Round 6 Rabbitohs v Roosters 2010

[The Piper]

Forum 7s - Round 6 2010
SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS v SYDNEY 'OZZIE' ROOSTERS

-v-

The Foundation Cup​

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: Wednesday 21st July 2010 at 9pm (Syd time)
REFEREE: antonius
Venue: Redfern Oval

**The Referee Blows Game On!**

CLICK HERE FOR OFFICIAL WORD COUNTER

 

[byrne_rovelli_fan82]

Rabbithos are:

byrne_rovelli_fan82
Marshall_Magic
Pistol
miccle
Dave Q

Bumble
griffo346
Johns Magic

 

[Non Terminator]

Roosters

Non Terminator
adamkungl
Bubbles
Cliffhanger
Monk
-
Fein
Lambretta

 

[Bubbles]

Bubbles on for Easts
_________________________
Sex and the Season – Dating Advice

My boyfriend and I have been going out for a few months and I really like him, however, he has a bit of a nasty streak. I care for him, but I hate this side of him and don’t know what to do? Why is he like this?

He’s like this because he’s a Sharks supporter and I’m afraid that bitterness is an inherent trait in this type. Unfortunately there’s not much you can do as the only cure is on-field success and that – and I cannot stress this enough -is not going to happen. I’d be giving him the boot, but before you do, lock up your antique spoon collection; there’s nothing a Sharks supporter covets more than silverware!

I recently met a man who seemed to be everything I have ever looked for in a partner; big, strong and powerful. I thought the sex would be amazing, however, while the foreplay was incredible, in the end, he was unable to perform. Is it me?

It’s not you. The problem here is you’ve found yourself a Rabbitohs supporter; massive talk-up, no follow through. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely this will change in the foreseeable future. The only thing I can suggest is Viagra, however, don’t be surprised if you’re still unsatisfied; as we girls know, it takes finesse as well!

I really love my man, but he seems to be living in the past. He still wears footy shorts, listens to the same music and harps on about the ‘good old days’. I do love him, but I want him to move forward. What should I do?

You’ve got yourself an Eels supporter and I’m sorry to tell you, but Eels supporters are permanently stuck in the 1980s. He needs a new era to worship, so pray for a premiership; this is the only way an Eels supporter will move willingly into the 21st Century. Until this happens, under no circumstances are you to allow him to make love to you with Khe Sanh playing in the background; you should only indulge him so far!

My boyfriend has asked me to marry him and while I said yes, I find myself harbouring misgivings. I love him, however, I’m not a hundred percent sure of his commitment. Also, while the sex is good, it’s always the same thing. I’m really worried I’m going to get bored.

Tread carefully; you are with a Dragons supporter. You really have to weigh up the security of a steady performance versus every woman’s need for something leg-shaking. He’ll get you there, but the earth won’t move. One more word of advice, if you do marry this man, whatever you do, don’t plan an October wedding; he may have the best of intentions, but he’s simply not going to be making it to the alter for the big event!

Even though he’s a bit socially awkward unless under the influence of alcohol, I really love my fiancé; however, lately the sex has gone downhill. While he starts off strong and he seems to be right into it, half way through he loses interest. I’m frustrated and scared that it’s something to do with me.

Oh dear, I hate to be the one to break this to you, but your fiancé is a Manly supporter; the only the thing to do is be prepared for doing it Bunnings-style – DIY!

When I first started going out with my boyfriend, he seemed so classy; it was all wining and dining, now pizza and beer bongs. I find it a bit odd and disturbing. What should I do?

Ah yes, a Roosters supporter; very seductive on the surface, not so much beneath. Look, if you want to continue to date this man you have to take the bad with the good, however, on no occasion should you ever, ever allow him near Kings Cross!

My friend is dating a man who on the surface appears to be the whole package; looks, charm, earns good money and is allegedly great in bed. However, he keeps blatantly hitting on me and now I don’t know whether to tell my friend.

I don’t care how you do it, but you have to get your friend disentangled from this man for he is a Storm supporter. While his package on the surface may appear impressive, it is built on a corrupt foundation and for once all our collective mothers’ are correct; once a cheater, always a cheater!!
________________________________
Word Count: 748

 

[byrne_rovelli_fan82]

byrne_rovelli_fan82 for Bunnies

~~

That Game

Last Saturday we watched as the Melbourne Storm and NZ Warriors once again faced up to each other. The build up to the game opened up another can of worms for the Storm and Warriors respectively. Think back to April the week of the Round 7 game between these two rivals. Last year was the inaugural ANZAC clash between the sides and that game sure came down to a true classic as the two teams fought out a 14-14 draw.

