Disappointees,
It was probably no coincidence that an email sailed into my inbox mid week offering a “two match super pass’ for $25.
Effectively, that’s half price tickets if you purchase cheap seats to any of the two remaining Tigers home games at Olympic Park.
A marketing masterstroke.
Their line of thinking being – joisus! they’ve started losing all of a sudden! if this keeps up, we won’t be able to give them away.
Circumstances conspired against me being at the spiritual home of Balmain rugby league, and just saw the game out of the corner of my eye at the office.
A good thing too, as it turned out.
Ten minutes in and some Big Brown Brother for the Worriers strolls through one tackle; and he’s underneath the uprights.
After another 20 minutes of arm wrestle and plenty of tactical kicking in warmish 21 degree conditions, and the Kiwi’s go in again off a blatant forward pass – television commentary putting the pill two metres forward, and the Idiot Blind Bamford still couldn’t pick it.
More mistakes, dropped ball, muddle headedness.
Something to cheer about in the second half when Benji put on some trademark magic with the copyrighted jink, the step, the weave, the back hand pass, to see the Tuiaki kiddie finish off with superior pace.
Matty Head goes mad and the try scoring freak Lawrence does what he does best; The Great Hoddo boots one over the black dot for 16-16.
Then, Lo! Behold! Two more Worriers tries.
All this despite the Bamford doing the right thing by the home crowd and awarding seven consecutive penalties to the Tigers.
Fitness died.
13 seconds to go and the Tuiaki kiddie scores a miracle try to leave The Great Hoddo with another kick from the sideline to push the match to extra time -- he sprays it wide -- they win 28-26.
The second time in as many weeks the Tigers have failed to get themselves in with a chance in extra time, and this, against a team with an absolutely appalling away record.
On interview after the game The Great Hoddo speaking in his capacity as Captain said:
“We made some silly errors to allow them back into the game and the lead. They had more energy around the rucks. Couldn’t get Farah into the game as we would have liked. Pretty ordinary three weeks -- the bye next week – jeez we need that going forward.”
At least he got it right with the ordinary three weeks part.
SC Sheens, in the cut away television shots, looked grim throughout, thoughtfully holding a lightly clenched fist to his mouth as if he was gently chewing the knuckles off, and said nothing of any import afterwards.
Probably because the reporters were too scared to ask anything more probing than “How’s your day been, Mr Sheens?”
But quote of the day, week, month, undoubtedly belonged to the Worrier’s Ruben Wiki, who played in his 200th game [despite being suspended for a total of 27 matches in a 16 year career!], after having announced weeks ago that he intended to retire at the end of the season.
Asked for his assessment of his 200th, he replied on live national pay-TV.
“I just can’t believe that I have played 200 games! I don’t know what I’m going to fucken do with myself next year”
WESTS TIGERS 26. Tries: Tuiaki (3), Farah, Lawrence, Goals: Hodgson (3).
NZ WARRIORS 28. Tries: Henderson, Fia, Rapira, Fien, Hohaia. Goals Hohaia (2), Witt (2).
At Leichhardt Oval.
Crowd: 15,027.
There’s hasn’t been a squeak out of the Swans all week, largely on account of everyone went bush and was out of mobile range, and no one was saying anything about what went on at the traditional mid winter break BBQ at SC Roos place.
There’s been some gut rumblings from Mexico along the lines of Collingwood are going to do this and that, the “the Pride of the Nation” is going to give the Swans a right spanking or some such, how many more supporter buses are going to turn up in the coach park at the Western Paddock.
We’ll see.
SYDNEY SWANS: Bye.
