Season 2008: Round 6

From The Couch

Vale, Big Red…On a cold and wintry Saturday evening at the always comfortable Toyota Park, “Big Red” Lance Thompson played his last game of top grade rugby league. It was fitting that the workhorse backrower waved the game away at the venue he started at all the way back in 1995, when thrown into the always heated local derby against Cronulla as a ginger haired seventeen year old. It was also fitting that Lance Thompson played his last game on the 100th anniversary of rugby league in Australia. Through his eleven seasons at the Dragons, Thompson became a cult hero and one of the most popular players at Kograh. When forced to leave, he joined the Sharks under sour circumstances yet in three seasons at Shark Park, he quickly became beloved, even earning a lap of honour on Saturday night. Thompson will always be remembered as the red-haired toiler, a man always willing to give it all to the grind. What most will not remember are Thompson’s eighteen career goals from twenty-six attempts. Big Red could do it all, seemingly. The game will certainly miss him.

Ridiculous Rule…In the second half of the Tigers-Souths clash at the S.C.G, the Tigers were attacking the Rabbitohs line when a kick was put through on the last tackle. The ball hit referee Ben Cummins, who immediately called for a scrum ten metres out with the Tigers getting the feed. The Tigers, due to a positioning error by the referee, were given a fresh set of six. The Tigers, somewhat inevitably, scored a try. This rule needs to be stricken from the law books forthwith. No team should be able to gain an advantage by a referee being poorly positioned. What should have occurred is that the Tigers were given the ball back at the point of the previous play-the-ball with play resuming at that tackle. That would have meant the Tigers were given the ball on the fifth tackle, akin to a replayed point in a tennis match. To think that this could occur in an important match is horrifying. NRL rulemakers need to amend this without hesitation.

The Colin Best Express Fan Revue…What a delight. The Colin Best Express was poetry in motion on Monday night, a true Jackson Pollock of strength, speed, sense and show. Best showed the dash of a greyhound and the geography of a young James Cook in chasing down a Michael Dobson kick and planting the ball millimeters inside the dead ball line before wrestling free and setting up a try for Adrian Purtell. Best was also denied a seemingly legitimate try by video referee Bill Harrigan, who failed to give the Raiders the benefit of the doubt when the lanky wing crashed over in the corner. Combined with a strong work ethic and unfaultable defence, Best was cheered by all and sundry at Bruce, revered as a modern day character of the modern Raiders. The question now arises: has Colin Best done enough to push for a Blue Origin jersey? Jarryd Hayne is assured one wing position but the other is wide open. El  Masri is probably too old and Grothe should be playing reserve grade. The Colin Best Express is one of the form flanks in the competition and must be considered by Origin selectors. Let the push begin here and now. Colin Best for Origin. May the rolling stone gather moss. Email prominent journalists, telephone league powerbrokers, write your local politician. The time is now.

Oh Danny Boy…The pipes, the pipes are calling. Big Danny Wicks went from glen to glen and down the mountainside, the hulking prop bouncing through the Roosters defence like a wrecking ball before scooting past fullback Sam Perrett and racing away to score one of the great tries. There have certainly been few more entertaining touchdowns in the hundred years of rugby league. Mark O’Meley had quite a bit to say about the try after the game and only further diminished his standing in rugby league with his bitterness and idiocy. The game needs more Danny Wicks and less Mark O’Meley.

Baggy Trousers…The most enjoyable part of Heritage Round was, with little doubt, the get-up worn by referees and touch judges. Old Punt is certainly no fashionista but referees in the all white, baggy and loose, was quite eyecatching. Was that Darcy Lawler or Tony Archer? The NRL should keep this garb for the remainder of the season. If for no other reason than entertainment and cheap laughs.

Rugby League at the S.C.G…In this, the centenary year of rugby league in Australia, it was a wonderful tribute to the game to see the Wests Tigers and South Sydney grace the green grass of the Sydney Cricket Ground. Three foundation clubs fighting it out on the hallowed turf where many a classic match has been played was something to behold. Sure, the match was appalling, one of the worst of the season. But that was all washed away by history and the sense of occasion. The NRL should be commended for getting rugby league back to the S.C.G. The ball relay from Birchgrove and allowing punters onto the turf after the game only added to what was a wonderful day for rugby league.

Gut-Wrenching Injury of the Week #1…Karmichael Hunt. He may only be out for two to three weeks but without him, the Broncos have little spark in their backline outside of Justin Hodges. The fact that it is knee cartilage damage will concern Brisbane officials as well with the chance of a recurrence or further damage being a distinct possibility.

Gut-Wrenching Injury of the Week #2…Steve Menzies. While the Beaver certainly has a diminished role with the Eagles these days, he has a major effect on how the Eagles play by his mere presence. Losing him to a hamstring strain has certainly put a dampener on the Eagles season and what could be the encore to a fine rugby league career.

Bitches #1…South Sydney. There is no need to expand. They are redefining the term pathetic. Their display on Sunday was a slap in the face to the myrtle and cardinal.

