Round 5 (2005) Dirty Reds Vs Bulls

[roosterboy60]

Glebe Dirty Reds v South Florida Bulls

Game Thread
Please note - This is a game thread only, therefore only game posts can be made here (Teams, Articles).
Any other posts will result in loss of points and is at the discretion of the referee.
Only original essays, not used in previous games, will be marked by referees.

Home team captain will be allowed 3 reserves, visiting captain will be allowed 2 reserves
Rules: http://f7s.leagueunlimited.com/rules.asp

Full Time: Wednesday 11th May at 9pm (Syd time)

Venue: Wentworth Park

Crowd: 12,360
REFEREE: Willow

**Referee Blows Game On!**

 

[Misanthrope]

chriswalkerbush leads his chargers out onto the park, eager to get a valuable win against a team which the Reds enjoy a healthy rivallry with

1: chriswalkerbush (c)
2: les norton
3: The Joey Show
4: Cake or Death
5: MrCharisma

6: balmain_benny
7: brandell
8: Skeptic Ghost

 

[Misanthrope]

chriswalkerbush takes the first hit-up of the match.

Passion

On the way home from the Knights’ heart-breaking 24-20 loss to Canterbury on the weekend, I happened to hear a discussion between a man and his son. His boy couldn’t have been more than four years old, yet I heard him distinctly ask ‘Did Newcastle lose?’ His father answered truthfully, but reminded his son of a few things:
‘We’re going to do it tough this year, but as long as you keep cheering for them, that’s all the matters. You’ve got to stick by your team’. You know, despite wanting to shed a tear over the loss, I couldn’t help but smile at the valuable lesson being instilled in the young Novocastrian.

Buying credit for my mobile phone, I strike up a conversation with the guy working behind the counter.
“Going to the footy this weekend?” he asks.
“Yeah, going to watch Newcastle get pounded again” was my response, with the statement supposed to be a bit of gallows humour at my club’s expense.
“Ah, don’t be like that mate. They’ll come good”.

What do these two experiences have in common? They both illustrate what a tremendous sense of community there is in Newcastle. I’ll be completely honest, whilst I may have told friends and family that I moved here to pursue career options, the cold hard truth is that I wanted to be near the Newcastle Knights. Since getting my first taste of football in 1997, I’ve lived and breathed Newcastle. At times I felt out of place. Whether it was the smart-ass reminders of a big loss scribbled on my notice board in college, or being lectured on how overrated Joey is by drunks at the pub- life in Armidale wasn’t always sweet as a Newcastle fan.

Two months of Newcastle life have really taught me the truth behind the claims that the Novocastrians love their football. No longer do I feel like the odd one out when I scream obscenities of delirious joy at the top of my lungs, nor am I seen as ‘over-reacting’ when I stand around after fulltime has been blown with a look of dismay and bewilderment on my face. Quite the opposite. In the wake of last week’s loss to Canterbury, whilst a sea of red and blue flooded out of the gates, I was not the only one standing and applauding the team as they went off the park.

Like some sombre guard, a large number of us simply stood in the late afternoon sun and reflected on the game that had just gone by. Some people might be content to celebrate the wins and forget the losses, but I’ve found Newcastle’s fans are entirely different. The rare few who jump off the ‘bandwagon’ to support another flavour of the month are just that, the minority. The vast majority of fans I’ve met don’t spend their time bitching about the referee or predicting a wooden spoon. Instead they’re in the pubs, forums, streets, and papers expressing their support for a beleaguered playing roster. They’re discussing whether or not privatisation is a valid answer to our current financial woes. The truth is, prior to moving to Newcastle, I always thought the claims that the city ‘lives and breathes’ football were exaggeration. Some fancy turn of phrase coined by Channel Nine media moguls to better market a Friday night game or grand final.

The truth is evident as you walk down the street, and receive a nod from a fellow red and blue adorned compatriot. It’s in the fact that every third store sports some form of Knights’ merchandise. Hell, it’s in the fact that no matter what local radio station I tune into, there’s chance to win tickets. You’ve got Russell Richardson, hardly a Newcastle legend, doing his tips each week and stubbornly backing the Knights. Every second advertisement is either Andrew Johns or Paul Harrogan, with a few others thrown in occasionally for good measure.

Maybe all of this support can be a bad thing from time to time. God knows, the Knights are certainly feeling the pinch more than other sides might in their situation. However, the crowd at last week’s game has to say a lot for the city’s loyalty. Finishing second behind only the ANZAC day clash, you’d never have thought Newcastle were winless. Regardless of how this season finishes, it will sort out the true fans from the bandwagon fans. I think you’ll find, when kick-off to 2006 comes, there’ll be vastly more of the former.

