Round 2 (2005) Dirty Reds Vs Rhinos

[roosterboy60]

Glebe Dirty Reds v Orange County 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.
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 30th March at 9pm (Syd time)

Venue: Wentworth Park

Crowd: 12,750
REFEREE: Frank

**Referee Blows Game On!**

 

[Misanthrope]

chriswalkerbush leads Glebe out for their first home game to a rousing reception.

1: chriswalkerbush (c)
2: MrCharisma (vc)
3: The_Joey_Show
4: Matt23
5: Cake or Death

6: brandell
7: PJ Marshal
8: Skeptic Ghost

 

[Misanthrope]

chriswalkerbush takes the kick-off and embarks on a damaging run downfield.


What’s Gone Wrong?

It’s a question that Newcastle fans have been asking themselves for a season or two now, and at the beginning of what looks like being a nightmare season that will test the loyalty of Newcastle’s famous supporters, it is being asked after only two rounds of football.

What has gone wrong that has seen the club that emphatically claimed the 2001 premiership slump first out of top four contention, then out of the finals, and this year into wooden spoon contention?

Some are blaming the club’s recent fall from grace on the coaching of Michael Hagan, whose debut year featured a premiership and, only two seasons later, a debut as the Queensland coach. Hagan’s track record is certainly impressive, but with performances gradually becoming less and less impressive, Newcastle fans have already begun baying for the blood of the long-term Newcastle ‘old boy. Certainly, Hagan’s coaching methods in the last two years have been a little questionable. Despite a horrendous season in 2004, at his own admission, Josh Perry still managed to play consistent first grade. Likewise, under-performers such as Mark Hughes and Steve Witt have had a continued presence in the first grade team despite the form of Premier League players such as Bradley Tighe, Daniel Spiteri, and Canberra bound Scott Briggs. The more forgiving Newcastle fans say that Hagan’s hand has been forced by a rash of recent injuries, and with four debutants already this season, that is definitely a valid reason for including aging players. Still, one wonders if the careers of clubmen like Mark Hughes have not been prolonged by Hagan’s loyalty to the club’s old boys.

Perhaps the fault lies with the management, whose recruitment policy has been virtually non-existent since Warren Ryan left the club at the end of the 2000 season. Since Ryan’s departure, Newcastle’s biggest signing has been Melbourne’s Kirk Reynoldson, with a list of failed ‘experiments’ including, but not limited to, the rebirth of Russell Richardson, the return of Tim Maddison, and the signing of ‘promising juniors’ that amount to nothing. In the meantime, Newcastle management have managed to let players such as Anthony Tupou (Roosters), Michael Ennis (Saints), and John Morris (Parramatta) slip through virtually unnoticed. While the absence of a full time recruitment officer is a huge problem, the blame must also be shared by Michael Hagan- whose role as coach includes giving management an idea of what he wants. The only signing coup Newcastle have enjoyed in recent years, despite flirtations with the likes of Carl Webb, has been luring Craig Smith out of retirement some four or five years after his last NRL appearance.

With Andrew Johns’ form so far not the impressive best fans have become to expect, there are already those asking whether it would have been a better move to let the former NSW and Australian captain go in favour of building a more solid squad in terms of depth and potential. With Newcastle’s current junior ranks unlikely to produce another Buderus, Johns, or Gidley in the near future- the club must look elsewhere to fill holes in an increasingly old squad. The days of Newcastle being a rugby league nursery are far from over, but the past two seasons have seen far too many promising young talents rushed into weakened sides and consequently bashed, both physically and mentally.

While Hagan is an easy ‘figurehead’ and scapegoat for the club’s lack of on or off-field success, the blame surely lies on far more than one head. Club management has never been particularly adept at what it does. The lack of a major sponsor going into the season isn’t the biggest financial foul-up by Newcastle management, with the city of some 500’000 lacking a League’s Club to provide the team with a valuable source of income. The refurbished EnergyAustralia Stadium may be a sight to behold- but good luck to management filling the new stands if the club continues with its current trend of unenthusiastic football, lacklustre form from the veterans, and injury.

With players falling to injury almost as quickly as Newcastle’s odds to win the premiership, the true fans are battening down the hatches for a year that they’ll soon forget. 2005 looks like a season that will test the faith of all Newcastle fans, and even us die-hards, who will be at every home game regardless of form, are left wondering ‘What’s gone wrong?’.

