Round 3 (2006) Eels vs Sharks

[Pistol]

Parramatta Eels v Cronulla Sharks

Venue: Parramatta Stadium

Crowd: TBA. Referee: Willow
• This is a game thread only, therefore only game-related posts can be made here. Any other posts may result in loss of points and is at the discretion of the referee.

• Home team captain will be allowed 3 reserves, visiting captain will be allowed 2 reserves.

• Captains must post their entire team (including reserves) before posting and only those players listed may play this round.

Rules of play: http://f7s.leagueunlimited.com/rules.asp

Full Time: WEDNESDAY 19th APRIL at 9:00PM (SYD TIME)

**The Referee Blows Game On!**

 

[The Piper]

Sharks team to take on the Eels

Waken
Dread
KrypnotiK
Marc Herbert [CNTDN]
glockers

griffo346
griffette346

Good luck both sides

 

[The Piper]

Waken darts from dummy-half

The Power of One

The best part of participating in a sport such as rugby league is that it is a team game. Working together with mates to achieve a win is very rewarding and builds a strong team as well as strong friendships. Watching your favourite team working well together is also one of the highlights when following a team sport. The halfback offloading a great ball to the five-eighth, back to the fullback who runs fifty metres and then gets it to the winger who scores in the corner. They are the sort of tries that the fans of the game pay to go and see.

There is also individual brilliance that makes the game great to be a part of. The kicking game of Johns, the speed of Bowen and the football mind of Lockyer. These players are the fundamental members of each of their league teams. Usually with 1, 6, 7 or 9 on their back, they are the players who can see what is going to happen three plays ahead. If a league team does not have a combination of these four positions, then they’re not going to go too far up the ladder.

But the most tragic thing that can happen to a team may not seem bad when it is read like this in an article. One of the seventeen players becomes injured for several matches. Only one out of seventeen, it cannot be that bad, can it? But that one player can be the teams playmaker; the brilliant individual. Johns, Gower or Lockyer; take the power of that one player out of a team, the team is not the same.

These key players can not only think for themselves. They know when their forwards should be hitting the ball up and where their backs should be standing on the last play of the set. Once a side plays matches with their playmaker for sometime, the team begins to find a rhythm as the combinations of players start to develop. A team who finds the rhythm, which works well for them, will only benefit from it and begins to win. That is, as long as the key playmaker stays apart of that combination.

He is barking, “Push left,” or “Come up to meet them.” Instructions that these ‘ones’ can see are going to make the difference in the game. In some cases, the players around the individual rely too much on them and expect the orders to be delivered to them throughout the game. When the player has done his groin, there is no one there to bark these orders that they now so heavily rely on.

What can be done about it? It is happening in our wonderful game, it cannot be denied. Teams are loosing their halfbacks and the team looses. Is there anything that anyone can do about it? The coaches would be the ones to look at, or maybe these players that rely on their one of a kind? But working on the field, training them off field, or managing the team behind the scenes; all these people are part of the one team.

Rugby League is not made up of one man bands. They are not meant to have the one solo artist banging away on the drums as he plays the acoustic guitar. They are a group; teams that are meant to work unified. They need all the band members playing on the instruments that they play best, knowing what notes to hit at what time of the concert. If all the notes are played correctly, then there will be that wonderful sounding rhythm. The song will sound great; the team will win.

We want to see the Knights beat the Warriors without Johns playing. We want to see more inspired victories over Parramatta as Gower is rushed to hospital; you know if that man has to come off the ground, then there is something wrong. We hope if Barrett goes to England that the Saints will still be the favourite at the start of the season, as they are every year.

So I hope to see in the future that every league team is not a power of one man, but a power of one team.

710 words including title

 

[edabomb]

Marc Herbert [CNTDN] for the Sharks

My Degree

As I walked to university two hours late the other day I began to think, what could possibly motivate me to get out of bed on time? I decided in an ideal world I would wake up next to Claire Forlani and trundle off to another day of studying rugby league. Then I began to think what degree would I be obtaining by studying ruby league – commerce, art or science?

I imagine the first lecture would contain an overview of the course. How it merges many disciplines into a single course. The fact that while a sport may seem simplistic to some, it can define life to others. The NRL can take a raw athlete, and with a lot of work transform him into a highly paid athlete. A player who has illustrated this over the years was Luke Davico. Not blessed with any great skill, his game relied on his hard work. He had ordinary handling, and was not a great ball player, but was always up there in the frame come State of Origin time. He matured later than your average player, having his best seasons after he turned 27. The fact that players with no apparent natural gift can make it through a lot of hard work is a great life lesson. The most gifted in a field is not always going to wind up being the best.

