Round 4: Rhinos Vs Penrith

[Mr BuLLdOgS]

Rhinos Vs Penrith

Game Thread

Please note - This is a game thread only, therefore only game posts can be made here (Teams, Articles). Any other posts will result in loss of points.

**Referee Blows Game On!**

Full Time: Wednesday 18th June 2003, 9:00PM AEST

Referee: broncoman

 

[maelgwnau]

Penrith Panthers Side For Rd 4

1) Big Mick - Captain
2) Maelgwnau - Vice Captain
3) Bedsy
4) Suburbanknight
5) Theiry Henry

Reserves:
6) Matt23
7) Lewis

Good Luck To Both Teams

 

[Big Mick]

I’d like to say good luck to both teams. And I am honoured to be the first player to post an article on this site, hopefully many more to come.

Big Mick, #1 For the Mighty Penrith Panthers.

The World Sevens- Were they a success or failure?

After 6 years in abeyance, the World Sevens made a triumphant return to the rugby league arena. Whilst the World Sevens displayed a style of league not shown for a long time, with spectacular tries and plenty of entertainment, there are still many critics who wish that the Sevens had never taken place.

The public was provided with a plethora of great games that made your blood pump that little bit faster. Spectators saw great tries, big hits and dubious referring decisions, which could be a taste of things to come in 2003. Other highlights of sevens football were unexpected results ( Penrith defeating Brisbane), nail-biting finales ( Manly v Saints) and an unbelievable display of skill and ability shown by all players.

There are many reasons why the World Sevens was a success, but one that stands out is the number of people in attendance. Over two days, the tournament drew over 50 000 spectators, with 24 462 attending on Saturday and 25 995 attending the finals day. The crowd success was not only attributed to the fact-paced action, but also good weather and value-for-money tickets.

Another success for the Sevens, which could also be observed as a failure, is the television coverage. Channel Nine merely provided a highlights package, including the Cup Final, from 6:30-8:30 on Sunday night, while Fox telecasted the whole Rugby Union World Sevens. Brickbats to Channel 9! During that time slot, however, the Final rated higher than any other show with 398,000 viewers. As can be shown through the television ratings, if the league sevens were totally televised, as the union was, it would have been better for both rugby league’s development internationally and for the Australian supporting public.

While the sevens were a tremendous success, there were some failures such as crowd behaviour, television coverage and lack of seriousness.

The crowd behaviour and lack of policing was a major problem. During the course of both days many fights broke out after mediocre arguments, fuelled by alcohol consumption. In particular, on Finals Day, I was sitting in Bay 33 and I could not go five minutes without viewing a fight breaking out. It took security many minutes to convene and calm the situation. This could be seen as a major blemish on what the NRL is trying to promote - a family environment at league matches. Would this display of drunken behaviour during a match encourage you to bring your family to a football game this season? I think not! Something needs to be done to stop this drunken behaviour at games, for the good of rugby league.

The overall coverage of the Rugby League World Sevens was a woeful display by one of Australia’s leading television networks. One would think that such a popular network would try to cash in on such an event, but they chose to ignore Rugby League, hence showing their arrogance towards it.

Another major problem was the lack of seriousness shown by the clubs towards this event. Bulldogs coach, Steven Folkes, stated, “They aren’t worth much, we aren’t taking it seriously”. It is this type of attitude that harms the development of rugby league. This view, however, was not shared by all, with Saints coach Nathan Brown and his players enthusiastically wanting to participate in the tournament, stating, “ When we asked who wanted to do it, 53 of the 55 squad members put their hands up”. This is the type of attitude the game needs for such an important international tournament.

Injuries sustained by players were a talking point, and whether it was all worth it. Nathan Brown, however, stated, “Injuries are part of the game- it could happen in a trial match or at training.” Any criticism on this front is unacceptable, because I’d rather have a few injuries to good players, than not give fledgling countries a chance to compete at the highest level.

In conclusion, I find that the positives far outweigh the negatives. It’s a positive for Rugby League in Australia to have an event where supporters of all teams are brought together, but also for the development of Rugby League internationally. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait another 6 years before we witness this spectacle again, because it should be a permanent fixture on the league calendar.

Words: 717

 

[ParraMatt]

Rhinos Team (6th Month Anniversary)

1. ParraMatt (c)
2. EWS
3. ChiaPete
4. Eels Dude (vc)
5. SomethingWithJohn

Reserves
6. Parra-Matters
7. Mattkd

Good luck to Panthers and Good Luck to the Rhinos who will be representing there 6 month in playing forum sevens this Game.

