Round 5 (2009) RABBITOHS v PANTHERS

[The Piper]

Forum 7s - Round 5 2009
SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS v PENRITH PANTHERS

-v-

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

Naming Teams:
* 5v5 (+ 2 reserves for visiting team, 3 reserves for home team)
* No 'TBA' or changing players named
* Captains must stick with original teams named

ALL THE RULES & REGULATIONS: http://f7s.leagueunlimited.com/rules.php

FULL TIME: Thursday 4th June 2009 at 9pm (Syd time)
REFEREE: Willow
Venue: Redfern Oval

**The Referee Blows Game On!**

CLICK HERE FOR OFFICIAL WORD COUNTER

 

[Big Mick]

Penrith team for this week:

1) Furrycat
2) Madunit
3) Broncoman
4) Leaguenut
5) Azkatro

6) The Piper
7) Big Mick

 

[madunit]

madunit for the Panthers

Marketing

The root of the NRL’s problems with its players and their constant transgressions can be solely put down to very poor marketing. I’m not too sure who organises all the marketing for the NRL, but I’m sure they have to answer to David Gallop at some point, thus the buck stops with him.

All the problems in the NRL are David Gallop’s fault. Undoubtedly. Kind of.

When you have a product which is mass produced and is to be sold to millions of consumers throughout the country, you need to really have a thorough look at the strengths and weaknesses of said product well before you begin the stages of excessively repetitive advertising, spin doctoring, statements, press releases and other such expensive media related products.

This sole concept, a very basic and bloody obvious one at that, has been completely ignored by the NRL marketing team. Well, I say ignored as that implies that these people are aware of such a concept and decided to bypass it. It could be said that they just have no damn idea what they are doing at all. These types of marketing people are more eloquently referred to as ‘imbeciles’.

We must look at the good, the bad and the otherwise of the NRL product, the market to which it is being pushed towards, as well as the market that it currently attracts and see if we can find a more suitable way to advertise the game to help promote it, not degrade it, which seems to be the David Gallop style.

The game is played by men, officiated by men, men form the judiciary and the jury, men are the team selectors at all levels and men are the CEO’s and chairmen of the leagues clubs which help fund the teams. The governing body is run by men. The companies that sponsor the game, it’s clubs and players are overwhelmingly headed by men. As you can see, men are somewhat prominent.

Yet the game is continually being pushed in the direction of women and children.

The game contains a lot of alcohol related incidents, always bad. Something women don’t find appealing and children just don’t understand until they’re at least 7 or 8 years old when they begin drinking.

Yet the game is continually being pushed in the direction of women and children.

The game over recent years has involved umpteen sexually related scandals and incidents, mostly group sex, rape allegations and violence against women.

Yet the game is continually being pushed in the direction of women and children.

There was an incident a number of years ago where Origin players attended a school, and one player drew pictures of male genitalia instead of providing his autograph for the children.

Yet the game is continually being pushed in the direction of women and children.

The fact that these incidents are reoccurring means they are quite obviously impossible to stop or control. They have been, for too long now regarded as weaknesses, when they are showing all the clear signs that they are indeed strengths.

The game is fast, hard, physical, violent, action packed, exhilarating, controversial, euphoric and demoralising. All things that men love to see in a movie, along with the occasional bit of tit.

It is so overwhelmingly obvious that this game has evolved and become a game entirely focussed on appealing to men. I’m not at all suggesting women wouldn’t enjoy it. Not at all. But it’s something that any heterosexual man would never grow weary of.

Yet the game is continually being pushed in the direction of women and children.

The NRL need to start advertising the game in a way that appeals to men even more so. Promote the strengths, get rid of this ban on alcohol sponsorship, kids are getting drunk at the age of six nowadays, so it really doesn’t matter if the NRL align themselves with alcohol companies.

Due to the poor marketing, the game is constantly fighting with itself. The game is running its natural evolutionary course and the NRL is trying to transform some of the genes. You can’t do that, it’s not scientifically possible, because this is a metaphor.

You don’t see advertisements trying to sell fabric softener to men.

Yet the game is continually being pushed in the direction of women and children.