WORD COUNT: 737 (including title and note)

 

[Parki]

With a thundering roar, Parki leads the rhinos onto the stadium

1. Parki (c)
2. Mzilikazi (vc)
3. Hightown Tiger
4. JasonE
5. Mr Angry

Bench
6. Bartman
7. Ibeme

 

[The_Joey_Show]

The Joey Show looks for an early touch on debut.

Great Coaches – League’s Rarest Species

What is it that makes a good coach ‘great’? A super-talented squad? Fantastic man-management skills? The ruthlessness of a cold-blooded killer? A combination of all these factors? Or is there more to it than this? Is there something intangible, something impossible to define, that separates the adequate coaches from the truly great ones?

Maybe the first point of confusion for coaches is in the very description of their profession. We call the learned gentlemen who spearhead our teams ‘coaches’, but are they really coaches? The term ‘coach’ seems to give the impression of an educator, an imparter of knowledge. In reality, this is a very small part of what coaches actually do. Sure, coaches like Ricky Stuart, Steve Folkes and Michael Hagan can pass on the wisdom they gleaned from years of top-grade football, but they really should not be teaching their players very much at all. By the time a player reaches first grade, he should already know how to pass, tackle, run angles, back up, etc. And what of the men who do not have an extensive first grade career from which to base their ‘coaching’? Does this make them poorer coaches? Of course not. Jack Gibson and Warren Ryan, the only men universally accepted in our game as ‘supercoaches’, spent most of their respective playing careers in reserve grade, and never played representative football.

In many sports, including football (soccer), the leader of the side is referred to as the ‘manager’. Maybe this is a more accurate description of a coach’s role. His job basically revolves around managing his players, and making the minor adjustments needed to turn them into a premiership team. Just as the line between genius and madness is slim, there is a hair’s breadth between a mediocre football team and a championship winning team. Ask John Lang. He took a Penrith side that had finished in the bottom three for the previous two years, and with the help of some shrewd acquisitions, turned them into the 2003 premiers. But this is not to downplay the role of the coach or manager. He has many things to manage during his team’s season, including his players’ form, injuries, personal lives, relationships with each other, morale, and egos (sometimes the most destructive factor of all).

Players speak of the great coaches as the ones who live and breathe their football club, and who care for their players not only as commodities to the team, but also as human beings. Great coaches treat their players the same way they would treat their sons – loving and caring when that is what is required, but also strict and disciplinary when they stray out of line. A great coach is like a father to his whole club. He shows no favouritism, for he has no favourites, just as a parent has no favourite child. His players respect him and love him, as a son respects and loves his father. This relationship distils into the essence of the productive coach-player combination – the will of the player to impress his coach that is so strong that he would rather die than disappoint him.

Just as a great coach can be the difference between a mediocre football side and a championship winning side, so can a poor coach. There are a number of clubs in the NRL at the moment that I believe are reeling under the symptoms of the cancer that is poor coaching. Perhaps the best example is Parramatta. In the past 7 years, under the guidance of coach Brian Smith, Parramatta have had just one season that they would consider successful. This season (2001) gave all Parramatta fans an agonising taste of how good their side could be. However, during the reign of coach Smith, Parramatta has let countless top footballers go to other clubs to play their best football. Perhaps what is most worrying to Parramatta fans is that many of these players are rumoured to have wanted out of Parramatta not because of problems with the club, but because of problems with coach Smith himself.

Coaching is a hard job to do, and an extremely hard job to do well. If great coaches were common, every club would have one. It is a career filled with doubts and uncertainties. However, one fact remains crystal clear. A great coach is like a great halfback – you may not win the competition with one, but you are no hope of winning it without one.

WORD COUNT - 748 including title.

 

[Parki]

Parki

Rhinos

Remembering Noel

One of the most interesting stories of the past decade belongs with a former st george player by the name of Noel Goldthorpe. In this essay I will discuss the career of the dynamic halfback, and how sometimes talent in its essence can displace even the most glorious players. However, to do this, one must go back, as its there that any great career begins.