GO RHINOS!

Cheers
ParraMatt.

 

[Jono Russell]

hehe wendy is a forum sevens gurl you go gurl

gimme a W gimme a E gimme a N gimme a D gimme a Y whats does it spell BEDSY opps i men WENDY

 

[~bedsy~]

hehe wendy is a forum sevens gurl you go gurl

gimme a W gimme a E gimme a N gimme a D gimme a Y whats does it spell BEDSY opps i men WENDY

:lol: :lol: :lol: your an idiot ;-)

 

[~bedsy~]

Bedsy #3 Penrith Panthers.
What makes a great Player

There a number of determining factors which are needed to be considered when answering such a question as "what makes a great player". Many females would say looks, males would say their muscles, but what does make a great player. Some of the characteristics are the positions played, the level of skill, the years ofexperience and their determination to be the best in the game.
There are a lot of players that are hard workers and don't get the credit theydeserve. These players are the backbones of their team and make the tackles week-in-week-out playing with passion for their clubs. Most of these players are just as hard working as the likes of Andrew Johns, Darren Lockyer, Brad Fittler,Trent Barrett or Danny Buderus. Even though their names are not put up in the spotlight, they still play and train to their best abilities, for their teams and for their fans.
Some of these players are Steve Price, Justin Smith, Rhys Wesser, Scott Sattler,Lincon Withers, Simon Woolford and Steve Simpson. These players always seem tobe out there playing their hearts out, for their teams and their fans. These players give 100% commitment, putting their bodies on the line, whether they play for 30, 60, or 80 minutes.
Most times you can not judge players against each other as they don't all play the same positions and with the same club. Each player has their own type of skills and skill level that they have developed throughout their years of playing football. Comparing players is a common thing, however it should be players that share the same position, not comparing the likes of Gordon Tallis to Andrew Johns.
A lot of players also practice outside of their club training. Doing drills on
their own, putting in the hard yards up the sand hills in order to get that
extra bit of pace necessary to break through the line. This increases their
skill level and gives them added confidence to perform well on the park. The
longer a person plays football, the more they will become experienced and on top of their game. One only needs to look at players like Brad Fittler to know that players get better with age. Another example is Scott Sattler, the Penrith lock. Scott has been playing with the panthers for a lengthy period and has been aconsistent figure on the park. In previous years, he has had judicial problems,but has solved that problem and is playing the best football of his career. In the case of a player, playing since he was three years old, then his experiencesin playing will make him a good player. However that doesn't necessarily mean he will be the best player. It takes a lot of skill and determination and a lot of training to become a great player. I'm sure every player in the NRL, every week trains to the best of theirabilities. Then on the weekend, plays the best football that they can. There arejust some players that stand out the most. Whether being goal kickers, passers,runners or all three put together. The main thing for players to do is to think positively every time they step on the field to play a game. To have the confidence in themselves to be a great player for their team.
At some stage, every NRL player had a dream of representing their club at the professional level and being the best player they could be and be propelled into stardom. A great player comes along once in a decade. In this era, we have seen Andrew Johns grace the field. His skill and expertise make him the player he is.In my opinion however, every player has made it to become a first grade player,every player has something unique to offer the game, and otherwise they wouldn't be in the NRL. Every player has the potential to be a great player whether it's
in the eyes of their fans or team mates. Every player can be the best player the best player on the field on any day, whether you are an Andrew Johns or a Lincon Withers. The dreams of our next generation of stars live in these players’ hands. The next star could be among us now, we will just have to wait and see.

Words: 728

 

[suburbanknight]

Suburbanknight #4 - Penrith Panthers

The Day My Footy Changed Forever

I remember the day like it was yesterday.

I'd been excited from the very moment my old man told me he had tickets for the big game and by the time I woke up on that cold and wet October morning the excitement had reached fever pitch.

Normally a trip to the sun drenched east side of Yorkshire wouldn't warrant such enthusiasm even from a footy mad 11-year-old, but this particular trip was to go and watch no ordinary match. It was my first International game. The mighty Australians, led by the Manly warrior Max Krilich, were in town and they were playing Great Britain at Boothferry Park, Hull in the First Test.