722 words, including title

 

[Bumble]

The rabbitohs are here

Bumble (c)
Robster
Dave Q
miccle
Marshall_Magic

byrne_rovelli_fan82
rabs
Franko

 

[broncoman]

broncoman

Brad Clyde – The Trend Setter

It’s amazing to think just how much the game has changed in the past 20 years; even up to the late 1990's there was an abundance of great half backs and five-eighths, players like Brad Clyde broke the mould of what back rowers could achieve. I will be having a look at someone who I believe was one of the last great trend setters the game has seen.

At the peak of his powers Clyde was considered to be one of the best forwards in the game, his work-a-holic nature and all round talents made him a certain starter for Australia and New South Wales more often than not. He was generally over shadowed by his more illustrious team mates of Mal Meninga, Laurie Daley and Ricky Stuart but in his 18 test matches and 12 State of Origin appearances he ensured his talents will continue to be recognised long after retirement.

Looking back at what Clyde achieved it seems that he inspired a generation of footballers; just like Steve Mortimer, Peter Sterling and Tommy Raudonikis were the trend setters for Stuart, Allan Langer and Andrew Johns you could be safe in saying Brad Clyde is the same for the current crop of outstanding back rowers we have now. The norm for a second rower or lock in Clyde's day was to either act as a second five-eighth or as an extra prop forward but he broke that trend was one of the first wide running forwards in the game, his hard hitting tackles on the edge of the ruck also made him so highly regarded. You only have to watch the players now such as Paul Gallen, Anthony Laffranchi and Glenn Stewart to see what he did for our sport; I think more so than any other player of his generation he has made a difference to the sport on the field. All these guys and indeed all back rowers have parts in their game that Clyde was the first to master.

Another modern day player that we can compare him to is Feleti Mateo, I see a lot of Clyde in Mateo; just without the playmaking skills. The way Mateo finds space in a defensive line is similar to how Clyde would offload the ball while on attack, the second phase play he created for the Raiders was often overlooked and if he played like Mateo in the current Rugby League climate I have no doubt he'd be an absolute star.

As I have said the similarities between the current back rowers and Clyde is there for
all to see, I would like to see him more involved in the game than he currently is. Back room roles with the Bulldogs haven't given his talents justice, while I'm sure he very good at his job I'd like to think he has a role on the coaching side of things. Even though being a great player doesn't necessarily mean you'll be a great coach I fail to see how Brad Clyde coaching young back rowers a thing or two about the game could be a bad thing.

His name isn't the first one that springs to mind when it comes to discussing all time greats and putting together lists of best teams, however his ability has been noticed as he was named one of the 100 Greatest Players in history last year and in 2002 he was also named in the 1990's team of the decade. I think the more the game moves away from players with great play making ability towards those built athletically and more designed for the rigours of modern day sport the people that put together these lists will appreciate the legacy that Clyde has left.

Some might say that Brad Clyde was just another player in what I call a golden era for Rugby League in the late 90's and early 80's and I think his contribution to Rugby League in this time is just passed over by some people. I have read many articles about players from that time, but as I have mentioned Clyde is just as relevant if not more so to current day players than any of them. I'm not about to suggest that he becomes the next immortal of the game or anything, this was just to show some appreciation of a guy who was a hero of mine and obviously a number of our current NRL stars while growing up.

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748 words including title

 

[LeagueNut]

LeagueNut strides out for the Panthers


Much Ado About Nothing

Every so often a team will strike what’s known as a “defining” match – a significant result that shapes their season, especially for teams who finish highly on the ladder. Teams will suddenly come up with a performance that has enough power behind it to turn around a mid-season slump and change the attitudes within the team, propelling them to greater fortunes down the track. Captains and coaches will refer back to it with regular monotony as the season marches on – “that game really gave us the boost we needed” – until it becomes a part of club legend for years to come.

There’s one particular result that often falls into this category. It’s rarely achieved and because of this it’s often spoken about in measured tones. It’s almost mystical in that once you’ve done it, you can’t quite believe that you’ve done it. Whether or not it was deserved, it fills you with more confidence than you’ll ever get from any other game that season.

It’s holding the opposition to nil.

