The Dinosaurs Get Their Way (2018)

Rugby League's dinosaurs have seemingly got their way and put an end to the crackdown by referees on ruck, play-the-ball, marker and offside infringements, which had seen a myriad of penalties blown in the opening four rounds of football.

The reasoning, aside from enforcing the rules, was to try and do something to eliminate grappling and wrestling, holding down in the play the ball and a restriction of fast attacking football.

Phil Gould stated on Channel 9’s 100% Footy, that:

“Referees were given instructions Sunday morning to tone back on it, to just get back to refereeing the important penalties the ones that were obvious.”

(See the video here: http://the81stminute.com/2018/04/referees-told-to-tone-it-back-phil-gould/)

Gould, along with Andrew Johns, Paul Vautin and Brad Fittler have been strongly opposed to the penalty bonanza's, aggressively repeating their disdain on Channel 9 from Round 1.

And while many other former players, commentators and fans have welcomed the crackdown, it appears that the NRL has yielded to the whinging old clowns and decided to pull the pin on the crackdown.

This is very bad for a number of reasons:

1.       Essentially clubs and players have got their way. The game has given control of the game to clubs and players to dictate how the game should be officiated. As the saying goes “the inmates run the asylum.” This is the biggest issue of all and directly attacks the integrity of the game.

2.       A handful of whinging commentators, notably Gould, have far too much authority, somehow, over the game, to have something like this modified to suit his agenda. How and why does he have this much power. It’s clearly wrong.

3.       The argument that the crackdown still made mistakes, notably the one that cost the Wests Tigers the game against Brisbane in Round 3 during Golden Point. While a valid argument, the problem with this perspective is that the alternative (less penalties) means infringements have to be ignored. And no matter which way you cut it, ignoring infringements will not eliminate howlers or game-changing mistakes, but will serve to continue their existence. It will not make the game better in the long term.

4.       The whole purpose of the crackdown has been completely eliminated. Everyone has demanded an end to the wrestling, holding down in tackles and off side markers and edge defenders. But they also don’t want the short term pain of a few rounds worth of games with high penalty counts. So now we’ll go back to the massive eyesore of grappling and wrestling, because some people didn’t like hearing the refs whistle.

5.       It makes it pretty clear that the referees are impacted by the NRL and indirectly media scrutiny. So why bother having referees? If they cannot be trusted and respected for the job they are doing, what’s the point of their existence?

6.       Finally, this enforces a modern day issue in all sport, that bitching and moaning about referees is not only accepted, but it brings results, despite the refs doing the right thing on the vast majority of occasions. Referees are accountable for every decision they make. But players and clubs can complain to avoid accountability of their decisions.

The onus should have been on players and clubs to realise that the refs were cleaning this part of the game up and in turn, they should have changed their play to be rules compliant. That’s how the system works. That was the point of the exercise. Because penalties, everywhere in life, have two purposes:

1.       Enforce the rules/law

2.       Deter you from reoffending

Given that after 4 weeks, penalties were still being given in copious numbers, the only step after this was not backing down, but instead utilising the sin bin far more aggressively.

Also, despite the games being low scoring and high in penalties, it certainly had little impact on ratings. Perhaps seeing even contests, producing unexpected results has been great for the game? 

Not one of the top 5 sides from last year are in the top 5 right now. Furthermore, three of the bottom 5 sides last year are in the top 8, while the other two are placed at 11^th and 12^th. It may only be early days in the 2018 season, but there’s been a lot of transformation on the game which has drawn a lot of interest from fans. Crowd numbers are up, ratings are strong. 

Perhaps this crackdown was working.

Tough 'Tooves' Can Cure NSW's Blues (2017)

Last Sunday, Fox Sports Lara Pitt spoke directly to Phil Gould amidst rumours and speculation that he could be stepping in, as part of a unique trio with Brad Fittler and Andrew Johns, to coach the New South Wales Origin side in 2018.

The most honest and correct statement he made regarding Laurie Daley’s sacking was, “Laurie’s not a professional coach. This is not what he does for a living.”

And that right there hits at 50 percent of the Blues’ issues. He isn’t a professional coach. That is exactly what NSW needs.

This is exactly the same issue that Fittler and Johns have. They may do some assistant coaching on the side – and ‘Freddy’ did coach the Roosters with mixed results a decade ago – but they aren’t full-time professional coaches of football teams.

Fittler and Johns are also very similar to Daley in another aspect. They were all magnificent players, undoubtedly the best of their generation in the world. But they are all laidback characters.

With stories emerging such as Josh Dugan and Blake Ferguson having some drinks before engaging in some less-than-professional interior designing of a hotel room prior to Origin II, coupled with the duo’s pub session and Andrew Fifita reportedly forcing Daley to backflip on his decision to have him start from the bench prior to the decider shows that the players did not respect Daley enough.

It’s not because they didn’t think he deserved it. It’s because Daley, like Fittler and Johns, comes across as one of the boys. There’s nothing wrong with that in some team environments. But it clearly doesn’t work for the Blues.

