TRI-NATIONS I (2007) - Kiwis vs Kangaroos

[Willow]

F7s TRI-NATIONS 2007
Tawera Nikau Cup

New Zealand Kiwis v Australia Kangaroos

v

Game Thread:
• Please note - This is a game thread only, therefore only game-related posts can be made here. Any other posts may result in loss of points and is at the discretion of the referee.
• Captains must post their entire team (including reserves) before posting and only those players listed may play this round.
• Only original marked articles, not used in previous games, will be marked by referees.

REP Match players:
5 posts per team.
Teams allowed 2 reserves each.
Total (including reserves): 7 players per team.

Rules of play: http://f7s.leagueunlimited.com/rules.php
Full Time: WEDNESDAY 17 OCTOBER at 9:00PM (SYD TIME)​

Venue: The Front Row Stadium

REFEREE: Pistol
**Referee Blows Game On!**

 

[LeagueNut]

The Kiwis enter the arena to a standing ovation ...

NEW ZEALAND

LeagueNut (c)
griffo346
madunit
Jesbass
[furrycat]

Reserves:
byrne_rovelli_fan82
rayroxon

Good luck everyone!

 

[[furrycat]]

Furry steps out and starts meowing furiously at the Aussies. He squats and buries right in the middle of the field. Realising everyone is watching him, he prepares to lead the haka.

Ringa pakia
Uma tiraha
Turi whatia
Hope whai ake
Waewae takahia kia kino

Kapo! HI!

Furry: Kapa O Pango kia whakawhenua au i ahau!
Team: Hi aue ii!
Furry: Ko Aotearoa e ngunguru nei!
Team: Au, au, aue ha!
Furry: Ko Kapa O Pango e ngunguru nei!
Team: Au, au, aue ha!
Furry (slaps Leaguenuts back): I ahaha!
Team: Ka tu te ihiihi! Ka tu te wanawana! Ki runga ki te rangi e tu iho nei, tu iho nei ihi!
Furry: Ponga ra!
Team: Kapa O Pango, aue hi!
Furry: Ponga ra!
Team: Kapa O Pango, aue hi! *perform throat slitting motion* HA...


:crazy:!

 

[madunit]

madunit for the Kiwis

One Little Lie

Ever wondered how much damage one little lie could do? One Newcastle player certainly found out the hard way.

Before the salary cap was introduced, players had to play for the team representing the area they lived in. If a player residing in Sydney wished to change clubs, he had to leave the suburb he used to live in, and then live for a year in the area of his new side before he could play for them. If a player from outside Sydney wished to play, they only had to live in the area of their favoured side for just 28 days.

In 1917 one player’s dishonesty caused a major rift between Glebe, a competition outside of Sydney and the games governing body.

Dan Davies, originally from Newcastle, joined Glebe for the 1917 season. Davies had to live in the Glebe area for 28 days before he was allowed to play for them.

Davies moved to Sydney and lived with a relative...in Annandale. Glebe administrators were aware of this, but instead of being honest, or requesting he move to the Glebe area, decided to simply alter his address in the hope no-one would realise.

The time had finally come when Davies could play for Glebe and ironically, his first game would be against Annandale. His participation in this match was the catalyst for a series of events between Glebe and the NSWRL.

Glebe beat Annandale 26-5 with Davies on debut. Annandale, aware that Davies was living in their area, lodged a complaint requesting the game be forfeited by Glebe for fielding an illegible player.

AN official inquest began regarding the matter. Davies was forced to sign a declaration by Glebe officials stating that he had indeed been living in the Glebe area, however it was quickly found to be false.

The NSWRL stripped Glebe of its two competition points for the win against Annandale. Davies' dishonesty saw him being handed a life ban by the NSWRL.

Glebe believed they were being discriminated against, future events of that season may suggest such, but it was the demeanour of the club that caused things to get out of control. In a match shortly after the Annandale game, three Glebe players were sent off; two of them later got suspended for the rest of the season for seemingly minor incidents.

The next week, Glebe was to line up against neighbouring rivals Balmain. Balmain was the reigning premiers for the previous two seasons. The game was scheduled to be played at the SCG, but after the deceit of Davies and Glebe, the NSWRL moved the game to Balmain's home ground, the much smaller Birchgrove Oval, were the gate taking would be substantially less.

Glebe officials were outraged and the players threatened to boycott the match. Glebe instead fielded a second rate team, all of their first graders opting not to play the game. Balmain flogged Glebe 40-9, Glebe's worst defeat since 1910 when they were beaten 36-0 by Easts.

The NSWRL were angered by the Glebe players for boycotting the game, so they consequently suspended the 14 First Grade Glebe players for the entire 1918 season, including the Burge brothers.

During the long off season, the NSWRL overturned their suspension on most of the Glebe players. Frank and Alby Burge had their suspensions cut back to May 1918.

