Round 8 (2008) Rabbitohs v Eels

[Willow]

Forum 7s - Round 8 2008
SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS v PARRAMATTA EELS​

-v-

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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 30 July 2008 at 9pm (Syd time)​

REFEREE: LeagueNut
Venue: Redfern Oval​

**The Referee Blows Game On!**

CLICK HERE FOR OFFICIAL WORD COUNTER​

 

[Bumble]

The Rabbitohs are here

Bumble (c)
rabs
Marshall_Magic
nqboy
Master Vippo

Dogs of War
skeepe

 

[nqboy]

Nqboy continues to fight the good fight. 819 words including the title.



Remember the Golden Rule

Long ago, a coach started a footy team. He immediately framed and implemented team rules but then failed to police them adequately and, of course, they fell away until they were barely recognizable as rules.

The coach then appointed a senior leadership group, ostensibly to moderate the behaviour of the other team members. Because of the lack of leadership from the coach, the standards of selection to become a part of that august group were also sadly lacking and the group became largely ineffectual as members of it consistently flaunted the team rules and enforced them only selectively.

Eventually the coach signed a player who saw the team rules, compared them to the behaviour of the senior leadership group and wondered why they had the rules at all if they were so poorly policed. But the player put his head down and contributed to the team anyway, consoling himself with the realization that he had limited options if he wanted to play and that at least he was not part of the fiasco orchestrated over his head.

The player continued to build his reputation, despite other team members occasionally criticising him and, unable to match his playing standard through their own lack of ability or attention to detail, attempted to tear him down with spiteful criticism and petty personal attacks. The attacks were unfounded and failed to withstand any sort of scrutiny by any fair-minded person, but the critics continued to bag the player because they were not man enough or lacked the intellectual capacity to argue their case in a logical way.

Time went on and the team continued to flourish, in spite of the rules and leadership group rather than because of it. The player continued to contribute in a way that was technically outside the team rules but also brought far more benefit to the team. The rules were not enforced; indeed no-one said anything to him for years.

One day the coach gave his opinion on a subject. Some agreed with him, others did not, many did not care enough to offer an opinion. The player in question disagreed with the coach’s assessment and challenged him on it. The coach, unaccustomed to having his authority questioned, responded by dismissing the player’s opinion out of hand. When challenged to back up his statement, the coach was unable to and instead resorted to personal abuse, quoting the player out of context, denying that he had done so, trying to put his own words in the player’s mouth and when confronted with the disintegration of his argument, seeking solace in the safety in numbers by keeping company other so-minded players who had similarly been unable to defend their opinions when taken to task by our heroic figure. The mob mentality kicked in and they satisfied themselves that “Might is Right”.

The argument eventually petered out but the vengeful coach, much chastened by his trouncing, stubbornly set out on a mission of personal vengeance. Unable to compete with our hero as an equal on an intellectual level, he sought to undermine the player’s position and thereby bring him to heel. He did this by selectively enforcing the long ignored team rules, invoking them only when it suited his purpose and warning the player for breaches of the team rules, citing behaviour that had been acceptable for years and that was common to other team members.

Our hero, realising the position he was in, refused to submit to the coach’s intimidation and challenged him on the actions he was taking. He voiced his suspicion that the coach’s attitude towards the player had only changed after the player trounced him in the aforementioned discussion. The coach refused to discuss it, grandly denying any such notion, though he didn’t say why this action hadn’t been taken in the previous five years.

The player then pointed out to the coach breaches of the team rules by other players and the inconsistency of the coach’s approach. The coach sternly rebuked the player for his temerity in suggesting the coach’s integrity was open to question, but once again was unable or unwilling to defend his actions.

The player, realising he had little option but to comply, did so, scaling back his involvement and thereby lessening the team’s performance. The coach, satisfied that his authority had been proven by a Stalin-like crushing of any dissension, continued to lurk, stalking his prey for another technical breach of the rules.

It duly came when our hero inadvertently provided the Dark Lord with the chance for his ultimate revenge. The coach pounced, suspending the player indefinitely, without even advising the player the reason for or the duration of his suspension.

The player, suddenly with more free time because he was not wasting it arguing with morons like the coach, was left to reflect on the Golden Rule – Whoever Has the Gold Makes the Rules.

 

[bartman]

The Parramatta Eels F7s squad pull into Redfern Oval in the team's custom Vengabus... this could be the Eels' final game of the F7s season ahead of their next round bye, depending on other results.

The Eels F7s team for this match lines up as follows:

Prince Charles
Dean
miniHindy
eloquentEel
bartman

Goleel
MITS

Good luck one and all...

