Round 2 (2007) Rabbitohs v Panthers

[Willow]

Round 2 (2007)
South Sydney Rabbitohs 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 may 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.
Rules: http://f7s.leagueunlimited.com/rules.asp
Home team allowed one extra reserve player

KICK OFF - Game Commences: Sunday 8 April 2007
FULL TIME: Wednesday 18 April 2007 at 9pm (Syd time)

REFEREE: CWBush
Venue: Redfern Oval

**The Referee Blows Game On!**

 

[Pistol]

baring their new jersey the rabbits take the field

Master Vippo (vc)
Clevo
Bumble
Mr Fahrenheit (formerly no.2_lukeburt)
Wheelsy (formerly Coleman)

Pistol (c)
rabs
Franko

 

[Big Mick]

Panthers team to take on the Rabbits and get them out of China:

1) Waken
2) [furrycat]
3) Madunit
4) Azkatro
5) glockers

6) Big Mick
7) Leaguenut

 

[madunit]

madunit for Panthers.

Johns More Than An Immortal

As we all know, Andrew Johns announced his retirement from Rugby League this week after furthering injuring his already fragile neck. The decision has saddened many league folk here and abroad.

The decision has also sparked discussion over whether Johns should be admitted into the Rugby League Immortals club which currently includes Clive Churchill, Reg Gasnier, Bob Fulton, Wally Lewis, Johnny Raper, Graeme Langlands and Arthur Beetson.

However, after reading a few pages of the Newcastle Herald, it seems apparent that being made an immortal is a given. Not surprisingly really.

But I don’t think the Newcastle media and public have over reacted quite enough, as per usual in regards to its own players and how great they are.

There are many other ways to greatly honour the name of Andrew Johns.

I have compiled a timeline of what needs to be done to properly honour the great Andrew Johns.

• Before the next home game for the Knights, The new grandstand at Energy Australia Stadium shall be renamed “The Andrew Johns Stand.”

• By the end of the regular season, the ground itself should be renamed to “The Andrew Johns Energy Australia Stadium.”

• Within the next 2 years, moves should be made by council to have Hunter Street renamed to Johns Street.

• Within the next 4 years, Civic Train Station shall be named “Johns Station”

• In 5 years time, a new suburb shall be created and named “Johns”

• By the year 2020, Newcastle shall be renamed “Johnscastle”

• In 2025, Andrew Johns shall be knighted Sir Andrew Johns.

Now this is where I begin over reacting more than the Novocastrians.

• For the years 2008 til 2025 Andrew Johns shall be voted “Australian of the Year.”

• From this season til eternity (or until another Newcastle player better than Andrew Johns comes along), the Dally M’s will be named the Joey J’s. The best and fairest player in a Grand Final will no longer be awarded the Clive Churchill medal; instead, it will be the Andrew Johns medal. The Golden Boot award for best player in the world will be renamed to The Johns Golden Boot.

• Andrew Johns shall be made Governer-General in 2025 after his knighting.

• The Queen shall be abdicated from her throne, along with her entire family, within 5 years after Johns becomes Governer-General.

• As King of the Commonwealth, Johns shall then be allowed to claim ownership of every country not under his rule at the time of his appointment as King.

• With Johns becoming King of the World, all Rugby Union, American Football, Soccer and AFL competitions will be ended, never to be played again. All players from these codes, and their families will be beheaded in public, so as to prevent more stupid people like these being brought into the world.

• The Earth itself will be renamed Johns.

• All religions will be annulled, all religious texts will be destroyed and all beliefs of higher Gods will be abolished. They will be replaced by the Joey DVD, which will become the holy verses. Newcastle (unfortunately) will become the holy city. Johns will overthrow all current Gods and become the new God of all Gods. The most pure and perfect being ever to grace the planet Johns, and the most perfect, powerful and pure supernatural being ever to Grace the….area that supernatural beings grace.

Hopefully all of this can be put in place prior to the year 2030, so as to do the honourable God Johns justice. Under a Johns rule, the whole world will be able to watch Rugby League and reminisce about the days when Johns was just a mere man who dazzled fellow players on the field.

Many of us will be able to say, “I remember when Johns was just a man like you and me, before his rise to Owner of the Cosmos. I saw him play.”

So, when you look at like this, it’s fairly obvious to see, through a Knight’s fans eyes, that Johns becoming an immortal in the game of Australian Rugby League isn’t an issue to debate. It’s merely the beginning of a precession of events that will promote him to his rightful place in society.

The longer we spend debating about whether he should be inducted or not is detrimental to the overall wellbeing of the planet, and eventually the universe.

So stop considering it people, it’s blatantly obvious he should be made an immortal today.

Let’s get the ball rolling!

