NRL Round 15 – Prop in the Canefield: You Gotta Love Footy!

 

 

 

You Gotta Love Footy! Round 15

By Prop in the Canefield

 

 

Along with my two NRLGF touring mates, Tommy and Tiny, we decided to make the trip west for the time-honoured Injune Cup race meeting in June on Saturday. We left the Gold Coast Friday morning and three hours later we pulled into the Dalby Diehards RL Club. The $12.99 steak special was excellent. Three hours later we pulled into the Wallumbilla Hotel to have a beer before our arrival in Roma where we were staying on the Friday night. I’ve got to say the $5 Friday beer special at the Wallumbilla Hotel was excellent. If you’re in the area drop in.  The beer was crisp and clean. There should’ve been more punters in that bar drinking their lovely beer.

 

Onto Roma we went and had a few drinks at the Club Hotel before heading back to the Overlander Motel where we stayed and enjoyed a nice meal watching the football. Tiny arrived just as his 700 gram Rib on the bone was delivered. Tommy and I chose to have the Carpetbag steak. I haven’t had one for years and it was magnificent. On the other hand, the Tigers who started strong were very poor. Benji Marshall’s description of unacceptable was on the mark. I’m not sure where the Tigers go from here and St George certainly look like a better side under Flanagan. As we got back to our room, Brutal (Tiny’s dog and loyal companion) had gone AWOL!  He was reported eating bones in the restaurant, being fed by people in a caravan park across the road, making friends with a young family and eventually back to his master in Injune on Saturday arvo.

 

 

 

We made the trip to Injune which is about 100 km from Roma for our day at the races. What a great country meeting. We even had our own corporate box – see below – and Brutal was happy as Larry! We were even lucky enough or I should say I was lucky enough to draw a horse in the Calcutta held at the meeting. Without moving a muscle during the auction, I somehow ended up paying $220 for the horse as the Drawer. The old city boy stitch-up! Not to be outdone and chock full of Calcutta confidence I offered the jockey a $200 sling if he could win. Of course, he did his best and that chaff bandit ran last and we kissed goodbye to the $2500 Calcutta prize (Parko won the Cup and a nice cheque of just over $11000 for the winner and will head to the Battle of the Bush on Tatts Tiara Day as a result of his Cunnamulla Cup win). Not one of us could back a winner on the day which was a bit like following the four Queensland teams!

 

 

 

 

The Titans played in the early match and they couldn’t go the distance with South Sydney. Clearly Mitchell was on a mission and one would think he would have to be selected into the New South Wales Blues team. The Rabbits were just far too strong and the Titans most probably put in their worst performance of the year. Khan-Pereira’s Titans try was an absolute beauty and well worth a look but it really was the only highlight for the Titans. In the second game the Cowboys were no match for the Warriors. The Coach of the Cowboys must be wondering how they are going to get back into the eight and look like the force many thought they would be. The Warriors are unpredictable but, on their day, can beat anyone.

 

The final game on the Saturday saw my bogie team Cronulla beat the Broncos. Admittedly by the time of the night it was on I must say I had had just about enough beers to not really be completely able to concentrate on the match. I thought the Broncos would go on and win the match after leading at half time given the Sharks recent form, but yet again, I just cannot get Cronulla. Cronulla have only lost three games and are second on the ladder but I can’t see them beating the top sides.

 

On Sunday morning after a truckies breakfast at the Shell Roadhouse in Injune we made our way home. By 1pm we had ABC radio and could listen to the footy the old-fashioned way. Melbourne versus the Knights on the radio sounded like a fantastic exhibition of rugby league. The commentary team led by Quentin Hull really got into the match and Tom and I enjoyed listening to that game where Melbourne was able to hang on and win. Each time they broke away the Knights fought back. My favourite super sub, Tyrone Wishart, looks like a player that may come up for offers from other clubs and Coates gave another demonstration of his athletic skillset. The final Sunday game was another very entertaining match. I listened to the first half on the radio before finally dragging my tired and slightly weary backside up to watch the second half on TV. What an amazing match where two players scored seven tries between them with four to Talau and three to To’o. I found that to be quite amazing in our game. But Penrith proved to be too good in a highly entertaining clash.