Ironically, again, when the suspensions of Frank and Alby Burge had been served, their first game since being suspended was against Annandale.

What about Dan Davies?

Well Dan went back to his home in Lambton to work in the mines. But the controversy wasn't over yet. In 1917 in the Newcastle competition, his former side, Newcastle Wests, threatened to go on strike as well for not allow Davies to play for them against Newcastle Norths.

Norths agreed to let him play, however when news got back to the NSWRL that Davies was playing Rugby League, they suspended every player and administrator from the Newcastle competition, except for Newcastle Easts. The suspended players and officials started their own competition. The NSWRL again suspended everyone involved in the breakaway Newcastle competition, but were ignored. This battle continued for three years, until the NSWRL relented in 1920 and lifted all its imposed suspensions, allowing the Newcastle competition to run as it had before.

Isn't it amazing what one little lie can do?

727 words, including title

Sources:
100 Years of Rugby League by Ray Chesterton
Rugby League Annual 1994 by David Middleton

 

[gorilla]

The Aussies arrive, throw their bags in the corners and prepare for a dog fight.

AUSTRALIA

gorilla (c)
Willow (vc)
Azkatro
Timmah
The Piper

 

[Timmah]

Timmah receives the high-flying kickoff from madunit, takes the pill on the chest and starts charging forward, taking the first hit-up of the game for the mighty Australians.

The Split

Hardcore fans of rugby league will know that not a single one of us are immune from the emotions that form the core of our game.

On Saturday September 16 this year - more than ever as a fan of the Bulldogs, I felt those emotions. Dizzying, rapturous highs … hollow, empty lows, but through it all, I gained something I thought not in me.

Respect for the opposition. Respect for their fans, and a genuine sense of congratulations that I certainly hadn’t noticed or practiced before.

After the first try was scored by our powerful winger Matt Utai, an amazing feeling crept through at least half of the 50,621 fans crammed into the stadium. In particular where I sat, they were jumping on seats, hugging, high-fiving, waving whatever object they held – simply ecstatic.

The outlook was positive. Soon after, Sonny Bill Williams was injured – the heart sunk briefly but the relief remained. The Eels then scored – the belief remained. It was something that remained until at least the 70th minute. Sonny battled on, returning to the field, but finally, it was too late.

After holding in defence for almost 40 minutes since the last Parramatta try, the sense of hope was lost. The season was gone and that empty feeling crept in.

My partner tugged at my guernsey, motioning toward leaving the stadium and that marked a turning point. As a rule I never leave the stadium early and I was tempted but, knowing at that point I would not see my proud club any longer this season, something snapped.

I stayed and at an honest count, I was one of perhaps five to ten Bulldogs fans who remained at the ground for any longer than a couple of minutes after fulltime.

From before fulltime however, it was quite obvious how Ticketek had craftily done their work. The crowd was well split and almost the entire northern end of the eastern side was awash in gold, the southern end in blue and white. As the Eels ascendency became clearer in the final 10 minutes, the southern end cleared out. An odd joyous Eels fan was propped on a chair waving a 2002 flag with the old cartoon logo still emblazoned on it, whilst others stood taunting the early-leavers clad in blue and white.

As the game wound down, I looked over to one group of Eels supporters (well known here at LeagueUnlimited) and witnessed their jubilation. Giant flags were being shaken high above their heads, streamers, confetti - whatever they brought in anticipation of this moment was well and truly used as they celebrated long after the siren.

I stood, empty and stunned with my other half studiously by my side. I clapped the Bulldogs off as they disappeared for the final time in 2007. The next ten minutes was a mix of happiness for the Eels fans and the stark reality that there was nothing left to support with all my heart for the rest of the year.

As the tumult died down and more Eels fans headed for the exit, I began to slowly saunter down to this jubilant group of fans. With an empty feeling but still with some happiness for a good but not great season. What happened next surprised me though - not one but two Eels fans, knowing who I was, approached me, and offered their commiserations. For any fan of any victorious club to step out into the breach and offer a hand to the losing side’s fans is an act to be commended, and one I'll never forget - given I'd only had it happen once before in 2006 at Brookvale, of all places.

I'd love to be labelled a hero for sticking around - but I don't want that label. From the moment I felt the tug on my guernsey from my partner, to the moment the security ushered us out of Telstra Stadium, I simply felt compelled to stay, to enjoy watching from across the other side of the split, regardless of the emotion.

I would've killed for an aerial photo that day - one end of the stadium packed, flags flying, the other showing empty seats and full aisles - an exile seen only nine years prior at the SFS ... and we all know what happened then.

This time though, it didn't.



723 words from woe to go.


Good luck to all!