Owen Cragie’s career showed that while natural gift will get you through the door, it won’t close the door behind you. A player that excelled from a very young age, representing Australian Schoolboys from year 10 to year 12 showed this. Cragie debuted with the Newcastle Knights as a 17 year-old center in 1996, and excelled. However, as his fitness began to decline around the turn of the century so did his performances. He linked up with Souths, but never regained the form he showed in his early career. If Cragie had of been able to combine his talent with a solid work ethic he could of player representative football easily, instead he’s retired at the age of 28.

The first lecture would show how the course was being assessed. Two essays would be my choice. Perhaps the first essay could be a 1500 word essay on your favorite league side of all time. This would be worth 25% of the course. The second essay would have to be harder, and perhaps requiring a strong opinion. I’d set the essay question as “Scott Sattler’s tackle in 2003, or Andrew Johns dummy half run in 1997 – which is the better play and why?” This is a good comparison of the different ways a one off play can win a huge game. The ageing veteran Sattler or the young superstar Johns.

So what discipline is rugby league? As a fan I feel inclined to rule out commerce as the primary aspect of this. While the monetary side is what makes the NRL go round, it is not what a fan cares about. Which leaves me with science and art. There are definitely aspects of both. From Benji Marshall’s flick pass to Pat Richards in the 2005 Grand Final, to Shane Webcke hitting the ball up inside his own twenty. Which is more important? Which excites pure league fans the most?

The fact is both of these do, and for completely different reasons. You can hear arguments for both sides. Marshall’s abilities will pull the younger audience in, showing them the flashy side of the game. Webcke’s stamina, aggression and longivity will also excite the old school league fan. Then there are players who combine both, like Andrew Johns. His play is so structured, like a science. He is a very good defender for a halfback, often lifting players and using their weight to drive them into the ground. But what about the artistic spin he can put on a game with a banana kick, or a cut out pass for his winger to score in the corner.

If I was to recommend a rugby league degree to a university board I would ask for it to be offered of a Bachelor of Arts, and a Bachelor of Science. While the artistic side will provide excitement for the casual fan, the scientific side can hold a deep appreciation from long-term followers. Rugby League holds a lot of metaphors for life, as many past and present NRL players can attest - stick at your goals and anything can happen.



750 words including title.

 

[Dread]

Dread for Sharks.

---

Will the Sharks ever win a comp?

Of all the clubs in the National Rugby League, the Cronulla Sharks have the greatest history of disappointment and abject failure. For thirty nine years they have worked towards their maiden premiership, only to fall short each and every season with remarkable consistency.

It’s easy to make excuses for such a record. Lack of player depth, one eyed referees, injuries to key players, a lack of funds; all have been suggested as possible reasons for the Sharks’ inexcusable premiership record. However, none can justify why Cronulla remains the least successful club in first grade rugby league history.

Former Sharks coach Chris Anderson recognised the problems. A culture of mediocrity is infused within the club, gripping all levels from the supporter base through to management. Fans will clap and cheer for the players even after the most miserable losses, while the club president declares with great excitement that victory is just around the corner as the team staggers from one tragic flogging to the next. It’s one thing to be positive; but blind, unwavering optimism does nothing but encourage the mediocrity that the club has accepted for forty years.

Anderson, despite all of his flaws, knew that the Sharks needed a harder edge. His decisions were often intentionally abrasive, which resulted in a great deal of discomfort amongst management, players and fans who weren’t accustomed to being pushed beyond their comfort zones. This isn’t to suggest that Anderson should have been held onto by the club; some of his coaching decisions were incomprehensible, to say the least. However, he knew that there was a deeply set problem at the Sharks, a problem which nobody else within the organisation has thus far been willing to acknowledge.

A great deal of the problem lies with the management. Only recently, following the tragic death of general manager Steve Rogers, the board elected not to accept applications for the vacant position. Instead, they voted to install Greg Pierce – son of club president Barry Pierce – into the role. Irrespective of whether Pierce was the right man for the job or not, the club should have advertised the position and then selected a new general manager on the basis of merit. Instead the board took the easy option, the option which kept all of the relevant parties happy, at the possible expense of the club itself. It is decisions like these that exemplify the deeply set culture of mediocrity infused within the Sharks board.

