Round 2 (2008) Panthers v Eels

[Willow]

Forum 7s - Round 2 2008
PENRITH PANTHERS v PARRAMATTA EELS

-v-

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 articles, not used in previous games, will be marked by referees.
Naming Teams:
* 5v5 + 2 reserves each
* No 'TBA' or changing players named
* Captains must stick with original teams named
ALL THE RULES & REGULATIONS: http://f7s.leagueunlimited.com/rules.php

FULL TIME: Wednesday 9 April 2008 at 9pm (Syd time)
REFEREE: Steel Dragon
Venue: CUA STADIUM
**The Referee Blows Game On!**

CLICK HERE FOR OFFICIAL WORD COUNTER​

 

[Big Mick]

Panthers Round 2 team to play the Eels:

1) Big Mick c
2) Glockers vc
3) Madunit c
4) Spike vc
5) Furrycat c

6) Leaguenut c
7) Azkatro c
8) The Piper c

 

[madunit]

madunit for the Panthers

The Downs Fox

He had a brain for rugby league, creative, speedy, successful and spent most of his life with a bullet in his chest. He was Duncan Thompson.

Thompson was born in Warwick, Queensland on March 14, 1895. He joined the Australian Bank of Commerce in 1911. While at Ipswich he represented Combined Country in 1913 and Queensland in 1915.

In 1915 as War broke out, Thompson wanted to serve his country, but his mother prohibited it. In 1916, his job transferred him to Sydney, where he was immediately snapped up by the ailing Norths.

At the end of 1916, Duncan returned to Queensland where he enlisted with the Australian Imperial Forces. He was shot through the chest in the battle of Dernancourt in 1917, but miraculously survived.

He was informed by doctors that a bullet was still lodged in his chest and would no longer be able to play sport.

Thompson continued playing, lining up for Ipswich and Queensland in 1919. He earned a place in the first Australian Test team to tour New Zealand. On tour Thompson replaced Arthur Halloway in the Third Test, which Australia won 34-23. He was then selected at halfback for the fourth test, which Australia won 32-2.

He relocated to Newcastle in 1920 and played for Newcastle Wests before moving back to Norths. Thompson captained NSW in his first game against his beloved Queensland in 1921.

In 1921, Norths finished the season undefeated, claiming their first premiership. At the end of the 1921 season, Thompson was selected in the Australian squad to tour England.

In 1922 Norths were sporting the most impressive backline in the competition, with Harold Horder, Cec Blinkhorn, Duncan Thompson, Herman Peters, Frank Rule and Dallas Hodgins. Norths annihilated Glebe 35-3 in the 1922 Premiership Final.

In 1923, Norths struggled to dominate the competition, but it was their Round 14 clash with Glebe at the SCG that proved most damaging. Thompson was sent off for allegedly kicking Glebe forward Tom McGrath. The NSWRL judiciary found Thompson guilty and suspended him for the rest of the season.

Spectators claimed the incident was an accident. Thompson was held back illegally after passing the ball and was trying to free himself when he accidentally struck McGrath in the face.

Thompson appealed the suspension and it was reduced but not overturned. Thompson was so angered by the decision that he vowed never to play in Sydney again.

Thompson moved back to Toowoomba and opened a sports store. Despite Thompson’s self-exile from the Sydney competition, he was still selected in the last two tests against England of 1924. Thompson played for Queensland again in 1924 and 1925.

Thompson’s arrival to Toowoomba brought immediate success. In 1924 he played for Toowoomba on a contract worth ₤400 a year. In his first two years there, Toowoomba were deemed the greatest team in Rugby League.

In 1924 Toowoomba beat England (23-20), Ipswich (21-10, 31-8 and 33-18), NSW (16-0) and Victoria (47-18). In 1925 the undefeated run continued with victories over Brisbane (30-7 and 22-3), Ipswich (18-13, 51-17 and 3 all) and New Zealand (16-14). The final match of the year was against the 1925 undefeated Sydney premiers Souths, to declare the greatest team in Australia.

Toowoomba won 12-5.

1925 saw Toowoomba claim the first Bulimba Cup, a competition played between representative sides from Brisbane, Ipswich and Toowoomba. They won every honour that was available to them.

At the end of the 1925 season Thompson retired from Rugby League and took up tennis, lawn bowls and golf (where he had a handicap of 3).

He returned to national service in the Second World War serving as an amenities officer in Townsville and Papua New Guinea.

In 1951 Thompson accepted a role as Toowoomba coach, instantly leading Toowoomba to six consecutive Bulimba Cup titles from 1951-56.