I could tell it was a big game as soon as we arrived in Hull, my old man was getting agitated because he couldn't find anywhere to park and then when we arrived at the turnstiles the queues were huge in comparison to what I was used too.

Once inside the ground the place was buzzing, you could almost taste the anticipation. The scene was set with the big crowd and the typically English, cold and damp, late Autumn weather. Now all we needed was the gladiators who were going to entertain us all for 80 minutes.

The men in Green and Gold looked every bit like the superstars the old man had been building up all week at the dinner table with his tales of superheroes from a far away land. They all had that star quality look about them and they were BIG. We were stood on the side of the ground that Eric Grothe, who was to become one of my many heroes that day, was playing in that first half. He was huge. I hadn't seen many forwards the size of this big bear of a man from the Parramatta club! Some of the British players looked old in comparison to these big and burly young men from down under. Little did I know that this early judgement would, in 80 minutes time, be fully justified in more ways than one.

It was a fairly tight game in the first half. The intensity of the game was of a higher level than I was used too, only the derby games I'd seen when Leeds played Castleford or Bradford could really compare to the fare being served up that afternoon. The tourists went into the sheds at half time with a 10-4 lead, but you always got the impression that they had some extra gears to shift into, whilst the British were just hanging on.

We spent the 10-minute break dissecting the first half and hoping that the British could find another level and keep going.

They couldn't.

What followed was the greatest exhibition of Rugby league that, we in attendance that day, had ever seen. The Australians found those extra gears and boy did they use them. The perfect blend of youth with Meninga, Grothe, Kenny and Pearce mixed with the guile and experience of the likes of Price and Lewis just blew the British away. They were rampant in that second half. They drew gasps of astonishment from the partisan crowd as they tore into the British who had no answer to the Australians speed of thought, athleticism, slick passing and movement and the no nonsense tough wall of defence that was put in front of them. They ran in a total of 6 tries in that second half, I only wish it had been more. I could have stayed on that terracing forever, marvelling and applauding their every move.

That afternoon changed a lot of things within the game of Rugby League. It set a benchmark for the game. It showed the insular British that we were playing an old mans version of our great sport whilst the Australians were playing a more youthful and vibrant game. It heralded in a more professional approach to the game, the great Wigan side of the 80's and 90's is testimony to that. It's just a shame that everybody else in the British game forgot to follow them at the same time.

I hope to make that very same journey to Hull later this year, once the venues for the test matches have been confirmed. My only hope this time is that both teams can emulate that fantastic team of 1982. I'll be a very happy footy fan if they do.

Word count - 737

 

[ParraMatt]

Team: Rhinos
Name: ParraMatt
Number: 9
Position: Captain

QUEENSLAND BRONCOS OR QUEENSLAND MAROONS.
As BroncoMan is marking this it was probably a Bad idea to write my article on the Broncos and Maroons as he will probably mark me down for basically haunting his beloved Broncos but nevertheless here goes.
Did Wayne Bennett pick the correct team?
That is the question. On Wednesday the 11 June 2003, Gorden Tallis lead out a team of experience, a team designated to win as favourites, a team of mostly Broncos.
In the past few seasons of Wayne Bennett being the coach of Queensland he has always put at least 11 Broncos in his Queensland line-up. Is this Right? Most Broncos will agree, although the other 14 teams would probably have mixed opinions. Last night at Suncorp Stadium the team that clashed against the Blues was:
1. Darren Lockyer (Broncos)
2. Shannon Hegarty (Roosters)
3. Brent Tate (Broncos)
4. Justin Hodges (Roosters)
5. Matt Sing (Cowboys)
6. Ben Ikin (Broncos)
7. Shaun Berrigan (Broncos)
8. Shane Webke (Broncos)
9. P.J Marsh (Warriors)
10. Petero Civoniceva (Broncos)
11. Gorden Tallis (Broncos)
12. Dane Carlaw (Broncos)
13. Tonie Carroll (Broncos)
Interchange
14. Steven Price (Bulldogs)
15. Chris Flannery (Roosters)
16. Andrew Gee (Broncos)
17. Paul Bowman (Cowboys)