It comes as little surprise that such an attitude, displayed by those with the job of running the club, seeps down through all levels of staff and playing ranks. The players themselves certainly aren’t immune. There exists no greater example of this than last season when the Sharks, emerging at the top of the table from a winning streak four games long, declared themselves real contenders for the premiership. A week later, they submitted meekly to the eventual wooden spooners and then stumbled from loss to loss, eventually placing seventh. For a fan buoyed by early season results, this drastic reversal of form in the latter rounds of the competition was a bitter pill to swallow.

The club needs change. It needs fans that don’t automatically cheer and clap, irrespective of results. It needs a board that is willing to take a step back and allow the coach to have absolute free reign over the team. It needs a coach who is not afraid of making hard, occasionally unpopular decisions in order to better the team as whole. It needs players who aren’t concerned about the size of their already inflated pay packets, or their own personal representative selection, or having a big night out on the town. It needs players who are entirely committed to delivering a long awaited maiden premiership to the Sutherland Shire.

Unfortunately, change appears unlikely. After decades of mediocrity, everyone involved has accepted their place as mid table veterans. None are willing to push past their comfort zone in order to achieve greatness.

Without drastic change, the Cronulla Sharks will never win a premiership.

---

682 words

 

[eloquentEEL]

Eels captain Vaealikis Girl has phoned in sick and requested that I name the team.

Parramatta Eels line-up:

02. Bubbles
03. blackfriday
07. eloquentEEL
10. bartman
11. Goleel

01. filthy_spammers
12. PARRA_FAN
21. MarkInTheStands

 

[Bubbles]

Bubbles runs onto the field for Eels
_________________________________________

The Big Top

Roll up! Roll up! You will be amazed! You will be dumb-founded!

Come in folks and cast your eyes on the grotesque wonder that is the Bearded Lady! Witness the extraordinary feats of the Fire-Breather! Marvel at the death-defying, spectacular Trapeze Artistes! Come see for yourself the freak of nature that is the Four-Headed Halfback!!

Not since Adam said to Eve, “Throw me that apple will you Love”, has a single man shown such poor judgement; made such a monumentally bad decision(s). But in Adam’s defence, we’re all aware of the quality of judgement of a man when there’s only a bit of foliage between he and the ‘fruit of life’, yet the same cannot be said for Mr Ricky Stuart with only a bunch of sweaty, hairy men for distraction!

This week’s Rooster training proudly brought to you by Abbott and Costello…

Costello: Well then who's on first?
Abbott: Yes.
Costello: I mean the fellow's name.
Abbott: Who.
Costello: The guy on first.
Abbott: Who.
Costello: The first baseman.
Abbott: Who.
Costello: The guy playing...
Abbott: Who is on first!

Who is halfback? Who are our halves? How many ball-players does one team need on the field at any one time? Where the hell is the guy selling the Magnum Ice-creams? These are but a few of the questions buzzing through my mind as I took my seat to watch the comedic stylings of the Roosters against the Broncos on Friday night.

At one point I saw Easts’ own Oompa Loompa, Jamie Soward (all due respect as I think the guy has talent) locking the scrum while Ashley Harrison fed it. Now that would normally have astonished me, or at the very least given me pause to go, hmmm…and it would have but for the fact that I had been witnessing a game of musical positions, the likes of which would have made Brian Smith as proud as any parent towards his red-headed stepchild!

So what do you get when you put Braith Anasta, Craig Wing, Brett Finch (speaking of red-headed stepchildren!), and Jamie Soward on the field together at the same time? A bunch of guys scratching their arses and bumping into things, is what!

Correct me if I’m wrong (actually don’t - this is a rant and therefore holds no place for logic), I’m no coach, but isn’t it a fairly important ingredient of any successful football side to have a solid and cohesive Halves combination? After all, this was one of the problems with last year’s lacklustre season for the Chooks and while it was frustrating, it was understandable as we had lost our great champion and leader, Freddy, and were floundering in the aftermath. But we ‘supposedly’ solved this issue in the manner for which the Roosters are famous, by pulling out the trusty chequebook and signing a big name in Anasta.

And so there was but one question remaining, one piece of the puzzle to be fitted before the Roosters took to the field for 2006 and lit up the football world; who would partner Braith at Half? Would it be Finch, a guy who has played outside two of the greatest in Fittler and Daly and yet still shows the direction of a rudderless tinny on the field? What of Soward, a young guy of plentiful promise, but very little first-grade experience? Then there’s Wing, who is after all the guy who partnered Freddy to grab us our first premiership in twenty-seven years?