746 Words, including title.

 

[The Piper]

Wearing the Rhys Wesser #1, here comes Waken for the Panthers

The Child Supporter to the Adult Fanatic

It was a total coincidence that the week that I was holidaying up at beautiful Port Macquarie was the week where the Panthers were playing a trial match against the Cronulla Sharks there as well. The trial was organized mainly to get the young fans of the “outer league” region more interested and involved with the game as well as meet the players. I remember that Penrith won. I think by two points. But I certainly remember the players that I met that day at the game.

Taking along my footy cards and black marker, as a young fan of the game I was very excited at the chance to meet and greet my favourite Penrith stars. The wait and wade through the large crowd of fans, not just Panther fans but of league, was tough as I finally got up to Ryan “Girds” Girdler. As his texture ran out, I was lucky enough to be there and lend him my pen and wait around with him for some time while he signed a few more autographs. Signing autographs with my pen! I asked him about his leg injury and he said it was coming along well. Girds was very appreciative of my help and as he handed back the black marker, I felt like a first grade player myself!

Not long later, I found myself and my brother standing alone, along side the coach and I found myself speechless as I silently handed the 1990 series collector card to the great Royce Simmons. “Geez, this is ancient,” he said as he happily signed it for me. My brother handed him his card and added, “Have a go of this one then,” as Royce checked out the even older picture of himself in the brown and white stripped jersey. He laughed. It was moments like these that child rugby league supporters remember.

But they also remember the times when they are let down by the ones that they look up to. I was reluctant to make my way up to one of my favourite players after the last time that Matt Adamson snubbed me. This time was little different. After stealing my pen from my grasp, without saying a word he wondered off, signing his name to the kids as if it was a chore; a burden that came with playing first grade football. I finally got my pen back, five minutes later, still no word from Adamson spoken.

I felt no sympathy or loss when Adamson left the club on what seemed to be on bad terms. Statements like “poor coaching” and “won’t get the chance to play rep footy here” were tossed around; media hyped maybe. But off went one of my favourite players as a child and I couldn’t have cared less.

Coming back from a stint in the English Super League, Adamson returned to the NRL to play first grade for the Canberra Raiders. Down in the capital, Adamson had become an icon. He brought a much needed impact in the forwards as well as a character that went out into the public, meeting the people and even joining local news coverage for the Raiders fan to get the inside information on what’s happening with the team. Theses are the acts of a player who respects the fans and realises that they are as much a part of the game as he and the players are.

The NRL is insistent on getting young fans of the game more involved. The young boys love the huge mascots that walk around the field and remember the high-five they got from Paws the Panther. The young girls love watching the cheerleaders; aspiring to dance like they do one day. The child fan idolizes their favourite players and meeting their heroes is truly a great moment in their childhood.

The players must be aware of this, too. I am sure young fans would have been greeted by an enthusiastic Matt Adamson in his year down in Canberra. Before the game at Penrith a few weeks ago, Adamson was happy to give me and my family a gracious hello when we walked past him, beginning his trainer duties back at CUA Stadium. That is the attitude that I hope all rugby league players take when meeting the child supporter. This way, the child supporter will keep watching and loving the game. As I have now, the child supporter will grow into the adult fanatic.

750 words says the official word counter

 

[glockers]

Stolen Generation

There’s still bushrangers in the country.

While Ned Kelly holds fame, the bulk of bushrangers operated in the west of New South Wales, between the Murrumbidgee and the bottom of the Macquarie rivers. The population of towns like Bathurst, Canowindra, Forbes, Parkes, Temora and Young faced the risk of robbery if they traveled on the highway. Some smaller towns were even held hostage.

Those years of highway robbery by Frank Gardiner, Ben Hall and company may seem like a long time ago. But highway robbery is still occurring in the country.

The bushranger is the Canberra Raiders.

Our country towns are suffering in many ways through drought and the slow death of the rural economy. But the rugby league clubs are also suffering from having their junior talent wiped out. Most country towns have under 16 and under 18 teams. But these days there is a lack of players and many clubs are on the brink of not fielding sides.

Harden no longer has a team in Group 9 this year, while Temora – a rugby league hotbed where the Wynns, Barretts, Paytens, Firmans, Reardons, Stimsons and the like came from – is not fielding an under 16 side.

The harshness of the modern environment is evident, a lack of junior development by the NRL. Funds are going into News Limited coffers instead of country rugby league.

The major killer of country rugby league is the Canberra Raiders. Like any club the Raiders recognise they can grab some talented kids from country towns. In fact Canberra are so keen for the talent they simply grab the best 2 or 3 players from every under 16 team within a 400 kilometre radius.

Group 9 clubs like Harden, Junee, Cootamundra, Temora, Lavington and Tumbarumba lose 2 or 3 juniors every year to the Raiders.

The Raiders sign the youngsters up and the best of them end up in the Harold Matthews side and eventually Jersey Flegg team. Alongside talent from Canberra, Queanbeyan, Group 20, the Southern Highlands and south coast. In the end the Raiders sign up at least 60 juniors every year from country areas and not many of them make it to the top level.

