S Files Ep 85 - Ave Atque Vale ( Hail & Farewell) Phillip Hughes

The 2nd year anniversary episode of S Files is dedicated to the memory of Phillip Hughes.

As the Tinman & Shabs spend time with their families over the weekend we have put together this small dedication to Phillip Hughes.

After the intro there is 63 seconds of silence which is followed by a stirring rendition of Hallelujah.

Ave Atque Vale ( Hail & Farewell) Phillip Hughes, forever 63 not out.

Ave Atque Vale Phillip Hughes

Ave Atque Vale ( Hail & Farewell) Phillip Hughes

Today has seen the passing of the talented Australian cricketer, Phil Hughes. Words can not sum up the emotions that have been felt and will pour out for years to come. In the end the only words I can write are....


63 not out.

The S Files - Episode 84

This week brings lots of talking points and the Tinman & Shabs waste no time getting stuck into the issues.

The NRL & Rugby League 4 Nations are on the radar first and it looks like we still have no time for the fools that run the game, especially David Smith.

The Wallabies lost a close one to France and Shabs has no doubt the referee played a big part. Not that the Wallabies played their best either.

The round ball game is a bit better now that the Brisbane Roar broke the duck this season with a thumping 4-0 win over the Newcastle Jets and with S Files favourite Smeagol snaring a hat-trick it was a good result. With a break in other competitions for the International Break, at least we didn't have to worry if the Tinman would be in tears talking about Liverpool FC.

The up and down form that is the Australian Cricket team is well under way now and after a commanding first up win in the One Dayers it was back to normal for the batsmen as we recorded this episode. Too often the top to middle order of Australia fails and gets out very softly and this game was no exception. As you can tell we do not think Finch is as great as people down south will tell you and yet again he got out to a poor shot to mid on. Is it time for the National Selectors to realise there are more players out there and lots of them play for teams that do not wear blue or are based in the west?

We finish off with a humbled thanks to the Boston 13's Rugby League Club in the USARL for the package we received this week. It was a great pleasure sponsoring the number 13 jersey this season and we will be wearing the gear with pride for years to come. Is it just us or is Tinman's beard out of control?

The S Files - Episode 83

In this installment of the S Files the Tinman & Shabs don;t hold back on their views of the week in sport.

Tendulkar might be able to play cricket but that doesn't mean we have to like him. He let rip in his biography and we return serve. It is going to be a long summer of cricket and with Border also coming out with his opinions it might end up being an interesting season of what is said off the field rather than the actions on it.

This episode also covers the Wallabies Spring tour and touches on the round ball game where it is not good if you support the Brisbane Roar or Liverpool FC. But it is all part of being a true supporter, thick or thin you don't change your support to another team. You won;t find any fair-weather supporters here.

Rugby League is where we finish up and with Channel 9 & Wide World of Sports delaying the broadcast of the Australia v Somoa test in Queensland it sums up the sentiment that the national broadcaster & the NRL/ARL has towards the state. In the end we didn't even end up watching the game, and as a form of protest we are putting on notice the major sponsor of the coverage and national icon, Bundaberg Rum. It is disgraceful that the game the company sponsors is not broadcasted live into the state & home town of the company itself, The call for the head of the NRL, David Smith, is growing and this should be another nail in his coffin. We ask all the listeners of our podcast and readers of the blog to boycott the product of Bundaberg Rum until a formal apology is made by the broadcaster Channel 9.

S Files - Ep 82

A sunday installment of the S Files recording during the controversial test match between Australia & England. The recording may be a little scratchy and of lower quality but we didn't let that deter us (not happy with an update to the program that rendered the mic we use not work).

Cricket started the proceedings and there is not much positive when looking at the national side. Domestic cricket is well under way and with a international twenty/20 on Wednesday just what are Cricket Australia thinking when planning for the summer?

The round ball game is all about WSW after they won the ACL and there are plenty of talking points from this game. Not much positive to talk about with the Roar & Liverpool FC but we still try.

The Wallabies started the spring tour under a new coach and got off to a winning start against the Barbarians. Normally the Barbarians play attack at all cost and penalty kicks are not part of their game but seems they really wanted a win. Rugby really needs to start cracking down on blatant forward passes though as it seems to get worse every year.