 

[LeagueNut]

SUBSTITUTION

Out: griffo346

In: byrne_rovelli_fan82 \\\\/

 

[LeagueNut]

LeagueNut - Kiwis

==================================================

Stace

In just a few short days the career of one of New Zealand Rugby Leagues all-time favourites will be coming to an end. Stacey Jones, a.k.a “The Little General”, will wear a #7 jersey for the last time in the All Golds commemorative match against a Northern Union selection in England, some 4,560 days after his first-grade debut for the Warriors against the Parramatta Eels in 1995.

It’s been one heck of a ride for Stacey during that time. Auckland born and bred, he was the quintessential “boy next door” who took his rocket-ride to stardom in his stride. As he was breaking into first grade all those years ago, senior players commented that “nothing seemed to phase him” – a trait that would stick with him for his whole career.

But despite linking with a club that liked to implode regularly in its early days, and a country that didn’t offer a lot of chance for international success, Stacey managed to quickly establish himself as the face of Rugby League in New Zealand. To the average punter, Stacey was the Warriors. Stacey was the Kiwis. Every kid wanted to be him, every adult wanted to meet him, every journalist wanted to talk to him – and his profile quickly grew beyond the club that had given him his chance.

But when you stack up his profile and support against his playing abilities, some things just don’t seem to add up. His greatest attribute was his spontaneity – as Peter Sterling once noted, “he’s just as likely to run the ball on the first tackle or the fifth” – and opposition players were caught out many times as he scampered away on another run. But for a halfback, his passing game was steady at best and his kicking game often varied from brilliant to baffling with little consistency. But anyone who even thinks such thoughts about Stacey is likely to be charged with blasphemy, such is the high regard for him with the New Zealand public.

Even if you ignore what he did on the field, surely his off-field antics would have diminished his appeal. We Kiwis place a great deal of pride on our national team, and most self-respecting Kiwi league fans will quickly turn violent when the names Karmichael Hunt, Tonie Carroll or Nathan Fien are mentioned. So how does Stacey Jones, the man who turned his back on International footy because of a tiff with the coach, manage to keep his reputation intact?

On the surface it almost defies belief. Stacey Jones, proud Kiwi, turns his back on his national team because he doesn’t get on with the coach. Then he retires from International Rugby League, spouting the usual clichés about needing a break and not wanting to burn out. But as soon as a new coach is on board, he’s leaping straight back into the team and playing a part in their greatest moment in living memory.

At the time it was reported that coach Bluey McClennan was making a great deal out of the pride that each player should have in the Kiwi jersey. It was apparently that same pride that convinced Stacey to return to the fold – pride that was mysteriously absent when he spat the dummy and sat on the sidelines just a year or so earlier.

The Kangaroos faced a similar problem recently when Eric Grothe was selected but didn’t show up for training. He’s effectively turned his back on his country – and what chance do you think he has of being picked again? Yet Stacey was practically begged to return and play for a team that he had deserted before.

None of this really matters of course. The post-mortems on Stacey’s career will be littered with highlights – the Golden Boot, that Grand Final try, the 2006 Tri-Nations victory, the NRL finals appearances, the Challenge Cup match, and so on – but very little will be mentioned about the lowlights. Stacey was even made an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in 2005, and this recognition was confirmed before his mercy dash to help the Kiwis win the 2005 Tri-Nations title. Strangely, even the New Zealand Government is happy to honour a man who “couldn’t be stuffed” representing his country.

Hey, maybe I’m being far too harsh. Maybe Stacey shouldn’t be remembered for his “chequered” International career. But I know one thing for sure – it certainly shouldn’t be forgotten.

==================================================

745 words in the official counter. GO THE KIWIS!!

 

[gorilla]

Gorilla charges up, trying to rely on a diminished memory of training skills ….

***********************************************************************************

Old Memories

I fell over my front gate the other day. I’ve been stepping over the damned gate for about ten years even though I’d fixed the latch six months ago – I guess old habits are hard to break and it had become easier to just step over it. The gate is about 0.9 metres high and I was able to semi-scissor step over to save time.

I was momentarily distracted by a neighbour’s brand new convertible VW and I caught my toes on the top, rolling over toward the concrete and saved only from worse injury by my youthful green belt judo falling technique.

My kids laughed and my wife screamed. On rising, I explained through gritted teeth that she should “vacate the area as there was incoming undesirable language” - we deal in jargon.

Lately, as I’ve been picking the scabs off my elbows and knees, I’ve been thinking about football injuries and the older player, and ultimately how we can have injuries doing something we are very familiar with through momentary lapses and age.

I’m about the same relative age in my gate-stepping as a 30 year old league player and the incident with the gate was caused by a momentary lapse of concentration and a reliance on what’s called ‘working memory’ – the ability to do repeat activity based on repeated patterns of behaviour.

It’s common sense, but also supported by a raft of studies, that reaction times, and concentration levels diminish with age. Whilst working memory is maintained and even reinforced though player ageing, the ability to react to unusual stimulus and maintain concentration is diminished. (1) When the physical and mental decisions that are ‘normal’ activity, which have been reinforced by training or repetition, are interfered with, by the unusual car in my case or a newer player in a league context, then timing, reactions and concentration can be significantly affected.

