Season 2010: Round 8

From The Couch

Luke Douglas Must Have Tortured 101 Baby Kittens and Other Tales of Selection Woe: Once again Luke Douglas was overlooked for representative duty for what, yet again, are inexplicable reasons. Douglas has played 105 straight matches since debuting for the Sharks and is one of only five props this year to average 30 tackles and 100 metres per match. He has achieved that feet in 2007 and 2009 and was not far off in 2008 either. He is durable and tough and extremely effective. He turns up for a rubbish team every week where most of his teammates are glorified reserve graders. Yet he is seemingly behind Storm pussy Brett White, who has played one game this season, rugby league cancer Willie Mason and Raiders crock Tom Learoyd-Lars in the Country pecking order along with Josh Perry in the Test team. Astonishing. Luke Douglas has seemingly been blackballed with no explanation given. Douglas is among the three best props New South Wales have to offer yet he has never played representative footy. He has clearly done something to put the selectors offside.

Josh Perry. Australia. I’m not sure much more needs to be said about that. It should just make us all feel very sad.

Jamie Soward and Terry Campese are two others who can feel extremely hard done by. New South Wales have been lacking tactical kicking and a long boot since Andrew Johns yet selectors have gone for Greg Bird, who ranks 4th in the NRL in errors with 15 in 8 games, and Brett Kimmorley. Kimmorley’s selection is justifiable if not somewhat short-sighted but to overlook both Soward and Campese when the Blues are in desperate need of a kicking game is just ridiculous.

The decision to name Michael Jennings on the wing for City instead of in the centres, the position he scored a hat-trick in for Australia last year, defied belief and has cost City his services with Jennings now opting for surgery. Who has more chance of helping New South Wales? Jennings, Beau Champion or Chris Lawrence? It really isn’t a hard one to pick.

Luke O’Donnell should never be allowed near a rep jersey with his cheap, thuggish, hypocritical ways an embarrassment to the Country emblem.

Joel Reddy. I never thought I’d see the day.

Tim Mannah. Well, he is better than Justin Poore but I would fancy there are a handful of better props available for City including Dan Hunt.

Vale, Kevin Humphreys: Rugby league lost a true visionary last week when former boss Kevin Humphreys passed away at the age of 80. Humphreys was a giant of the game who ruled both Balmain and the New South Wales Rugby League with an iron fist until a scandal unveiled by Four Corners led not only to Humprheys demise but a Royal Commission that led to the imprisonment of a Supreme Court judge and the investigation of corruption in rugby league and New South Wales politics. It all started at Balmain for Humphreys though when, after four years of playing for the Tigers, he took up the role of secretary in 1956. It soon became his empire where he ruled with total power, his finest achievement at the club being the 1969 premiership, Balmain’s last title. In 1973 he became boss of the League and that was when his vision took hold. He was instrumental in the creation of State of Origin; he signed rugby league’s first television deal and was the first to bring up the idea of a Super League. He ruled for a decade with absolute power, arguably the most authoritative and influential administrator rugby league has ever known. It all came crashing down in 1983, though, when Humphreys was forced out after it was revealed he embezzled $50,000 from Balmain to fund gambling debts but avoided a jail term because of his political and judicial connections. He left the game in an official capacity but his love for the sport never died and his legacy will last forever. For all the scandal he went out in and for the archaic methods he employed, he did more good for league than nearly any boss and his impact on the sport is still there for all to see.

Should He Stay or Should He Go: Here we go again. Another big name star off contract and rumours circulate that he is off to rugby union or AFL. This time around it is Israel Folau. Folau is being courted by both the Melbourne Rebels and the Greater Western Sydney AFL franchise and it seems he is off as he chose not to take up an option that would have kept him at Brisbane. Folau, of course, is free to go. He can choose to get rich being a pawn in AFL’s battle with rugby league where he will look foolish and stupid trying to play a game where the predominant skill is something he does not possess. Or he could go to rugby where he will get frustrated and annoyed. Either way, he will be back, you can bet your bottom dollar on that. He will take the cash and then attempt a return to the game that made him. Australian selectors should be applauded for not picking Folau for the Anzac Test. Folau is clearly trying to pull a Karmichael Hunt and keep his future plans of treachery on the downlow until the rep season is finished. Queensland selectors should take the lead of the Australian bosses and bar Folau. It is also about time the NRL gets heavy and threatens to ban defectors for life. Let them chase the money but make them well aware that they will not be welcome back. That will sort the wheat out from the chaff. From a Brisbane perspective, I doubt they will be too upset about losing Folau. He has not been a bust at Brisbane but he is hardly worth the cash they are forking out for him and there must surely be a case of buyer’s remorse. The money will be much better spent on a top notch prop and a few other decent forwards.