With so many tough questions and big decisions to make, is it any wonder that Ricky said, “F--- it, we’ll play them all at the same time!” It seems that he adheres to the “Pick Up Sticks” philosophy of football whereby you throw them all into the air and see in which position they land. Ah…truly the science of rugby league in the professional era is a marvel to behold!

And so we all wait with breath that is bated to see what new wonder Ricky will bestow upon us for Round Seven…I myself am tingling with anticipation (either that or it’s the pills kicking in!).

So gather ‘round boys and girls, ‘cause it’s a regular Jerkus Ole out there!

P.S. I would just like to apologise to all red-headed stepchildren out there. I by no means intended to cast dispersion upon you with my comments in regards to Finch – I appreciate you may already have enough to contend with in life without that comparison!
_________________________________________
Word Count: 748

 

[blackfriday]

blackfriday makes his much anticipated return after a lengthy lay-off
________________________________________________________________

FAIRYTALES: FALSE HOPE OR A NEW BEGINNING?

'Life is like a fairytale - Grimm!' – John Cooper Clarke

For the past three seasons, we have been privileged to witness three 'fairytale' stories: the Panthers premiership in 2003, the Cowboys reaching the grand final qualifier last year and last but not least, the West Tigers remarkable premiership win.

The Panthers in 2003 had a young team, full of energy and they took the league by storm. They had a combination of experienced forwards who could provide the go-forward required in the initial stages of the game and a class backline that could turn matches on its head.

The Panthers' 2004 season was quite successful, losing to eventual premiers the Bulldogs in the grand final qualifier. But 2005 was a completely different story altogether. With the retirement of Martin Lang, lengthy lay-offs to Luke Rooney, Tony Puletua and Joe Gulavao and the loss of Amos Roberts, the Panthers were a mere shade of the exciting team they used to be.

The Cowboys are traveling well for the moment, but with the loss of Paul Rauhihi - who is more important to the Cowboys than people think - a leader must emerge from the forward pack. The logical choice would be Luke O'Donnell on the back of his Kangaroos selection, but it remains to be seen if he is a leader among men.

The West Tigers were THE team of the premiership, countering the dominant forward packs of the Roosters and Broncos with zippy dummy-half running and a forward pack with the ball-handling skills of the average back. They played a different brand of exciting football, throwing the ball wide quickly mixed with brilliant spontaneity.

The Tigers, despite having Keith Galloway and Sam Harris to add their 'small' forward pack this season, will have to face up to reality and remember that John Skandalis will not be around for much longer. He is the leader of the forward pack; he is a man amongst boys and leads the charge forward. When he retires, a leader must emerge from amongst them.

The Panthers were relatively lucky with injury worries in 2003 and 2004. But in 2005, when some of the more established players were out, the youngsters found it hard to live up to the hype of playing for such a high quality side and opposition teams exploited insecurities in them.

The hardest thing to do after winning the premiership or exceeding all expectations is come back the next season and do it all again. Teams are more aware of your tactics and they can identify certain players who lag behind the rest of the side. The season-after is a testing period, proving to everyone that what has been achieved before was not a fluke.

Fairytale stories come about from an accumulation of factors. Young, eager teams mixed with hardened veterans who can show them the way have surprised us each season. When leaders disappear from these sides, it is up to the young players who experienced success first up to fill the vacuum.

What can be said of players like Luke Lewis pre-2005 or Benji Marshall? They had or have never been in a situation where they have been desperately struggling to win matches. When the veterans disappear, they are the ones that must step up because of their experience at a higher level of the game or because they are one of the better players in their respective teams. This is the learning process of being a footballer. This process determines if you're going to be Brad Fittler or Brad Meyers.

Fairytales are named fairytales because they defied human imagination or any mathematical theory before the season. But rationalism and deduction has been what the world has run on since time began for the most part. Teams rise and fall as coaches figure out new ways to win games, and other coaches always find ways to counter it. Great players are born through their capacity to stand up in tough times.

Do all fairytales have to be grim, or are they just the beginning of a new chapter in the game of rugby league?

________________________________________________________________

word count: 692

 

[glockers]

Glockers comes on the field and lines up Goleel for a high shot.

Form Guide for Dummies

Many years of research, painstaking hours examining videos and interviewing internet forum nerds on League Unlimited has enabled me to discover a tool that will change the way fans, internet forum nerds and NRL coaches form opinions in the future. This totally amazing scouting report can be inserted for any team line up in the NRL, Super league, the Jim Beam Cup, group nine competition or even the Bartercard Cup.
Actually I am lying about the Bartercard Cup, the playing lists are so mismatched and crazy no one could do a proper scouting report.
Anyway back to the Glockers form guide for your favourite NRL team. Be prepared to use it in any forum argument about who should be in the squad.