Thompson gave away his coaching role to take on administrative duties with the QRL, before becoming a Test selector in the late 1950's.

In 1960 Duncan Thompson was awarded an MBE for services to Rugby League. He became a respected commentator on the Rugby League world for many years during and after his role as Test selector.

On May 17, 1980 Duncan Thompson passed away at a hospital in Auchenflower.

Thompson is one of the few sportsmen to have two grandstands named after him, one at Toowoomba and the other at North Sydney Oval.

His sports store closed not long after he died.

Now, the Duncan Thompson stand at Toowoomba watches only soccer.

750 words, including title

Sources:
The Toowoomba Chronicle.
100 Years of Rugby League by Ian Collis and Alan Whiticker.
Sydney Morning Herald Archives

 

[Vaealikis Girl]

The Eels take the field (that captain really needs to start leading them onto the field earlier):

3. Dean
5. MarkInTheStands
7. eloquentEEL
10. bartman
11. Goleel

Reserves:
2. Bubbles
6. The Engineers Room

 

[eloquentEEL]

eloquentEEL - EELS
_______


Dominant Tackle

“Two words? Can’t be done!” I hear you proclaim, “You don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of summarising the essence of rugby league, a sport with over 100 years of history and intrigue, in just two words. It simply canNOT be done!”

Well, my loyal Forum Sevens reader, I’m here to tell you that I can do just that and more. The same two words not only summarise rugby league in a nutshell, but also provide the answer to the following questions:

• What is the key to winning a rugby league match?
• What is it that makes a rugby league player stand out on the field?
• What is it that makes rugby league players successful in life after footy?
• What is it that makes so many footy stars get into trouble off the field?

Word #1: Dominant

It seems fairly obvious, but domination over the opposition is necessary to assure victory. With the Dragons as the ultimate example, every rugby league dynasty has been built on dominance; being a cut above the competition. Rugby league has an inherent randomness, be it the bounce of the oddly shaped ball or the referee’s interpretation. Therefore, complete and utter dominance is required to guarantee success, both individually and as a team.

Word #2: Tackle

Whilst many fans focus on attacking prowess, the top coaches make defence their primary concern. Time and again, the fans will whinge and moan that the coach ignores promising talent (in the sense that a young player can put on a few spectacular attacking plays in the lower grades) in favour of “solid” fringe first graders. The fact is that the rising stars generally do having defensive problems that put the team at risk. The bottom line is that coaches must count on each and every player in his team being up to at least a minimum standard in tackling.

Putting them together: Dominant Tackle

The term “dominant tackle” is used for a specific type of tackle (driving the attacking player backwards earning the right to hold them down longer) and in itself is a trigger which can change the momentum in a match (especially where a player is driven back in-goal or over the sideline a la the Kiwis’ ambush in the 2005 Tri-Nations Final). However, it’s not only about a specific type of tackle. Domination in the ruck has been top of mind for coaches and players alike for at least the last several seasons. Whiteboards are filled with terms like “QPTB” (Quick Play The Ball) and “Wrestle” because coaches have identified that slowing down the opposition and having an opportunity to set a proper defensive line on each play is the aim of the game.

Domination goes hand in hand with intimidation, aggressiveness and guts & determination. These are commonly considered to be masculine traits, driven by male hormones which layman’s theory suggests (and for argument’s sake lets assume this is true) are directly proportional to the size of one’s testes. Put all of this together, and hey presto, the formula to premiership glory is to get the Alpha Male with the biggest, sweatiest, hairiest set of gonads you can find and teach him a few ball skills (pardon the pun). Co-incidentally, the term “tackle” is also used colloquially to refer to “the boys” so “dominant tackle” is a term that could apply to the aforementioned Alpha Male.

On the field, this dominant tackle “my balls are bigger than yours” principle applies whether it’s the big men of league putting on the big hits in the big matches (eg. “Chief” Harragon vs “Spud” Carroll), or whether it’s the little men that take a battering, get thrown around like rag dolls and keep getting up (eg. Brett Hodgson or Preston Campbell) and even punching above their weight (eg. Lincoln Withers or PJ Marsh).

Off the field, it is these same qualities of intimidation, aggressiveness and determination that also leads to success in life after footy in the business, political and media worlds. Unfortunately, these attributes also lead to the “incidents” (usually exacerbated by alcohol) that seem to have had the media in a frenzy of late.

So there you have it. Two words (and two small footy-shaped body parts) are responsible for so much in rugby league; from Kidwell’s infamous hit on Mason; to the introduction of the “Grapple”, “Crusher”, “Ripper” and “Chicken Wing” wrestling tactics; to Hayne’s early morning bullet dodging.


