Season 2010: Round 25

From The Couch

Fucking Tandy: Well, after last year’s Cowboys-Roosters analysis which saw the lawyers brought in and threats made, we will be very careful. No need for trouble, no need for nastiness, no need for libel. So let’s just say right off the bat that at this stage the NRL are investigating a possible betting scandal from the Bulldogs-Cowboys match and it is being speculated in mainstream newspapers that Ryan Tandy was involved, an allegation he denies and one that has not been made by the NRL.

Now, let’s get a few facts down here. There was an extraordinary amount of money for a Cowboys penalty goal throughout the week leading up to the match. It was backed from $13 into as little as $3 with bookies who left the market open. This year a penalty goal has been the first scoring play in only 16 of the last 352 matches or 4.54% of the time. Many bookmakers suspended betting on the market. It was well known by kickoff that a stunt was being pulled by at least one well known (at least within the betting industry) betting syndicate who either orchestrated the plot or more than likely were made aware of it. The TAB reported that the money for the Cowboys penalty goal made up 95% of the total hold with punters set to strip $250,000 from bookies across the nation if the plunge came off. During the first play, Ryan Tandy hit the ball up. He spilt the ball in a messy play-the-ball and then ran wildly to make the second tackle after the scrum, a tackle with which he wasn’t involved in. Tandy then gave away the most obvious penalty of the season and rather than retreat to his goal-line on his heels as is usually the case, he turned his back. The Cowboys took a quick tap and scored a try. The NRL are currently investigating the matter with Ray Murrihy leading the hunt with the police reportedly on the verge of being called in.

It is quite apparent that a rort of some kind has happened. Plunges on a minor market like first scoring play only occur on when there is either inside information or weather is in play. The weather was just fine in Townsville that evening. Making the rort even more apparent is that the natural reaction to a meaningless match will be an open, high-scoring match with a victory of no real consequence and therefore a penalty goal as first scoring play being less likely.

I have no doubt that there were players linked with gamblers who had organised for a payoff on a Cowboys penalty being the first scoring play. There is no way right-minded punters, many of them renowned sharpies, would place such significant sums on such a minor and unlikely option if something was not up.

And if you were to point your finger at one player, it would have to be Ryan Tandy based on the circumstantial evidence. Circumstantial evidence is not enough to convict but I think in this case it provides a pretty good starting point. I received text messages at the time of the penalty suggesting something dodgy was happening. Anyone who saw the video saw how obvious the penalty Tandy gave away was. Tandy has subsequently been reported in The Daily Telegraph as a punter and he was reportedly warned on numerous occasions when he backed a loser and became violent at the Clovelly Hotel a number of weeks back.

I also refuse to believe the argument of Peter Parr suggesting the fact the Cowboys took the tap absolves the club of any involvement. Bollocks. All that says is that Anthony Watts, who took the quick tap, was either against the plot or was unaware of it and was clearly in no way involved. It certainly doesn’t mean that other senior Cowboys were not involved and there are certainly enough links between Canterbury and North Queensland senior players to suggest something may have been happening on the sly.

This betting scandal is bad news for the NRL. They need to find what has gone on and they need to find out now. And when they get to the bottom of it they need to rub out those involved for a long time. These rorts go on at the backend of nearly every season. Until a significant deterrent is put in place, they will continue. The NRL have the perfect opportunity to clean the sport up right now. Let’s hope they don’t let the opportunity slip on by.

Noddy and the General: It was such a terrible shame that Canterbury could not send out Noddy and the General winners in their final NRL home match. Both are ornaments of the sport and both have become legends at Canterbury. Sadly, from a selfish point of view, the retirements of Patten and Kimmorley signal the end of an era.

You never forget when your club legends walk away. I was there at the 2004 Grand Final to see off Steve Price, even though he was off to another club. I remembered 2002 when Craig Polla-Mounta, Darren Britt and Rod Silva played their final match for the Dogs and a year earlier we had farewelled Daryl Halligan and Jason Hetherington. We said goodbye to Simon Gillies in 1998 and the great Terry Lamb in 1995 and 1996. It never gets any easier.

And it wasn’t on Monday night. Seeing off a club legend always brings the stark realisation that a one-time constant in your life is no longer there, that the hours tick by and another hero has come and gone.