Older players will also have ‘sitiffened’ up and become entrenched in their working memory which decreases their reaction times. This is especially significant in sports and league as these activities rely on training and skills drills that are meant to teach responses and behaviours that are to be relied upon when under duress.

This can also result in a trade-off with older players who sacrifice reaction times for postural stability. (2) If they are distracted and their working memory is also moribund with slower reaction times, they run the risk of lessening postural stability, which in a game of collision and escape such as league means injuries or embarrassment.

Whilst it’s a fact that older players are going to have wear and tear as well as trauma injuries, older current players like Steve Price, Petro Civoniceva and Jason Smith have trained to make sure their working memory, their physical and postural structure is sound to compensate for their ageing. Their style of play, especially Civoniceva’s and Price’s requires and uses less varied running and movement styles, whereas Smith has the latitude afforded by less game time and a relative stroll amongst the inner backs at five-eighth.

Tiredness and the likelihood of older players experiencing fatigue can cause or influence the likelihood of injury. Many injuries are received by the non-professionals (amateurs and semi-professionals) in the second half of matches or the latter stages of training sessions.(3) The effect of ageing on the ability to control postural structure, over-reliance on a working memory diminished by slower reaction times and concentration is the likely influence to many of these injuries.

League players spend most of their training life either formally or informally reinforcing a working memory so that they can concentrate on opportunities and fast-moving events through a game, particularly when the players enter a fatigued state. Working memory is actually a potential drawback for the older player. Younger players can rely on their relatively less depreciated physical and mental state to ensure that their working memory responses are less effected by fatigue compared with older players.

When older players become fatigued, they generally have decreased ability to concentrate and slower reaction times. The reliance on working memory to carry them through situations and activities can actually be a liability as their physical, mental and even emotional capabilities aren’t able to keep up with the demands of their working memory responses.

The interchange provides some relief for this potential cause of injury and error but training needs and mental freshness for the older player need to be addressed to compensate for ageing.

****************************************************************************************
747 words between the stars.

(1)http://www.powmri.edu.au/ispg2003/ISPG2003/abstract%20PDFs/Falls%20in%20the%20elderly%20posters/Lord_S_1.pdf
(2)http://www98.griffith.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/10072/11722/1/Tucker_AFP(2006).pdf
(3)http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=PubMed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=15462615&ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus

 

[byrne_rovelli_fan82]

byrne_rovelli_fan82 for the Kiwis!!
she joins in the gang tackle on gorilla, and as the ball pops loose, grabs it and makes a run



~~~~
Confused? You should be!

The world of rugby, one very simple game with a common goal and game plan. As much as League and Union try to differentiate themselves and separate from each other, they, like their human identical twins pose the same traits. Minor tweaks set them apart in respects of point scoring, markings on the field and rules, but one can’t deny confusion dominates in this game.

Union is a 15-man-a-side, with limited interchanges, once you make a substitution it can’t be reversed. League is a 13-man-a-side, with 12 variable interchanges leaving room for you to play rotation.

Figure this:
In the league match, the fullback wears the 1-jersey, but in the union game, the guy with the same jersey plays in the front row. The scrumhalf/halfback in the union match wears jersey 9, but in the league match, he’s the playmaker with the 7 jersey. In union, the 7 jersey belongs to a man named the open side flanker. A five-eight in league is the halfback’s partner in the halves but for union he is the playmaker with the 10 jersey, referred to as First-five eight or fly half. In league the 10 jersey is for the big tough man in the front row.
To make matters worse, the two men playing the centers for league are dubbed inside and outside centers for union, and the jersey numbers get worse. Let us break down the barrier.

Fullbacks:
A job of a fullback in both codes requires a player with all round ability with a sharp eye and quick feet. At the best of times, his job is to clean up opposition kicks, both in the air and along the ground. Often he features in the finishing touches of an attacking raid. He is also the ‘last line of defense’ and regularly puts in desperation tackle if the first line is breached. His jersey: 1- league, 15- union (and sometimes can vary to jersey number 22!).

Wingers
All a good winger needs is to add life to their team’s attack. Noted as positions for the two fastest men in the team, they could be seen as the ‘pretty boys’. Smart, good-looking but little brainpower. Jersey: 14 & 11-union, 2 & 5-league.

Centres
Here is where the fun begins. In both codes the centres have a job of being sound in attack and defense, provide good distribution and kicking skills. They also require strength and stability to create space for their wing partners In league circles these guys can be referred to as centre-three quarters, where as in union one is an ‘inside centre’ and the other an ‘outside centre’. Where the ‘inside’ centre takes responsibility in helping the forwards and the ‘outside’ centre does a job for the halves when called upon. Jersey: 3 & 4-league, 12 & 13-union

Halves
These men are the masters with all the tricks and latest moves down pat. Holding no fear and always causing havoc. Personality is a must, for him, the pressure of failure and scrutiny rests on his shoulders. Jersey: 7 & 6-league, 10-union

Hooker
This bloke hangs around the forward pack like a bad smell. One has to throw to a line, where his teammates stand around and jump high to catch, and the other, looks like a cranky mad dog. Support play is important and defense needs to be top class. Jersey: 2-union, 9-league

Props
Whatever you do, do not try to fool these men. They don’t posses nimble feet or creative mindsets, but they are hard as nails and love a big hit. When they hit, they hit hard and more or less, you will feel it. They love to tackle and barging is their specialty. Jersey: 8 & 10-league, 1 & 3-union

The rest:
Flankers- reminiscent of terror twins. They want the ball and love to get involved. At every chance, they like to show some skill, perhaps the only agile players in the forward pack. Don’t forget one is ‘open side’ and the other ‘blindside’ Jersey: 7 & 6-union
Second-rowers- Skinny buggers these guys; they do the fancy forward stuff like offloading the ball. Jersey 11 & 12
Lock(s) - tall and skinny as well, there’s two in union and they lift a fellow player in the lineout. In league, he just makes up the numbers. Jersey: 13- league, 4 & 5-union
Number 8- Has all the work ethic and drive of his fellow forwards. Only found in union

Don’t get confused, just enjoy