 

[miniHINDY]

Minihindy runs out for the Eels, he winks at the cute girl in the front row. Awesome.
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The Wanker Tax​

In recent times there has been a worldwide push for the implementation of an Emissions Trading Scheme to tackle the emerging climate change problem. Such a system would charge businesses for each unit of carbon they pollute, and thus create a financial incentive for polluters to reduce their carbon emissions. This idea got me thinking, what would happen if we utilised a similar scheme in Rugby League? Not for carbon emissions (though methane is a strong greenhouse gas, Danny Wicks, you’re on notice!), but for acts of foolishness. Hereby I propose a WankerTax™, in which clubs are forced to pay for their misbehaving stars. For the remainder of this article I will look into my crystal ball and attempt to foresee how this new tax would affect each team.

Gold Coast Titans
Despite having hugely successful crowd figures, the public is shocked to hear the Titans have become bankrupt by the new law. The club’s seemingly clean-cut roster are bewildered to as why they are out of employment. In their search for answers they discover their crippling situation resulted from the club’s purchase of Chris Walker. Preston Campbell later admits that the NRL ‘probably made the right decision’.

South Sydney
Due to large Mormon population Souths save money on the WankerTax, according to the religions strict rules regarding the practice (look but don’t touch!).

Canberra Raiders
The Raiders’ exceedingly bland roster allows them to be Wanker-neutral. They become very successful in the newly depleted competition, and play South Sydney in the grand final. This would later become renowned for being the only grand final in which tickets were given away free with Happy Meals.

Cronulla Sharks
Paul Gallen. ‘Nuff said.

Canterbury Bulldogs
The Bulldogs are hit so heavily due to their many public indiscretions that the majority of players are forced to flee the country to avoid the Tax Office’s wrath. Sonny Bill Williams was last spotted somewhere in the Cayman Islands, though he was barely recognisable due to the radical cosmetic surgery he had done on his face to ensure anonymity. For the second time in recent years the Bulldogs are the subjects of the headline ‘Rats Fleeing the Sinking Ship’.

Sydney City Roosters and Manly Sea Eagles
Being fiscally savvy, the Roosters receive inside information days before the new tax is implemented. This allows them to quickly offload Willie Mason to the unsuspecting Sea Eagles who are ecstatic to purchase the front-rower for cheap. Posters on internet forums become incensed at this perceived rort, forcing David Gallop to expel both teams from the competition. The league world rejoice at the news, with the Daily Telegraph running the famous front page ‘Two Birds with One Stone’.

St George Dragons
With Mark Gasnier leaving the club to play Rugby Union for the Penrith Emus, the club gets off relative scot-free. They still under achieve. Some things never change.

Cronulla Sharks
Greg Bird. ‘Nuff said.

Brisbane Broncos
With a larger than average catchment area, the Broncos are subject to heavy taxation. Coupled with the higher amount of Wankers per-capita in Queensland, the Broncos suffer a prolonged lean period. The majority of players join the local badminton club, which leads to Australia winning 4 gold medals in the sport at the London Olympics. The Maroons are forced to play Daniel Wagon in State of Origin. They lose.

Parramatta Eels
Daniel Wagon quits club football to concentrate on his representative commitments. With what many argued a dead weight gone, the Eels play a liberated brand of attacking football. They go on an undefeated run to the finals, casting aside all teams in their wake. They reach the preliminary final against Souths at unbackable odds. Up 18-2 with 10 minutes remaining, Souths score three unanswered tries. On the siren, front-rower Scott Geddes converts from the sideline to win the game. Feleti Mateo’s career is in tatters and is forever known as Paul Carriage the second.

To many this may be a nihilistic vision of the future. The post-WankerTax world has lead to foundations clubs being expelled, decade-long expansion being destroyed and South Sydney making a grand final. But that’s a blinkered perspective. Many positives can be seen; the renaissance in badminton, the expulsion of Manly and finally a strong response to the Chris Walker problem. Will my crystal ball prove correct, or is it faulty (I did trade it for an old lawn-mower at cash-converters, concededly)?

We’ll have to see, I suppose.

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741 words.
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[bartman]

Bartman runs it up and gets all nostalgic for the Eels...

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A Timely Reminder

This year marks 30 years since my first rugby league game, where as a five year old my parents gave me the chance to experience first hand the noise and passion of a rugby league crowd cheering on their local teams at a suburban ground. And it's fair to say that my life has never been the same.

In the years since I've seen a lot of wonderful things as a rugby league fan - from Grand Final wins and loses to dud seasons where you lose more games than you win; junior and lower grade games with future stars coming through the ranks; home games and trips to away games and nights out at representative footy; and recently even a taste of rugby league in other countries.