WORD COUNT: 750 including title

 

[Broncodroid]

USF BULLS

Broncodroid
Bomber
Broncoman
BroncoCloete
RifRaf

Reserves

Davester
Jordan

 

[The_Joey_Show]

The Joey Show takes the second hit-up of the set, hoping to follow his skipper's lead.

Headless Chooks

Today I will attempt to tackle a question that has been often asked over the past six weeks – what is wrong with the Sydney Roosters? What has happened to make the powerhouse team of the past five years, a team that has won one premiership (and been a hair’s breadth off two or three more) in the last five years into the erratic, struggling, also-rans that we have seen wearing the red, white and blue this year? It is a question that has caused many pundits a great deal of confusion (and me, as a lifelong Rooster-basher, a fair measure of personal gratification!).

Let us deal with the obvious first – the retirement of Brad Fittler. On grand final day last year, the Roosters lost so much more than a premiership. They lost a leader, an inspiration, an aura of invincibility. Brad ‘Freddy’ Fittler, the greatest Rooster – maybe the greatest player – of his generation, was gone, never to return. All the experts knew that the Roosters would struggle to fill his enormous boots at the club. However, even the retirement of such a luminous character cannot fully explain the demise that we have seen from the Roosters so far this year. It is not like the Roosters are short of playing talent. Apart from their off-season buys of Roberts, Monaghan and Firman, the Roosters already regularly line up sides featuring 8-10 representative footballers; names that walk tall in modern football including Minichiello, Morley, Wing, Cayless, Fitzgibbon and Ricketson. Under these superstars lay a solid foundation of tomorrow’s stars and young veterans – the likes of Cross, Tupou and Finch. Surely playing talent cannot be the problem, even withstanding the loss of Fittler.

One of the most frequently praised aspects of the Roosters organisation is their coaching staff, and yet this may be one of their most prominent problems. One of the most integral skills that a successful coach must have is the ability of pull his charges out of the doldrums, and yet this is a situation that Roosters supremo Ricky Stuart has never faced. He has always coached highly successful outfits. It is easy to forget that his coaching record since his retirement from playing in 2000 currently stands at:
2001: Premiers (Bulldogs Jersey Flegg)
2002: Premiers
2003: Grand Finalists
2004: Grand Finalists
Every other coach in the NRL has faced a losing period at one time or another. Even the uber-successful Wayne Bennett has coached his Broncos through losing streaks stretching to 7 and 8 games. Some coaches wilt under the pressure of coaching a losing team, but the best emerge better at their profession for the experience. Coaching a losing side is a new challenge for Stuart. It is a challenge he will have to meet, head-on and quickly, if his Roosters are to remain near the top of the NRL tree.

A similar problem to the one facing coach Stuart is also facing many of the Roosters players. While it would be unfair to say that the Roosters players have never struggled for periods during their careers, it would be accurate to say that many of them have won for so long that they have forgotten how to lose. It is a problem that faces many clubs at one time or another, and the Roosters are not the only current sufferers. The Dragons and the Knights also appear to be struggling to regain that winning mentality. For sides like the Wests Tigers and Manly, winning has not come easily for many a long year. They are used to ‘gutsing it out’ in order to get the two points. For the more fashionable sides, winning has been a more achievable target. When in trouble, they have been able to turn on the razzle dazzle and get themselves over the line. However, this year’s competition has been about the guts, not the glitz, and the Roosters (along with others) are struggling with the transition.

It would take a brave tipster, or maybe a stupid one, to write the Roosters out of this premiership at this premature stage. They have put egg on many a tipsters face before today, and I’m sure they will again. But even a win this week against the desperate and winless Knights will not hide the facts from the Roosters faithful. There are new challenges on the road ahead and Bondi, and failure to meet these challenges may see a new bird sitting on rugby league’s top perch.

WORD COUNT - 744 words incl. title.

 

[Bomber]

#4 - Bomber
USF Bulls
748 words including title



The Future Evolution of League

We live in changing times.

Sixty years ago, we bought our milk with shillings and pence.

Forty years ago, the Beatles were clean-cut young men and model members of society.

Twenty years ago, the space shuttle had a perfect safety record.

Clearly, nothing is immune to the forces of change – not even the great sport of rugby league.

Defenders used to only retreat to behind the play-the-ball area instead of the mandatory ten metres. The number of tackles in a set doubled from three to six in the space of a generation. The value of field goals was reduced from two points to one; tries were increased from three points to four. The replacing of players during a game was expanded to incorporate interchanges; over the years, the number of reserves increased from two to four, and the number of changes allowed has fluctuated wildly over the years.

The greatest innovation over the last ten years – for the better, and for the worse – is undoubtedly the introduction of the video referee. With more than mere competition points at stake in this brave new age of rugby league, it is imperative that match officials get the important decisions right. With all games televised and made available for public consumption, there is no place to hide anymore for the ‘three blind mice’ that officiate at games. And even though the video referee is still prone to making some terrible decisions, rugby league has passed the point of no return in this regard.