~~~~

748 between '~' occording to official word counter.

Good luck to the teams and GO KIWIS!!!

 

[LeagueNut]

SUBSTITUTION

Out: Jesbass =;

In: rayroxon

 

[rayroxon]

Rayroxon comes out of mourning for his national team to don the E-Jersey of the Kiwis.

Fire Up!

*****​

Wanted​

Flat Mate Wanted! Easy going apartment looking for a short-term guest. Must be punctual, entertaining and full of surprises. Three – Six month Lease available. No dogs.

​

Thanks for answering the ad. You want to know what sort of person we’re looking for? Well I don’t want to wax lyrical about our old flat mate but he was great. Ideally we’re looking for someone like him. Pretty low maintenance, keeps to himself and was always on time with payments. Only negative was he’d audit our finances to make sure that he wasn’t over contributing and kept on talking about getting under the cap. He’d work hard on the weekend and then go quiet for a couple of days which suited us fine. He was pretty high profile; you could read his exploits for yourself in the Monday papers. His quiet days would be Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday but you could feel the excitement build in the house come Friday morning. He’d come out and entertain us all weekend, and what a show he’d put on.

Comfortable in front of a crowd of thousands or just as adept in the comfort of our living room he’d save his best performances for Friday Night where he’d back up and entertain from 7:30pm all the way through to 11:30pm. A veritable pantomime of running, big hits and outrageous celebration, his show could leave you in screaming raptures or crying with grief. He knew how to extract the full range of emotions from his audience and would keep you wanting more. He wouldn’t mind if you missed a performance as you could read about it the next day or just pick up from where you left off the following week.

The fun wouldn’t stop there. He’d put on a triple show on Saturdays from 5:30pm through to 11:30pm again. Seemingly unfazed he’d perform on a Sunday and follow it up with a Monday late show as well. After that he’d sleep for days. It couldn’t stop us talking about him though. The absence just made us yearn more for the weekend to roll around.

Of course we’ve had a couple of other applicants other than you. I wish we had 20-20 vision about the first one, he was gone before we got used to him. He’d wear his pyjamas all day long, he’d talk about his googlies and he had fixations on becoming more popular than his older brothers. Weird Chap.

One of the other blokes who dropped by had manboobs and wore a sports bra specifically tailored to his needs. The packaging read, “All support – no cup” He must’ve had a small windpipe as he’d keep coughing and hiccupping all the time. He only stayed a quarter of the way into his lease as he ended up choking on a French dish he tried to eat whole.

Amongst other applicants we had a guy who had horrible personal hygiene habits. He’d pick and roll, he’d slam dunk when at the rim and he’d dribble everywhere. We cried foul and ejected him pretty quickly. We also had a bloke from the States come by but he’s a bit slow. He kept stopping and starting and a task that should’ve taken him an hour to complete got done in three and a half. He also wore all this bulky padding and a helmet. It was more a precautionary measure to protect him from the world we reckon.

We’ll open up the doors for this backpacker type in January. He’s quite a worldly sort; he visits France, the States and a lovely town called Wimbledon each year. He’s only here for about 2 weeks at a time so he isn’t a permanent resident. He keeps on mentioning he’s involved in some sort of worldwide racket and that’s why he’s always moving.

