The Man In The Arena

I came across a piece from former USA President Theodore Roosevelt today. (Thanks to Matt Walsh). It’s called The Man In the Arena. (Roosevelt was US President between 1901 and 1909 - I don’t think one can blame him for not including women in this piece.)

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

As one who writes about sport, I’m fully aware of my role, however small, in preserving the legacy of those who have tasted victory and defeat. I could never do what Daly Cherry-Evans does. Or what Steffi Graf did. I certainly could never do what Tyson Fury does.

Over more than forty years I’ve lost count of the times I’ve watched by beloved Manly Sea Eagles, thinking “as long as they do their best”.

So thank you all - the men and women who choose to participate in this great thing we call sport - at all levels - who give their all week in and week out, season after season, year after year. The credit belongs to you all.

Why Not T10?

Yeah, I’m a traditionalist. Some may say a dinosaur.

I like my rugby league to have one referee, my soccer not to be decided by VAR, my Wimbledon to be a sea of white modest clothing, and my cricket to take all day (preferably five of them).

So, as I watch Australia put the cleaners through Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup, I wonder, Who is this for?

It’s certainly not for traditional cricket fans - the kind that will couch down for five days to watch a thrilling draw as both teams try to get the better of the tactics. It’s not even for the smash and grab fans of one day cricket. That is at least a full day of pizza and beverages.

I admit, I never have understood the T20 concept. It’s Mickey Mouse cricket. But boy is it popular!! How else can one explain the massive amounts of money paid to players in the IPL who would otherwise struggle to spot the Sheffield Shield out of a line-up of trophies?

So, here’s my concept for those cricket fans who have no attention span. A T10 format. Hear me out.

Each side selects their starting eleven. Every one of them, except the wicket keeper, must bowl one over. Each batter (as they’re called now) faces just one over.. If they get out, that’s it.

But here’s the catch - The number eleven in the line-up bowls to the number one batter; the #10 to the #2 batter and so-forth, until the bunnies are facing the top batters in the line-up. Surely this will be more of a contest. Witness David Warner bowling to James Anderson when England need just four in the over to win a final!

And it would all be over in about an hour. Just long enough to order and devour a pizza.

They Say You Have To Lose One To Win One

So, we’re finally in NRL Grand Final Week. South Sydney VS Penrith.

Since the great St George team of 1956-1966, only Parramatta in 1981-1983 has won three consecutive premierships. With the salary cap, rule changes, and intense media pressure, Grand Finals are incredibly hard to win. They say you have to lose one to win one.

Let’s examine that for a minute or two.

After Souths won four Grand Final in five years between 1967-1971, Manly defeated Easts in the 1972 decider. Manly had lost to Souths in 1968 and 1970. The Roosters dusted themselves off, and won the Grand Final in 1974 and 1975,.

Easts famously belted St George 38-0 in the 1975 Grand Final, despite only being ahead 5-0 at half time. The Dragons bounced back to win in 1977, defeating Parramatta, who had also lost the 1976 Grand Final against Manly. The Dragons won again in 1979, defeating Canterbury 17-13.

After a brave run to the 1979 Grand Final, Canterbury defeated Easts in the 1980 decider. The following year, Parramatta broke through for their first Grand Final win, with a handful of players from their 1977 loss, including Ray Price, Mick Cronin and Ron Hilditch.

Manly went down to the Eels in 1982 and 1983, yet defeated Canberra in 1987. Their team included Paul Vautin and Noel Cleal, both members of the 1983 loss. Canberra themselves won in 1989, and again in 1990, defeating Penrith. The Panthers famously reversed the result in the 1991 Grand Final, winning the premiership for the first time.

Brisbane bucked the trend in 1992, defeating St George in the Grand Final. But in 1995, Canterbury defeated Manly, a year after losing the Grand Final to Canberra. In 1996, Manly bounced back and defeated St George.

In the post Super League era, the trend is not quite as solid. Melbourne won at their first attempt in 1999, and Newcastle won their second title in 2001. Sydney Roosters’ 2002 Grand Final triumph came after a loss to Brisbane in 2000, but Penrith, Canterbury, Wests Tigers and Brisbane won in the next four years with no recent Grand Final history.

The Melbourne-Manly feud was a return to the 1990s in a way. Melbourne, having lost to Brisbane in the 2006 Grand Final, belted Manly in 2007. The following year, the Sea Eagles returned the favour with an emphatic 40-0 victory. Melbourne won again in 2009 and 2012.

After 2012, the trend falls away somewhat. Wins for Sydney Roosters in 2013, Souths in 2014, North Queensland in 2015, and Cronulla in 2016 almost put the theory to bed. This is especially so considering Souths in 2014 had not been in a Grand Final since 1971, and Cronulla’s win in 2016 was their first Grand Final appearance since 1978 (outside of the 1997 Super League). The Cowboys one and only appearance in the decider before their 2015 triumph was the 2005 loss to Wests Tigers.

Melbourne have since made making the Grand Final an art form. They recovered from their loss to Cronulla in 2016 to smash the Cowboys in 2017, before going down to the Sydney Roosters in 2018. In 2020, they defeated Penrith, but have yet to win the Grand Final in consecutive years.

Which bring us back to this year’s Grand Final, Penrith lost to Melbourne in 2020. If this was the period between 1970 and 1996, one would think the experience of the loss would be enough for them to triumph this year. Yet teams have come from nowhere to win the Grand Final in the 2000s. South Sydney have just three survivors from that 2014 team - Adam Reynolds, Tom Burgess and Alex Johnston. Yet they also have 2005 Grand Final winner Benji Marshall in their squad.

So, how much does Grand Final experience count for these days?

We’re going to find out this Sunday.

Who will win the Grand Final? Feel free to comment below.

Manly Fans - We've Been Here Before

In 1975, Manly came up against the champion Easts side that had won 19 games in a row before succumbing to St George in their Semi-Final, In hindsight, the Roosters were never going to lose tow in a row, They beat Manly 28-13, and went on to smash St George 38-0 the following week in the Grand Final.

It would be the last knockout Grand Final qualifier Manly would lose.

In 1976, Manly lost the Major Semi-Final to Parramatta by 23-17. They recovered to defeat Canterbury 15-12 in the final, before beating Parramatta in the Grand Final.

It was a similar story in 1978. Manly defeated Wests 14-7 in a controversial final to make the Grand Final against Cronulla. After an 11-11 draw in the decider, Manly dominated the replay, and ran out winners 16-0.

Manly cruised through to the Grand Final in 1982 and 1983, but came unstuck against a champion Parramatta team. In 1987, they again took the short road to the decider after a tough 10-6 win over Easts, and defeated Canberra 18-8 in the Grand Final to claim their fifth premiership.

When the competition expanded in 1995, teams had to qualify for the Grand Final in the penultimate week of the season. That year, Manly defeated Newcastle to make the decider, but went down to Canterbury in a controversial Grand Final.