However, there is one coach who oozes passion and professionalism, is a full-time coach, played plenty of Origin footy and is looking for a gig.

Geoff Toovey.

Why hasn’t ‘Tooves’ been put forward as a candidate? The intense Manly club legend and former coach spent 2017 coaching the financial basketcase that is the Bradford Bulls, whose relegation to the third-tier competition would render Toovey too expensive to stay on. He wants to be back in Sydney and ideally at an NRL club.

But while he is yet to be picked up by any club, why not line him up to coach the Blues? 

Furthermore, let him have full control of the side. He doesn’t need helpers like Daley did.

The decision to move Bob Fulton on for this series in favour of Peter Sterling would make the role more enticing for Toovey.

Toovey has bled for the Blues. He demands respect from his players and he is a smart tactician. He has all the qualities required to be an Origin coach.

 
And he will provide them a huge injection of the one thing they need the most: passion.

****This article appeared on Commentary Box Sports website on September 1, 2017****

The Wizard of Aus. (2011)

Once upon a time, in a world full of journalists brimming with integrity, honesty and professionalism; in the black and white days of sports writing when only facts were published, there was a wonderful game adored by all, called Rugby League.

There was also a little girl with a big imagination called Rebecca. She was a budding young sports writer who used to frolic in the sun kissed fields with her faithful puppy Philphil.

Then one fateful day, a monstrous tornado came along and turned their perfect lives upside down.

Rebecca frightened and scared, held onto her only friend, Philphil, while Mother Nature vented her awesome and mighty fury, before being knocked unconscious as her house was picked up and sucked into the powerful vortex, before being spat out.

Rebecca was swept away to a colourful new world, filled with hyperbole, innuendo, rumour, fabrications, half-truths, rhetoric and other wondrous new things filling her with fear and excitement, which she would never be able to purge herself of.

She was in a new world, detached from normal civilisation.

“We’re not in Sydney anymore Philphil.”

Rebecca decided to employ what little journalistic skills she had to ascertain how she would go about returning home. A nearby munchkin informed her that she needed to see the Wizard of Aus, as he is the only one capable of returning her to Sydney safely.

She soon found a yellow pathway leading to Emerald City and opted to follow it. She then saw what appeared to be a living scarecrow.

“Hello, my name is Rebecca, I’m from Sydney and I’m trying to find my way home, can you help?”

The scarecrow replied, “Hello, my name is Schubert, I’d like to help but alas, I have no brain!”

The scarecrow and Rebecca walked together further along the yellow road, before coming across what appeared to be a woodsman made of metal. Rebecca figured she would ask again for assistance.

“Hello, my name is Rebecca and this is my dog Philphil. We are lost and want to go back to Sydney, are you able to help?”

The metallic man replied, “Hello, my name is Gyngell, I don’t care much for your plight, as I have no heart.”

The Tin man however opted to join the Scarecrow, Rebecca and Philphil as they continued on their journey, until they met a talking lion.

“Hello, my name…”

The lion was startled by Rebecca’s voice, running away and hiding. Philphil went after the lion and coaxed him out of his hiding place.

“Sorry about that,” said the lion. “My name is Gallop, you frightened me.”

“But lions are powerful mighty beasts, the kings of the jungle,” remarked Rebecca.

“That may be so, however I have no courage,” revealed the timid Lion.

Rebecca revealed she sought the Wizard of Aus after being informed he could help her return home.

“Maybe he can help you all as well!”

Inspired by Rebecca’s hollow suggestion, they marched forth.

They finally reached Emerald City and managed to speak the Wizard of Aus. He explained that in order for him to assist them, they first have to kill the wicked witch of the west and return to Emerald City with her broomstick.

So they set off again and before too long, they were intercepted by the Wicked Gould of the West.

“I’ll get you my pretty...and your little dog too!”

Filled with fear and an ambiguous objective, Rebecca was captured and held captive by the witch, before Philphil, accompanied by the Scarecrow, Tin man and the Lion, managed to set her free after using their amazing ability to deceive.

A fortunately nearby placed bucket of water was picked up by an angered Rebecca, who emptied its contents on the evil witch.

“I’m melting! I’m melting! NO NO NO NO NOOOOOO!” shrieked the evil witch, who literally melted and evaporated, leaving just a black hat, dress and broomstick.

Rebecca, now more confused, amazed, frightened and excited than ever before, wondered what more madness was in store, as she collected the broomstick and set forth for Emerald City

And so off she went, skipping and singing as though back in her past life, frolicking in fields heavily laden with flowers and innocence.

They sang and skipped along the golden bricked pathway, Rebecca’s heart full of hope that she and Philphil will soon be back home.

Sadly, Rebecca and Philphil never made it back to Sydney and still to this day, she continues writing wondrous and amazing stories of her stranger than fiction life in the fictional yet wonderful Land of Aus.