Noel Goldthorpe’s career started with the St George Dragons in 1992. It was a career that would take him many places. After four years of directing the dragons, Noel packed his bags for the Hunter. The decision would prove ill fated, as at the end of 1997 the Franchise disbanded. Not deterred, Noel headed off to Adelaide, seeking the same success that had given him a taste of origin glory the preceding year

Adelaide could not sustain itself as a rugby league commodity, and folded like the Mariners. At the end of 1998, Noel was on the move again, finding a place in North Queensland till 2001, where the once hero of Saint George’s career would end in a whimper in a reserve grade match against the Newcastle Knights. Where did it all go wrong? Picking cities like Adelaide as a career basis wouldn’t have helped, but that wasn’t the reason. The career of Noel Goldthorpe ran aground in one week in 1997, and here’s how it unfolded.

Until mid 1997, Noel was setting the super league world alight. Despite lackluster performances from Hunter, Noel was keeping them in games, and with this tenacious attitude, he was rewarded with a Tri Series Jersey, the equivalent of a NSW jersey today. Noel was headed to the big show. With representative games against NZ and QLD, his career had peaked. “Goldy” had arrived.

The writer must admit that the series lacked the fire of state of origin itself. Maybe it was the anti super-league stance that had been adopted; however the final was a glittering spectacle, between the blues and the maroons. Old rivals in every sport, this game shaped up to be a classic, and it didn’t disappoint. After 105 minutes, the teams were tied. It came down to one point. The man, was Goldthorpe

Goldthorpe received the ball, and slotted it between the posts. The longest game in representative history was over, and Goldthorpe was a hero. What was to come the next week however, is still unbelievable. Goldthorpe “the hero” would head back to Hunter to find his place was now in reserve grade.

Coach Murray had seen a younger, fitter player by the name of Brett Kimmorley whilst “Goldy” was off on representative duty, and decided to give him his shot. Kimmorley did not disappoint. He cemented the spot, and although Goldthorpes heroics endeared him to many, Murray saw otherwise. Goldthorpe was finished. Brett would lead the side to a WCC final against the Brisbane Broncos, and Noel would finish in reserves. In just 7 days, the mighty had fallen.

Over the coming years, the two players careers would head in polar directions. While Noels faltered, the young Kimmorley headed off to Melbourne, where he would win a premiership with the Storm. Noel could only watch on and dream, as he struggled in far North Queensland. Brett, is still playing . He has earned Country, NSW and Australian Honours, though it is amusing to this writer that he has earned most of these whilst the premier player in his position is usually unavailable. Indeed, a parallel between this and to how Brett got his first big break is noted. And what about Noel? Well he retired with a whimper in townsville in 2001, with his memories, and that’s about it.

In Conclusion, I wonder to this day how Coach Murray spotted Kimmorley, and decided on such a monumental risk. Displacing a representative player who had saved the blues one week prior, though somewhat incredulous, remains a masterstroke, though not one this writer would choose to do often if head coaching is a goal for an extended period. Noel may have kicked that field goal, but sometimes talent such as Kimmorleys cannot be ignored, and the results speak for themselves. Kimmorley is one of the most recognized players in league, and im sure for many readers, you’re asking yourself, “Noel who?” Well my essay has answered that. A legend of the game, replaced by an equally dynamic superstar. Noel Goldthorpe, we salute you.

739 words including title

 

[MrCharisma]

MrCharisma is tackled and plays the ball. Being rabbit punched in the tackle, MrCharisma begins to throw and land punches on the defenders.

-------------------------------------
Why?

When a little school girl has a bad day at school, she’ll complain about it in her diary. When a football fan isn’t impressed with his football sides performance, he writes an F7’s article.

It’s been a minute after the finish of the Bulldogs Vs. Cowboys match. I got up to go to the toilet and had a moment to think. Being an aggressive Bulldogs fan I’ve decided not to go out and start a riot tonight, mainly because I’m lazy and a nerd. So here are my thoughts, read it or leave the thread!

In the final thirty minutes before the games kick off, I was chatting to one of my fellow Bulldogs fans on MSN and I said two things which will haunt me.

1. Jonathan Thurston is over rated. He’s crumbles under pressure and I’m glad he left
2. The Cowboys got lucky in the finals

How wrong I was.

