Bandwagoneers,
The juggernaut rolls on.
Make that seven wins on the trot plus the bye.
And a very good away one to get, Melbourne [down on their Origin stars, but clear favourites for the JJ Giltinan Sheild], in Melbourne.
It was a close run thing, though, with the Tigers uncharacteristically tiring badly in the final 15 minutes, after doing a mountain of defensive work in the pouring rain, to the point where they looked for all the world that they would be over-run.
But in those situations, it is up to the forwards to stand up and not let it happen - and only good teams do that.
As SC Sheens remarked "over the past two or three years we have played good wet weather footy, we can defend, play tight, kick well, chase well..."
Hanging on by the skin of their teeth isn't something the Tigers do often, or very well, so they would be well pleased to, as they say in the classics, "get away with the win."
Sirro Jnr contines to impress in just his third game in top grade.
He's obviously a specialist five-eighth, which may limit his opportunities in the modern game that increasingly favours utility players.
But, he's got all the skills, and by the look of some deft, clever moves, seems like he's got a football brain on his shoulders - unlike his legendary father.
The kid could be anything...as SC Sheens says "Curtis still qualifies for the under-20's for the next two seasons".
But the coach quite rightly reserved his praise for The Great Benji, captaining the side under sufferage with the regular skipper, The Best Leb in The Game, in camp with NSW.
Set up both tries from set plays that they must rehearse endlessly in practice; the jink, the step, the swerve off about the 15 metre mark.
Marshall is the complete master at it, no question.
Eastern Suburbs at Leichhardt this weekend won't be a walk in the park, but Newcastle at Newcastle the following week should be, and then it's the second bye.
If they continue to be on song, Balmain should whip-saw both of those mobs and brick in a place in the all important top four.
Even at the definite risk of me putting on the mock on them, thinking both games might require my attendance.
MELBOURNE STORM 6. Tries: Nielsen. Goals: Widdop (1).
WESTS TIGERS 10. Tries: Tuqiri, Utai. Goals: Marshall (1)
At Melbourne Stadium.
Crowd: 11,274.
How bizzare, how bizzare.
And not for the first time this season that a game has been turned on its head.
Yet another Swans performance that was pretty well completely inexplicable
99 times out of 100 would would have expected there were no coming back for a side that had kicked 1.11 to half-time while having eight goals kicked on them.
Let alone booting just 2.15 to the end of the Championship Quarter.
How is it that Sydney were 42 points up at three quarter time, and went on to win by 4?
And only just snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, when some boofhead Bomber elected to play on in the long shadows of full-time, instead of claiming the mark and going for the long range set shot, just as the final siren sounded.
The hooter would still be ringing in the fool's ears.
Game over.
It was that close in the end.
What the?
Wassup?
How did it come to this?
An absolute coach killer.
Mr Ed would have been pulling whatever hair he has left clean out of his bonce, in great tufts.
He would have been on the phone at full time booking a mid week session for the boys at The Room Full Of Mirrors down on the Balmain Rd.
On interview after the game, Coach Horse was bereft of any explanation- just threw his hands in the air and with a quizzical look on his face, asked the interviewer "how did that happen? you tell me."
Frustrated with early season slow starts, it's now obviously in Plan A that the Swans try to come out of the blocks like Usain Bolt and smash the opposition stone dead from the off.
That's a very good idea, but there doesn't appear to be a Plan B for when things go inevitably awry.
Did they think they'd done enough and taken the foot off the gas, or where they just over-run?
It's hard to say.
The two final quarter goals (to nine, mind you) proved to be Sydney's saviour.
It would have been extraordinarily embarrasing if they had lost that one.
Game over.
But really, even though they need to take a good hard look at themselves, in the final paralysis, it doesn't matter how you do it; when you are on The Reality Bus, an away win, is an away win, is an away win.
Thought Old Jude Bolton probably got the three Brownlow votes, much to his own astonishment, while the Jetta Kiddie and JP Kennedy could have picked up the others.
Kennedy is a genuine smokey for the Chas, the way he's going; gets no press, but plays the way the Bamfords like, and take notice of.
The Swans, miraculously, have gone top of the table after 12 rounds, but only by some quirk of scheduling with the the bye rounds now coming into play, and their very healthy percentage on the for and against.
Still, top is better than bottom, and everything else in between, for that matter.
This week's bye will be be a welcome chance for everyone to draw breath and settle the nerves.
Marn Grook.
ESSENDON: 1.5, 1.11, 2.15, 11.16 (82). Goals: Davey 3, Watson 2, Hocking, Howlett, Leroy Jetta, Lovett-Murray, Myers, Stanton.
SYDNEY: 5.3, 8.6, 11.8, 13.8 (86). Goals: Lewis Jetta 3, Jack 2, Reid 2, Bolton, Everitt, McVeigh, Mumford, Roberts-Thomson, Shaw.
At Docklands Stadium.
Crowd: 47,625.