Now it All Makes Sense: I have often wondered over sleepless nights and beer-fuelled bar sessions how Rebecca Wilson has managed to maintain a job as a columnist for the Daily Telegraph when it is apparent to anybody who understands anything about sport, journalism and entertainment that the grand sum of her abilities totals nothing more than the amount of premiership points the Melbourne Storm will accrue this season. She is a cheap gossipmonger, a simple populist and a hypocrite of the highest order whose columns are often as painful as they are dull, as inaccurate as they are vindictive, as lacking in journalistic standards as they are lacking in sporting insight. After she revealed that she was sharing a bed, in the biblical sense, with News boss John Hartigan last week during a spite filled attack on The Age and good journalism everything now makes perfect sense. Only a select few can get away with being so awful at their job yet have total security. She has made a fine career move. It is little wonder she is seemingly above journalistic standards, even by the low tabloid benchmarks set at the Tele. It has always defied belief that she is regularly published but not anymore. Her abilities in the sheets are, presumably, greater than her abilities to come up with an original idea or provide something resembling a half-decent piece of writing. Never mind the Storm investigation anymore. I think the time has come for Rupert Murdoch to look into the mental faculties and decision making abilities of John Hartigan. No right-minded human would rightly engage with Wilson in even the most banal of social situations. It is very easy to see how Waldron and his acolytes could get away with their cheating for so long.

Jersey Numbers and Corner Posts: It is pleasing to see that in these dark times that the NRL has time to focus on jersey numbers and corner posts. I guess there are no other major or pertinent issues in the game to worry about. Why worry about the salary cap, player defections, an incompetent referee’s boss or diabolical selection decisions when we can discuss a move to personalised player numbers and the abolition of the corner post. We all, of course, have plenty of time. For what it is worth, the idea of a personalised number system is absurd. Super League had plenty of great ideas but this wasn’t one of them. It is confusing and unnecessary and takes away the rhythm and symmetry rightfully expected by the footy fan. The only reason for the talk is player greed. And the corner post should also be kept for the sake of both tradition and ease for those on the field. The corner post acts as a landmark for kickers and touch judges and without any real reason to rid the game of it, we should just plod on with the corner post.

Tim Sheens Marks 600 Games: Tim Sheens this week became the first coach in Australian rugby league history to coach 600 matches at the top level. It is doubtful there has ever been a more confounding coach in terms of legacy. He is a 4-time premiership winning coach who has guided two teams to premiership glory, the current Australian coach with a Four Nations title under his belt, a former Origin and City Origin coach, a mentor regarded as the most successful ever at two of the four clubs he has led and an argument for a third. He has been in almost constant employment since taking over the reins at Penrith in 1984 bar for an eighteen month break in 2001-02, is a three-time Dally M coach of the year and is generally revered as one of the great coaches in the history of the game, a respected and beloved mentor and a forward thinker who is renowned for his encouragement of attacking rugby league. Yet Sheens has a winning record of just over 50% with 302 wins from 600 matches. He has made only one final series since leaving Canberra in 1996. His record at the Cowboys was a dismal 28-73-4. He has a losing record at every club he has been at with the exception of Canberra. He lost his only Origin series in charge of New South Wales way back in 1991 and he has not been called back since. He has a habit of rearranging his teams to cover weaknesses by reducing strengths, playing players out of position. He sticks with bad players too long. He has never been regarded as a great recruiter. His reputation was built on a dynasty in Canberra established by Don Furner. That dynasty, at any rate, remains somewhat tainted after it was revealed that the 1990 team was well and truly over the salary cap, a charge that, if laid today, would surely have seen the Raiders lose one and possibly two titles with the team of stars surely disbanded before they won their final title in 1994. Yet Sheens somehow is above criticism. He has only been fired once, he is rarely singled out by the media and he is almost never labelled a poor coach. His legacy is confounding and I have no idea where he sits in the pantheon of coaches or what his legacy will be. He certainly isn’t on the level of Wayne Bennett, Craig Bellamy, Chris Anderson or Phil Gould but he seemingly has to be rated above the likes of Graham Murray and Brian Smith because of his success. He, seemingly at once, is both overrated and underrated, a leader whose record is far from great. He has been an innovator but he, for the most part, hasn’t been a winner. There are few coaches as interesting in league history as Tim Sheens.

