The Football (all sorts) Thread

[Fungal Infection]

I've been a Storm fan ever since they won their first title in 99 and if you've followed them for that long, you can see they are getting so much unnecessary flack. Where was the attention pre-2006 when they were only a middle tier team?? Now suddenly they are wiping the floor with the competition and everyone turns their attention to the Storm and for what? Cause they are a non-NSW team?? Cam Smith deserved to be penalised, I wont deny that, but then you look back 2 weeks ago when Manly played St George and the tackle that Heath L'estrange had put on him - where's the bloody consistency?! The player involved didn't even get put on report or reviewed by the match committee! I'm so glad Ricky's boys got their asses handed to them on Friday night after the comments he made to sway the judiciary. As long as Melbourne keeps winning the way they are, they will always be under the microscope, and I find it sad that Tall Poppy Syndrome is creeping into sports as well. I'd love for the Eagles to win the title this season, only to see a true gentlemen of the sport, Steve Menzies go out on top but with all the shit the Storm have copped, I'm gonna back the Storm just so I can say to all the haters, "up yours, you rubbed out Smith but we still beat your sorry asses, stick that up your ass Tony Greig!!" (copyright The 12th Man).

[Pulse]

Not that I agree with them, but I know of a fair few people who believe teams like the Storm & the Warriors shouldn't even be in the NRL in the first place. They use the argument that Melbourners will never accept a Rugby League team & that the NRL stands for "National Rugby League" - & New Zealand is not a part of Australia.

& you Melbourners won't believe the amount of nay-sayers slagging out the AFL with their plans for a second team here in Sydney. The media is calling it a massive waste of money going straight down the gurgler...

[Fungal Infection]

It wouldn't be a truly national league without more teams from interstate now would it? Its that kind of thinking which makes you wonder why the AFL is able to play to packed stadiums even though I personally think the NRL has a better product. The AFL has more appeal at the moment because it is a truly national competition. But if you look at global appeal, then league has more of it by virtue of it being played in more countries such as the UK, NZ and France. And the excuse that Melbournians dont accept league is bull - their home crowd averages are higher than many Sydney clubs and Sydney is supposedly the heartland of league. In the same way Sydney has embraced the Swans, Melbournians are starting to embrace league. So the naysayers should look at the stats first before they open their mouths cause its obvious they aren't thinking before they speak.

[Pulse]

Do you remember when League tried to expand Nationally for the first time & what a mess Super League made of their forays into Adelaide & Perth? I think we can blame the Rams & the Reds failures on a lack of research into those markets but ever since the Storm were rebuilt from the ashes of those 2 clubs & the Mariners, they've just gone great guns...

[STL]

Not that I agree with them, but I know of a fair few people who believe teams like the Storm & the Warriors shouldn't even be in the NRL in the first place. They use the argument that Melbourners will never accept a Rugby League team & that the NRL stands for "National Rugby League" - & New Zealand is not a part of Australia.

& you Melbourners won't believe the amount of nay-sayers slagging out the AFL with their plans for a second team here in Sydney. The media is calling it a massive waste of money going straight down the gurgler...

I've come to embrace the Storm. I went to two games this season. Last year I went to one. Many other Melbournians as well. My mates and I are having an equivalent grand final bbq next week just for it.

As for the second Sydney team, the press down here ain't much better for the AFL. I mean, Tassie deserves a footy team more than a 2nd NSW team. It's called hubris, I think.

[i_amtrunks]

As for the second Sydney team, the press down here ain't much better for the AFL. I mean, Tassie deserves a footy team more than a 2nd NSW team. It's called hubris, I think.

I concur, Tassie deserves an AFL more than Sydney deserves a 2nd team.
But it aint going to happen, as there is not enough corporate $$$ to support a AFL team in Tassie. I personally doubt there is enough corporate $$$ for the Western Sydney side either.

I also think it's rather stupid for the 2nd AFL side to build a 15,000 capacity arena (with only a 1500 seat stand) out at Blacktown, then go play games at the soulless ANZ Stadium at Homebush. They'd be better off making a decent 35,000 Stadium and being purely located at Blacktown, which is the largest council area in NSW, has a high growth rate and is located between the 3 big Western Sydney League teams. It's a 10 minute walk to the Stadium from Doonside or Rooty Hill Stations, and there is plenty of otherwise unusable floodplain they could create a carpark on.

As for Melbourne, the $50,000 fine only proves that they were on the money, the NRL only acts when they are caught out, the judiciary is corrupt, always has been, always inconsistent.
I like Melbourne as a team, and would like to see them win, but I think Manly will prove the old adage "gotta lose a final to win a final", and I don't begrudge them it at all, Menzies deserves the send off, and Manly have been an exceptionally strong team all year (how they manage to only lose 1 player for Origin I'll never understand).

[Bartrim]

(Menzies at Manly, Price at the Warriors, Geyer at Melbourne)

What about Russell Aitken Trunks?

[i_amtrunks]

What about Russell Aitken Trunks?

That name sounds familiar... he's Cam Smiths replacement at the Storm, who has no club next season right? Played for Cronulla or the Dragons didnt he?

Since he isn't retiring this year, I think I'll keep Geyer as the one the Storm have to win the Final for.

[Bartrim]

Thats him. Come on you have to feel for the guy. Signs a contract at a lower grade french club who go bankrupt.

I think Tim Sheens should sign him and turn him into "the next Cooper Cronk" (his prediction of John Morris, who I like as a player but not a ball playing halfback)

[i_amtrunks]

Thats him. Come on you have to feel for the guy. Signs a contract at a lower grade french club who go bankrupt.

I think Tim Sheens should sign him and turn him into "the next Cooper Cronk" (his prediction of John Morris, who I like as a player but not a ball playing halfback)

Canberra and the Tigers are the two teams with money to spare at the moment.

The Tigers do need a half/five-eighth who can really put on the razzle dazzle. The Tigers seem to be struggling to bring their juniors through at the moment, the ones that dont get pinched by Easts arent that great (unlike the Penrith juniors who should drastically improve the Panthers in 2009).