As I said though, none of them really deliver the excitement of our number one flat mate. He said he’d be back in March hence the short-term lease. He’ll have tales of New Zealand, France and the UK to bring with him but until then it’s our summer of discontent.
Anyway, what did you say your name was? Al Eague? I’m sure you’ll fit in just fine. I see you’re into diving, we don’t have much of a set up here but the pool should be good for a bit of practice. Thanks for dropping by and we’ll give you a call to let you know when you can move in.

****
​

(748 words incl title between the stars)​

 

[Willow]

*Willow for the Kangaroos*

Digging for the truth?

When trying to work out the difference between fact and fiction in the media, I soon found myself amidst outright lies being presented as truth. The reader, most likely dulled by the media pitch, is often none the wiser. The notion of reading between the lines is too easily cast aside as a minor consideration.

But every now and then, someone exposes these attempts to mislead the public.

One of the better examples was in 2005 when the Sydney Telegraph was at loggerheads with the Canterbury Bulldogs.

Following an open media brawl, News Limited's Telegraph descended into the petty quagmire by publishing a photo of Bulldogs winger Hazem El Masri, minus the Bulldog's sleeve sponsor. The Telegraph actually doctored a photo to brush out the rugby league club's sponsor logo.

Check it out...

http://abc.net.au/mediawatch/img/2005/ep12/footy1.jpg

So what's the problem here? Why would the Telegraph do something so childish?

It seems the trouble started when tabloid writer Rebecca Wilson did what she is best at doing, crawling into the gutter and bagging out on League for no apparent reason. Its worth pointing out that Wilson is no journalist, she is widely considered to be a hack writer who never allows the facts to get in the way of a good story.

In April 2005, when referring to the Coffs Harbour allegations of sexual assault against Bulldogs players, Rebecca rode roughshod over the facts in saying:

"I will say here that I will never, ever attend a Bulldogs home game again because of the Coffs Harbour scandal ...

... the Canterbury club won’t be able to genuinely move on and claim it falsely lost its credibility until we know the whole, true story."

In struggling for credibility, the Daily Telegraph article had the almost laughable title, 'Digging for the Truth'.

Notwithstanding the lack of presumption of innocence, Rebecca did her best to cast aside the fact that no charges were laid against any Bulldogs players.

Don't get me wrong, Wilson is entitled to her opinion. But in publishing her views, she gave what was at best a cynical account and left the reader with the impression that the Bulldogs were guilty of a terrible crime. Perhaps Rebecca forgot that she is not a police officer, nor is she a prosecutor, judge or jury.

Unfortunately it was not the first time that Rebecca had attacked the Bulldogs. For Malcolm Noad, the Bulldogs CEO, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Noad's response was to bar the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph from doing any interviews with the club.

"We have limited their access to Bulldogs players and officials." said Noad.

Not surprisingly, the Telegraph responded with a slightly more dramatic version, seemingly oblivious to the original reason which led to the stand off. What followed was an order to hit the club where it hurts most and muzzle the dog's sponsorship exposure.

Since then, there's been little discussion and perhaps is easier to assume that matters have been resolved. One can only hope that Telegraph league writers again have access to the Bulldogs and the paper's editors are no longer playing with Photoshop.

At this juncture I should point out that I'm not a Bulldogs fan. In fact, I subscribe to the view that the club has done more than its fair share of bringing the game into disrepute. The Bulldogs' history is a tainted one and they are no angels.

At the very least, however, they do deserve the presumption of innocence before any lynching takes place, and it is clear that Rebecca Wilson had sadly overlooked this basic principle. For that alone, she deserves to be censured. But unfortunately Rebecca is not alone - too many in the media find that creating the news is easier than reporting on the news.

Where does this leave the reader? It does seem that best we can do is to be vigilant enough to try and read between the lines and recognise when distortions and bias are being passed off as fact. Unfortunately, this is sometimes easier said than done.


*680 words*
*References:*
Media Watch
The Daily Telegraph

 

[The Piper]

The Piper receives the ball.
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NRL to “hit a 6” thanks to Ulinga

The rugby league season is over, and thus begins the start of my other favourite sport, cricket. I play the game and enjoy it immensely. But a story that occurred during the previous cricket season to one cricket club can be looked upon by football clubs just the same, for inspiration.

During the off-season, National Rugby League officials could come to Newcastle to find an inspirational and dedicated group of men who the NRL could take some lessons from. A cricket side, but a team in a popular competition who wasn’t going to let years of tradition die, as well as let a new wave of players and supporters down.

Five years ago, the Ulinga Cricket Club had three competitive teams playing throughout the local City and Suburban competition. At South Cardiff, the team in A grades and two teams in B grades were known for their passion as well as skill.
Only two years off their prime, winning premierships between two of the sides, Ulinga lost many players to other sides and lost many of the dedicated members that looked after the side off the field.

The 2005/2006 season began and Ulinga had only just managed to scrape fifteen players together, the minimum, to submit one team into that season’s competition.
But from these fifteen players came a commitment that was going to turn the club around back to its glory days.

