Don't forget to vote!

Welcome to the pre weekend edition, it seems a few of you have been in deep thought, which could be a very dangerous thing. It's a big weekend in sport and not that they sponsor this site but I do recommend that if you want to have a bet, use PaddyPower, they seem to be very good to their customers! Don't forget to vote in the 2 polls running at the moment, while the who will be Champions poll is a split decision, it seems most of you agree on who should go down, and to the guys who didn't vote for Britney, for shame!!!!!

How can't you be excited?
Now Ace from the last post, don't get me wrong I am finding the conclusion to this years NRL as exciting as the next bogan wearing ugg boots. I mean my team the mighty Tigers have come from nowhere and now sit inside the top 8! And yes sure your claim that the NRL provides different winners every year is a valid one, but we all know the sole reason behind this fact don't we! The salary cap. This is the only reason that different teams win the title. It is the exact same in the AFL, when only on special occasions can a team stay at the top level for a few years in a row.

Now sure the salary cap has been a great thing for Rugby League in this country, it provides a level playing field while helping the clubs maintain a certain financial stability, but really at the end of the day it is a f@#*in joke! When you look at it, all the salary cap does is ensure that over the course of a certain amount of years every club within the competition will win the title! So really, it is basically a cheat within the game to ensure that all the clubs get their shot.

What a f@#*in joke, this is like the girly way to play sport, really it is like my mother is running the game and she came out onto the back verandah and yelled "boys if you don't let little Johnny there have a turn at winning I will smack all of your bottoms". What happened to the old adage of "only the strong survive"? Give me the rough and tumble world of Football anyday, where muscle wins every time. Sure maybe only a few clubs have a real shot at being Champions, but its a 9 month slog fest to see who that is. And there is always the greatest cup competition in the world, the FA Cup if you want a fairytale, and I may be wrong Ace, but I reckon more than 4 clubs have won that in the last 20 years!
Harmo


In defence of the A-League
Just like to put forward my response to the letter yesterday from "Ace". While I have to agree with him on some of the points he put forward I have to disagree with his little jab at the A-league. Lets be honest here for a second, the A-League is not and never will be a world class league, the problem with people's perception of the league comes back to unfair comparisons to Europe. So sure the players are not going to be putting silky 50 pass movements together, cracking top corner winners, and making fingertip saves week in week out but that is to be expected. We, as a viewing public, have been spoiled when it comes to top class FOOTBALL with regular access to the Premier League etc.

People have to understand that the A-League is only in it's 5th year of existence, the national Rugby League competition in this country has been around as we all know for 100 years, that's one hell of a head start. I will have a bet with anyone that in 100 years more people will follow the A-League than the NRL. The reason for this is simple, as we continue to grow as a country and diversify through different cultures, FOOTBALL will continue to grow, because it IS the world game.

If you can't be entertained by that 3 all draw between Melbourne and Brisbane last weekend, no matter what sport you follow, you need to be taken out the back and shot!

Bashing on the A-League is like hitting the kid at school in the wheelchair, just back off and give the kid a chance!

It's called FOOTBALL, cos they actually use their feet, get use to it!
Deano


Well, so much for my analysis….
A few weeks ago I gave my very ‘detailed’ analysis of the teams I thought would have a big say in the NRL Finals Series. Two teams which didn’t rate a mention were Parramatta and Wests Tigers - and at the moment, possibly with the exception of St George Illawarra, they have been the form teams of the last month. So that’s why I can’t wait for what could be the match of the year on Friday night. Whoever wins on Friday night will go a long way in securing a Top 8 spot, as both teams still have couple of tough games in order to make the semis. Parramatta will have Penrith and the Dragons, while the Tigers travel to the Gold Coast and finish with the Bulldogs in the final round – so in essence, this is a season-defining game for both clubs. Hopefully the likes of Hayne, Marshall, Farah, Mortimer, Hindmarsh and Co can make this game an absolute cracker.

Oh, and one more thing. I don’t know about you, but I much rather sit through a whole game watching my team have a real dig but get thrashed 50 or 60-0, than getting beaten 36-22 by Souths and yet not really putting in. In my blog last week I think the words I used to describe Manly’s performance as ‘inept’, ‘pathetic’ and ‘spineless’ – and I will not walk away from that. That’s why I left before the end of the game. Tell me, would you sacrifice your hard-earned money to watch your team put in an effort equivalent to Darius Boyd’s conduct in a media interview? If so, all power to you.
Dazzler


An interesting suggestion
I for one am a bit over the restrictions placed on coaches during interviews, especially after game interviews. The way they have to tippytoe around certain things is becoming a joke. Mate, if the ref f@#*ed up, I want to hear what the Manager/Coach has to say about it. If an opposition player makes a bad tackle, or dives like he is at the olympics, I want to hear the man in charge of my club go off his nut and let the world know what he thinks of him!

Honestly we the public are the only one's missing out with these restrictions! I mean who wouldn't want to hear any of the following?

Alex Ferguson
"Oh aye, is a f@#*wit all 'ight, tha Graham Poll f@#*ed it up 'ike usual, twas a clear penalty for us, sorry, what twas that? Youse tink me nose is as red as roudolf? f@#* youse"

Des Hassler
"Mate I couldn't give a f@#* if everyone hates us, all I care about is getting on the piss with my boys tonight, oh and f@#* you, I like my hair long"

Frank Farina
"How did we go tonight? I'll tell you how we went, f@#*in awesome, and it's all cos I'm the manager. You know I'm the best"

Phil Brown (Manager of Hull)
"F@#*in robbed! i don't care if the score was 6-0, we were f@#*in robbed! What? You wanna know where I get my spray tan? Are you some kinda poof? F@#* off, of course the headset I'm wearing is real, f@#*er"

I just feel that if the managers and players for that matter are allowed to express themselves fully after a match it will make for some excellent viewing, and imagine the soundbites you would get!
Cracko