I'm not putting anything away from how well the broncos played in this game as I am a Queensland Supporter but surely Wayne Bennett the "Broncos" Coach could have chosen some other In-Form players throughout the NRL teams. Let's have a look at a list of Names that didn't get selected. Firstly Clinton Schifcofske, He made Queensland last year and this year he is even better then 2002 and didn’t even get selected. What about Rhys Wesser, Has been the inform Fullback in the Competition and didn’t even get a position in the 18 after scoring 15 Tries so far in 2003. Then there is Todd Byrne, Billy Slater, Steven Bell and Scott Donald who all have over 7 tries this season. Yes.... They aren’t experienced and the Backline for Queensland in Origin 1 was fair but who’s to say it'll be the same in Origin 2 if Bennett selects the same team. I Believe Bennett need's to experiment like Gould did with Timmins. Then you have other players like Josh Hannay (leading goal kicker), Ty Williams, Matt Bowen, Ashley Harrison, Chris Walker, Ben Walker and Jason Ferris. Now look at the Forwards with Scott Sattler, He is in brilliant form and didn’t even find the bench, What about Travis Norton or Kevin Campion, Mark Tookey, Matt Bickerstaff, Chris Beattie, Joel Clinton, Martin Lang, Daniel Wagon, John Buttigieg, Peter Robinson and Jamien Lowe. Alot of those I just mentioned aren’t Queensland material but on the same subject you must agree that a minority of the players I mentioned for the backs and forwards deserved a run in Origin 1. Especially either Sattler or Norton.

Now your probably just thinking I am whinging like any other Queenslander and just blaming Bennett for the team he put on paper but honestly if you had a team like this one I made up I would guarantee they would not fail.
1. Darren Lockyer (Broncos)
2. Clinton Schifcofske (Raiders)
3. Matt Sing (Cowboys)
4. Shannon Hegarty (Roosters)
5. Chris Walker (Roosters)
6. Ben Ikin (Broncos)
7. Shaun Berrigan (Broncos)
8. Shane Webke (Broncos)
9. P.J Marsh (Warriors)
10. Martin Lang (Panthers)
11. Gorden Tallis (Broncos
12. Travis Norton (Bulldogs)
13. Scott Sattler (Panthers)
Interchange
14. Chris Flannery (Roosters)
15. Steven Price (Bulldogs)
16. Petero Civoniceva (Broncos)
17. Dane Carlaw (Broncos

That is what I call a Queensland Team, It only has 5 Broncos in the Starting line-up which now I can call it Queensland Maroons not the Queensland Broncos. It has variety now, With Norton and Sattler, 2 of the best tacklers in today's game and have both had taste of Origin. With the Backs having sensational speed and strength.
Anyone that gives the excuse that it’s a good idea for Bennett to make it mostly Broncos because then they know each other's game can knock themself out because on Wednesday that wasn’t the case and the team which has alot more variety out played the team which was basically all Broncos.
In conclusion I would like to say that I hope Wayne Bennett turns his brain switch on and picks a more variety Queensland Outfit that I will attend in 2 weeks in Sydney to cheer on my Mighty Queensland Maroons and not the Queensland Broncos.

749 Words Including Heading.

Cheers
ParraMatt

 

[maelgwnau]

Penrith Panthers #2 Maelgwnau
Rebounding Roosters
The Sydney Roosters Became the 46th Premiers in 49 years to win the premireship after experiencing a grand final in the previous four seasons,
a stunning statistic.

Sydney Roosters' 27-year premireship chase has ended. And the ruthlessness of their finals charge only strengthens the long-held belief that "you have to have played in a grand final to win one".

The Warriors, the first overseas team to play in Australia's biggest clash, not only confronted a confident, defensley vigorous Roosters but an histroical precedent that proved too much to conquer. Only three times in the past 49 seasons have the premiers not appeared in a grand final (or final as they were before 1954) within the previos four years. It is a phenomenal revelation that dates back to the Roosters' 1945 title.
The trend was certainly challenged in the 90s, when the only exceptions occured - Brisbane (1992), Newcastle (1997) and Melbourne (1999).

The Roosters showed the obvious benefit of having 10 survivors from the 14 - 6 loss to Brisbane in 2000 even though coach Ricky Stuart blasted his troops at half time for not "winning the play the ball area" and confessed the Warriors won that important facet of the game for 60 minutes. But his side relied on the composure, experience and leadership of Brad Fittler to grind out their greatest victory since they won back to back premireships in 1974-75. And again they has to come from behind on the scoreboard, as they did for the last five games of the nine-match winning streak that gave them glory.

