Supreme Optimists,
The Sydney juggernaut continues to roll on.
And why shouldn't it?
That's a purple patch right there - five wins on the trot.
They're playing even better than they were at this time last year, and we all know what happened from there.
SC Roos certainly thinks so on the television commentary, and for one famous for over-analysing the game, you'd have to trust his judgement.
And doesn't Sydney love a winner?
Before the opening bounce, my spy at the ground pushed through a telegraph message: "Jesus! The joint is jumpin'. The place is brimmers!".
Don't know how they could fit in that many people in a ground under renovation - some creative accounting at the turnstiles, no doubt - but hey, it was as full as a boot for the first time this season.
The two games to come out at Cathy Freeman Stadium at Homebush should attract fair whopping crowds.
In a game in which the "best" line in the scorebox in the fishwraps should've read "All Played Well", Jesse White would have had to have been Best on Ground for mine.
And this, from a bloke who wasn't even really considered for first grade in the early part of the season, but saw the door left ajar by injury, and barged on through to the senior ranks in a first-rate team.
On that showing, he'd be hard to drop, and people like Sam Reid will find it difficult to get a game when they emerge from Sick Bay, in a side bristling with in-form talls.
Opposition coaches must be as worried as hell thinking what on earth they can do about the likes of the "Mad Canadian" Moike Poike, not to mention Spida Jnr, and then there's Mummy, who's having a bit of a rest.
And then there's Tippett.
Interesting to note that Longmire decided to play Tipsy across the half forward line this week, even poking up as far as the wings, so he could drift down the ground into the forward pocket, as required.
Tipsy found it to his favour with all of his goals coming from snaps.
Tippett's contract no doubt has a clause in it that would say "must kick goals every week", so if he can boot three a week, week in, week out, he'd be fulfilling his side of the bargain, and would be well worth having in the side.
It seems the strange insect has been told by the "Sydney culture" that there's no need to be a show pony in this town...just shut up, do what yr told, and get on with the job.
SC Horse would no doubt be saying on interview "we're just taking it one game at a time", but surely in reality he must be poring over the well-worn gin-soaked plans as he gets deep into strategic thinking for the finals.
The Boss's main problem is deciding on who makes up his best side, which is a very good place to be.
With West Bullies (a), the now deliciously easy-beat Collingwood (h), and St Kilda (h) to come; the brains trust can then play ducks and drakes with Geelong (a) and Hawthorn (h) to finish regular home-and-away, prepared to do what they did last year and throw a game if needs be to get the optimum place on the table now that top four's seemingly assured, bar a catastrophic derailment.
A dream run really, an elegant repeat of the season previous, when you have the wins and the percentage to position yourself just as you bloody well please.
Longmire might as well just bow down in the last game of the season, let the Hawthorn win at a leasurely pace, save his players legs, and then say to the Hawks "won't have to see you again until the Grand Final".
After all, even with the Swans on a roll, it seems like Hawthorn will win the premiership with ease, by the looks of way they destroyed the drug-addled Essendon side on the weekend.
Might as well give them the flag now, and just go home and forget about it.
But, you never know...Buddy might be run over by a Flinders St tram...
Pigs might fly, the sky could fall in, and Sydney could pinch The Flag while no one's looking, again.
Stranger things have happened.
SYDNEY: 5.3, 8.7, 13.10, 16.14 (110). Goals: J.White 4, Tippett 3, Mitchell 2, K. Jack 2, Lamb, B. Jack, Pyke, Smith, Bolton.
RICHMOND: 5.3, 6.4, 8.7, 9.9 (63). Goals: Riewoldt 3, Martin 2, Conca, Jackson, Vickery, M.White.
At Sydney Cricket Ground.
Crowd: 29,738.
Another Monday night, and another night pottering about in Dad's Shed with the wacky MMM radio call coming in loud and clear on the shortwave all the way from Campbelltown Sports Ground.
Shouldn't have bothered to even switch on the crystal set in the first place, really.