They end up playing Under 18s for Queanbeyan instead.

I’ve spoken to officials at Group 9 clubs and know many kids get sick of languishing in the Canberra competition. They want to come home and play for their junior team.
Some kids even ask the Raiders and request to leave. They even promise to come back if the Raiders ever want to call them up for junior rep sides. But the Raiders deny the request and stick them in the Canberra competition.

Some of the best country kids, aged 16 or 17, are being stolen and not because they are the next Trent Barrett or next Andrew Johns. The new philosophy is sign four or five times as much as you need so that in the pool you can find a couple of prize catches.

In the old days a handful of exceptional kids would come into a club from the country. The Raiders would maybe have two or three country kids in their Harold Matthews team. Maybe six or seven in Jersey Flegg. Kids could stay in the country to play Under 18’s for their home team. Then only the best would leave when they turn 18 to try their hand in the NRL. The clubs would see more developed talent and know who to sign. The borderline kids would never leave and instead they would strengthen their town’s side.

Now 15 year olds are signed on raw talent or potential and many are left languishing in an unfamiliar city, stuck and longing for home. Is it good that the country is losing their best kids? Rugby League clubs are folding because of a lack of numbers yet the NRL clubs can continue to rob them of their junior talent.

The problem even goes beyond rugby league. Rural towns are losing their next generation. Many kids leave to find work or for further study. But signing so much junior talent also adds another burden for the town. Young kids that might want to work on the family farm or in a local job are taken. It hurts the economy. It destroys the rural sector. Rugby league might not be the main reason for this, but it contributes in its own way to it.

Shame, Raiders, shame.

744 including the heading according to the official word count.

 

[Clevo]

Clevo bends over to switch on the LED Red and Green lights the highlight his new sponsor on his socks.

_______________________________________________________

Sponsors Contrary Conduct?

When a company sponsors a club there is more at stake then the simple notion that a huge wad of cash is handed over and that’s all there is to it. It is supposed to be a partnership and that means, ideally, an exchange of mutual benefit and a measurable one at that.

What do Sponsors get out of sponsoring a club?

No doubt the obvious expectation from a sponsor is the exposure in the media. It’s guaranteed. A picture of the logo on the back or front page of the Daily Telegraph is worth quite a bit and even more so if that picture is a celebration. When you include all print, TV and online media that’s a considerable amount of exposure. You can’t win them all though as I’m sure the Roosters sponsors Samsung are aware of. Dejected looking players hanging around under the goal post I expect is tolerable from a sponsor’s point of view.

Big companies like Samsung and LG have varying avenues for saturating the market with their brand and don’t rely on Rugby League sponsorship alone. Companies like Allight (who? Mobile lighting, pump and generators) take risks and hope to raise a profile. We can deduce then that RL sponsorship is a cost effective exercise as long as the club’s losses are contained within the field.

Repeated outside the field “bad news” and the line is drawn somewhere up to and including gang-rape allegations. There is no innocence until proven guilty when “image” is involved. From these sorts of incidences we can logically deduce that with club/sponsor relationships the onus is on the Club to give the sponsor more than just a picture on the back page otherwise there could be consequences.

Sponsorship then becomes an association of brands with quantifiable bias in favour of the sponsor. With the costs of running football clubs those “main’ sponsors become crucial to make up the shortfall of accounts after Leagues Club grants, gate-takings and merchandise sales are considered.

Sponsors demand a fair bit of say and will try and extract more bang for buck and not just of free beer and prawns in the Corporate Boxes at the stadiums. Perhaps more so if you’re a club with high profile players like Benji Marshall and Sonny Bill Williams. Part of the deal would be access to these celebrities so sponsors pass the benefits to their clients and customers. Clubs then have the added responsibilities to keep these players up there as celebrities and trouble free. Proving the benefit to the sponsors allows clubs to develop the relationship, e.g. Member discounts to Club members for the sponsor’s product. A win-win relationship that is nurtured.

But what if it’s the sponsor who misbehaves?

No matter how desperate a club is financially I doubt they would accept a sponsorship with James Hardie, a company that has a long way to go to clean up their image after all the negative publicity surrounding the Asbestos Compensation Claims. If they did sponsor a club, how does that work? Is there a price where clubs may risk baring any backlash from its members and the Rugby League community?

Alcohol and tobacco companies by law cannot sponsor Sports Clubs because of the related health issues but there is no law stopping McDonalds after all, obesity is reportedly a big killer in Australia. If you really dug deep enough you could very well find issues with just about any major sponsor of Rugby League clubs. Anything from third-world child labour camps to share investments into mining companies that don’t really care that much about the Asian villages down river from their cyanide spillages.

Where do you draw the line? Who is it that makes these judgements?

Company image perceptions are judged by those other Rugby League sponsors; you and me. But do we really count in a situation, like with Souths, where without a Leagues Club grant and a worsening financial situation Souths would take the cash from a sponsor no questions asked?

