NRL Issues of Contention - The Judiciary

It seems that no matter what happens the NRL Judiciary will make decisions that make headlines and never for the right reason. Whenever Origin is around there will always be conspiracy theories and thanks to this weekend they will keep circulating. After the Tamou dangerously took out Benji Marshall after he kicked the ball in what the way NRL is trying to stamp out, all the talk immediately was doubting his ability to be available for game 2 of Origin. There was no surprise though when it was announced that Tamou would not be charge with dangerous contact. Looks like they found a nice little loophole by stating e didn't leave the ground, which is funny, I have seen plenty of dangerous tackles where the feet are firmly planted on the ground.  Whilst this decision doesn't concern me too much it is the other major judiciary case that has many fans seething. I am referring to Steve Matai, the serial offender who was reported for a swinging arm and given a grade 4 charge. Due to his loading he will face 3 weeks but an early plea will reduce it to 2. What I cannot understand i how a player who is constantly being reported and charge never seems to get a lengthy sentence.  The other dumbfounding thing with the judiciary is when they explain that a grade four penalty would only be one game if he didn't have loading from 2 previous incidents. Surely a grade 4 offence on it's own should bring a 2 week ban which should be doubled for each prior offence. Ask any one who watches NRL that doesn't support Manly and you will get a resounding opinion that Matai is one of the dirtiest players in the game, yet he very rarely gets given long stints on the sideline. With the Independent Commission it was seen that things would improve in many areas of the game including the Judiciary but it seems that the standard of officiating on the field and off it is only getting worse and long gone are the days when players would be told enough is enough, go and have a nice long holiday.

The other interesting debate that has been raised by Gorden Tallis is one I agree with wholeheartedly. If a player is released from a contract by a club then that player should not be available to another club until the next season.  When is a player going to understand discipline if they know that another club will sign them regardless of what they have done. Yet if a player was stood down by a club, not released and not granted a game for the rest of the season, you can just imagine the uproar by the player and the Players Association. The NRL has a great opportunity to lay down a hard line here, but I doubt that anything will change on this front.

Weekend Wrap

With Origin midweek and the continual focus on one incident from a game in which one could find plenty missed by the refs for both sides, it would be easy to think nothing happened on the weekend.

Firebirds in a Thriller

The Firebirds one point win over the Fever was a nail biting thriller to the end. The Firebirds streaked ahead on many occasions that credit must be given to the Fever for stretching them all the way.  Not often does Netball have me cheering and fist pumping in the lounge room, but on Sunday it certainly did that. In the end it was the nerves of steel defence of  Laura Geitz who took a match saving intercept at the end that got the Firebirds across the line.  Although it was a nervous finish as the Fever had one last chance to tie up the game.  In the first half Jacinta Messer was on fire whilst Romelda Aiken was being well held by Fever's Susan Furhmann. It is the tight wins like this that really count at the end of the season. 

Reds Keep Rolling

Wasn't good to see Horwill going off injured

What an interesting finish to the Super Rugby lays ahead.  The Red's who were written off from the start of the season and never given a chance when they hit a run of losses are now a realistic chance to finish top of the Australian conference after a gritty win over the ACT Brumbies. The Brumbies missed a penalty at the death which would have gifted them victory but thankfully the kick was offline. I say thankfully as I always believe a team that cannot score a try never deserves to beat a team that does. Especially when you have a game like this one where the ref feels a need to blow the whistle every time he exhales.  Yet misses blatant penalties when they are on offer.  With 5 rounds to go and only 5 points between the Brumbies and Reds it will be a tight race.

And for those who still don't rate the Australian Conference remember one little fact that shows why the competition is biased.  Australia enforces a salary cap on their teams, New Zealand & South Africa don't. 

Webber wins Monaco

Mark Webber has won for the 2nd time at Monaco making him the first Australian to achieve the feat.   Now Webber only needs to have every race held there and he would win his first Championship. This year has also seen 6 different winners for the first 6 races, meaning the championship race is wide open this year and the first driver to win multiple races will be at a great tactical and mental advantage.