This week, the game of rugby league stands at a crossroads. A crossroads between maximizing individual salaries and a system where contracts are signed in good faith and clubs compete on an equal footing. A crossroads where the resolution may mean the game we grew to love will never be the same.

Times have changed, and what was good for the game in the past may no longer appeal to the fans of today or of the future. But in a time of crisis, maybe it’s worth remembering some little things that helped make rugby league great?

I remember rugby league played at suburban grounds where cars could drive in and park and still have a good view of the game. Suburban grounds with trees and grass and holes in the perimeter fences, through which the odd determined fan could still sneak in on crowded days when they’d shut the gates.

I remember a spectator so upset with the refereeing that she leapt the fence at a suburban ground, to give the referee a piece of her mind because booing just wasn’t enough.

I remember the candy-coated peanut seller man, who used to frequent Cumberland Oval and Belmore Oval in the 80s, before disappearing into obscurity when the days of terraced stadiums arrived.

I remember an underdog working class suburb decorating itself in club colours for a whole week ahead of a grand final, from its shop fronts and telegraph poles through to even the colour of the bread at the bakers and the sausages at the butchers.

I remember a wooden fence paling that sat for many years in the corner of family friend’s lounge room - a souvenir from the local club’s home ground when it burnt in celebration following that team’s first grand final win.

Those types of memories can’t be made each and every year. In fact, some would say they come once in a lifetime, and I no longer expect my team has a divine right to win the premiership every season. While still hoping for the best, I no longer take it as hard when that premiership seems a very long way off.

Instead, I’ve realized that I still attend rugby league after all these years mainly as a reminder…

I still go to games as a reminder of that early childhood world of wonder - of wooden stands and clapping hands or stamping feet, and of fold up chairs or blankets on a grassy hill.

I still go to games as a reminder of rugby league being the very first thing you'd talk about when you get to school of a Monday morning, and also the first thing on your mind as you escaped those school gates on a Friday afternoon.

I still go to games as a reminder of the glory premiership winning years, and days where the stars of the past would sit on the hill with their families watching the lower grades, and always have the time to sign autographs for the kids.

I still go to games as a reminder of precious time spent with my father on weekends while I was growing up. Every second Sunday was father's day, and also our football day. As an adult now I’m very fortunate to be able to keep up our tradition, even if he can’t make it to games nearly as often.

After 30 years I still go to rugby league games as a reminder of who I am, who I was, and who I will probably always be.

And with the game of rugby league facing a crossroads, I just want to say thanks for the memories Rugby League, and wish you a happy Australian centenary year.

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746 words between the lines

 

[eloquentEEL]

eloquentEEL dusts off an old textbook and gets the creative juices flowing for the Eels.
________

Imagine

A dark cloud has descended upon the NRL. Boring play on the field with a focus on the ruck has put pressure on referees who already have too much responsibility interpreting poorly defined rules. It has led the press to find more interest in the extracurricular activities of players rather than match day performances. Most importantly, it has led to fans and players voting with their feet as they become increasingly disillusioned with the code. Adding insult to injury, the impact on the bottom line makes it difficult to compete globally with a limit on the money to share around for the best talent, thereby perpetuating a vicious cycle. The current reality of rugby league is getting ugly, so it is time to imagine.

Imagine rugby league without all the negatives.

Imagine the media focus on the field, rather than off.

Imagine if John Lennon was a league commentator.

Imagine there’s no wrestling
It’s easy if you try
No Storm to stop us
Enjoying our meat pies
Imagine all the players
Passing ‘round the ball…

You may say I’m a dreamer… but it’s not a dream. It is all about imagination. Something which most modern players and coaches seem to lack; and the root of everything negative in the game.

Ironically, imaginary numbers are the square root of a negative and the inspiration for the following radical proposal to inject imagination into our product. Plotted on a plane, imaginary numbers are at right angles to real numbers and actually have many real-world applications. Therefore, moving from the current reality to an imaginary rugby league nirvana is simply a matter of rotating the field 90 degrees, ie. the existing try lines become the sidelines and vice versa. Attackers already aim to give outside backs room to move, create overlaps or at least isolate defenders one on one. Widening the field spreads out the players and gives them more space to explore their creativity in attack. Combining this with a shortened field, the team in possession is always in an attacking position capable of scoring from anywhere and therefore field position loses its significance. This means that teams don’t have to worry as much about ball control and safety first. More importantly, it means that fans don’t have to wait until the end of each set to see the attack actually attempt to use the football.

