Playing rugby this year? POST HERE!

[Aussie D]

Brother just achieved the fine milestone of playing his 250th first grade game for Gosford Devils...... not a bad effort considering he has been brought out of retirement twice to assist in the frontrow. :thumb
Even his wife was proud of his efforts - although I do think she is hoping he will hang up his boots and devote a bit of his Saturday to the kids sporting endeavours!

Congrats to Brad, MM. Saw that on the CC rugby site and was going to mention it here but realised you hadn't been around lately. The Rams are having an improved season this year, hopefully they continue to build.

 

[Scarfman]

Can I post this here? I played paintball today. My second time. Got the usual 20 welts over my body. The only one that really bothered me is the nipple. Red, raised and sore. :crybaby

 

[Pfitzy]

Poor dear...

We were meant to host Fairvale today but our ground was closed, so we had to play down at their ground. I was on the bench for Seconds until the numbers for Firsts worked out short so I got a full game, starting in the second row (behind some awesome props so I wasn't cut up about it) and then promoted to LHP when one of our props went off. It was hard work in the front row due to the sheer size of the Pac Islander chappy opposite me, but I didn't disgrace myself too badly, though my neck hurts a bit. I even got on the score sheet - potted a drop goal as the conversion for the last play of the day. 2 points to me! My general play was also pretty good I thought - got to every second ruck and even had a hand in a turnover or two. We ran in about 5 or 6 tries in the first half to take the wind out of their sails, and spent a lot of time in the second half defending. Easy to play games like that when there is so much talent on your side.

Second Grade was a different matter. We took and early lead then a really bad ref's call gave them the lead 7-5. Penalty to us 8-7, then they ran in two tries to win 17-8. Seconds actually had Fairvale on the rack but failed to make the last pass with space in front. Only ourselves to blame really and our chances of finishing on top of the 2nd grade ladder rely on someone else beating Fairvale now.

 

[Aussie D]

Nick, bad luck about having to play at Fairvale as it is a crap field. Hope it wasn't too wet as my greatest memory of playing there was being brought up to play seconds at tighthead as we were short that day. There was one corner of the ground that was a mud patch and they had 4 scrums set in that patch, right on the try line. Didn't matter who fed the ball they ended up with a try. Out-weighed us br a hundred and fifty kilos at least. As we were coming off the pitch they thanked us for not going to uncontested scrums as other teams had been doing against them. Wish we had have thought of doing that! And we were supposed to be "smart" as we were a uni side :nta:

As for seconds Nick a bit of karma for the coach perhaps?

 

[Pfitzy]

I won't go into karma. However I think we need to concentrate on skills drills at training rather than worrying about the set-piece.

Compared to our field, their High School ground is a lush, verdant haven! But yeah it was wet underfoot and there were a few spots where we moved the scrum away. At least it was soft, to the point where Mr 150kg Islander chap stepped on my hand at a ruck (for a few seconds even) and its only pinchy today rather than broken. Seconds will be kicking themselves that they not only bombed about 3 tries in the first half - with about 70% possession and territory and the wind at their backs, but that they got pushed around in the scrums so badly. However its becoming clear that most teams besides Lane Cove and Harlequins are abandoning the pursuit of First Grade in the hope of getting some kind of title this year.

 

[Turban]

Wooo finally a win over Perth/Bayswater. Wat a shithouse season we've had, less than 10 people at each training the last two months, this week we finally get a decent turn up on thursday and then a handful of them don't rock up for the game. We won anyway despite having a unfit 2nd rower on the flank, smashed them from our point-of-view. Took it up thru the forwards all day only letting the backs have it once we'd broken their line around the fringe a few times. Boy it's good when your forwards work as a unit, gives us flankers a chance to get a bit wider every now and then and focus on stealing the ball which was ridiculously easy against a Perth/Bayswater. 5trys to 3 with us letting in 2 in the final 5 minutes due to sheer laziness and some horrible line-out work from our subs (some random guys we pulled from nowhere).

 

[Pfitzy]

Well, I can confidently say the ref Second Grade got today was the worst in the club's history. Repeated infringing inside their own 22 and talk talk talk from Oakhill was not punished until 10 minutes from time when he yellow-carded three of them (who proceeded to argue with him). They got back on with 5 minutes to go. Figure that out. But you can't put in a complaint because its around the same effect as painting a big red target on your chest subtitled "penalise me please" to the ref's association. A lot of these guys are coming out of retirement and it shows. One of their players called him a fucking fluffybunny and because he was subbing off at the time the ref didn't do anything about it.

Yet again, Oakhill stacked their Seconds (their flyhalf was more accurate with the boot than Mortlock and far superior to their Firsts bloke) and they might as well because their Firsts have no hope of making the top four, and are utter poo besides. Still, our guys played without a lot of drive and commitment (and some hideous lineout work) and should not have been sucked in (yet again) to the Oakhill niggle. C'est la vie. Our chances of finishing top of Second Grade are now pretty much shot. So we have to cling to 2nd and do it the hard way.

I played a full game for Firsts in the second row and had a few memorable moments, but didn't score this week. At the bottom of one ruck I said to one of their guys "Don't you wish you were good enough to play Second Grade?" which drew a nasty look. Was involved pretty well in the ruck work and had some pick n go which got some yards.