Collingwood and the Rort

How is it that one of the biggest AFL clubs and also one of the biggest financial clubs has been given a $10 million dollar grant by the Federal Government? Why does the government even need to help out a club in a code that that is firmly entrenched in it's own market?  This is the sort of decision that not only adds weight to the growing reasons to turf our government but also adds to why everyone hates Collingwood.  Imagine how all those regional sporting associations around the country are thinking after hearing this. Most regional clubs struggle and get very little help if any at all.  Yet here is a wealthy club, that is financially viable, runs at a profit and is heavily backed by sponsors getting a hand out. Compare that to the under 9 side I coach - I provided the training equipment, the match ball, and the parents of the team are looking at sourcing and providing a new playing strip.  And this is what you will find at most grassroots sporting teams all around the regional part of Australia.

Transfer Window Almost Open

With the Barclay's Premier League summer transfer market about to start it will be interesting to see how many of the rumours that circulate are nothing more than rumours. Personally I am only interested in what moves Liverpool make and I really wish they had appointed a new manager by now to enable them ample chance to consolidate the team and make best use of all opportunities available. It does seem a certainty that Liverpool will offload a few players and make a move in the market, it is just a matter of who they get rid of and who they buy. Because it won;t matter who they hire as manager if they don't get the personnel right.

State of Origin Game 1

Depending on which what colour you wore on Wednesday night will most likely determine you feelings towards certain events in the game. Regardless of what you think, the game is over and the result won't change. All in all, that is sport.

I have my opinions on the bigger talking points and do not shy away from them.  

The Sin Bin:  Right call.  If a player runs from 40 odd metres and jumps into the fray and lands a punch on a person who is not prepared for it, there is no question over why he should be sent from the field.  For me it is not the 3rd man in rule that is the worrying part but rather the blindside punch. It is essentially a king hit and not good for the game.  I like a good Origin brawl, but I cannot stand this sort of attack. And maybe all the NSW fans should be sending their anger towards Jennings for his act of stupidity that cost his team.

The Try:  Fair call.  All it comes down to or not is whether Inglis placed the ball onto Farrah's foot or Farrah knocked the ball out in an attempt to stop a try.  Watching the replay, Farrah is clearly looking at the ball and makes a movement with his leg in a last ditch attempt to stop the try. It is clearly a deliberate action and therefore under the rules, it is play on.  If you don't like this rule, then maybe you should be complaining about other decisions in the game. If a tackler knocks the ball as it is passed in the attempt to make a tackle it is play on and six to go. If the marker deliberately knocks the ball out of the dummy half's hands, it is play on.

The Sook.  After both of these incidents, Paul Gallen showed why he will be seen as the least gracious player in the history of Origin.  His tirade at the ref after the call was nothing but disrespect to the officials and should be taken further.  A captain has the right to question a decision, but the way in which he conducted himself, was not questioning the decision, it was questioning the integrity of the officials. An act that would normally get a captain 10 minutes in the bin for dissent.

NSW will never win a series until they learn to win the hard games where nothing goes your way. If they are relying on the majority of decisions to go there way then they are already on the back foot.  NSW had plenty of possession and field position to put Queensland away in the first 20 minutes but clearly had no answer in attack to counter Queensland's defence. This is highlighted by the fact that the only tries NSW scored were off kicks and both were more from luck then great execution. NSW will now be labelled New South Waaaagh.  Thanks to my sideline reporter for that one.

Got my vote for Man of the Match

Unfortunately for the rest of the series we will here only about what has gone against NSW due to a very heavily biased media that is centralised in the south.  Maybe what NSW should be more worried about is what went wrong on the field. Poor goal kicking, and kicking in general play, failure to find touch and a very weak right hand defence.  Queensland scored two tries that were always going to come.  Watch the highlights again it it is easy to see what the plan of attack was from Queensland.  With Carney being a weak defender he hides out wide and Queensland aimed Inglis in his direction in the same way that Souths did in their win over Cronulla.  Thurston had the defence waiting for Inglis to get the ball, sucking in the centre and winger, leaving little work for Boyd to do. The only problem for NSW in defending this situation is not knowing who Thurston will pass to.  Inglis will have a big series if Carney is picked again. Predicting Queensland to wrap up another series 3-0.

Weekend Wrap

Has much happened in the world of sport? It all depends on what you follow and how much interest you take in sport. There is always plenty happening and it what I write about may not cover it all.