Another proposal is borrowed from American Football and allows both attack and defence to set before each play. One could easily question whether this would undesirably slow the game. The response is to challenge why the quantity of sets and tackles implied by a faster game is more important than the quality of each play? Let alone the fact that some games this year have lacked both quantity and quality, the only reason faster games may appear desirable is that quick plays can catch out defences and open up an opportunity for attacking flair, ie. quality plays. Allowing the defence to reset would force attackers to be more creative and defenders to focus on completing the tackle rather than winning the ruck. Besides, if the improvement in quality is half as good as suggested, fans will welcome the opportunity to sit back down and catch their breath between tackles. The additional benefit is that players would no longer need to be fitness freaks. More training would be spent on ball skills and players with footy brains would be valued above pure athletes.

The final piece of the puzzle further reduces the focus on ball control which currently limits expansive play. Tweaking the rule around dropped balls could have an exponential knock-on effect for encouraging creativity. If a player loses possession (forwards or backwards) and the ball touches the ground or the opposition before their own team regains possession, then play as if a tackle had been completed at the point where the player lost possession. This makes the rule more black & white for referees and heavily reduces the penalty for a dropped ball. This again reduces the focus on ball control (and the associated attempts to strip the ball) and encourages more risky, exciting play.

Using a bit of imagination to propose improvements to the game is easy. It is a long, hard road for the other pieces to fall in line but fixing the product is the essential first step towards restoring pride and even achieving the kinds of numbers in dollar terms which at the moment are only imaginary.

________

747 words

References:

Lennon, J. – Imagine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imaginary_number

 

[Bumble]

Bumble for the Rabbits

Not another story about Sonny Bill

When the human body has to overcome insurmountable odds, it is often capable of feats rarely seen. Whilst that statement sounds highly overdramatic, it can be used to describe many events in our life and indeed, in football.

In 2005 when I lined up for Hurlstone Agricultural against Airds High in the West Knockout, we were given a snowballs chance of victory. A win would see us in to the semi finals, and despite our biggest player being smaller than their smallest player, we knew that to beat these guys was not out of our reach and indeed, was not quite as far-fetched as most believed.

A similar principle can and has been applied in the NRL. As we saw a fortnight ago when the Titans defeated the Roosters in what has been widely labeled as the best win in the club's history. When Souths clawed back from 28-4 and 24-6 down in consecutive weeks. Teams that were considered the 'Goliath' character in one story may transform into the beleaguered battler trying to beat the odds, as was seen when the Roosters easily saw off the Eagles last weekend, despite the 98-0 scoreline against them in the two previous meetings between the clubs.

These things don't happen by fluke. Teams don't practice and prepare for these scenarios and situations planning to rely on luck. They don't sit back and wait for divine intervention to make them into heroes - they go looking for the glory, and are justly rewarded by the football gods.

When we know that our backs are against the wall, we draw on that little bit extra to get us over the line. Throughout each of our lives, there will be times when we achieve things that we didn't believe we could and there are times that the football teams and players that we support defy the odds and achieve things that even the most ardent of supporters didn't think possible. Fans love the fact that for the most part, players are willing to do whatever it takes for the good of the team, and what's more - we sure love a hero.

Brad Fittler in the 2002 grand final. Scott Sattler just a year later. Paul Bowman and Craig Gower in origin, playing on after sustaining knee injuries. It's obvious that these guys weren't thinking about news reports and glorification from the media when they acted the hero - they were driven by a desire to win and a love for their team, and their teammates.

Examples can be drawn upon from previous eras too, the great Clive Churchill kicking a goal from the sideline with a broken arm. Bob McCarthy running the length of the field in a grand final, tearing a hamstring along the way. John Sattler's broken jaw. And that's just the exploits of one team, never mind the other 30 or so current and former teams, each with their own stories of heroism and courage.

When your team overcomes an obstacle which was viewed as impossible to pass, the feelings of euphoria which follow are well known to any sports fan - a mixture of pride, relief and shock that something you never saw coming but so often dreamt of has arrived. And the comforting thoughts that the players which broke bones, spilt blood and knocked themselves unconscious did it all for something that you love and cherish. Your team was good enough for somebody to risk their well-being for.

These moments are rare, but are always fondly savoured and remembered by fans who can fall back on memories of better days when the going gets tough. As a Souths fan, that's 99% of the time. But as a teenage, I have no memories of the better days - I have to rely on the words of others and the limited video footage from the 1960s. Failing that, we all must sometimes take it upon ourselves to achieve greatness in our own small way.

