Round 1 (2005) Eels Vs Panthers

[roosterboy60]

Parramatta Eels v Penrith Panthers

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

Home team captain will be allowed 3 reserves, visiting captain will be allowed 2 reserves
Rules: http://f7s.leagueunlimited.com/rules.asp

Full Time: Wednesday 16th March at 9pm (Syd time)

Venue: Parramatta Stadium

Crowd: 12,440
REFEREE: Gorilla

**Referee Blows Game On!**

 

[Big Mick]

Penrith Team to Take on Parramatta in the opening match of the season:

1. Big Mick c
2. Azkatro
3. Maelgwnau
4. Somethingwithjohn
5. BRANDY

6. BrentWebb's #1Fan
7. GoTheBears


Good Luck lad's and Good luck to Parramatta.

 

[Big Mick]

Big Mick takes the first hit up of the season, ready to put aside the disappointment of last.

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Million Dollar Baby:

The Meteoric Rise of Sonny Bill-Williams

Great, hero, conqueror of adversity, these are the superlatives you would associate with such names as Muhammad Ali or Nelson Mandela.

The best, a name that will be passed down for generations; with this you would associate Pele, Donald Bradman or in Rugby League, Clive Churchill.

On August 3, 1985, in the city of Auckland, another star was born. A man to fulfil prophesies of greatness in his chosen sport, this man is Sonny Bill-Williams. A name that some would say is destined to go on to greatness. His chosen sport is Rugby League and his weapon is his body. He has lit up our screens and brought back the flair that was needed to attract many more people to the game of rugby league.

Sonny Bill-Williams has the world at his feet. In his debut season he enthralled both Bulldogs and league fans alike, with his awesome athleticism and ability. His beautiful style of rugby league and relentless desire to win allowed him to put on display a great array of weapons. A shoulder charge that rattles opponents brains. Brilliant speed that is unheralded for a second rower. The ability to pass from anywhere, questioning the defence as to who to tackle next, and the scary thing for his opponents is he’s still got so much more improvement left.

At the tender age of 19 years, Bill-Williams, has achieved almost everything he can achieve in rugby league, and he has only played fifteen first grade games. He has won a first grade premiership, represented his country and is touted as one of the world’s finest players. On top of all that, he is already a role model for young aspiring footballers whose eyes light up at the sight of their hero. He is the new face of rugby league. Not since Brad Fittler have we seen someone with so much flair in the game that we all watch in awe of a player’s ability to rise above the competition and crush anyone who stands in his way.

When you look at Sonny Bill-Williams, he has the face of an innocent child, but those that oppose him know otherwise. Williams is every coach’s dream, a player with so much ability that no matter where you play him he will win a game for you, the complete footballer. He can turn a game in a matter of seconds with the great skills he possesses. His shoulder charges are brutal and accurate and in one foul swoop can inspire greatness in his team-mates. A sneaky offload can put a team-mate under the posts to win the game and leave the defence wondering how that could have happened; such is the ability of the man.

At the end of this season, Sonny is off-contract with the Bulldogs. He has been touted as to earn up to $1 Million a season, when you include both salary and endorsement deals. A question in my mind: Is he worth that much?

The fact remains that despite his ability, he has only played one season, and fifteen first grade games. I believe in the future that Sonny will attract many people to the great game of rugby league. That, in itself, is worth the money alone. He has been touted by some papers that he will be the first ever player to surpass $10 million in career earnings. His potential as a footballer however, far surpasses the dollar value on his head.

Sonny Bill-Williams is a man who at a young age is destined for greatness. A man who from now to the end of his career will be in the spotlight with the media and fan’s alike, watching his every move and swooping on any error of judgement.

Sonny Bill-Williams has the world on his shoulders, its time for him to lift it up and show the world the real nature of rugby league. He will be the beacon to show everyone the ability to be compassionate and loyal, while having the will to win, embracing the sentiment of the golden days which have long surpassed us. He may be the first million dollar baby, but the fact remains that Sonny Bill-Williams is the best thing to happen to rugby league in a long time and I hope he will be the stand up role model that we all desire for the new generations of superstars to follow in his footsteps.

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744 Words

Resources:
http://www.bulldogs.com.au/playerprofiles.asp?Profileid=90
Sydney Morning Herald
The Australian
Sunday Times

 

[BRANDY]

BRANDY MAKES HIS DEBUT FOR THE PANTHERS
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RUGBY LEAGUE HISTORY FOR DUMMIES

Rugby league has been going since 1908.Here is a little summary of our great games history.