So back to just before kick off I went back to my tradition, wearing a Bulldogs jersey and playing the Baha Mens: Who Let The Dogs Out on my computer. I was confident until Vossy chatted to Bradley Clyde. “We’re hoping to use Sonny-Bill for about 30 minutes” 30 minutes? 30 minutes? Why do you use an interchange player who you’re not expecting to play the entire match if needed. Last week we lost Mark O’Meley and Sonny-Bill Williams before the half-time break which left us with only two interchange players to use in the second half against the Dragons. Why risk bringing our bench down to a bench of three if Sonny-Bill isn’t 100%? I admit Sonny played well that game but it’s the ‘What If” scenario which gets to me. What if Andrew Ryan came off injured, could we rely on an 80% Sonny-Bill Williams? What if Sonny-Bill re-injured himself? We knew from the start the North Queensland Cowboys would attempt to shut him down with gang tackles and he happened to damage his ankle. Is the possible two competition points from the Cowboys worth the risk of putting Sonny-Bill out for multiple rounds?

Bad omen number two came when they announced the squad line up. “And the backrow consists of Andrew Ryan, Tony Grimaldi and Corey Hughes.” Hold up, since when did Corey Hughes the tragic halfback/hooker become a second rower? The Bulldogs did lose some forward strength last year when Price, Feeney, Maivia and Scott left, but surely we have more then two second rowers. Trevor Thurling, Brad Morrin, Chris Armit, Daniel Conn and Adrian Rainey are just a few names I can think of who play second row and more importantly are not hookers. Adam Perry has never been a 80 minute player and the rotation with Hughes seemed to work in ’04. Instead Perry’s replacement came in the form of a midget and defenceless halfback named Brett Oliver. To me a great hooker is someone who can defend like there is no tomorrow and make darting runs from the play the ball. Danny Buderus, Matt Diskin, Craig Wing, Luke Priddis are all prime examples of the perfect #9. It’s not like Corey Hughes could shift from the second row to hooker and Brett Oliver replace him.

It was clearly obvious the Cowboys would target Matt Utai with kicks but Folkes did nothing to counter that strategy before the game. During the first half they also performed that strategy perfectly. When you are losing you try to fix your weakness right? Why not shift Jamaal Lolesi over to the wing and put Matt Utai at centre, inside Hazem. Jamaal Lolesi and Hazem El Masri are great under the high ball, this would stop their tactic and Hazem would be able to help Utai if they continued to put pressure on him with kicks.

It was obvious that we need some rethinking done on the drawing board. We can’t rely on a full strength side to bring home wins but we do need to find some quick solutions before we’ve lost too many games which could have been won. Like Sonny-Bill did last season, we need to find someone to step up to the plate. Could it be Nate Myles who has played along side Sonny for most of his career and has been under the radar for sometime? Could it be speed demon forward Trevor Thurling who’s pushing for an opportunity? Either way we need to find a quick fix or avoid missing the chance to defend our title.

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Word Count: 748

 

[Mzilikazi]

Mzilikazi rips the ball away from a Dirty Red opponent and scorches away upfield.

Hoppa the Hyena – An African parable:

Buzu discovered Hoppa the hyena one day when walking the goats home. Hoppa’s mother had been too close to the paw of lion. Feeling sorry for the hungry pup, Buzu took Hoppa home to the village.

Hoppa’s arrival caused much consternation and comment. A council was called and the wise men sat in a circle, smoked their pipes and considered the problem. Eventually Chief Arku called for Buzu and spoke thus:

“Buzu, it is a thing of little wisdom to bring a thing of the wild into the home of the tame”.

However, Buzu argued the case for his puppy and the village chiefs reluctantly agreed to let Hoppa stay.

Immediately Hoppa began to cause the village much sorrow. There were many other dogs in the village and Hoppa became the bully of the other pups. No other pup could get near to Hoppa without a bite on the ear or a swipe of the paw.

As Hoppa grew taller and stronger he began to turn his attention to the people of the village. Many of the women of the village grew wary as they walked from the river balancing a bucket of water on their head for Hoppa grew fond of biting their bottoms as they walked past. Most days there would be a loud screech, the crash of metal and splash of water and then yelping as Hoppa was punished with a stick. The stick was of little use.

Again the leaders met and called Buzu to them. Arku sucked on his pipe and spat into the dirt.

“Truly Buzu, you have bought much distress into our lives. This Hoppa is a thing of the wild and can never be made tame. It is better to put him in the wild from where he came.”

Buzu cried and pleaded with the men of the village until they relented and allowed Hoppa one last chance.

But the last chance grew to two, and then many more as Hoppa continued his wild ways. The men of the village grew to hate Hoppa and sneered at him as he strutted past. The herd boys would throw rocks whilst Hoppa would growl and bark at everyone that he saw.