1. Fail safe fullback – Every single NRL team has a fullback that their own fans love. Even Dave Simmons, Todd Polglase and Brent Webb are beloved by the internet fans. To scout a teams fullback be sure to know that they are completely safe in defence, an attacking force running holes and have the best kick returns in the competition. As long as you remember those basics then you have scouted the fullback position.
2. Speedy winger who can’t tackle – Amos Roberts, Nathan Merrit, Brett Howland, Colin Best, you get a picture: some speedy winger who will score tries but can’t tackle. Unfortunately he may score 22 tries but will let in 44 this year either directly or by screwing up the efforts of his centre.
3. Defensively sound centre that no one pays attention to – This unlucky chap doesn’t get any credit but is the most defensively sound back in the team. He just tackles his ass off and doesn’t let the opposition score, well unless the defensively crap but speedy winger gets in the way.
4. Young gun centre – That talented guy within a year or two of his 21st birthday. Everyone loves him. he guy has a nice step and beats his man on the outside a bit. He isn’t too bad defensively either.
5. Luke Covell aka fat winger – Can’t run, can’t catch and can’t pass. Luckily he learnt to tackle but still he shouldn’t be in the squad. Use a speedy man to get outside him and let him try to find the tryline because he will end up hitting the corner post.
6. The half everyone blames – Tis half or five eight will be the scapegoat for every loss while the other half or five eight on the run on side receives all credit and love. Unfortunately this solid first grader will never be as good as his halves partner and as a result is trashed by the fans.
7. The messiah (sorry Benji) – Saviour of the franchise, the guy with the fat $400,000 contract, the man who can never make a mistake. Everyone loves him even a forward steam rolls him ten times in a match he will still be loved.
8. Mark Tookey memorial spot – A fat prop who plays a maximum of 30 minutes a game and maybe 5 games a season. This unfit lazy ass is good for about 40 metres all up this game and can’t tackle. But the fans love him because he is fat.
9. The cult hero – Every team loves their hooker, they are just so speedy out of dummy half. Even if they can’t pass too well it doesn’t matter. If the team is winning te fans and media commentators claim this guy is an Origin chance aka Aaron Payne and ignore the guy is one dimensional.
10. Blue Collar Prop – The guy that makes 150 metres and plays 68 minutes. The workhorse of the front row that should get the credit that is fat front row partner does.
11. Extra prop masquerading as a second rower – The guy who really acts as a prop early in the game. This guy is the surprise packet that was outdated in the late 1990’s. Pick an agile Back row to exploit the other team having three props on the field.
12. Bum crack boy – I just wanted to pretend every team had a Nathan Hindmarsh that asked for a Hopoate each possession.
13. Tackling Machine – The lock that makes 55 tackles a game. He will tire himself out and not make more than five hit ups. Make sure you run at him the tackle before your try scoring move. It takes him out of the play.

745 words.

 

[eloquentEEL]

eloquentEEL shouts out instructions to his Eels teammates to sort out their defencive line
______________

Who the hell is Jay Jay?

Since Mick Cronin and Ray Price last donned the blue and gold in 1986, Eels fans have had little to crow about. Perpetual failure to achieve the major prize has left a burning hole in our bellies. It’s reaching the point where the younger Parramatta supporters are almost able to sympathise with Sharks fans. Thankfully it hasn’t been all doom and gloom though. A procession of club championships, world sevens trophies, lower grade victories and a couple of minor premierships has helped to alleviate the hunger pains a little. Whilst nothing to get vocal about, we can now share a collective inward smile and somewhat lame ‘yea team’.

We currently hold a trifecta of league’s “best and fairest”, “most improved” and “encouragement” awards. The trophy cabinet is sitting pretty with the minor premiership, club championship and premier league cup, but there’s one big empty spot waiting to be filled. It’s a bit like spending several years planning an extravagant wedding, getting all dressed up on the big day and turning up to find three beautiful bridesmaids in position, only to be told that the bride is spending the day driving between churches in Balmain, Campbelltown and Ashfield.

