why the silence, NSW?

[Ken Gargett]

for our offshore members, last night was the first game in this year's Origin rugby league series between NSW and Qld. it is the most fiercely competitive rivalry in all sports in Australia. even though we Qlders only have about a 1/5th of the number of players available as the hated southerners, over the forty years, we have flogged them more often than not. i went to the very first game in 1980 when Artie belted Mick. that might not sound like much but it is a truly legendary moment in Australian sport and indeed, Aussie history. 

a couple of years ago, we finished an amazing run of 10 out of 11 series wins. including 8 in a row. never been done. nsw have finally got a seriously good team and our stars, some of whom will become immortals (in comparison, think of the NFL allowing only 2-3 players into the hall of fame every decade), have retired. we had a record number of rookies starting last night. we were about the longest odds ever seen in origin. and at 10-0 down at half time, playing against most of the top players in Australia, we had buckleys. 

in one of the greatest comebacks in history, we got up 18-14. normally there is much back and forth on the forum before and after origin. and yet this year, silence from them. 

[JohnS]

Why the silence? Because at this time of year, in November, no one cares.

Also, players need a break after the season. You could see that both teams were mentally tired. The game had an unbelievable 67 combined missed tackles, not to mention dropped ball and errors.

It was a poor game. Personally, I couldn't care to watch the next one as it holds next to no interest. The TV ratings reflect the decreased following from the public too. State of Origin will never happen after the season again, I'd say.

Also, you wouldn't believe the sentiment that Annastacia Palaszczuk has caused in not re-opening the border to NSW on account of 1 person per million in Sydney having coronavirus. People here are greatly upset about not having the freedom to travel to Queensland for the holiday season for recreation and to connect with family and friends.

I predict that when the border re-opens for Christmas people in Sydney will choose to go elsewhere...and rightly so. Why go somewhere where you're neither wanted nor welcomed?

[Ken Gargett]

6 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Why the silence? Because at this time of year, in November, no one cares.

Also, players need a break after the season. You could see that both teams were mentally tired. The game had an unbelievable 67 combined missed tackles, not to mention dropped ball and errors.

It was a poor game. Personally, I couldn't care to watch the next one as it holds next to no interest. The TV ratings reflect the decreased following from the public too. State of Origin will never happen after the season again, I'd say.

john, i'd agree that this is not the right time but circumstances forced it. hopefully never again. it would have been no one's choice. agree that players are stuffed and a little jaded. both teams missing some stars. you had papyH and staggs out for this one - both would have improved your team though neither has played origin before. we had ponga and fifita. 

no doubt the ratings will be down (think they will be well up next week as nsw tries to see if they can even things). i'd suggest that the ratings will be down partly for time of year, partly because the year has just been crap all through and also because rarely has nsw or either side for that, been such big favourites. always get a reduction in ratings if people feel it might not be much of a contest.

i'd suggest part of the dropped ball and missed tackles is because of the new rules, the 6 tackle repeats. that has made the game much faster and that is causing this - has all year. it was not just being tired. but stamina is and has always been a big part of elite sports. 

but i don't accept that it was a game where the players didn't care. boyd cordner coming back (have to like the bloke and admire him but concussion is going to kill him) was very brave and not the actions of someone who didn't care. the intensity of nsw in those last few minutes. the determination of qld in that second half. the sheer joy of the qlders when the final whistle went (even if they should have been pinged for holding down). 

john, google the interview after the game with xavier coates (actually, here it is below). if you have ever seen sheer joy and excitement exceeding this, let me know. this kid is not thinking this doesn't matter, people don't care. that is a grin to split the earth. good on the kid. 

chat soon. 

 

[Ken Gargett]

22 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Why the silence? Because at this time of year, in November, no one cares.

Also, players need a break after the season. You could see that both teams were mentally tired. The game had an unbelievable 67 combined missed tackles, not to mention dropped ball and errors.

It was a poor game. Personally, I couldn't care to watch the next one as it holds next to no interest. The TV ratings reflect the decreased following from the public too. State of Origin will never happen after the season again, I'd say.

Also, you wouldn't believe the sentiment that Annastacia Palaszczuk has caused in not re-opening the border to NSW on account of 1 person per million in Sydney having coronavirus. People here are greatly upset about not having the freedom to travel to Queensland for the holiday season for recreation and to connect with family and friends.

I predict that when the border re-opens for Christmas people in Sydney will choose to go elsewhere...and rightly so. Why go somewhere where you're neither wanted nor welcomed?

hi john, i think you changed your post and added some stuff? 

as for premier pumpkin, no argument and i think you'll find no argument from 99% of qlders. pure political stunts. don't forget that it also stuffs us going the other way because of issues coming back. not happy about that. granted that qlders are probably happier being stuck in qld than nsw people are being stuck in nsw, but it could b worse. you could be stuck in victoria. i'd say that people from nsw are as welcome as they have always been, for most qlders (take that as you will). but it is absurd.

that said, i'd think that anyone who is upset that an idiot politician has shut a border and transfers that to suddenly not watching a football game on tv needs to have a long hard think. really? makes no sense. hardly the fault of the football. does that mean no one will watch the bledisloe this weekend because it is in brizzy (no one will watch because the wallabies are dire but that is different). 