NRL just can't stay out of the headlines and it is a shame we wrapped up recording at half time with all the controversy at the end of the game. When a replay has to be slowed down so much to determine if the tip of a finger has touched the ball the game has gone too far with video referrals. A try is scored when the ball is forced not when touched and more emphasis needs to be placed on control at the time. The bigger issue the game needs to address is the obstruction rule. Attacking teams know they can take a defender out with a dummy runner as long as the hit the correct shoulder. Regardless of if the defender has read the play, if the ball is caught behind another play it should always be an obstruction. The other interesting talking point from the game were the numerous reports on players (all of who got off). Tired of players coming up with a poor excuse as to why they do foul acts so finishing off with a song called "Devil Made Me Do It" was quite apt.

The S Files - Ep 81

Another week of sporting controversy and another episode where the Tinman & Shabs get together to talk about it all. In this episode we refrain from dropping the C Bomb but we still find time to call Gallen a C'Nut.

Just what is it with the NRL this year, no matter what is going on the talking points have pretty much all been negative and damaging to the reputation of the game. This time it will be interesting to see how the NRL sanction a grub in the game that they have held on a pedestal. Considering Gallen is also serving a drug suspension, will this latest outburst thrust him into immortal status like another self-confessed drug user in the commentary box?  The international games are on and it is no surprise that the Haka gets a mention this week.

Rugby is also struggling to get good headlines and as we have called it in the past, there was an ulterior motive in the media to get a change in Wallabies coach and it worked. Will be interesting to see if it changes anything on the field,

Just like every other code cricket has it's domestic focus on Sydney and this time everything worked out well to get NSW into the Final. If anyone from Queensland has to put up with a almost complete commentary team of ex-NSW players again, I expect that there may be more than hate mail & trolls on social media. A bit of bias is expected but blatant barracking and insulting comments from the box is un-professional. Don;t expect any change soon but many of the commentators will find time to put the dagger in the back of the national side once the side gets back home.

The round ball game is under full swing now but for the Roar it is not even moving. The Roar have never looked this bad and it is a sign that either the players do not understand what the coach wants or they choose not to follow it. Either way, heads will roll very soon at the club and it would be expected that the manager will be the first to go. It isn't much better for Liverpool either and with another dismal draw at home it is not looking good for a few players and coaching staff there either.

In the wrap up there may be a few serves and we finish off with what many want to do to moronic commentators, bias officials and blatant idiots in the world of sport - Five Finger Death Punch.

The S Files - Episode 80

Recording for the first time at Beach 365, the Tinman & Shabs were proud to show support for the venue after a hectic week for the owners.

The Tusken Raiders may not make any headlines but there are certainly a few big headlines in the sporting world at the moment.

The NRL is in the headlines for all the wrong reasons again with the news that clubs were fined for salary cap breaches and as much as the Sydney media hyped it up for months, the Broncos were not one of the clubs. With another big name player leaving the game for another sport, can the NRL make any positive news again in 2014? The UK Super League certainly didn't help things either with one of the more disgusting dog acts one can see on the streets, let alone on the main stage.

Rugby Union is in damage control over the Beale saga but with news that this goes back over 4 months ago, what is the hidden agenda behind it all? Our guess is the Sydney media are pushing for the Waratahs coach to be installed by the end of the month as the national coach.

The domestic season in cricket is well under way now and yet again the Bulls are entertaining and is Ben Cutting the cleanest and biggest hitter in the game? Imagaine how far this guy could hit a golf ball.

The A-League season is going to be an interesting one, especially for the fans from Sydney and Melbourne as the conspiracy theorists are sprouting that the game & media want a final with only Sydney & Melbourne teams in it.

Thanks for tuning into the recording which was recorded a little earlier in the week than normal and in the future we may provide a short weekly cast to go with the regular one.

The S Files - Episode 79

The NRL season has wrapped up and the summer sport season is under way. In another coffee table installment the Tinman & Shabs were missing as some imperial wannabes filled in cover the topics dominating sport.

The NRL final seems like it was last year but Souths fans will make sure we here about it for years to come. Now it is time for the International season and with 20+ players making themselves unavailable due to injury etc, it may be a close competition. Just a shame that certain media personalities want to have a dig at those who pulled out due to surgery requirements. 

Australian Rugby is in a world of hurt off the field as much as they are on the field. There have been rumours circulating for a long time that Kurtley Beale wants to play league and he has certainly made all the move to never be able to play rugby in Australia again. There is more to the story to come out but it isn't a pretty look for the ARU. There are problems with Australian Rugby and it needs to be sorted out.