The amount of points your own team has scored is pretty much irrelevant. Whether you’re ahead by 4, 24 or 64 points, it’s the big fat donut next to the opposition that gives you the most satisfaction. A late try to the opposition can make all the difference between a defining victory and a run-of-the-mill hitout. A score of 42-0 screams domination – comparatively, a score of 42-6 screams indifference. And is doesn’t matter whether it was a complete fluke, or due to the overall crapiness of the opposition, or due to your own outstanding defence.

There’s also the interesting change in focus for the last 20 minutes or so. Suddenly it’s irrelevant whether you manage to score any more points, regardless of how many you’ve scored so far – the most important thing in the world is that you continue to keep your opponents out. It’s probably one of the few times when fans will truly embrace a boring style of play –any last-minute tries to the other team will be met with almost the same reaction as a last-minute loss.

Teams go into games these days expecting to concede tries – they’d be silly to approach games any other way. They’ll be thinking “we can allow this mob two or three tries” because they’re fully confident of getting four or five themselves. A goal of perfect defence every game is simply unrealistic and unachievable, plus it sets you up for a psychological fall when your line is eventually breached. So because there’s no expectation to keep that zero there for the full 80 minutes, it’s easy to see how its importance can be magnified if that goal is ever achieved.

So is there anything away from the sports field that can give you the same feeling as a nil result? Imagine this – you’re sitting at the lights, ready to shoot away as soon as they change. Some moron is revving up beside you, keen for a little competition. OK, it’s always satisfying to win, but to win while he splutters and stalls back at the intersection is even better. That’s a nil result.

What about winning the lottery? Would you rather win $1,000,000 split four ways, or win $1,000,000 on your own? Obviously it’s better to have no-one else against you – that’s a nil result.

Or if you’d like to experience the other side of the coin, try typing a 700-word piece and then losing the lot before you’ve had a chance to save it. All that work and effort basically down the toilet – you’ve just scored nil right there. And while striking out with the fairer sex isn’t necessarily a nil result, hooking up with the blonde at the end of the bar before finding out she’s really a Paul instead of a Pauline probably is.

We should spare a thought for the opposition as well – it’s bad enough to lose, but to lose without being able to construct a single successful attacking play must be tricky to digest. It could take weeks or even months to get that confidence back, and by that stage your season could be beyond the point of no return.

Every season is full of highs and lows, but if you’re ever blessed to hold your opposition to nil you should milk it for all you can – you never know if or when another one will come around.

748 words

 

[Azkatro]

Azkatro posting for the Panthers.

__________________________________________________

Rugby league on the brain

I wake hearing the buzzer, which I switch off. Yawning, I prop myself forward and step out of bed. I go to the toilet, lift it out and aim for the centre of the oval. Feeling dead, I watch the water catch my pee and diffuse it. I stand off the tiles, pass the hallway and into the kitchen. The receiver is on. I check the clock… 80 minutes to get ready. Grabbing a banana, I draw the curtains, and see the neighbour’s rooster has crossed the line into my yard, and is on the clothes line. I half back away before grappling with my feed, and I offload the skin into the bin.

Retreating back to the bedroom (which looks like a bomb hit it), I take the coat hanger out of the shirt collar, slide it on, and tie my bootlaces. I run out to the car and flop in. I start it and hear the engine turn over. A quick tap of the lock, out of park and I find a gap in the traffic. Not much go forward today. I try to transfer lanes but my passage is shut down by some idiot. I look closer, and it’s a gorgeous woman. I decide to be forward and chip in with an over the top line in an attempt to score with her, but I get knocked back. Stupid grubber – wait, I mean scrubber. I’m still a player. I surrender meekly and regather myself.

My day improves as I intercept a traffic tip. I tackle a different route and beat the other dummies to work. The office moron is already there and hits up for a chat. I wish I could launch a torpedo into his face. As usual, he kicks off in his usual bizarre style.

“Morning Sal. Ford won again. Watched the cricket, couldn’t stay awake. Fielding was good though. Ponting’s a Saint. George isn’t, but speaking of Saints.. Helen bought a new castle!”

“Ford blows,” I respond. He has more, but I cut out his reply.