Quade is Back

The Reds have copped a lot of criticism along with the rest of the Australian sides from foreign quarters yet with another win on the weekend, the Reds are priming at the right end of the season. Queensland also welcomed back Quade Cooper who played the first half before being rested at half time, which was always in the plans. It did not take long for Cooper to get back into the groove of Super Rugby. All season, the Reds have been missing that extra flair and also the bullet, crisp long passes that Cooper can place perfectly onto the chest of a fellow team-mate.  His presence with the ball also gets the defenders in two minds and on the back foot and the Brumbies will be in for a tough game next week when the Reds continue their run to get back to the top of the conference.  More credit though should be given to the Reds forward pack who continually stop and push back the opposition in defence and make strong metres in attack, laying the ground work for so many attacking movements.  The only negative from the game which needs highlighting is why an official will continually call players out for illegal tactics yet rarely call advantage or blow the whistle, yet when the other side does the same there is no hesitation. All fans want is consistency regardless of the standard of calls.

Firebirds Win Again

The Queensland Firebirds have now had three wins on the trot after holding on for a narrow 1 point win over the Southern Steel in New Zealand. Although I did not watch the game, it seems obvious the Firebirds are getting back into the form that saw them as the dominant team last year. Although of to a slow start the Firebirds are working their way back up the ladder and will be pushing into the top four if they can keep the momentum going. The only worrying thing for the Firebirds will be the final quarter fade out that made what should have been a comfortable win,, closer than it should have been.  

Champions League Final

A small mention to Chelsea for claiming their first Champions league title with a penalty shootout victory over Bayern Munich. I chose to sleep instead of getting up to watch the game, which shows how much interest I find in the playing styles of both sides. Maybe the result just shows how much Chelsea under achieved this season to finish 6th in the English Premier League, especially when you consider they won the FA Cup final as well.

Sad Side of Sport

Perfect example of how stupid a player looks when staging

I cannot abide by players who feign or stage. Take a dive is the better known term. When you hear the term, diving, most will quickly refer to Football, soccer for those who must insist on the term.  Watch any game of AFL though at the moment and you will see some of the best acting outside of Hollywood.  League is no stranger to the simulation either if they feel they can get a penalty for their antics.  It is how the codes crack down on the situation that shows how seriously each is prepared to stamp it out.  

Football has long since started handing out yellow cards for simulation, which if accumulated will automatically lead to a suspension and with continual replays in the media a player very quickly gets a reputation which is carried through their playing career and reduces the chance of a referee reacting in their favour when a penalty offence occurs.

AFL has started their typical limp wrist approach that is as strong as their drug policy. If observed a warning might go to the player, a second offence might come with an official warning, and then maybe a fin might come down the line.  Still by the time anything of drastic nature is done the players has already benefited their team with many favourable calls.  But this is also a game that will reward a player for ducking his head at the last second to achieve a high contact penalty or penalise a slight love tap on above the shoulder.

NRL in it's strange wisdom is not doing much about acting at the moment. A ref will make a call on the field mentioning milking when a players tries to stage a ruck infringement like holding down, but does little else.  How often do you see a player go down like he has been poleaxed, only to get up once the whistle is blown to take the next hit-up or make the next play after walking back to his team-mates and giving a sly wink.

Rugby Union also has it's problems.  In a game where there is constant stoppages, what ruins it for the spectator is the ref allowing forwards to drop to one knee before a scrum or line-out to get assistance. Occasionally the player may be injured but more often than not it is a deliberate tactic to slow down the play. If a player is genuinely in need of attention then he should be made to leave the field for attention.

In the modern professional era of sport though, all these acts will continue in some way.  What needs to be done though is a serious effort by the associations and the media to highlight all players that do it. 

St Luke's Clean Sheet

It cannot go without mention that the St Luke's U9 Football side had a commanding 4-0 win on the weekend. Whilst I was proud of the boys for their win, I was prouder of the clean-sheet.  The opposition had ample chances to score, but with great keeping and urgent defence, no shot was able to be produced on target and all shots were from well outside the area.  This is a young team that is slowly learning that value of defence, and that all good teams win from the back.  Their structure is slowly coming together as each of them understands the strengths of the other players and they settle into their combinations. Knowing where to go instinctively when their team-mate has the ball is the next step for this team.