As rugby league charges head-on into its second century in Australia, one can only wonder what kind of changes will occur in the greatest game of all. Although unlikely to ever happen, the following illustrates the possibilities that exist in the future evolution of league.

In ice hockey, when a player is sent to their version of the sin bin, the non-offending team is able to substitute their goalkeeper for an attacking player. Whilst this may sound like suicide on ice, for as long as the felonious player is absent his team is prohibited to have possession of the puck, and is effectively castrated and unable to score.

In the context of rugby league, this rule could be introduced to great effect. Whenever a player is sin-binned for a professional foul, his team cannot touch the ball for five minutes, whilst the opposition is awarded a free interchange and an extra player, wearing fluorescent armbands and headgear, is allowed to take the field for five minutes – creating a game of fourteen against twelve.

It would be illegal for the penalised team to touch the ball except to catch it on the full from any kick; should they catch it, the fourteenth man is immediately pulled from the field and the game reverts to the usual rules. At the end of five minutes, the video referee notifies the referee to remove the fourteenth man from the field, and the next five minutes of ‘sin-bin time’ continues as per usual.

Purists may well squeal and cry foul, but the video referee was also a radical idea well ahead of its time.

As I see it, other potential changes include:

• All revenue from future television deals is used to pay the salaries of all NRL players; the clubs employ players but no longer pay them, allowing each team to spend more on junior development and player promotion.

• 'Saturday Night Live' makes its debut on free-to-air television, increasing the number of free-to-air games and providing greater exposure for rugby league in the minds of the public and the pockets of sponsors.

• Extra-time games end only when a try is scored, or ten minutes has expired; attempts at penalty goal are banned, whilst a successful field goal does not automatically end the contest.

• Each club is allowed to have up to three players exempt from the salary cap each year, thereby allowing rugby league to keep its marquee players in the sport.

• Clubs will be permitted to directly swap players between each other, as long as the players are in the final year of their contract.

• The clock is stopped after each try, and starts when the conversion is taken.

Clearly, rugby league is an evolving work of art. The game which your parents loved as children will be almost unrecognisable from that which your offspring will love and cherish.

In any case, it will always remain the greatest game of all.

 

[RifRaf]

#12 - RifRaf
USF BULLS
744 words including title

Born from the Suburbs

Players have come and gone, as have sponsors, coaches and even our name; however, the one constant for Tigers fans since 1934 has been Leichhardt Oval (we don't speak of the Parramatta Stadium debacle). I personally refer to it as the ‘heartland’, not just of the Tigers but also of Rugby League in this country.

Leichhardt reminds of you of what our game is about, born from the suburbs for all. It's no coincidence then that the very first games of the NSWRL in 1908 were all played within two kilometres of Leichhardt Oval. At Birchgrove Reserve, Balmain overran Wests 24-0 and Souths beat Norths 11-7, while at Wentworth Park, Newtown beat Easts 32-16 and Glebe defeated Newcastle 8-5.

Call me a romantic but, there is no finer way to enjoy a Sunday afternoon than a pub lunch at one of Australia's finest and oldest pubs on Darling St, Balmain - there's dozens to choose from and everyone a winner - and then wander down Darling St, through one of Australia's oldest suburbs, over Victoria Road, through the picturesque grounds of Callan Park and up to the gates of Leichhardt Oval. Once in the ground you find your patch of grass on the hill, grab a drink from beneath the scoreboard and warm up the vocal chords for the mighty theatre of sport that is a Tigers home game.

There used to be a similar story to tell about dozens of grounds around the Sydney metropolitan area, but not anymore. Leichhardt is one of a few true suburban rugby league grounds in the NRL and its fate is in our hands.

Ric Sissons, Anthony Sinclair and myself, all mad Tigers fans, debated with others on fan forums and at games that Leichhardt's fate was not already sealed, that something could still be done to secure its future. Too often people would reply ‘but nothing has so far’ or ‘who's going to make it happen’ – that’s the reason you're reading this.

If you love the Tigers, or simply love the sport of rugby league, get behind us to help save a true treasure to our game, community and heritage.

The recent state government announcement that Leichhardt Council and Balmain Leagues Club will receive an interest free loan of one million dollars to put towards up grading the ground is a start. And bearing in mind the current political climate, with hospitals and schools crying out for money, it is probably the best we could have hoped for this year.

However it still leaves us $4 million short of the money needed to complete the job, including upgrading corporate hospitality and press rooms. This loan will allow us to get the toilets, fencing and lights upgraded and repaired. At the moment the club needs to hire in lighting to the value of between $15,000 and $30,000 for night games depending on if it’s a Fox Sport or Channel 9 covered game. So it will make a difference.

But the battle’s not over; we’ll now turn our sights to the federal government, as well as revisiting the state government when their bank balance looks a little healthier.

