title

 

[antonius]

Ref blows fulltime

 

[salivor]

SHARKS SCORES

McSharkie – What would you do?
716 words
A personal account on how McSharkie came to support the Sharks.
Score 8.1

Salmon – “He was Newtown”
740 words
A tribute to the great Bumper Farrell.
Score 8.5

Mr Angry – The Story of the Young Future Captain (YFC)
737 words
The title of the article describes beautifully.
Score 8.3

El Coconuto – Sex and Sports
746 words
A piece on the sex scandals gripping many sports and the role the media plays.
Score 8.5

Genius Freak – The Biggest Sports Euphemisms of All Time
730 wordsA piece on leagues favourite euphemisms, some of which I’m sure Daniel Anderson will be using in the coming months.
Score 8.3


Sharks Total: 41.7



RHINOS SCORES

ParraMatt – Lockyer the Great: Fullback or Five-Eight?
748 words
A piece analysing the question that has popped up again since Bennett shifted him, should Lockyer play five-eighth?
Score 8.1

Ibeme – What Could Have Been
743 words
A piece about the possibility of moving the games young star Benji Marshall from centre to five-eighth.
Score 8.6

Yakstorm – Lack of consistency and respect at the international stage costs League its’ profile
737 words
A piece on the mismanagement of what has the potential to be a real league showcase.
Score 8.5

In-goal – Lets get it right
674 words
A piece on the British game and the potential for French Rugby League.
Score 8.3

Jimbo – McIntyre – Yay or Nay?
744 words
An analysis of the McIntyre finals system.
Score 8.2


Rhinos Total: 41.7

I had a feeling this one was going to be close as I was marking it but was surprised when I added up the totals. Well done to both sides in this draw.

Sharks 41.7 drew Rhinos 41.7

MOM - Ibeme for the Rhinos

 

[Willow_2003]

Okay, I do have some questions about the result but I'll take it through the appropriate channels. Thanks Rhinos.

 

[El Coconuto]

Well done Rhinos. Walk away from Shark Park with a point.

Sorry Garbz but I won't hold back my confusion here. Out of curiosity Salivor, where exactly is Benji Marshall even mentioned in ibeme's article :?:

 

[Willow_2003]

El Coco, its already been raised through the appropriate channels. Best to back off and back off good.