fruit for the sideboard

Fellow Grinners,

First time in a couple of weeks that I’ve had the opportunity to sit down with a foaming frostie and watch the Mighty Tiges on the crystal bucket – and jeez they are playing an attractive brand of football.
No wonder big crowds are turning out to watch them play.
The average punter on the hill knows what he/she likes.
SC Sheens certainly has the mojo working overtime with a bunch of blokes who are largely unheralded in the world of NRL celebrity. Underrated is an understatement.
The Fitzhenry try was a classic example of why there is no finer sight in world sport than running rugby league.
Collects a clever inside offload, busts out of one tackle, outsteps two defenders with a nice jink, and then eyes the gap, puts pedal to the metal showing off the pace he’s picked for, leaving at least half a dozen Panthers flailing in his wake, with none of them able to put a hand on him over 65 yards.
No one could ask for more.
And then there’s that kiddie Lawrence, once again, on the scoresheet, even though he had precious little game time.
If there’s one thing SC Sheens can do, it’s coach teenagers who are fresh and new to the elite level of the game.
He can also pick a young bloke who has a good football brain sitting on his shoulders.
Fulton had an outstanding game for mine, and in the end, the Farah field goal just before half time proved to be an excellent option.
The scoreline flattered the Panthers, but if the Tigers ever get the chance to buy Frank Puletua they should not be stingy with the cash; it’s plain for all to see the bloke is an all but unstoppable champion, who would fit perfectly into the Tigers set up.
And what about Benny Galea, then?
Suggest that the statistics sheet will tell you the bloke completed 40+ tackles in the match – an astonishing work rate for a nuggety type who
doesn’t have much height or obvious bulk about him.
How he consistently gets overlooked by the NSW selectors is a complete mystery to me.
But, don’t be surprised if you see him line up in the Festival of The Boot Pt II.
Six on the trot is not to be sneezed at, especially with two “should win” games coming up.


PENRITH PANTHERS 24 Tries: Puletua, Gordon, Daniela, Youngquest. Goals: Gordon (2), Wallace (2).
WESTS TIGERS 25 Tries: Fulton, Fitzhenry, Lawrence, Galea. Goals: Hodgson (4). Field Goals: Farah (1).At Penrith Park, Penrith.
Crowd: 17,337

All that bagging I’ve been giving Spida since the start of the season looks like its finally beginning to pay off.
But of course, can’t take all the credit, as he’s being really well coached by SC Roos.
The main man has got the Jolly/Spida in tandem thing off the bench working really well in the ruck – to the point where hardly a Bulldogs hit out was seen all day.
That makes it very hard for a team to go forward, if they are always behind the eight ball in the clearances.
Fabulous to see the two blackfellas on fire in the Indigenous Round, to boot.
The G train is back to his best, and SC Roos knows that he’s best left to his own devices to roam wherever he pleases over the extensive paddocks that are the suburban grounds; he’s such a star that he can’t be coached.
Sure he was spotted at full back at one stage, then on the wing, roving a ball off centre half forward, and then miraculously pops up in a forward pocket somewhere.
Magic’s four goals can’t be argued with, especially the couple that came at the start of the Championship Quarter that really put the fruit on the sideboard, for mine.
Think the club should do as they have done in the past, and send a videotape to the Bamfords of BBB Hall getting held without the ball in almost every contest he’s involved in – and then ask why wondering if he won a free kick all day? – given that he was the subject of repeated infractions of the rules throughout.
What is it about this particular bloke and umpires?
Even learning to keep your mouth shut doesn’t seem to help.
Thought that the late withdrawal of The Irishman and Nick Davis Come To Save Us would have upset the balance in the side, but in the end were hardly missed
That’s another thing about winning premierships – depth in the playing roster.
Captain Kirk has probably had the middle name Captain “never played a bad game” Kirk for years, it’s just that he goes about his work so unobtrusively that hardly anyone notices – its just a given in any Swans match.
Good crowd for the venue and thinking South Melbourne would be happy to play away games in Canberra, given that Manuka gives them practice on the wide open spaces like the Melbourne grounds [are the ground dimensions at Manuka an exact replica of the MCG, just like the Newcastle No.1 Sportsground? Think so]
Anyone for a cold bath at Bronte?

WESTERN BULLDOGS: 3.3, 4.4, 6.7, 8.9 (57). Goals: Robbins 3, Johnson 2, Akermanis, Hahn, Ray.
SYDNEY SWANS: 5.4, 10.6, 12.8, 15.10 (100). Goals: O'Loughlin 4, Jolly 3, Schneider 3, Buchanan, Everitt, Hall, Malceski, McVeighAt Maunka Oval, Canberra.
Crowd: 14,517.