The town bard Medui would make up songs ridiculing the dog and the people listened to his stories each night at the camp fire, hugging themselves with mirth and all the while growing in their hate for the dog that caused so much trouble.

All this time Hoppa grew bigger and stronger. He was now the biggest dog in the village and his jaws were capable of cracking through the biggest bone. It was at this time that he met Red, the pride of the village.

Red was a dog as old as Africa itself. He was named for his deep red coat and the ridge that ran down the middle of his back was close to ochre in colour. He was gentle but firm with the goats, the livelihood of the village and protected them from their attackers. He was father of many pups in the village and the people loved him.

Hoppa observed Red walking past with regal pose and was overwhelmed with the instinctive hatred of the hyena. Now full grown and powerful, Hoppa furiously launched himself at Red, his instincts overriding every social grace and custom of the village. Hoppa collided with Red, his shoulder crashing into the side of Red’s face and his powerful jaws slashing at his throat.

Red was so surprised and overcome that he meekly fell to the dirt. Hoppa’s teeth quickly severed the throat of the other dog. Red’s arterial blood, as dark as the colour of his coat, pumped into the dirt and congealed, a swarm of flies quickly descending.

And it was Medui who found Red and saw Hoppa crouched in the dirt nearby, a gleam in his eye and a victorious smirk twisting his grotesque jaws. And Medui set upon Hoppa with his knobkerrie, caving in his skull with one savage hit.

By now the people of the village had arrived and they too set upon the hyena, beating at his body until it was ground into the dirt and nothing was left.

And the question of this parable is - who is to blame for the death of Red? Is it the wild Hoppa? Or the people of the village who tolerated his behaviour and celebrated the funny songs of Medui?

RIP Hoppa!

(749 words including title).

 

[Cake or Death]

Cake or Death lofts a kick into the in-goal…

Super League: “Rules? What rules?”

Three years ago, Canterbury Bulldogs were caught breaching the NRL salary cap by A$400,000 for the 2002 season, and by A$600,000 for the 2001 season. The Bulldogs’ punishment was harsh – the loss of 37 competition points, and a fine of A$500,000.

There is no question as to the intended purposes of the salary cap: to ensure that all clubs have equal financial access to talent, whilst ensuring that the clubs spend just a sustainable amount on player salaries, thus preventing the spectacle of a club going into receivership…

…wait a moment – so much for that thought.

A few weeks ago, in the English Super League, London Broncos were doing better than they had in years – they destroyed Wakefield Trinity Wildcats 72-8, running in six tries in each half. Then came the announcement – Broncos were nearly £3 million in debt, and were about to go into receivership – with half of the debt owed to Inland Revenue, it would take some very fancy footwork to avoid folding the club.

At an emergency meeting of the Super League clubs this month, the other eleven sides agreed to allow a new company to take over the Broncos, write off the debt without penalty, and not lose a single competition point – contingent upon the Broncos agreeing to six conditions, which have not been made public by Super League. The chairman of Broncos, Nic Cartwright, told BBC Sport, "We're not bleating at all. We totally understand the need for the conditions and we will respect them and follow them in full." [1]

But, as BBC Sport rugby league analyst Dave Woods noted on the BBC Sport website, “…how did London build up £3m of debts in the first place?” Since there were no salary cap breaches, Woods speculated on several possible causes, such as high ground rents, low attendance (London is a traditional union stronghold), or spendthrift administration. [2] But, given the silence of Super League and the Broncos, we just don’t know for certain.

However, we do know this – the conditions do not include a loss of competition points for Broncos. Considering the comments of Bradford Bulls chairman Chris Caisley last week, speaking to the BBC, this likely did not go down easily at the emergency meeting:

"A club that has left the Inland Revenue with a £1.5m debt and moved its players to a new debt-free company gets royally applauded in the media for surmounting its financial difficulties. The business is then allowed to freely compete in the Super League competition and to do so without penalty.

Bizarrely, not only is the new entrant not penalised, it is 'given' the four competition points which were earned by the old club! Such is a snapshot of a week in the life of the London Broncos." [3]

As Woods points out, there is another governance issue in Super League bruited here – a very crucial one to understanding the problem the Broncos’ receivership caused. He writes, “The future of the Broncos was decided by the other 11 Super League clubs. Imagine if several of those clubs decided they would vote London out, simply to ensure that they themselves weren't relegated this season.” [2]

That could have easily happened – this season, two Super League clubs will be relegated, instead of one, because of the entry of the French side, UTC Perpignan, next season. If London was forced out of Super League, only one side would have been at risk of relegation.