“Brad…”

“Ford blows, I said!” I storm off, swerving past him. He is unfazed, and catches Mel walking in.

“Mel! Born in 1977, weren’t you?” I hear the toss say as I jink my way out. My friend Side is in the coffee room. She has the ladder and is about three quarters – actually, probably five-eighths of the way to reaching the cupboard.

“You’re too short, Side!” I remark. “Movies after work?”

“Sure Sal. Just tackling this coffee.. what’s playing?” she responds. “I’m open, Side,” I said. “It’s a work day, so something fun I reckon.”

“Good point. We should stay- DEE, um.. where’s the coffee?” she asks Dee who had walked in to change shifts. I figure that is my dismissal. I stumble on the overlap in the carpet, and dive to the floor. “RUCK!” I yell, forgetting how to swear. Then I feel Side’s touch. “Are you okay?” I wasn’t, but I decide to wing it. “I’m fine, but you will pay the penalty for this, LJ Hooker,” I vented, showing poor discipline. I never thought I’d catch my foot like that. Using my marker I put the incident on report, noting the date – the fifth. I feel like I have a loose head, and want to eat chicken wing and chips.

The day is uneventful, and I scratch my balls a lot. Later, Side and I go to the movies.

“Front row, back row or middle third?” I ask, in possession of my popcorn.

“It looks full, back section I mean,” she replies. “Anywhere our view isn’t obstructed will do.”

“What’s this movie called again?” I ask. “Shepherd With A Spear,” Side informs me.

“A movie set in a field? No chance of a car chase then,” I answer, dismissing the movie before it has begun. “How about rugby league this weekend?”

“I’ve never seen a game. What’s it like?” she enquires.

“Well, you have an oval… umm, something-or-other, I forget what it’s called. Anyway they throw it around. There’s a name for that too, it escapes me just at the moment. The aim is to put the round thing down in a certain spot, and if you do it’s called a … umm… it starts with T I think. Anyway, you’ll really like it. I love it, even though I forget the jargon for some reason. I normally have it on the brain.”

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747 words. Liftoff!
Footnote - there are over 100 commonly used RL terms and names in this article. See how many you can find!

 

[Marshall_magic]

Marshall Magic steps on to stop the barrage

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Actuarial Points System​

It’s origin time again, and that only means one thing. Fan whinging about rival teams getting an easy draw will make its annual appearance. Then when team A beats team B to the semis because team A got to play the Storm, Broncos and Dragons in the origin period whilst team B gets the Sharks, Eels and Warriors, all hell will break loose.

What this system does is it takes into account the 17 players on both sides, and if it’s a mismatch, we will minimal points awarded to the favourites. Every player in the top 25 is given a rating between 0 and 1, to 3 decimal places based on skill. A Thurston or a Prince, who is a superstar of the game would be ranked highly, whilst a Beau Ryan or a Shannon Hegarty would get a score of close to 0 because they are a useless hack. This also jigs the salary cap basing it on the total points of the squad (for example , the total cannot exceed 15 points).

But how does this apply to a game situation you might ask? The answer is simple, at the end of the game, the points awarded to the winning team is calculated by a combination of both what you put on the field and what they put on the field. Let A=the 17 players from the winning side’s scores added up, and let B=the 17 players from the losing side’s scores added up.

Points gained by the winning side= 15 – A + B. So if the Storm beat the Broncos, the Storms total points from players is 10.635 and the Broncos is 8.456, the Storm will get 15 – 10.635 + 8.456 (which equals 12.821). This means that A was greater than B (as the total points was less than 15) and the favourites won. Lets say the Broncos were to score the upset, the points they’d gain on the table would be 15 – 8.456 + 10.635 (which equals 17.179).

Just to put this into context in terms of excitement. Currently we could see a 3 way battle for the last spot in the 8 in the last round of the premiership. Team C has to win by 16 points and hope Team B loses by 12. That’s boring. Imagine if there are 9 teams in contention for eighth position. The team sitting last has to play their entire reserve grade side, against the minor premiers, and they throw the ball around like they’ve got no idea. They get blown off the paddock 124-0. The side in second last has to rest all their gun players and beat the side in fourth, which they manage to do, and sneak into eighth spot. Now that is exciting. What’s even more exciting, is that fans have no idea how much points everyone is worth, so the results don’t come back until 4 days later when they are analysed and checked by the Mathematicians.