Tall Poppy Syndrome

The NRL clubs have had a good read of the Brisbane Broncos Annual Report and it is no surprise as to how they have reacted. Here they have in front of them the perfect example of how a club can be run successfully and instead of finding ways to improve their own clubs after analysing the Broncos report, they have instead gone the the easy typical Australian way. Cut down the tall poppy. This is a reaction that typifies the approach to the game in Sydney and is why they will never catch up until they change their ways.  

Instead of bringing the leader back to the pack, the pack should be trying to catch up. They feel the best approach is to fast-track a 2nd Brisbane team and try and reduce the dominance Brisbane has when it comes to Friday night games.  What this should tell all the clubs is a fact they will not accept. There are too many clubs in Sydney fighting for sponsorship. It is not Brisbane's fault they get Friday night games, that solely lies with the broadcasters. If you look at it more carefully Sydney gets a Friday night game every week too and in some cases, Sydney gets 3 Friday night appearances. Sydney also gets the lion share of free-to-air games on Sunday too.  It just happens that Sydney has so many teams, they can't all get an even run.

Relocation would be the best solution for the problem they seem to have. First it will thin out the herd in Sydney that have admitted they struggle in the current market. Especially when you loo at the Sydney Roosters who take a whole season to take in gate takings what the Broncos do in two.  

By adding a new team in Brisbane and not changing the situation in Sydney will not solve the problem. The money the Broncos earn is essentially from the Queensland market. It is not going to suddenly appear in Sydney with a second Brisbane team. If the Sydney clubs only reason for a 2nd team in Brisbane is so that they cripple them financially, then they are even bigger fools.  The only way they will find more money is to move to an area outside of the flooded market. Brisbane can accommodate a 2nd team but it won't solve their problem. What then, a 3rd team and a 4th?  

It is time the Officials of the clubs in Sydney that are struggling in Sydney took a hard look at themselves and stopped looking for handouts and excuses and start making the hard decisions that are for the better of the game.  Maybe Perth and Adelaide might start looking a little better.

St Luke's U9 Progess

St Luke's North Bundaberg U9 Football side is on fire

Well here it is, the long awaited 2nd article on the St Luke's North Bundaberg U9 footballs side.  It has been a gradual start to the season and with interruptions due to weather it has taken a little while for the players to gel as a team. With 6 new players adding to the side from last year, it has been a good challenge for the coach and the players.

As the coach I am trying to ensure not only that they enjoy the game, but play at the best of their ability every week whilst continually improving. The challenge is getting the boys to work as a team. Ask any child before a game what he wants to achieve in the game and the answer will always be "score a goal". And there in lies the challenge. Convincing the whole team that they can't all camp forward in hope of a goal, but instead they have to work as a team from the back before they can press forward, is a hard task. A teams greatest weapon is not its attack but it's defence and one that I am continually battling.

The team has not won every game but has been the dominant team in almost every game so far. When they score goals they are well constructed, which is a pleasing site to any coach.  This is a team that when they start playing competitive football will be well placed in not only their skills but also in they way they control the play, dominate possession and be in a position to score goals. They are just as proud to set a goal up as to score it, any player involved in the lead-up to a goal will get acknowledged and has a wide smile after being praised.

Whilst I am seeing great strides of improvement in the players I have coached for a few years now, it is the growing confidence of the new players in the team that is impressing. Some are new to the game and others are thriving on the opportunity to get involved and have equal opportunity. A philosophy that should be in all junior sport.  It is easy for a coach of junior sport to win games by relying on the better players and giving them every opportunity to shine at the expense of the players with what is perceived as lesser ability.  But at what cost?  How is a child able to develop and improve if not given the opportunity. Sometimes all a child needs is the self belief that they are as good as any other player out there. If they are not given that belief by the coach, they will never rise up. This is what I call development football. Yes, we would like them to win every game, but what is the point if half of them don't enjoy the process it takes.  What is a greater reward, your team winning and one boy scoring all the goals by himself and getting all the accolades and half not continuing next season, or your team losing but every boy walking off with a smile because they did something great in the game and can't wait for next week.

