Almanac Rugby League – NRL Finals Week 1: Sharks v Cowboys – Countdown to Conspiracy

Countdown to Conspiracy

7 The number following 6 and preceding 8
The number of hills in Rome
An award winning 1995 film starring Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt and Kevin Spacey
The number of tackles mistakenly awarded to the Cronulla Sharks by the referee, leading to a
(quite magnificent) length of the field try in the early stages of the NRL Elimination final against
the NQ Cowboys.

6 The smallest perfect number.
The number of strings on a standard guitar.
The number of days it took God to create the world in the book of Genesis.
The correct number of tackles to be awarded to the side in possession of the ball during an NRL
game, final or otherwise.
The tackle number when Sam Tagataese of the Sharks was brought to ground after a barnstorming
run, before the aforementioned and mistakenly awarded ‘seventh’ tackle lead to the (quite
magnificent) try.

5 The 3rd prime number
The number of times a person of Islamic faith is to pray to Allah each day.
The most common number of gears present in a motor vehicle with manual transmission.
The number worn by Beau Ryan as he went over in the corner to score the (quite magnificent)
try, on the aforementioned and mistakenly awarded ‘seventh’ tackle.

4 The smallest composite number
The number of noble truths, according to the religion of Buddhism.
The number of chambers in a mammalian heart.
The points awarded to the Cronulla Sharks after Beau Ryan crashed over in the corner to score
a (quite magnificent) try, following the aforementioned and mistakenly awarded ‘seventh’ tackle.

3 The second smallest prime number
The atomic number of the chemical element Lithium (and Lithium incidentally, is the title of a
quite magnificent track by Nirvana)
The number of perceived dimensions in our Universe
The number of days before elements of the NQ Cowboys publicly stated that there was no
conspiracy involved in the mistaken awarding of the aforementioned ‘seventh’ tackle.

2 The smallest and first prime number
The number of points awarded for a ‘safety’ in the game of American football.
The number of turtle doves given as a gift in the song ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’
The number of points that the Cronulla Sharks won the elimination final by against the NQ
Cowboys – with the help of the (quite magnificent) try scored on the aforementioned and
mistakenly awarded ‘seventh’ tackle.

1 The first non-zero number in the sequence of natural numbers
The number worn by the starting loosehead prop in a game of Rugby Union
The title of a (quite magnificent) song by U2 from the ‘Achtung Baby’ album.
The number of teams that progressed from the elimination final between the Cronulla
Sharks and NQ Cowboys – a tough and uncompromising game of Australian Rugby League –
unfortunately overshadowed by the refereeing mistake which allowed the Sharks to score
a (quite magnificent) try on the aforementioned ‘seventh’ tackle.

As an aside, yes, I do understand the anger of Cowboys supporters and would undoubtedly feel the same way should the positions have been reversed. As a Sharks fan though and bearing in mind our role as the media punching bag of 2013, I’d like to think we were due a little luck.

0 The number of premierships won by the mighty Cronulla Sharks in our chequered, if colourful, 46 year history. See, I told we were due a little luck.

Points

3 M Gordon
2 B Ryan
1 J Morris (for THAT tackle)

About andrew frame

UK based, Queensland born footy lover. Diehard sharks fan in the NRL. Cats fanatic in the AFL. Cricket tragic with a long suffering wife who just doesn't get the sport obsession at all. :)

Comments

  1. As a Northerner I can assure you that the sense of injustice over the Seven tackle try was and is palpable. It came year to the day after another critical error by the referees in a final. I wish I could believe that there was a conspiracy, it would be easier to take tha n the alternative ie bone headed incompetence. As Alexandre Dumas once said “I prefer rouges to imbeciles, because they sometimes take a rest”.
    I thought Cronulla were hard done by when Paul Gallen’s try was disallowed and I question whether Taufua had control of the ball when he scored ( a not quite as magnificent try as some ) in the corner.
    Cronulla deserved better .

  2. Very clever and witty Andy. Enjoyable even for a non NRL fan.
    Condolences on the Manly game. He who lives by the ref, dies by the ref.

  3. Murray Wilson says

    U2 never had a magnificent tune, they were crap. Find something from the Hunners if you please. The loudest band I had the pleasure of seeing in a Melbourne beer barn

  4. ha ha I guess musical taste is a lot like footy Murray. One mans trash is another mans treasure.
    I’m afraid that bone headed incompetence is here to stay Mulcaster. I’ve watched too much sport over too many years to think otherwise. Even the use of video hasn’t changed that. Just ask Usman Khawaja. :)

  5. Great work, brother.

    ‘A little luck’ one week.

    And a lot less the next.

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