NRL Minor Premiership – The J.J. Giltinan Shield​

With another year to sit and stare at this lopsided trophy cabinet, the mind starts to wander. The prize for the minor premiership is a big arse shield (and as The Colonel can attest, <insert descriptive expletive of choice> heavy). Despite being emblazoned with the words “The J.J. Giltinan Shield”, the number of people that remember the shield’s name may be even less than the number of people who care about the minor premiership which it represents, ie. almost negligible. Whilst some of the older crowd may recall that it was introduced in 1951 and represented the major prize for a long time, only a handful of diehard extremists could tell you that it is covered by the Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986, requiring a temporary permit in 2002 for it to leave Australia and cross the ditch to Warriors HQ.

Despite the suggestion that nobody cares about the NRL Minor Premiership and by extension, the shield that it represents, it is a heritage item and was introduced to honour the memory of one J.J.Giltinan who died the previous year. This left me with one question: Who the hell is Jay Jay?

J.J. Giltinan​

An initial Google search brings up pages and pages on the man in question. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the articles are about his second love, sailing. Fortunately for league fans however, I can begin to answer the question by stating that James Joseph Giltinan was a guy with a bit of cash, a ship-load of guts and a rebellious streak stretching from Sydney Harbour, half way across the globe. Often referred to as the father of Australian Rugby League, he was the inaugural secretary of the NSWRL. Giltinan was an entrepreneur that ponied up the cash: for the first Kangaroo tour in 1908; and to establish the first professional football code in Australia with the Sydney based competition, breaking away from rugby union.

There was a fine line in terms of JJ’s progressive nature and where exactly it would leave the game of league. His vision was for a single professional code, amalgamated with Aussie rules. Fortunately for league traditionalists who have fallen in love with the game in the decades since, he dropped the ball so to speak. The Kangaroo tour was a financial disaster, rendering his suggestion of a combined code in ruins. His legacy however is the game that is now the pinnacle of domestic sport in Australia and has had a huge influence on the game internationally as well.

For most of his lifetime, Great Britain had a stranglehold on the international game, enjoying the kind of success that Australia has had in the last few decades. In fact, it was only several weeks before JJ’s death in 1950 that Australia finally broke through for its first Ashes series victory in 30 years. Aged 84, James died a happy man, this much is definitely known. He said so himself. Giltinan seems to have had a happy life which has left its mark on the generations which followed and those to come, but unfortunately, I’m not sure that I’m all that much closer to really knowing who the hell was Jay Jay.

___________

743 words

References:
History of St George - http://www.showroom.com.au/dragons/dragonshistory/history_stgeorge3c.htm

Department of the Environment and Heritage Annual Report 2002-03 - http://www.deh.gov.au/about/publications/annual-report/02-03/reports-movable.html

Brisbane 18 Footers Sailing Club – History of the Eighteens -
http://brisbane18s.asn.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=46

Fagan, S. – Professional Rugby Arrives in Sydney – 1907 - http://rl1908.com/Founders/sydney-rugby-history.htm

Fagan, S. – Breaking the Codes - http://rl1908.com/articles/AFL.htm

Fagan, S. – Touring with the 1908 Pioneers - http://www.rl1908.com/Kangaroos/ARL-Kangaroos.htm

Images:
1. More than a game: Parramatta Eels 2006 Corporate Partners Brochure – http://www.parraeels.com.au/pdf/Eels_Corp_Broch_2006.pdf
2. Rugby League History – RL1908.com - http://rl1908.com/Founders/giltinan.jpg

 

[Goleel]

Gol - Eels #11

Gol moves in for a grassing tackle on Glockers and does a little Reg Reagan scrotum grabbing in the process.

---

Best Friends Forever?

Like a cheating spouse returning to your door begging for forgiveness, Jamie Lyon returns to Parramatta and wants a second chance. Except he isn't begging, he's telling us 'you can have me back if you want', like we are the desperate, weeping girl who can't do any better and should be glad he wants back in to our relationship. So like the comforting best friend always there for you in times of relationship turmoil, I am here to help the Parramatta club through their Jamie Lyon dilemma.

'Do you really love Jamie?' is the first question I ask. It is answered with a furrowed brow and a head rocking from side to side with indecision. Feelings are still there, how could they not be? He is one of the best five eighths in the world right now, and he'd fill a hole in our heart we haven't been able to fill with other partners. He is the Man of Steel, something that would make any woman swoon. He is highly sought after, but wants to come back to us after his overseas fling, back to his true love. He is clearly very difficult to resist for a shy little western Sydney girl like us.