As members of those great Roosters sides of the 70s (then called Eastern Suburbs) like Ron Coote, Mark Harris, Bill Mullins, John Brass, John Quayle and Arthur Beetson congregated in the dressing room of elation, the Warriors most experienced campaigner Kevin Campion conceded how great an edge grand final experience can be. "I do believe that you have to experience it to probably win it," said Campion, who had played for St George (1996) and Brisbane (1998 and 2000) in grand finals. "Mentally it is very tough. Some players can lose the plot and miss the whole game. But having said that i thought the players really stood up. The score was too harsh on the Warriors. The Roosters base their game on defence and in the end they bashed the Warriors out of it.

Campion's performance in a losing side was surely the greatest in the past 20 years that did not earn the Clive Churchill Medal (Brad Clyde in 1991 and Brad Mackay in 1993 are the only losing players to achieve that feat.)
The 31-year old has left an enduring influence from his two seasons with the remade Warriors and his relentless grand final effort typified that. He made 13 tackles in the first 13 minutes and has affected 30 by half-time. But it was the aggression and importance of his defence that was most impressive. Campion visibly lifted his team-mates as if it to impress upon them that this was the type of commitment needed to be successful in such high intensity matches.

"He was phenomenal with his aggresion level," said coach Daniel Anderson after the match, than being reminded of the void Campion's departure to North Queensland will leave . "We have blokes who can do the job. I think that whilst we'll miss him, we have people who are willing to step into his shoes".

The stand out memories from the grand final in 2002 include:

*The injustice of the 30 - 8 score-line. Those who watched will remember it as one of the most physical, captivating grand finals on record, and will know how impressive the Warriors were for 60 minutes.

*The two defensive turning points of the match both involving Fittler, who completed his most consistent, inspirational season as a club player in his 14-season career
The First was his 40-20 kick in the 56th minute, with the Roosters behind 8-6 and under pressure. Craig Wing scored from the resulting scrum possession.
The Second involved Fittler being accidentally head-butted by Warriors prop Richard Villisanti after Fittler had lost the ball under pressure from Wairangi Koopu as he tried to kick. It gave theroosters a rush of adrenalin which saw props Adrian Morley and Peter Cusack smash Villasanti the next two times he hit the ball up and the Roosters adopt a whole new level of aggression .


Words: 741

 

[Eels Dude]

Eels Dude #4 The Rhinos

Getting Back to the Roots of the game

It’s been 95 long years since the New South Wales rugby league
competition was first formed. It’s been 95 long years since a part of Australian lifestyle was formed. It’s been 95 years since South Sydney defeated Eastern Suburbs in the grand final to win the very first rugby league premiership in Australia. The foundation clubs consisted 8 teams including South Sydney, North Sydney, Eastern Suburbs, Western Suburbs, Balmain, and Newtown. As the years went on and the competition became stronger, more teams from all over Sydney were added, St George, Canterbury-Bankstown, Manly-Warringah, Parramatta, Penrith and Cronulla all came to life in the next 60 years.

But thing’s started to change in the early 1980’s, the Newtown Jets, one of six remaining foundation clubs at the time, were suspended from the competition due to their inability to pay off their debts. They were only suspended for one year but they were never able to afford to get themselves back into the competition and have remained outside the NRL ever since. The 80’s also saw the formation of several clubs firstly outside the Sydney area, and then outside of NSW altogether. The Canberra Raiders and the Illawarra Steelers both first entered the premiership in 1982. This was followed in 1988 by the introduction of The Brisbane Broncos, Gold Coast Seagulls, and the Newcastle Knights. All of a sudden the market of rugby league in Australia was expanding and giving the game a whole new audience.

In 1995 the development of the game continues with the adding of North Queensland, South Queensland, the Western Reds, and a New Zealand side, the Auckland Warriors to the competition. There were a record high twenty teams competing for the premiership but it was evident that there was not enough playing talent and money to go around. When the split between ARL and Super League came about prior to the 1997 season, it would be a black year for rugby league, things would never quite be the same again.

News Limited demanded that the twenty team competition be reduced to fourteen teams. This meant that the twelve Sydney clubs would be forced to merge, or face the risk of being cut. It was a decision which would destroy the past heritage of Australian rugby league. This proposal led to the cutting of the Gold Coast, Adelaide and South Sydney, while several other clubs were forced to merge with each other. League has never quite recovered from that struggle.