_______
738 words

 

[Dean]

Dean for the Eels.

Hypothetical,

Or,

Dean, remember this if the worst should happen.

When Robert Demetriou announced that the AFL would be introducing a new team in Western Sydney I was obviously outraged at the arrogance of this man. Being a Blacktown boy I was doubly outraged as the team is to be based in my home town. The real problem in my head, however, is that the AFL is well within their means of making Aussie Rules work in Western Sydney. So I immediately set about devising several personal strategies to combat these Mexican invaders.

One outrageous idea was that I organise a whole section of ANZ Stadium to turn their backs on the new club’s first game and listen to League on the radio for the entire match. The second equally outrageous idea was that I sabotage the AFL’s AusKick program and plant sexually suggestive items in all the kiddies’ show bags. Let’s see them win over all the suggestible Australian mothers then. The third and most likely personal protest was to walk into a sign writers shop and make up several Anti-AFL bumper stickers.

So I asked a friend of mine if he would put one of my stickers on his car. This was his reply:

“Yeah, but I reckon it would be cool if Aussie Rules completely monopolised the entire east coast and League became the sporting equivalent of punk rock.”

It wasn’t the reply I was expecting, but after mulling this over for awhile I came to the conclusion that the majority as a collective aren’t always too bright up-stairs, and if Aussie Rules spreads its tentacles in all directions and suffocates the sporting market, then so what? They can have their stadiums; we’ll keep the park footy if it comes to it, because in the end, we’re smarter than everyone else. Wow, that’s so punk rock. I never cared that my favourite bands received zero recognition from the mainstream market, so why should I care if the sport I love is ignored by the majority of Australians.

In the north of England, they already have their own form of Punk Rock Rugby League. The Super League may be a multi-million pound organisation with equally rich clubs propping it up (not exactly what springs to mind when I think of punk rock), but they have formed their own sporting niche which is in direct contrast to the rest of England’s sporting sensibilities. England is all about Soccer. Everything else is just an afterthought which is only brought to attention when England wins a World Cup or Ashes tour. So with this in mind I’ll continue admiring the working class heroes in the north of England. Imagine how satisfying it would be to have an exclusive sporting intelligence that is in direct defiance to the rest of your country men. We have something similar in Australia, but until the AFL’s expansion proves otherwise, Rugby League owns the east coast.

With the amount of money that they are throwing around in all directions, I have no doubt that the AFL’s expansion into Western Sydney will work. If not immediately, then in the long run, and if the unthinkable happens and League diminishes to the level of Australian Ice Hockey, then I won’t shed too many tears because league may fail at a professional level, but the sport won’t. The game of Rugby League is bigger than the organisations that run it. It will not fade away; at worst it will go underground and well and truly rock the suburbs.

So in this hypothetical world I’ve just imagined, where the majority of mothers have forbidden their children from playing Rugby League and pushed them into playing the game that apparently built Australia, I won’t mind because Aussie Rules can coast along being the sporting equivalent of Australian Idol for all I care. I won’t mind because I’ll be blasting Dead Kennedys through my head phones and cheering on The Doonside Roos in a lawn chair at Kareela reserve. All the while comfortably secure in the knowledge that Dead Kennedys are better than Shannon Noll and The Clash are more culturally important than Damien Leith. And guess what? I’m smarter than the masses of people watching a sport which has the visual equivalency of children falling over a football.

Until then, I’ll keep making my ‘Blacktown says no to AFL’ bumper stickers and my personal favourite, “Aussie Rules, the game that made Australia… Look Stupid.”

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Word Count: 742 words

 

[MarkInTheStands]

Mits Runs in to the Fray with.

------------------------------------
The left sock goes on before the right sock.
Then the head band is taped on clockwise.
We touch the board above the race as we run onto the pitch.
I wasn’t there, that is why we lost.

Superstition is defined on dictionary.com as: su·per·sti·tion [soo-per-stish-uhn] –noun

1. a belief or notion, not based on reason or knowledge, in or of the ominous significance of a particular thing, circumstance, occurrence, proceeding, or the like.

2. a system or collection of such beliefs.

3. a custom or act based on such a belief.

4. irrational fear of what is unknown or mysterious, esp. in connection with religion.

5. any blindly accepted belief or notion.

The first of these definitions is the one we all know about, the one we worry about, the ominous significance.

I have heard footballers talk about the first three superstitions mentioned above many times in my life. A certain sock being pulled on first, the tape being done a particular way, the touching of a board as they run out. These are all traditions used by footballers and publicised in the press as something that shows a bit of character. The fourth, well that is me after Parramatta’s away loss to the Cowboys.