Prior to the last federal election John Howard and the Liberals promised $8 million to Oki Jubilee Stadium and $10 million to Penrith Stadium. By no means do we begrudge the other grounds receiving the funds, however we do seek similar treatment for the remaining $4 million we require. Our request is equal to half or less than half of the other two grants; add to that John Howard’s own electorate of Bennelong is serviced by the ground. Even our Premier League side is now known as the Balmain Ryde Eastwood Tigers, encompassing two large suburbs in the electorate.

It’s been over a year since we formed Stop The Rot (Save Leichhardt Oval Campaign), and we’ve received amazing support from the club, government and more importantly the fans, not just Tigers fans either; it seemed everyone had a great memory from a game at Leichhardt no matter who they support and over 15,000 signatures demonstrates that.

Rugby league was a game born from the suburbs for the people of the suburbs and there is no finer example of that than Leichhardt Oval. We’ll continue to push on with our campaign, if you have the time to lend a hand, attend a match or just add your signature. We’ll welcome your support.

See you at the heartland.

 

[BroncoCloete]

#11 - BroncoCloete
USF Bulls
746 inc. title


Near Enough Isn’t Good Enough

Gone are the days when athletes would play simply for the love of the game. Gone are the days where players would play for the social side of the game. Today’s game is a professional, high intensity and top class sport. For all the new techniques and changes that are in the game, there seems to be one key element that has always been missed, excusing a few brilliant examples. That element is goal kicking. While rugby league has always had one or two top-notch goal kickers around - your Hazem El Masri’s and Daryl Halligan’s - the general standard has been far too poor.

It appears that the game’s coaches have just simply overlooked a very important aspect of rugby league. Think how many times games have been won or lost on a kicker’s boot. With the introduction of the golden point rule, kicking becomes even more important. Yet the fact that it is simply shunned aside by many clubs leaves many supporters wondering.

One of the best examples of this is the Brisbane Broncos. Since losing Michael De Vere to England in 2004, the Broncos have persisted with Darren Lockyer as their first choice kicker. Lockyer himself has admitted many times that he loathes having the kicking duties, demonstrated by his staggeringly low kicking percentage this season. Having played eight NRL games this year, Lockyer has had 47 kicks at goal and has only converted 25, a ‘success’ rate of 53%.

Rugby league needs to change the way it perceives goal kickers. If you observe how important Hazem El Masri has been over the years for the Bulldogs you will get the idea. In their Round Eight clash, the Penrith Panthers beat the New Zealand Warriors by just two points. Two points? That equates to one simple conversion, does it not? With both teams scoring three tries each the game was decided by the goal-kickers. Panthers kicker Preston Campbell kicked two of his three attempts, while New Zealand Warriors kicker Stacey Jones managed only one successful attempt from three.

It’s quite clear that rugby league games often do come down to goal kicking. There are always plenty of examples in every season similar to the Panthers v Warriors game. The question we must ask ourselves is why has rugby league forever placed no emphasis at all on goal kicking? The most adequate explanation can be traced back to around rugby league’s inception.

When it was mate on mate and the winning team was the team which scored the most tries or made the biggest hits, goal-kicking wasn’t considered important. These social days of rugby league continued throughout the earlier days of Australia’s national competition, where kickers would simply ‘toe-poke’ the ball with the thought of ‘near enough is good enough’ flowing through their mind, as if to reveal just how much of a joke they considered goal kicking to be.

At the same time, rugby union players all over the world were kicking with impeccable technique and accuracy as they won many a match on their goal kicking ability. This attitude towards goal kicking has continued on into the professional era, where only a few players were exceptional at it. These players stood out like a sore thumb, amongst a bunch of talent-less kickers who barely even practiced. That’s why today we have players like Darren Lockyer who, despite it being against his wishes, is forced to kick because the Broncos don’t see it necessary for them to have a proper kicker in the team.

However, there’s good news on the horizon, coaches are beginning to change their views and so are players. This season eight out of the top ten goal kickers - in terms of goals kicked - are kicking at over 70%, with Lockyer and Burt (67%) the only exceptions. Three of these kickers - Brett Hodgson (90%), Hazem El Masri (88%) and Clinton Schifofske (84%) - are kicking at over 80%. Gone are the days where simply scoring unconverted tries was good enough; gone are the days of the toe punt. And, for the Broncos fans, let’s hope that next season we can say ‘gone are the days where part time kickers were good enough!’

A new trend is emerging in the NRL, a trend that places the emphasis on goal kicking. Indeed, rugby league deserves a trend that leads us into a new era of professionalism where near enough, is no longer good enough!

 

[Cake or Death]

Cake or Death lofts a 40/20 towards the Bulls' end...

Saints and the Devil – The Case of Ian Millward

Ian Millward, coach of St Helens Saints, is suspended as of the moment, and may wind up getting sacked this Monday. Not because of lack of performance (second in Super League this season to date, with five trophies in the Saints’ trophy case), but because of his intemperate nature.