 

The round finished with a classic contest between Parramatta and Canterbury with a record club crowd for these two clubs cheering on both sides in a very entertaining game, although it was littered with a number of mistakes. Parramatta certainly had the chance to win leading 18-10 deep into the second half and the 9-1 penalty count in their favour. However, over the last 25 minutes Canterbury gained an even share the ball, made numerous breaks and eventually broke through to win the game. For mine Canterbury still look too small in the middle of the ruck and Parramatta just can’t compete in the dour stages of their matches. Crichton was very good for Canterbury as was Burton and their young winger Wilson scored two good tries. However, I don’t know that Moses stamped any threat in the game that would make you confident if you’re a New South Welshman that he could lead the Blues to victory over Queensland in a fortnight.

 

Round 15 starts off with a game where I really just can’t win. The Dolphins are travelling down to play Cronulla at home and whichever way I go seems to be the wrong way but I think Redcliffe away from home, even though they’ve had a week’s break I think it will be a bridge too far, especially with the news that Flegler is out for the season. Friday’s first game between the Raiders and the Cowboys is very interesting. The Cowboys have been poor away from Home and the Raiders have shown a lot of pluck especially in their defence. I think the home side will again be too strong. The second Friday game has the Rabbits up against the Broncos in Sydney. The Broncos need to perform much better than they did last week however they should be able to beat the Rabbitohs. If Latrell turns up and has a big game, anything could happen though.

 

The fourth Queensland side away from Home this weekend is the Titans who are playing the Tigers at Leichhardt. The Tigers were poor last week but so too were the Titans. I wonder if the Tigers, for want of a better word have ‘galvanised’ this week. Both sides desperately need wins and Benji must be thinking of the peace and calm of his Fiji break. The Warriors are at home to the Storm but I don’t think they’ll be able to beat them at home. The Warriors are a troubling side who can trouble anyone on their day. I think the Storm is slowly getting their game together. Melbourne was able to control the game last week against the Knights even though it ended up a quite entertaining and close match.

 

The final Saturday night game has the Eels up against the Roosters. The Roosters will put a lot more starch in the middle of the field at the Eels then Canterbury did so I struggle to see how they will be able to go with the Roosters in this particular match. Interestingly for the Roosters, they need to push up into the top end of the ladder and it starts with this game.

 

On Sunday one of the games the round could be the Sea Eagle’s at home to the Dragons. Both sides are close on the ladder and a win is a desperate commodity for each. In fact, it could be season defining for both teams. I’m sticking with the Brookvale factor to win this one. The final game has the Panthers up against the Knights and I have to think the Panthers will be too strong. The Knights played well last week but they were always coming from behind and this is not an opportunity they will not get from the Panthers as they start to warm up for the back end of the season.

 

So, my selections are Sharks (sorry Sharks supporters), Raiders, Broncos, Tigers, Storm, Roosters, Manly and Panthers.

 

My season prediction positions after Round 12:  Penrith 3rd, Bronco’s 8th, Melbourne 1st, South’s 16th, Rooster’s 6th, Cowboys 12th, Newcastle 13th and St George 9th.

 

Odd Rugby League fact!  I was asked this during the week.

The five-eighth name originated as a southern hemisphere rugby term. The name was for the position between the 1/2 and 3/4.  Use fractions to get the answer. It was a mid-way position connecting the half-back and the three-quarters. In the early 1870s (under the RFU) the base of the scrum (or scrimmage) had two quarter-backs, then a half-back at a mid-point, then two fullbacks (hence the quarter-back is still the NFL equivalent of our halfback). However, in the early 1880s the names of the quarter-backs and half-back positions were reversed. About this time the backs changed to 2 x half-backs at the scrum, 3 x quarter backs (the old mid-point half-back line), and just 1 x full-back.

 

The “3 quarter backs” obviously in shorthand became “three quarters”. Once the “three quarters” terminology came into use, it made sense that the backs closer to the scrum were half-backs and not quarter-backs if you take the mid-way point of a team measured from the front row to the fullback. In the late 1880s the 3 quarters line shifted to 4 quarters, but the line kept the name “the 3 quarters line”. In other words, what we would call the three-quarters line is actually “4 quarter backs” (2 x centres, 2 x wingers). So, the second half back became the five eight! Pure maths- sort of!

 

You gotta love footy!

 

 

 

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