The Great Robbie Farah sits on the historic Wayne Pearce scoreboard at Leichhardt Oval ahead of his 300th game. Publicity shot: NRL Photos.
Grandstanders,
It was only fitting that The Great Robbie "The Best Leb in the Game" Farah should score a try in his 300th match in the National Rugby League. And it was a trademark try from dummy half too. Farah, without fear of contradiction, has been among the very best dummy halves of his generation; it's very difficult for any defence to figure out which way he's going to switch the ball, or who it's going to go to, how long or short he goes, or if he throws the dummy and decides to go himself. The crash or crash through set play in a desperate attempt to ground the ball in the in-goal before half dozen man mountains pile on top of him and try and roll him on his back. He's done it dozens of times in his 69 tries, and it's not even his job to score tries. Being the team point-man, directing traffic, is usually a thankless task, but Robbie brings a rare flair to the position. And he's one of the finest exponents of the deft little inside flick pass as he's hoofing it on the blind side. And he played the full 80 minutes in his 300th as the Tigers never had another hooker to pick on the bench. That takes genuine courage given his advanced years. At least the team came up trumps for him - unlike losing The Great Benji's 300th a couple of weeks ago - in a see-sawing, nail-biting cliff-hanger that would have seen off most of Balmain's cardiac patients.
The Stats Guru was moved by the occasion to go through some very early scoresheets and reckons Farah is probably the only Balmain junior who's appeared in 300, coming from the fine stock that he does. Born in Campsie, playing his all his jnr footy for the Enfield Federals and the Leichhardt Wanderer's, and debuting for the Mighty Tiges as a 19 year old in 2003, just like his partner in crime, the Great Benji Marshall. He was front and centre in the Miracle Year 2005 and had a glittering representative career, hooking for Straya, among the first picked for New South Wales at the peak of his powers [2010] and Lebanon; yep, Lebanon [7 matches]. His first and last appearances for the Cedars are worth noting in passing only because they spanned an astonishing 17 years. Farah is very much in favour of honour, bravery, blood, guts & glory, and he epitomises them all.
These pages are littered with crazed caustic rants about the worst coach inflicted on Balmain in living memory, Jason "Squeak" Taylor, a cruel, vindictive bastard if ever there was one, and his shameful and disgraceful hounding of Farah right out of the club. The tawdriness of the entire episode was beyond belief. [https://crazycraves.blogspot.com/2016/07/beneath-my-dignity.html].It was one of most appalling periods in club history in those bleak and lean years, support hit rock bottom, and it wasn't that long before the dysfunctional board were finally forced to act, and sack Squeak, under intense pressure from, and the eternal relief, of the long-suffering rusted-on supporters. [https://crazycraves.blogspot.com/2017/03/karmas-bitch-so-long.html].Robbie was forced kicking & screaming and in tears to take refuge at Souths, and played 26 half-hearted games in the Wilderness, before eventually being dropped, and running round in the Redfern reserves, a shadow of his former self. Thinking for all the world he was all washed up, Robbie was unexpectedly rescued and welcomed back to the Spiritual Home by current super coach Mr Magoo at the start of last year. And he's been playing out of his mind and out of his skin like a man possessed ever since his triumphant return. All's well, that ends well.
And then, mid week, to quell any rumour, Robbie promptly and with good grace and humour announces his retirement from he caper at the end of the season. Not because he hasn't got the fire in the belly anymore, it's just at age 35 his body is a shot bird. He admitted on interview that during the season for the last four years he's more or less been on the physio's bench 24/7 just to keep going in what is one of the most brutal sports on the planet, and his brother Eddie - who's the Chief Physio at the Rabbitoh's - is starting to get a bit tired of all that pro bono work he's been doing for him. Most people thought this year would have to be his last hurrah, but Robbie was honest enough to say he can't guarantee where his "headspace" will be next year and doesn't want to end up in a wheelchair. So, that's the End of an Era, right there. Leichhardt will be a lesser place without him, but The Great Robbie Farah can rest very easy on his laurels amongst the other god's in the Balmain Pantheon, to which he was admitted, along with The Great Benj, many many moons ago now. Thanks for the memories, mate. You won't be forgotten.
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS 26. Tries: Ramien, Ponga, Hunt, Moga, Kenny-Dowall. Goals: Ponga (3).
WESTS TIGERS 28. Tries: Thompson (2), Marshall, Farah, Momirovski. Goals: Mbye (4).
At International Sports Centre, Newcastle.
Crowd: 21,029
After Tom "Farking" Hawkins kicked his 5th soft goal for the Cats, My Spy at the Ground tapped out mssg on the ticker tape "The Swans haven't replaced Reg Grundy Jnr" which is true. There is just no replacing long experience and large footy smarts overnight. But some of these new kids on the block are keepers - there's always one or three who make the grade every year - but it's when these rookies become 50 Gamers that the Red & White will be competitive again. just for a for instance, always though Callum "The Saw" Mills was the goods from first time he appeared; got all the skills for a backman and he'll replace Reg in due course. In this game where only pride, and most importantly, contracts are the only thing to play for, The Saw put in a Best on Ground showing in a losing side, for mine. They could have been flogged by ten without him. Everybody is making a song and dance about all the Swans veterans falling by the wayside this year and their only dedicated ruckman also doing himself a mischief, but the newbies will come on. Buddy won't play again this year after now coming down with a dose of sciatica, and he's got his hands full anyway, being a brand new father. The Supreme Optimist is dreaming of a new look side in the mix for the Top Four by 2022, and then, as Donald J Trump and New Zealanders keep saying..."we'll see what happens".
SYDNEY: 3.3, 6.5, 7.6, 12.8 (80). Goals: Dawson 3, Heeney 3, Ronke 2, Papley, Kennedy, Blakey, Parker.
GEELONG: 1.1, 6.5, 10.10, 16.11 (107). Goals: Hawkins 5, Clark 2, Dangerfield 2, Duncan 2, Ratugolea, S.Selwood, J.Selwood, Parsons, Atkins.
At Sydney Cricket Ground.
Crowd: 32,911.
Footnote: As far as this bloggy-blog-blog thingy is concerned, the footy season might was well be dead, buried, & cremated and we've just arrived at August; oh woe is me, woe and the gnashing of teeth etc. However, seasons come and seasons go, and with The Ashes about to get underway in the Old Dart in the hope of long awaited redemption against The Old Enemy, folks will inevitably begin asking "What would Pup do?"