 

[naza]

I played a full game for Firsts in the second row and had a few memorable moments, but didn't score this week. At the bottom of one ruck I said to one of their guys "Don't you wish you were good enough to play Second Grade?" which drew a nasty look. Was involved pretty well in the ruck work and had some pick n go which got some yards.

Did you give yourself the NTA Man of the Match award again ? That'd be the 10th week in a row wouldn't it ?

Ah, good banter. At least you're fit enough now to give our opponents a verbal.

 

[cyclopath]

I played a full game for Firsts in the second row and had a few memorable moments, but didn't score this week. At the bottom of one ruck I said to one of their guys "Don't you wish you were good enough to play Second Grade?" which drew a nasty look. Was involved pretty well in the ruck work and had some pick n go which got some yards.

Did you give yourself the NTA Man of the Match award again ? That'd be the 10th week in a row wouldn't it ?

Ah, good banter. At least you're fit enough now to give our opponents a verbal.

He'd be in line for the NTA medal, I'd think!

 

[Pfitzy]

Ha hah. Funny fluffybunnys aren't ye? I'm seriously getting better each week. Its bloody easy when you're playing alongside former NPC and Premier Sydney Club players I might add I did miss two tackles if that makes you feel any better about yourselves.

 

[cyclopath]

Nick, I'm just jealous. Being an older fart (nearly 41) my playing days are well behind me, especially since any thought of being able to get to training sessions is impossible. Go you good thing!

 

[Scarfman]

Yeah, agree. It hurts to read this thread, 'cause I so want to get out there, but then I remember how much I'm injuring myself at touch footy!

I'm very slightly tempted to play in jonnosan's golden oldies day, though. How bad could it hurt?

 

[cyclopath]

Hey, Scarfy, when is golden oldies day? May have to start stretching the hammies!

 

[Pfitzy]

This might be worth watching - post the details jonnosan!

Aside: I had to go into work today which is just up the road from yesterday's game. So afterwards I pedalled down there (Mrs TA had the car) and watched the second half of First Grade for Oakhill and Norwest in their catch-up game. I talked to the Norwest TJ (also their club captain) and he said Oakhill were losing 6-0 at halftime but brought on 7 First Grade players to take it 14-6 - Norwest rather foolishly kept to a Second Grade roster as they're actually interested in winning Firsts. But they lost that as well! I spent my time mouthing right off at Oakhill players. The smart ones laughed it off. The others - including the prop I belted earlier in the year (now shifted to the backs) got madder and madder. It was fun.

 

[Lindommer]

Nick, I'm just jealous. Being an older fart (nearly 41) my playing days are well behind me, especially since any thought of being able to get to training sessions is impossible. Go you good thing!

You can always take up the whistle, I did at 41. Junior comps always need refs and look to us older blokes to keep hot-headed teenagers in check.

 

[Turban]

True story, my mate playing touch this week had a ref who had to ask one of the other refs if a foot on the line was out, the reply was "on the line is okay so long as it's not outside the line". Later in the game my mate got sent off when he yelled knock-on after a knock-on, the ref told him he wasn't the ref. As my mate walked away he gave the ref a slow clap and was then sent off the field for it. A few minutes later he asked if he was allowed back on and the ref told him he was banned for two weeks and if he didn't shut up the game would be forfiet. After my mate laughed the game was cancelled and his team (up by 12 trys) lost.

 

[cyclopath]

True story, my mate playing touch this week had a ref who had to ask one of the other refs if a foot on the line was out, the reply was "on the line is okay so long as it's not outside the line". Later in the game my mate got sent off when he yelled knock-on after a knock-on, the ref told him he wasn't the ref. As my mate walked away he gave the ref a slow clap and was then sent off the field for it. A few minutes later he asked if he was allowed back on and the ref told him he was banned for two weeks and if he didn't shut up the game would be forfiet. After my mate laughed the game was cancelled and his team (up by 12 trys) lost.

Sounds like the ref had some issues, but why the hell didn't your mate read it better and shut up? Like GG with Andre Watson - it's a fight you're never gonna win.

 

[Turban]

My mate reckons he hardly said a word. But knowing him he isn't the type to just shut up when the ref obviously doesn't even know the basic rules.

 

[Pfitzy]

I think I'll have a crack at reffing when I'm done playing in a couple of years. Couldn't be any worse than the current crop.

 

[barbarian]

Having had experience with the refereeing community, I can make one simple observation (that has been backed up when I have played on and off this year)- most refs are wankers. Plain and simple, on the field and off. Wankers.

More specifically, I didn't meet many that I would shout a beer at the pub. They only ref because they can't play (which is acceptable for the old ones) and most are overly confident, slightly dorkish blokes who would get eaten alive on the field. This comes across on the field- for so many it is just a big power trip, where good natured banter is taken as a mortal insult.

An example- recently a player from Barker Old Boys asked the referee if he was 'from Oatley' AFTER the game had finished against Oatley. No swear words, no threats.

Ten weeks. He got a red card, and ten weeks on the sidelines.

Refs are wankers.

Some are good blokes, but at the NSWRRA they are in the minority. There is so much internal politics that I just couldn't take it. I am now happily playing Subbies footy, yet now have to face refs that penalise you for shouting "offside, sir" after a kick. I mean, Jesus, harden up.

The best refs are the ones that can take a bit of banter, and chuckle and even give some back. They are the ones you shout a beer after the game, as they don't really take themselves that seriously. If you can be like that, Nicko, then I tip my hat to you. Because those are the refs we need.