The game of rugby league continues to expand and develop throughout Australia. A lot of fans would like to see the creation of a second team in Brisbane, and a second team in New Zealand, and there are the more likely options in teams from the Central Coast and the Gold Coast being developed. However the creation of these new teams would most likely be at the sacrifice of existing teams.

While it is important to expand the game and it’s audience throughout Australia, it is equally important to protect the heritage of the game. A lot of fans would like to see the game become nationwide someday down the track, but the fact is the heart of the game is in NSW and this is where it should remain. Western Suburbs, Balmain, St George, and Illawarra are no longer in the forms they once were, while in the case of the North Sydney Bears, they no longer exist at all. It would be a sad state if the continuing development of rugby league were at the sacrifice of the older clubs who have been out there doing it tough for generations. It would be a sad state if fans of these clubs who have been out there supporting the teams for decades, only to realize they nothing left to support.

There have been some positives in the protection of rugby league heritage. The Newtown Jets have recently returned to the NSWRL first division competition as a feeder club to the Warriors. Who knows, maybe one day their fans could have a team to support in the NRL once again. In 2001 when South Sydney won their court case to be re-admitted to the NRL was a great moment in sport, it restored the faith in a lot of fans that had been disheartened by the game in recent years. Souths may not be back to their glory days, but the fans have a team to support again and that is surely better than nothing.


747 words

 

[Big Mick]

Dear Adjudicating referee,

Theirry henry's post will be late tonight, due to circumstances out of his control, he attempted to post earlier but when selecting "submit" and "invalid session" sign came up, and upon retrieving to save the document, it did not happen.

He is attempting to post it as soon as possible. I have discussed this with Parramatt, the Rhinos captain and he said it is ok for this to occur without and penalty to Theirry's mark.

Thank you, and good luck to both teams in the adjudication, it has been a great match.

Big Mick
penrith captain.

 

[Anonymous]

Big Mick, as team captain, you can make a post on your players' behalf. It's totally up to the discretion of the referee as to the validity of the entry but its understood that sometimes circumstances intervene.
Nevertheless, its fairly important that all posts are in before fulltime. Maybe you can get Theirry henry to email the post to you.

 

[broncoman]

Big Mick, as team captain, you can make a post on your players' behalf. It's totally up to the discretion of the referee as to the validity of the entry but its understood that sometimes circumstances intervene.
Nevertheless, its fairly important that all posts are in before fulltime. Maybe you can get Theirry henry to email the post to you.

Ive had a chat with Mick, i will alow thierry henry's post to be late. I will be waiting till the morning to post the results.

 

[Big Mick]

This is theirry Henry's Article:

Why I love rugby league referees

An ever-present complaint among fans of all sporting codes is the perceived incompetence of match officials. Rugby League supporters have often found cause to complain about referees in recent times- Bill Harrigan’s sending of Parramatta players to the sin-bin on 4 separate occasions in their clash against Newcastle last year led to vociferous debate around the rugby league world, while another performance by “rugby league’s premier referee”, in the major semi-final between the Sydney Roosters and Brisbane Broncos, was roundly condemned by Broncos fans after a lopsided penalty count went against them. But rugby league fans seem to be spoilt in terms of referee mentality and rule making, as my research proves.

Friday February 21, 2003. Waratahs Vs Blues, Round 1 Super 12 match, and I’m watching (purely for research purposes, of course).After a drab first half dominated by dropped ball, there are two incidents that stick in my mind. Firstly, Waratahs centre Matt Burke was sent to the sin-bin for an alleged high tackle on try-line bound Justin Collins. There has been a new innovation approved for the 2003 Super 12 season- a match can now be paused while the video referee (or “TMO”- television match official) views replays of alleged foul play, in order to more closely view the incident. Of course, this raises the obvious arguments- the view that this “slows the game down” against the opinion that “what matters most is the correct decision”. Well apparently, in rugby union they are interested in neither. After viewing several replays of a tackle that made little contact with Collins’ head, throat or neck, the TMO recommended that Burke be sin binned. Later in the first half a minor altercation occurred between props Patricio Noriega and Tony Woodcock. Precious few punches were thrown and it was all sorted out quite quickly. The result? Both men, off to the sin-bin for 10 minutes while Burke, back on the field, pleaded to the referee that BOTH should remain- after all, they had sorted it out between themselves, so why dish out an unnecessary, token punishment?