There is another issue: the fact that the Broncos are the only Super League side outside of the “M62 Corridor” – the road from Liverpool to Hull, and the area from which all Super League sides, save Broncos, hail from. If league is going to really grow in England, it must succeed in London, the pundits say.

Could Super League have given Broncos an indulgence from its transgressions, in order to keep a foothold in the largest current single market for rugby league in the world? After all, by not having to pay the £3 million of debt it owed, one can say Broncos gained a significant advantage over the other Super League sides – an advantage that makes Bulldogs’ sins look quite trivial by comparison.

And I thought the Bulldogs deserved the penalty they got. What of Broncos, then? As Major Hochsteader once said, “They should be shot, court-martialed, AND sent to the Russian Front!!!”

A bit harsh, perhaps – but given what Bulldogs went through, Broncos deserve at least that much….

[1] - Broncos forced to meet conditions – by James Standley, BBC Sport Online, 7 March 2005; http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/super_league/london/4325563.stm

[2] – Broncos’ battle raises more questions – by Dave Woods, BBC Sport Online, 5 March 2005; http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/4321089.stm

[3] – Bradford boss hits out at Broncos – BBC Sport Online, 18 March 2005; http://newswww.bbc.net.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/super_league/4363079.stm

749 words, excluding footnotes.

 

[Parki]

INTERCHANGE:

Out JasonE
In Bartman

 

[Hightown Tiger]

Hightown 'Billy Slater' scoots the ball. Boy this kid has pace!

Grounds for concern

First of all, let me get one thing straight. When it comes to stadiums I’m a geek, a nerd, whatever you want to call me! Want to know where Leyton Orient (English soccer division 3) play? I can tell you the answer in seconds. Wonder what the capacity is of Hunslet Hawks ground? Easy, it’s 2,500!
I don’t know why, but I’ve always been fascinated by stadiums. My ambition is to design stadiums for a living. I’m a member of www.footballgroundguide.co.uk and I’ve recently started reviewing rugby league grounds for the message board on this site.

Headingley
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/HTiger/55df5a93.bmp

Anyway, back on topic. Over the last few years there has been a growing trend towards building new, soulless uncharacteristic stadiums. Particularly here in England, the likes of the JJB and the KC have in recent years been constructed.. Agreed, these are good stadiums in terms of modern architecture but I look at the overall picture. I like stadiums with plenty of history behind it, I like stadiums with a great atmosphere, and most importantly (and this shocked someone I spoke to on MSN) I like standing at stadiums. To some people it may sound old fashioned, something that should have gone, something that should have disappeared with Marathon Bars (remember them?), black and white televisions, and horse and cart.

But to me, there is nothing better than standing at games. If someone’s smoking in front of you, you can move. Can’t see ?(I don’t have this problem as I’m 6ft 3’’) You can move. I’d love to stand on one of the famous NRL hills, like the one at Leichhardt Oval. Warm summers day, few ‘lemonades’ watching the action. Perfect!

Which brings me onto my next point. I was shocked to recently find out the hill at the Paramatta stadium has been replaced with seats. Am I the only one who hates bucket seats? Maybe it’s an English thing, rugby league in England has always been a working mans game, and people have traditionally preferred to stand instead of sitting.

That’s not to say that every all seater ground is poor. The Suncorp is a magnificent stadium, the Melbourne Cricket Ground is my favourite ground, and the New Wembley-well, what can be said that hasn’t already been said! 90,000 seats, an arch that can be seen all across London, and still on the site of the famous old ground.

But if I really want to sit I’ll go for a meal, watch a film, maybe even visit the Theatre.

I’ll state this now: If my team, Castleford Tigers ever moved to an all-seater stadium, I would stop supporting them. I am by no means a part time supporter, I attend all home and away games and watch the juniors when possible. I consider myself to be a full time fan, but I just couldn’t watch my team week in, week out in an all seater stadium. Remember Central Park, Wigan? No? Well I don’t either because I’ve never been there. But I’ve read stories about it, seen pictures etc. Where the great Billy Boston once scored tries now stands the meat counter at Tesco’s! Wigan have now moved over to the all seater JJB stadium. As I write this they (Wigan) have just set a new SuperLeague record crowd of 25,004 and full credit to them. But they frequently attract 9-10,000 to a game, and the atmosphere is shocking.