Fun Fact #1: Tim Sheens’ starting halfbacks, opposition coaches, opposition fullbacks and results for his milestone matches.

Game	Starting Halfback	Opposition Coach	Opposition Fullback	Result
1	Daryl Griffen	Roy Masters	Brian Johnson	L 24-10
50	Greg Alexander	John Monie	Paul Taylor	L 38-6
100	Ivan Henjak	Ted Glossop	Clinton Mohr	W 34-10
200	Ricky Stuart	Phil Gould	David Greene	W 14-10
300	Jason Ferris	Chris Anderson	Hazem El Masri	W 34-4
400	Nathan Fien	John Lang	David Peachey	L 42-6
500	Scott Prince	Steve Folkes	Luke Patten	L 47-12
600	Robbie Farah	Brian Smith	A. Minichiello	L 12-8

Fun Fact #2: Coaches Tim Sheens coached against but has never beaten: Craig Coleman (2), Paul Langmack (3), Kieran Dempsey (2), Ivan Henjak (1)

Fun Fact #3: Coaches Time Sheens has never lost to: Grant Bell (1), Malcolm Clift (2), Phil Economidis (2), Wayne Ellis (2), Russell Fairfax (4), Laurie Freier (3), David Furner (3), Ted Glossop (2), Arthur Kitinas (1), Dean Lance (1), Bob Lindner (3), Bob McCarthy (9), Hugh McGahan (2), Shaun McRae (3), Ian Millward (1), Stuart Raper (5), Malcolm Reilly (3), Ken Shine (4), Alan Thompson (1), Craig Young (4)

Willie M Medal Votes: Honouring, apparently, a player who has been recalled to representative football despite being a cancer on the game and every club he has ever played for, including his current 2-6 Cowboys.

Parramatta-Bulldogs	3-Brett Kimmorley (Bul)
	2-Tim Browne (Bul)
	1-Michael Ennis (Bul)
Brisbane-Newcastle	3-Denan Kemp (Brs)
	2-Scott Dureau (New)
	1-Jharal Yow Yeh (Brs)
Warriors-Canberra	3-James Maloney (War)
	2-Trevor Thurling (Can)
	1-Lewis Brown (War)
Gold Coast-Penrith	3-Sam Tagataese (GC)
	2-Adrian Purtell (Pen)
	1-Mark Minichiello (GC)
Cowboys-Melbourne	3-Anthony Watts (Cow)
	2-Ashley Graham (Cow)
	1-Will Tupou (Cow)
Dragons-Cronulla	3-Trent Barrett (Cro)
	2-Nathan Stapleton (Cro)
	1-Blake Ferguson (Cro)
Tigers-Roosters	3-Todd Carney (Roo)
	2-Beau Byan (Tig)
	1-Blake Ayshford (Tig)
Manly-Souths	3-Chris Sandow (Sou)
	2-Nathan Merritt (Sou)
	1-Fetuili Talonoa (Sou)
Leaderboard	10-Chris Sandow (Sou)
	8-Denan Kemp (Brs), Todd Carney (Roo)
	7-Trent Barrett (Cro), James Maloney (War), Ben Roberts (Bul), Josh McCrone (Can)

 

Thanks to the Judge and Indiana Jones for taking over voting duties this weekend.

Rumours of the Week: It appears almost certain that Josh Dugan will not be in Canberra in 2012. The Raiders have gone to the NRL concerned that Dugan has already agreed to terms with the Roosters with the Roosters alleged to have breached the anti-tampering laws. There has also been word that he may be off to the Bulldogs. The Gold Coast salary cap scandal is, as has been mentioned previously, far from over. Expect a Four Corners report to reveal more. Word has it that the Titans could finish the year tied for the wooden spoon. The Bulldogs are circling Aiden Tolman and will release Ben Hannant to rejoin Brisbane if Tolman signs on. Brent Tate will be back in Brisbane colours in 2011. Greg Eastwood could be at Canterbury within a month with the ball-playing backrower trying to seek a release from Leeds. Speculation continues to run wild that Greg Bird will be back at Cronulla in 2011. Rumours are circulating that associates of a star player from one Sydney club have made a killing over the last few weeks betting against the star player’s team. Mick Potter is now the new favourite to be in charge of Cronulla in 2011. Potter has resigned from St. Helens and is heading back to Australia and it will surprise nobody if he gets the Sharks gig.

