Friday, July 08, 2005
London Falling
Fight for Life had impeccable timing didn't it?
I, like everybody else I'm sure have been waiting for bombs to go off in London and it finally arrived.
Hard to know where the police and politicians will go from here. Obviously they will step their efforts up even more but they have such a large Muslim population and the city is so dense and so busy. Also the underground network is so old, narrow and basically impossible to protect.
I guess they will be raiding houses for any behaviour more suspicious than a packet of crisps being opened from the wrong end.
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Can't think what else to say about that until more information comes to light and the repercussions start.
So to completely trivialise things here's my take on State of Origin.
RIP Origin?
or should that read RIP Queensland?
I noticed in game two that there were a distinctive lack of big hitters and hard men in either side and not a single big hit in the match. When was the last time that happened I thought to myself? Well I can now update it to Origin 3 where once again there were no big hits and no real aggro to speak of save the Kennedy flop and aftermath.
I think Queensland have done their dash for the foreseeable future. they used to dominate origin back in the day when they not only had the hunger but also actually had the better players in many years.
After the 1995 series they had a 26-19 lead overall having won 8 series to 6.
Now the Blues have edged ahead 37-36 (the first time they have taken the lead) and lead the series 12-10. Actually if you add the 2 Super league victories to NSW's it's 39-36.
That's an 18-10 record for the Blues in the last ten years and Queensland haven't won a series since 2001 (20-10 if you count S.L.).
Also looking at the scores in the last decade and the majority of Queensland wins have been by tight margins while the Blues have won comfortably many times, especially in recent years, with margins of 8, 12, 1, 2, 1, 18, 1, 16, 4, 4, 18, 40, 18, 28, 7, 23, 1, 22, 10 and 22.
Nine out of the last ten results being by more than a converted try.
Compared to Queenslands most recent winning margins of 6, 1, 15, 1, 18, 26, 8, 30, 4 and 4 where just 4 of the 10 are by more than a converted try.
The commentators were saying that might be the best New South Wales team might be the best ever.
They must be smoking crack. Some of the better Queensland and NSWs teams would wipe the floor with that mob. The reason they won so impressively was that Queensland played like dogs, Lockyer went AWOL in the 2nd half (as he is want to do) and their forwards were about as effective as putting a midget out to mark Shaq.
Let me find a NSWs side from the last 20 odd years to compare it with.
2005
Anthony Minichiello, Timana Tahu, Mark Gasnier, Matt Cooper, Matt King, Braith Anasta, Andrew Johns, Ben Kennedy, Nathan Hindmarsh, Craig Fitzgibbon, Jason Ryles, Danny Buderus, Luke Bailey.
Craig Gower, Steve Simpson, Steve Menzies, Andrew Ryan
Here's one that beat a much stronger side than the current one 3-0 in 2000 including a 56-16 savaging in game 3:
Tim Brasher, Adam MacDougall, Ryan Girdler, Matthew Gidley, Jamie Ainscough, Brad Fittler, Brett Kimmorley, Scott Hill, Ben Kennedy, Bryan Fletcher, Jason Stevens, Geoff Toovey, Robbie Kearns
Andrew Johns, David Furner, Adam Muir, Michael Vella
or the 1996 team that also whitewashed the Maroons isn't too shabby either:
Tim Brasher, Rod Wishart, Andrew Ettingshausen, Laurie Daley, Brett Mullins
Brad Fittler, Geoff Toovey, Adam Muir, Dean Pay, David Furner, Paul Harragon, Andrew Johns, Glenn Lazarus
Jim Dymock, Jamie Ainscough, Jason Croker, Steve Menzies
or how about these famous names from the side that whitewashed the Maroons in 1986?
Garry Jack, Michael O'Connor, Chris Mortimer, Eric Grothe, Brett Kenny, Peter Sterling, Wayne Pearce, Noel Cleal, Steve Folkes, Peter Tunks, Royce Simmons
Steve Roach, Terry Lamb, David Gillespie
How many of them AREN'T legends?!
Compare them to the current Maroons side of household names like Berrigan, Thurston, Flannery, Crocker, Smith, Nutley, Ross, Bowman, Parker and Harrison playing with Carroll who was coming back from injury, Thorn who is passed it and Lockyer who went missing in action.