North Sydney Bears,
BORN1908.
BROKE BECAUSE OF THE MANLY MARRIAGE AND COMMITTED FINANCIAL SUICIDE, SINGO COULDN’T REVIVE THE BEARS.
STATUS-DIED1999

South Sydney Rabbittohs
BORN1908.
THE UNLUCKY RELATIVE WHO IS ALWAYS ASKING FOR A FAVOUR BUT ONLY UNDER THEIR CONDITIONS (REJECTED A LUCRATIVE OFFER TO STAY ALIVE BY MOVING HOUSE).AND ALWAYS PROMISES THE WORLD AND DELIVERS S.F.A.
STATUS-ALIVE, AFTER LAPSING INTO A COMA FOR 2 YEARS

Cumberland
STATUS-STILL BORN1908

Glebe Dirty Reds
BORN1908.
STATUS-DIED 1929

Balmain Tigers
BORN1908.
MARRIED WESTS AND HAVE BEEN WESTS TIGERS SINCE 2000
STATUS- ALIVE.UNDER AN ASSUMED NAME.

Eastern Suburbs
Sydney City Roosters, Sydney Roosters,
BORN1908.
THEY THINK THEY RULE THE ROOST SIMILAR TO MANLY, PEOPLE ARE DEVELOPING A GRUDGE AGAINST THEM.ALSO SUFFERES FROM AN IDENTITY CRISIS.
STATUS-ALIVE

Newtown Jets
BORN1980.
STATUS-DIED1983

Western Suburbs Magpies
BORN1908.
THE MAGPIE IS BEING BRED OUT AND THE TIGER SEEMS TO BE THE DOMINANT GENE.
STATUS-LIVING UNDER AN ASSUMED IDENTITY

Newcastle
BORN1908
NEWCASTLE LIVED IN EXILE FOR 79 YEARS AND RETURNED IN 1988 AS THE KNIGHTS AND IS NOW A FAMILY FAVOURITE
STATUS-ALIVE

Annandale
BORN1910
STATUS-DIED 1920

University
BORN1920
STATUS-DIED1937

St.George Dragons
BORN1920
MARRIED AND HAPPILY ACCEPTED ILLAWARRA’S CHILDREN AS THEIR OWN.
STATUS-ALIVE AND LIVING WITH ILLAWARRA.

Canterbury Bulldogs
BORN1935
HOUSE HUNTING AFTER BEING EVICTED FROM THEIR BELMORE RESIDENCE DUE TO OVERCROWDING AND POOR MAINTANENCE
STATUS-ALIVE

Parramatta Eels
BORN1947
NEARLY JUMPED INTO BED WITH RIVALS WESTS AND CANTERBURY ASWELL AS COUSINS PENRITH.SHARED THEIR HOME WITH CANTERBURY FOR A SEASON.
STATUS-ALIVE

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
BORN1947
MARRIED NORTHS, THEN DIVORCED AND TOOK EVERYTHING.
MANLY IS NOW ENJOYING THE SINGLE LIFE.
STATUS-ALIVE

Penrith Panthers
BORN1967
OUTCAST FOR MANY YEARS, KNOWN AS CHOCOLATE SOLDIERS BUT GAINED RESPECT IN 1991 WITH THE COMING OF AGE.DENIED PARRAMATTA’S INDECENT PROPOSAL AND IS STANDING TALL.
STATUS-ALIVE

Cronulla Sharks
The Sharks
BORN1967
HAS BEEN LIKE A VIDEO GAME, PLAYED ALL YEAR BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY WON NOTHING
STATUS-ALIVE

Canberra Raiders
BORN1982
ENJOYED SUCCES IN THE EARLIER YEARS BUT IS WAITING FOR THE NEXT GENERATIONAL BOOM.
STATUS-ALIVE

Illawarra Steelers
BORN1982
MARRIED ST.GEORGE IN 1999(FOR MONEY).THEY SHARE EACHOTHERS HOMES ANDACCEPT EACHOTHERS CHILDREN.
STATUS-ALIVE AND HAPPILY MARRIED

Brisbane Broncos
BORN 1988
SOME SAY IS THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE GAME IN QLD.
STATUS-ALIVE AND VERY STRONG

Gold Coast Giants
Seagulls, Chargers
BORN1988
THEY LIVED IN BRISBANE’S SHADOW FROM DAY ONE.
IN MANY WAYS REGARDED AS THE UGLY DUCKLING TO BRISBANE’S BEAUTIFUL SWAN.
STATUS-IN A COMA SINCE 1998 HAS A VERY SLIGHT PULSE, THE DEATH CERTIFICATE HAS NOT BE SIGNED YET)

Auckland Warriors
BORN 1995
THERE WERE MANY DETRACTORS TO ITS INCLUSION INTO THE FAMILY.
CHANGED NAME TO NEW ZEALAND.READ SOUTH SYDNEY.
STATUS-ALIVE

North Queensland Cowboys
BORN 1995
NORTHERN COUSIN OF BRISBANE WHO SEEMED CONTENT WITH JUST BEING A FAMILY MEMBER, FINALLY WOKE UP AND SHOCKED THE SHIT OUT OF THE FAMILY IN 2004.
STATUS-ALIVE

South Queensland Crushers
BORN1995
IT IS WIDELY BELIEVED THAT THE DEATH OF SOUTH QUEENSLAND IS LINKED TO THE BRUTAL ASSAULT ON THE GOLD COAST, THAT LIKE IS BRISBANE.
STATUS-DIED1997