Perhaps a better example to prove my point is The Galpharm, Huddersfield. 4,000-5,000 in a 24,000 capacity all-seater stadium is poor. You can hear a pin drop! Then there are new stadiums planned for Leigh and Salford, again all-seater affairs I believe.

Warrington of course bucked the trend by including terracing in their new Halliwell Jones Stadium. It doesn’t have the atmosphere, character or history that Wilderspool had, but it’s still a half decent stadium. And most importantly it’s a start.

By writing this essay, I don’t expect to influence any multi millionaire chairmen. But I do hope I get people to think. Preserve your history. Keep your Leichhardt Ovals, your Brookvale Oval’s, your Headingley’s because before too long you may find yourself playing in a plastic, ‘lego’ stadium. And I can almost guarantee you’ll one day be sat on a rocking chair, grandson on your knee, Werthers original in your mouth harping on about the good old days when you had the choice between sitting and standing ‘up the back.’
Do something now before it’s too late!

Word count 748 including title

 

[bartman]

Bartman looms up on the outside in support for the Rhinos...

The Curious Case of Cox and the Cottontails...

One of the more amusing league stories in the past two weeks has been that of Eric Cox, who is understood to have filed a report to the NRL that the South Sydney cheerleaders' uniforms were "too revealing". This report followed the Souths-Parramatta game in Round Two, and a previous report raising the same concerns after the pre-season Souths-St George Charity Shield match (1).

Now I'm not sure Eric intended this to be so amusing… He is after all a Vice President of the New South Wales Rugby League, a former Director of Referees and currently serves as NRL Ground Manager. Most Sydney-based league fans would be aware that he has had a lengthy and committed involvement with rugby league, or could recognise the man from his game-day role in the players' tunnel, timing out the ten minutes for sin-bins. Here's a picture of him to help you out:

(2)

But is someone old enough to have had Eric's long history of involvement in our game an accurate barometer for the morals of our younger and modern society? I don't want to seem ageist, but… Eric is old enough to be the grandfather of the cheerleaders concerned, and indeed grandfather of many of the fans of our game! When Eric was a young lad (in the 1940s), it was still illegal for women to wear two piece swimsuits that showed their bare stomachs (3). Presumably the NRL doesn't consider Eric to be in touch with contemporary fashion trends either, as no action appeared to follow his first report regarding the revealing uniforms.

Though certain questions here do have to be asked. Like what exactly made Eric Cox believe these Souths cheerleaders costumes were "too revealing"? Is there an official NRL criteria for appropriate cheerleader attire? (No more than two inches above the knee please ladies…) Was Eric breaking into an unusual sweat or experiencing strange but pleasant feelings while watching the cheerleaders' routine? Was there actually a real life wardrobe malfunction? (And if so why weren't we told…)

In some ways I guess I'm a bit sympathetic with what Eric might have been trying to achieve. When I go out to the footy, my sole reason is to watch the games, not any of the unrelated entertainment that may also be on offer. The video screen for the replays is a good innovation, but I admit to turning away when it's used for random non-footy advertisements. And in my opinion you can keep your anthem singers, celebrity fans, live bands, and anything else a club's marketing department might dream up - and yes, this includes the cheerleaders!

At least in the old days, cheerleaders used to do exactly that - lead cheers. You could hear the cheer squad during games sitting inside the fence, singing songs and waving their tassels to rally their team to victory. Now club cheerleaders have evolved into professional dance troupes, who are more likely to have joined because of the career benefits rather than interest in their local area team. Their main show of support during a game seems to be the occasional distracting parade around the perimeter of the ground for their own exposure? Today more than ever, costumes included, the role of cheerleader seems to be just focussed on "sexing up" match days.

So what's a guy like Eric Cox to do in this modern world of confusion and temptation - keep reporting his concerns about cheerleaders all season, until someone at the league eventually takes action just to keep him quiet? I can just imagine it all now… the diligent staff in the NRL office dealing with all manner of other issues, like salary cap audits, referee match appointments, preliminary Tri-Series touring arrangements. Then David Gallop interrupts to ask them to attend to this other urgent matter. "I know guys," he says, "but this is Eric. If we fix this little cheerleader problem for him, then maybe he'll leave us alone to do our real work?"