Gerard Ryle’s series of exposes of Firepower in the Sydney Morning Herald is damning of a company whose claims could greatly impact global warming. Wether one believes the articles or not is not the point. It’s bad publicity. The pressure then is on the Clubs to apply the responsibility it puts on its players for that squeaky clean image also onto the Sponsors it attracts as a matter of principle.

If that happens which sponsors would pass muster?

________________________________

Word Count: 749 words between the lines.

 

[Master Vippo]

For Souths, Master Vippo saves a 40/20, and returns the ball at speed.

Farewell to a Hero

Well Andrew Johns has retired, ending a long wait of speculation. So ends the career of one of league’s greatest ever players, whose on-field achievements will be applauded for a long time to come, most likely for as long as the game will be played. I’m sure however, that there are going to be a lot of articles, stories and books about this topic, so I have decided not to bore you with an Andrew Johns love-fest, and we are going to get in the DeLorean, take a ride into the future where we can read a farewell article to another Newcastle hero.

________________________________________________________________________

27th September 2021

Mullen says Good-bye

The Newcastle Knights were eliminated one game shy of the Grand Final this weekend by the Wellington Wildcats, and in a sad day for the game, Newcastle and New South Wales captain and five-eighth Jarrod Mullen has decided to hang up his boots.

The 277 game veteran has decided that the travel requirements of playing Rugby League are too hard on his family, and the game too hard on his body, and has made his retirement effective immediately, meaning he will not be playing in the international season as was expected.

Mullen debuted in 2004 as a school boy, playing alongside former Newcastle greats Andrew Johns and Danny Buderus, before taking over the captaincy himself. He has been the glue that keeps the Knights together for 12 seasons and many pundits are already tipping Newcastle to have a rapid drop down the ladder next season.

Jarrod debuted at origin level in 2008 and this is widely regarded as the moment when he became great. He took the opportunity with both hands, leading the blues to a three-nil series win, and a total domination of Queensland for years afterwards. Comparisons of Mullen to Andrew Johns, which many were afraid would dog him throughout his career, were soon dropped, as Jarrod began to carve out for himself his own slice of Rugby League history.

Many attribute Jarrod’s success to the partnership formed between Tim Smith and himself in 2008. The master-stroke by then coach of the club Brian Smith of combining the two youngsters showed dividends, as the Knights claimed premiership success in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2014, until Tim Smith left the Knights at the end of 2015 to play in the English Superleague. But while these two enjoyed many years of success at together for Newcastle and Australia, and a fierce rivalry at origin level, Mullen went on to lead his side to premiership success again in 2018 and a grand final 2019, the veteran showing he could still do it without his partner in crime.

Mullen, with a remarkable career, holds the Knights record for most tries, with 92, most first grade games-narrowly edging out Danny Buderus, most wins as captain, and most Andrew Johns medal, for player of the year in Newcastle.

There has undoubtedly been no better five-eighth in the last 10-15 years. Ever since Darren Lockyer gave up his test 6 spot up, Jarrod Mullen has held onto it and not let go. It is argued that Mullen is a more complete player than Lockyer, but that will be an argument for the ages.

Asked what he plans on doing now, Jarrod has stated that he won’t be taking up a coaching job, as many are speculating that he will, but rather that he wants to spend a lot of quality time with his family, and possibly an administrative role within the club awaits him. Needless to say, for as long as he stays in Newcastle, Jarrod will be a hero to us all.

________________________________________________________________________


I for one look forward to reading an article like that, hopefully many years down the track. As a Knights fan, I am disappointed to see Johns go, and sad I won’t be able to see him work his magic again, but I know my club is in good hands. Without wanting to heap too much pressure on young Mullen, he has the potential to play his career out of Johns’ ample shadow, and cast his own over Energy Australia Stadium. Let’s hope that if they build a Suncorp style stadium in Newcastle around 2020, the two opposing sideline grandstands will be the Johns stand, and the Mullen stand. Thanks for the memories Joey, and I look forward to some new ones Jarrod.



736 words apparently

 

[Bumble]

*Bumble makes his first ever back to back starts in F7's history*

The Plight That Is Glory Hunting

They are the plight of the National Rugby League fanbase. The most despised entity seen at a football game now that Rebecca Wilson has vowed never to attend a match again. They are ignorant, deplorable and yet I will begrudgingly admit...necessary for the game. I am of course talking about the bandwagoner. You know, the bloke who tells you he was supporting the Tigers in 2000-2004 when he was really at the AFL or at home watching on Foxtel. The bloke who is was at a Roosters game when they won, but when one loss arrived would be decked in a Waratahs jersey for the next week. Sadly my own club is beginning to experience the biggest of all bandwagons, as has been well noted by many on these forums. It is indeed frustrating for many of the 'old guard' of footy fanbases who look down on these glory supporters with a certain level of disdain and perhaps, elitism.

