Grinners,
Certainly a tip top weekend when both your teams win, away.
After SC Roos took my advice and fired in the videotape of BBB Hall being harshly treated at the hands of the idiot officials to the Chief Bamford, seems the umps were bending over backwards not to offend the bloke.
A yet Hall went goalless [for the first time this season? Perhaps one other game.]
In fact the balance was so far out of whack, I’m pretty sure the Swans would have won the free kick count before a hostile, vocal crowd.
All we are crying out for is some consistency, for chrisake.
With Kennelly’s knee giving way from underneath him in the opening minute, and four goals kicked against the Swans in seemingly as many minutes from the off – again – was thinking we were starting to hear a very familiar story.
But in the end they did just enough to win a match that had to be won, and who cares if it was a far cry from something you could call attractive to watch.
Spida had his best game of the year by far.
Lets face it, playing on the old home ground against the old team would be motivation enough, never mind that some Hawk came out mid week and publicly said some very unkind things about the man, including describing him as “a disgrace’.
Spida spent the whole post game making a point of shaking the hands of the Hawthorn players and then gesturing at the scoreboard, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.
Kirk? Well what can you say?
It’s not often that Captain “never played a bad game” Kirk has an undoubted best on ground performance.
Strong, fearless, all the skills…and the crystal bucket just happened to show a close pan of the Swans players in the three quarter time huddle and the look on Kirk’s eyes as they were transfixed on SC Roos was something to behold.
Nick Davis Came to Save Us certainly did with three well timed goals that lifted everyone at crucial points in the narrative, while Leo Barry doesn’t often get a mention from me, but he pushed Kirk for man of the match, for mine.
SC Roos will be very happy with winning ugly again, and even happier with the mid season break coming up.
It’s his favourite time of year, when he gets to the host the annual BBQ round at his place for the players on the Saturday of the bye weekend, where everyone has permission to get on the drink, tell lies, and talk shit.
My tickets are in hand for the match up against the ‘Pies at the Western Paddock in a fortnight’s time, and if that idiot with the gold lame suit decides to turn up again…well there’s no telling what could happen.
HAWTHORN: 4.3 5.5 7.9 9.12 (66). Goals: Franklin 6, Osborne, Bateman, Campbell
SYDNEY: 1.3 5.3, 9.6 11.9 (75). Goals: Davis 3, Barry 2,O'Loughlin,Dempster, Richards, Schneider, Schmidt, Buchanan.
At Melbourne Cricket Ground
Crowd: 43,398.
Can’t say that I saw much of the Tigers game on account of I was at the office dealing with the small matter of the Hunter Valley floods.
The state of the Newcastle ground was remarkably good given that a couple of days ago the joint was under five feet of water as the club’s administration block was literally being blown away.
Turns out the Great Hoddo’s heroics of last week were even more heroic that we first thought.
Far from having a simple broken nose, black eye and split lip as a result of the head clash, on further examination the poor bloke has multiple fractures of the cheekbone and the eye socket requiring surgery to put the titanium plates in to hold his dial together.
A face that’s not a good look at the best of times, now one only a mother could love.
Good see SC Sheens name Todd “The Refrigerator” Peyton as the replacement skipper.
The captain in a rugby league side should come from the engine room for mine, because that’s where it all starts.
If the fishwraps are anything to go by, young Robbie Farah had another wow of a game, largely on account of he was filthy at not being selected for New South Wales in State of Origin II and just wanted to explain to the selectors his state of mind.
The Lawrence toddler played pretty well by all accounts in his inaugural appearance at five eighth but will need a few weeks in the role to repay the coach’s enormous faith.
Did see the last two Tigers tries at the death that simply put the icing on the bikkies given the game was already in the bag, and they were both sparkling crackers.
The young Tuiaki latching onto a Newcastle fumble at ground level, scattering the defenders like pigeons, and sprinting 65 metres clean through to the try line, without a hand being laid on him.
Then Liam Fulton catching a clever Farah chip kick over the defenders heads -- well “catching” might be too strong a word -- as he juggled the ball in flight with no less than five touches as he ran on, finally controlling the ball just enough to plant it in the in-goal.
Champagne football.
And what about Collis? Third or fourth choice goal kicker at the start of the season, his six from six maintains his perfect record this season!
My tickets are in hand for next Sunday afternoon’s match up between the Tigers and the Gold Coast Titans.
It’s been a very long time since I have been to the “other” home ground, Campbelltown Sports Ground, so it will be interesting to see how it’s changed over time.
20 years ago it was little more than undeveloped parkland.
And seriously looking forward to the opportunity to get up close and personally abuse Scotty Prince.
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS 14. Tries: Tighe (2), Paterson. Goals: Paterson (1).
WESTS TIGERS 33. Tries: Farah, Heighington, Collis, Tuiaki, Fulton. Goals: Collis (6). Field Goals: Farah (1).
At Newcastle International Sports Centre.
Crowd: 13,609.