By any measure, Luke Patten is a legend of the club. I wrote a few weeks back that he has been the most important figure at the club over the last decade and even with the dust still settling I stand by such remarks. Since joining the Bulldogs in 2001 he has been a staple at the back with his safety under the high ball, his nattering support play and his long striding run the hallmarks of his on-field play. Off the field he held the same love for the club that most fans have but few players understand or truly feel. The 2000’s will always be the Luke Patten Era for Canterbury fans and while he may not have been the best player at the club, he was rarely far off and his consistent play and commitment to the team will always hold him in good stead at Belmore.

It is hard to make a case for Kimmorley as a Canterbury legend considering he spent only two years and 46 matches in the blue and white but arguably no player has had such an impact on the team in such a short period of time. Kimmorley didn’t lead Canterbury to a premiership but he was the key figure in lifting the club from the disaster of the 2008 wooden spoon to a preliminary final in 2009. More importantly, he helped reshape the new image of the club. He will stay on in a coaching role where it is expected he will one day succeed Kevin Moore.

Unfortunately, neither were sent out a home winner. Neither will ever get to play semi-final football for Canterbury again. Neither will get the fairytale finish. Brett Kimmorley’s field goal was charged down on the buzzer, Michael Jennings ran the trip and Penrith rolled Canterbury. It was an unpleasant way for it all to finish but that final home game will never count against either Patten or Kimmorley. Both were outstanding on Monday night and both have been outstanding throughout their time in the blue and white.

The Challenge Cup Final Review: The Challenge Cup final is absolutely one of the best events in world sport and the most recent edition let nobody down with Warrington downing Leeds in a tough, bruising final at Wembley. Led by Lance Todd winner and field goal expert Lee Briers, the Wire ran out 30-6 victors after jumping to a 14-0 lead and never getting headed. A hat-trick to former Penrith and Manly winger Chris Hicks, a try to former Warrior Louis Anderson and Danny Buderus knocking the ball on off the kick-off were all highlights in a win that provided Warrington with their first back-to-back Challenge Cup victories. Over 85,000 packed Wembley in the largest final crowd in over two decades to watch Adrian Morley’s men lift the Challenge Cup once again to signal a new era of dominance for the Wire. Greg Eastwood and Jamie Jones-Buchanan tried hard for Leeds but the accurate kicking of Briers and the wonderful fullback work of Richie Mathers meant the Rhinos could not get back into the game after the fine start by Warrington.

And once again watching the Challenge Cup final made me jealous that we do not have a cup competition in Australia, something that could quite easily be added to the schedule and would provide plenty of added value to the game.

Welcome Back, Dallas Johnson: It is with great joy that we welcome Dallas Johnson back to the NRL, who this week signed a three-year deal with the North Queensland Cowboys. The Cowboys have finally upgraded their roster by punting O’Donnell, Mason and Webb and signing a workhorse like Dallas Johnson. Signing Johnson is a five-star play by the Cowboys and about the first one they have made since hiring Graham Murray many years ago.

Team MVP’s: Brisbane were cruising to a finals position for the nineteenth straight season three weeks back. Then Darren Lockyer goes down and now they are staring down the barrel of missing the finals for the first time since 1991. Brisbane now needs to defeat Canberra by 15 and hope South Sydney lose. They will most likely have to do so without their most important player. Like Andrew Johns once was for Newcastle, Darren Lockyer is a champion player that the Broncos really struggle to win without. Here are the most valuable players of the other fifteen clubs:

Canberra (Josh Dugan): Dugan is involved in everything Canberra offers in attack and his reputation alone means opposition coaches game plan for him.

Canterbury (Brett Kimmorley): The Bulldogs fortunes have swung on the form of the retiring halfback since he joined the club due to the dearth of playmakers there.

Cronulla (Paul Gallen): Gallen is a workhorse in both attack and defence and is one of the best exponents of both at the embattled club. The steel he adds has saved the Sharks from more than one humiliation this year.

Gold Coast (Scott Prince): Prince is irreplaceable to the Titans system with the halfback the centre point of nearly all the Titans attack and the only quality kicker in the team.