Now we fast-forward into 2010, and just as the teams were about to meet up for the Round 7 game the NRL was thrown into a frenzy. Audits by the NRL revealed the Melbourne Storm club exceeded the salary cap by a large sum of money, with secret dealings for their big name players in a bid to pay them more than their contracts stated. The NRL then acted swiftly to punish the club with a heavy fine as well as stripping them of all points earned this season, and finally the biggest nail in the club’s heart; taking away their 2007 and 2009 Premiership Trophies.

In the middle of this tumultuous saga were the Warriors, and as much as they wanted to avoid the media they unfortunately got dragged into the whole mess, and faced a side clearly angry at what had unfolded during the week.

Come last Saturday once again the worms and hooks were out as more salary cap fall out disrupted the lead up to the game and again the Warriors were in the middle of it all. The only difference this time around; everyone already knew about the Storm breaking the rules it was not as big a deal as it was back in April. Perhaps the only thing to make it bigger related to the news the amount they had rotted the cap was much, much larger then the initial findings.

Once the weekend came around though the time to just play footy arrived and boy did the teams’ put on a show. Many critics and pundits might as well argue the Storm’s heart really wasn’t in this game though aside from their lack of brilliant execution they showed they were still a threat. To assume they weren’t motivated enough also comes off wrong, because when the salary cap news first broke they rampaged through the Warriors as though their opponents’ were nothing more than a speed bump along the way.

However the experience of that game would help the Warriors and they over came all hurdles to conquer the Storm, in a very tight affair. There wasn’t going to be a doubt the Storm were still a threat even if they weren’t playing for anything more than pride. Sure the players have a lot going on in their heads at the moment as the uncertainly of their futures continue to grow; but nonetheless it wasn’t a good enough excuse for them not play. They pushed the Warriors at every chance they got, and like mentioned before only their execution really let them done. Critics and pundits also thought the Warriors lacked the urgency to apply more pressure and really pile on the points against the Storm.

In many in-game circumstances a 12-point lead is not enough, and we have witnessed many teams this season come back from deficits to win a game right at the death and the Warriors happened to be one of those teams from earlier in the season to pull it off, one against the Bulldogs and the second against the Roosters.

Even when Slater scored the Storm’s first and only try they never looked likely to threaten the Warriors, and if anything it only spurred the side on more to battle harder for the victory. Still the Storm couldn’t have been too disappointed with the game overall barring their unusual blunders they were still close enough to close out the match. According to head coach Craig Bellamy and Captain Cameron Smith the past three months has weighed heavily on their minds and fair play, it is understandable the situation they have unfortunately been thrust into because of poor actions from those they once trusted.

Still it is not an excuse we, as rugby league fans want to see from teams. It is not being and certainly we aren’t saying we don’t care, but these guys are playing in a professional sport and they know how to handle themselves, so take it and move on.

~~

747 words between lines

 

[Dave Q]

Dave Q hops out for the bunnies:-

The Great Escape.

Goals are not nice places. As soon as you drive through the gates, the screws can search your car and also search you. Even in the car park. Every now and again, that’s exactly what they do. They do so with plenty of cops and large angry dogs. Thus it’s a very good idea to thoroughly clean the car before you go in. A knife, some stray tablet, something a mate left behind (that you were not aware he was taking) could see you visiting for a much longer time than anticipated!

The more you visit gaols, the less alien they seem. Instead of admiring the locks, heavy doors and bars, you start looking for other stimuli. Of course, one of the greatest stimuli known to mankind is football, rugby league type football!

Thus as I wandered into the gaol, visiting one day, a group of young men behind a wire fence caught my eye. They were playing touch footy. I walked a bit slower, and slower still so I could judge their form. Everyone and everything was very intense, the passes were sweet, plenty of steps, dummies, speed. There was talk, lots of talk. There were deft kicks and attempted re-gathers. These guys were focused, really focused. I was suitably impressed.

There were plenty of nationalities represented. There are gangs in goal, Asian, indigenous, white, lebanese, martian, venusian and all of that. But in this game, they were all mixed up and playing together.

I saw my friend we had a chat about something. We were standing up having our discussion near a door to a corridor, then he casually took a few steps towards a window. Suddenly I heard a loud voice boom out:

“Inmate (surname) sit down in your seat!” and my friend did so straight away without any further prompting nor complaint. Then our conversation resumed as if nothing had been said! He didn’t move from the seat again.

After a time, I thought I would ask about the football.

