Optimists,
Picked up the Saturday paper on Saturday morning, as you do.
The headline on the back of the fishwrap screamed at me...OFFICIAL: WESTS TIGERS IN CRISIS.
Tucked the rag under my arm, and wandered across the street from the newsagent to the Front Bar at The Local, to duck my head in on the pretence of finding out who liked what in The Slipper.
The usual suspects were in.
The Lurkers, the Spivs, the Cannabis Merchants, the Touts and various other Shadies all have an opinion - mainly about themselves - but never mind that, they were all going about their usual business.
After last week, the Brown Bros, sensibly, didn't say a word, and just smirked behind their jugs of draught, while whispering in each others ears behind covered mouths.
They're good at that.
The Philosopher was in his usual corner nursing this week's favoured breakfast tipple, a Harvey Wallbanger.
[The barmaid says he insists that they are healthier and more nutritious than a simple voddie & orange].
He saw me coming as he looked up from the form guide, fixed me with his bead as he pushed his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose, then flung the rest of the sports pages on the floor, shaking his head, saying: "Crisis? What crisis, Craves?"
And this, from a bloke who doesn't mind a drink in a crisis.
When pressed, he had nothing more to add.
Balmain were simply outmuscled by a young, strong, down-to-earth professional football team.
Nothing very clever about it.
It's devilishly difficult in this caper to score points when you have next to no possession throughout.
Tigers were forced to make eight or nine goal line drop outs, so time and time again found themselves putting the ball back into the teeth of the opposition who had good field position.
Never mind the two late consolation tries, when everyone on the field was well buggered.
They didn't play badly, but never looked like winning, which always presents a conundrum.
In a bid to divert attention from the current situation, SC Sheens banged on royally about the injustice of Matty Groat being taken out in a ferocious illegal shirt front with a hint of a leading elbow/forearm.
The offender was penalised and put on report to the faceless Men down at the Match Review Committee, but remained on the ground, while The Groat Kiddie was in La La Land, was assisted from the field by two trainers, played no further part in the game and could miss this week.
The super coach suggested that this was akin to punishing the victim, saying he should be allowed to play a fresh 18th man off the bench in compensation for the foul play, but isn't allowed to under the current rules.
Fair enough, and you'd have to have sympathy with the idea, but frankly, you are either sent off or you aren't, so why further complicate a game already riddled with useless rules.
The Tigers singular problem is that they have been unable to play the same forward pack in all six games to date.
Not once has there been the same personnel up front week in week out.
Dont tell me it's going to be yet another season cruelled by injury?
Ray Cashmere has the answer.
According to the team announcement news sent out to Members mid-week, Cashmere has been named on the Balmain first grade bench -- for the the first time since 2005!
Which begs the question...Ray! Mate! Where have you been and what have you been doing for all these years?
SC Sheens on interview after the game didn't express much concern at all about the current losing streak saying there were quite a few positives to come out of the match.
What they were eludes me just at the present.
The Club Secretary would have no doubt taken a different view and put the abacus out on the desk to calculate the potential losses.
He'd be happy enough with the string of away games coming up, as he doesn't have to sell tickets, and two points guaranteed in the bye, but if they continue to do no good, there's nothing more certain than the crowds and the gate receipts dropping right away, and sponsors questioning value for money.
No one likes a loser, especially in Sydney, and the Super Coach may well find that even he is not immune for calls for his head on a plate if it carries on in this fashion.
As St Tim likes to say - we might be getting ahead of ourselves here - but in the history of the NSWRL dating back to 1908, no team, ever, has been able to win the premiership from a one & five start.
Joisus.
And the last time Balmain beat Brisvegas in Sydney was in the MIracle Year 05.
Another poor portent.
Lets just hope that H.Ford was right and "history is bunk".
Must try harder.
WESTS TIGERS 14. Tries: Fulton, Ayshford, Humble. Goals: Marshall (1).
BRISBANE BRONCOS 18. Tries: Reed (2), Copley. Goals: Parker (2), Wallace (1).
At Sydney Football Stadium
Crowd: 17,556.
The Great Lewis Roberts-Thompson, seven years on from the Miracle Year, was quoted before the match as saying that he was "astonished" when he was told that he would be playing in his 150th game.
The solid workhorse, toughnut, and through and through loyalist never imagined he'd have a very long career in the caper, perpetually plauged by niggling injury as he is.
Also could have something to do with his looks, and the inevitable discrimination that he would no doubt have to suffer on and off the field.
So he's had a mighty time getting as far as he has, and all power to his oars.
Just a pity about the face that not even a mother could love.
The Ugliest Man in Football's parents are probably very attractive people to look at, but somehow some genetic code just went horribly wrong somewhere on the way through to the keeper.
And he had a very good 150th, to boot, neatly setting up what looked like the winning goal early in the final quarter.
This team looks capable of flying under the radar and going places this season, for mine.
The "re-building" of recent years appears to have been completed.
A fine mix of yoof and experience is always a handy thing to have.
Witness The Jetta Kiddie.
He has grown into being a man; he's acquired a lot more bulk and football smarts since last season, so it seems the singular individual brilliance was well worth persisting with.
The New Train?
Reid's marking skills will be worth the price of admission alone all season long, with little birdie's close to the club twittering that he could be The New Plugger.
Both of them could become superstars.
JP Kennedy was best on ground by a long shot, followed by BeerintheEsky Malceski.
The Goodes Train played well enough to pick up another inevitable Brownlow point from the Bamfords.
He is, after all, an Umpires pet.
However, it's not often that a side gets badly caned in the Championship Quarter and still goes on to win.
My spy at the ground telegraphed during The Champo "Oh no. Yet another Swans sleepy session".
But, after the exhibition game against the GWS Pygmies a fortnight ago, it was for the most part, as if it was down to business with intent.
Did like the reports that Mummy was forced to ring up Coach Horse on the morning of the match to say that he had woken up with a bad case of Shagger's Back.
He was told to be more careful, and it opened the door for The Great Seabs, who's not a bad emergency to have in the ruck.
All good.
It must have been an impressive crowd given the weird sight of the MA Noble, Bradman and Dally Messenger Stands being entirely empty as they await the wrecking ball, or perhaps it's a new opportunity for yet more fudging of the numbers at the turnstiles.
You'd be thinking the Pygs would have to be even more creative in that department after the shellacking in Hobart, especially as they go to play at that hellish windswept dustbowl known as Bankstown Sports Park this weekend.
They'll be lucky if a few hundred turn up.
SYDNEY: 4.4, 9.7, 11.9, 14.10 (94). Goals: Reid 3, Jetta 3, Goodes 2, McVeigh, O'Keefe, Rohan, Malceski, Roberts-Thomson, McGlynn.
FREMANTLE: 2.2, 3.3, 9.4, 12.9 (81). Goals: Mayne 4, Crowley 2, Anthony, Sandilands, Pearce, Mzungu, Bradley, Johnson.
At Sydney Cricket Ground.
Crowd: 22,242.