Sadly I have seen some very negative aspects that need addressing or there will be a lot of junior footballers in a few years that will be very confused.  First and foremost is the basic understanding of fair play and playing to the rules and the coaches of the teams ensuring they are applied.  There are many junior players coming through that will not understand why they can't score a goal just because they are offside, or that a throw-in can't involve a superman leap onto the field.  That shirts are not there to pull and deliberate tripping from behind could see them sent from the game.  And then there is the respect for officials. At the level I am involved in, we are there to guide and teach them, the rules are relaxed but still need to be enforced. It is a shame though that players will refuse to acknowledge an opposition coaches instruction or even back chat. It is also a shame that coaches feel they can just stand on the sideline and let things go. A child in sport is a reflection of their teachings, coaches need to do more than just turn up. It is not about winning, it is about encouragement, motivation and guidance.  Hopefully I am living up to the high standards I set and only time will tell.

That is why I am so proud of where this group of boys I coach is headed.  They listen and they learn. They will develop into a very good junior side and if the majority stay together over the years will have a very good nucleus of understanding.  Once they play in competition football, they could be the most entertaining team in their group if they continue to learn and progress the style of play they are showing. They continue to represent their St Luke's Anglican School and North Bundaberg FC with great integrity and I look forward to introducing the players to you in the next article.

State of Origin 2012 Game 1 Preview

All the the innuendo is over and the teams have been announced. You can smell it in the air and the talk around the country is intensifying. Have the right teams been picked? Who will step up to the mark and who will wonder where the time went once the final whistle is gone. 

Here are the squads:

Greg Bird, Jamie Buhrer, Todd Carney, Ben Creagh, Robbie Farah, Paul Gallen (c), Jarryd Hayne, Michael Jennings, Luke Lewis, Trent Merrin, Josh Morris, Mitchell Pearce, Brett Stewart, Glenn Stewart, James Tamou, Tony Williams, Akuila Uate

Billy Slater, Darius Boyd, Greg Inglis, Justin Hodges, Brent Tate, Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk, Matt Scott, Cameron Smith (c), Petero Civoniceva, Nate Myles, Sam Thaiday, Ashley Harrison. Interchange: Matt Gillett, David Taylor, Ben Hannant, David Shillington. 18th man: Daly Cherry-Evans. 19th man: Dane Nielsen


What is to be seen now is which selection panel has gotten it right. On paper, Queensland (biased I know) are by far the more superior looking team and with QLD at $1.45 to NSW's $2.75 even the experts don't expect much from the blues squad. Experience in Origin could well be the factor with no player in the NSW having experienced more than 4 wins and only 6 having more than 1, compare that to QLD who have only 1 debutant, 7 with more than 10 winning games and all but 3 having 5 wins or more. So to add to Queensland's domination in wins is the confidence that winning breeds. There is no doubt in their minds they will win, but with NSW, the doubts will sink in if they fall behind. Considering only Luke Lewis has played in a winning series, I can see nerves and doubt aplenty appearing in blue.

The major problem I see with the NSW side though is if a major injury occurs to their side in the forwards. Gallen is a key to their defence and go forward and has had injury concerns of late. With a forward pack of mainly back rowers, they cannot afford an injury to their front row. Queensland will be running big forwards at them all night and with a big bench they will not tire, it will be interesting to see how the pack of NSW lasts in a faster environment than what they are used to. Queensland on the other hand have no problems in the forward department, and many may argue that their weakness could be an injury to the backline. With Gillett they are covered in all backline positions as all players can be easily shuffled into another position.

I am also picking game one to be a game full of cheap shots, at least one intentional late shot aimed at nothing more than taking out a playmaker in maroon, an all in brawl and at least one sin binning. Hopefully the game does not come down to a poor decision by the referees or a game where inconsistent rulings in the ruck and offside occur.  I am also hoping to see that blocking of kick chasers is policed properly for  change this year.  The only other thing that will be yelled at more the the refs this year will again be the one sided commentary team that has Gould at the forefront with the idiocy of Johns and Fittler added in. 

Otherwise I am looking forward to seeing Greg Inglis overtake Dale Shearer as the leading try scorer and go on towards a record that may never be beaten. Queensland will win game one 36-12 and NSW will go on to change there combination yet again. But one can go on all they like until kick-off, the debates will rage before and long after, regardless of the result and actions on the field.

NRL Issues of Contention Round 9

You know something serious has happened when I do an article on the round before it is even Saturday night.  But when you know what happened in the Cowboys vs Dragons game, it is no surprise.

