sidelined

Brett Seymour dumped by the Sharks for another alcoholic indiscretion. Two Roosters players get involved in a nightclub stoush. This season has pretty much followed a sadly predictable patter. Not what David Gallop’s approach with the Roosters is. Their behaviour pretty much reflects their position on the ladder.

But it is not all doom and gloom. Knights player Junior Sau rescued a young girl from a savage assault in Newcastle. I still say the good blokes well outnumber the idiots on our beloved code.

A code which enters Round 17 with the finals aspirations of a few teams just a glowing ember in the ashes of an ordinary season. But a win this weekend may keep that ember just alive with hope for a blazing run home. I’m excited. You’re excited and if he was still alive, Big Kev would be excited. Onward with the tips.
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…down south.

How about we put last night behind us? Yes I know that north of the border (and in outposts like Wollongong) you are all still celebrating. And did Anna Bligh say today “I tell you what, any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum.” Probably not but it is what she shoulda said.

Now that Origin is effectively over, 11 rounds left till the finals. The season has flown by and all teams, apart from the Roosters, have a chance to make the finals. In some instances the maths are such that a few teams a better off odds wise going after the Oz Lotto jackpot next week. But hope does funny things to one’s perceptions.

So onward with the tips. This week assisted by a mole in the treasury department.

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The difference between Queensland and New South Wales last night is simple. When Queensland were out on their feet in the second half, dropping the ball and giving the Blues great field position, they just didn’t give in. They got themselves up for one more desperate tackle. They summoned what reserves they had left to make the hit count. They took their chances. The ignominy of the last try a testament to the Queenslanders’ patience and fortitude. They could see history beckoning and were not going to fail to enter her embrace after the game. They had passion and determination. Qualities that New South Wales could not sustain over a match let alone a consecutive 5 minutes. The only answer they seemed to have was to take Inglis out with a cheap shot. Origin is no place for the meek and spirit but it is also no place for thuggery born of players weak in spirit. A player that indulges such tactics is a player bereft of the skill and desire to win a game on his own merits.

Queensland deserved their win. No doubt about it.

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Live blogging will start from 7:30pm AEST tonight!

Apologies. Coveritlive is playing up and offline at the moment. Updates in comments until we are back.

North of the border, our Queensland cousins will be sitting back and thinking they have this year’s State of Origin in the bag. They may be right to do so given Craig Wing is out and due to a lack of in-form five-eighth, Trent Barrett is the Lazarus of league. Of course, in their tortured logic, this somehow makes Queensland the underdogs. But NSW are really under the gun and some may question whether they should turn up at all.

But Origin can spring surprises. The loss of Wing will hurt as he added a lot of punch to the NSW attack when he came on. The blessing in disguise may be that Gidley moves into the hooker/halves role at some stage during the game and Hayne to fullback. if Hayne plays to his current form this could really add a lot to the Blues attack. Indeed, there may be a sekrit plan to hook Wallace, move Gids up to five-eighth and Barrett to half-back. To tell the truth, if things come down to that NSW will already have lost.

But the key will be the platform the forwards lay down.
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The news is out, Greg Bird has been sentenced to at least eight months jail (pending an appeal). The Daily Telecrap had Jail Bird on their home page (sub-editors really had to work hard for that one) though Sidelined’s own Mountain Boy was made that reference back in April.

A problem with player behaviour has been that there is the perception that their transgressions are treated more leniently due to their public profile. Greg Bird is now an example to any player who thinks they are above the law.. Bird’s behaviour has been puzzling. And there was the plea from his girlfriend who did not cooperate at all with the police. Of course, the character witnesses for Bird need to be put into contrast in his attempt to stitch his mate Brent Watson for the crime. The judge seems correct in that Bird has showed no contrition and that seems to explain why he felt he could lie his way to freedom.

But he is now looking at a jail term and his career in jeopardy. A lesson for any sporting star who thinks that they are above the laws that govern us mere mortals.

Who’d want to be Tony Zappia at the moment? He goes from one calamity to the other with the farce quotient rising each time. Expect an announced soon that the Sharks somehow lost money after they answered an email from Nigeria.

Another Origin affected round with only five games. Makes it all the more harder to find a winner but let’s get it on.
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Better late than never, some of you may like to know about last Saturday at Henson Park.

With myself, Alan (father in law), Mungo Amanda, Bismarck O’Measles and his Poms, Chris and Lee, and Danny from work, we had a nice mob for the day out. Meeting at the Henson Park Hotel (and apologies Amanda for my phone lacking a charged battery), we had a few beers, steered a newly arrived chap to the country on the straight and narrow and marvelled at the short walk from the pub to the gate to the Henson Park hill. We decided to sit on the seats below and just to the right of the grandstand as the hill seemed a little soggy from the recent wet weather.

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Drama heading into round 14 as Karmichael Hunt becomes a victim of the zombie plague and the Broncos are refusing to play their scheduled game on Friday. David Gallop has galloped up the Brisbane to sort things out.

In the meantime, time is running out for a few clubs to make a claim for a top eight spot. There will be soem desperate footy this weekend. To be honest I can’t believe that the season is about the start the second half. The run home has started.

Anyway, on with the tips which themselves have been quarantined to ensure that they be on the mark.

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