Two points on this game
Firstly - just how enjoyable the game was. Yes the skill level in the second half was on par with my attempts at understanding advanced calculus after 10 schooners of beer, but my imaginary friend who I blame for the Worlds ills, it was exciting.
There is something about Parramatta this year that makes them so compelling to watch. Maybe it's because you don't know which team is going to turn up? Maybe it's because my six year old daughter christened them the Sardines? Maybe it's wanting to see Ricky cringing on the sidelines? Maybe it's because they're unthreatening? Maybe it's the love of the underdog spirit? Well whatever the reason I appear to be hooked as I've watched more Parra games than any other team than the Roosters.
Parra did a few things that were really good, they did a lot more that was fairly bloody laughable, but they kept on getting back up and throwing themselves into the battle. You could see the desperation on their faces. Not caving in meant so much to them. I was willing them to hang in there and by crikey they managed it. Good on em.
The second point is that Peter Wallace is a diving bitch who is better placed being in an Olympic swim team. Allgood withdrew his arm, turned his body and pulled all the sting out of the impact whilst catching Wallace across the chest lightly. Wallace went down as if someone had taken his head off. The referees were put in a bad position because on first glance it looked like the impact had force by the way Wallace reacted to being touched. Once the referees have made the decision they're not allowed to watch the TV screens to see if they were right or not, they have to go with their on-field decision. Sure the video ref could tell them that Wallace had been attending acting school, but that isn't his job. That's the job of the match review committee.
Yes Peter Wallace's unsporting like behaviour got a fellow professional sin binned for 10 minutes. Well done Peter you cheating little twerp. I expect you to now spend the next 10 weeks on the sidelines for being lower than someone who finds a speedboat on his driveway and pretends not to understand who paid for it.