When Matt prior decided to take out Jonathon Thurston, there was no doubt he had to be sent off and it was only luck that Thurston did not end up with a major injury.  The fallout from this is not over, but it is certainly going to be interesting to see how it all unfolds.  On first glance, there was no doubt it was a deliberate cheap shot. I have since reviewed the contact and what Matt Prior has said and his case is looking worse.

To start with look at what Matt Prior has said and then look at the footage and my thoughts.

"It wasn't a brain explosion, I was just going for a shoulder charge and slipped up and got him high which I'm regretting now and honestly didn't mean to do that.  I'm really sorry for it and I hope he's OK."

Match Highlights - 56 secs onwards

Now to pick his statement to pieces in the same way he tried to smash Thurston's jaw to pieces.

When he states "it wasn't a brain explosion", does that mean it was a calculated hit. If so then he has a serious case to answer for. 

When he tries to explain it as a shoulder charge that went wrong and he "slipped up", at what school of tackling was he taught a shoulder charge?  Who has ever seen a shoulder charge where a player leads with an elbow. His eyes and aim of contact was always for the head. At no point was his body positioned for a shoulder charge. The first point of contact was the head and watch his other arm and you will also notice it tries to make contact with the head.  If it slipped up as he says, what did it slip off?  

"I didn't mean to do that"

Who does he think he is kidding? If he is saying he only meant to do a shoulder charge then he needs to work on his skills. His position was lined up that if he was going for a shoulder charge, he would have made straight contact to the head. Look at the photo and his shoulder is higher than the elbow, indicating his intention was always high contact. Putting all this together it is laughable that he thinks people will believe it was just a shoulder charge gone wrong.  The only thing Prior can be thankful for is that he did not cause a serious injury. 

This will be the case where we will find out how serious the Match Review Committee is. If all is right in Sydney a layoff of 10-12 weeks is a minimum for such acts.   

NRL Issues of Contention Round 8

Only 2 issue I will be covering but they are both very critical issues the NRL needs to sort out.

Once again the match review committee has shown it is about as fearful as a tiger, a tiger called Tigger that is. When Steve Matai decided to deliberately bump the referee which at the time led to a marching of 10 metres, it seemed a certainty that he would have a case to answer for. But as usual this grub of a player has gotten away with another offence. How must Blocker Roach feel about this one. He pats a ref on the head and gets 4 weeks, Matai shows his contempt at a referee penalising him and he makes sure the referee knows about it by making contact as he runs past and he doesn't even have to front the judiciary to answer his case. The NRL has been adamant that touching a referee is a serious offence that should be treated harshly.  Yet, here we have a case where a player intentionally makes contact and nothing is done.  For me, he should have been sent off for at least 10 minutes on the day and then be facing at least a 4 to 6 week suspension, but taking into account his record at least 8 weeks. If the referee thought it was serious enough to warrant marching ten metres, then he felt it was deliberate, meaning it should have warranted a more serious punishment. Maybe the match review committee should be taken out of the hands of former players and officials and be handed over to the fans. What more, is this the message the NRL wants to be sent to the young players. As a coach of junior sport I can confirm that players copy what they see happening at the top level and it is not the great skills they seem to copy best but the niggling, dirty tactics designed to win a game at all cost. So on the weekend if you see a junior player give a gobfull to a referee or lay a hand on a referee, when you try and admonish the player for their actions, here is where the NRL has given the child a reason why he can get away with it and they will have what they think is a black and white case as to why they can. Back to Matai though, next time that Matai gets taken out illegally, I for one will not be feeling sorry for the grub.

Round 7 started off with it being known the refs were going to be more stringent on offside. For the first 10 minutes this seemed to be the case and then it was back to the old ways.  What is killing the attacking side of the game is not only the wrestling and slowing down, but the continual ability for a team to get away with only going back 8 metres and another side being taken back 12 metres.  Add to that, the 2nd marker more often than not in no-mans land and a foot to the side.  It also seems to look like refs have forgotten about the 2nd and third man in flop. A deliberate ploy to slow down play an dis very rarely penalised these days.  We keep hearing about how the NRL wants to get these things out of the game, but the players and coaches are winning the battle in getting away with it.