What could make it even more exciting is when after the 26 rounds are up, and everything looks set, a Mathematical error arises, after a mathematician forgot to carry the one somewhere, and the table gets a huge shake up. THIS ladies and gentlemen is excitement.

The last thing benefit for this system is that it gives the game a good reputation with the people. It encourages kids to believe that algebra isn’t completely useless and encourages kids to do their maths, so they can be able to follow the game. Even players can take time out to visit schools and teach kids how to work out such problems. Imagine having Mark O’Meley or Danny Wicks teaching these kids how to do basic algebra. You can only imagine what amazing techniques some of these players will come up with.

I think this policy should be implemented by the NRL for season 2010. It will shut up 95% of the whingers who complain that they got a draw that was too hard, or that another team got an easier draw than them. It creates an element of uncertainty into the game, keeps teams in the hunt for the top 8 for longer, and finally, brings the concept of mathematical error into the table, allowing for teams to slide after their score was added up wrong. EXCITING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.


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727 words

 

[Bumble]

*Bumble for Souths*

The Tribe Has Spoken​

Kurt: *holds up his parchment, with the name TERRY* I didn’t even notice you yesterday. Were you sleeping while the rest of us were busting our arses? Mick Weyman threw more effective passes than you did.

(as well all know, survivor doesn’t show every tribe member’s vote)

Jamie: *the parchment reads LUKE B* If you’d run a little harder, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Michael and Justin only got to the challenge late and they did twice as much as you.

Terry: *The page reads PETER, with a little sad face* I can’t vote for myself, can I? Sorry Peter, this is pure strategy.

Robbie: *a vote for BRENT* How about working a little harder? Maybe if you’d run a bit more we wouldn’t have lost. Lucky I’ve been giving you tainted water to drink.

Ben: *LUKE O* I throw you a perfect coconut to get us a point and you fumble it? Do you know how bad the sun is for my skin?

Craig: *TERRY* I’m not exactly sure why I had to wait for you to try and do something before I got a turn… You were out there for the whole day, I was there for a split second before I made something happen. If you’re back at camp tomorrow, I’ll feed myself to the sharks.

Michael W: *BRENT, misspelled and barely legible* I ran more than you did. Stronger.

Jeff Probst: Now that the votes are in, I can reveal the shocking truth. Tribe Cockroach, ANY tribe member who received a vote will be asked to leave the island. Because this will leave such a huge gap in numbers, new, replacement tribe members will arrive at the island tomorrow. I’ll go tally the votes.

Terry, Luke Bailey, Luke O’Donnell, Peter, Brent, James… the tribe has spoken.

*the next day*

Kurt: It was a shock to see so many of the guys go – not that I cared. We can’t afford to be carrying weak links if we’re going to win any of the immunity challenges.

Jeff Probst: Cockroach tribe, meet your new teammates;

Joel Monaghan, 27 – Canberra, ACT
Paul Gallen, 27 – Cronulla, NSW
Keith Galloway, 23 – Campbelltown, NSW
Jarrod Mullen, 22 – Newcastle, NSW
Luke Stuart, 32 – Sydney, NSW
Brett Finch, 27 – Melbourne, VIC

New tribe members, please take a minute to introduce yourselves. Cockroaches, please be in mind that your next challenge will be in just 3 hours. Be prepared.

Justin: The first thing I noticed was how hard Luke Stuart was working. As soon as he arrived he started chopping wood – which was kind of odd given we already had a fire and huts to live in. I think he just liked keeping busy.

Robbie: As soon as Paul arrived, he started throwing rocks at Michael Jennings. Wasn’t the most orthodox behaviour but at least it was passionate.

Jarryd: Joel and Keith really didn’t do much when they arrived. They just sort of sat underneath a tree with Ben – said the sun was bad for them.