Western Reds
BORN1995
PERTH WAS A VICTIM OF FAMILY FUED.
STATUS-DEAD 1995-1997

Adelaide Rams
BORN1997
ALSO A VICTIM OF THE WAR

Hunter Mariners
BORN1997
DEAD AND BURIED1997, THE UNWANTED LOVECHILD WHICH NEWCASTLE DENIED AND NEVER REALLY ACCEPTED BY THE REST OF THE FAMILY
STATUS-DIED1997

Melbourne Storm
BORN1998
IS THELOVECHILD OF HUNTER AND WESTERN REDS
STATUS-ALIVE

St.George–Illawarra Dragons
BORN1999
MARRIED IN 1999, HONEYMOON WAS DESTROYED BY A MELBOURNE STORM.
STATUS-ALIVE

Northern Eagles
BORN2000
FAILED MARRIAGE BETWEEN NORTHS AND MANLY, ROCKYER THAN IKE AND TINA.
STATUS-DEAD2003

Wests Tigers
BORN2000
MARRIED TO SURVIVE AND SEEN AS A PARTNERSHIP OF 2 ORDINARY ENTITIES RESULTING IN 1 ORDINARY ENTITY.
STATUS-ALIVE

Imagine all of the people who went for these teams at one stage or another, no wonder there is confusion about who plays where and when.
We could have had a situation where the Auckland Ram-raiders played the South Adelaide Sea-dogs. I mean lets get a little bit serious , whilst the games has had more team name and jumper changes than back stage at a Prince concert, its our history.
It’s something that we can look back on with pride or learn from our mistakes.
I think that there should be more work done with the rugby league hall of fame and more done to preserve the history of our game.

NOTE, THE YEARS OF BIRTH ARE WHEN THE TEAMS PLAYED IN THE NSWRL OR THE ARL/NRL.
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WORD COUNT 749

 

[Jono Russell]

The rookie somethingwithjohn makes his first hit up for the Panthers
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The Chronicles of Life, Death and Footy - Dedication to Jamie G

Life and Death

Valentines day 2005 my fiancée comes out of the bath room with a positive result stating we are having our first little miracle in this world. The first thing I start to think is wow this is so surreal I am going to be a daddy. I was shocked, worried and at the same time so very happy that I was going to bring a little Sharkies or Panthers(My fiancée’s team) supporter into this great wide world.

This little child would have been the apple of my eye; I would have been there to teach him/her everything in life including the rules of the greatest game in the world 'Rugby League'.

Life can suck sometimes it can get very hard, we had to make a real tough decision and in the end we realized this little footy star was better off in heaven with god then to be in this world with parents who are not in any stable situation to have children at the moment. For days I lay in bed upset wondering what could have been.

Round 1 2005 Sharks V Panthers this is more then just footy to me this is the game I will be dedicating to Jamie G the unborn footy star that now lives up there in the stars watching over me as my guardian angel.

When Dykes kicks a field, When Covell Converts a try, When Preston makes a break and when Mellor Palms off his opposing players I will be thinking and looking to the skies. No matter what the outcome nor the score line this one will be a special game and one I will hold close to my heart for a long time to come.

Footy

Season 04 is long gone the dogs are no longer top dogs the roosters no need to worry about back to back premiership losses and the sharks can forget there woeful ways of the past as this is a fresh year, full of fresh faces and its time to strap on those boots and play some good football.

Can Joey last a full season? Good question I hope he does I want the best man in league fit for round 19 when Brett Kimmorley and Andrew Johns clash head once more.

Will south’s recruit bigger names again and again this year after yet another bad season come June 30? It seems every year they recruit big name and still no results what does 2005 hold for the bunnies.

Will the dogs be the same old dogs with out there main man? Pricey wasn’t just a captain to the dogs but he was a mentor and a bloody good one at that I am shore Sonny Bill Williams would be half as good as he is if Price wasn't there to give him tips on the field.

I am a very passionate footy fan at that, Not only will I be at Shark Park Saturday night but I will be glued to my seat watching every game I can each and every round.

Round 1 and this post is dedicated to Jamie Groth R.I.P 18/2/05

Word Count: 535
Sources: nrl.com.au

 

[Vaealikis Girl]

The Eels squad to take the field in this exciting first round match up is:

7. eloquentEEL
8. The Colonel
9. Bazza
11. Goleel
21. MarkInTheStands

Reserves:
3. blackfriday
4. Vaealikis Girl
12. PARRA_FAN

 

[bazza]

This Time of Year is Often Your Best Chance

It’s the start of a new football season and the great thing is that at this stage everyone is equal. Thanks to the salary cap, the teams are more equal than ever before with plenty of player movement over the off season.
Couple the uncertainty about each teams line ups and the usual pre-season reports that “this year we are fitter than ever”, and fans of each team have a chance to be positive about their team’s chances for the new season.
Looking through this year’s teams we can find a few reasons for fans of each team to give themselves some hope for this year.