Yet another one of those tawdry, miserable, and oh-so-predictable affairs.
And that's not even counting the sheer shitfulness of losing to Manly - at home, no less.
Out muscled, outplayed, outsmarted.
Simple as that.
You've got to feel sorry for poor old Robbie Farah playing in his 200th game for Balmain.
Playing on a ground he doesn't particularly like, and through no fault fo his own, The Best Leb in the Game finds himself captaining a team of try-hard B-graders that's simply not up to standard, is not of his choosing, and who just can't cut the mustard this season because of the unfortunate set of circumstances what with the horror injury toll and all, not to mention general instability from the board and executive down.
That, in his 200th.
Oh dear.
Here's a bloke who's just been admitted to the Balmain Pantheon along with all the other greats, living and dead, has won a premiership, covered himself in medals and laurels throughout his glittering career, and as if to just put the fruit on the sideboard in the denoument of his playing days, has represented New South Wales in all three State-of-Origin games this season.
He was nothing left to prove in the caper.
Robbie Farah; a scholar and a gentleman, and an ornament to the game.
And then there was Liam Fulton in his 150th game.
A bloke who has never got so much as an an inch of newsprint in his entire career; just one of those old-fashioned no-nonsense tradesman-like forwards who goes about his business and gets the job done week in week out, year after year.
He considers himself very fortunate to have made a nice tidy living out of a thing he loves doing for such a long time, without coming to the attention of the authorities, let alone anyone else.
Don't think Fulton has ever been the subject of interview; can't actually remember the last time he spoke in public with his own lips, if he ever has.
No idea what his voice sounds like.
Then there's the third and only other survivor from the 05 Miracle Year Grand Final still playing for Balmain - the Great Benji Marshall.
Obviously his heart is not in it, and he just can't wait for the season to end.
You'd have to wonder if Benj has burnt his bridges too early - announcing that the Tigers offer wasn't big enough or long enough and he would walk away from rugby league into the loving arms of rugby union.
Only problem is the rugby union clubs of both sides of the Tasman aren't exactly queueing up to hire him at the right money.
No other club in league would want him, and there's now no going back at Leichhardt given that he's decided to quit the club in such an undignified fashion - to go where?
The back of the long snaking line at Centrelink?
Oddly, its the first time Manly have played at Campbelltown in 15 yaers.
That suggests that perhaps the Silvertails haven't been exactly welcome in that part of town.
And who can blame the Western Suburbs Magpies for that, given their history?
Apart from being beaten by Canterbury, there is nothing worse in world sport than being towelled up by Manly.
The Stats Guru was ambivalent last week about the plain fact that given the log jam that is the middle of the NRL table, the Tigers still had a mathematical chance of making the top eight, but in stark reality were more likely to carry off the wooden spoon.
No word on what yet another loss means, apart from obvious oblivion.
Found myself stumbling in through the doors at the Front Bar at The Local having not dared to put my head in there in the last week on account of being dusted by the Worriers the week previous.
That would have just been an invitation to be being ridiculed and laughed at by the Brown Bros.
Found The Philosopher in his usual corner nursing this week's favoured tipple, squinting at the political pages in the paper with a puzzled brow.
On inquiry of the young barmaid about what he was having, she told me she'd already lectured him on the inappropriateness of the Manhattan as a breakfast drink, but she said he wouldn't be told, and it wasn't worth arguing the toss.
Mentioned the word "Tigers" on approach, but the Prof put his hand up as if to stop me continuing and just shook is head, rolled his eyes and said "Yes, but I've seen worse".
Which begged the question "when?", but there was no point in asking.
WESTS TIGERS 18. Tries: Nofoaluma, Farah, Simona. Goals: Marshall (3).
MANLY-WARRINGAH SEA EAGLES 36. Tries: Lyon (2), Horo (2), Matai, Cherry-Evans. Goals: Lyon (6).
At Campbelltown Sports Ground.
Crowd: 11,162.