In 1996, Manly smashed Cronulla to qualify for the Grand Final, and out muscled St George 20-8 to claim their sixth Grand Final victory. The following year, A Craig Field field goal got Manly a win over Easts in the final, but they were ground down by Newcastle in the Grand Final, going down 22-16.

After the Northern Eagles debacle, Manly finally made it back to the top under the coaching of Des Hasler. In 2007, the Sea Eagles defeated North Queensland 28-6 to qualify for the Grand Final, but were thumped 34-8 by Melbourne when it mattered.

The following year, Manly beat the NZ Warriors 32-6 in the final before setting an all time record by beating Melbourne 40-0 in the Grand Final.

In 2011, the Sea Eagles defeated Brisbane 26-14 to advance to the decider against the Warriors. Manly won the Grand Final 24-10 to claim their eighth and to date final premiership. In 2013, Manly came from 14-0 to beat South Sydney in the final, but went down 26-18 to Sydney Roosters in the Grand Final.

So, every year since that 1975 loss, Manly have made it to the Grand Final when they have the opportunity. Manly fans, we’ve been here before. Let’s hope history can repeat this Friday.

Revisiting the Historic Round 5 of 1982

Sunday, March 28th, 1982. I remember it well.

Parramatta were the newly minted premiers, and were coming up against my Manly Sea Eagles at Belmore Sports Ground. The Eels were still settling into their new home after their rabid fans burned down Cumberland Oval during the 1981 Grand Final celebrations.

I vividly remember sitting at the family dining room table while my Mum (a Parramatta diehard) turned on 2UE so we could listen to Frank Hyde call the game. It was a particularly awful autumn day in Sydney, with squalling winds and heavy rain punishing the city.

Manly’s team that day featured ten past or future internationals: Graham Eadie, John Ribot, Chris Close, Alan Thompson, Bruce Walker, Paul Vautin, Paul McCabe, Mark Broadhurst, Max Krilich and Ian Thomson.

Parramatta had to settle for just eight past or future international players: Eric Grothe, Mick Cronin, Brett Kenny, Peter Sterling, Ray Price, John Muggleton, Bob O’Reilly and Ron Hilditch.

It was a star studded affair, but the dreadful weather prevented any attacking spark that these teams would become known for during the 1982 season all the way up until the Grand Final.

This day, Mick Cronin kicked a couple of penalty goals and Parramatta won 4-0.

As Frank Hyde went around the grounds as the other games came to their conclusion, it became clear that history was being made at Henson Park in Marrickville, Newtown and Canterbury played out the first and to date only 0-0 draw in the history of the competition. Newtown, the 1981 runners-up featured Australian reps Phil Sigsworth and Allan McMahon, as well as future test winger John Ferguson. The Bulldogs team that day included former Australian captain George Peponis, as well as Steve Mortimer, Steve Folkes, and Greg Brentnall. They were no duds - but back then they played in all conditions.

Across Sydney that day, Wests managed a couple of tries in a 10-8 win over Cronulla at Endeavour Field, and Steve Morris grabbed a double for St George in a dour win over Canberra.

But the day will forever be remembered for the first ever 0-0 draw.

Melbourne V Manly - The Rivalry Continues...

How fitting that the first games of the 2021 NRL Finals Series sees Melbourne face Manly. Although Melbourne have only been in the competition since 1998, this rivalry has quickly become of the most fierce in the game.

Melbourne faced Manly for the first time in July 1998, and walked away with a 22-12 win. The Sea Eagles were unsuccessful in the two clashes of 1999, and then were mired in the Northern Eagles fiasco until 2003. That year, Manly had their first win over the Storm, 20-14 at Brookvale Oval.

The rivalry began to heat up in 2007. Melbourne stars Matt Orford and Steven Bell joined Manly, and the Sea Eagles won 13-12, thanks to an Orford field goal in their round 11 clash. The teams would meet again in that year’s Grand Final. After a tense first half, the Storm prevailed 34-8. Some of the Melbourne players, having lost the decider to Brisbane the year before, spent the final minutes of the game actually trying to encourage the Manly players to keep their heads up and look forward to 2008.

Manly must have taken the advice. Although Melbourne won both matches during the regular season, the Sea Eagles gained the ultimate revenge in the Grand Final, achieving a record 40-0 victory. Matt Orford was team captain, and Steven Bell scored the final try.

The following year, Melbourne ended Manly’s season with a 40-12 thumping in the first week of the finals. The Storm, unable to play for points in 2010, lost both clashes, but won the first encounter of 2011. The second match between the teams in 2011 has become known as the Battle of Brookvale. Glenn Stewart and Adam Blair were sent to the sin bin, yet opted to continue their confrontation while walking off the field. All Hell broke loose as a number of Manly players rushed in to join the melee, soon followed by the Melbourne players sitting on the bench! A number of players were suspended after the incident, including Glenn Stewart, who had to rely on Manly making the Grand Final if he was to play again in 2011.

Manly made it to the decider, and faced the NZ Warriors who upset Melbourne in the Grand Final qualifier, robbing fans of what at the time seemed like the ultimate grudge match. Manly won 24-10, and Glenn Stewart won the Clive Churchill Medal for being the best player on the field.

The last ten years has seen the rivalry continue as Manly fell from grace, and Melbourne remained a premiership powerhouse. Manly were again thrashed 40-12 in the 2012 finals, yet since then eight of their sixteen encounters have been decided by four points or less.

Tonight, the rivalry continues. Melbourne won 28-18 a few weeks back, limited the opportunities of Manly fullback Tom Trbojevic. If they can do that again, they’ll probably win the game. Manly have learned a few tricks since then, and may just have the attacking game to upset Melbourne. Either way, this game should be a cracker.

• During the 2011 Battle of Brookvale games, Melbourne fullback Billy Slater cradled an injured Manly winger David Williams until the paramedics made it onto the field. Williams had broken a bone in his neck, but made a full recovery to play in the 2013 Grand Final. The incident shows the respect between the teams, as well as the compassion of rugby league players, even in the heat of the most brutal of battles.

What are your thoughts on the rivalry? Feel free to comment below.

NRL Preview Revisited

The Top 8 has been settled and the finals are around the corner. It’s time to look back at our season preview, and see which teams have exceeded expectations, and which have caused some heartache for their fans.

The season preview can be found here: NRL 2021 Season Preview — Parallel Partners Books

Canterbury

16th. Prediction: 10th

I honestly though that the Bulldogs would be so much better this year. Cotric, Flanagan, Hetherington. They have gone backwards in a big way, but a big signing spree for 2022 and a 38-0 win over the hapless Wests Tigers in the final round offers some hope.

North Queensland

15th. Prediction: 14th

No surprises here. The Cows simply didn’t improve on their roster, and the retirement of Michael Morgan didn’t help, Hamiso Tabui-Fidow still looks like a future star,

Brisbane

14th. Prediction: 12th

I predicted new coach Kevin Walters would get the best out of Anthony Milford. I didn’t think it would take his signing with a new club to make that happen in the last month of the season. Adam Reynolds and Kurt Capewell could make the Broncos a contender in 2022.