This year’s draw has seen the Eels faced with two of the biggest away missions in the first four games, travelling to New Zealand and Townsville, both on very steamy, warm days. The other common denominator is that I was not there. I have been known to go to these venues to watch Parramatta play. Most people know me as a crazy fan that follows his team around, so to miss the two biggest away games is a very big thing. Some would call it acting against my compulsion to see the eels. At least it is not obsessive; instead I went and watch Harold Matthews and SG Ball. See not obsessive. . . Much.

Parramatta’s form away from home in 2008 has been terrible, abysmal and disappointing; I can try and come up with the big reasons: go forward, errors, but no. It is a cosmic thing, my energies weren’t there in the crowd and therefore the passes didn’t stick, the tackles weren’t effective, and the runs didn’t break the line. It was all me.

It is a common mistake that belief and faith is the same thing. What we are talking about with these superstitions is belief. A belief that we are all subject to the chaos of the universe. That by doing this little thing right all the time can trigger an effect that will make it all work, that will make it all better, and that will allow us to win.

Some ridicule the superstitious, and talk about mental preparation and mental readiness, that being switched on is what is needed to carry out the task in rugby league. Those that ridicule say that to play you need to be mentally prepared and no amount of superstition in the world is going to help you if you are not switched on. But that is the thing they don’t get, to mentally switch on and be ready these people need to know that they have got all their ducks in a row. They need to know they have done all they can do. They don’t rely on superstitions to win. Anyone who is superstitious knows that preparation is the key to getting it right, but superstition is what seals the ritual of getting it right. People who are superstitious rely on superstitions to know they have done everything else they can to be ready. To know everything is done before the game and it is now time to believe in your preparation and go.

So I say to those players who wear the red underwear, who have two piece of tape around one sock and one around the other, keep your superstitions running. They are good for you, they help you get ready for the game ahead, they help you knuckle down and get ready, and they keep you from worrying about anything else before you go out to play.

So does that mean I have to keep flying away to get the boys to perform? No, that will only help me. In the end, who knows how luck goes? Is it an extra voice in the crowd, a direction for tape, or a touch of the glass of a famed shield named JJ? Who knows what influences luck?
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750 Words according to the official Word Counter.

 

[glockers]

Glockers strolls through the tunnel a few minutes after kick-off and kills off a cigarette on the wall before walking over to the bench and casually decides he better get on the field.

Fresh season, fresh ideas

The off-season is finally behind us and the NRL is already four weeks old, another exciting year has gotten under way and I should be excited. No more boring pre-season rumours and now a feast of football can be seen every weekend. The news is littered with rugby league injuries, scandals and possible player poaching.

There is plenty to write about and my first forum sevens article should be dead set easy to write. A plethora of topics exist, yet it has all been said before and originality is sorely missed. Sure I could churn out the same old repetitive stuff that will gain a mark of 86 or so. But I need to inspire myself with something groundbreaking.

I guess I could write about all those misbehaving Eels at Kings Cross, but then again players being absolute tools isn’t exactly a new phenomenon and plenty of articles have been done on that before. How many times can someone discuss how alcohol leads to stupid behaviour and something must been done?

Sure other sports have their problems too, but that isn’t an excuse. But that has all been discussed before, so I must find another topic.

I could write about something else and use it as an analogy for the game. Maybe about my favourite CD and compare each track to an NRL team? I even have a CD picked out in my head – but it is a mere thinly veiled copy of another idea. Someone wrote similar pieces about poker and television shows in the past.

I could jump in early and talk about how form players are not picked for representative teams, how the same old names will be used when they are past their used by date.

Too bad five or six people write about that every year.

The quality of the rugby league this season could be a worthwhile cause, but I can’t be bothered using 750 words on the topic.

Looking at football from the perspective of a fan, referee or coach could be a great idea – oops all done before. We have run out of ideas for who else’s view we could use.

Controversial rules and the state of the game itself could be a great topic, especially with the chicken wing and the thin looking 10 metres this season. Yet I fear I wouldn’t do it justice when there are more venerable experts residing on this forum, who can truly break down the issues and discuss the technical implications that these rules have had.

I could always take the easy option and sort through problems with my own team, the Wests Tigers, and discuss a topic of particular relevance to them.
I could find a hopeless player and blast them, but I saw Goleel do that with Eric Grothe last round. Instead I could discuss the use of the Tigers junior system, or the tiresome issue of Benji Marshall getting hurt.