Having seen this, I suddenly released how lucky we are that a bit of commonsense still exists in rugby league. My mind went back to last year’s game between Brisbane and the Warriors at Ericsson Stadium, and fisticuffs between Kevin Campion and Shane Webcke that have quickly gone down in rugby league folklore in these parts. The crowd and commentators loved it, the players (two grown men involved in a highly confrontational sport) got over it, and the referee penalised Webcke for unnecessarily initiating the exchange- nobody considered a sinbinning. The sin bin is surely a place where a player goes when his professional foul has altered the course of the game, and a sending off occurs when a moment of violent play is deemed entirely unacceptable. Two men briefly clashing is not a reason to reduce, and irrevocably change, a match- neither is a marginal high tackle that would be better looked at with a clearer head later, rather than a “TMO” having to make a snap decision under duress from angry fans and pleading players.

There are some who would like a return to the “good old days”, where a little biff was rarely punished. Some are unimpressed by a convoluted judiciary system that sees players accumulating points that could eventually see them receive a ban for a seemingly minor misdemeanour. But we can’t escape the fact that it has for some years now been common to have television cameras and slow motion replays available, and it would be ridiculous to allow foul play to go unpunished when it is clear to all the viewers at home. Unless a player commits an obvious act of violence, it unnecessarily changes and degrades a game to make it 12 versus 13. And for those who think that the biff has gone, take a look at Rugby Union- top level players are expected to be almost devoid of emotion, anger, and unable to retaliate- in fact, they must all live in fear of the dreaded yellow card- an unnecessary “soccerising” of a full contact sport that simply doesn’t work, and where players being sent from the field has become almost bizarrely acceptable and commonplace. “The biff” hasn’t gone, it has been necessarily reduced- but at least there is still a shred of commonsense in rugby league refereeing. Although in hindsight, it’s hardly necessary for me to convince anyone that rugby union rules lack logic.

747 words

Thank you for ur cooperation and friendlisness in this matter.

 

[ParraMatt]

Bloody Disgraceful. Another game where we dont get all posters. Only bloody 2.

 

[ozzie]

BONG BONG - THIS GAME IS OFFICIALLY OVER - WELL PLAYED TO ALL PLAYERS.

 

[ChiaPete]

NOOOOOOOO! Sorry ParraMatt and the Rhinos got home an hour late to post. I would post it anyway but I best save it for before the final siren of another match. Once again sorry Matt and the Rhino's, you know I'll normally always reliable.

Pete
GO BULLDOGS

 

[broncoman]

Scores

Panthers

Big Mick
The World 7's, Were a success or failure?
An interesting article on the 2003 World Sevens tournament. Went into good detail about the whole tournament. Good facts to back up each arguement you made.
Words: 725
Score: 8.4

Bedsy
Whats makes a great player?
A good look at some unsung and perhaps less naturally gifted players. Didn't seem to quite hit the point at the end, but still a good effort.
Words: 720
Score: 7.1

SuburbanKnight
The day my footy changed forever
A really good article. Some facinating facts and memories of the game in the 1980's. A great read which flowed well moving in chronological order.
Words: 743
Score: 8.7

Maelgwnau
Rebounding Roosters
Good facts to back the argument made throughout the article. Did particulary well to keep the views non bias. deserved the solid score it got.
Words: 738
Score: 7.7

thierry henry
Why I Love Rugby League referees
An unusual topic and idea to post about. Must be the only league supporter to like refs , went into good depth to back up your points.
Words: 753 - 0.2 for 3 words over the limit
Score: 7.8

Total: 39.7

Rhinos

ParraMatt
Queensland Broncos or Queensland Maroons?
Although I dont agree with many of your statements its not my opinions that make up your mark. You made some good points there and used good rugby league knowledge to back up your points.
Words: 709
Score: 8.5

Eels dude
Getting back to the grass roots
Good knowledge of the history of the game, some good research obviously went into the post.
Words: 755 - 0.2 for 5 words over the limit
Score: 7.7

Total: 16.2

Panthers 39.7 defeated Rhinos 16.2

Player of the Match: SuburbanKnight (Panthers)

I enjoyed marking these, some real cracker posts in there, its a shame both sides didnt get 5 posters each because it could have been a really good game. Well done to everyone.
cheers
Simon

 

[Big Mick]

WEll done to Parramatt on your great mark.

Its a shame not everyone posted.

Congrats to Suburbanknight and the rest of the team on fantastic scores.

Well done panthers, thats two on the trot and looking strong.