Wests Tigers

13th. Prediction: 9th

Well, I was right about Daine Laurie, but wrong about just about everything else. The Tigers look like going down the familiar path of sacking their coach instead of addressing their roster management issues. They have been 10 years without a finals appearance - if they make it in the next five with their current management structure I’ll be amazed.

NZ Warriors

12th. Prediction: 16th

For most of the season, the Warriors fought like the third monkey on the ramp of Noah’s Ark. They couldn’t quite get there, but the development of Reece Walsh has been a success story of the year.

St George-Illawarra

11th. Prediction: 15th

So I guess they over-achieved. Still, before BBQ-Gate they were looking at a top eight finish. The Dragons have a great number of young players coming through, but I’m starting to think the Dragons may do better with a coach who understands the club culture. Jason Ryles and Dean Young could be in the mix. I’m still stunned they didn’t get Craig Fitzgibbon at the end of 2020.

Canberra

10th. Prediction: 3rd

I did say the Raiders would regret letting Aiden Sezer go after the 2019 Grand Final, and here we are. Canberra are looking for a new halfback after George Williams quit on the team midway through the season. The Raiders had other issues during the year, most notably fading in the second half of matches. They’ll be back in the finals sooner rather than later.

Cronulla

9th. Prediction: 13th

I figured the older Sharks players would hamper their chances of making the finals, but Cronulla unearthed some good young players during the year. Will Kennedy had a breakout year at fullback. New coach Craig Fitzgibbon should bring the Sharks close to the top eight in 2022, especially with the signings of Nicho Hynes and Cameron McInnes.

Gold Coast

8th. Prediction: 8th

I love it when I get one right! The Titans did just enough to sneak into the top 8. That is exactly where they should be, and I can’t really see them rising any further this year or next.

Newcastle

7th Prediction: 11th

The Knights looked dead and buried before Kalyn Ponga, Bradman Best and Mitchell Pearce returned from injury in the final weeks of the regular season. Daniel Saifiti has stepped up, and Kurt Mann continues to be one of the most under rated players in the league, They may even win at least one game in the finals.

Parramatta

6th. Prediction: 6th

Parramatta are exactly where I expected them to be. Fantastic on their day, but vulnerable against the top teams. The Reed Mahoney injury didn’t help. I’m a big Clint Gutherson fan. Isaiah Papali’i is just about the buy of the season. The halves still have a big question mark.

Sydney Roosters

5th. Prediction: 5th

Again, exactly what I thought, but in no way did I think the Roosters had the resilience to overcome injury forced retirements to Boyd Corner, Brett Morris and Jake Friend. The loss of Luke Keary also hasn’t helped. Sam Walker has been a breakout superstar, and under the circumstances should be named as Rookie of the Yearl The Roosters aren’t going away in a hurry.

Manly

4th. Prediction: 7th

0-4 after four rounds, and then Tom Trbojevic returned, His stats are incredible, but there’s also been the development of Schuster and Olakau’atu, and the improvement of Parker and Harper. Saab and Garrick have been amazing. They could still win this…

Souths

3rd. Prediction: 1st

I predicted Benji Marshall would be an x factor for the Bunnies, and as they go into the finals without Latrell Mitchell, his experience could be even more important. Alex Johnston has scored 27 tries this year already. No-one has topped 30 tries since Ray Preston for Newtown in 1954. The further the Rabbitohs go, the more likely Johnston gets 30 tries,

Penrith

2nd. Prediction: 4th

It’s not that I thought Penrith would go backwards. It’s just that losing a Grand Final is a setback that the teams just below can exploit. It didn’t happen for the Panthers, and they are in this competition up to their necks. Nathan Cleary and Jerome Luai look better for the post-Origin break.

Melbourne

1st. Prediction: 2nd

Ah, the premiers. What else can one say? Reimis Smith has been the breakout star I thought he would be, simply because of Craig Bellamy. Watch out for Nick Meaney in 2022. The Storm now have too many stars to fit into their weekly 17. How Bellamy handles Nicho Hynes, Brandon Smith, Harry Grant and Ryan Papenhuyzen in the finals will go along way to determine if the Storm can go back to back.

So, seven out of eight in the finals. I tipped Canberra, but Newcastle got there instead. Not a bad effort.

Enjoy the finals!

The Needle Has Moved

AEW had an event today called All Out. Big deal hey. Another wrestling promotion puts on an event, so what? Well AEW had CM Punk in his first match in seven years, and finished their event with Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) rushing the ring at the end of the show to help beat off the bad guys,

Those two guys alone are going to move the needle. They should have both main evented Wrestlemania in 2014, but bygones. I’m a heartbeat away from plonking down my cash for the monthly subscription. If Bray Wyatt turns up, I’m, er, all in.

AEW has a great group of young up and comers, as well as legends such as Sting, Big Show, Mark Henry, Chris Jericho, Christian and Matt Hardy.

WWE doesn’t seem to be too worried, and nor should they be, being a billion dollar company with TV deals all over the world. But surely, All Out is at least a bit of a wake up call for Vince & co.

Canterbury is a club in crisis

The proud Canterbury Bulldogs are going to finish the 2021 NRL Season with the wooden spoon. The Dogs of War. The Entertainers. The Family Club.

The basket case.

Thank God they have Phil Gould with his feet under the desk, because Canterbury is a club in crisis.

The Bulldogs showed coach Dean Pay the door in favour of Trent Barrett, who led Manly to one finals series in three years after a decade of success. Barrett had more recently been an assistant to Ivan Cleary at Penrith, and was hailed for his attacking strategy,

With that in mind, Canterbury bought Kyle Flanagan from the Roosters, Origin winger Nick Cotric from Canberra, and another Origin player, Corey Allan, from South Sydney. Injuries have played their part, but all three signings have gone backwards at the Bulldogs.

Canterbury have won just two games all year. They have one great aggressive forward in Jack Hetherington, but if he isn’t careful, he could be rubbed out of the game for too many indiscretions. He is the perfect example of a good player needing some serious coaching on his technique.

But 2022! The Dogs have signed a heap of players to turn it around!

Have they though?

Josh Addo-Carr is the best winger in the game, and will be fine. I wonder how he now feels about going from premiers to wooden spooners though.

Matt Dufty is an excitement machine, but he apparently had problems with new Dragons’ coach Anthony Griffin. He is still developing his game in the key position of fullback.

Brent Naden at least has some history with Trent Barrett. A cracking centre at his best, he is also still developing, and has been unable to find a regular spot in the Penrith team this year after being dropped before the 2020 Grand Final.

Matt Burton is a future Origin player, There was even talk of him being drafted into the NSW team this year. He is behind Nathan Cleary at Penrith, so it makes sense he would be looking for more opportunities, I wonder though if he has had a chat with Kyle Flanagan about how he has developed his game under the coaching of a former test five-eighth.