But the question arises – what will happen to Super League if Millward leaves Saints – especially if he returns to his original home, St George-Illawarra Dragons, where his father holds an executive position?

The charges laid against Millward were not from Super League, but from Saints chair Eamonn McManus and chief executive, Sean McGuire. According to an article by David Lawrenson in the 8 May Observer, the Saints’ board was not involved in suspending Millward. Senior director Eric Ashton, with some 35 years’ tenure, and the only person whose coaching tenure at Saints has exceeded Millward’s, remarked:

“I am not being blamed for something I had nothing to do with. The directors have had a lot of stick but had no involvement whatsoever. I'm at my wit's end, it has upset me and my family…The first I got to know about it was a call from Bob Millward, Ian's father. This is a disgrace. I have not been asked my opinion…Him [Millward] and the chief executive have never got on.” [1]

A Christopher Irvine article in the 6 May London Times details the three charges laid against Millward by the Saints’ executives:

1) Swearing at a Warrington Wolves press officer during a press conference in Warrington
2) Angrily ordering Brian Carney, the Wigan Warriors wing, from a closed training session he was attending with Sky Sport
3) Swearing at a fourth official during a Super League match earlier this season.

Irvine notes also that disagreements between Millward and McManus and McGuire haven’t helped matters. [2]

The fans want him to stay, as do his players, but that may not cut too much ice with McManus and McGuire, especially when their failure to consult with the other directors is considered.

Let us presume that Millward is sacked – would he definitely move on to Dragons? Or would another Super League side try to sign him? Although he coached Leigh Centurions before being hired by Saints, I don’t think he would want to take the immense task of helping a weak Centurions side avoid relegation, especially mid-season. Most Super League clubs have sufficiently stable situations where a new coach isn’t warranted, for one reason or another.

There are two Super League sides that could use him now, sides that have ample player resources to make it worth his while to sign a contract, and need a spark immediately: Wigan Warriors, fighting through inconsistency caused by massive injuries to date; and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, whose wild inconsistency indicates that either a psychiatrist or a taskmaster like Millward is needed. In addition, signing with Wigan would make their rivalry with Saints even more compelling than it is now.

But even massive rivals like Bradford and Wigan would shed tears if Millward returned home to Dragons. Why? Because, love him or hate him, Millward kept Super League in the media eye more than it would have been without him – a priceless asset, considering that union, football, and cricket are better covered than Super League is in England.

Saints press conferences, as risky as they were to reporters and opposition press officers, were very entertaining with Millward at the microphone. And the Saints – Warriors rivalry was taken to new heights with Millward on the Saints’ touchline. Even sides that weren’t rivals with Saints benefited, because attendances were higher when Millward brought the Saints to their pitch, and they had a better chance of getting games on television.

Saints would likely still contend without Millward as their coach – their squad is one of the three best in Super League. But, if they don’t, the Knowsley Road faithful won’t be happy, as their protest after their Challenge Cup tie with York last Saturday showed.

Will Super League be ill served by a Saints’ sacking of Millward? Since blood is thicker than water, the odds would have to be in favour of Millward returning to Dragons (although I have heard suggestions that Newcastle Knights could use him as well). As Super League has precious little exposure as it stands now, even with Millward, perhaps they will not be affected. However, even as a Wakey fan, I would not want to risk finding out.


References:
[1] http://observer.guardian.co.uk/sport/story/0,6903,1479189,00.html
[2] http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,19989-1600054,00.html


750 words, including title.

 

[les norton]

#2 Les Norton brings out the drinks to her dirty red teams mates...they have done a fine job thus far

His dream….Or Mine?

“Kim…Kim! It’s your turn to go and get the drinks; I’ll have a beer and grab some chips too please”
“No way, it’s nearly time and I’m not going to miss this” (Although chips sound really good….)

I still can’t believe it…my baby boy is going to play state of origin football tonight. Pinch me now. How proud am I? Almost as proud as I was in 2005 when he scored his first try in a make shift game at after school care. He rocked even in grade one. So the downer is that he is playing for Queensland, but I knew that would happen. It’s the first time I have ever wanted QLD to win…strange feeling but completely worth it.

Today has been a strange day all around. Tristan spent most of it slightly freaking out to be honest. All the pacing just about did my head in. I made him lunch and he just looked at it. He wasn’t exactly a normal colour. I did the mum thing, “shortie, you need to eat something (I stopped at the …you’ll need all your strength comment)” I can still call him shortie even though he’s 25 and at 6’3” he towers over me….It’s a mothers right.

It’s now 7 pm, nearly game time.