The A-League season is under way and great crowds have been seen from the first game. The Wanderers forgot to turn up to the game opener as the Melbourne Victory fresh with new signing Berisha humbled them. Seems the media loves the Albanian now that he is not playing for the Roar but it won't be long until he gets a red card. There is also a few international game going on at the moment but not many will want to talk about Australia after another dismal effort.

Summer means cricket and the Aussies are making easy work of Pakistan at the moment in one day games. England is falling apart and not many reports on the game fail to mention Kevin Pietersen. In the domestic one day competition an example of how media coverage has too much control is playing out. But it is nothing new for Channel 9 to dictate to a sport what it should do.

In the wrap up it is mentioned that the Grey Fox may be returning with some racing tips for the Spring Carnival. We will be recording on Fridays and Saturdays and have tips for Sunday. Always remember to gamble responsibly.

The S Files: Episode 78

The Tinman & Shabs gathered around the coffee table on NRL Grand Final day to talk about the week in sport.

We preview the the NRL Grand Final, cover the controversy during the week. Dissect the moments where grubs were shown to be protected species and much more.

We try not to botch the episode as much as the fat Argentinian stuffed up the Australian National Anthem before the Wallabies game. And how disappointing were they. Lasers aside there is nothing bright on the horizon for Australia in rugby if they keep playing the way they do.

The cricket season has started and to make sure things are normal the Queensland Bulls powered to a convincing win over the Vic Bushrangers in the first game of the Domestic One Day comp. Surely a sign that there will be more Victorians in any Australian side than Queenslanders for years to come.

We also feature a coupe of songs from Army On The Dance Floor. Make sure you check them out as they have a debut album out and might be the next big thing on the dance circuit.

The S Files - Episode 77

After an extended Mad Monday break the Tinman & Shabs are back with another episode of the S Files.

As expected we review the NRL finals games and we maintain the Cowboys got robbed again, the refs are incompetent or bias and the NRL is taking it's game backwards. As much as we love the game, it is quickly turning fans away and if it doesn't improve it is going to struggle.

The Rugby is in it's international stage and there are plenty of talking points, unfortunately not many positives for fans of the Wallabies.

Football is well and truly under way in Europe and with the A-League not far from kicking off it means summer is not far away. Which also means that the cricket season is closing in quickly.

There are no awards this week but we managed to sneak in 2 Carl Wockner tracks that you won't find on any album. It was also announced today that Carl has been nominated for an ARIA award for his album "Crayon Days". Make sure you check it out as well as much more at http://carlwockner.com.au/

Also the 2 Carl Wockner songs on the pubcast can be listened on youtube here - The Beast Inside & Shooting Across Velvet


 

The S Files - Ep 76

In this weeks pubcast the Tinman & Shabs take a swipe at the failing Broncos who are about as reliable for a good performance as the officials that control the game.

This means we also get stuck into the incident with the Eels & Ballboy, another trip and lots more. The Bledisloe Cup was on and if that is what Rugby is wanting to serve up every game, we might not be covering too many more games where it all about penalty goals.

 The EPL season is under way and the Tinman couldn't wait to share his delight with Manchester United's result overnight and even more so the moment where a birds top notch aim was the talking point of the first day of the season.

The cricket season is almost upon us and the Shabs always likes talking about the Calypso game. Awards wrap things up as we finish off with another song from the Unhealthy Sandwich collection.

The S Files Ep 75

With an "Aaalllrriiiighhhhhtyyyy Then" Shabs starts the 75th episode of the S Files. We did a coffee table cast with the "Unhealthy Sandwiches" in the background to cover the week.

The NRL is top of the pubcast as we give some honest feedback & Opinions of the Grub. Is the NRL corrupt?

Rugby also features as the Waratards are the provincial champions.

A short stop for the best shop in Bundaberg "Shop 85". before we get back into action.

The Awards always wrap things up.

We close with a great song from the Unhealthy Sandwiches, "Sunday".  We love the music from this awesome band and as a comparison that is on record as being compared to Gwen Stefani leading the Bloodhound Gang, a Gorillas comparison and also the Awolnation, should have you tuning into future pubcasts.

The Gap Between Cheering & Silence?

A recent announcement by the Gap Football Club has had a polarizing effect. The Gap Football Club on Brisbane's Northside has become the first junior sports club in Australia to ban spectators from making a sound on the sidelines when they introduced the "Silent Sidelines Policy".