For the record, we won that game against Airds, 10-6. Strangely enough they weren't as happy with the result as us - an all-in brawl erupted at full time and following that, they chased the referee up a bell tower.

Now THAT'S heroic.

​

 

[Marshall_magic]

Marshall Magic joins Bumble to hold off the eels.

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TIME TO GET TOUGH​

Over the years we have seen many NRL players get caught up in off field incidents. The names have ranged from no-name reserve graders like (at the time) Dane Tilse to future origin reps and potential internationals like Todd Carney to guys who are already at the top like Craig Gower. Sometimes we see these guys cut from their respective clubs, but at other times we see them put on warning, and kept. There is really only one factor that determines whether they stay or go, that is playing ability. It is an ugly double standard that occurs.

Clubs are reluctant to cut superstar players from their club. It could be said it’s for their own selfish needs, but when you look beneath the surface there is more to it than just that. If a club cuts a marquee player, they become fair game; another club will go ahead and sign them up, sometimes on a higher salary. Who suffers here? One club picks up a new player. A player gets an increased salary. Another club loses a player. It is obvious who loses out here, the club who does the right thing and cuts the thug. Clubs now know if they release a big name player for off field misbehaviour, that they will be picked up by another club, the player won’t learn their lesson, and the club will lose out in the end.

This is where the NRL needs to step in. If a club cuts a player, they need to put restrictions on them, making sure they cannot play for another NRL club. If there is a players code of conduct, and the thug breaches it, surely there is legal grounds for them to be banned from the NRL, even if it is only for a year or 2. This will work out in several ways. For a start, clubs will be prepared to cut thugs who are higher up in the playing ranks. The terrible double standards will slowly be eliminated, and there will be fairness for all players. Finally, the key factor is that, the player will be the one who suffers in the end, they will be banned from the NRL for a set period of time, so they can’t sign elsewhere, and earn more money for doing the same thing.

When you look back at players who have recently been cut from there respective NRL clubs, you see a lot of guys who may have cracked NRL, but you never see a big name. Yet there have been big names who have offended in the past. One of the worst issues was the Todd Carney and Steve Irwin moment. One drove a car without a license, and got a slap on the wrist. The other sat in the passenger seat, and when the other one ran away, he was left sitting in the car, and for this he was cut. It’s pretty obvious which one was the superstar and which one was the no name. This is the worst case of double standards that I have ever seen in Rugby League. To go with this, Steve Irwin has not been signed by another NRL club, while Todd Carney took his origin dreams to the next level, playing for Country origin. He was placed on his last warning, yet he again re-offended, and again got his last warning changed to his absolute last warning.

If the NRL had any decency, they would have told Canberra that if Steve Irwin is to get the boot, then Carney should be on the way out with him. On top of it, both should have had a ban from the NRL, to prevent rival clubs buying them, however, they did nothing, and Carney brings the game into disrepute again. Can Canberra really be blamed for preventing a superstar from being signed up by a rival, and making them pay the price for him being a thug.

Until the NRL start to do something about these repeat offenders, these thugs will continue to bring the game into disrepute. They can do what they want, and know if they are axed, they will be able to sign up elsewhere. This will force a greater percentage of the players to stay in line (clubs may hold onto elite players). These reports will become rarer, and League will finally get a decent image in the media, who will focus on what happens on the field.

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747 words between lines

 

[rabs]

rabs for Souths has a run


Brownie

It’s 2008 and Nathan Brown is in his last season as coach of the Dragons. Earlier this year the legendary Wayne Bennett was signed up for next season. Brown will have been the head coach at St. George Illawarra for six seasons. If they make the finals this year, that will make four finals appearances. His first season as coach in 2003 was pretty ordinary and the team could only finish 10th, plus who could forget the infamous Trent Barrett face slapping incident against Manly at WIN Stadium!

In 2004 the Saints finished 5th on the ladder, and lost 31-30 to Penrith on the first night of the finals. Most years they would most likely have gone on to week two of the finals despite that loss. Not to be however as losses to the 2nd and 3rd placed teams put Brownies boys out. In 2005 they finished 2nd in the minor premiership and beat Cronulla 28-22 in the first final to earn a week off. Unfortunately they couldn’t lift in the preliminary final against eventual premiers Wests Tigers and once again the “team with the best roster in the league” was not going to be a part of grand final day. It was around this time that media doubts over Nathan Brown’s coaching ability were gathering momentum. Many commentators were of the opinion that if Brown could not get the Dragons a premiership with his current roster then he never would, and it was only a matter of time before the salary cap would split the very talented roster apart. Consider these names; Trent Barrett, Mark Gasnier, Matt Cooper, Ben Hornby, Jason Ryles, Luke Bailey, Shaun Timmins, Lance Thompson, Mathew Head and up and comers Ben Creagh, Ashton Sims and Dean Young. A very impressive array of footballers that any coach would be happy to take.