*Bumble turns the tv off*

Really, if only it was this simple. Just get rid of everyone that didn’t play to their full ability and bring in another new player, only to toss them aside if they falter? The NSW origin team is in a transitional period. To give up on players like Terry Campese, Peter Wallace and Luke O’Donnell as some are suggesting is just ridiculous. James McManus didn’t do much but again, he’s only young and has a huge amount of potential.

Luke Bailey has delivered time and time again and deserves another chance. The only player that I wouldn’t be hoping to see at ANZ Stadium on June 24th is Brent Kite. A player that, at representative level, has been given a swathe of chances and has failed to leave an impression.

My Souths bias came into the equation when picking Luke Stuart as his replacement, and whilst Baz would do an excellent job, would provide steady metres and safety, he’s not going to break a game open. Galloway or Tom Learoyd-Lahrs are the logical choices, I personally would prefer the latter. They’re both young, aggressive and can win NSW a game on the back of a huge play.

So whilst we lost the first game, it’s not all doom and gloom. Give these young blues some time, and they’ll repay our faith.

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741 words

 

[miccle]

miccle continues the run for the Rabbitohs

Passion is a two-way street

There's nothing quite like the dawn of the month of May each year for rugby league supporters. With the NRL season still in its infancy, talk begins to turn to the golden topic of State of Origin. Unfortunately, amid all the hype and excitement there is inevitable talk in the media and among fans about the "unique Queensland spirit" and the "passion of Queenslanders".

Don't get me wrong, I am a Maroon through and through. I'm a born and bred Brisbane boy, and all of my family have been based in Queensland for four generations. I married a girl from Toowoomba, and we're now raising our young family on the northern outskirts of Brisbane. But nothing angers me more at this time of the year than the claims made by many that Queenslanders have some sort of monopoly on passion when it comes to State of Origin football.

It is true that Queensland have conjured more last-minute wins, and pulled victories against the odds over the years to defeat the southerners. You could definitely say with some conviction, and with no argument from me, that Queensland dominate in the area of last-gasp wins and miracle plays.

That, however, is not simply passion.

I challenge anyone to delve back into history and tell me that the Blues have not fielded men who have bled and fought for the sky blue jersey just as much as their opposition has for the maroon jumper. The Blues have, over the years, also conjured victories against the odds. They have rose to the physical challenges mounted to them by the Queenslanders, and have fought just as fiercely in every brawl that has erupted on the pitch.

Queensland have fielded some of the most passionate and spirited players ever to play the game of rugby league. The likes of Arthur Beetson, Gorden Tallis, Wally Lewis, Shane Webcke and many more put personal safety aside on many occasions for the good of the maroon jumper. But, on the other side of the fence, I present Tommy Raudonikis, Benny Elias, Paul Harragon and Brad Fittler. Did these men not match the passion and drive shown by their Queensland counterparts? I think the answer, quite frankly, is obvious.

Queensland and New South Wales approach State of Origin football with very different histories. The Maroons have always been the "little brother", battling against the southern state which has a greater wealth of players and more established first-grade clubs. But that mindset alone does not equal passion, it simply represents a different position from which to originate in the contest.

The passion of the Blues over the years has been plain to see, and passion is never always simply represented in the result of a match or a series. The most recent example is just hours old. In Melbourne last night, one of the most inexperienced New South Wales teams in history mounted a stirring, spirited comeback against one of the Queensland's best ever line-ups in an entertaining affair. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if the situations were reversed, we'd be subjected to a host of newspaper reports this morning lauding the "Queensland spirit" of the rookies who gave their all.

No one can doubt the passion for the sky blue jersey displayed by New South Wales captain Kurt Gidley last night. By his own admission he didn't play the best game of football in his career, but the dedication and drive was clear to see. Add to that the clear spirit of young forwards like Poore, Weyman and Creagh, and you might begin to agree with me that passion will be a big ingredient in the Blues' 2009 Origin campaign.

In my humble opinion, passion is what makes State of Origin football so great. It drives the players and the fans. It generates a terrific atmosphere in the stands wherever it is played, and even ensures that the air is electric at barbeques and parties held in lounge rooms across the country. It has kept the concept of State of Origin alive, and has helped the contests remain entertaining and close, for nearly three decades.