All topics I would normally love to write about, but I am way too filthy after our loss to the Panthers. To keep mentioning my team only heightens my anger. I would rather forget my team existed for a few more days, especially considering the news about Robbie Farah.

So I have to pull an original idea out of my bag of tricks, something new and unusual, then I have to repeat the process all season.

Last year I think I came up with some of my better topics. I blasted the Raiders for destroying country clubs and ruining the careers of countless juniors last season, I talked about spending the day with a pre World War 2 player, and a few other things.

It is almost like I have used up all my best material and have a notepad in front of me with dot points, but the points are all crossed out.

So it is a new season and everything is exciting, yet there isn’t much I can discuss rather than the same old crap. Maybe we can replace a player’s name in a piece or change wha rule or matter we are discussing. But it is like inserting a few words in a pre-ordained copy.

Yet despite all this, I have an idea, something original and outstanding….

Which I am leaving for my next appearance, since I won't need it this week because I have already reached nearly 750 words with this insane ramble.

743 words with the heading but not including the intro thingy.

 

[[furrycat]]

Furrycat for the Panthers

His name is Willie... Willie... faster than a horse on cocaine!
It just wouldn’t be the Forum Sevens if I went a season without writing an article about my great mate, Willie Mason. I’ve been looking at a lot of women lately (because they don’t let me touch), and I’ve noticed an increasing trend; women shudder at the thought of a naked Willie Mason... there’s no better way to start this article than putting that image into the reader’s mind. But I’m writing this article to right the wrongs of the past and tell the tale of Willie Mason. Sure I have been harsh in the past, but I was merely just playing with Willie. Be honest, who here has not been harsh when playing with Willie?

Let me be honest; Willie is more than a great mate to me. In fact, I’m Willie Mason’s father. If you don’t believe me, look carefully you see Willie playing on the field. Check closely when he is tackled and the top of his underpants are showing; if you look closely, you’ll see my name written in black marker. The handing down of used underpants; this is the true legacy of the Mason clan.

There are three things that I want to make clear by the end of this article. I am sick to death of the unfair and undue criticism that Willie receives each and every week:
1. Willie is not an out of control thug in society.
2. Willie has worked hard to turn his image around and be a role model for all the young aspiring athletes in this country
3. Do not touch Willie!


Everyone thought that Willie may have turned out to be a bit of a nutcase because of the hereditary condition I have, ISASSUMNBIT Disorder (I speak and snort stuff up my nose before I think). However, despite the odds being against him, Willie has fought hard to become the well spoken mature citizen that you see before you today. I remember the first time I went to a parent teacher interview when Willie was eight. The teacher sat across from me and my mail order bride, pointing at me,
“Are YOU responsible for this child?”
I nodded in fear. I could see the fear shooting out of the teacher’s ears.
“YOUR SON... is a BRILLIANT pupil! He is the best student in the entire class! He is so kind, courteous and always finishes his work. I wish I had twenty five Willies in my class!”

To be honest, this was a big surprise to me. The night before the interview, I was laying on my bed face down watching the television. Willie kicked the door in, and stood there stark naked screaming at me. I lifted my head as he bolted across the room and leapt onto my back. He saddled up on my neck and started moving back and forth while singing,
“There’s a Willie on your neck, there’s a Willie on your neck, there’s a Willie on your neck, on your neck!”
It was at this point I knew that Willie had all the characteristics to be a successful Rugby League player in Australia. For those perverted people who like to twist facts, Willie was NOT referring to a part of his anatomy in his song. Willie would never be this crude, and is too innocent to engage in such behaviour. How do I know this? Because when he did the same thing to me last week (It’s a bonding thing between a father and son, you wouldn’t understand), he sang,
“There’s a c*ck on your neck...” meaning that he plays for the Roosters. If you think you can twist this to mean something else, you lead a very sad life indeed.

There is nothing abnormal or strange about Willie’s behaviour in the past. Willie is just a normal, boisterous, everyday guy, just like me and you. Haven’t we all taken a cab ride and skipped on the fare? Haven’t we all been in a night club brawl or seven? Haven’t we all held our boss to ransom because he won’t let us be a professional boxer on the side? Haven’t we all saddled up naked on our Dad’s back as a form of male bonding? If you have answered no to any of these questions, you’re kidding yourself. Get your hand off your willy, and just admit that you LOVE Willie Mason.

Oh, and do not touch Willie, or it WILL fall off.

746 words. :crazy: GO WILLIE!

 

[Goleel]

Gol drops a cheap knee into Glockers meat and two veg as he gets up to play the ball, and gives him a spray that goes something like this...