My stomach is killing me. I think I’m going to be sick. This is ridiculous; I have been watching him play for 20 years. I have seen him break his arm, get into one or two biffs and even stood on the sidelines when he was nearly knocked unconscious. Why am I so nervous? And if I’m this nervous, he must be close to throwing up the little bit of lunch he had.

The boys run onto the field. The roar of the crowd is deafening. I am happy he is playing for Qld, I love that 60,000 people are screaming for my baby and not booing. The national anthem is sung and I see my boys face on the big screen. (I think he is welling up a bit although he later explains to me that smoke from the fireworks irritates his eyes).

Game on.

NSW kicks off…Please don’t have the first hit up, please don’t have the first hit up…Thankfully he doesn’t because that kid gets absolutely smashed. (I have a little last cheer for NSW in my head). He does have the next one though and does ok. He makes like 10 metres. I can take my heart out of my mouth now. By half time the score is NSW 20 - QLD 10. Tristan has played quite well but he still seems very nervous. I also figure at half time, it is well and truly my turn to get the drinks.

Second Half.
Starts out very well with Tristan breaking the line and running like 30 metres, my voice is going to be non-existent tomorrow. QLD are the next to score under the posts. NSW 20 - QLD 16.

23 minutes to go and a fight breaks out…Is he? I can’t see….Crap, where is he? Yep, there’s my boy smack bang in the middle of it. It only last for a few seconds and as he is running back into position he looks at me, shrugs and smiles. Thankfully there is no blood or bruises.

The man next to me will not shut up about Tristan. How he found out I am his mother is beyond me. The fact that he is saying really nice things makes it very difficult to ignore him and as I do my best to politely ask him to shut up, the crowd jumps up screaming and hollering…What happened? Damnit…what did I miss? I grab Tristan’s dad and try and get his attention, is he crying? Why is he crying? Try. Some one scored…hehehe that’s great, Go QLD!! I look towards the big screen for the replay. Tristan has the ball and by pure strength and determination manages to pretty much run over the top of two men to score the winning try…and I missed it.

The noise in the stadium is unbelievable. I’m crying and jumping and screaming. Someone behind me has one of those annoying horns, completely ruining my moment. The horn I swear is getting louder and also starts in on a weird pattern. Horn…alarm…horn…alarm, alarm…

“Kim, will you turn off the bloody alarm clock already”

Something or someone jumps on me…

“Mummy, can I have McDonalds for breakfast? I’ve been good…promise”

750 word, including title.

 

[Broncodroid]

749 words

The best kind of headache

Well, it is nearly that time of the year for rugby league fans. The time where you’re either with or against your mates; you’re either a proud New South Wales Blue or a passionate Queensland Maroon. There is no in-between.

As the NSW selectors push their ‘possible’ Origin players through one more hoop before naming their seventeen man squad, Queensland selectors are sitting pretty north of the border casting a watchful eye over the likely candidates doing battle in the toughest rugby league competition in the world, the NRL competition.

Let me say this. In 2005, the depth we have is simply amazing; we are loaded at all positions and I predict the mighty Maroons will reclaim what is rightfully ours, the State Of Origin shield, which will be shown in Darren Lockyer’s arms in all the newspapers the morning after the decider.

Some may scoff at that bold prediction, I say “wait for the I told you so” in two months time.

For the doubters, read on. I am going to take you on a journey giving you a small insight into the possible juggernaut you are about to encounter in just under three weeks time. So as not to scare the faint hearted off, I will look at the starting thirteen only, the full seventeen man squad is not something I feel many will be able to stomach this far out from game one.

Let’s start at fullback; we are simply loaded. Take your pick from one of either Rhys Wesser, Billy Slater, Matty Bowen or Clinton Schifcofske. Four brilliant custodians in arguably career best form at the same time! Whoever is named in the number one jersey is going to be a home run threat each time he touches the ball. An inside tip, you will see Wesser returning the ball on May 25.

The wingers are just as potent. In my opinion you will see Billy ‘Seeyou’ Slater on one side joining perhaps the game’s best winger in Matt Sing who is one of the greatest Queensland players of all time. Put that back three on any rugby league field in any era and you earn respect before a ball is kicked.

Incumbent centres Shaun Berrigan and Willie Tonga are by no means sure things for game one in 2005. Whilst they have been in good form, do no discount the goal kicking point scoring machine Josh Hannay or discarded representative centre Brent Tate, who was in fine form before injuring his shoulder. Paul Bowman is a worthy contender here as well.

Darren Lockyer has a mortgage on the number six jersey for as long as wants it; let’s not state the obvious here.

The same cannot be said for the halfback position, do you pick Jonathon Thurston who has been a revelation in Townsville, or Scott Prince who has been in great form and got the job done so brilliantly in 2004? Brisbane’s Brett Seymour is partnering the great Lockyer week in week out; do not discount his early season form either.