The above article is of course all tongue in cheek, as I've never met Eric Cox in real life - nor any of the Rabbitoh cheerleaders for that matter! But despite the amusement this little (cotton) tale about Eric has provided, perhaps he should just get on with his usual work, and make sure someone else - perhaps younger and less impressionable about trifling matters like cheerleaders - is allocated to cover the Bunnies games in the future?

- - - -
(1) http://smh.com.au/news/League/Souths-bounce-back-in-style/2005/03/20/1111253886521.html
(2) http://www.arlra.org.au/lifemembers.html
(3) http://beach.prace.vic.edu.au/stories/togs-full-story.php


Word count = 750 including title, not including footnotes

 

[Matt23]

Legends of the game - Clive Churchill

Long before Andrew Johns, Darren Lockyer, Brad Fittler, and other modern day greats of the game, there was the little master, Clive Churchill. Few players in rugby league history could be compared with Clive Churchill for
sheer courage and brilliance. Tagged 'The Little Master', Churchill stood
175cms tall and weighed no more than 76kgs.

Despite his size, Churchill was ever reliable in defence, but it was in attack that Churchill really shone. Beginning his career with the central Charlestown club in Newcastle, it would not be long before his exploits caught the attentions of Sydney clubs. Eastern Suburbs (now the Sydney Roosters) were the first to contact him, and Churchill had agreed to play for them the following season, but unfortunately for Easts this move failed to eventuate. Later, in the 1947 season he was spotted in Newcastle by a patron of the famous South Sydney club, who signed him on the spot.

In his debut season in 1948 Churchill began his rapid rise to stardom. From picking up an injury in his debut match to his eventual selection in the second test against the touring New Zealand side, Churchill's meteoric rise was
complete. Churchill went on to represent Australia 34 times, later going on to captain his country.

Churchill played a part in several South Sydney premiership winning sides,
most notably the 1950, 1951, and 1954 sides, however he missed the 1952
grand final as he was travelling to England with the Kangaroo touring squad.

The 1955 season saw some of the little master's finest moments. Souths
were struggling to make the finals, and had to defeat Manly to qualify. Early in the first half Churchill broke his arm attempting a tackle, and the Souths’ doctor unsuccessfully tried to convince him not to return for the second half. Right on the fulltime bell Souths scored in the corner, and despite Churchill not being Souths’ first string kicker, the Rabbitohs captain, Jack Rayner, called Churchill over to take the conversion, knowing he was the only player that could handle the pressure of the situation. Churchill needed another player to place the ball down for him, but in one of the game's most dramatic moments, Churchill calmly slotted the conversion over to give Souths a famous victory.

As Souths progressed through the finals the significance of that kick grew until on Grand Final day the Rabbitohs won the title and Churchill's effort was given the ultimate reward. Churchill ended his career as captain/coach in 1958, moving to Brisbane club Norths for his final year of his glittering career. To continue his outstanding record of achievement, Churchill lead the Devils to the 1959 premiership.

Churchill also coached the Queensland side to an unlikely victory over New Souths Wales. When his playing career ended, Churchill also turned his hand to fulltime coaching with considerable success. He coached Queensland and Australia and then steered his old club, South Sydney, to five Grand Finals in a row from 1967 to 1971, winning them all except for 1969, which was won in a boilover by Balmain.

Clive Churchill died in 1985, but his legacy would live on through the 'Clive
Churchill Stand' at the SCG, and the awarding of the 'Clive Churchill
Medal' to the best player in the Grand Final. He is also recognised as
one of rugby league's 'Immortals', seeing him regarded as one of the game’s greatest every players, and perhaps the greatest ever fullback.

578 words inluding heading

 

[antonius]

Ref Blows Fulltime.

 

[bartman]

Good posts on boths sides - cheers all and best of luck.

 

[The_Joey_Show]

Well done to all players...well thought out, interesting pieces all round. Best of luck Rhinos.

 

[Andy]

Well done to the Dirty Reds for getting 5 articles in.

 

[Mzilikazi]

The suspense is killing me!

 

[ParraMatt]

We can't win Mzili, We didn't get 5 articles in.

 

[Andy]

Blame Mr Angry ;-)