A Perfect Storm

The Melbourne Storm defeated the gallant Canterbury Bulldogs 14 – 4 in the NRL Grand Final last night at ANZ Stadium.

Cooper Cronk, the deserved Clive Churchill medal winner, and skipper Cameron Smith led a perfectly drill Storm to a clinical win, never looking threatened.

The Storm forwards, as they did against Manly in the prelims, got on top of the Bulldogs pack right from the start, never allowing them to get their trademark drive down the middle of the field  through their short passing game.

The Storm forward dominance allowed Cronk, Smith and Slater the room to execute their masterful plays which resulted in 3 tries to the Bulldogs 1.

The Storm have now well and truly put the Salary Cap Controversy behind them with a premiership that no one can take from them.

Even Gus and Rabbs couldn’t will the Rabbitohs to their first Grand Final appearance since 1971.

The Channel 9 commentators in their usual biased style could not hide their desperate desire for a Bunnies win. Gus had the Doggies beaten and the Bunnies into the grand final after 10 minutes of the game, even though the Bulldogs ran rough shod over South Sydney to score the first try in the opening minutes of the game. Then referees found two dubious penalties in quick succession to get Souths down onto Canterbury’s line helping them to a 6-4 lead. However the Dogs matched all that Souths had left in the first half to lead at the break 16-8, coming out on top in a tough 1st half. In the commentary box it was all about Souths as Gus and Rabbs came down on Souths side of each decisions and saw things in the game that just were not there.

It was a dire struggle then for the rest of the game with the Rabbitohs lifting in the first 20 minutes of the second half. However  the  Bulldogs forwards came out on top of their Rabbitohs counterpart laying a platform for their quality backs to take the game away from a brave but out played Souths outfit.. Most Media and “Experts” attribute the Bulldogs win, in no small way to the hamstring injury in the 26th minute to Souths play-maker, Adam Reynolds. What bullshit, he is no doubt a quality player and he was missed, however to blame his departure for the loss is an absolute insult to Greg Englis, John Sutton and Issac Luke  who filled that loss admirably.

It was the tenacious and never say die attitude of the Doggies forwards which set the platform for the clinical win. Greg Eastwood, James Graham, Frank Prichard and Sam Kasiano toiled all game to over run their Souths counterparts in a great preperation for the Grand Final next Sunday against The Melbourne Storm.

Gallant Cowboys Robbed Of Prelim Finals Shot.

What a joke the wonderful game of Rugby League has become in Australia. I don’t know whether it is because some officials are on the take, if they are to stupid to see what is in front of them, if there bias toward NSW based teams is clouding their judgement or if our current rules of the game are just to complex for them to grasp.

All of the above possibilities crossed my mind as I watched with anger and alarm as the six game officials (Two video reffs, two linesman and two field reffs) conspired in their incompetence to deny The Cowboys a fair shot at the finals.
It started in the first few minutes of the game when a Manly player duped a gullible Shane Hayne into believing a cowboys player was in the tackle too long. The Manly player had purposely entangled his legs around the marker to milk the penalty. It worked, and as a result of the march down field, Manly scored their first try. I thought then “This guy will favour Manly all night.” It is the way it turned out.

Then Clark and Simpkins up in the box, with input from Hayne with his “I think there was momentum” comment into his mic, got it totally wrong in awarding Jorge Taufua a try for placing the ball short of the line and then creating a double movement to place the ball over the line.There was no momentum and any person with half an ounce of knowledge about the game could not give the try. Even the normally NSW biased Channel Nine commentators agreed it should not have been a try.

And then the howler of all howlers. After viewing the replay from all angles, all of which showed clearly that Kiren Foran hit the ball forward from Johnathan Thurston’s hands, these bumbling idiots managed to award a try to Michael Oldfield from a clear knock on. Not only I, but everyone else who saw the game, were totally dumb founded.
it went on all night with players allow to continue to play on after clearly knocking on or at least grounding the ball in the in goal. The mistake’s are too numerous to mention.
There was one small incident that Manly supporters will say favoured The Cowboys and that is when Ashley Graham knocked the ball from Taufua’s hands as he tried to play the ball. However this happens many times in a game and the rule of thumb has always been “Poor Ball Security”. Another contentious rule that should be fixed. It’s easy, enforce the rules consistently.
As I always say, “If you are going to winge, then provide a solution.” Here are mine.
If it is difficult to attract talented people (Ex Players preferably) to the refereeing ranks, pay more money, then fine them severely when they get it wrong. Money always talks.
I hear people like Gus Gould wanting to get rid of technology for decision making. I say embrace it and perfect it to help with all decisions. If 6 reffs can’t get it right, take it out of their hands.

Broncos have to beat Penrith.

It is do or die for the Bronco’s this week against a Penrith side coming off a win against the Gold Coast.

If they are to continue into the finals and Give Petero Civoniceva a hero’s send off in his last season, this game is a must win.