Who Won The State of Origin Last Night

[firko]

Good god, what a shocker! As much as it hurts me to say it, Queensland are a phenomenal footy side. I wish the NSW selectors would pick a team of players with passion and in their correct positions. I'm buggered if I know what Nathan Merritt and John Sutton have to do to get a start. Merritt plays all over Joel Monaghan yet Monaghan gets brought in to replace Timana Tahu after playing only three games this season. As good a club player Jarrod Hayne is for Parramatta, he's not fit to wipe the sweat off Billy Slaters brow at Origin level.

Thank christ our Rugby Union team just edged out the Q-landers or it'd be sad times down here.

[jimg1au]

mark
lucky we only played the reds once as they got better.best of 3 might not be so good.
aru should do something like the leauge nsw act qld wa and vic knock out comp
jim

[Davey Crocket]

What a bunch of knuckleheads NSW put on the feild!!.....you even had the ref's on your side....arrrhhh QLD..what can you say?. A little story, when Graham Murray went to coach the NQ Cowboys he asked each player what they wanted to acheive by seasons end....NSW players all wanted to win the premiership.....QLD players wanted to be picked to play State of Origin for QLD and win....as Gus Guold would say ...."you cant beat that, you cant beat that"..... I would love Gus to coach QLD one day....faaarrrk..wouldnt that be a hiding?. Love him or hate him, Gus is one smart cookie, I'm just glad he is not coaching NSW.

[jerry]

Read a great quote in Bec wilsons column in the Melbourne Herald Sun. Apparently a "senior business man said " " Rugby league is a game played by wharfies, watched by wharfies, and run by wharfies" Wonder if it got a run in the NSW and QLD rags. Cheers Jerry

[firko]

Wonder if it got a run in the NSW and QLD rags

It did.
The weird thing about Rugby Leagues continuing dramas is that most of the press coverage and "inside scoops on the scandals" are driven by the Murdoch press, the part owner of the game. It's almost as if they want their own product to fail or that they think that they need all of these scandals to publicise the code.

 Even though I'm a Rugby Union fan above all, I think that Rugby League is a great game that was indeed once "played by wharfies, watched by wharfies, and run by wharfies" but today is a great spectacle, just perfect for TV. Despite AFLs amazing fan base, great administration and superb player athleticism, it and the other footy codes can't match League as a made for TV game and I think the TV ratings back that. Rugby has its Super 14 and great International Tests, League has the State of Origin and test matches but AFL has none of those big spectaculars unless you count the piss poor hybrid game 'tests' they play against Ireland or their own less than successful State of Origin experiment.

My wandering point is that despite all of the cheating, racism and myriad of other scandals, League will always be the game for the people, the "wharfies" if you like. It's a Sydney thing. The toff thing doesn't go over well with us, perhaps that's why working class South Melbourne "bloods" morphed so smoothly into the Sydney Swans.

[EML]

After the game last night I flicked over to the round ball game and after 20mins nothing had happened and the noise of the gorgonzollas-or whatever they are- had me nodding off.
Shite-no wonder they get excited when someone trips over-it's the most exciting thing to go on so they all cheer and yell and hiss and boo.
It must lift the roof off when they actually get one in the net!!!

[211kawasaki]

Being a Blue up here in QLD made last night very painfull, even the kids were baggn me. Reckon they should sack all the has beens on the team and go for a younger outfit.
On another note whats the story with Alfie Langer, whats he the field coach or something? Notice everytime QLD on the attack he is just off the ruck WTF?

[jerry]

He's probably just pissed...............

[firko]

On another note whats the story with Alfie Langer, whats he the field coach or something? Notice everytime QLD on the attack he is just off the ruck WTF?

That's something that's crept into the game and I reckon it's plain wrong. Alfie plays just about the whole game on the field shouting directions to the players. He's as much a water boy as I am a Calvin Klein underwear model. Ronny Palmer started this shit with Easts a few years ago and it's now becoming a problem that the Rugby League don't seem to want to do anything about.

[Ji Gantor]

I also think that Alfy wants to be a coach and the rules to becoming a first grade coach is you have to come up through the ranks.
Trevor Gilmister was doing it before Alf.

Tight nuts

Ji

[VMX247]

shouting directions to the players.

rather that than those bloody hooters at the soccer world cup..I thought it was a jet landing.I was promptly told by boy child that they tried to ban them.They reckon motor sports are loud      sorry if it a hijack,but there fishing over at CD7   did you follow me Ji 

[Ji Gantor]

Yes alison I took the bait.

Tight nuts

Ji

[jerry]

Take your point about the rugby field/ pich or whatever you call it fitting neatly into your TV. Have to invent an oval screen for AFL. Jerry

[EML]

Anyone that has played the game would realise that the trainer on the field (Alfie) would help to fill gaps in the defence-in the minds of the attacking players I mean-especially when you are a bit tired and are looking for those gaps. Very old trick played by both sides and shouild be shit canned!!!
Wont matter soon as there will be more refs on the field than players.

[jerry]

Have a look at an AFL game and count the non-players on the field. It's out of control. Last week a player handed a pair of scissors to the umpire that had fallen out of someones pocket! Jerry