Bulldogs: The team that always wins, no matter how poorly they play and with superstar Sonny Bill Williams the Bulldogs fans will be confident as always
Roosters: The Roosters have lost Brad Fittler but still contain plenty of State of Origin and test players.
Penrith: With not much change at the Panthers, fans can expect more of the same for 2005.
Cowboys: Some great performances at the end of last year pleased many up north and fans will be hoping this is the year to show some consistency throughout the year.
Melbourne: Classy halves in Orford and Hill plus the excitement of Billy Slater gives the fans that the Storm have a reason to turn up to Olympic Park.
Brisbane: With Darren Lockyer in the team and a club that constantly finds exciting young players, the Broncos will again put in a strong challenge in 2005.
St George-Illawarra: The Dragons had one of the best teams when fully fit last year, however, injury and inconsistency have cost them. The Saints top line-up for this year is still capable of beating any team.
Canberra: The Raiders were a middle of the road team last year and have drafted veterans Jason Smith and Matt Adamson for season 2005.
Tigers: The Tigers went close last year only to fall away at the end of the season when things were close. There has been little change to the Tigers line up this year and fans will be hoping that the bunch of no-names that came close to the finals last year will be able to learn from that near miss this time around.
Newcastle: The past few years have shown that when Newcastle lose Andrew Johns, they also lose a fair few games. This year the Knights have lost one of their other stars in Ben Kennedy and don’t seem to have the player depth that they once did. Saying that, Newcastle fans can also count their side a chance when Johns takes the field.
Cronulla: The Sharks have been relatively quiet over the off season but last year they got a new coach only a few months before the season started. A smoother off-season has seen some good trial for from Cronulla giving the more optimistic Shire residents a fleeting thought that this could be the year they break their duck.
Parramatta: With some handy player purchases, there is a lot of expectation out Parramatta way. However, last season showed that you have to do more than buy a few players to do well.
Manly: After finding some money, Manly were also busy in the player market last year. Ben Kennedy is their biggest name buy in a team that managed to be competitive last year despite being compromised of relative unknowns.
Warriors: Last season was a shocker to say the least for the boys from New Zealand. This year they have picked up some leadership on the field with Steve Price and off field with Kevin Campion and Ivan Cleary on the coaching staff. Surely things can only improve for the Warriors this year.
Souths: The Bunnies picked up some handy players from the Roosters and drafted a new coach for this year. With a big win over St George-Illawarra in the Charity Shield, Souths fans have some hope of climbing off the bottom of the ladder.

The great thing is that all teams are in with a chance before a ball has been kicked, but as I found out with Parramatta last year, after half-time in the first game, you can come away with the feeling that it could be a very long season indeed.

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Word count: 719

 

[Goleel]

Gol pulls up his socks and adjusts his plumbers crack as he runs onto the field to proudly represent the blue and gold in 2005.

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He's sick doc, VERY sick...

I sit hunched over a coffee table in the wee hours of the morning, in the steady glow of my television, a dozen sheets of paper strewn in front of me. I take another sip of Red Bull, let out a huge sigh and hit the play button once more on the remote. Hindmarsh takes it up, tackled by Skandalis and O'Neill. I frantically throw dashes alongside those players names on a few of the pages close at hand, then growl as I realise Hindmarsh has gotten the offload away late in the tackle and McKinnon has now scooted down field for an extra 20 metres. I angrily cross out a few markings and make some new ones, while desperately searching for another sheet of paper to throw the offload onto Hindmarsh's ever increasing tally. Unable to find it on first glance, I jam the pause button once more to find this damn sheet. It's about this time, 1:30am on Sunday night, and 25 minutes into the Eels/Tigers game after an hour of sitting in front of the TV, that I begin to question what the heck I am doing in the first place.

So what exactly am I doing?

I'm dealing with a very deadly illness. I'm feeding an obsession. That's right, I'm taking statistics. I'm one of those die hard numbers freaks obsessed with every detail of my team that can be translated into a numerical figure. Tackles, hitups, try assists, metres gained, I love all of that. But my addiction goes far deeper. Here in front of me sits a chart marking out every conversion or penalty goal kicked, where it was taken from, by whom and if it was successful or not. I have a list of player errors divided into seven sub categories, try assists divided into five different types and I'm so pathetic I even keep track of what colour boots the players are wearing this week.

Actually, I'm kidding there. There's no numbers involved in that.

So why do I subject myself to this late night torture of stat collecting, particularly when most of what I take will be available for all to read in Big League by Thursday? Am I so impatient that I must have my stats as soon as possible so I can go back to my footy head friends and blast out pointless information regarding PJ Marsh's metres gained per run from dummy half compared to Mark Riddell? Maybe I don't trust the stats the NRL provides, I need to be reassured by counting every last hitup and tackle myself, like I can do better than the people paid to do this. Perhaps I feel the need for an excuse to watch every last detail of Parramatta games over and over, like being a diehard fanatic of my side wasn't enough.

So what does this rather scary addiction to numbers actually get me?