Mate, what would the score be between those sides?! Doesn't bare thinking about.
I, like everybody else I'm sure have been waiting for bombs to go off in London and it finally arrived.
Hard to know where the police and politicians will go from here. Obviously they will step their efforts up even more but they have such a large Muslim population and the city is so dense and so busy. Also the underground network is so old, narrow and basically impossible to protect.
I guess they will be raiding houses for any behaviour more suspicious than a packet of crisps being opened from the wrong end.
*****************************************
Can't think what else to say about that until more information comes to light and the repercussions start.
So to completely trivialise things here's my take on State of Origin.
RIP Origin?
or should that read RIP Queensland?
I noticed in game two that there were a distinctive lack of big hitters and hard men in either side and not a single big hit in the match. When was the last time that happened I thought to myself? Well I can now update it to Origin 3 where once again there were no big hits and no real aggro to speak of save the Kennedy flop and aftermath.
I think Queensland have done their dash for the foreseeable future. they used to dominate origin back in the day when they not only had the hunger but also actually had the better players in many years.
After the 1995 series they had a 26-19 lead overall having won 8 series to 6.
Now the Blues have edged ahead 37-36 (the first time they have taken the lead) and lead the series 12-10. Actually if you add the 2 Super league victories to NSW's it's 39-36.
That's an 18-10 record for the Blues in the last ten years and Queensland haven't won a series since 2001 (20-10 if you count S.L.).
Also looking at the scores in the last decade and the majority of Queensland wins have been by tight margins while the Blues have won comfortably many times, especially in recent years, with margins of 8, 12, 1, 2, 1, 18, 1, 16, 4, 4, 18, 40, 18, 28, 7, 23, 1, 22, 10 and 22.
Nine out of the last ten results being by more than a converted try.
Compared to Queenslands most recent winning margins of 6, 1, 15, 1, 18, 26, 8, 30, 4 and 4 where just 4 of the 10 are by more than a converted try.
The commentators were saying that might be the best New South Wales team might be the best ever.
They must be smoking crack. Some of the better Queensland and NSWs teams would wipe the floor with that mob. The reason they won so impressively was that Queensland played like dogs, Lockyer went AWOL in the 2nd half (as he is want to do) and their forwards were about as effective as putting a midget out to mark Shaq.
Let me find a NSWs side from the last 20 odd years to compare it with.
2005
Anthony Minichiello, Timana Tahu, Mark Gasnier, Matt Cooper, Matt King, Braith Anasta, Andrew Johns, Ben Kennedy, Nathan Hindmarsh, Craig Fitzgibbon, Jason Ryles, Danny Buderus, Luke Bailey.
Craig Gower, Steve Simpson, Steve Menzies, Andrew Ryan
Here's one that beat a much stronger side than the current one 3-0 in 2000 including a 56-16 savaging in game 3:
Tim Brasher, Adam MacDougall, Ryan Girdler, Matthew Gidley, Jamie Ainscough, Brad Fittler, Brett Kimmorley, Scott Hill, Ben Kennedy, Bryan Fletcher, Jason Stevens, Geoff Toovey, Robbie Kearns
Andrew Johns, David Furner, Adam Muir, Michael Vella
or the 1996 team that also whitewashed the Maroons isn't too shabby either:
Tim Brasher, Rod Wishart, Andrew Ettingshausen, Laurie Daley, Brett Mullins
Brad Fittler, Geoff Toovey, Adam Muir, Dean Pay, David Furner, Paul Harragon, Andrew Johns, Glenn Lazarus
Jim Dymock, Jamie Ainscough, Jason Croker, Steve Menzies
or how about these famous names from the side that whitewashed the Maroons in 1986?
Garry Jack, Michael O'Connor, Chris Mortimer, Eric Grothe, Brett Kenny, Peter Sterling, Wayne Pearce, Noel Cleal, Steve Folkes, Peter Tunks, Royce Simmons
Steve Roach, Terry Lamb, David Gillespie
How many of them AREN'T legends?!
Compare them to the current Maroons side of household names like Berrigan, Thurston, Flannery, Crocker, Smith, Nutley, Ross, Bowman, Parker and Harrison playing with Carroll who was coming back from injury, Thorn who is passed it and Lockyer who went missing in action.
Mate, what would the score be between those sides?! Doesn't bare thinking about.
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