'Why did he leave?' is another question I pose. Parramatta tells me it was a disagreement with her father, Brian Smith. But he is gone now, with new stepfather Michael Hagan ready to rebuild bridges the man he replaces burned. Hagan has stretched out the olive branch to our old partner, giving Jamie his blessing, and letting him back into the life of his new child. It would be a fresh beginning for all.

'But my brothers...' Parramatta stammers out, worried about the reaction of the brothers Jamie promptly abandoned without even a goodbye. People who trusted him, loved him, whom he just left. Can they forgive him? They say they can, but forgiveness is easy to say but hard to do. You can't help but see a little friction develop there when times get tough.

&#8216;But has he changed?&#8217; I ask of my now teary eyed friend. She says he has. He&#8217;s developed into a more complete man, and his jaunt overseas has made him a more mature, worldly person. He isn&#8217;t that country boy playing by his own rules anymore; he&#8217;s a professional, willing to work in any environment with any people to get the job done. Still, you can&#8217;t help but forget how he abandoned you, Parramatta, in your time of need. The going got tough, and Jamie got going, not on fixing the problems, but to his little country home. Even if he has changed, is that something you can put behind you?

&#8216;What do your friends think?&#8217; Parramatta is a popular girl, with a healthy support group who meet with her every week at the Sterling Terrace and Thornett Stand. They can be cruel, some would sooner see Jamie thrown off a bridge in concrete loafers than by Parramatta&#8217;s side once again, others loved his deceptive turn of pace and power breaking through tackles so much they can easily bring him back into their lives. They all care deeply about Parramatta and her feelings, and they want what is best for her. How would Jamie take it if Parramatta took him back, her brothers welcomed him with open arms, then Parramatta&#8217;s friends in the Sterling Terrace spit at him as he walks by? Is his skin thick enough to withstand the barrage of hate inevitable from some of Parramatta&#8217;s loyal friends?

Parramatta is a mess, she doesn&#8217;t really know what she wants, and despite my best intentions, I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;ve helped her out. Jamie Lyon is a great catch, absolutely, but how can you return to someone who has cheated on you, fled the country to get away from you, and abandoned you in your hour of need? Has he really changed? Can he mend the many broken hearts he left here? If we take him back once, doesn&#8217;t that give him all the power? Most important of all, if a relationship is all about trust, what do you do when you don&#8217;t know if you can trust someone anymore?

Parramatta has a difficult decision on her hands with her old flame. Whichever way she chooses, we will all be there for her still, but it will be a rocky ride for Mr. Lyon no matter what way it goes the next time he visits Parramatta.

---

749 from the official word counter, and he knows the score.

 

[bartman]

Bartman gets some assistance from the trainer for that nagging groin injury :shock: and takes the field for the Eels...

The quest for success&#8230;

In any team sporting competition, the ultimate measure of success is to be last one standing on the final day. Champions, premiers, grand final winners&#8230; nothing else counts. The aim of any competition is obviously to win it; otherwise the competition wouldn&#8217;t have a structure, rules, prizemoney, trophies and awards. Without the incentive to compete for success, all team sporting competitions would merely become loose collections of like minded people gathering socially in a local park for some exercise with no-one watching. (Kind of like Sydney club rugby union, not that there&#8217;s anything wrong with that&#8230;?)

So from the perspective of the clubs that participate in a competition, the highest success they can strive for is to win that competition. But here we&#8217;re talking rugby league, and we&#8217;re talking about the professionals who play in the NRL and Superleague. Guys that for the most part earn higher than the average worker&#8217;s salary and in some cases earn a six figure amount each season to pit their sporting talents against each other in the name of success for their chosen team - and to entertain us in the process. Do they measure success in the same way the clubs that they compete for do?

Obviously the clubs would hope that players benefiting from their investment share the same definition of success. And for the most part I&#8217;m sure they all do. Given the choice between winning and losing, who wouldn&#8217;t choose winning (except in a few celebrated cases where some money allegedly changed hands)? But the point I&#8217;m trying to make here is that when the amount of money paid to players of a sport becomes higher than they could earn in occupations elsewhere, there&#8217;s bound to be a few less people playing for love than for the money potentially on offer.

So an individual professional player&#8217;s measure of success may only be partially shared with the club that employs them, and partially based on what they as an individual can increasingly earn as a result of their talents. This phenomenon is most easily seen leading up to June 30 in Australia every season, where various players and their managers use the media along with the spectre of offers from other clubs (and even other sports) to put forward their case for obtaining the highest amounts possible in contract negotiations with their current club. All this while the player concerned is supposedly still 100% focussed on the goal of achieving the ultimate success within his team?

