Round 6 - Raiders V Knights

Chat about the tipping and other competitions

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Sasha
Laurie Daley
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Post by Sasha »

If I am called on off the bench for origin, then I would prefer to be on the bench, if not, I don't mind starting (if 69 is out, even captaining :lol: ) the side as I would have an article ready 8)
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Nick
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Post by Nick »

sounds good schifty
we'll see what happens and play it by ear
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Sasha
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Post by Sasha »

yeah I noticed that, you accidently added teh wrong Raiders_Boy.. Also there were plenty of people who were viewing it that wern't in the team.. .I say let registered members view it.. Or put a sticky in the Raiders forum asking people if they would like to be able to view the forum and you can then add them. :)
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thickos
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Post by thickos »

I have begun working on my article for this round... it's entitled 'Moving Out' - discussing the horrendous possibility of the Raiders leaving Canberra.

Don't steal my idea! :evil: :P
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Sasha
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Post by Sasha »

Well I have been called uo to play in Origin now, so I think I'd at most like the bench spot for round 6 :)
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Post by thickos »

OK how is the team shaping up skip? I'm in for sure, rejuvenated from my Origin 'break' (I wrote my origin article ages ago...)
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Post by Nick »

most likely named team:

Raider_69
Thickos
Greeneyed
Timbo
IBG

Schifty
Dubby
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Post by thickos »

Here's my first draft, slightly too long at this point:


Moving Out

“It seems such a waste of time,
If that's what it's all about,
If that's movin' up then I'm movin' out.”


Only days after the Canberra Raiders celebrated their silver anniversary, aptly titled ‘Twenty-Five Years in the Limelight,' General Manager Don Furner Jr dropped the mother of all bombshells on the Raiders community by stating that the future of the Raiders in Canberra was uncertain beyond 2009, with relocation a likely possibility.

Furner may have been listening to the immortal lyrics of Billy Joel before his statement to the media, but his rationale was clear; in the highly competitive corporate climate that exists in modern professional sports, the survival of the Raiders is becoming increasingly difficult. In a small town compared to the big business centres of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, a distinct lack of big money exists to provide the Raiders with corporate sponsorship. Couple this with the lack of free-to-air television coverage the Raiders have experienced in recent seasons (nine regular season matches televised in the past five seasons) that has caused sponsors Ozemail and Compuware to leave the club, and you can see the predicament. A financially struggling club with poor results and a lack of corporate support in a small town – there is little surprise the eye of the Raiders GM has been wandering elsewhere.

The problem, it would seem, is not restricted to the *'s league side – the past decade has seen the passing of the Comets (cricket), Cannons (basketball) and Cosmos (soccer), leaving a sporting void in the *'s capital. The *'s nomadic Kangaroos have brought three matches a season to the ACT in the past few years, but the lure of the Gold Coast will see that deal end after 2006. Stunningly, even *'s arguably most successful sporting side, the Brumbies, have dropped the regional title from their name and are considering a move to corporate-friendly Melbourne – despite strong finances and solid crowd numbers.

Is the problem simply that the ACT cannot sustain professional sporting outfits in the modern climate? While Furner may have asked ‘What are we putting it on for?' in reference to dwindling crowd support and a poor showing at the 25th anniversary match, the fact is, using their 2005 average home crowd figure as a guide, the Raiders draw a bigger percentage of their local population to home matches (4.0 %) than every other ‘one-team town’ in the NRL, with the exception of the remarkably well-supported Cowboys (12.9 %). Divide the population of Sydney into nine equal segments for each NRL club that calls it home and not one team exceeds 5% (the best being the reigning premiers Wests at 4.2%). This would suggest that Canberra hold their own on a proportional basis – and considering that the current Raiders crowd average is an all-time low, this percentage has been even higher in the past.

