Axemen,
There's trooble at mill.
SC Sheens has obviously made a free and frank mid-season assessment that the current squad is not nearly playing up to their potential and are in danger of missing the eight when they are clearly, on paper, top four material.
So, St Tim has decided that some dead wood needs to be cut to make room in the salary cap for some new buys for next year.
A couple of weeks ago Andrew Fifita [looks the goods, quality youngster who could go places] and Bryce Gibbs [one of the Sensational Six still going around for the Tigers after appearing in the '05 Miracle Grand Final, mind you] were told that they were suddenly unloved and unwanted, and that they would have to go look for employ elsewhere next season.
They were both indignant, saying they didn't want to leave Leichhardt, but had no choice as they were being unceremoniously shuffled out the back door without so much as a sausage.
They were both quickly snapped up by Cronulla-Sutherland, which only made them more filthy.
They don't want to go to The Shire, they don't want to play for The Shire, but they find themselves in the invidious position of having to if they still want to make a fair living out of the game.
While you can see the reason in it, it did raise the member's collective eyebrow.
And having unhappy campers around who are playing out their current contracts can never be good for morale at a football club.
Then last Friday, St George-Illawarra announced that they had signed Timmy Moltzen [Benji Marshall's flat-mate, no less] for next year, after the Tigers had agreed to let him out of the last year of his contract with Balmain.
The Tigers club secretary hit the roof, describing the announcement as "disgraceful", premature, and "very poor form", while confirming that yes, it was true.
Fair enough.
Moltzen wants to play full back, and the Saints will have a vacancy in that department, and he knows under SC Sheens he will never be more that a utility back benchwarmer.
Wade McKinnon had already made his mind up earlier in the season that he would take the well worn path and finish his playing days in the dark satanic mills of northern England, while Todd "The Refrigerator" Payten [another one of the Sensational Six] had always made it clear that this season would be his last before he took up the pipe and slippers in the Jason recliner.
Then the Sunday scandal sheets reported that Chris Heighington [joisus, another of the Sensational Six] and "Be My" Beau Ryan would almost certainly move on to Penrith, who are prepared to give them a job next year, and that Liam Fulton [yet another of the Sensational Six, for gawd's sake] was also being shopped.
Eight players -- that's a fair amount of lopping going on!
SC Sheens has obviously made his mind up about a few things and a few players, and who can blame him, as that's what any good coach is paid handsomely to do.
He reckons the current Balmain reserve grade side, chock full as it is of Brown Brothers, will form the nucleus of the future pack, while there are a few junior backs who could at least make the first grade bench next year.
All you need to do then is buy a few big names to add to the marquee players that they are retaining and a couple of proven positional workhorses and Bob's your uncle
But, (and it's a very big but given the gamble that's being taken) the jury will be out for a while as to whether it's a brilliant long term strategy, albeit most likely at the expense of a current season that crashes and burns, or not.
Instability?
What instability?
The effort against the Eels failed to belie what is going on off the field.
Probably the worst game of the season, nay, a complete shocker.
Few of the players, if any, appeared to have their heart in it.
After we had both endured watching the game on the crystal bucket with the two-bar heater going flat out in front of the double-bummed lounge, remarked to the GLW at the finish that the Balmain performance had been "weak".
She demurred, saying "yes, not very satisfactory, is it?" before she thought for a moment then stood up, brought herself to her full height, stamped her foot on the floor tiles and exclaimed "NO! In fact, it was bullshit!".
Thinking it was best to leave it at that.
On interview after the game SC Sheens was asked if the current off-field ructions were contributing to the recent poor on-field outings.
He just said "I knew you would ask that question first up. The answer is you can say what you like".
PARRAMATTA EELS 22: Tries Atkins, Maitua, Morgan. Goals: Burt (5).
WESTS TIGERS 6: Tries: Lui. Goals: Marshall (1).
At Parramatta Stadium.
Crowd: 19,654.
It was so riveting the GLW decided to attempt the crossword soon after half time, and then fell asleep.
Any miniscule hope the Gold Coast Pluto's had of winning it, let alone making a game of it, evaporated when Son of God limped off with a bit of a knee in the second quarter.
Some of those poor kids they've got playing for them are reasonably easy to run rings around.
Karmichael Hunt might be a reasonable half back one day, but considering his stellar career in the rugby league, it's a pale shadow in comparison.
An expensive experiment that might work, but probably not.
He'll take the money and go back to league you would've thought.
Small wonder that Bolton, J. picked up a knee in the warm up and was replaced by an emergency.
Was never going to play.
Why risk your best player of the moment in a nothing match?
Rhino Keefe and Odd Head McVeigh would've picked up some cheap Brownlow votes to add to their already considerable tallies.
But, little or no comfort can be drawn from handing out an eleven goal football lesson to a bunch of midgets, especially as the Swans managed to score but one goal in the Championship quarter against that quality of opposition.
Dear oh dear.
Something to mark down in the "we'll take our wins" side of the Coach's Ledger, if ever there was one.
GOLD COAST: 1.6, 3.6, 3.9, 4.12 (36). Goals: Swallow 2, Iles, Lynch.
SYDNEY: 5.4, 9.7, 10.12, 15.16 (106). Goals: McVeigh 3, Reid 3, Goodes 2, Parker 2, McGlynn, Jack, RobertsThomson, Spangher, Malceski.
At New Carrara Stadium.
Crowd:16,488