The problem is not when these 'fans' attend games...that's fantastic for the league and noone would dispute that. The problem lies in what happens when a team starts going badly and a few losses in a row pop up? These people simply stop showing up...and it has to be stopped. But we must ask ourselves, what can we as a footballing community do to convert these part-timers into diehards who will support their club through thick and thin? Well it's certainly not ticket prices. GA tickets are affordable and plentiful at most venues. The football? Definitely not. The quality of the NRL has just constantly improved, and anyone who couldn't appreciate the skills that have been on show this year is simply not a football fan, and never will be.

So what then? Is it the atmosphere? Are people genuinely dissuaded from going to the footy thanks to a few negative headlines, or a couple of expletives thrown at them by a nearby opposition fan? One wonders exactly how much influence Rugby League 'journalists' such as Wilson or Rothfield hold with the more casual portion of our viewing audience. It's really frightening to think that each teams average crowds could increase by a couple of thousand if it weren't for these two gossip columnists. And yet, it is probably true. Whether or not we take them seriously, they DO influence the public to an extent, and it is a great shame that our game must suffer as a result. The NRL really do need to look into the external influences (such as journalists with vendettas) that are evident in Rugby League, as they are a hindrance, albeit a minor one. But I guess it's really not high up on their priorities, as long as they have their TV ratings. And the fact that our administrators take no interest in increasing crowd attendances or even attempt to deal with the sources of anti-footy media out there says it all really.

The other major problem that bandwagoners bring with them was seen in the Wests Tigers fairytale run of 2005. Their Prelim final against the Dragons was to be held at the smaller SFS rather than Telstra, and lots of 'fans' who had been caught up in the hype rushed out and bought tickets, leaving the real fans out in the cold. That was pretty much the day I stopped regarding bandwagoners as an annoyance, and started thinking of them as a problem. Many real Tigers fans missed out on tickets that day to make way for the people who the diehards would say didn't deserve to be there, and were just in it for the glory. But again...the NRL didn't care. The game sold out, the tickets were still sold for the same amount of money and the crowd was still packed. But, it left a bitter taste in alot of people's mouths and was yet another sign that the NRL really didn't care much for the true fan. Everyone was viewed in the same greedy way, as a big sack of money that they could shake...plastic glory hunter or diehard fan, it didn't matter to them.

So it is as much the NRL's fault as it of these confused souls themselves. They don't go to as many games as they could because the NRL allows itself to be sullied on a regular basis by a ruthlessly pro-AFL and Union media. Disgraceful, but as I said...do you think they care?

----

740 words including title.

 

[Tom Shines]

Controversial, but let's see how this goes.

**************************************************************************
Chris Walker announces retirement from rugby league.
Friday April 23, 2010.

Troubled Perth Pirates player Chris Walker has announced his retirement from all levels of rugby league today, after having his contract cancelled by the West Australian franchise after it was revealed he was allegedly involved in a drug production ring with West Coast Eagles stars Ben Cousins and Andrew Embley.

Australian captain and former team-mate of Walker, Willie Mason, spoke last night on the Newcastle Knights Footy Newcastle Show, informing hosts Andrew and Matthew Johns that he had given the 31-year-old his full support, claiming that he was unfairly targeted by the media.

"We all know what the media are like — they always hound us about every thing we do. I cannot swear at a fellow player, journalist, or referee without it hitting the front pages around the country. It's crap. We keep getting made out to be role models, but we don't ask for that…" he told gossip reporter Danny Weidler.

Walker's career has been littered with misdemeanors. The 155-game veteran burst on to the scene at the Brisbane Broncos in 1999, becoming an integral part of the premiership winning side of 2000. He appeared in all six origin matches for the Maroons in 2001 and 2002, and along with Lote Tuqiri and Darren Lockyer, Walker was the top try-scorer for the Broncos in this season. His form was such that he was offered a three-year, $400 000 per season deal by the South Sydney to play for the club in the 2003 NRL season.

However, his career took a downward turn at this point, as many criticised him for his lack of form in the opening rounds of the season. A lack of dedication and a desire to return to a premiership winning team saw him leave the Rabbitohs in disgrace to sign a contract with the Sydney Roosters, culminating in a grand final loss to the Penrith Panthers.

Walker was suspended from one match after his arrest in Queensland in 2004, where he was charged with assaulting and obstructing police following an incident in Brisbane in which officers used capsicum spray to restrain him. The arrest also led to him being dropped from the Queensland State of Origin squad. Consequently, the Roosters placed the winger on an alcohol ban for the rest of the season.

With his career hanging by a tether, he signed for the Melbourne Storm for 2006, appearing for seven matches with the club before problems with his relationship with Kate Ritchie forced him to quit the Storm and return to Sydney.