2006 was going to be the year of the Dragon. This was the last time the massively talented roster would be together, Barrett signed early on to leave for England at seasons end, Timmins would finally give in to his persistent injuries and Thompson was already gone having joined Cronulla. The Dragons were finals bound until a five match losing streak late in the season threatened the dream. Fortunately they won their last three games and finished 6th but faced the daunting task of playing Brisbane in the first final at Brisbane. They pulled it off with a fantastic win and then followed up with a mauling of Manly to reach the penultimate weekend. Alas Brownies boys fell one short again when a red-hot Melbourne put their season to sleep. As usual the media was baying for Brownies head but full credit on the loyalty front as management publicly stated their intention to stick with Brown.

2007 was probably the worst of Nathan Brown’s short coaching career. Gasnier was injured in a pre-season match and missed almost the entire season. They could only manage nine wins for the season and finished 13th. Again the media crucified Brown but again he was to front for the following season 2008.

It’s April 1st 2008 and St. George Illawarra announce Wayne Bennett as coach for the following season. The Dragons are 1-2 with a game against arch rival Cronulla coming up. They lose it in a close one and follow it up with two more losses to sit at one win from six. The pressure is off Nathan Brown; nobody expects the team to be a premiership contender. Bennett the saviour will arrive in 2009 and things will happen. Then the team comes out on Anzac Day and blitzes a couple of quick tries against Sydney and goes on to win 26-6 in a solid performance. Next up a loss to Parramatta but this is followed by a string of seven consecutive wins, amongst those games were three up against Origin depleted sides that had everyone claiming a Dragons rigged draw. They lost to Canberra after that but the Raiders are going very well and the team looked scratchy with the return of Gasnier. Against Melbourne they were soundly beaten with a man short but I was impressed by their doggedness, and they again looked good in shutting out the Bulldogs last week.

The Dragons play a full strength Cronulla this weekend at Shark Park in a real test of their chances this season. Win this game and who knows the team may well go on and give Brownie a fairytale send off.

748 words

 

[Prince Charles]

Prince Charles for the Eels

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The good bits – Why I love Rugby League.

A childhood spent emulating my heroes in the backyard. Trees for goal posts. Jumpers for corner posts. Tackle. Touch. Grab one-two-three.

Enjoying a beer on a beautiful Sunday afternoon while sitting on the hill at Leichhardt Oval. The roar of a jam packed Suncorp Stadium.

Israel Folau soaring high above all others. Nathan Hindmarsh, tireless as ever, shorts loose and low. Hazem El Masri from the sideline.

Tommy Raudonikis’ crackling voice. Noel Kelly’s memories of a different era. The legend that is Johnny Raper.

Benji Marshall’s step. Preston Campbell magic. Darren Lockyer – all the time in the world.

An old Steeden with laces. Cotton jerseys branded by companies long forgotten. Water instead of Gatorade. The magic sponge.

Under sixes running wildly. Parents videotaping precious memories. Being treated to Maccas after scoring your first ever try. New buddies. Team mates. Friends for life.

Waving your teams flag at the game. Cheering a try. "You beauty!" Booing the ref. "All day sir!"

Your team in the top eight. Golden point semi finals. Victory. The thrill of making the Grand Final.

Big hits! Bodies collide. Impact. Biffo. Tempers flaring and push becomes shove. Hands turn into fists. Fight! Fight! FIGHT!!

Football in the rain. Velcro hands on a slippery ball. Tight arm wrestles. Sliding tries. Muddy jerseys.

A proud history. The Winfield Cup. The Gladiators. Dominance of St George. Unrivaled success of the Rabbitohs. Dally Messenger. 100 years of Rugby League.

Rookies making their debut. Fresh faces. Eyes wide open. Potential. Future. Hope.

A big kick down field. High bombs and short grubbers. Chip. Chase. Catch it!

Suburban grounds. Sold out sign. Queueing for toilets and food. A full hill. Kids sneaking in through the hole in the fence. Being allowed on the ground at full time.

Sprawling mega stadiums. Plenty of room. Seats for all. No queues. But just not the same.

Matt Bowen gliding and weaving. Big Petero – so hard to stop. All sizes, big through small. Neither taking a backwards step.

Peter Sterling freezing play. Ray Warren’s voice, like a comfy pair of jeans. Hadley. The Wok. High and long with Frank Hyde – the greatest ever.