Manly (Jamie Lyon): Lyon has double figure tries and try assists and is the main attacking threat at Manly as well as a top class defender. Manly have lost both games without Lyon this season.

Melbourne (Cooper Cronk): Slater is probably Melbourne’s best player and Smith has the most skills but Cronk is the on-field director and the key to getting the Storm attack firing.

Newcastle (Kurt Gidley): Gidley does everything at Newcastle and he usually does it well. He is the clubs best fullback, half and hooker and the team are reliant on his form.

North Queensland (Johnathan Thurston): It is hard to make a case that any Cowboy is worth a lick of shit but Thurston is clearly their best player and most likely match winner.

Parramatta (Jarryd Hayne): The Eels have become ultra-reliant on Hayne. When he puts in, the Eels usually win. If he turns in a lazy performance, the Eels go down.

Penrith (Luke Lewis): Lewis is a jack-of-all-trades who is a hard hitting workhorse in defence and both a creator and a finisher in attack. Penrith lost their last two without Lewis in the lineup.

Souths (Issac Luke): Souths have won only one of four without Luke this season. The hooker gets the Bunnies attack rolling with his direct running and creativity out of dummy half.

Dragons (Jamie Soward): The Dragons would not be nearly as threatening without Soward directing the attack. His kicking game is the best in the league. No player in the Dragons has his skill set.

Roosters (Mitchell Pearce): Carney is the game winner but Pearce is the man running the Roosters show. He allows Carney to play wider and Anasta to play inside maximising the talents of all three Roosters on-field generals.

Warriors (Manu Vatuvei): It is hard to believe a winger is a team’s most valuable player but the Warriors won only one from five without The Beast this year and he is a try scoring freak who can win a match off his own bat.

Tigers (Robbie Farah): Marshall may add the flash but it is Farah who works both sides of the ball with class and is the key creator at the Tigers.

What I Learned from Twitter This Week: Wests Tigers fullback Wade McKinnon lives by the mantra “pretty girl’s lights on, ugly girl’s lights off.” You stay classy, Wade Mac.

Far from Excited: It is going to take a lot to get me excited about the signing of Frank Pritchard at Canterbury. Pritchard may have all the skills in the world and he may be exactly the kind of impact second-rower the club needs but he is a bludger who only turns up to play once a month at best. He has a sweet offload and he can lay a shot on but Pritchard is going to need to show some consistency in his play if he is to be worth half of what the Bulldogs have paid for him. In 2008 he was accused of faking an injury in a game against Melbourne and he has averaged nearly a handling error a game in his 141 first grade matches. He has broken 120 metres only three times this year. I’m prepared to give Pritchard a chance but he is on a very short leash and if he doesn’t bring in Greg Eastwood as it has been suggested he will then that leash will be even shorter.

Ben Roberts is the Dumbest Player in the NRL: Ben Roberts should spend more time trying to get his pea-sized brain into action and less time on his hair because once again the moron with the lowest football IQ in the NRL cost Canterbury dearly with his stupidity. Never mind the fact he constantly pushes the pass and never mind the fact he has no concept of guiding a team around the park. His simple inability to grasp the fact that scores are tied and there is less than two minutes on the clock and Canterbury are within field goal range is astounding. On Monday he grubbered for the corner with the Bulldogs trying to work for one. He did the same thing two years ago against Souths. Ben Roberts is a total moron and I am losing six weeks of my life every time I have to watch him play. Where is Bob Fulton’s cement truck when you need it?

Fun Fact #1: Since the Dally M Rookie of the Year award was introduced in 1992, 9 of the 16 winners have gone on to play international rugby league: Steve Menzies (1994), Mat Rogers (1995), Michael Vella (1999), Tasesa Lavea (2000), Braith Anasta (2001), Matt Utai (2002), Karmichael Hunt (2004), Jarryd Hayne (2006) and Israel Folau (2007)

Fun Fact #2: A further two Dally M Rookie of the Year winners have played representative football with Glenn Morrison (1996) representing Country five times and Jamal Idris (2009) representing New South Wales this season.