He was offered a one-year deal with the new franchise Gold Coast Titans in November for the 2007 season, and played only first-grade match before a broken thumb ruled him out. He was subsequently dropped from the club following an incident at a Gold Coast nightclub, where he was allegedly ejected for bad behaviour, and said to be suffering a psychological disorder.

His career seemingly over, he was offered a lifeline by Canterbury, after other clubs were unwilling to take the risk with Walker, due to his chequered past. He agreed to a three-year, minimum wage contract with the Bulldogs, worth just $120,000 a year.

Under the guidance of captain Sonny Bill Williams, Walker hit top form, chalking up three nightclub incidents — regularly outclassing teammates Willie Mason and Williams himself in one of the best seasons seen in Bulldogs colours. Consequently, he regained his State of Origin position later that year.

He was announced as the marquee signing for the new Perth Pirates team in November 2009, where the exhilarating Perth nightlife became too big a carrot to resist. He walked out of the last year of his contract with the Bulldogs, much to the chagrin of Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes. He played one match for the new Perth Pirates franchise, before a recurrence of the thumb injury that kept him out of 2007.

Last week saw the final demise of his career, when a random drug test revealed the extent of the problem, causing outrage around the nation. It was later revealed that he, along with Cousins and Embley, were responsible for a large distribution of party drug 'frost' in the Western Australian capital. Walker is expected to be released on bail.

Despite police claiming Cousins to be the mastermind of the operation, he was named by West Coast Eagles coach John Woorsfold in a twenty-four man squad to take on the Gold Coast Kangaroos this weekend.

**************************************************************************
749 words exactly between the boundary created by the asterisk's's's's...

 

[Pistol]

Mr Fahrenheit has pulled a muscle

He's off and is replaced by Pistol (c)

 

[Pistol]

Pistol stretches, flexes and poses and is ready for action for the Rabbitohs

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road?

Or is it? You know the song by Elton John (minus the question mark of course). Are my team’s chances of reaching the magical Land of Oz gone? Am I forced to wave goodbye soon? Is Brisbane’s season slipping away?

The transcript of previous seasons has indicated that the pattern is that Brisbane has developed what many pundits describe as a “successful season”. But does a successful season have a blanket meaning? Different sides have definitions of what constitutes a successful season. Take South Sydney for example. Since their readmission to the competition, a successful season entailed avoiding getting spanked with the wooden spoon. 2007 is marking the dawn of a new era in the annals of South Sydney as a club. Not since 1989 has the side tasted finals football. Their last successful entry into the kingdom of Oz was in 1971, as part of what is now known as the “Golden Era”. That side had players like John O’Neill, George Piggins, Eric Simms, Bob McCarthy and John Sattler. With a plantation like that, success is the harvest. When you compare that to the 2007 version of the Rabbitohs, the names are different, but the cache that they carry is the same. Names like David Kidwell (injured at the moment), Roy Asotasi, Dean Widders, John Sutton and David Fa’aolgo carry the seeds of what can be a rich harvest.

Then there are sides that often ride middle of the table with hopes of going higher. Take Canberra as an example. After the team’s golden era in the late 80’s and early 90’s, the Raiders football club has failed to reach the same success. There were times when Canberra missed the 8, and in 2002, only made the finals thanks to the penalty handed down to the Bulldogs. In recent seasons, Matthew Elliott has built a team that was capable and developed the pattern of finishing to the mid to lower part of the table.

But what does that all mean for Brisbane? Well the pattern that has emerged since their inception in 1988 is their production line of junior talent. It’s this formula that I look to and take comfort in when Brisbane is going through a rough patch.

Brisbane was born a successful outfit. Their side consisted mainly of those that were in a thriving Queensland Origin side. Players like Allan Langer, Gene Miles, Wally Lewis, Sam Back, and Greg Dowling had the success behind them from tough origin campaigns. From that, Brisbane have moved and built what could be called a dynasty, especially one in the modern day and age of football. Since their first premiership in 1992, Brisbane has made the finals every successive year since. Along the way they managed to capture the title 5 more times, in 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000 and most recently in 2006 when they defeated the more fancied Melbourne Storm.

Their defence of the premiership however, has not got off to a great start. With 4 losses in the first 5 games, Brisbane has a lot of work to do if they are to mount a credible challenge to their crown. But to this one eyed Broncos supporter, the gates haven’t been shut yet.

One constant throughout their existence is that of Wayne Bennett. Along the way he’s been the rock that Brisbane has built their house. He has nurtured and supported a generation of superstars and has nursed them through to success, and in doing so, bringing success to the club. Players like Shane Webcke (who recently retired), Darren Lockyer, Petero Civoniceva, Justin Hodges, Karmichael Hunt and Brent Tate have all been part of the Bennett master plan for the modern generation. It’s Bennett’s guile and resolve that has helped engineer success when it has seemed that the club has been trapped between a rock and a hard place. It’s this ethic that he has instilled into every one of his players over his tenure in charge. That ethic produced an ora. That ora has made a dynasty.