Well, aside from alienation from a large part of society, it gives me a warm feeling, that I've suffered pain to prove my love for Parramatta. I've sat through every game, win or lose, counting, crossing out and cursing through every tackle, hitup, mistake, scrum and Daniel Wagon dummy. It's not fun work, the rewards are not even half worth the effort, and the end result will most likely sit on my computers hard drive for years to come, banished away in some obscure folder, locked inside an excel file nobody wants to view.

Am I proud of what I have become? Not really. But it does give me a smug feeling knowing I can rattle off tackle counts, try assist numbers and metres gained at the water cooler on Monday, not to mention being able to correct every little mistake my mates make when we discuss all matters Parramatta on the Hill come the weekend. So not only am I suffering a deadly statistics related disease, I'm also turning into a wanker about it!

So next time an annoying bloke like me starts correcting your every word about try scorers, tackles made or metres gained, just think, did this guy just memorise Big League this week, or did he stay up until all hours of the morning counting those numbers himself simply because he loves his team. Sure, unless you're talking to me, chances are the answer will be the former, not the latter, but at least you'll make me feel a little better about this terrible disease I have.

---

750 exactly by other peoples counts.

 

[eloquentEEL]

eloquentEEL runs on for the Eels and puts up a speculative rainmaker as we approach the end of the match...
_______________________________________________________________

In the spirit of Desiderata, Everybody’s Free To Where Sunscreen and Not The Sunscreen Song; I offer some words of advice to rugby league players...

THE RUGBY LEAGUE DESIDERATA

There is no shame in starting off the bench. Nothing will work unless you do. Do not abandon your club after round 1... the supporters will call you 'Judas' and start baying for your blood. Never fail to find touch from a penalty. Do not expect to play out your career in a single position. A good centre is hard to find these days. Hit ‘em high, hit ‘em low, hit ‘em with the old elbow. If you only run sideways, the only line you'll cross is the touch line. Do not die wondering what could have been. Develop a good step off each foot. Learn from experience… there’s always someone younger, stronger and faster trying to take your place. An 'Atomic Wedgie' is not an acceptable defensive technique.

Do not lend your mobile to your mates. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. A 40-20 is a great "get out of jail" card. Scoring a try is useless if you let in two. Always try to think one or two plays ahead. Avoid becoming a regular 18th man. Make sure you have adequate insurance cover. Catch… THEN look. They can't run without legs. Learn from your mistakes. Fans are fickle… run hard or run home harder. Stick to the game plan… at least for the first set of tackles. Should you choose to ignore the game plan, let your team mates in on a new one.

Pain is temporary… glory is forever. Excellent performance can still be achieved with a plumber's crack on full display. Do not pass the ball in your own in-goal… especially not on your Origin debut. Should you have @#$%ed up in this manner once, do not do it again. A good ball player must be a top salesman… of dummies. The first tackle of a match is not the best time to commit a send-off offence... especially with your nation’s hopes on your shoulders. A decoy run can be just as valuable as a strong hitup. Do not get caught with your fingers where they shouldn't be. Especially your index finger.

Stay on your man. Consider becoming celibate for the duration of your professional career. Make sure you are facing your OPPONENTS' try line when playing the ball. Injuries are a bitch. Read the label carefully and seek advice before taking any medication. Have at least one really good mate who will cover your back in a brawl. It can be awfully tempting, but do try and avoid snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. The laws of physics are there to be broken. One good high shot deserves another.

Lacking the full use of an arm does not have to stop you from starting in a grand final. A shattered jaw will not stop you from finishing one. Don't rush up out of the line. Choose a marketable hair style. Do not try to dislodge your opposition's head to stop them from scoring a try... the ensuing penalty try ruling may cost you a grand final. An in-goal is an important place to hang onto the ball. Be kind to your knees. If you can't play long, play hard. Keep your mouth shut. Do not give the ball to the opposition with seconds left and the game on the line. Always back up the ball carriers... you may go empty handed 19 times out of 20, but the other one is often worth it. Do not swing your arm... your opponent's head may win the battle.

The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary. Wrap up the ball. It's tribal. The opposition sometimes has 14 men on the field... keep your composure when all the calls are going the other way. Get in there and have a go. Don’t get distracted by the pretty girls’ big… err… pom poms. There’s a time and place for everything, and no, it’s not Origin camp. No, it’s not on tour either. Not everyone can barge across the line from a metre out. Ask your trainer to have a staple gun ready to go on the sideline... stitches take too long. It's not over until the blind man whistles. If the tank’s not empty when the blind man whistles, you’re not doing it right.

And trust me on the 'Wedgie' blues.

747 words

References:

Desiderata – Ehrman, M: http://www.psalm40.org/desidrta.html
Everybody’s Free To Wear Sunscreen – Schmich, M: http://supak.com/sunscreen.htm
Not The Sunscreen Song – Safran, J: http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~songhurs/sunscree.htm

 

[Azkatro]

Azkatro posting for the Panthers. (apologies to the ref for the sudden and complete change of article!)

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Consequences?

Daddy, I love the Rabbitohs!