The retirement of Shane Webcke saw the underrated Steven Price step up and fill his void in the ANZAC test this year, he will continue that trend in the Origin arena partnered by the veteran Petero Civoniceva, and form the two building blocks in which many attacking raids will be built.

’What about hooker’, did I hear someone say? Two words: Cameron Smith. The future Australian number nine and at only twenty two years of age an established Queensland star. We are looking at the future Queensland captain.

Our back row is up in the air though like fullback, we are stocked with a blend of experience and youth.

The lock is going to be the hard hitting Tony Carroll. End of story.

One second row spot has to go to the barnstorming Carl Webb who adds controlled aggression to the pack taking the ‘raging bull’ role of Gorden Tallis.

The other spot in the second row is not so cut and dried. Take your pick from Brad Thorn, David Stagg or Mick Crocker. There is a chance Price will move to the back row to accommodate Shane Tronc or Ben Ross up front.

Selection headache? Certainly not. The above players are all ingredients that will ensure the only headache we have to worry about is post-Origin three celebrating a series victory! That my rugby league friends is the best kind of headache, the morning after victory.

 

[broncoman]

broncoman
USF Bulls #3

Adelaide Rams: Nice Idea, Wrong Time

The Adelaide Rams story starts in 1993, four years before the team took to the field for the first time. On the 18th of July that year the NSWRL decided to schedule matches across New Zealand, Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. It was already decided that four new sides would join the 1995 competition, however Adelaide wasn't among them. This did not stop over 20,000 fans turning up to watch Canberra defeat the previous seasons runner up St George 30-2 on a Sunday afternoon. How could things have gone so badly?

The NSWRL had already given the go-ahead to expanding the competition to twenty teams and Adelaide was crying out for a side. There was seemingly only one option for them - Super League. With news that the breakaway competition was set to go ahead, the South Australian Rugby League applied to be part of it. By June of 1995 they had been offered a place. The side was launched as the Adelaide Rams on December 13 and it’s first major coup was the signing of coach Ron Reddy. The side was set to compete in the 1996 competition, however the ruling for Super League not to go ahead until 1997 was a blessing in disguise.

1997 came along and the new club was short on money and short on depth; in fact their playing roster was so small they could not field a reserve grade side. With very little hope the team set about the season with a view to playing good football and giving the city of Adelaide a team they could be proud of. Their first match was in North Queensland against fellow cellar dwellers the Cowboys. The inaugural Rams team lined up this way:

Michael Maquire
Wayne Simonds
Solomon Kiri
Elias Payo
Joe Tamani
Kurt Wrigley
Stuart Topper
Andrew Hick
Kerrord Walters
Marty McKenzie
David Boughton
Brett Galea
Cameron Blair

Reserves:

Kevin Campion
Chris Quinn
Steve Stone
Bruce Mamando.

Hardly household names, but they were set to give it their best.

There’s no doubting the club overachieved in Super League by finishing second last. The finest moment of the season came in their first home in round three game, when in front of 27,435 fans they beat the Hunter Mariners 10-8. The Rams were in, the city was taking to league and all they needed was a good side who would put in every week and it was possible the club could be a big success. They did eventually win six games in 1997, only two of those at the Adelaide Oval.

On the field Mark Corvo was the outstanding player for the team. The former Canberra Raiders forward was instrumental in their wins and proved to be a very handy buy. The club also provided Luke Williamson with his first taste of top grade footy, by the end of the year he was an Australian Under 19 rep player.

Large crowd numbers throughout 1997 gave Adelaide a chance to play in the 1998 National Rugby League competition. The only highlights came through fullback Graham Appo who broke most point scoring records for the club (12 tries and 34 goals) and the clubs biggest win which was a 52-0 drubbing against Balmain at their new home ground Hindmarsh Stadium. Crowd numbers dropped dramatically during the season. The Rams even tried playing a home game in Whyalla but only attracted just over 5000 people. Their final ever premiership game was in Newcastle; they lost by 14 points, so ending the chapter of league in South Australia.

Or did it? I've been thinking where and how Adelaide went wrong. To me everything was perfect except for the team. The NRL is again looking to expand, the Gold Coast is certain to gain the sixteenth spot, but in the future Adelaide is a real chance of working. The talent pool is much larger now and the crowds will definitely turn up. Adelaide would embrace league this time; the way they turned up for the Rugby World Cup proves they want to see some footy. I say lets not wait for union to make the next move like they have with Perth, but get back into Adelaide and schedule some games there in the next couple of years with a view to the future. If enough players of first grade ability are around a side in the city of churches could be back by 2020.
__________________________

743 words including title

 

[Misanthrope]

MrCharisma has a nasty tumble whilst checking out a woman in the crowd, and brandell jogs on for his 2005 season debut.