Fun Fact #3: Only eight of the sixteen winners have never played with another club: Steve Menzies, Mark McLinden, Michael Vella, Matt Utai, Karmichael Hunt, Jarryd Hayne*, Chris Sandow* and Jamal Idris*.

Fun Fact #4: Only five Rookie of the Year winners have won a premiership with the club they won the award with: Steve Menzies, Braith Anasta, Matt Utai, Karmichael Hunt and Israel Folau with Menzies the only player to win multiple premierships.

Fun Fact #5: No player who won the Rookie of the Year and moved onto another team has ever played in a Grand Final for that second team.

The Willie M Medal: I couldn’t be more excited about the fact Parramatta are looking into signing prospective 2010 Willie M Medal winner Carl Webb. Good luck with that one Parra fans.

 

Warriors v Brisbane	3-Jharal Yow Yeh (Bri)
	2-Peter Wallace (Bri)
	1-Josh McGuire (Bri)
Souths v Parramatta	3-Timana Tahu (Par)
	2-Anthony Mitchell (Par)
	1-Fuifui Moimoi (Par)
Cronulla v Gold Coast	3-Clinton Toopi (GC)
	2-Scott Prince (GC)
	1-Jordan Atkins (GC)
Newcastle v Dragons	3-Shannon McDonnell (New)
	2-Antonio Kaufusi (New)
	1-Nevell Costigan (Dra)
Canberra v Cowboys	3-Ty Williams (Cow)
	2-James Tamou (Cow)
	1-Carl Well (Cow)
Tigers v Melbourne	3-Luke Kelly (Mel)
	2-Todd Lowrie (Mel)
	1-Robert Lui (Tig)
Roosters v Manly	3-Anthony Watmough (Man)
	2-Chris Bailey (Man)
	1-Jason Ryles (Roo)
Bulldogs v Penrith	3-Ben Roberts (Bul)
	2-Luke Walsh (Pen)
	1-Brad Morrin (Bul)
Leaderboard	18-Chris Sandow (Sou), Carl Webb (Cow)
	17-Krisnan Inu (Par), James Maloney (War)
	16-Mark Minichiello (GC), Tim Smith (Cro)
	15-Preston Campbell (GC)
	14-Ben Pomeroy (Cro)
	13- Ben Roberts (Bul)

 

Rumour Mill: There are suggestions that the betting scandal emanating from the Cowboys-Bulldogs clash may have been orchestrated by a prominent player manager with links to another notorious rugby league identity. It is a rumour that has met with some humour considering how the scheme was scuppered in the end. The push to bring Steve Menzies back to Manly is reportedly growing louder with a view in the club pushing the notion that Menzies could be used at five-eighth next year if something happens to prospective halves Kieran Foran and Daly Cherry-Evans. Parramatta are set to miss out on former Bulldog Reni Maitua because of the instability at the club in regards the coaching ranks with Daniel Anderson not expected to be in charge in 2011 despite reports that Nathan Hindmarsh has publicly and privately endorsed Anderson. There is reportedly trouble in the Penrith camp with Matt Elliott reportedly on poor terms with CEO Mick Leary over the club’s failure to re-sign Frank Pritchard, former player Matt Adamson reportedly on the outer with those currently at the club over his recent comments as well as his abrasive nature and Luke Lewis and Travis Burns coming to blows at training recently. The position of Ivan Henjak at Brisbane is once again under question with the side facing the very real prospect of missing out on the finals for the first time since 1992.

Power Rankings:

 

Rank	Team	Record	Last Week	High	Low
1	Dragons	16-7	1	1	2
2	Wests Tigers	15-8	3	2	8
3	Gold Coast	14-9	2	2	10
4	Penrith	14-9	4	2	11
5	Warriors	13-10	6	3	13
6	Roosters	13-10	7	1	11
7	Canberra	12-11	8	7	15
8	Manly	12-11	5	2	10
9	Newcastle	11-12	9	9	15
10	Souths	11-12	12	2	16
11	Parramatta	10-13	11	3	13
12	Brisbane	11-12	10	4	15
13	Canterbury	8-15	13	5	13
14	Cronulla	7-16	14	12	15
15	Cowboys	5-18	15	12	15
*	Melbourne	13-10	*	*	*

 

 

Where the Melbourne Storm Would Be: The Storm probably wouldn’t be selling $1 tickets to their final home match of the season and would more than likely be preparing to chase down their fifth Grand Final, something they could very easily reach considering the lack of quality teams at the top end of the ladder this season.