There's that little girl's voice again. Why won't she go away? I don't even know who she is! Why won't she leave me alone?

Look daddy, Joey scored a try!

Gah! I'm sorry little girl. So sorry ... it wasn't what I wanted ... I just wanted the team to be okay. They told me it would be okay, I thought it was going to be okay. Why couldn't it just be okay? I'm sorry... I'm sorry... please forgive me... I didn't want it to be like this...

They did good tonight daddy! Can we come back next week? Please?

ARGH! GET OUT OF MY HEAD! Why are you doing this to me? I don't owe you anything! We couldn't afford to stay, we just didn't have the money... why couldn't you get your friends to come? It would have been alright if your friends came along too! Then it would have been okay, it would have all been okay... I didn't want this! I'm so sorry little girl, please forgive me!

Yay, a Rabbitohs jumper! Thankyou daddy! This is the best christmas ever! I can't wait until they start playing again!

You have to understand, we did start playing again... we've gone through this, I keep telling you... we're still okay, we're still okay... why did you stop coming? We would have been okay if you just kept coming... I'm sorry I took them away from you, but I had to... we needed to... I thought it was going to be okay, I swear...

Daddy! No! I want to go and watch them! I don't want to watch on TV. Why can't we go?

You can go little girl! Please, go... it's okay. I'll take you if you want. Why won't your stupid family take you? It's only a little bit further. Why don't you have enough money? It's not that much more, you can even take the train... just please come back, I promise you it'll be okay... it'll be okay... aaarrrrggghhhh why won't you leave me alone!!!

"Hi Mrs. Richardson, I'm here to have a look at your husband. Where is he?"

"You'll have to come around the back with me, I've got the ladder set up. He's sitting in front of the bedroom door so we can't get in through that way."

"Okay that's fine. So what exactly has he been doing?"

"It's ... he hears voices. I don't know, it's just horrible. He bangs his head sometimes and that's when I really worry. He mutters to himself, as if he's talking to the voices. I don't know, I just get so upset every time I see him now. I feel helpless."

"Well hopefully we'll be able to look at him and help somehow. Up here was it?"

"Yes, you might have to break the window to get in though. I haven't wanted to but it might be the only way to get in."

"Okay thanks Mrs. Richardson. We'll do what we can for your husband."

"Thank you .. be careful up there!"

"Mr. Richardson? Can you hear me? I'm here to help. Why don't you come out?"

Stay away from me, I just want to be alone. Why can't they leave me alone? WHY!? AARRGGHH, I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!

"Mr. Richardson stop banging your head! Please! QUICK BOYS, LET'S GO!"

NOO DON'T TOUCH ME! IT WASN'T MY FAULT WE WENT TO HOMEBUSH!

"Stop struggling, we're here to help!"

ARRGGGHH THEY SAID IT WOULD BE OKAY! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE? WHY WON'T THE LITTLE GIRL JUST GO AWAY!?

"Quick, tape his mouth. The jacket's secure. You, sedate him. He's going to give himself a heart attack. Hold him!"

"Oh Shane, what's wrong with you. Please be careful with him, he's a good man!"

"We know ma'am, we're going to help your husband. We'll do our best to."

"I hope so, please be okay darling."

No daddy, it's not going to be okay. I want my Rabbitohs! I love the Rabbitohs. I love them! Can't we go? I hate you daddy!

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747 words. Liftoff!

 

[maelgwnau]

Maelgwnau Kicks a Field Goal
...................................................................
Grand Final
Controversies

1909 - Balmain Forfeit

With rugby league still an infant code in 1909; times were tough for the struggling hierarchy following a rocky first season and subsequently calamitous Kangaroo tour.

As a result, the premiership's second season was largely spent trying to spark interest of a fickle public - a policy that ultimately backfired when Balmain chose to forfeit their final against South Sydney.

It all stemmed from a promotional series of matches organised by the league to boost interest, with the Australian Test squad set to take on their rugby union counterparts. The fourth of these Kangaroos versus Wallabies games was scheduled for September 18 - the same day South Sydney and Balmain, as the two outstanding sides in the premiership, were to play their final.

Balmain were furious, however, insisting the premiership final deserved its own billing and threatened to boycott it if the situation wasn’t rectified.

When the league stood firm, so did Balmain and the premiership was decided in farcical circumstances when South’s kicked off to no-one, regathered and scored in front of a crowd of just 4000 who obviously thought Balmain would relent and turn up for the match.

1946 - Players & Crowd Brawl

An intense, tightly-contested grand final between Balmain and St George was the catalyst for some of the wildest scenes ever seen on a football field. Ironically, it was after the fulltime siren had sounded that controversy took hold.

What began as an old fashioned rivalry escalated into an all-out brawl after Balmain had held on to record the narrowest of wins, 13 - 12, thanks to two dubious second half tries awarded by referee George Bishop.

As the siren sounded, St George forward Jim Hale and former team mate Herb Gilbert exchanged blows, with a lone spectator running onto the field to join in. It sparked the rest of the crowd into action and within seconds thousands of disgruntled fans had joined in. St George had outscored their opponents four tries to three but failed to land a goal.

