Trick Cyclists,
Frankly surprised by the crowd at Leichhardt Oval of a Friday night, even if the official figure through the turnstiles were obviously inflated.
The ground looked fairly full, but 18,000 is nominal capacity, 19,000 is hanging from the rafters territory, while 20,000 is just downright dangerously overcrowded.
You should have been there for the ground record 22,877 versus Souths in '05 - wild scenes, very scary.
In reality there were probably less than 15,000 in, but that's still an unexpected vote of confidence in an old ground that the club is intent on closing, if not at the end of this year, then certainly by the end of 2014.
The loyalists are not about to let it go without a fight, so they still turn up in numbers despite the enormous difficulty of getting there on a Friday after work.
Embarrassed to say the weakness in me prevented my attendance.
It's always been said that Leichhardt gives the home side a ten-point start, just from the impact of the noise in that man-made ampitheatre of the home crowd which must be deafening in the player's ears, and so it came to pass again in this one.
Never mind that the engine room was on fire.
Marshall and Farah on song, with the young Jacob Miller kiddie getting used to the pace of first grade at half-back and displaying a good turn of foot, kicking ability, and handy defence, along with an older football brain on his shoulders that belie his tender years.
With The Great Keefy "Bloodnut" Galloway out for at least three months with a busted pec, you would have thought the pack would be down on brute attacking strength, but no, they didn't miss a beat.
Woods seamlessly stepped into the breach, and Anasta and Blair actually had pretty good games for a complete change.
Could Coach Harry be the miracle worker of the season?
It was also handy to come up against a hapless Eels outfit who were intent on putting on a display characterised by a litany of mistakes and a comedy of errors.
The Great Benji's second-half try was as funny as a fit.
All night, Parramatta were complaining about getting the rough end of the pineapple when it came to the penalty count - caned they were - and letting the Bamford's know all about it in no uncertain terms.
Balmain were given a penalty for something or another, and the opposition promptly launched into more back chat.
By this time, the Bamfords had had enough and marched the penalty a further 10 metres forward for being given lip.
The ref ran forward, marked the spot, and Benji, who just happened to have the ball, followed the ref, took a quick tap and strolled 70 metres to the tryline as the Parramatta players were walking back to get on-side with their backs to the play.
The Bamford, as if to say to the Eels "that'll teach you for giving me the shits", made an elaborate gesture of pointing to the spot underneath the black dot and blowing the whistle, loudly, awarding the try.
Brilliant!
As they said on the telly commentary "talk about Parramatta getting their pants pulled down in public".
It's also pleasing to see that the long tradition of the "set play" that SC Sheens so emphasised during his encumbency has been adopted and adapted and carried on by Coach Harry.
You only have to look at the left and right edge set play, before turning it back into the centres to score - Ayshford's try being a classic case in point - they must practice it endlessly at training.
It's so simple you would have thought the opposition should be able to read such a regulation set play like a book, but they are generally fooled by the speed of the ball through the sets of hands, find themseleves overstretched looking which way and that, and then wrong footed by the inevitable switch-back.
Works almost every time.
No doubt the team would have been buoyed by the new four year contract The Best Leb In The Game signed mid-week.
Robbie Farah admitted that he could have gone elsewhere for quite a bit more cash dollars, but he's not greedy, and happy enough to be told that he could Captain the side for as long as he wants, and would go to his grave as that rarest of beasts nowadays - a one-club man.
Loyalty rewarded with intangible, but nonetheless, very important things, that money can't buy.
And knowing full well that that is what his dear-departed mother would have wanted him to do, so that he will have much honour bestowed on him as his career reaches its denoument in due course.
WESTS TIGERS 31. Tries: Lawrence (2) Ayshford, Marshall, Moltzen. Goals: Marshall (5). Field Goals: Miller (1).
PARRAMATTA EELS 18. Tries: Loko, Morgan, Toutai. Goals: Sandow (3).
At Leichhardt Oval.
Crowd: 18,326.
Sydney Swans flying under the radar, as usual, going into the split first round.
They reportedly barely rate a mention in the Melbourne fishwraps, and were worth just a half page in the Saturday edition of the Sydney [Eastern Suburbs] Morning Herald.
Not bad for team that are the reigning premiers and soon to become the defending premiers.
Never came to the attention of the authorities during their few days on the pool deck at the Coffs Harbour Hilton, did nothing in the pre-season comp, and then lost a trial match to the mighty Port Adelaide in the last quarter, as if it mattered diddly-squat.
They will miss the Alex Johnson kiddie, who showed great promise at the pointy end of last season, with a season ending knee mischief before the season even began.
The loss of any Premiership Player in the course of the year will be keenly felt, but they appear to have good depth in the roster with a few blokes champing at the bit, and Tipsy Tippett - who's apparently settled in well for the fully-cooked breakfast down at the local cafe - cooling his heels for the first half of the season.
Did note mid-week that The Goodes Train decided to give away the co-captaincy this season, to concentrate on injecting growth hormones into the third leg he grew during the off season.
He'll need it against the Yoof of Today who will try their hardest to put a yard or two on the old bloke yet again, unaware that sly guile, unparralled talent and vast experience will always win out in the end.
Very satisifying to see Keiran "Son of Gary" Jack take over Goodesy's co-captaincy, after being identified as a leader of men from very early on.
The rarest of rare football fairytales.
Fancy a rugby league player who grows up to represent Australia with distinction at full-back and has a stellar Hall of Famer career for the pre-eminent rugby league club in Sydney - Balmain - spawning a child who goes on to Captain the pre-eminent Australian Rules club in Sydney?
Surely unique.
Swans only problem from the off may be complacency, given the very soft draw they have in the first two games; the pipe opener against the Pygmies away [but effectively at home], and then the Suns at home.
Guaranteed to go top again, early on, at least.