i would disagree it was a poor game (easy to say when you win). the new rule has changed things (i'm not sure for the better). it means a faster game but there is a heart missing. but it has been that all season. this game was incredibly exciting. it had one of the great comebacks, an amazing finish, nsw almost snatching it at full time, a strategy that proved exceptional, plenty of mistakes but that was partly the speed of the game and the pressure from players (and scoreboard). 

john, we qlders listened to the same old story for around a dozen years with people from nsw saying they had no interest in origin, would not watch the next one, game had lost its magic etc (even though they almost always did). music to our ears. and part of the reason plenty believe that nsw still doesn't quite understand origin. 

personally, i believe that nsw has the team to easily win the series if they get things right. but game one was a cracker. 

[Ken Gargett]

1 hour ago, JohnS said:

Also, you wouldn't believe the sentiment that Annastacia Palaszczuk has caused in not re-opening the border to NSW on account of 1 person per million in Sydney having coronavirus. People here are greatly upset about not having the freedom to travel to Queensland for the holiday season for recreation and to connect with family and friends.

I predict that when the border re-opens for Christmas people in Sydney will choose to go elsewhere...and rightly so. Why go somewhere where you're neither wanted nor welcomed?

john, if you want to know what an appalling piece of garbage we have as a premier (just returned with an increased majority - i really hate the idea that you get the politicians you deserve but...), she will not discuss the closure with your premier, not take calls, not answer emails. a truly idiotic woman, princess penelope (and looks so much like the shrek character - not the cameron diaz version), an utter child. 

but she did, apparently (and i apologise to all nsw people for this), send her a text to gloat about the origin. she is an embarrassment. filth among the usual garbage 

[JohnS]

Yep...politicians dear friend. What can one say? In relation to the original question, "why the silence?" I was attempting to give an unbiased, objective answer. I congratulate Queensland on an inspired comeback in the second half to make the most of their opportunities and win the game.

[Ken Gargett]

9 minutes ago, JohnS said:

Yep...politicians dear friend. What can one say? In relation to the original question, "why the silence?" I was attempting to give an unbiased, objective answer. I congratulate Queensland on an inspired comeback in the second half to make the most of their opportunities and win the game.

the 'why the silence' was just a bit of fun. it was more that i was curious that there had been no posts re origin and we normally have a few. i think yours covered much of the reasons why.

no doubt one's view of this is coloured by the result - i'm sure that if nsw had managed to get overt he line at the end, there'd have been silence from here. i did understand what you were saying. that first half seemed very un-origin-like. if asked why, i think a combo - partly those new rules, partly the time of year, partly that it seemed a foregone conclusion. it seemed to become a more serious game, more origin-like, after half time. qld finally found a plan and got the belief which is so important in origin. but no doubt that is partly thanks to the fact we got back in it. 

will try and have a yack soon. hope all is well. 

[JohnS]

Cheers mate. Yeah I agree. It was very 'Un-Origin' like in the first half. Much better game in the second.

[Fuzz]

I actually completely forgot Origin was on. Normally I'd invite the Sydney boys over to watch the series, but I have been severely distracted the last 2 months. I also forgot about the Bledisloe.... but as you say Ken, the Wallabies suck, so why bother watching when you already know the result?

As for your Chieftan of Idiots Palaszczuk, we have our own in Berejiklian. The less said about politicians, the better.

[Ken Gargett]

on behalf of all fans of origin, indeed sport itself, may i offer my apologies for the most substandard performance in origin history. it seems that the football has a higher IQ than most of our players. qld will be going back to class this week - how not to do dumb things and how to make basic tackles. but with some of our youth, we are looking good for 2024. 

[JohnS]

Ken, don't stress that much. Let's be objective dear friend. New South Wales last took the series in a decider in Brisbane in 2005. I think if I were a betting man then odds would favour Queensland for Game 3.

[Ken Gargett]

1 minute ago, JohnS said:

Ken, don't stress that much. Let's be objective dear friend. New South Wales last took the series in a decider in Brisbane in 2005. I think if I were a betting man then odds would favour Queensland for Game 3.

john, not unless we can find about ten new origin level players. 

[JohnS]

1 minute ago, Ken Gargett said:

john, not unless we can find about ten new origin level players. 

Haha!!!!??

[Fuzz]

Did the blind monkey find a banana?

[Bill Hayes]

Melbourne Storm win Origin yet again... ? C'arn the Vics, go Munster you good thing.

[Ken Gargett]

On 11/12/2020 at 10:34 AM, Fuzz said:

Did the blind monkey find a banana?

fuzz, looks like some blind monkeys slipped on those bananas. 

what a cracking game. mind you, if we'd lost then i suspect that jellyhands holmes would never have been allowed in Qld again. who bombs four tries??? 

best thing about this was that it suggests we'll be competitive over the next few years. 

[El Presidente]

Why is it that players go to the NFL as superstars and come back as  complete crap?

[Ken Gargett]

23 hours ago, El Presidente said:

Why is it that players go to the NFL as superstars and come back as  complete crap?

in fairness, two of them. and they were both wingers who thought they were fullbacks. which should have been a clue.