"So you boys play footy on the inside?" I asked
"Yeah, we play, but only touch!" he said
"But you are all in the same uniform, greens" I said
"Yeah one side has to play no shirts!" he said
'Who refs?" I asked.
"No ref, Toz makes the call and we listen" he said "He will make a call against his own side, doesn’t matter, people just do what he says.”
“Does it get out of hand?” I asked
“Not when I have played. I have heard of incidents but I haven’t seen any. But there is plenty of agro off the park”
“What do you mean?” I asked
“Well you get a group of people living with each other, they shut us up in our cells at 3.3pm until 7.30am. Some guys go mad. Every now and then they turn us over.”
“Turn you over?” I asked
“Yeah the screws come in and ask you leave and they tear your cell up. They go through everything they throw your mattresses about. They can do it at midnight or 5 in the morning. Bang, they are into it. You have to wait outside. They are looking for drugs and weapons. That’s bad you know, you have to clean up after them. You don’t complain. Then they just go onto the next cell.

And

“Theres a fight in a cell, and they gear up and go in. They come in and hit anyone, they drag you out, up against the wall and they don’t hold back or muck about.”

I asked: “ Is that the worst thing about the gaols?”

He replied:“ No, some of the guys in here, they are absolutely mad. You look at them the wrong way, they don’t like the look of you and they will go after you. I had a mate with a swastika on his arm from years ago. The (ethnic group) surrounded him and demanded an explanation. He isn’t a racist, but now they have their eye on him. He has to be very careful. Bad tatt”

I finished my chat, and I went back past the field where the game had finished. It was quiet now. It looked empty and lonely. It dawned on me that the game represented an escape to them. That’s why they took it so seriously, that’s why they played so well. I could understand that.

_____________________________________________________________________
748 words above the line.

 

[Non Terminator]

Non Terminator in.
747 OWC

*****

...too soon?

Everyone is beginning to think about it. If you're reading this and you aren't thinking about it, you are now. Finals football. That really is all that needs to be said. The pinnacle of the season where we seperate the strong from the weak, the contenders from the pretenders and the Heimlich Manoeuvre experts from the serial chokers. Everyone is already placing their bets on who will make it and who wont. As usual, we all think we're right about this. Well, allow me to get on my trusty high horse to remind you how early in the season it is, despite the fact that finals football still seems so close. Remember, this is written before the start of Round 20.

Example One: 2009
You don't need to go far back to get an example of how the last few weeks change everything. The Parramatta Eels had succeeded in making very little impact on the season, currently placing 13th. With upcoming games against big sides such as the Bulldogs, the Eels weren't expected to succeed. Of course, as we all know, Jarryd Hayne was consistently able to ruin the hopes and dreams of many other sides on the way to a surprising Grand Final appearance.

Example Two: 2002
With the Bulldogs dominating the competition with a winning streak that started to seem countless, the Roosters weren't given much of a chance at glory. Despite placing 5th before Round 20, there were better sides. A tough few weeks ahead with two matches against the high flying Sharks, combined with matches against Gasnier's Dragons, Jones' Warriors, Tallis' Broncos and of course, Johns' Knights. Following a convincing defeat against the Sharks, the Roosters went through the rest of the season undefeated.

Example Three: 1955
Ok, so it was only an eighteen week season, but the South Sydney Rabbitohs were placing 8th (out of a possible 10) with just seven competition rounds left. The goal was simple enough, one loss and the whole dream would be over. We've heard tales about the triumphs of this side, which included that sideline conversion from Clive Churchill in the second last match of the regular season against Manly-Warringah. With a broken arm, Churchill braved the conditions to successfully convert Les Gordon Cowie's try and seal an incredible win.

Example Four: 2003
The Origin period traditionally hit Brisbane hard throughout the early part of the decade. After a close-shave victory over Melbourne, the Broncos were sitting happily in third position. Upcoming games included lowly ranked Manly, Wests, Parramatta and St George, all of those games at their new home in Suncorp Stadium. Of course, we all know what happened next. The Broncos failed to win another game, scraping into the finals in eighth position. Despite fighting hard, the result was to be inevitable, Penrith going on to knock Brisbane out of the competition.

Example Five: 2005
Another relatively recent one. The Wests Tigers were placing 9th at this time of the year. They had won four of their last five, but admittedly Origin helped them a little bit on the way. The true potential was soon to be released as they went on a club record winning streak, on the way to the premiership.

Example Six: 1967
After eleven straight premierships, each and every Rugby League fan must have been wondering when it was all going to end. 1967 wasn't an expected answer. At this time of the season, despite a 15-9 loss to Easts, St George were firmly on top of the ladder. Their defeat to the Roosters ended an eight match winning streak. Still, they were expected to breeze through the rest of the season to continue history. After finishing 1st at the end of the regular season, the heart of each St George fan stopped, along with the rest of the nation (and the Melbourne Cup was still two months away). Scoreboards read "Canterbury 12 St George 11" and the biggest dynasty of any sporting club had ended. Even though Canterbury were a major opponent, it was still unexpected.

Example Seven: 2010
It won't be 2010's best team who wins the premiership. It won't be won by the team that has been most consistent. It will be won by that one team who, for that four weeks, turns up and plays better than anybody else. No other result matters, only the next one. Even the best teams can lose, hence, even the best teams can fall short of memorable glory.