Paul Vaughan was sacked from St George-Illawarra after BBQ-Gate, and is looking to resurrect his career. A former representative forward, I again wonder if he had a chat with former Origin prop Dylan Napa before signing with Dogs.

Tevita Pangai has long been touted as a future representative forward, but came undone at Brisbane over the last couple of years. A change of scenery could be good for him. However, he probably needs some forwards around him to settle in before being expected to lead the pack.

Apart from Dylan Napa, the Bulldogs have also lost Will Hopoate to Super League, while Dallin Watene-Zelezniak transferred to the Warriors late in 2021. That’s three experienced representative players lost. Throw in Nick Meaney, who will follow former teammate Reimis Smith in fulfilling his potential at Melbourne.

Canterbury have chopped and changed their halves so many times this year, I can’t predict how they will line up in round one in 2022. There are plenty of players with talent at the club, but they desperately need mentorship.

Hopefully, Phil Gould is the person to provide that.

Remembering the First Magic Round...From 1977

Before COVID, the NRL pushed the Magic Round. All eight matches played across three days at a single venue. Fantastic idea, and I’m glad they have tried to keep it up during COVID times, and have also put on double headers while up in Queensland.

However, the idea isn’t new. In 1977, the NSWRL had the same concept across the Anzac Weekend in 1977. It was known as the League-A-Thon, and all games were played at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The key interest was the match between 1976 Premiers, Manly going up against Easts, featuring the Sea-Eagles 1976 captain, Bob Fulton. Mark Harris scored two tries, and Fulton also scored as the Roosters belted Manly 20-0

Parramatta must have been grateful to not have to play Western Suburbs at Lidcombe Oval, where they had an awful record for much of the 1970s. Both teams scored two tries, but six goals from Mick Cronin helped the Eels get home 18-10.

Young South Sydney fullback Steve Little scored all 12 of his team’s points, but the Bunnies were pipped 13-12 by Canterbury. Bob McCarthy scored a try against his old club, while the decisive field goal was kicked by Steve Mortimer.

Penrith and Balmain went back and forth before settling for a 19-19 draw. Test fullback Allan McMahon, and future ABC TV commentator Warren Boland each scored a try for the Tigers, while English test hooker Mike Stephenson crossed for the Panthers.

Steve Rogers had a day to remember for Cronulla in their 37-10 thumping of Newtown. Rogers finished with 19 points, while Sharks’ winger Steve Edmonds scored three tries. Future test fullback Phil Sigsworth kicked two goals for the Jets.

Eventual 1977 Premiers St George defeated North Sydney 25-8. Young Queensland centre Graham Quinn bagged two tries for the Dragons, and Ted Goodwin also scored. North Sydney remained at the bottom of the ladder without a win after six rounds.

Just over 66,000 fans attended the League-A-Thon over the three days. In 1978, all twelve teams again played at the SCG over two days, with just under 70,000 attending.

The concept was viewed as a success at the time, but faded into history for the next forty years.

Do you have memories of the era? Please comment below.

We Need Test Footy

2020 was the first year since 1976 that Australia didn’t play an international rugby league match. COVID-19 threw the whole season into chaos, and we were lucky to get through the season and have the State of Origin series. Now, the World Cup has been postponed, and international rugby league looks in a bit of trouble.

While I understand the theory behind the World Cup postponement, I can’t help but wonder how Wimbledon and the European Football Championships managed. The South Africa and Argentina rugby union teams are still planning to come to Queensland for the Rugby Championship, and at time of writing, the Ashes is still on.

Anyway, bygones. It is what it is. Still, I think there is an opportunity for Australia to play a couple of test matches after the Grand Final. Now that Moana Pasifika and Fiji have joined Super Rugby, it would be an ideal time to have rugby league test matches against Fiji, Samoa and/or Tonga to remind people the sport is played at international level. Of course, a test against New Zealand would also be on the agenda.

I’m sure the majority of players would still love to represent their country. Newer Origin rep players such as Brian To’o, Christian Welch, Issah Yeo and Kalyn Ponga would all be in line to be picked for Australia, while for James Tedesco or Daly Cherry-Evans, the opportunity to captain Australia would be close to the pinnacle of their career.

Surely the relevant administrations can work out at least one test match to finish off the year, and give the players involved the chance to represent their country.

What do you think? Please comment below.

Des Hasler Proves the Rule of Manly Coaches

Hey Manly fans, remember when Geoff Toovey was sacked as head coach, and there was a lot of talk about changing the culture? The culture that took Manly to the finals ten years in a row? Remember how that worked out?

Well, here we are, six years later, and Manly are on the cusp of finishing the season in the top four for the first time since Toovey took the club to the 2013 Grand Final. Sure, Tom Trbojevic has been outstanding, and has a cast of great supporting characters. But let’s look at some of the coaching statistics that have underlined Manly’s success, or lack of it, over the last 60 years.

Ken Arthurson took over as head coach in 1957, and took the club to two Grand Finals, where they were soundly beaten by the great St George side of the era. Stepping aside at the end of 1961 to become the club’s, and the game’s greatest administrator, Arthurson had a winning record of just over 57%

Ron Willey was captain-coach in 1962, before Tony Paskins, and then Russ Pepperell took over. Paskins had a rate of just under 39% in his one year in the job, while Pepperell finished two seasons with a dismal record of just over 30%

It started to seem like you had to have some Manly DNA in your blood to make a go of the coaching position. Paskins came from Rugby Union, and Pepperell had his career in England. In 1965, former Manly lock George Hunter, who had played under Arthurson, took over as head coach, and took the Sea Eagles to the 1968 Grand Final. He stepped down the following year with a winning percentage of just under 65%.

Ron Willey returned to the role in 1970, and the club again made the Grand Final, only to lose to South Sydney. In 1972, the Willey coached Manly finally broke through for their first premiership win. They repeated the feat the next year with a brutal Grand Final win over Cronulla. Willey stood down at the end of 1974 with a winning record of a tick under 70%. A great coach, Willey later took Balmain, South Sydney, North Sydney and Penrith into the finals, and unearthed a young fellow at the Panthers named Brad Fittler.

Frank Stanton, another former Sea-Eagles player, took the reins as coach in 1975, and won premierships with Manly in 1976 and 1978. In his five years as coach, Stanton record a winning percentage of just under 63%. His successor, 1972 premiership winning forward Allan Thomson had just one year as coach for an even 50% record.

Ray Ritchie, a winger in those 1950s Grand Final teams took over in 1981, and the club made the Grand Final the following year, falling short against a red hot Parramatta team. In two seasons as coach, Ritchie had a 60% winning record.

The greatest Manly player of all, Bob Fulton, returned from Eastern Suburbs to be head coach in 1983. Fulton had coached Easts into the 1980 Grand Final, and secured the Roosters the minor premiership in 1981. In 1982, Easts came within a win of the Grand Final. Manly made the Grand Final in 1983, and the playoffs every year before Fulton stood down at the end of 1988. The Sea Eagles won their fifth premiership under the coaching of Fulton in 1987, and he would return to the club at a time of crisis.