---

Every man and his dog (and Phil Gould) have had their say about whether players who have represented another country can play State of Origin. We can all agree that, should Sonny Bill Williams have been a New South Welshman or Queenslander, he would have been a great asset to the Origin series. So do we want Origin to be an all star game, or do we want a 'state versus state, mate versus mate' contest true to the origin lore?

Origin is a concept unique to rugby league, built upon decades of oppression of Queensland rugby league in interstate battles. The passion of representing your state turned it into more than a simple all star game. It was a chance for vengeance for Queensland, a chance to right the years of wrongs put upon them by the old 'competition versus competition' state battles, where the superior Sydney competition dominated the Queensland based side, with many local maroon heroes lining up against their home state in the sky blue because of their choice to play in the top competition.

State of Origin was born from these years of pent up resentment, feeling that still comes across from the old school Queenslanders today, who refuse to let go of the belief that New South Wales has it in for them. These years of hatred are why Chris Close is good for an outdated 'screw the cockroaches' comment whenever prompted, from why there are nine New South Welshmen versus eight Queenslanders in the test side to why Rugby League Week chose Andrew Johns over Wally Lewis as the greatest player of the last 30 years. It is a backward attitude in todays game, but it is the very attitude that keeps the Origin spirit alive.

That will not last forever. Anybody can see that State of Origin is getting less and less passionate as time goes on. There are less fights, less rough stuff and tougher consequences for foul play that would previously be encouraged in the interstate battles. Yes, there are still a few 'classic Origin' moments now and then, but as time goes on, and people begin to forget why the contest came about, when the old brigade of one eyed Queenslanders fade away, Origin will increasingly become a showcase, an all star game, rather than an interstate grudge match.

Yet a true all star game is not the answer. Without a basis in conflict, an all star game becomes a novelty, a sideshow that doesn't bring out the best in players like State of Origin does. Dividing the NRL into arbitrary groups to then take each other on is a great idea in theory, but without something to play for, even something as simple as the pride of your state, players will refuse to care, and much like the NFL's pro bowl, players will put their club above the concept and sit out the contest. This is something you don't see happen with Origin.

So what is the answer? I believe a twist in the Origin concept is necessary for the growth of the game. Allocate to both states certain areas outside their borders, say Queensland gets New Zealand, New South Wales gets the rest of the pacific islands and the rest of Australia. They can then draw a certain number of players from these areas to compliment their sides. Yes, traditionalists will not like the dilution of the 'state versus state' battle, but it will still be there, and the majority of Origin players will be New South Welshmen or Queenslanders, more than enough to instill their 'ring in' teammates with their passion. It also allows the cream of the crop of ineligible players, the Benji's, Sonny Bill's and co., a chance to experience the pinnacle of rugby league, while also boosting the international game, as players would know they can be both an Origin player and represent a country other than Australia. It would stop players like Karmichael Hunt from having to turn their back on their heritage to be able to play Origin, and a stronger international game resulting from this may eventually make Origin obsolete, with an ideal rugby league world one where international football is the pinnacle, not an interstate battle.

Of course, this will not happen in the near future. Not while Chris Close is around to call it 'another NSW conspiracy' because we're 'sick of getting it handed to us'. It couldn't work today, but one day, it needs to become reality.

---

750 exactly, hopefully. If it isn't, the official counter has lied to me, lied to us all, and if you can't trust that, who can you trust?

 

[Big Mick]

Replacement:

The Piper in for Spike.

 

[Big Mick]

Champion Teams


We have all heard the cliché about how a champion team will beat a team of champions, but have you ever wondered why? How does a team full of stars lose to a team of nobodies? For example, the 1991 Panthers side defeating the Raiders or the 2005 Tigers team defeating the highly fancied Cowboys or the 2006 Bronco’s defeating Melbourne.


So what does it take to be a champion team?


1. Passion – All truly successful teams have something that sets them apart from others. It is the desire and energy that fuels them to reach their playing potential. A team with passion does not build individual pride, it builds team spirit. Without it no team will succeed.


2. Confidence – Rugby League is so often described as a game of confidence. Vince Lombardi once stated teams defeat defeatism with confidence. The man who is trained to peak capacity will gain confidence. Confidence is contagious, as is a lack of confidence, but a team cannot just expect confidence, it must be built through preparation.


3. Mental Application – So much of being a champion team is mental toughness. A team who succeeds avoids the hot seat and established authority. If a team is surrounded by an environment encouraging this trait, it would understand toughness is about sacrifice and self denial, as well as the combined team state of mind to never back down and give an inch. This is what wins grand finals.


