From The Couch: Round 11
From The Couch: Round 11
A Proud Day for Australia: For the first time since 1945, Australia has elected a Prime Minister whose first sporting love is Rugby League. Anthony Albanese’s love of Rugby League and credentials in the game are as pure as the driven snow, the first Prime Minister who can lay such a claim since Frank Forde in the dying days of World War II. It is a proud day that Australia not only elected a Rugby League man but a man as good and as decent and as passionate and as authentic as Albo.
Six of the last seven Prime Ministers have been from Rugby League states after just two between World War II and 1991 but it can hardly be said there was a lot of passion for Rugby League. John Howard no doubt loved the game but he loved sport and preferred cricket and union. Scott Morrison was a rugby union man who used league to position himself as an everyman, betraying not only his first love in union but his Rugby League team in the Roosters. Tony Abbott was all rugby union though did fancy himself a Manly fan. Kevin Rudd, Paul Keating and Malcolm Turnbull had no interest at all in the greatest game of all.
Albanese has said on many occasions that the three tenets of his life are the Australian Labor Party, the Catholic Church and the South Sydney Rabbitohs. He was marching to save the club. He was at games in the bad times. He was there for the good. He goes without needing to be seen.
Barrett Bounced: The Trent Barrett era is mercifully over at Canterbury. It was an embarrassing 18 months for the club who made an insanely stupid decision and then cost the club a lot of cash and a silly amount of time. It is the lowest point the club has been at since probably the early 1960s. All that needs to be said about the Barrett era that needs to be said has been said. He was a miserable failure as a coach as predicted in these very pages. The manner of his dismissal though deserves some attention. The outright disingenuousness of Phil Gould has been embarrassing and would at most clubs bring about major questions over the tenability of his tenure. Not at a club with no clear power structure outside of the empire Gould has built but most clubs. Nobody believes Trent Barrett resigned and everybody believes he was sacked by the man who said Barrett would be at the club long after Gould left. It was shoddy and deceitful and muddied what should have been a clear line in the sand . Barrett was sacked because he did a terrible job. Nobody was defending Barrett. Put out whatever press release you like but don’t come out and lie. It hardly gives any Bulldogs fan faith.
Grant Atkins is a Clown: There have been some horrid moments from The Bunker over the last few years. Thursday was as low and as depraved and as rancid as there has been with two absolutely criminal decisions going against Newcastle. Adam O’Brien showed great restraint in threatening not to blow The Bunker all the way to Burundi. The decision to take a try away from Dane Gagai summed up exactly what is wrong with The Bunker or at least those who are charged with pressing the buttons. Gagai did not lose control of the ball. He changed grips to get it down. Nobody complained. Nobody was looking for the try to be disallowed. Yet Atkins found a problem. If the try was to be disallowed, it should have been for the fairly obvious offside in the lead-up. The call to then allow the Broncos a try in the face of a clear obstruction was obscene. It has been black and white. Any attacking decoy who touches a defender and prevents him being able to attempt a tackle is an obstruction. Yet Atkins decided to throw that in the bin. It was a disgusting attempt at officiating and one that should see Atkins cop the Henry Perenara treatment.
Dally M Atrocities of the Week – Round 11: This week’s Dally M Medal atrocities:
- Scott Sattler leaving Clint Gutherson and Mitchell Moses out was utterly ridiculous
2022 Field Goal Update – 17: Nicho Hynes slotted a key field goal in what was nearly the last play of Round 11. It not only secured the Sharks two points but killed everyone on the Titans +6.5.
Fun Fact #1: The Canberra Raiders have beaten the team of the Prime Minister in consecutive weeks.
Fun Fact #2: Jarrod Wallace has three tries in two games. Alex Twal has not scored in 100 NRL appearances.
Fun Fact #3: Cec ‘Dicky’ Fifield is the only coach in premiership history to have a worse record than Trent Barrett and get a third head coaching job. His 9 wins from 29 games at his first two clubs though was not as bad.
Fun Fact #4: The Bulldogs scored their highest score of the year in Mick Potter’s first game.
Betting Market of the Week: Following the allowance of an apparent ruck and/or maul (who knows, who cares!) in the Dragons-Warriors game, the NRL will attempt the following to be more like rugby union:
$501: Signing big-name Wallabies if there is a big-name Wallaby and they can be less embarrassing than Garrick Morgan
$201: Attempt to whitewash the sport and thus limit it to select private schools and the sons of bankers and doctors
$201: Follow the bold strategy of seeking widespread anonymity by removing all coverage from free-to-air television, mainstream newspapers and the wider public consciousness so nobody knows that the sport actually still exists
$101: Welcoming back Alan Jones in some official role
Rumour Mill: Shane Flanagan is rumoured to have agreed to terms with the Bulldogs and may come mid-season if he can gain a release from St George Illawarra those these rumours are just that ant not confirmed. Another cleanout at Canterbury has begun with Matt Dufty reportedly off to Super League while Paul Vaughan will not be far behind him. Jack Hetherington is likely to go to the Knights. One senior referee is making plenty of enemies at both NRL HQ and in Clubland with his arrogance that is well and truly reflected in his decision-making.
Bet Local: Anyone who enjoys a bet and enjoys this column can support it by signing up with TopSport through clicking this link. TopSport is a great Australian bookmaker who have an excellent site, great prices and some ripping ownership.
Moronic Coaching Decision of the Week: Adam O’Brien’s persistence with Phoenix Crossland is perplexing. Crossland is about four levels out of his depth. He is both rushed and lacking in urgency, indecisive and unaware, slow in both mind and speed. Playing him is the exact opposite thing you should be doing if you are trying to win a game, particularly out of position at hooker.
The Coaching Crosshairs: Nathan Brown’s time at the Warriors cannot possibly survive longer than this year and if the club is serious about a rebuild and attracting players who can actually help the Warriors win. Not only are the Warriors playing some very poor football, they are now just letting assets walk for nothing. Allowing Kodi Nikorima to leave was strange but letting Matt Lodge out of his contract was outright stupid and Brown’s role in it was just as bad. Brown should never have got the job and the Warriors need to realise their error soon and move on.
Watch It: South Sydney’s reinstatement in the NRL has been one of the seminal moments of the 25 years of the NRL era. Watch episode one of ‘Tales of Reinstatement’ with new Prime Minister Anthony Albanese feature by the seven-second mark. Watch it here.