The only anomaly on this list is former premiership winning and test five-eighth Alan Thompson, who coached the club in 1989. Thompson inherited a club that was riddled with in-fighting, which saw club legend and captain Paul Vautin forced to leave Brookvale at the end of the year. Manly had the worst season in decades, and Thompson left after just one season.

In 1990, Manly appointed New Zealander Graham Lowe as head coach - the first non-Manly man in the role since Russ Pepperell in 1964. The club made the finals in 1990 and 1991, but missed out in 1992 after a controversial late season loss to Illawarra. Lowe stood down before the 1993 season for health reasons, and finished with a respectable 57% winning rate.

Bob Fulton stepped in as head coach, and built on Lowe’s good work of promoting local juniors such as Steve Menzies, Daniel Gartner, Jack Elsegood and John Hopoate. Fulton added experience and class to the team, and made the Grand Final three years in a row in the mid-1990s, winning the Grand Final against St George in 1996. Fulton stepped down for family reasons in early 1999 with a winning record of 67%.

Peter Sharp took over for the rest of the ill-fated 1999 season, which saw Manly lose their place in the league as they were forced into the unhappy marriage with North Sydney that was the Northern Eagles. Sharp coached the hybrid team, as well as the newly re-registered Manly in 2003, but with little success. Sharp, who never played for Manly, finished with a winning record of 39%.

In 2004, Des Hasler took over as head coach. Untried at the top level, Hasler rebuilt the club with players such as Brett and Glenn Stewart, Steve Matai, Anthony Watmough, Matt Ballin, Jason King, and David Williams. He brought to the club players who knew how to win, such as Ben Kennedy, Josh Perry, Jamie Lyon, Matt Orford and Steve Bell. After an initial struggle, Manly returned to the playoffs in 2005 for the first time since 1998. They made the Grand Final in 2007, and won the premiership in 2008 and 2011 under the guidance of Hasler. So, it was with great disappointment that Manly farewelled Hasler after the 2011 triumph. Hasler joined Canterbury, and took the club to two Grand Finals, in 2012 and 2014.

1996 captain and Clive Churchill medallist Geoff Toovey took over from Hasler in 2012, and took the club to the Grand Final in 2013, where they were defeated by the Sydney Roosters. After making the finals in 2014, Manly opted to let go of Toovey at the end of the 2015 season. Toovey had a winning record of 57.5%.

Trent Barrett, a brilliant five-eighth for Illawarra, St George-Illawarra and Australia, took up his first head coaching position with Manly in 2016. The Sea Eagles snuck into the finals in 2017, but barely troubled the top teams during Barrett’s three year tenure. Barrett, who never played for Manly, finished with a winning record of under 40%.

So, Manly, learning the lessons of their history, returned to one of their own as head coach for the 2019 season. Des Hasler returned to the role, and helped Manly make the finals that year. In 2021, they are on the cusp of the top four. As of time of writing, Hasler has a winning record at Manly of 57%.

I’m not sure if this is a feature at other clubs. The newer clubs don’t have enough history behind them to judge, while Parramatta had Jack Gibson, Canterbury had Warren Ryan, and Canberra had Tim Sheens; all premiership winners without playing for their clubs. The bulk of the success of St George and Souths was during the captain-coach era, and the Rabbitohs’ success between 1967-1971 came with club legend Clive Churchill at the helm.

So, what is the lesson for Manly? Could they keep Des Hasler for another ten years? If not, then who can step up? Paul Vautin had amazing success with Queensland in 1995, but he is older than Des. Ivan Cleary, a player nurtured early in his career by Lowe and Fulton, seems to have a secure job at Penrith (although a package deal with Nathan Cleary in about 2026 would be amazing). Toovey is still looking for a gig if Hasler opted to retire. But Manly probably have to look within for some sort of succession plan. May I suggest Daly Cherry-Evans, an eleven year veteran of Manly already, club captain, premiership winner, Queensland captain, Clive Churchill Medal winner, would be ideally suited to the role once he retires from playing. History shows, Manly thrive when one of their own is the head coach. With Hasler back on top, the lesson has hopefully been well and truly learned.

Let me know what you think. Comment below.

Welcome to RLTV - Your new home of Rugby League

Rugby League television rights are worth just under $2 billion - BILLION! dollars. Their association with Channel 9 and Foxtel seems pretty secure, and hopefully the post-2022 deal will be as lucrative.

But what about the fans that aren’t willing to fork our over $100 a month for Foxtel?

What if there was a way for fans to watch as much rugby league as they could handle for less than a cup of coffee a week? And what if that brought in, say, $33 million dollars for the game that they could use on grassroots and regional footy?

Pre-COVID, the average game attendance has been hanging around the 15,000 mark. The TV ratings are about 336,000 each weekend. That’s a total of 456,000 fans that tune in to watch the game every week.

Let’s say, conservatively, that about half are hardcore footy fans.

What would make them fork out just $3 a week to watch even more footy?

Welcome to RLTV

Firstly, you’d have to have all NRL games on delay. This would attract some fans that can’t always watch live games, and also acquiesce to the Foxtel and Ch9 demands. Foxtel already have a similar arrangement for Origin and the Grand Final.

Yeah, but $3 man - what do I get?

Sit back and let me count the ways with 22 - yes 22 - exclusive shows that could make RLTV the go to channel for rugby league fans.

I hope I can embed an excel spreadsheet outlining the programming, but let’s see where it goes.

1) Obviously a weekly preview of all games on a Thursday evening.

2) And a weekly review on a Monday evening

3) One To Watch - an interview and background briefing on up and comers such as Tyrell Sloan, Sean Keppie, Reece Walsh….

4) Behind The Scenes - not a Wests Tigers Foxtel thing, but more of a community based programme, showing how NRL players work in their community - think Ken Stephen Medal stories

5) Where Are They Now? - Catch up with some of the forgotten heroes. In my example I named Colin Van Der Voort, Mick Pattison and Bruce Walker among others

6) Champions - A sit down interview with some of the greats of modern times, such as Johnathan Thurston, Steve Menzies and Shane Webcke.

7) Legends - a documentary on the players that shaped the game such as Clive Churchill, Norm Provan, or Bob Fulton.

8) A NSW Cup Wrap

9) A QLD Cup Wrap

10) An English Super League Warp

11) A Pacific Wrap

12) Gone Country (NSW) - A wrap of regional footy

13) Gone Country (QLD) - as above

14) Emerging Nations - a series highlighting rugby league in countries such as Lebanon, Italy, Jamaica, Venezuela etc

15) A recap of the NRLW competition - with replays and profiles to come eventually

16) Koori/Murri recap - highlights of competitions, especially the carnivals. Could work with NITV on a share arrangement.

17) Rivalries - A historic programme highlighting some of the intensity between clubs, especially before their weekly clash

18) Coach Profile - Not just current, but also those of the past such as Jack Gibson, Warren Ryan, Harry Bath, Roy Masters etc

19) Best of State of Origin

20) Best of Test Matches

21) Club Histories - all 16 plus Norths, Balmain, Wests and Newtown - there are stories in there that are the fabric of the game.