(Posting on brandell's behalf, as he is busy with rehearsal for a play)

Frustrated

2005 has proven to be one of the closest seasons in recent memory. It seems that not a week goes by without a new team raising its hand as the latest contender. However, with the unpredictability of score lines also comes the frustration of supporters who have, until recently, been supporting the ‘superior’ teams. Being as I am, a supporter of the once mighty ‘Black Magic’ of Penrith, let me look at its steady decline and perhaps find a reason as to why 2005 has given my doubts as to my team’s chances of success.

Looking back to 2003, the year proved to many die hard Panthers’ fans that, no matter what happens, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Out of the devastation of the previous ten years, emerged something special. I remember sitting at my local pub drinking up a storm as the mighty Penrith Panthers beat the Rabbitohs by a close margin having come off the bye. At the time I thought to myself “Whoop-de-doo, we beat the Rabbitohs”, but as my father pointed out, that made us the first team to ever win off the bye. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. ‘Who gives a rat’s ass’? But at the time, I was grasping at anything I could. It was the start of something big though, and 2003 proved to be a dynamo year after that win. The Panthers went on to seal the minor and major premierships, in one of the greatest grand finals of the modern era.

After the success of the previous season, the Panthers were always going to cop a down period. This came in the form of losing arguably one of the club’s best ever stalwarts, in the form of Scott Sattler. That was not the only downside to success, however, with clubs who may have doubted Penrith in 2003 having learnt a harsh lesson. Where Penrith had previously had the advantage of surprise, now every team knew to target impact players. Not only did the ‘hair bears’ lose some of their ‘oomph’, but try-scoring hero Rhys Wesser was also targeted. Enter the hero of 2004, Dragons’ cast-off, Amos Roberts. ‘Famous’ Amos proved to be the buy of the year, showcasing each and every one of his talents to secure the top of the try-scoring tally. With mid-season injuries to Craig Gower, Preston Campbell, and Ryan Girdler- Amos proved to be a consummate professional and able utility.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, in Amos’ case) success comes with its rewards. For Amos it came in the form of a substantial offer from the evil, evil Sydney Roosters. Amos was just one of many big losses that Penrith fans had to endure in the off-season, with fan favourites such as Ryan Girdler and Martin Lang also departing. Paul Whatuira also left, in order to secure a top spot with the Tigers.

This may be where Penrith have struggled, relying too heavily upon their up and coming talent and current crop of players to bring the bacon back home to Penrith. Instead of searching for a few big name players or stars, the panthers have relied upon the legendary strength of their juniors, and only decided to buy ‘prospects’. Newcastle, another side in a bit of a form ditch, have fallen into the same downward spiral since their 2001 grand final win, buying hopefuls instead of proven first-graders. Just look at what teams like Parramatta (Mark Riddell, Timana Tahu, and Glenn Morrison) or Manly (Brent Kite, Ben Kennedy, and Terry Hill) have done in the off-season, buying experience and quality to lead the way.

I know what you think. What about the experience of Gower, Priddis, or Wesser? Would they have the experience needed that I’m referring to? The answer is simply, no. Penrith lack the rep class experience. Playing for your country is an invaluable experience, but the likes of Rooney, Gower, and Lewis are still largely untested at that level.

Unfortunately for most fans in the NRL this year (as it is every year), they’ll have to sit back and watch two other teams play at this year’s grand finale. For those supporters whose teams are in the penultimate match of 2005, be proud of the fact that your team will have won one of the closest fought seasons in the history of the game. Unfortunately for this pessimistic young supporter, I can’t see Penrith taking out the crown with pulling a big rabbit out of the hat.

WORD COUNT: 747 (including title)

 

[Broncodroid]

Ref: (Willow)

I am fine with CWB posting on behalf of MrCharisma.

Just clearing that up ensuring we have 5 v 5.

Cheers

Broncodroid

 

[antonius]

Ref Blows Fulltime.

 

[Broncodroid]

Good luck to the Reds, great effort from both teams and great to see 5 on 5.

The first step on the ladder for the Bulls, we agreed on one goal being to "be competitive" and new team policies have ensured a solid showing here tonight.

God speed Willow!

Cheers

 

[Misanthrope]

Best of luck to both sides, and a big thanks to broncodroid for being a good sport about me posting brandell's article for him.

Looking forward to results. Let's hope we can see a Dirty Reds' victory. It's been a while!

 

[The_Joey_Show]

5 on 5... well done to all involved. Excellent quality across all 10 articles I thought...expecting a high scoring game.

Good luck Bulls... and let's go Reds!

 

[Bomber]

And now the waiting game begins......(or continues)

Well done to the Bulls and Reds - always great to see 5 v 5, especially in an important game between two sides desperate for a win. Perhaps some opposition posters for certain teams could follow our example?

Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox now. Congratulations to all posters for some mighty reads.

 

[Willow]

Sorry to keep you waiting guys. It has been a hectic week on the forums and I want to give any ref marking my undivided attention.

The scores will be posted sometime between now and tomorrow lunchtime.