What is the problem then? While Canberra is a small town compared to Sydney and Melbourne and there are by no means the same corporate opportunities available in the capital, it is in some ways a convenient excuse. There is no Toyota plant in Townsville, and Sanyo do not have a production line on the main street of Penrith – yet both the Panthers and Cowboys are fortunate enough to be backed by big multinationals with money to spend and on the hunt for advertising space. The same is true for many other clubs in the NRL, and it is because they are a more enticing prospect than the Raiders currently. While television exposure naturally helps, success generates that exposure – to put it simply, the Raiders must start winning again. At the end of the day a successful Canberra Raiders will have many a corporate backer heading down the Federal Highway to jump on board.

But for now, the Raiders act reactively, casting their eye to Wellington, Gosford and Perth. This, however, is the easy option. When the Raiders enjoyed their ‘glory years’ in the early nineties everyone wanted to be a part of it, and there is no doubt with hard work Canberra will once again have a successful league side. Rather than crying poor, Raiders management should ensure they get it right on the field, and the rest will follow.

To consider packing up twenty-five years of community involvement, junior development and countless memories in the pursuit of money would be a tragedy for league Canberra. I, for one, can only hope that the Raiders appreciate the old saying - ‘home is where the heart is.'

______________________________

References:
‘Cash-strapped club considers relocation’, The Canberra Times, Sunday June 11 2006., http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail ... m=6&y=2006

* Crowd averages for 2005 sourced from http://www.rleague.com//db/comp/nrl_tel ... /index.php

* Population (2006) of Sydney, Canberra, Newcastle and Townsville found at Wikipedia
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greeneyed
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Post by greeneyed »

Looks good thickos... when is full time?

Maybe I will write on Schifcofske and Mogg... something like that.
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Post by thickos »

Full time is this coming Wednesday.
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Post by thickos »

Um... :hi

how's everyone going?
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Post by dubby »

Alrighty then lads, please cast your weary eyes over this essay of mine
and let me know what you think....

Respect and Tradition.


My first year of High School was in 1987. It was a year I was not looking forward to. This was due to the fact that I was sent to an all boys boarding only High School. The name of that school is; Yanco Agricultural High SChool. In my mind, I was sure it was going to be akin to Military School.

As the name suggests, this school was primarily a school that focused on agriculture and farming. Founded in the 1920's, Rugby League was elected as the schools main sport over Aussie Rules by about 2 votes according to school legend. It had a very good reputation throughout the Riverina for excellent HSC scores and strong Rugby League teams.

Lets just say that the main focus from the students was always Rugby League. IF you made a representative team, you were considered to be popular and selection generally gave you respect from your peers. There were exceptions of course, but it gave you a sense of superiority over other students who had little or no Rugby League talent.

These were our main focus titles:

University SHield: The pinnacle. Year 12, 11 and a few Year 10 boys made this team. Each boy strived to reach the First X111.
Commonwealth Bank Cup: THe First X111 team competed in this competition. It was never our number one challenge for some reason.
Riverina Cup: For students upto Year 10 and a regional competition.
Buckley Shield:Upto Year 8 students competed in this NSW statewide competition.

Here are some results from my period there:

1987: University Shield winners. Went through undefeated and commenced training on the first day of school. Students from this team include Simon Gillies (ex-Bulldogs) and David Woods (ex Parramatta and Penrith).

1988. Buckley Shield winners. First time ever for the school.

1990. Riverina Cup winners.

1991. Runners up in University Shield.

1992. University Shield winners.
Riverina Cup winners

Brendan Reeves was a member of the University SHield team, and Riverina Cup team in 1992.

The claim i make here, is that this successful era can be attributed to the class of 1987; my year. I played no part in any team but i witnessed many a game. I have seen our guys play on television against the likes of St Gregory's Campelltown and give them a real run for their money.