4. Self Belief – If a team doesn’t believe they can win, then quite simply they won’t. Unless a team truly believes they are the best, they will never have the ambition and will to strive for that goal. The truth of life is that a team’s limits are only self imposed by what the mind is given to believe. If a man pushes beyond the limits of his capabilities and still succeeds, it is a true reflection of overcoming adversity.


5. Responsibility and Loyalty –As Jack Gibson once said, “success begins in the front office”, responsibility should be imbedded in any club. A team that loses together should win together. To be a champion team, the team must accept the responsibility of losing, and share the glory of success. A team built on a sense of oneness, of dependence of one another with have the strength to win by being derived in unity. The aim is not to aim for it all, but rather be prepared to sacrifice.


6. Effort and commitment- While a team may have the above traits, no team will generate success without the complete effort and commitment of the players both on and off the football field. It is an old saying that if you cheat at training, you cheat in the game, and if you cheat at the game, you cheat in life. The effort and commitment of a team starts with how hard you are willing to work to achieve your goal, without these traits, a team is doomed. A team shouldn’t approach training as working harder than the guy next to them, it should be a team mentality to work harder than everyone.


7. Community – A team that bonds together wins together. In 1991, a young Penrith team won the title against the odds, attributing their win to a sense of community and a willingness to die for each other on the field of battle. This sense of community must be constant throughout a team for it to be a success.

8. Leadership – A quality leader brings into alignment all their stated and practiced views in order to set an example for those around them. Shane Webcke was a leader whom would not demand integrity from his men, but would lead with integrity and his men would follow. A good leader will share their vision of success and generate commitment of his players. All great teams had great leaders and no team in the future will win without one.


Vince Lombardi once stated that any team’s finest hour, their greatest fulfilment of all they hold dear, is the moment when they have worked their hearts out in a good cause and lie exhausted on the field of battle – victorious, as Penrith’s 1991 grand final team felt.

After reflecting on these simple traits, ask yourself, does your team have them? Does your team have the will to excel and the will to win it all? I guess we’ll find out in October.


748 Words

Reference:
The Lombardi Rules

 

[Willow]

 

[bartman]

Sorry fellow Eels players. I was too slow off the mark with this one, and didn't get it in in time.

Sorry for not coming through with the goods, and letting the side down.

I thought I'd be right, but should have hollered for a bench player if anyone was ready.

 

[madunit]

4 v 4, will still be a good tight contest.

 

[Steel Dragon]

Panthers

Champion Teams
Big Mick
Word Count: 748

It is hard to write a piece like this without the cliché machine working overtime, but for the most part you have avoided the easy trap of over using them. The big problem you have with this article is that what you’re trying to get across needs an entire book dedicated to the subject. 750 words means that basically all you can do is raise points without discussing them.
It could be argued that many of the points could fall under similar headings, such as ‘self belief’ and ‘confidence.’ And even the good points you do make aren’t discussed in depth enough to be ‘fully’ correct. For example, yes ‘leadership’ is crucial, and Webcke was a great leader, leading by example. But leading by example isn’t always everyone’s preferred style.
Personally, mate – I think you have your year planned out. Each week write 750 words on each of the points and why they are crucial to success. That and lay off the ’91 Panthers a bit
87



Fresh Season, fresh ideas
Glockers
Word Count: 741

By deciding not to write on any of the topics you bring up, you essentially discuss all of them (albeit briefly and in very little detail). At the same time you bring up the entire zeitgeist of the game today, right now as we speak. Your team, the rules, the officials, the players on and off the field, the game itself. It’s got everything!
Concurrently you have managed to capture the thought process of every F7’s forummer who ever strapped on a virtual pair of boots and sat in front of a computer.
Somehow you say nothing by mentioning everything. I’m still baffled by it – but I enjoyed it. One of the most original F7’s article I’ve ever come across.
95


The Downs Fox
Madunit
Word Count: 750

I assume ‘The Downs Fox’ was a nickname of Thompson, because for the life of me I can’t find its relevance to the article.
While the piece is a thorough investigation into the life and career of one of the game’s earlier stars, it reads as though it is simply an encyclopaedia entry. I would have preferred it if it had have had an angle; something to make the reader empathise with Thompson. Whether it was how he continued to excel despite his wartime injury, or whether it was how he was under-appreciated/rejected by a sport in which he excelled. But as it is, it is simply a collection of statistics, while impressive, are ultimately less interesting than they deserve to be.
Nonetheless, as a purely informative piece, it is very well written.
86



His name is Willie... Willie... faster than a horse on cocaine!
Furrycat
Word count: 751