Power Rankings:

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

 

Where the Melbourne Storm Would Be If…: They would sit a clear second on the premiership table, would be around the $3.25 mark for the premiership and would be marching to a fifth straight Grand Final. Now they have to settle for playing trick shots, smashing opponents and having fun. A tough second prize but one they appear to be embracing.

Game of the Year Nomination, Round 8: Tigers-Roosters, 8-12. A pretty ordinary slate of games turned out about the same. The Tigers-Roosters match had plenty of tension and probably gets the nod. The Tigers were the better team all day but couldn’t put the points on the board and were subsequently run down in controversial circumstances though to my eye Todd Carney’s last try was a try any day of the week and twice on Sunday’s. The Tigers still had a chance to grab the points at the death but some white line fever from Andrew Fifita snuffed that hope out.

Exchanges with Fisk:

Tedeschi on Rebecca Wilson: “Turns out Rebecca Wilson is on the job with John Hartigan.”

Fisk on Rebecca Wilson: “Really? I would have had a monkey she swung the other way.”

Fisk on Kevin Humphreys: “Vale, Kevin Humphreys.”

Tedeschi on Kevin Humphreys: “And so another boozer, punt drunk, politician, league diehard has gone”

Fisk on Kevin Humphreys: “You just described me.”

Tedeschi on Kevin Humphreys: “And me and a good deal more top notch league folk.”

Fisk on the potential Gold Coast Salary Cap dramas: “Jesus Christ, what is going on back home.”

Tedeschi in response: “The hammer is coming down hard.”

Coaching Stocks:

Wayne Bennett [5] His ability to make fair players good continues to amaze. His work with Darius Boyd is grand.

Craig Bellamy [4.5] The positive play and attempts to do charity work has galvanised a team in a bad place.

John Cartwright [4] Titans just cruising along at present. Prince back will only help matters.

Des Hasler [4] Good bounce back by Manly, who just owned Souths on Sunday afternoon.

Kevin Moore [3.5] Decimated by injuries and Dogs just cannot compete at present.

Matt Elliott [3.5] Disappointing effort from Penrith and now player unrest. Next month critical.

Brian Smith [3.5] Roosters had no claims on the points but took them anyway. Season defining victory.

Tim Sheens [2.5] Tigers season falling apart and rapidly. His positional switches deserve criticism.

Daniel Anderson [2] Eels appear to be back on track. Shifting Keating to five-eighth key move.

John Lang [1.5] Souths not playing when the game is on the line. Queries over backline.

David Furner [1.5] Monster win against Warriors in NZ. Could push the Raiders on a run.

Rick Stone [0] Much needed win over Brisbane. Should help them avoid spoon.

Neil Henry [-1] He could be on the breadline at year’s end if the Cowboys don’t start winning.

Ivan Henjak [-3] May as well quit now as his job is gone.

Ricky Stuart [-3] See Henjak, Ivan.

Ivan Cleary [-5] Losing to the Raiders at home was embarrassing. Positive start shot.

The Queanbeyan Kangaroos 2010 Campaign: Thanks a lot, Toots. Having been out to Bruce Stadium to see Jason Croker for the backend of his career, I came to love the winger-cum-centre-cum-half-cum-lock-cum-second rower. Not this week though as the Toots led Gungahlin Bulls downed the pride of Queanbeyan 24-16. The undefeated Bulls are now top of the table but the Roos were in the match the entire way as former Catalans teammates Croker and Aaron Gorrell tussled. The Roos were pretty ordinary with the ball in hand, dropping enough ball to lose five games but in defence the Roos were committed and hard. Centre Travis Robinson had a day out though, scoring three tries in a performance that was top notch. Fullback Daniel Watt was also outstanding.