Bitches #2…Parramatta. The Eels had a 7-1 penalty count and three Manly injuries in their favour but could not find the courage to down Manly. The Eagles, with only a one man bench for much of the second-half, grinded out a lead, lost it and then dug deep to get the two points. The Eels have a serious attitude problem.

Bitches #3…St.George-Illawarra. The Dogs were missing plenty of big names but that wasn’t enough to push the Dragons out of mediocrity. They could create nothing and are headed for a bottom four finish. Jason Ryles was, once more, King Bitch. He made only 15 tackles in 55 minutes.

Coaching Stocks…

Value	LW	Coach	Comment
5	5	Craig Bellamy	Re-signed to largest deal for a coach ever. The hottest coach in league.
5	5	Ricky Stuart	Recruitment of Tupou big news. Has ben a big positive for the Sharks.
4	4.5	Brad Fittler	A bad loss to the Knights. Roosters got lazy and forgot basics.
4	4	Des Hasler	Courageous Eagles win with no bench. Still question some tactics and selections.
4	4	Wayne Bennett	A close second for "Coach of the Century". That says it all.
4	3.5	John Cartwright	Derby win only adds to his high standing. Looks the long-term deal. Folkes like.
3.5	4	Michael Hagan	Eels should have beaten Manly and didn't. Tim Smith crisis. There is trouble at Parra.
3.5	4	Ivan Cleary	A tendency for heavy road defeats will cause him some concern.
3.5	3.5	Tim Sheens	Had an injury depleted side do what was required and that was to flog Souths.
3.5	3	Brian Smith	Smith is bolting up the charts after rebuilding Knights and getting win over Roosters.
2	2	Neil Henry	Had the Raiders fired up for a good effort against Storm. Image problem in Canberra.
1.5	1	Steve Folkes	Win with injury ravaged team big. Still respected and should land a job overseas.
1.5	1	Matt Elliott	Huge away win over Sharks. Still rumours of player unrest.
1	0.5	Graham Murray	No jobs available but will be happy he has the Cowboys back on track.
0.5	1	Jason Taylor	How quickly we fall. His career is almost dead after Souths 0-6 start. The end is nigh.
0	0	Nathan Brown	Each week sees just one more shred of Brown's reputation ripped and torn.

 

Round Six in 1989…The incomparable Terry Lamb led the Bulldogs to a 30-6 Anzac Day victory over Easts with a 14 point haul…Canberra were also Anzac Day winners with the memorable Phil Carey a four try hero in the 44-8 win over the Illawarra Steelers…Phil Blake scored three tries in the Bunnies 32-0 demolition of the Dragons…a Benny Elias field goal was the difference at Leichhardt Oval with the Tigers getting up 9-8 over Manly…Cronulla beat the Gold Coast 6-4 and Brisbane downed Parramatta 6-2 on a low scoring Sunday afternoon in Sydney.

Game of the Year Nomination, Round 6…Gold Coast-Brisbane, 26-24. Both the Titans and Broncos played with great skill in wet conditions with the Titans racing to an early lead on the back of a boisterous home crowd before the Broncos made a late comeback. The difference was Scott Prince, who is in a sensational vein of form. Entertaining and of a high quality, this game pipped the Knights late comeback win over the Roosters in an enjoyable weekend of rugby league.

Great Canterbury Backrower of Yesteryear…Barry Ward. “Bustling” Barry Ward was a grinder of the highest order who could seamlessly slip between the backrow and prop. Ward was a character who always had plenty to offer. His try from the five-eighth position against the Dragons, when Ward went straight over the top of Anthony Mundine, was one of the great meat pies. Think a fatter Brad Morrin.

Fantasy Players of the Week…Johnathan Thurston, Billy Slater, Chris Heighington, Sonny Bill Williams, Matt Bowen, Cooper Cronk, Kurt Gidley, Anthony Laffranchi, Craig Fitzgibbon, Nathan Hindmarsh.

Surprise Fantasy Player Performances…Chris Bailey, Nathan Smith, Ray Cashmere, Jason Nightingale, Matt Petersen, Cory Paterson, Steve Southern, Chad Robinson.

Rebecca Wilson-Danny Wiedler, Scorecard…This has turned more into low rent wrestling than any form of noble pugilism. Danny Wiedler gets this round after Peter Sterling attacked Wilson on the Sunday Footy Show. Wilson had claimed Sterling snubbed the Team of the Century dinner. Sterling put her in her place, peppering her sauce with quite the flair. It wasn’t with a folding chair but it was close. Wiedler 10-8.

And One Final Thought…Danny Nutley has not played first grade all season, mired in the New South Wales Cup at the Roosters behind a platoon of big name and talented front rowers. Mercy was shown and Nutley was granted a release, allowed to return to his old club, Cronulla. Nutley “debuted” on the bench against Penrith last weekend and was up there with the Sharks best. The Nut played 59 minutes, making 35 tackles and 158 metres on 21 hits. Danny Nutley is the personification of hard work and there are few more respected players in the game. Nutley will do his job and do it well, every week. Rugby league was made for men like Danny Nutley and it is a true joy to watch the stout and durable prop play at the top level.