Diehards,
Found myself arrayed along The Front Bar at The Local on Sunday afternoon as the barkeep flicked on the Tigers v Warriors game onto the regular sized TV.
The usual suspects were there, although given the nature of the fixture, there were more massive Maori man mountains in than usual, who, as always, were very genial throughout, and even stooped to cast pity upon the Tigers fans with consolatory pats on the back at the finish.
We were in no position to argue.
The general consensus of opinion was that the Balmain boys were simply outplayed at conventional wet weather football, and relied entirely on Benji’s kicking game, which is only sensible in the conditions, but with the forwards not going forward and a few raw rookies in the backs, and Benji not being particularly on song with the boot; Tigers never really
even threatened the try line, try as they might, and defence needs more work.
“That Pom” Ellis had one of his best games in a badly losing side in quite a while and blow me down with a feather if The Great Skando didn’t make a couple of fleeting appearances and effect a few good tackles.
Sadly missed the Best Leb in The Game, quarantined as he was, with no parole, in camp for NSW.
SC Sheens’ decision to insist that all players wear face masks on the flight to Auckland, except when drinking, was widely seen across the board as being of no use at all.
The Philosopher was in, perched in his usual corner of the bar nursing his scotch, who uttered barely a word about football during the game.
But at full time he exclaimed ”isn’t next weekend the half way point in the season?”
He made sure he had some nodding heads, before saying pointedly “well, that means, the Tiges season has almost reached the S-bend”.
Time to go home.
NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS 14. Tries: Locke (2), McKinnon. Goals: Locke (1).
WESTS TIGERS 0.
At Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland.
Crowd: 13,365.
Painfully puzzling to watch your team on the crystal bucket.
As a mate said mid week…
”Sydney are the hardest team to follow in the AFL right now”.
How can they go from annihilating a fairly well credentialed team one week and then get similarly annihilated, if not worse, by another reasonably well credentialed team the next?!
During half time the bush telegraph in the corner of the lounge room chattered into life with a message from some far flung outpost of empire enquiring as to whether it was true that the Swans had had 13 goals kicked on them without reply.
What’s the morse code for “13.stop.yes” again?
Coach’s nightmare – SC Roos for years to come will wake in fright in the middle of the night dreaming about the Manuka Chainsaw Massacre.
While it’s entirely inexplicable, at least Saint Paul could put one finger on it on interview after the debacle, “if you are going to play like that, against a team like that, then you can expect to be smashed”.
He was later quoted in the Sunday fishwraps headlines as saying “our worst 40 minutes in six years”.
Where he plucked the six years from nobody quite knows, but probably simply thinking that he was clutching at straws in a bid to illustrate just how poorly they played.
The only saving grace to come out of the fiasco was BBB Hall’s 600th.
Given that 300 gamers are automatically given AFL Life Membership, shouldn’t it also apply to 600 goalers as well?
3,600 points through the big sticks – only a few do that in any league.
Ask Hall, and he’ll be happy to tell you, just like any other full forward, let’s think; Plugger, Bobby Pratt, Barry Round, Brian “The Whale” Roberts, Murray Weiderman, Warwick Capper, -- “don’t tell me that anyone ever won a game of footy from the back pocket”
Certainly, Barry Hall was admitted to the Punter’s Pantheon a while ago now, and has only easily confirmed the rarely awarded appellation for active players of “The Great” B.Hall.
Number One.
But coming to think of it, the current members of the life member’s club probably wouldn’t have him, and you’d have to think that Bazza would be waiting for a very very long time before being admitted to the official Hall of Fame on account of his propensity to go around clocking blokes, being the victim, as he is and was, of spontaneous “brain explosions” and “mind snaps”, and becoming a grand master at the well directed abuse of Bamfords, would probably count him out forever.
You would have thought that there would have been plenty of head scratching and beard tugging during the Swans’ Sunday morning smoko by the magic waters at Maroubra.
The “leadership team” might have been minded during full immersion to consider the entirely mysterious reasons for Sydney’s appalling away record over recent years.
What are they?
Hall could have pulled up sore and puffed on his favourite blend in his Chesterfield Pipe and told SC Roos poolside, “Well coach, I kicked six and we still lost by plenty.”
And been content to leave it at that.
WESTERN BULLDOGS 5.2, 13.6, 16.7, 18.9 (117). Goals: Welsh 4, Ward 3, Hahn 3, Giansiracusa 3, Cooney 2, Boyd, Higgins, Harbrow.
SYDNEY SWANS 2.2, 2.3, 7.4, 12.5 (77). Goals: Hall 6, Goodes 2, Ablett, Malceski, Jack.
At Manuka Oval, Canberra.
Crowd: 12,464.
NB: 1st time a rugby league crowd has exceeded a rules crowd viz a viz these two teams this year.
Just look at the venues!
Freakin’ Cold v Really Cold & Wet.
