Supreme athletes,
Always subscribed to the assertion that there is no finer sight in world sport than running rugby league.
The explosive pace over the 20-30 metres, the jink, the step, the sets of hands, the wrong footed tacklers missing the mark by a wide margin, the fend, the don't argue, and then the full back beaten with the opposing backs flat out on the ground flailing like a mass of quivering nerve endings.
Give me more spectacular football, will you?
And this game was an almost perfect exposition of it, and certainly the best seen all season, by any side, to the point where the forwards really didn't have to do much, except stand around with their hands in their pockets, while locking in the defence when required.
Excellent to see Geoff Daniela awarded a brand new hat.
A young man of modest talents; he must have thought his first grade career was all washed up when he was cut by Penrith, but then as if by some kind of miracle was saved when he was picked up at a bus stop on the Balmain Road at Rozelle by SC Sheens who asked him "you can play football, can't you son?", and then offered him a week by week cut lunch & beers contract.
Still not a first choice in the Tigers backline behind Ayshford of course, but hey, a very handy try-scoring centre to have in the second string arsenal nonetheless to cover for injury.
Asked to comment on Geoff's performance after the game, SC Sheens replied on interview, "oh, he's been a good little buy for us".
Didn't need to say anymore, and didn't.
Just happy to have Geoff, who will probably play out his days as a highly respected journeyman.
Speaking of astute buys, noted mid-week that Balmain has also purchased another full-back in the form of Wade McKinnon [now there's a name to conjour with] who found himself unloved and unwanted at the NZ Warriors, who cut him just in time for the June 30 sacking/recruitment deadline.
SC Sheens has no doubt offered him a weekly fush&chups contract, after it looked like Wade might not be overly busy for the rest of his career.
Another good little buy, given the first choice in the last line of defence, The Moltzen Kiddie, is making a very slow recovery, with the medico's who examine him regularly down in the Sick Bay shaking their heads and saying "oh dear. could be a season ender".
And "That Other Pom" Flanagan is now getting used to the pace of the Australian game and the muscle involved - also as a good second stringer on a pintofale&porkpie contract.
You'd think the captain would be the highest paid player in the club, and The Best Leb in The Game probably is.
Who knows what Marshall is on, now that he's signed a new contract, but after doing a couple of shoulders in the early career, there's little doubt that he took a sharp haircut a season or two back, which he's now probably clawed back in lurks and perks.
On the basis of all that, Balmain would be one of the very few clubs not over the cap.
At least they didn't have to front end load the best part of $3M for their marquee player.
6&5+a bye is not a bad, although not terrific, place to be approaching the half way point in the season.
As any Club Secretary will tell you, there are only two columns in the Coach's Ledger.
"well take our wins"&"we'll learn from our losses".
WESTS TIGERS 50. Tries: Daniela (3), Tuqiri (2), Farah, Flanagan, Lawrence, Ryan. Goals: Marshall (7).
NZ WARRIORS 6. Tries: Moon. Goals: Seymour (1).
At Campbelltown Sports Ground.
Crowd: 10,861.
While it's most unfortunate to lose by two bloody points, the fact of the matter is that Sydney never looked like winning
That they never led at any stage in the match might tell you something.
Playing catch up football throughout, even after levelling the score with a few minutes to go, is not the ideal position to find yourselves in.
And it's never a good look to actually kick more goals than the opposition, and still get beat.
There is an argument that could be mounted that the Swans were robbed after the Hawks were gifted three goals off the back of dodgy free kicks from the Bamford in the early stages, but that said, The Goodes Train managing to kick five behinds before getting things straight when he should have potted a few, sort of balances things out.
Swings and roundabouts.
Pretty Boy Hannebery -- a simply remarkable performance for a young kiddie, best on ground by the length of a street in a losing side, effortlessly trousering the three Brownlow points.
He must have been playing rover for much of the match [and he had plenty of game time], as he bobbed up everywhere, front and back, outran, outkicked and outhandballed everyone else of the field in either side.
The talent scouts did say "can play".
Smiffy and RickShaw put in very serviceable games, but the Jetta youngster is still a bit lost in the top grade for mine, despite his undeniable skills, he finds himself beaten to the ball by more experienced players, and when he does get the pill, he still seems to be in two minds about what to do with it.
The veterans were generally slow off the mark and were all tuckered out on the way to the final siren...Rhino Keefe a good example of being tightly marked and easily held to a very quiet game.
Just a pity the result was wholly unsatisfactory.
SC Roos is quite muddle-headed at present and isn't making much sense at all.
He had excuses even before the first bounce.
Heard him on the 1200 ABC radio news an hour before the game saying "yeah, they've got all their good players coming back and we are losing ours".
That would inspire confidence in those taking the field?
And then on interview after the game, said something along the lines of...we lost, but it's all still good..."the boys should take some confidence out of that"
Really?
Small margin-losses are always the most miserable of defeats; you only have to go back to any number of seasons past that were ruined after being littered with small-margin losses that hurt them bad, real bad, on the Premiership table.
In spite of the early season purple patch, Sydney is now in mortal danger of slipping out of the eight as Marn Grook approaches, with talk abroad that they are mere Premiership pretenders, who would face the prospect of a gigantic tusk up the runter in the first week of September, if they get there.
Even the very highly regarded and completely objective Footystats Diary was moved to comment thus:
"Hawthorn just got home by two points with Sydney nipping at their heels all the way to the final siren – both are still in contention for the finals but there's little doubt if either make it, it will only be as a consolation."
Could be trying to say something there.
They did point out it was the Swans 6th straight loss at the MCG; not a good look on the wide open spaces at Headquaters, which is after all, the hallowed turf on which the Grand Final is always played.
Mmm...
Then again, funnier things have happened in football, with the Miracle of '05 being prominent among them.
HAWTHORN: 3.6, 4.12, 7.13, 10.19 (79). Goals: Franklin 3, Mitchell, Birchall, Hodge, Hooper, Rioli, Peterson, Osborne.
SYDNEY: 2.3, 4.7, 6.9, 11.11 (77). Goals: Hannebery 3, White 3, Playfair 2, McVeigh, O'Keefe, Goodes.
At Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Crowd: 36,003.