The following day, referee Bishop turned up at a Dragons charity game, prompting St George secretary manager Arthur Justice to declare it "the most courageous act I’ve ever seen in football".

1988 - The Hanley Incident

The late 1980's provided plenty of heartache for Tigers fans with their consecutive grand final losses (1988-89), but they try to console themselves with the belief that they could have at least won in '88 had it not been for a dubious tackle on their star English playmaker Ellery Hanley.

It happened 13 minutes before the break, with Balmain clinging to a 6 - 4 lead and Hanley troubling the defence as usual. Standing to off-load in a tackle, the Great Britain international was hit high by Canterbury five-eighth Terry Lamb and heavily concussed, returning only briefly before being sidelined for the rest of the game.

The Bulldogs subsequently powered home to win 24 - 12. The wash-up produced tremendous debate with Balmain-types claiming that action should have been taken against Lamb, and there's no doubt Hanley was badly injured by the hit.

"I don't remember the actual tackle, all I remember is looking back at Ellery and it looked like someone had chopped his legs off because he couldn’t get up," recalls Balmain halfback Gary Freeman.
"We went back after the grand final to the club and his eyes were still rolling around in his head. He was a very, very sick puppy."

1999 - Smith's Penalty Try

Craig Smith would probably never be a household name but for one famous moment in the dying stages of the 1999 grand final - and he doesn’t even remember it.

Still, ask anyone what they recall of Melbourne's stunning 20 - 18 win over red-hot favourites St George Illawarra and the answer will always come back: 'The Penalty Try'. It all happened with moments in the game left on the clock. Melbourne Halfback Brett Kimmorley kicked to Smiths corner. As Smith caught the ball in mid-air, St.George-Illawarra winger Jamie Ainscough tackled Smith in a dangerous fashion, causing Smith to be unconscious as he hit the ground, and in doing so, losing the ball.

While most agree referee Bill Harrigan and video ref Chris Ward had little choice but to award the try that won Melbourne their first title, it is still remembered as the most remarkable end to a season ever witnessed in the game's 95 -year history.
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745 Words

 

[MarkInTheStands]

MarkInTheStands Races towards the Panthers in the first game with
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
That’s My Team.
By MarkInTheStands

Last night I watched with interest as supposedly knowledgeable journos, who have their ear to the ground of our game, stated quite plainly what happened to That’s My Team.

“Is there no theme for the year?” asked Peter Fitzsimmons.

“No, just different types of music and the words 'that’s my team' at the end”, replies Paul Kent.

So I now have to ask, are these people deaf, or do they not read press releases from the NRL? This years marketing has three distinctly different feels to the one theme: the tune of “That’s My Team / What’s My Scene” by the Hoodoo Gurus.

This leads me more to thinking that what journos write and submit at dead line is nothing but entertaining words on paper. If we look back to one of the major stories in Rugby League recently, the Bulldogs Salary Cap scandal, who broke that story? Was it the sports writers? No, it was the business journalist, doing an investigative report. Do the sports journos write any more than their own opinion? And if it is just their opinion, is that opinion even informed?

In my line of work I need to know what each department is doing, and I need to know everything about how they do something. Surely these journos would have to do the same about every NRL club.

Maybe I am becoming sick and tired of all the press, but it is starting to seem to me that the media get access to the players just to get their rocks off, and they will write whatever controversy will sell more papers. Recently a survey in the US showed an increasing number of people get more of their political information from the internet than radio. This means that the internet media is starting to become more and more mainstream. Our game has been quick to jump on this trend. People on these very forums can see their names and posts quoted each week in the rugby league bible, Big League.

So that brings me to my point; Are we more passionate about our game than the journos? Are we the 'Internet Generation', not only better informed, but as a result more passionate about our clubs and rugby league than any supporters before us? I have to think that we are, you look around at this arena and what do you see? Intelligent, passionate people that are not only spending a day of there weekend supporting their club, but people who are spending close to 20 or more hours a week of their spare time, reading about, posting about and communicating with their club, be it the players, officials or other fans. The internet has allowed an interest group that meets each other once a week for 30 weeks or so to speak to each other all year round. This has some up sides and some downsides.

The up side is more information and opinion gets out about your club. More people talking through issues and more people understanding the greatest game of all.

The downside is what I like to refer to as the Signal to Noise Ratio. How much is true compared to how much is regurgitated from opinion articles in the press. All in all some places have a huge signal to noise ratio, and others don’t. You find those in the forums that know what they are on about and those who don’t, but one of the great things about forums is that each and every person is different. That is the greatest power of these forums. So I guess it is who you listen to. The journos, the Lurkers or Me. La ditty dah, da dah, dad ah, that's my team.