So even though things appear somewhat blurry at the moment, history says that in the long run it works out just fine. 6 premierships in 15 years is proof positive that the Land of Oz is never too far away.

-----------------------------------

713 words according to the word counter

 

[Azkatro]

Azkatro for the Panthers.

__________________________________________________


Expert, schmexpert! I know better!


There are lots of different kinds of people who watch rugby league every weekend. Their level of knowledge and understanding of the game varies greatly.

Some people might see a game on television as they wander past and watch the play for a couple of minutes. They might only understand the concept that players run with the ball and try and get it over the line. The rest is pretty much just confusing.

The next person might actually sit through and watch most of the Friday night game. They know why it’s a good idea to kick a field goal when you’re six points in front.

Gradually you progress through the realms of knowledge and find someone who might catch a couple of games a weekend. They’re in the office tipping comp. They know what a 40/20 is.

Then you get the hardcore fans. They keep up with the latest news, bleed for their team and can follow a match. It frustrates them when the referee has given latitude to the opposition in the amount of time they’re spending lying around in the ruck during surrender tackles, but not their own team. Some even write articles in 750 words or less that reflects their love of the game of rugby league.

Then there are former players. Some are forever passionate about rugby league, while others might lose interest. But if they’ve played at the highest level, they know a lot about what goes on behind the scenes and off the camera. They’re more likely to notice when one centre is winning a battle of wits and guile against his opposite number. They will easily spot which forwards need to be replaced. They occasionally get into a game and feel the urge to get onto the park and rip and tear again, like the good old days.

Then we get to the experts. The individuals who are involved in various media organisations, whether it is television, newspapers, magazines or even the Internet. They’re considered experts because they’re obligated to scrutinise, analyse and dissect every game they’re employed to cover. They are expected to know more than anyone else because they report on what happens every week. They have to know why a team lost and give reasons why. Their words are always scrutinised and ridiculed by the hardcore fans if they get it wrong.

When common sense prevails, the experts are the ones who make decisions on subjective topics surrounding the game of rugby league. In particular, there are no better individuals to make decisions on player awards.

Sadly, however, some of the individuals from the lesser categories tend to feel aggrieved if, in their opinion, one of the experts makes a decision they don’t agree with. Particularly if the expert is a former player they don’t like, or a journalist who never played the game at the highest level.

But if we are to have these accolades for players in the game, somebody has to make decisions on who is worthy to receive them. Let’s go through the categories of rugby league supporter’s expertise again to see why the experts make these decisions.

The ones who walk past the television are usually housewives. They would give all the awards to Matt Cooper because of his adorable blue eyes.

Those who know how the scoring works and not much else usually follow other sports, such as rugby union. They will give the awards to George Rose because they could picture him in a Waratahs jersey.

The supporters who watch the odd game and know what a 40/20 is for at least are often what we call “Monday experts”. They know everything about the game – after it happens. They will decide on who should get the awards after they’ve been handed out.

The hardcore fans are knowledgeable, but they are often blinkered in their views. They will give awards to various players, but to give you an idea of who would get them, Raiders fans would give them all to Alan Tongue.

The former players will just pick whichever current player “reminds me of me when I played” – at least in their mind. And if they weren’t biased, you would have Paul Carige nominating Brent Tate.

So this is why it’s important to leave these decisions to the experts. Sometimes you don’t always agree with them, and maybe they make the odd mistake.

But they are the best candidates for the job.

__________________________________________________

747 words. Liftoff!

 

[[furrycat]]

[furrycat] wakes up and decides its time to make a move.
Panthers baby!

Live and Learn

A dog walks up to an electric fence. The dog touches the electric fence, and a 1000 volt shock is sent through its body. The dog learns that one should not touch electric fences, and won’t do it again. The dog is now a better entity for learning this valuable lesson and will become a valued member of today’s society.

A rugby league player walks up to an electric fence. The rugby league player urinates on the electric fence, and a 1000 volt shock is sent up the player’s penis and into his body. The player thinks if he does this over and over again, he won’t get the electric shock anymore. The player’s name is Chris Walker. Chris will continue to be a cancer on the body of rugby league and will probably end up in the Centrelink line next to John Hopoate.

Why is it that too many rugby league players are so unbelievably poor at controlling their actions, and basically knowing the difference between what they can and can’t do? It’s hard to comprehend how they can be so stupid when a 12 year old can grasp this concept better than them. For example; a 10 year old knows when he buys a product such as a bag of chips, he must pay for them before leaving. A rugby league player, however, will take the product, such as a taxi ride home, and run away without paying for it. A 10 year old knows that after eating enough of a treat, such as chocolate, it’s time to stop and not cause any problems for anyone. A rugby league player, however, will continue to consume the treat, such as alcohol, and then punch a teenage girl in the face. So therefore, a 10 year old has more intelligence than most rugby league players. If this isn’t the most conclusive and justified argument that has ever been presented in the history of arguments, then I’ll eat my own hat.