Game of the Year Nomination, Round 25: Canterbury-Penrith, 18-24. A heartbreaking game for me personally but one which probably pleased the Penrith faithful plenty. With the match farewelling Canterbury legends Luke Patten and Brett Kimmorley, the Bulldogs were expected to fire early and that is exactly what happened, racing to a 16-0 lead as the blue and whites ran through some porous Penrith defence. It was downhill from there. Penrith scored a sensational try just before the break and got to an 18-16 lead before the Bulldogs tied it up with a penalty. Then it got real interesting. Renowned good guy Petero Civoniceva was sent off for a deadly swinging arm to the chin of “Buster” Warburton in a shot that probably deserved to see the finger raised. Penrith had a couple of cracks at field goal and missed them both and then Canterbury should have had an easy shot when Ben Roberts put through a grubber kick. The Dogs had a shot to win on the stroke of full-time with golden point seemingly the worse case scenario but Brett Kimmorley’s field goal was charged down and the Panthers ran the distance to win the match, crushing the hopes of not only the Bulldogs faithful but those on the 5 ½ start. Noddy was outstanding for the Bulldogs but he was let down by a supporting cast made up mostly of idiots and fools. And Penrith, well, they got the two points but won’t win many finals matches playing as they did and now with the possibility of being without Civoniceva and injured halfback Luke Walsh their chances of another title are fading fast.

Exchanges with Fisk:

Fisk on the recent betting scandal: “Fucking Tandy”

Tedeschi on Matt Hilder: “Goddamn, he looks like Marc Glanville tonight.”

Tedeschi on Danny Buderus: “Bedsy is having a shocker.”

Fisk on Buderus: “He just pulled a Marty Bella.”

Fisk on Daniel Conn: “He won’t be playing finals footy. He should have been sent.”

Tedeschi on Daniel Conn: “He won’t be playing finals footy because he is horseshit.”

Coaching Stocks:

Wayne Bennett [5] The Saints bounced back well with a gritty win over the Knights. Dragons look tougher this year.

Craig Bellamy [4.5] The Storm again turned up against the Tigers in what was really a very good effort with big outs.

Tim Sheens [4.5] The Tigers are back in the finals for the first time since ’05 and they are now with a top two spot.

John Cartwright [3.5] Shocking loss to the Sharks when needed a win to keep momentum going into the finals.

John Lang [3.5] Souths are ravaged by injury but kept their season alive with a tough win over the Eels.

Brian Smith [3.5] The Roosters may have missed a top four spot but they played themselves into form in second half.

Ivan Cleary [3.5] The Warriors are the shock team of the season and they totally smashed Brisbane in a huge win.

Matt Elliott [3] Penrith aren’t going too well and the injury to Walsh could wreak havoc with them come semi time.

David Furner [3] If the Raiders slip into the eight, they come in with a great deal of momentum. Big win.

Des Hasler [2] Manly look done. They could not be going any worse and they are losing troops at a quick rate.

Rick Stone [2] The Knights turned in another gritty performance and fell just short against the Dragons.

Ivan Henjak [1.5] The Broncos collapse has been monumental and Henjak’s job is again in danger.

Shane Flanagan [1] The Sharks have looked much better under Flanagan and win over the Titans was best of ’10.

Kevin Moore [0] Canterbury lifted to farewell Noddy and the General but blew it with stupidity again.

Daniel Anderson [-0.5] The problems at Parramatta are deep and Anderson seems to have little power at the club.

Neil Henry [-15] North Queensland should be embarrassed by yet another pitiful performance.

Obscure Score of the Week: Jacksonville-New Haven, 34-14. The Axemen are champions of the AMNRL after overcoming a half-time deficit against the favoured Warriors to claim their first title. Led by five-eighth Brent Shorten (presumably no relation to Labor plotter Bill), the Axemen won the match in the third-quarter where a 14-10 deficit was turned into a 28-14 win with the Aussie number six delighting the 1300-strong crowd with his skill. Well done to the Axemen and everybody associated with the club in what is quickly becoming the home of rugby league in the United States.