Consider it this way, we are all being published without any publisher to tell us how we should change our work for the mass market. We can write what we want to write, maybe that is it, and maybe we are the true voices of rugby league. The fans that go to the games, buy the merchandise, attend the fan days, travel all over the country side, and subscrib to Pay TV to get as much football as we can. Lets be thankful that unlike Robert DeNerio’s character in “The Fan” most of us don’t have to work while the games are being played, because if we did, how many of us would walk down the path shown in that film?

Word Count “746” (according to Microsoft Word)

Reference
The Back Page, 07-03-05
Farnham, John – You’re the Voice
The Frog, Kermit – Rainbow Connection
Gurus, Hoodoo – That’s My Team / What’s My Scene.
Brothers, Leyland – Leyland Brother Theme
The Fan - Columbia / TriStar (Sony) Pictures.

 

[eloquentEEL]

With Vaealikis Girl off the field, eloquentEEL fills in as stand-in captain and calls in a sub.

SUBSTITUTION: PARRA_FAN in for The Colonel

 

[eloquentEEL]

Note to ref: PARRA_FAN has sent his article to me by PM in case he was required. I have got Big Mick's OK to post it on PARRA_FAN's behalf, so here goes:
_________________________________________________________

And here comes the charge from PARRA_FAN off the bench, he looks fired up Sterlo.

Living the American Dream

United States of America, one of the most populated countries in the world and also one of the biggest sporting countries in the world. Known for playing popular sports like Basketball, Baseball, Gridiron, Ice Hockey, Tennis, Soccer, many in this forum would hopeful that Rugby League would fit into that category. Sure it wont be as popular as the major sports, but it’ll hopefully reach the next level. Over the years, Rugby League in the USA has had its own competition, exhibition matches, coverage on cable television and its own national side.

It can go back as far as 1955, where Australia played an Exhibition match against New Zealand at Jackson Beach, Florida just after the inaugural world cup.

Then in 1963, an American All Stars Gridiron team came to Australia and played a one off match against a Sydney Rugby League team to learn a bit about the game itself. A crowd of over 60,000 packed into the SCG to see some entertainment. The Americans were beaten by 50 points, but at least they picked up the sport quite a bit and learned a lot from it.

It wasn’t until 1987 where it started to really to kick off in the USA. The ARL had decided to stage a State of Origin exhibition match, after the 3 match series. The match was played at Veterans Stadium, Los Angeles, and it was classed as a real Origin match. A crowd of over 10,000, mostly locals, got a glimpse of the game to see how it will kick off. They were lucky enough to see a good game of Rugby League and some well-known star players such as Peter Sterling, Wally Lewis and Mal Meninga.

After that and during the late 80s and early 90s, the USA Rugby League was formed as well as its own national team, a squad mostly ex- Gridiron players, that would later compete in international competitions such as World Sevens and Emerging Nations tournament. They entertained the crowd in the 1993 World Sevens in Sydney, showing their own gridiron skills in a game of Rugby League. They would later compete in the next 4 World Sevens tournaments.

After the Super League war, Rugby League in the USA did not lie down, instead it formed its own competition with 6 teams competing. Former St.George halfback David Niu, had come up with the idea after he decided to become a resident and promote the game. During the next few years, the USA gradually got stronger and in 1999 their national side was one step away from competing in the Rugby League world cup. But were unfortunately beaten by Lebanon in the qualifying final 62-8, at Florida.

As the new millennium began, Rugby League in the USA would then shown on cable television, matches from the NRL and ESL, week after week. Might not have been live, but it was a start.

Finally, one of the best moments in not only USA Rugby League but International Rugby League as well, came in 2004 where an international friendly between USA and Australia was played at Franklin Field, Philadelphia, originally it was going to be played in New York but was later moved and thanks to the ARL, Geoff Car and Wayne Bennett the match was official.

On November 30, 2004, the “Liberty Bell” cup was kicked off and the Australian team had to get used to the synthetic turf that was used for the match. It was a shaky start for the Australian team after a hard fought Tri Series, but a brilliant start to the Americans. They had 24-6 at halftime after tries to Petersen, Smith and Costin and nobody ever expected the scoreline, after fears of a massive scoreline because they had only fielded two NRL/ESL players. They ended up losing 36-24, but despite that it was gutsy performance by the USA and it was a great night for Rugby League. After the match, Australian players were shown on an American television show to tell them about Rugby League. Some of the viewers would’ve taken interest, after its “no padding” tactic, even the host.

I think most of us are hopeful of the game going forward in the USA and just recently there was a promotional video that showed footage of some hard hits, tries and plenty of skill in the NRL. I hope plenty would be captured by this and Rugby League in the United States will get stronger

Word count 742, not including title.

 

[Big Mick]

5 v 5 well done to both teams.

 

[antonius]

Ref Blows Fulltime.

 

[eloquentEEL]

Good match. Should be a close one. Good luck Panthers.

 

[Red Bear]

Well done boys, good luck Eels.

 

[Big Pete]

Good work on getting the 5 v 5.

Best of luck to both teams.

Lets Go Panthers.

 

[Vaealikis Girl]

Good work on 5 v 5. Should be a good battle.

Good luck to everyone.