22) Great Grand Finals - By the end of the year there’ll be 68 mandatory GFs - plenty of great footage.

So, what are the obstacles?

Firstly, Channel 9 and Foxtel would have to agree to RLTV playing replays of the games. Shouldn’t be too much of a problem as highlights packages are already on nrl.com.au.

Secondly, you’d need some camera at the lower tier competitions (NSW and QLD Cups). One solution would be to have a game play as a curtain raiser to an NRL game.

Similarly, you’d need some footage from PNG, NZ, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa etc, as well as NSW and QLD country leagues.

You would need some interviewers and willing participants for the Champions series - but having watched Peter Peters and Ken Arthurson, I don’t think this is an issue.

The television rights to Origins, Tests and Grand Finals are hopefully owned by the NRL. I’m not privy to the arrangements, but I do see them bob up on Foxtel.

RLTV would also have to have an on demand service, so people could watch the programmes outside of their live viewing times.

Anyway, that’s a whole lotta footy for $3 a week. If just half of the current viewing audience signed up (and that’s before we even get to overseas subscribers) that equates to $33 million dollars per year. That seems like a lot of money that could be put into regional and junior footy.

Where there is a will….

Here is a draft programming schedule. Midnight to 8am, would be replays.

I’d love to know what you think. [email protected] or comment below.

The Great Scanlens Mix Up Of 1978

When I was a kid, Scanlens had a mortgage on the trading card market in Australia Each pack came with six cards and a stick of gum. In 1977 I carried around a handful of cards - Bob McMillan, Col Parkes, Kevin Wilson, and the prized Wests cards of John Donnelly, Jim Murphy and Tom Raudonikis.

In early 1978, my Mum had cottoned on to cards being the new big thing for primary school kids, and surprised me with a couple of packs after school.

Except, they weren’t rugby league cards. A distribution mix up at the transport company in early 1978 saw the rugby league cards go to Melbourne, while we in Sydney had the VFL cards.

I opened the first pack, and the card that greeted me was a guy called Michael Malthouse who played for something called Richmond. My Mum wasn’t too happy with the mix up, but I decided to give the (then) VFL a chance with the match of the day on Channel 7. It was a long way from rugby league, but Richmond became my team, although I didn’t follow them closely until they won the premiership a couple of years later.

The Scanlens distribution centre eventually sorted out the mix up, and Mum again surprised me with a few packets of cards. This time, the first face I saw was Graeme O’Grady from the Wests Magpies. That made more sense. And the gum somehow tasted better too.

Where's The Next Premiership Coming From?

Three weeks out from the finals, several clubs are already looking towards 2022. A handful are still trying to get into the Top 8, while five, maybe six, have a shot at winning the Grand Final.

So, as another season comes towards the finals, it is time to ask each club, where is your next premiership coming from?

MELBOURNE

Last Win: 2020

I don’t think Melbourne fans have too much to worry about. The transition from the Slater-Cronk-Smith era to the Papenhuyzen-Munster-Grant era was seamless. Craig Bellamy is the greatest coach of his generation, if not the greatest of all time. On the cusp of equalling the 1975 record of 19 wins a row, the Storm are favourites to win the premiership again in 2021.

SYDNEY ROOSTERS

Last Win: 2019

2021 has been a wretched season for the Sydney Roosters when it comes to injury. Club captains Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend have been forced into retirement, as has veteran winger Brett Morris. The upside is they have unearthed a future superstar halfback in Sam Williams, and they are still a very big chance of making the Top 4 this year. Three time premiership winning coach Trent Robinson isn’t going anywhere. The Roosters will rebuild and still have a shot at the title over the next few seasons.

CRONULLA

Last Win: 2016

It’s just five years since Cronulla shocked Melbourne to win the 2016 Grand Final. Yet the Sharks have been happy enough to qualify for the finals without getting much further ever since. They have a succession of coaches - Flanagan, Morris, Hannay - and in 2022 will have Craig Fitzgibbon in the role in his first major gig. They have some great young forwards coming through, but the halves have been an issue. Matt Moylan has struggled with injury, and Shaun Johnson and Chad Townsend have moved on. Who will guide them around the park in 2022? It took the Sharks 50 years to win their first - I think it will be at least another ten before they win a second.

NORTH QUEENSLAND

Last Win: 2015

The Cowboys’ extra time victory over Brisbane in 2015 earned the club their first and only premiership. Since then, Johnathan Thurston has retired, and the club has slumped towards the bottom of the ladder. Their recruitment has been ordinary at best in that time, although in their defence it is hard to replace solid experienced forwards such as Matt Scott and Gavin Cooper. Without better recruitment, they are at least ten years away from another title.

SOUTHS

Last Win: 2014

I tipped Souths to beat Melbourne in the 2021 Grand Final. It still may happen, although Melbourne seem unstoppable right now. The Bunnies have set a competition record with eight games in a row scoring 30+ points, but their defence is still an issue. This year really is their window though. Adam Reynolds has been inexplicably let go, and Wayne Bennett is moving on. Jason Demetriou may take a couple of years to ease into the head coaching role, and his main task in 2022 will be getting the best out of Anthony Milford. If the Rabbitohs are smart, they will keep Benji Marshall for another year as a backup before easing the young halves into the top grade alongside Cody Walker. If not this year, I still see Souths potentially winning the title in the next three years.

MANLY

Last Win: 2011

Apart from the debacle of the Northern Eagles era, Manly have never gone ten years without winning a premiership since they won their first in 1972. They are a chance this year, but realistically, they are a step behind Melbourne and Souths, and maybe Penrith. However, the long term signings of the Trbojevic brothers and Daly Cherry-Evans coupled with Des Hasler’s mentorship of unsung players such as Morgan Harper, Brad Parker, Taniela Paseka etc could see the Sea Eagles challenging for the next few years at least.

ST GEORGE-ILLAWARRA

Last Win: 2010

The Dragons haven’t been a serious contender for the title since Wayne Bennett packed his bags for Newcastle a decade ago. Current coach Anthony Griffin has a good record of getting teams to the finals, but no further, This year he probably won’t even do that with the Dragons, although BBQ-Gate certainly didn’t help. Ben Hunt needs some help to steer this team around. Looking at their roster, a title seems years away. They had to wait 31 years before beating the Roosters in the 2010 Grand Final. They’re already up to 11, but surely they won’t have to wait another twenty. Maybe ten though.

BRISBANE

Last Win: 2006

Remember when Brisbane was the gold standard? That seems so long ago now. Previous coaches and administrations purged the club of experienced players, and Kevin Walters has been brought in to fix the mess. Walters has made a good start, getting rid of a couple of players who don’t fit his image of where the club should be. Adam Reynolds should be the signing of the year for 2022. I expect the Broncos to bounce back and be challenging within the next three or four years.