Here we are witnessing an individualised measure of success, which it could be argued sits in contrast to the shared club ideal of ultimate success for the team as a whole. Especially when negotiations with an existing club don&#8217;t turn out as favourably as a player or his manager might want - it would take a hardy soul to apply 100% motivation and mental effort for the club that he or his manager is not feeling satisfied with at that point in time. There&#8217;s nothing wrong with wanting to be rewarded as much as you can for your talents, but it&#8217;s one example of how success in the modern professional game is a lot more complicated and harder to define than at any other point in our game's lengthy history.

Just to complicate things further, perhaps we should examine the fans&#8217; perspective of success? Most fans follow a club rather than a particular player, so you can expect that their feelings about success and failure mirror the club&#8217;s fortunes in pursuit of their ultimate goal. In the modern game loyalty seems a devalued currency on both sides of the contract equation, and individual players come and go with increased frequency while the clubs (for the most part) continue ever on. But even a cursory look through online forums will tell you that fans differ widely in their expectations of and feelings about the performance of their favourite team in the quest for success. Fans&#8217; attitudes can range from eternally positive (which is very refreshing at times), to eternally expecting the best (which can be very cathartic at times), to any point on that continuum in between. After a loss online forums can be a constant battle between passionate supporters who hold different definitions of success. So no help there&#8230;

Maybe defining success is just too complicated an endeavour, and so for club, player or fan it&#8217;s all about just getting on with your contribution in the best way you know how?

- - - - -
750 words, legal in some countries

 

[The Piper]

SHARKS
OFF: KryptoniK
ON: griffo346

 

[griffo346]

griffo346 comes on the feild for the sharks as a super sub

REFEREES; WHY CANT THEY BE CONSISTANT

I have noticed in the recent games of the National Rugby League that Referees, Touch Judges and Video Referees are not consistent, to me its not rocket science to communicate with each other they are all wired up on the same frequency so why cant they communicate???

The referees that come to mind are Steven Clarke, Shayne Hayne and Sean Hampstead consistently blowing 15+ penalties a game where the other referees don’t do this.

The penalties most awarded are, hands in the play the ball, inside the 10 and High Shots. The high shots are penalised the most. As there has been a "clamp" down on this such as Grapple Tackles and Swinging Arms.

The worst penalties blown in a game are the "home crowd" penalties where the crowd starts booing the referee until he is pressured to blow one of these penalties. In my opinion these are classified as 50/50 calls.

Referees can be inconsistent in the way that there is a lop sided penalty count maybe it could be like 18-6 to a team generally the home team gets the close calls in the game, the close calls are known as 50/50 calls.

When a referee comes under scrutiny, they are monitored from week to week and eventually they may have a stint in Premier League to improve there game as a referee.

The NRL has tried to work at the balance of the referee ranks by recruiting the British referee Mr. Russell Smith instead of looking to our Premier League referees like Gavin Badger, Jason Robinson and Ben Cummins.

I am a believer that these younger referees should be given a go, otherwise these men and or women will not get a go in times to come I guess what I am saying we should clean out the "dead wood".

With the retirement of Bill Harrigan and Tim Mander in the past 2 seasons these where are 2 leading referees fans are now left scratching there heads thinking where there going to get the next top referee. My opinion now is the leading referee is Steve Clark and if not him Sean Hampstead.

With Bill Harrigan becoming a Video Referee, I believe this is a waste of our top referees and now Tim Mander also becoming a Video Referee I believe these 2 guys could become more useful in the league training the younger referees to become more mental and physical.

In summing this article up i am a firm believer if we have many more penalties in a game of Rugby League we may as well get the Rugby Union Referees to Ref our fabulous game.

Please Referees more consistency.

450 words including heading according to f7s word counter

 

[antonius]

Ref Blows Fulltime.

 

[griffo346]

Well done sharkies 5 in again
make the best team win

and lets hope the sharks get up

 

[The Piper]

Well done to both sides!

Big hand for griffo346, coming in on the buzzer which made it 5v5.

Really good league articles all over this match!

 

[edabomb]

Good luck to both sides, especially the Sharks

 

[Bubbles]

Great effort by both teams, particularly give the Easter break and all. Good luck everyone, should be a close one...

 

[The Colonel]

Woohoo two wins in the one night - go you Eels! Congrats to Bubbles on her third POTM in thre games and eloquentEEL for his first of the season.

Commiserations to Dread and the rest of the Sharks - great article to share POTM Dread.