 

[adamkungl]

adamkungl for the Roosters - 450 words
************************
Creative Tipping
For yet another year, it turns out that my tipping is going terribly. In this age of salary cap induced competition closeness, games are becoming harder and harder to pick. I think I got a zero a few weeks back. Absolutely woeful stuff. Given how bad my real tips are going, it might be worth investigating some alternate methods. Which of these will lead to tipping success?

First off we have the standard ones – picking the favourites, picking the home teams, or even the reverse. Lately I’ve been picking the away teams because I seem to forget my tips every Friday. To these old favourites I say “Pah! Not creative enough!” Forget these. In this crazy competition, none of these are very likely to bring success.

I suggest using fantasy team scores. At the start of the year create a fantasy version of every NRL side. Each week, tip the team that got the better fantasy score the previous week. Simple enough.

How about video game simulation? Using the NRL games on PS2/Xbox/Wii/whatever floats your boat, have two players of similar skill play out every game of the round. Tip the winners. Foolproof!

Animal fights – there’s two ways to go about this one. The first way is to tip whichever animal would win in a fight. This won’t help you in 2010 unfortunately – you’d be tipping the Sharks every week. The second way is to pick which animal is tastier. It doesn’t quite make sense in a lot of cases – who wins out of Storm vs Titans?

Here’s one for the ladies (or the men, if they wish) – rate the attractiveness of all the blokes in the 1 to 17. The team with the highest total hotness wins. For the blokes, do the same thing except with the cheergirls instead of the players. This one might require some thorough research. How unfortunate…not!

Then there’s the scrabble method. Add up the scrabble letter score of the team’s name. Highest score wins. For some added complexity and a bit more variation, work out the score of each player, and compare to their opposite number on the other team. The team that has the most winning players gets the tip.

The controversy method. Count the news articles each team has received. Add 5 points from a negative article and minus 5 for a fluff piece (or vice versa). Tip the team with the most points.

Fibros v Silvertails. Base your tips on affluency of the area the team represents. Whether the rich or poor get the win is up to you.

If none of these are working for you, just toss a coin – you would probably have more success than me!

 

[Non Terminator]

Done and dusted.

 

[antonius]

Rabbits

byrne_rovelli_fan82
That Game
747 Words
A comparison of the two Storm v Warriors games this year. The different circumstances surrounding both games and how that may effect the eventual outcome. Some spelling errors. I thought the piece tended to fizzle out a bit towards the end, but some good thoughts.
Score 85

Dave Q
The Great Escape.
736 Words
A piece on how the game can prove to be an outlet for people. Well written.
Score 88

Rabbits 173




Roosters

Bubbles
Sex and the Season – Dating Advice
748 Words
Good idea for a topic, well written and funny in parts.
Score 87

Non Terminator
...too soon?
747 Words
Good read about teams runs into the finals series over the years. The writer gives examples of sides producing at the right time of year, and of course not producing.
Score 87

Adamkungl
Creative Tipping
453 Words
Unfortunately this piece is below the minimum required word count of 499 so is disqualified.
Score 0

Score 174
Result Roosters 174 defeated Rabbits 173 POTM Dave Q

Very dissapointing that this game could only produce 4 scoring articles.

 

[Bubbles]

Cheers Antonius for the quick marking! It was bad luck we couldn't get a full game this time round, but some really good reads. Congratulations to Dave Q for his POTM article - great read!

 

[Dave Q]

Thanks Antonius, getting POTM means something from you, thanks Bubbles and the other great reads. I think Adam was going somewhere so I am sorry that he couldnt finish his piece.

It was dissapointing that it wasnt a full match, two great rivals on and off the forum. Having said that, Ive been a "no show" before but I learnt my lesson.

Thanks to BRF for the selection.

 

[adamkungl]

Apologies for the piss poor effort everyone

 

[Dave Q]

Apologies for the piss poor effort everyone

It had a spark, I was enjoying it.

 

[adamkungl]

It had a spark, I was enjoying it.

I started writing it at 8pm. I didn't leave much time for writer's block. So of course I got stuck. :x

 

[Bubbles]

Talk about trying to pull a rabbit out of your hat, Adam (no pun intended!). You put in a great effort considering the time pressure.

 

[adamkungl]

Talk about trying to pull a rabbit out of your hat, Adam (no pun intended!). You put in a great effort considering the time pressure.

I've done better before ;-)
1 more paragraph would have made it a valid article. Ah well. lesson learned

 

[Dave Q]

I've done better before ;-)
1 more paragraph would have made it a valid article. Ah well. lesson learned

It was a sound concept, nice and creative.

That means you can dream up all kinds of things in the future.

That augurs well.