The team had to remember the name of the game is fun. It’s not World Cup cricket, its local sport. So Ulinga created a fun atmosphere. One of the team mates brought the Barbie around to the ground and through a few snags on for the players and people who had come for a sticky beak. Another member of the team brought the radio and stuck the commentary of the Australian One Dayers on. When there wasn’t any cricket, the local radio station would do with its mix of new and classic hits for everyone.

The message that was stuck into the team each week was that winning and losing wasn’t the be all and end all. Getting some good exercise, meeting new people and having a good time was what the Ulinga team was all about. Players new and old loved this mindset and player numbers grew.

The Edgeworth Bowling Club sponsorship was a turning point. The deal was in the pipeline, as long as the committee from Ulinga agreed to move the teams’ home ground to Edgeworth Sporting Ground No. 3, located not fifty metres behind the bowling club. The big change was debated and after agreeing, it was still up to the C&S board to approve the ground as Ulinga’s new home. Due to the location of the oval and sponsors being so close, the board deemed that efficient enough grounds to base the team there from now on. After each home game the boys from Ulinga would make the short trek over the small Cockle Creek bridge to throw a few schooners back; a few more after a win. Many of the opposing team would usually journey in for a beer or two, too; their cars were parked in the Bowlo car park anyway. With the sponsors name proudly worn on the fronts of our whites each match, The Edgy Bowlo were benefiting from the new sponsorship deal as much as the Ulinga team was. For the 2007/2008 season, the club has put more money behind us, as well as some of the regulars wishing to join up with the team for a bit of cricketing fun.

This year, the 2007/2008 season, two Ulinga teams now play in B grade from Edgeworth, with the music pumped, the sausages cooking and plenty of fun being had by all. The team had turned it.
To make the NRL stronger, I think it is simple plans like these that are needed to be implemented to keep the great game going strong. Pay a bit of money for snags or advertisements on TV. Move grounds if need be. Show sponsors what the game can do for them, like the bowling club or Telstra; making sure they pay up or push off. Get people back to the game with music or entertainment for the entire family. The CEO of league should have the same pride and passion for the game to want to see it develop to its fullest, just like the great men from that great cricket team, Ulinga.

750 words says the official word counter

 

[[furrycat]]

[furrycat for the Kiwis maaaaan] :crazy:

E-Quine Influenza

The Rugby League community is in crisis with reports of an outbreak of the deadly and highly contagious ‘E-Quine influenza’ virus. Experts are stating that ‘an exceptionally high percentage’ of the community has been infected by this viral infection, which usually results in the development of a dangerous bacterial culture. This culture can destroy the careers of those infected, and even be fatal in some cases.

‘E-Quine influenza’ is a highly contagious viral and bacterial culture that can drag even the healthiest players down to a point of no return. It is a culture that is getting far more common, and if preventative measures are not put in to place soon, ‘E-Quine influenza’ will fatally claim more victims in the code.

While it is unknown how it is contracted, its effects can be made more severe through the use of substances such as ecstasy, crystal methamphetamine, alcohol and cocaine. It is a disease that slowly infects a player’s mind and body, resulting in the severe deterioration of their physical and mental health. Symptoms include constant media attention for off field incidents, isolation from family and friends, and failing to cope with the scrutinised life of being a sports star.


The most noted outbreak in Rugby League was Andrew Johns, who recently succumbed to the effects of the deadly virus by admitting he had been struggling to come to terms with the illness for the past ten years. The virus soon developed into a culturual which he could not overcome as a teenager, resulting in years of abuse and regret that will no doubt tarnish the career of a man we once saw as ‘one of the best the game has ever seen’. He still may be one of, if not the best player to ever lace up the boots, but no one likes being deceived. Fans, players and officials were all deceived by this infection over a period of ten years, and now we all sit here wondering, “Who’s going to be next?”

This cat has decided to stand tall, squat and bury proudly, and ask a very relevant question; With this prominent culture spreading further and infecting more people, shouldn’t it be time to try and at least minimise the culture, if not eradicate it completely? Drugs and alcohol are a dangerous culture no one wants, so why should Rugby League put up with it for so long, and let it destroy another life?

‘E-Quine influenza’ is deadly, there is no doubting that. While the deaths that have arisen from it have not necessarily been high in regards to Rugby League, thousands of young Australians are being hit hard by the virus. Kids are dying on the streets, and while many hard working organisations and the government are doing what they can to try and get the message out about ‘E-Quine influenza’, our sports stars think they are immortals out of the sport and say it is okay. Sure, the argument is
There is no effective prevention strategies, and no methods in place to truly eradicate this culture from our game. A standard needs to be set, and more so try to create an example for young Australians that drugs such as ecstasy, crystal methamphetamine and cocaine are hardcore class-A drugs; the ‘party drug’ label is a grossly inaccurate myth. We look at Joey Johns, and wonder what he may have been like if he didn’t take drugs and suffer from depression. I guarantee you this, Joey would be thinking the same thing, and I’m sure all he’d want is another chance; a chance to do it all again, and maybe this time, be able to remember some of the biggest moments of his career. He has fans that can remember some moments of his career better than him, a chilling fact that makes you wonder just how many more players we have to see infected by this disease before something is actually done.