Reportedly the club has had trouble with abusive parents & spectators on the sideline during junior games and felt it was necessary to take dramatic action to curtail it. Whilst it is great to see action taken to punish those who take junior competition too seriously and feel it is their right to abuse kids who don't meet their standards, is this really the answer?

Many have debated that it is a great policy and kids should be allowed to just play without any interference from the sidelines.  However, do they realise they also support the idea of kids who do a great feat on the field in front of their parents to receive no cheers of support?  This is the sort of policy that comes from the same vain of thinking that every child gets a prize and no one keeps score in the game.

This action should also be a criticism of how clubs and associations are handling abusive parents who cross the line. Most, if not all, clubs and associations have regulations that entitle them to ban parents who are abusive from the sidelines or take even more drastic action and ban their children from playing.  This may be a harsh step but the first step is always the hardest and why it is rarely taken.

Officials and parents will argue that by taking this action they are only hurting the child but is there another angle to it? Of course there is, you will find that most parents who cause problems have a child who is one of the best of the field and know it. If they are abusive on the sidelines, you can also guarantee they intimidate the coach and club officials and threaten to go to another club if action is taken. Then it comes down to how much the club wants to win and the financial side of losing a player against taking the right action.

I can understand then need to help kids enjoy sport and encourage them more and as a grassroots coach it is definitely about just getting them out there to play. It does get to a point though where sport becomes competition and it is about winning. Even when the kids are play in non-competition and you tell them there is no winner, they still keep score and they know the different feeling between winning and losing. It is also a valuable learning lesson to take into life.  Picture the kids who struggles every week and that one week where he has a great game and scores his first goal only to look at the sideline and hear nothing. Nothing!

Children need our support and they want to hear it, if you are unable to control it then you do not deserve the opportunity to watch your children until you can. If you are unable to control the parents and are intimidated by them, do not punish the children. Stop punishing the majority who do the right thing and by default protect the minority.

If this was a country wide policy it would be impossible to enforce. Also at what age are you suddenly allowed to cheer?  If the coaches are the only ones allowed to talk are they also censored too? Does everything said have to be over positive or is constructive criticism allowed. The may be silent on the sidelines in The Gap, but you will never keep this parent silent in their support for kids who are out their having a go and enjoying it.

The S Files - Episode 74

The Tinman & Shabs found time after the Cane2Coral fun run to bring the latest episode. We can also report that the Shabs finished in the top 10 for his age group too.

We get straight into business after talking about the Cane2Coral and rugby league is the topic to start things off. We decided to start with a positive with the Boston 13's having a huge win in their play-off game against the Rhode Island Rebellion. When it comes to the NRL though there are not many positives from our point of view and just what transpired in the Titans v Cowboys game that highlighted the collusion & corruption that may be occurring in the NRL to get contrived results.

After the break it is all about the success of Australian Rugby with the Waratahs having a great last gasp win over the Crusaders in the Super Rugby Grand Final. 

The Commonwealth Games are still going and there have been some great performances by the Aussie Athletes that the broadcaster 10 Network has managed to squeeze in between the air time that the commentators and hosts take up.

There may also be a bit of talk about the winning streak the Tusken Raiders are on at Beach 365, reportedly the best looking team at the venue.

The S Files Episode 73

This is a cracker episode as the Tinman & Shabs managed to escape for a period to sneak this episode in.

There is plenty of NRL talk as expected and maybe a few vents as well.

Rugby is central too as the Super Rugby season is almost over.

Cricket is not far away and the topic is coming back slowly.

Plenty of sprays, held back rants and awards for right tools in the sport, which of course means that officials are unfortunately doing all they can to be talked about every week.

The S Files : Episode 72

This was recorded last weekend and the Tinman only just got around to uploading it.

Unfortunately we also rely on him to give this update on what is on it and he said that it may better to get everyone else to listen to it an tell what was said.

Not sure if we agree but from memory it is a great recording and plenty of sprays are guaranteed.

The S Files: Episode 71

The Tinman & Shabs squared off at the Coral Cove Bar for another installment of The S Files. Unlike Brazil in the World Cup though, we perform well at our home ground.

The NRL is back under way with the State of Origin series over, but there are still plenty of talking points in the game.

The Boston 13's are back in action this week but we didn't have any results through in time for the recording.