Off field acts of stupidity are undoubtedly the biggest problem in today’s rugby league society. From sexual assault allegations to drunken brawls; from harassing journalists to toilet romps, they are all incidents that not only cheapen the game, they continue to add salt to the wound which the game is desperately trying to recover from. It isn’t going to get better anytime soon though. The fact of the matter is the punishments are too weak, and the measures to try and prevent these incidents are laughable. The introduction of the NRL’s new “Two strikes and you’re out” drugs policy is just another example of a preventative measure that tells players you can mess up once, and if you’re smart enough to not get caught the second time, we won’t have to take up any of our precious time having to discipline you. The worst argument that has been put forward is,
“Rugby league players are just human . What they do in their own time is their business. They are just NORMAL PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND ME”

Let’s look at the bolded part of this quote. “Normal people like you and me”. I’m not earning ridiculous amounts of money, are you? I’m not in the public spotlight day and day out, are you? My actions aren’t constantly critically analysed, are yours? I’m not a role model for every young aspiring young rugby league player in Australia, are you? It may be hard to believe, but professionally rugby league players are not “just like everyone else”; they are in the public eye and need to act accordingly to set a good example for the younger generation, and create a positive image for our game. Why doesn’t David Gallop and his little friends make it a “One strike and you’re out policy”? What better preventative measure than basically telling the players that you can’t break the law, as you’ll be de-registered. The onus isn’t just on the NRL, it is also on the clubs. They are too reluctant to tear up contracts, especially of players who are higher profile as it would simply be a disadvantage to their playing roster.

The cold truth is that rugby league has a bad culture associated with it. Players know they can urinate on the electric fence all they like, because the punishment associated with doing so is that weak even Ben Csizlowki would be able to run over the top of it. Things need to change before it is too late.

749 words :crazy:

 

[Willow]

 

[Tom Shines]

5 v 5. Good work guys.
Let the best team (Souths?) win.

 

[Pistol]

5 v 5

quality contest

great work boys and good on the panthers for getting the 5 in

 

[Bumble]

Good luck to the westies! lukeburt's performance for us lacked starch, but our fearless leader was there to step in.

 

[madunit]

furry and I actually own our very own planet where we live and are treated as kings (rightly so, considering we own it), and according to all geologists its in more of a East North Easterly direction. ;-)

 

[Misanthrope]

PANTHERS

Johns More Than An Immortal by madunit
A tongue in cheek look at the tributes rolling in for Johns after his retirement. A few spelling and grammatical errors and a rather crudely veiled attempt at satire lost it points, whilst the line ““I remember when Johns was just a man like you and me, before his rise to Owner of the Cosmos. I saw him play” earned you bonus points.
RATING: 78

The Child Supporter to the Adult Fanatic by Waken
People often underestimate the impact that interactions with players can have on young minds, and this article paints a great picture of one man’s experience with that. A typo here and there lost you marks – but a solid effort.
RATING: 84

Stolen Generation by glockers
The death of country rugby league at the hands of NRL clubs. Coming from a country town myself, I could definitely relate – even if Glen Innes has only produced two or three who have been poached in recent years. A well written and interesting article.
RATING: 86

Expert Schmexpert! I know better! By Azkatro
I’ve often questioned who hands out the accolades myself, and it was good to read an article politely nudging that statement back in my face. An amusing, well written read.
RATING: 87

Live and Learn by |furrycat|
A very well written article made better by a pot-shot at Ben Czislowski. I was there when he threw up in the middle of the field! True story! The topic of disciplining players for their stupidity is one I can certainly appreciate.
RATING: 88

TOTAL: 423

SOUTHS

Sponsors Contrary Conduct? By Clevo
While the content is intriguing, the article itself was a little awkward in the reading. Could have been a top class article with a little editing.
RATING: 78

Farewell to a Hero by Master Vippo
A somewhat hopeful look ahead at the career of Jarrod Mullen now that Johns has hung up the boots. One or two typos hurt it a little, but it was an interesting read for a blindly optimistic Knights fan like myself.
RATING: 84

The Plight That is Glory Hunting by Bumble
The article lost itself in awkwardly phrased sentences occasionally, but the point was well made.
RATING: 80

Chris Walker Announces His Retirement from Rugby League by Wheelsy
An amusing, enjoyable look ‘back’ on the storied career of one of rugby league’s baddest bad boys. Could have used some polish, but still a good read.
RATING: 86

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road? By Pistol
What makes a successful season? A well thought out and well written look at the differing definitions of a successful season and the chances of Brisbane having one in 2007.
RATING: 88

TOTAL: 416

FINAL SCORE: Panthers 423 defeated Souths 416

MoM: Pistol (Souths) and |furrycat| (Panthers)