State of Origin – our jewel in the crown. Wally, Alfie, Big Mal and The Axe. Sirro, Blocker, Turvey and Bert. Mate against mate – State against state. The best.

Reading Big League and Rugby League week. Controversial headlines. Grand achievements. Gossip. Rumours. What a game!

Putting your teams poster on your bedroom wall. Hunting your favourite players autograph. Your first ever jersey. Buying a packet of player cards. Awful chewing gum.

Cheeky halfbacks. Dopey forwards. Wingers aren’t footballers. Bench players with splinters in their backside. Sledging. Gee-ups. Larakins.

Billy Slater in full flight. Mason charging, tall. The bash brothers, Gallen and Bird. Johnathan Thurston just too good.

Picnic blankets on the hill. Beanies and scarfs to stay warm. Kids playing their own game in a small pocket of grass. Torn newspaper raining with every try.

Cheergirls dancing, music loud. Pom poms shaking and Lycra stretched tight. Colour and movement as the Rabbitohs beat their drums.

The knowledge of Wayne Bennett and the passion of Brad Fittler. Coaches coming and coaches going. Hair turning grey as the season rattles along.

Chris Sandow, Mitchell Pearce and Chris Lawrence showing enthusiasm, skill and promise.

While Craig Fitzgibbon, Steve Menzies and Steve Price grow not weary through the years.

Long spiral passes. Short balls and flicks. Impossible offloads with a player in support. Cut out balls that find their mark.

The run-around. Decoy plays. Even a flying wedge. Defenders beaten or a tackle is made. The bomb or grubber. Fans stand and cheer. The fullback saves the day.

A meat pie at the footy. Tooheys New and a Four X please. A burger, chips or hotdog. Tummies full and wallets empty.

Karmichael Hunt – tough and true. Robbie Farah’s skill. Scott Prince in Thurston’s shadow no more.

A big bloke into space. Huffing. Puffing. The crowd going crazy!

Pub debates. He was better. No, he was the greatest. Offside. Onside. Try. No Try. Your shout!

The Grand Final. Streamers flying. Colour. Fans praying for a win. Glory for one, sorrow for another. The season at an end.

But there’s always next year in the game we love as the good bits just keep rolling on.

-------------------------------------------------

730 words between the lines.

 

[Dean]

Dean takes to the field for the Eels, late as usual and probably forfeiting his match payment.

Shine on you crazy diamond, and au revoir.
I’ve never understood Pink Floyd. As a matter of fact, I’ve never understood Progressive rock at all. Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Yes, when I hear these names I automatically think of fifteen minute songs with tricky time signatures and trippy lyrics, I also think of technical wankery. I do enjoy Post-Rock and Math-Rock though, which can be similarly viewed as musical masturbation, but to my ears it’s far more interesting and/or exciting in its delivery. But still the Prog-Rock aura of greatness remains. The top 100 lists will always find multiple places for the Floyd and their brethren and I just don’t get it. Please someone explain it to me?
Have you guessed that this article is about Mark Gasnier yet?
Yes; The Mark Gasnier, the Greatest centre in the world. The shimmy shimmy whoosh guy, the man who can change direction on a dime.
Wait, what did I just say amongst all of that? The Greatest Centre in the world, surely not. But wait; everyone who knows anything about rugby league can testify to this, or if not, at least claim that he’s in the top three. This very website had him in the team of the year last year when he played about a third of the season and Phil Gould said he was the best centre he had ever seen. So much praise for a player who has made inconsistency as much a feature of his game as his poor defence.
And this has always been my main beef with Gasnier. His attack has always been fantastic when wearing the green and gold against an ordinary New Zealand side, or with a Barrett or a Johns inside him giving him early ball. But his defence seems to have stopped being an issue in the minds of most experts years ago. All of a sudden people stopped talking about it. If only Eric Grothe Junior had had the same leniency, he might be still playing first grade.
The lasting impression that I have of Gasnier are not of his electrifying jinks and swerves, but his c**k ups. The last two major semi-finals that featured the Dragons were highlighted by two separate set plays from scrums. Two tries; one scored by Greg Inglis, and another by Benji Marshall. What was the common denominator in these two memorable tries? You guessed it, Mark Gasnier. And they say that Matt Orford can’t handle the big games. Then there was Origin two; Inglis again.
And yet he’s apparently still the best centre ever. If people were whinging that Queenslanders queered the votes in the team of the century to get big Mal in, then thank God that Gould wasn’t part of the selection process. We might have seen Gasnier at five-eighth.
At least Meninga was an all round great player, and this is where people’s claims of Gasnier’s greatness fall down. To be the best ever or even best centre at the moment, you need to be lacking weakness. Even if you’re a great attacking force, your defence must at least be satisfactory.
So I’m not all that fussed with most of the losses to French Rugby Union. Gower was past his best and Luke Rooney is a winger who had one good year. Sonny Bill’s case is however, an infuriating tragedy and if more were to follow of his calibre, then Rugby League in Australia and New Zealand will be struggling. But that story is for another time.
I won’t however, cry over Gasnier’s defection. For those who will, please come and see me and convince me otherwise, and for those that like me, have failed to see this elite specimen of a player over the years, show yourself now, because I feel like I’m the only person on earth who can see this red and white figure rushing out of the defensive line time and time again. At least with Prog-Rock, I know that there are millions of punks out there who agree. With Gasnier, I feel like Tom Hanks in Castaway, and even that stuck up bastard Wilson won’t even agree with me.
Word Count: 692