WESTS TIGERS

Last Win: 2005

The Tigers have been their own worst enemy for years now. A revolving door of coaches and paying overs for players that haven’t delivered has contributed to their failure to make the finals for a decade. Michael Maguire has been brought in to stop the rot, but the club still struggles to attract players. By 2023 they should have some room to move in the salary cap to add players in key positions. The Tigers have some great youngsters coming through suck as Jock Madden and Jake Simpkins. They will need some help though from experienced players. If they stick with Maguire they could be a top contender within five years. If they continue the coaching merry-go-round….well Balmain won in 1969 and Wests won in 1952.

CANTERBURY

Last Win: 2004

This was supposed to be the year that Canterbury improved on their dismal performances of recent years. Instead they have gone backwards. I can’t think of one player that has gone to the Bulldogs this year who has emerged as a better player. It makes me fear for the futures of Matt Burton and Brent Naden. They do get Josh Addo-Carr though, who should be immune from going backwards. It will be interesting to see how Nick Meaney goes at Melbourne in comparison though. Canterbury do have the advantage of Phil Gould joining the club as an overseer, but I have seen nothing this year that suggests Canterbury could win the competition at any time soon. Which is sad - they should be top eight contenders every year.

PENRITH

Last Win: 2003

After making the Grand Final in 2020 on the back on a massive undefeated streak, Penrith went into 2021 as one of the favourites. They still retain that status, but have slipped a bit behind Melbourne, with Souths creeping up. The window may be closing. They are losing a few of their fringe players such as Burton and Naden next year, but retain the bulk of their squad. I can’t see them beating Melbourne this year, but they should be thereabouts for a couple of years at least.

NEWCASTLE

Last Win: 2001

The Knights suffered an injury toll earlier in the year worse than most teams, yet still find themselves in the mix for the Top 8. If they can keep Pearce, Ponga and Best healthy, and retain the Saifiti brothers in the front row, Newcastle could become a premiership force within a couple of years. I’m not sure how they match it with Melbourne or Souths in attack. They need another game-breaker to assist Ponga. If they can snare one, they could challenge within the next couple of seasons.

CANBERRA

Last Win: 1994

Canberra made the Grand Final in 2019, and were an overturned six again ruling from perhaps snaring their first title in 25 years. Alas, it wasn’t to be, and the Raiders have struggled to get back to the main stage. They have a great roster and a proven coach, yet the window could be closing. I predicted they would regret letting Aiden Sezer go in favour of George Williams, and here we are. If Canberra can jag a top halfback they could still be a threat in the next couple of years. If not, the 2020s could be as lean as the 2000s and the 2010s.

PARRAMATTA

Last Win: 1986

Souths went 43 years without a premiership win and that was big news in the rugby league community. Parramatta are now, at 35 years, closing in on that. They have been in and around the finals for several seasons since their last Grand Final win, but haven’t ever been able to break through. Their capitulation over the last few weeks has seen the club surrender yet another chance for premiership glory. They have been waiting for the next Peter Sterling since the great halfback retired in 1992. Gary Freeman, Chris Sandow, Tim Smith and Mitch Moses have all had their moments, but none could ever be Sterling. I honestly don’t see where the next premiership from the Eels is coming from. It could be another 35 years.

GOLD COAST

Last Win: Never

Gold Coast is the region where sporting franchises go to die. The ARL tried with the Seagulls/Giants/Chargers for a decade, and they made an extended finals series once. The Titans haven’t really been considered a threat since they entered the competition in 2007, and there has been talk of relocating the club in recent times. They recruit well, but tend to pay overs for players that can never deliver the club a premiership. If they win a premiership in the next 20 years I will be astonished. I’ll be even more astonished if they’re around in 20 years.

NZ WARRIORS

Last Win: Never

27 seasons with a whole country at their disposal and only two Grand Finals to show for it. The Warriors have been a disaster, yet the promise for an elusive title is still there. They have shown great tenacity to still be a chance of making the 2021 finals despite not being able to play at home for two years. There is a very real chance that COVID could kill the Warriors as the NRL looks for a second team in Brisbane. I hope not. But I wouldn’t be backing them to win a premiership any time in the next ten years,

So what does this all tell us? We sit around each year to see who Melbourne play in the Grand Final? Well, yeah, maybe. Maybe for the next five years at least. Souths are losing their Super Coach, the Roosters are in the dreaded rebuilding phase, Parramatta continue to fade in August. That leaves Penrith and Manly as true competitors. Hopefully some of the other teams focus on coaching appointment and recruitment in the next few years in order to challenge those top teams. The last thing the NRL needs is for its competition to be like the EPL where its always Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United or Chelsea. The NRL needs a Leicester City. I’ll be fascinated to see which club takes that role.

Let me know what you think. Comment below

And It's Also An Opportunity For Impact

It’s a shame Impact Wrestling lost their Australian TV distribution. It makes it a bit hard to keep up, especially with the AEW crossover.

But the crossover may be they key. Following on from my last post, here’s a scenario that could make Impact relevant again.

Let’s have Kenny Omega issue an open challenge for the Impact World Title. Have Erick (Rowan) Redbeard accept, and lose in a hard fought 15+ minute match.

The next week, Omega, feeling cocky, issues another open challenge, Redbeard comes down again, but Omega brushes him off, Redbeard says he is here just to introduce the new challenger - Braun Strowman (with whatever new name he may have).

Omega seems to have the upper hand before the lights go out, and some kind of Bray Wyatt interference distracts Omega to give Braun the title. After the match, Braun, Erick and Bray congregate in the ring, signifying, dare I say it, a new world order of professional wrestling….

Just a thought - and it probably will never happen.

My money is on Bray and Braun both going back to WWE before the year is out….

Can AEW actually win?

WWE has been the dominant wrestling federation since it bought out WCW 20 years ago. Impact (formerly TNA) and Ring of Honor still have their fans, but they were seen as the minor leagues until their best stars went to WWE. And they did. CM Punk, Samoa Joe, Daniel Bryan, AJ Styles etc ended up being main players in WWE.

And then AEW came along. Headed by Chris Jericho and Cody Rhodes, the upstart federation concentrated on old school wrestling and story line development. Kenny Omega came over from Japan. They had crossover with Impact. They even managed to sign WWE veterans Christian, Mark Henry and Big Show, although only Christian has been an in ring competitor.

Vince McMahon has gone on the record saying he doesn’t see AEW as a competitor. Which is fair enough. With all sorts of devices available now TV ratings aren’t the standard bearer they were in the Monday Night Wars of the 1990s.

And yet…if you watched Monday Night Raw this week, you would have heard the crowd chanting “We Want Wyatt.” Bray Wyatt, perhaps the most interesting character since The Undertaker, was released this week, apparently due to budget cuts. This comes just a few weeks after Braun Strowman was let go.

Raw had the already buried team of Mace & T Bar, Reginald in a 24/7 title defence, and a WCW stalwart who has been on record as being dangerously past his prime in matches challenging for the World Title. I skipped through RAW in 20 minutes. It’s a three hour show.