Obscure Score of the Week: St. Esteve XIII Catalan-Lezignan, 25-12. Chasing three premierships in a row, Lezignan have been dominating the Elite One Championship in France this season, winning 14 of their first 15 games. Led by Australians Chris “Beetroot Head” Beattie (92 games for Cronulla and Roosters) and Jye Mullane (24 games for Sharks and Manly), the Sangliers looked to have a mortgage on the championship but those plans have been put on hold with St. Esteve XIII Catalan upsetting the Wild Boar. The smart money would be on Lezignan bouncing back though and going all the way this year.

Stats from the Penguin: 6 stitches in his pinky finger, ½ a testicle in his jocks, 17 steps back in the evolutionary chain.

Fantasy Team of the Week:

1. Darius Boyd (Dra)
2. Brett Morris (Dra)
3. Matt Cooper (Dra)
4. Dane Nielsen (Mel)
5. Brent Tate (War)
6. Kris Keating (Par)
7. Scott Prince (GC)
13. Zeb Taia (New)
12. Nathan Hindmarsh (Par)
11. Cory Paterson (New)
10. David Shillington (Can)
9. Isaac Luke (Sou)
8. Frank-Paul Nuuasala (Roo)

Waiver Wire Advice: Jamal Idris is well worth picking up at $221k after another monster game for the Bulldogs on Friday night. He has quickly become the go to guy at Canterbury and he will come back a better player from Country Origin. He has hit 45-plus points in 5 of the last 6 weeks and he is growing in confidence and impact by the week. His value is sure to increase. Michael Hodgson is another whose value will increase in the next month with Ben Hannant and Jarrad Hickey both out. As the top prop now, he should get more minutes and more involvement. $213k is a buy. David Shillington is another good prop purchase. He had a big game against the Warriors and will be a real metre-eater in coming weeks. Well worth a look at $219k.

Beard Watch: There has been a distinct dearth in facial hair this year. It is, quite frankly, embarrassing. We need to follow the lead of four well-monikered league men from days gone by with perhaps the finest surnames in the history of rugby league. There is Kevin Beardmore, Castleford and British league legend who is regarded as one of Castleford’s greatest, a rugged front rower who was as hard as nails and twice as tough. His brother Bob Beardmore is also in the Castleford hall of fame. A W.Beardmore played for Annandale in 1920. And Keith Beardsmore wore the maroon and white of Manly in their infant days. Beardmore, Beardmore, Beardmore, Beardsmore. Read between the lines class of 2010. More fucking beards!

Lazy Long Bay Days, Part 9: Danny was getting a bit big for his boots and one of the screws thought it about time he got back in line. Big Sam, as he was known, took his nightstick and gave Wicks one behind the knee as he was spotting a fellow inmate on the weights. “You fat prick, Wicks. You have deserved this for a long time you low piece of shite. You have fucked my Knights and now I fuck you.” Wicks lay on the ground in agony, the inmates warned to go back to their cells as Big Sam launched in with the slipper before getting in Wicks’ grill. “You had want to hope they start winning fat boy because every try they let in you are going to fucking cop it.” Wicks lay in a bloody mess as Big Sam walked off, calling for medical attention. “Inmate Wicks seems to have fallen.”

Watch It: This Sporting Life is the great rugby league movie, a depiction of the game and its brutality and character in northern England in the late fifties and early sixties. Richard Harris plays coal-miner Frank Manchin who comes to play in the forwards for Wakefield after flawing the captain in a nightclub punch-up. This first 8 minutes of the movie shows the sheer violence of league at the time with Manchin getting punched square in the mouth and requiring a fair amount of dental repair. A great rugby league tale. Watch It Here.

Correspondence Corner: A Knights fan by the name of Stu wrote in and asked me about the career of former Knights workhorse Bill Peden. Well, Stu, it would be my pleasure to remember “Bustling” Billy Peden. Peden was a Knights legend who played 190 top grade games between 1994 and 2002 in the Knights golden era. Peden played in both Knights Grand Final wins (an honour he shares with only Andrew Johns, Robbie O’Davis, Mark Hughes and Adam MacDougall) and was the hero of the 2001 victory where he scored two tries and made a habit of running straight over Jason Taylor. For a forward he had a good knack for finding the tryline, scoring 42 tries and kicking 35 goals in a career where he was renowned for his defence and willingness to do the one-percenters. Such was the respect for Peden, he was club captain in his final year at Newcastle and is still recalled fondly by the Knights faithful who would give an arm for his type these days. He was certainly a favourite of this columnist.