The World Cup is at it's climax and with Brazil being humiliated again, it is now down to Argentina v Germany.

The Waratards have finished the regular season with a win over the hapless Reds, but will they get any beneficial treatment once they start playing NZ & South African teams in the finals?  As for the Reds, it is a season they will be glad to see the back of.  We are looking forward to a good international season though.

The Shabs managed to watch a bit of Calypso Twenty20 cricket and had a few thoughts to share about Gayle.

The awards wrap it up and a song that is climbing up the charts by Carl Wockner closes it out.

The S Files - Episode 70: State of Origin 3

3 games, 3 spear tackles and all by NSW

It might be Dry July but the Tinman & Shabs still got together on Origin 3 and showed more commitment to a cause than a NSW side does when nothing is on the line but pride.

It what was a better display of Rugby League due to less niggle, a few more penalties and more importantly, a decent 10 metres for most of the game.

There was still very questionable moments and it seems that even with 16 different camera angles, we still don't ever get a replay of foul play incidents committed by NSW players off the ball or head butts by a NSW captain that somehow managed to go a whole series without giving away a penalty.

Enough said, sit back and enjoy the pubcast as much as we enjoyed watching Queensland bring the boys in blue back to reality.

The S Files - Episode 69

The S Files Episode 69 was recorded on a glorious sunny day at the Coral Cove Bar on a special fundraising day for young boy called Sam who has a very rare strain of Leukemia, he is only 1 of 7 in the world with this strain. It was announced that the special fundraising golf day raised over $8000.

The Tinman & Shabs present in style now

We did manage to record an episode while we waited for the golfers to get in and got stuck straight into the World Cup, a FIFA sanctioned event where countries from all over the world compete to win title of world champions. FIFA themselves have even entered a team that resembles Brazil in all aspects.  Whilst the games have been entertaining the event has a tarnished image up their with the organisers FIFA.

The NRL is not fairing much better in the administration stakes and it doesn't take long for Shabs & the Tinman to get their thoughts out in how David Smith is running the game.  Expect us to get into more issues over the next few weeks. We also give a quick glance at the 3rd Origin game.

The Boston 13's are doing well and we give a quick wrap, we will give a more detailed summary in a week or two. When the finals are about to start we will give the USARL competition a once over.

The Super Rugby season is expanding and we look at the pros & cons of Singapore being admitted as the 18th team.

We don't have any awards this week but it turns out the Shabs has a funny story from beach volleyball during the week that still gets the Tinman chuckling. Also Shabs gives a glowing endorsement of our sponsors, Shop 85.  Check out their facebook page or ours to see how you could win an S Files Polo Shirt.

We finish things off with a great new song from The Dead Daisies - Face I Love. Look for more new music in the future from these guys and plenty more artists as part of our effort to promote musicians who don't get the mainstream airplay they deserve.

The Dead Daisies - International Supergroup

In a first for Sporting Sport Opinions, an article that has nothing to do with sport. But it does have something in common with the S Files pubcasts. No S Files pubcast is complete without a song or two and now we will be reviewing and featuring artists from time to time.

The first featured artist is.....The Dead Daisies.

The Dead Daisies are a musical collective with a rotational lineup with some of the worlds best rock musicians and a hard rock sound that is heavily influenced by the great rock era's of the 70's & 80's. Formed by Jon Stevens (Vocals) and David Lowy (Guitar) in 2012 they have evolved into a international supergroup. The 2014 lineup currently includes Jon Stevens (Noiseworks/INXS) on vocals, David Lowy (Mink/Red Phoenix) on guitar, Richard Fortus (Guns n' Roses/Psychedelic Furs) on lead guitar, Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy/Whitesnake) on bass, Dizzy Reed (Guns n' Roses/Hookers & Blow) on keys and new addition Brian Tichy (Ozzy Osbourne/Billy Idol) on drums.

2014 has been a massive year for the Dead Daisies and will only get bigger. With their new single "Face I Love" from the EP of the same name on the airwaves now, and the EP to be released during their upcoming tour on the 1st August. The Dead Daisies will be touring with Bad Company & Lynyrd Skynyrd during July and Kiss & Def Leppard in August.

The single "Face I Love" is certainly a song that should be played on airwaves across the world and we will be doing our part in helping that cause. Certainly the EP is one to wait for and is worth pre-ordering to get your digital download of "Face I Love" while you sit by the letterbox waiting.

Available on i-tunes now - Face I Love