All of this could not have been achieved without an equally high level of spirit, dedication and passion from the players and supporters of New South Wales. Origin has never been a one-sided contest for long, proving once and for all that passion is a two-way street.


749 words

 

[Dave Q]

Dave Q trudges out for the Red and Green

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800 Years of Rugby League

Gwendolyn drew another bucket up from the well and poured it into her pail.

“It’s about thyme the Squire he doth buildeth a welle closer to the village." she thought.

Meanwhile, over a hundred leagues away by leather-bound ugg-boot , a group of drunken noblemen, were seated around a table adding the finishing touches to an ochre parchment. There was complete silence, until after a time one stood up and proclaimed:

“Forests? What of the forests? We need the right to chop down trees and hunt game where and when we so chooseth. Record that one my young be speckled sprog or I will verily slice off thee hands”

The men sat down for another period in deep thought until another man, stood up and announced:

“Sons and daughters of England, are we not fellow fans of the National Jousting League? Is not the price of attending our happy tournaments becoming too expensive for the common man? Why a seat near the court jester is now more than two crowns! And look at how much the villagers pay for a bowl of pheasant rings and a quart of ale. I doth reckon we should put something in thy lawe about that. Fans are leaving the sport in droves to watch the evil super croquet.”

Of course, the fact that our buddies were seeking access the ancient forests at the time was completely understandable given that in 1215, one- third of England, Scotland and Wales was covered in unspoilt trees, brush and heather. Much of these ancient forests were guarded almost 24/7 by heavily armed Sheriffs and their deputies with standing instructions to shoot (an arrow) to kill.

Of course the laws to protect the forest did not arise out of any good-natured attempt to save threatened species or the environment, but was staunchly upheld and lethally enforced to ensure that the King had plenty of forest available to damage, destroy, tear, burn and to otherwise exploit as he travelled throughout the land with his huge entourage visiting his mates, judging people and collecting taxes.

And so it was that this right and entitlement to fell trees and hunt beast was enshrined into the document that became no less, the Magna Carta.

The mighty Magna Carta, that semen of modern constitutions, mankind putting into writing a law of the land. An unholy bible.

For mine, the language of the text itself is not of as much interest as the idea behind it. The overall idea was that the privileged should have fewer resources and that the poor and needy should have a bit more. Regrettably, this notion did not apply to jousting tournaments and this most exciting and dangerous of 13th century sports died along with drowning witches, the occasional beheading by blunted axe and wooden disposable codpieces.

But I digress(eth):

The Magna Carta has been diluted into our own Australian Constitution, along with numerous highlights stolen from the Constitution of the United States.

We only started recognising what was left of our forests a hundred years ago or so having wiped out heaps of Aussie style squirrels and quite disgracefully, a fair few decent indigenous people along the way. Our constitution was a fair effort but our founding fathers forgot to put much, no, anything, down into our national law about solemn rights and entitlements of ordinary folk. They simply became like hysterical dehydrated 1950's librarians and got carried away with the Commonwealth v State powers and setting up the Courts. Just a bit of an oversight that one…like building a house minus the roof!

But the more things change, the more they stay the same. So when I visit ANZ stadium, all of the law ever written in history will not save me from having to pay $6.30 for a plastic cup of young ale. What about the $4.70 for a Coke? Why did I buy a $200 club membership for the right and privilege of being greatly impoverished at the game itself? I cant bring in a stuffed pheasant and cannot bring in a drink. For the poor its an involuntary hunger strike for the duraton of proceedings.

So after 800 years, it seems to me, laws or not, that we still have this inalienable right to be ripped off.

At this rate, our noble sport of Rugby League looks certain to go the way of jousting and it seems, Gwen will have to wait another millenium for her new well.

________________________________________________________________________

747 words including the title, betweeneth the lines.

Bibliography: 1215 The Magna Carta.

 

[Big Mick]

Sub:

In: PIPER
Out: Furrycat

 

[The Piper]

The Piper strides on, slipping over the newly painted sideline

KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID

I’m a simple man. I'm an easy going, fair dinkum guy from the western suburbs of Newcastle. I like hot steak and chips for dinner and a cold beer to wash it down with. I’m not going to find the cure for any fatal illness or prove there is life on another planet. I do my best and work hard at my blue collar job. I’m a simple, normal guy who likes my cars, my girl and my footy.