 

[Willow]

 

[bartman]

Sad to see the Rabbits come up just one short for this one. It's been a tough season for a lot of teams!

Good articles all round though! And best of luck to everyone from both teams in the final wash-up.

 

[Bumble]

I don't know why we f**king bother

Good game Eels, waste of time and effort again Rabbits but thanks to the boys that put the effort in

 

[bartman]

F7s is really hard when you get so close to a full turn out, only for something to have gone wrong. Having been there over the years it can be hollow feeling, when the F7s season seems more of a battle to compete and survive than fun.

Don't let it take away from the good efforts that were made though, Rabbitohs. In a tight competition you guys have done well to keep your season together and stay competitive, and have a stack of talented writers there. Fingers crossed for the future remaining games, this season and next.

 

[Jesbass]

The delegation from Mt Smart wishes to thank miniHINDY for not referencing the Warriors in his article. The cheque is in the mail.

Good luck to both teams!

 

[Marshall_magic]

I don't know why we f**king bother

Good game Eels, waste of time and effort again Rabbits but thanks to the boys that put the effort in

Story of our season, highly frustrating. And it seems every time we don't get them in, we get good individual scores, and when we get them all in, we have off weeks, or come up against a hot side.

 

[bartman]

Yeah MM, as I said to Bumble off-thread, you guys are great writers and that is shown by your position on the table versus the number of posts made. I've been part of seasons where making a full side is the exception rather than the rule, and indeed it is frustrating to know what's possible but not see it to fruition, no doubt.

But chin up Souths, and try as best you can to make it a positive end to the season from here.

 

[LeagueNut]

Rabbitohs

nqboy
Remember the Golden Rule
819 words
Quoted from the Forum Sevens rules and regulations: It is imperative that players leave all arguments at the door. Any disputes between members is not to be carried into the Forum Sevens competition.
Score: 0

Bumble
Not another story about Sonny Bill
705 words
A solid story (and a clever title), but it leaves me feeling like I’ve missed something. The match against Airds High seems like an afterthought tacked on to the beginning and end – perhaps if more links were made between that match and the heroes of yesterday it would have flowed a little better.
Score: 86

Marshall Magic
Time to get tough
747 words
A little rough around the edges but a good read overall with some valid points made. A more grammar-focussed approach would have won extra points here.
Score: 83

rabs
Brownie
748 words
A very factual piece, and probably one that was restricted by the word limit for this competition. It seemed to wrap up far too quickly at the end and could have benefitted from a more analytical look instead of simply stating the facts.
Score: 84



Eels

miniHINDY
The Wanker Tax
738 words
A real mixed bag. Very original and witty with plenty of sharp jabs thrown in, but sporadic errors throughout the article spoiled it somewhat. This could have scored much higher with more of a focus on spelling and grammar.
Score: 87

Bartman
A Timely Reminder
746 words
This piece left me with a big smile on my face and a longing for the good old days. A very pleasurable read.
Score: 92

eloquentEEL
Imagine
747 words
A good start that gave way to confusion later on. I like articles that talk about potential improvements but I found these ideas particularly hard to follow. Shorter paragraphs could be your friend.
Score: 82

Prince Charles
The good bits – Why I love Rugby League
730 words
A good concept, but (and this is going to sound strange!) I think this piece was let down by the number of fullstops. It seemed to jump wildly between each snippet and this made it quite tricky to read.
Score: 82

Dean
Shine on you crazy diamond, and au revoir
692 words
A clever and well written piece, even with the strange little music segways interspersed here and there. For the record, I agree with you completely.
Score: 89


Parramatta Eels 432 defeat the South Sydney Rabbitohs 253

Player of the match: Bartman (Eels)