The Queanbeyan Kangaroos 2010 Campaign: The Queanbeyan Kangaroos had the week off as they await their major semi-final with Scholars but they went and scouted the minor semi-final where the Goulburn Workers Bulldogs upset the Gungahlin Bulls 38-12 at West Belconnen Leagues Club. Despite being led by Jason Croker and Simon Woolford, the Bulls were no match for the evergreen Goulburn outfit who will take on the loser of the major semi-final with the winner of the Kangaroos-Scholars match straight into the decider.

Stats from the Special Needs Penguin: Clap your flippers for the Special Needs Penguin because Ben Pomeroy had perhaps his finest game of the season on Saturday night against the Gold Coast Titans. Pomeroy ran for 105 metres, broke 8 tackles and missed zero tackles but most importantly he did not drop the ball once. Miracles can happen.

Fantasy Team of the Week

1. Lance Hohaia (War)
2. Reece Robinson (Can)
3. Shaun Kenny-Dowall (Roo)
4. Jarrod Croker (Can)
5. Brett Morris (Dra)
6. Todd Carney (Roo)
7. Benji Marshall (Tig)
13. Paul Gallen (Cro)
12. Feleti Mateo (Par)
11. Simon Mannering (War)
10. Luke Douglas (Cro)
9. Robbie Farah (Tig)
8. David Shillington (Can)

Waiver Wire Advice: Well, its Grand Final time this week, the hour has arrived. Few teams, if any, have any trades left. There is not a lot left that can be done so enjoy the week. Fantasy glory doesn’t come every year and you never know if this will be your last one in the decider. Analyse your team and make sure the best seventeen are out there. Be wary of coaches resting players this week. Any minor niggle will be met with a rest for teams either locked into their finals position or out of the eight. Motivation is key. Drink plenty of grape juice. Scour Big League. Relax with an episode of Weeds. Taunt your opponent. Wager heavily and make sure you get the best of it. Pray to the deity of your choice. And most of all, make sure you win.

Beard Watch: Here are the twelve people in rugby league I would most like to see with some form of facial hair:

1. David Gallop
2. Colin Best
3. David Stagg
4. Gavin Badger
5. Alan Tongue
6. Bill Harrigan
7. Todd Greenberg
8. Wayne Bennett
9. Darren Lockyer
10. Chris Sandow
11. Ben Hannant
12. Ivan Henjak

Lazy Long Bay Days, Part 26: John makes another visit to Long Bay to check in with Danny to make sure all is in readiness for this week. He is not in a good mood. “You better make sure this is on” Elias says. “This is fucking important and we can’t afford another fuck-up like last week. Fucking Tandy did everything but then that little prick Watts screwed it up.” “I saw Watts wasn’t in last week” Wicks replied. “It is tough to play with a broken hand” Elias says dryly. “I don’t want to have to break any bones this week Daniel, do you make sure we get this little problem sorted.”

Watch It: It is now 25 years since arguably the greatest Challenge Cup final ever played and much like the 1989 Grand Final the quality of the match still holds up today. Brett Kenny was absolutely electric for Wigan while Peter Sterling was only a rung below for Hull. John Ferguson was at his electric best but even he would have been in awe of Henderson Gill’s amazing try. Rugby league guru Steve Mascord rates it as “one of the four or five best matches” he has ever seen. This match speaks for itself. Watch it here.

Correspondence Corner: Penrith supporter and general loudmouth Grant Vickers took the time to write after Penrith’s win suggesting what “an awesome finish to a game” it was and then arguing that Petero should not have been sent off. Vickers, you need to shut your dirty whore mouth. Petero may be a stand-up dude and he may have been stiff to be marched considering Glenn Stewart was allowed to remain on the field but Civoniceva had to be sent from the field after his violent swinging arm collected “Buster” Warburton right on the jaw. Sadly, it was the first send off of the season and only the fourth dismissal since round twelve of the 2008 season. There have been only 47 send-offs in the nearly 11 seasons since 2000. Referees need to have more bottle and send off violent acts of foul play. The constant emasculation of the refereeing fraternity is really starting to wear thin.