Bar Fly's,
You only have to look at the penalty count to confirm it was a game ruined by the whistle.
16 of 'em in all, 9 to Brisbane and 7 to Balmain.
The Bamfords made a rod for their own backs and then ended up looking like fools to themselves and a burden on the community.
Lord, spare me.
Little wonder the trigger happy refs had to have a police escort to get them off the ground unscathed at full time.
A fool called Suttor was the most heavily guarded.
That said, the Tigers had played the game too many times in their heads before they even got to the ground.
One of the rare occasions that SC Sheens was guilty of overcoaching a team - dressing room shot on the crystal bucket before the game with the coach in a huddle with his strike weapons pouring over the charts and the gin-soaked plans was enough to set the players involved off to yawning, and looking away at the bare walls.
To be fair, on interview after the game, SC Sheens admitted that he only had himself to blame.
Spent far too much time on trying to break the Brisbane brick wall with some tricksy set plays that only worked once in a while, while neglecting to deal with the Broncos fairly potent attack in its own right; not to metion the distinct possibilty of being cruelled by Lockyer's kicking game.
They'll learn from their losses, you'd only hope.
There's now no doubt that the boffins down in the Rehab Dept have been putting in their overtime chits.
Everyone loved the television images of Robert "Louie" Lui's appearance at the ground, having already been relieved of his bag by an attendant, going into the changing rooms showing the thumbs up and a big smile on his face with his boots strung over his shoulder by their laces as if he was saying he was ready to play after getting himself an early discharge from Sick Bay, despite not being on the radar at all in the named team on Tuesday, .
SC Sheens promptly picked him at half-back in the run-on side playing in jumper No.18 in the final team sheet that has to be submitted to referee's an hour before kick off.
Did well, good hands, some nice work through the backline, scored a try.
Getting Fulton back on the bench and "Be My Beau" Ryan back on the paddock well before the the HabBoys thought they would were projects well done.
Pity the poor chap Ryan found himself well short of a run and way out of practice, and had a dead set shocker on return; coughing the ball up cold to gift the Broncos the springboard to victory didn't help things that much.
The Room Full of Mirrors beckons.
You'd have to think something is wrong if the Mighty Tiges can't beat last placed Canberra away this weekend and then enjoy the bye to keep things on an even keel?
At this stage, it appears at first glance that the season, as they say in the classics, is 'delicately poised'.
With Balmain at 8th, it looks like it could be a run away top four, with a log jam in five to nine.
The rest in ten to sixteen will just please themselves and carry on regardless.
The Club Secretary will tell you the aim is not to be among them.
WESTS TIGERS 18. Tries: Moltzen (2), Lui. Goals: Marshall (3).
BRISBANE BRONCOS 31. Tries: Glenn, Lockyer, Thaiday, Wallace, Yow-Yeh. Goals: Parker (5). Field Goals: Lockyer (1).
At Sydney Football Stadium.
Crowd: 19,494.
You'd have to wonder if Coach Horse continues the tradition that SC Roos had over many years of hosting a slap-up BBQ with full bar at his place for the team on the Saturday of the bye weekend?
It may have fallen into disuse now that there are two byes a season.
Or perhaps, St Paul contines the tradition himself, even though he's now coaching the Under 9's?
A few well placed words from the Super Coach in some appropriate shell-likes probably wouldn't go astray at this juncture.
But, who knows?
SYDNEY: Bye.