The way that rugby league is being played these days, I do not believe that the game is appealing to the simple man.

I began writing this F7s article not ten minutes into last night’s State Of Origin match. Jarrod Hayne has not been awarded a try and momentum has changed to Queensland now. They lead by a substantial amount at this time, which was to be expected with their dominate line up.

After the fifth look at Hayne literally putting his foot in it, I was confident that Bill Harrigan and Tim Mander were going to rule the Blues’ winger had travelled onto the sideline. In time, they did just that.

I’m not here to debate if he put his foot on the line or not. He may very well have. I don’t think he did, and after half a dozen looks at the footage, you would have to think there is doubt in the video referee’s minds as to what the decision was. So in that case it goes to the attacking side. Seems simple enough answer to me, but then again, I am just a simple man.

A few weeks ago referee Steve Clarke denied a Bulldogs try that would have changed the outcome of their match against the Saints. The following day the referee’s boss Robert Finch apologised for the “mistake”, which was over an obstruction ruling. A mistake is hard to take, but can be swallowed. It’s harder to take when a simple man like me can’t understand why such a rule as obstruction is enforced so strongly.

There’s been a lot of criticism over the game of rugby league of recent and in turmoil times like these, people start looking where to point fingers. People are blaming players, but I don’t necessarily agree. People are blaming the media, but I don’t necessarily agree. People are blaming referees, but contrary to what you might think I don’t necessarily agree with that either. Again, I’m just a simple man.

The rules to rugby league are not simple anymore. With growing technology, more cameras across the park and more than one referee on the field, people want perfection and the NRL are trying to give it to them. They have put in so many pinpoint accurate rules that the game is way over governed than it should be. The referees make the right calls on more occasions than not. The right calls within the rules of the game.

Discretion and common sense should be the first point on the front page of the Rugby League handbook. If a team has set to make a quick tap, let them get on with it. If a player has gone in a little high but everyone’s still in a health condition, let it go. If a guy runs past another of his players, but there is no way in hell that anyone is going to stop him, that is not obstructing a tackle.

Rugby League is a game for the common, simple man. The simple man whom I believe is every good Aussie bloke. League fans can take one or maybe two mistakes in a match, or a 50/50 call that goes the opposition’s way. What fans won’t take are rules that seem to diminish the fast paced, hard hitting game that has been rugby league for more than one hundred years.

Some situations are not black and white and there are a lot of grey areas in the game. But common sense must prevail, or the fans are going to walk away from it. They’ll find another code that is not rule ridden, not boring, simple and enjoyable. A-League: If there ball is over the line, its out. If the ball is in the back of the net, it’s a goal. Simple and still exciting to watch.

To keep the entertainment in rugby league, then the NRL has to overhaul the rules. But, hey, what do I know? I’m just a simple man.

747 words. Liftoff! ;-)

 

[Pistol]

Thar She blows

 

[madunit]

HOORAH! 5 v 5. I don't care who wins, just so lon as they work their arses off it'll be worth it.

Looking forward to the result, given Dave Q's comments earlier, i wouldn't mind him as ref lol ;-)

Good luck everyone.

 

[Dave Q]

HOORAH! 5 v 5. I don't care who wins, just so lon as they work their arses off it'll be worth it.

Looking forward to the result, given Dave Q's comments earlier, i wouldn't him as ref lol ;-)

Good luck everyone.

Some good work all 'round mad one.

 

[Titan Uranus]

Um, 'Unit I think your shades are too dark. I only counted 9 articles, no Robster.

 

[miccle]

Unfortunately so... only 4 v 5 and I think it's safe to say our season is looking shakey

Regardless, some awesome reads all round - well done to all involved & I'm looking forward to reading the outcome.

 

[madunit]

Um, 'Unit I think your shades are too dark. I only counted 9 articles, no Robster.

NEVER.

Didn't you know that 10 is the new 9. It's a fashion I brought in just 17 seconds ago.

 

[Titan Uranus]

Well I've turned the darkness on my sunglasses all the way up to 11.