Ok Furrycat is at the helm – strap on your sarcasm resistant suits before proceeding.
Seriously mate – I dunno where to start! As bizarre as it all is, it did make me chuckle a bit. I guess that’s the best I can say for it. Probably the less said the better.
-2 pts for one word over the limit.
68



Eels


Hypothetical,
Or,
Dean, remember this if the worst should happen.
Dean
Word Count: 743

Kind of an interesting view – that League will become the sporting equivalent of Punk Rock. But do you really think that the millions of current League fans won’t convert without a fight? The AFL wanted a team in Canberra – they tried to shift North Melbourne there – no one was interested. They tried relocating them to the Gold Coast, still doesn’t look like they’ve found a winner.
Then there was the ARC. Anyone remember the Western Sydney Rams?
I also don’t think your plan of rocking up to the new team’s first game and turning your back will work – once you’ve paid your money to get in – they win.
What I would’ve liked is the piece to take an single angle: a comparative between how the 3 ‘football’ codes coexist in England and how the struggle for fans in Australia is similar; or, how Australia’s population can only support so many sports, the juniors, the infrastructure, the supporters; or even, a more humorous take on how the league fan in the street can resort to grass-roots or guerrilla tactics to inhibit AFL’s push into ‘our’ backyard. A few more punk puns would’ve helped too (Dead Kennedys’ Holiday In Campbelltown anyone!)
Pretty good article though.
84



Untitled
MarkInTheStands
Word Count: 748

I must admit, as a younger man, I did indeed have my own little rituals to get ready for the game. And I’m positive there are elite sportsmen out there that continue to perform their own. This piece is a combination of what could’ve potentially been two great articles. Either a comedic piece about how a fan’s actions and presence at games has an effect on the game, or a more serious piece about how superstitions can help with confidence, giving examples of specific players superstitions; like Brett Kenny, who ran out onto the field last at every game – including when he was captain!
Mate – I’ve seen docos on American College sports fans and NFL fans. If all you do is follow the team around to each game, you’re a long way from obsessive!
Good article.
87



Dominant Tackle
eloquentEEL
Word Count: 738

I was a little skeptical on how you thought that the words ‘Dominant Tackle’ encapsulates everything League is about, but you do very well reinforcing your case.
I was a little confused about how being a dominant tackler helped with life after football, and your explanation of it, while hazy, does kind of justify the statement. But what I want to know is, which politician employs “intimidation, aggressiveness and determination”?
Also, try not to use ampersands (the & symbol) in sentences.
I can tell you spent a bit of time thinking about how ‘Dominant Tackle’ applies to masculinity, it was rather funny.
On that subject, I have another two words which can also summarize Rugby League on and off the field: ‘Ball Control.’ Think about it!
88


Untitled
Goleel
Word Count: 750

In a nutshell, the piece starts out strong, falls away in the middle, then, tries to make its point before giving up.
I think you raise a good point for debate, whether or not Origin should be a State affair or simply become an All Star game. However, while you point out the original rivalry which built the base for Origin becoming a high point on the league calendar, in my opinion, you delve too far into the past. One slightly longer paragraph, rather than the three you wrote, could’ve discussed the older ‘State of Residence’ matches, then the first ‘State of Origin’ battles and attitudes. We all know the past; I wanted you to debate Origin’s future.
A few years ago I would’ve agreed that something needed to be done to restore the passion in Origin, but I believe with the rise in competitiveness of New Zealand, that the test matches are becoming a lot more interesting. And as a result, the Sonny Bill’s will once again aspire to pulling on the black and white rather than maroon or blue.
Good article that doesn’t always stay on track. A title would've helped too.
82





Eels 341
defeat
Panthers 336

Man of the Match
Glockers

 

[glockers]

We lost the match, but I smashed Goleel. So not a total loss.

 

[Big Mick]

Fair enough...I don't think i've ever seen an article marked below 70 but there is a first for everything! haha.

Thanks for the marking Steel, and congrats to the Eels. Well done Glockers on a magnificent piece.

 

[madunit]

I thought it was pretty obvious that the title was the nickname for Duncan Thompson considering the entire article was about him, not that the Title is all that relevant to the entire article I believe. I'm not complaining, just expressing my opinion. You guys don't have an easy job and I respect the effort and time you have to put in to mark each game. Good work mate ;-)

Thanks for the reffing, good game everyone, only 5 points in it. COngrats glockers for a top notch article, you always come through with the goods. You're a champion.

 

[LeagueNut]

Backpacker Points

3 points - Glockers (Panthers)
2 points - eloquentEEL (Eels) :mrgreen:
1 point - Big Mick (Panthers) & markinthestands (Eels)