And the age old excuse- “they are human. What they do in their time is their own business” is getting far too old for this Cat to comprehend any longer. Yes, they are human (thankyou Captain Obvious), but they are idolised and watched by so many people in Australia and throughout the world. What they do influences others, and if they don’t want that status, get out of the game and destroy yourself elsewhere.

Rugby league hit by ‘E-Quine influenza’- A culture that is spreading throughout the country... and fast. Are you next?

750 Words

 

[Azkatro]

Azkatro for the Kangaroos.

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If you cast your mind back just a few years, you may recall the 2004 Anzac Test match between Australia and New Zealand. On a Friday night in Newcastle, a packed crowd watched on as the Kiwis attempted to overcome a difficult preparation and upset the Australians for the first time on their home turf for over 12 years.

There are a number of things which made this a memorable match.

In the week leading up to the game, Karmichael Hunt controversially declined an offer to play for New Zealand, indicating that he harboured desires to play State of Origin. Stacey Jones was also courted but remained adamant that he was not available.

More problems arose for New Zealand when David Vaealiki was ruled out with injury, and captain Ruben Wiki was suspended at the eleventh hour.

However there are a number of more positive things we can remember this match by.

It was the second time a test match had been played at EnergyAustralia Stadium, the first being a comparatively insignificant fixture between Australia and Fiji in 1996.

It also saw the international debut of a number of players. Penrith’s Joel Clinton was rewarded with a blockbuster 2003 season with a spot in the front row. Parramatta workhorse Nathan Hindmarsh, after a number of outstanding seasons in the back row, finally became an international. On the bench for Australia was Broncos utility Shaun Berrigan, chosen for his good form and ability to cover a multitude of positions.

For New Zealand, Paul Whatuira had emerged as one of the most reliable centres in the game and was named alongside Clinton Toopi. Two players pulled on the famous black jersey for the first time on the interchange bench. One was livewire hooker Tevita Latu, and the other was a player who had exploded onto the NRL scene in 2004 for the Bulldogs. His name was Sonny Bill Williams.

There was something else about this match that made it a special occasion.

Darren Lockyer, playing in his 21st Test match, was named at five-eighth for the first time in representative football. There was plenty of discussion leading up to the match over who should be selected between himself and Trent Barrett, but given his track record and status as incumbent captain, Lockyer won the battle to don the number six.

Doubts were quickly cast aside as Lockyer turned in a man-of-the-match performance that helped Australia to a 37-10 victory.

Aside from that, there is not a lot more to comment on regarding the match. That’s according to most record books, anyway. And it’s at this point that you must be wondering where I’m going with this otherwise pointless recap of an Anzac Test fixture.

The truth is there’s just one more tidbit tucked away that seems to be have been unkindly overlooked by all and sundry. And I feel it is my duty, as an amateur statistician/historian, to at least make mention of it.

If you include World Cup and World Championship matches played between Australia and New Zealand, it becomes the 100th rugby league fixture between the two countries. It is certainly a milestone which deserves to be recognised.

Do you think that’s nonsensical? Maybe you don’t. I mean after all, it’s only a World Cup. No doubt countries competing in past World Cup finals - for the trophy which officially declares them World Champions - as just a minor fixture.

I don’t agree with this but if that’s the way it is, I can accept it. What I cannot accept is the situation we have, where all matches played by Australia in the 1995 World Cup are accepted as Test matches by the ARL. The irony is that this is the only World Cup in which a large portion of Australia’s best players were not even available for selection, due to the Super League dispute.

There are plenty of issues surrounding international rugby league, and you wouldn’t have to go far to find more pertinent issues than this one.

But this amateur statistician/historian thinks it is a farcical situation that just doesn’t make sense.

In closing, allow me to clarify as to why this article has no title. I narrowed the candidates down to three options, but I couldn’t decide on one. So I will include them here.

The 100th Rugby League match between Australia and New Zealand

The 88th Officially ARL-recognised Test Match between Australia and New Zealand

The 84th Non-World-Cup/World-Championship Test Match between Australia and New Zealand

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747 words. Liftoff!

 

[Willow]

 

[gorilla]

Great stuff, nice to see 5 on 5 after a shaky start.

Best wishes you sheep-shaggers ! ;-)

May the better team win !

 

[byrne_rovelli_fan82]

Phew, well done both teams and good luck!

 

[Timmah]

Wonderful game for all involved. Well done... can't wait for the results!