Diehards,
It’s always pleasing when your football team wins the first game of the new season.
At best it engenders the general wellbeing of hope springs eternal in the breast of the optimist, at worst it give the serial pessimist a vague sense that maybe this year they won’t be damned to the horrors of the bottom end of the premiership ladder come September
Failed to get out to the No. 3 home ground at Campbelltown, on the “wouldn’t go that far on my holidays” principle, and in any case found myself on a Monday night otherwise engaged doing a couple of things in Dad’s Shed, so had to climb up onto the roof and adjust the aerial to get a good FM reception, for the quite often bizarre MMM Monday night football call, after giving up on the ABC call from Canberra on AM666, on account of there mustn’t be much power going through that transmitter during tough times by Government decree.
Gus Gould – must be on drugs -- why else would he sing the Rooty Hill RSL theme song, badly, on the radio during a football call?
Otherwise inexplicable.
After being down by eight points at half time, it was noted that the Mighty Tiges scored three unanswered tries in the second half taking full advantage of a green team that had run out of puff in this early stage in the caper.
The end scorebox suggests defence needs some work, but there are going to be plenty of options in attack, you’d suspect, with the scarily huge Mr. T. on one wing, and the try scoring freak Lawrence on the other.
Did like Todd “The Refrigerator” Peyten on interview after the game on being asked about the decision to play Robbie Farah off the bench, to be injected into dummy half after half time, say it was “a bit of gamesmanship, a bit of smart thinking there” with no need to reference Super Coach Sheens, because everyone knew who he was talking about.
Farah by all accounts had a super game and was by far and away the most important of the off-season re-signings for mine.
All that first grade experience in a relatively short career [96 games], perfect physique for his role, and a large football brain, wouldn’t come particularly cheap, even when he is shockingly unsung when it comes to the NSW selectors.
But, that’s another whinge.
Not convinced by Marshall at half back, given he’s a natural outside centre, but SC Sheens must think people learn as they get older, and it’s never too late to teach an old dog new tricks, given that Benji is but 24 years old, which is hard to believe, as it seems like he’s been playing forever, and has had a couple of shoulder reconstructions to boot.
But you can never knock what must have been a bargain re-signing, as he was on reduced match fees last year anyway.
The spotlight was put on Tim Moltzen as the full back [and he’s a five-eighth looking to recreate himself] replacing the Great Hoddo, and it appeared that he acquitted himself well enough.
Only needs to be steady with good hands in defence, as the go forward should look after itself.
Also noted that the Gareth Ellis kiddie was man-of-the match in some circles.
A shrewd signing; not many Poms have ever made it in Sydney first grade, but he has already pulled on a Great Britain jersey, and by all accounts has plenty of class about him.
As a footnote, The Great Johnny Skandalis has apparently had enough of the wastelands of northern England and returned to Sydney, and the old club, in some sort of coaching/mentoring/advisory role, although no one can say with any certainty what it is exactly that he does, as he picks up a small “legend’s” sinecure.
Perhaps he makes the cut lunches?
WESTS TIGERS 34. Tries: Tuiaki (2), Farah, Payten, Lawrence, Moltzen. Goals: Marshall (5).
CANBERRA RAIDERS 26. Tries: Carney (2), Purtell, Milne. Goals: Campese (5).
At Campbelltown Sports Ground.
Crowd 17,392.