Now I love WWE. I love Vince. He made Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, The Undertaker, Randy Savage, Bret Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H and The Rock household names.

But what in the bluest of blue hells are they doing?

If they are relying on Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins for star power, they better get used to some competition.

If the rumours are true, Daniel Bryan and CM Punk are walking into AEW shortly. If Braun Strowman and especially Bray Wyatt follow, this could be the biggest own goal in wrestling history.

If AEW gain these four guys, sponsors will flock, TV ratings will increase, and the company will start to move eyeballs away from the WWE which has their best talent, Drew McIntyre, competing in meaningless handicap matches.

AEW has plenty of money. They don’t have the history.

If Bray and Braun cross over, this could be a hell of a fight.

Let me know what you think. Comment below.

Never Give Up

So John Cena is back on Smackdown, reminding us all to Never Give Up. It’s great advice, and a mantra I let my kids know about, especially during these lock down times,

But just for now, I want to recall a more lighthearted moment around Never Give Up

August 21, 2005. I walked down to my local RSL to watch my Manly play Cronulla. The Sea Eagles, in their first year under the coaching of club legend Des Hasler were in 7th place after being near the top for most of the early part of the season. Cronulla were in 8th and looking to cement their place in the finals with just three rounds to play.

I got to the club a bit early, and sat down with a beer as the teams ran out. Manly were in their rebuilding phase. Steve Menzies and Ben Kennedy were in the forwards alongside a young Anthony Watmough and Jason King. Brett Stewart was the season’s new fullback.

It soon got ugly. Cronulla scored a couple of tries early, and I soon found my way back to the bar. The Sharks’ halves were Nigel Vagana and Brett Kimmorley, and they had the game on a string. Cronulla passed 30, 40, 50 points.

To their credit, patrons at the local RSL (nowhere near Manly - in fact in real enemy territory) felt sorry for me, and started to buy me sympathy beers after every Sharks try. Unfortunately, Cronulla ran in twelve that day, so I had to leave a couple there on the table.

Yet, just towards the end, Steve Menzies crossed for Manly’s only try. It happened to be the one where he went past Bob Fulton on the all time try scorers list. I celebrated like it was the 1987 Grand Final all over again.

Des Hasler eventually brought in a number of young blokes from Manly and other clubs, and in 2008 the team defeated Melbourne in the Grand Final to claim their first premiership since 1996. It took Cronulla close to another decade to finally win the comp for the first time. I think Paul Gallen was the only survivor from the team that beat Manly 68-6 back in 2005.

Des never gave up. He forged the team in his own spirit of competitiveness that saw him win two Grand Finals as player. Three years later the Sea Eagles were celebrating.

In adversity comes strength.

Never give up.

The Old Suburban Grounds

One of the fun things about writing rugby league history is remembering the old suburban grounds of Sydney where the majority of premiership matches were played until the 1990s. The Match of the Day may have been played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (or Sydney Sports Ground) for decades, but there was something about watching your team on the rickety wooden seats of the one covered stand (if you were lucky) or the hill, mingling with other fans.

My parents took me to the old Cumberland Oval when I was a kid. The memories are a bit sketchy - this was before the Eels finally won a premiership in 1981 and burned the stadium to the ground. I was at the opening of Parramatta Stadium in 1986 - I think it was a school excursion to see the Queen - and while the conveniences were brilliant, it did lack the earlier atmosphere. I haven’t been to the new Western Sydney Stadium, as I moved out of Sydney before it was completed.

Of course, the suburban ground I love most of all is Brookvale Oval. Unloved by many, it sits in a state and federal seat that almost always goes to the Liberals, and therefore funding is hard to get. They have done well on occasions though, and it has come a long way since I sat in the rain just to see Wally Lewis for the first time. The 61-0 thrashing of St George in 1994 was probably my best memory of the ground.

I spent a bit of time at Lidcombe Oval as a kid too. My Dad was an engineer at Auburn Council, which employed many Magpies’ players back when footy players needed a job. I was a big fan of John Donnelly and Tom Raudonikis, but it was John Dorahy who eventually took me to the ‘dark side’ of Manly, as I’ve outlined in a previous post.

In my final years working for Mission Australia, I had the pleasure of forming partnerships with the fantastic Men Of League organisation. I was able to visit the new premises at Redfern and Belmore which took me back to the 80s. Both South Sydney and Canterbury had moved on to the new stadiums for home games, but the traditional bases remained their spiritual homes.

The one ground that really stood out in those years though was the old Henson Park at Marrickville. Every chance I had, I parked my car at the top of the dead end street to walk around the old ground on my lunch break. A public space now, I felt honoured to stand on the same space that Newtown heroes had once stood. Players such as Ray Preston, Dick Poole, Ken Wilson, Kevin Considine, Phil Sigsworth, and of course Tommy Raudonikis. Such a wonderful history.

It’s sad that today games are being cancelled due to COVID. Rockhampton was all set to host its first ever NRL game, as was Redcliffe. Two grounds that bring back memories of a simpler time. When crowds could mingle on the hill.

Let me know what you think. Comment below

How to Bring Back Bray Wyatt/The Fiend

We haven’t seen Bray Wyatt since he lost to Randy Orton at Wrestlemania.

SummerSlam looks like being a packed show. WWE has already brought back John Cena, although his role is still up in the air, They have also taken Goldberg out of mothballs and it looks like he will be fighting Bobby Lashley for the WWE World Title.

So, what about Bray Wyatt? He was the ‘must see’ segment of every show, but he hasn’t been seen for months. Betrayed by Alexa Bliss, he could come back to insert himself in her storyline, but Alexa is nowhere near the titles at the time of writing.

Here’s what I would do. And it’s an easy build. AJ Styles and Omos have already been attacking Matt Riddle in the absence of his shaky tag partner, Randy Orton. Let Orton come back at some point before SummerSlam to save Riddle from a beat down, and set up a tag team titles match at SummerSlam between AJ/Omos and Riddle/Orton.

Just as Riddle/Orton are about to get the win, bring back The Fiend to take out Orton. AJ/Omos get the win.

But here is where it gets interesting…

Have Riddle make friends with the Firefly Funhouse Bray Wyatt. Have Riddle interact with the puppet characters. This could be gold TV. Make Riddle try to convince Wyatt that Orton isn’t such a bad guy.

I’d even have Riddle/Orton/Wyatt (as pullover Wyatt) team against heel teams in six man matches, and make Riddle try to make Orton trust Wyatt. Keep The Fiend off TV for the whole time.

The outcomes are many. You could have Orton begin to trust Wyatt before The Fiend returns. You could have Riddle turn on Orton coz Randy doesn’t like the puppets, only for The Fiend to turn on Riddle. You could even have an Orton/Wyatt “if you can’t beat em join em” repeat storyline as they both turn on Riddle.

At the end of it, Riddle is gold. He is already gold. Orton is in a strong storyline either way, and Wyatt gets back towards the main event. Which is exactly where he should be.