To say the school loved Rugby League is an understatement. As I have mentioned, training for the University Shield team usually began on the first day at school for the year. Every year their were teams for every age from Under 12's to Opens. These teams were graded according to the talent, eg you would have Under 13A for the best, Under 13B for the Average and Under 13C for the less talented. This went in every age group. Every Thursday for sport we trained for our respective teams. On Saturday morning there was a trip into nearby Leeton for a game in the Leeton Junior League against Leeton.
And of course there were the annual Knockout carnivals in the area which the school supported heavily, sometimes travelling 3 hours for a game.
We also trained throughout the week.

For every home match the entire school had to be present to cheer and support the team. Part of the home game ritual was to form a tunnel for the boys to run through and scream out the school war cry which always gave you goose bumps and daunted the oppposition team who undoubtably have never heard 300 boys yelling and screaming at the top of their lungs in support of their school. Add family, friends and the oppositions supporters and the crowds could easily reach 1000. Not bad for a school of 300.

Rugby League earned our school respect in the community and Riverina wide. IT gave the students passion, a purpose and an identity. It bought us together as the area's other schools really hated us, and we had a siege mentality in every game as we knew how much the other schools like to beat us.

I will always love Rugby League because it reminds me of why we played it at school; for the passion and the love of the game. But mostly it was for each other.


Take a look and tell me your thoughts guys...
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Post by Nick »

awesome stuff dubby, atm ive named you on the bench but will definitely sub you in for either myself or timbo 8)
as im struggling!
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Sasha
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Post by Sasha »

I havn't even started anything :oops
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greeneyed
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Post by greeneyed »

I am struggling hugely. I have no idea what to write about.... Union and League don't mix?
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Post by Nick »

well ive found something to write about
so ill be sweet, be done tonight or tomorrow

timbo is out, so ive subbed dubby in for him
the rest should go to plan 8)
IBG
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Post by IBG »

I've got a good idea, but I won't be starting to write it until 6pm on Wednesday. Nothing changes with me...
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Post by Nick »

haha as per usual IBG, cant wait :D
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Post by Sasha »

f*ck I hope I'm not required :lol:
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thickos
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Post by thickos »

This is 701 words.
dubby, edited by Stu wrote: Respect and Tradition.


My first year of High School was in 1987. It was a year I was not looking forward to, mainly was due to the fact that I was sent to an all-boys, boarding only school. This school was Yanco Agricultural High School. In my mind, I was sure it was going to be akin to a military college.

As the name suggests, Yanco was a school that primarily focused on agriculture and farming. Founded in the 1920's, rugby league was elected as the schools main sport over Australian Rules Football by about two votes, according to school legend. It had a very good reputation throughout the Riverina for excellent HSC scores and strong Rugby League teams.

The main focus of the students was always rugby league. If you made a representative team, you were considered to be popular and selection generally gave you respect from your peers. There were exceptions of course, but it gave you a sense of superiority over other students who had little or no rugby league talent.

The titles that our school concentrated on were as follows:

The University Shield: This was the pinnacle. Year 12, 11 and a few Year 10 boys made this team. Each boy strived to reach the First X111.

Commonwealth Bank Cup: The First X111 team competed in this competition. It was never our number one challenge for some reason.

Riverina Cup: For students upto Year 10 and a regional competition.

Buckley Shield: Up to Year 8 students competed in this NSW statewide competition.

Here are some results from my period there:

1987: University Shield winners. We went through the season undefeated and commenced training on the first day of school. Students from this team included Simon Gillies (ex-Bulldogs) and David Woods (ex-Parramatta and Penrith).

1988: Buckley Shield winners, a first time ever for the school.

1990: Riverina Cup winners.

1991: Runners up in the University Shield.

1992: University Shield and Riverina Cup winners

Brendan Reeves was a member of the University Shield team as well as the Riverina Cup team in 1992.

The claim I make from these results is that this successful era can be attributed to the class of 1987; my year. I played no part in any team but I witnessed many a game. I have seen our guys play on television against the likes of St Gregory's Campelltown and give them a real run for their money.

To say the school loved rugby league is an understatement. As I have mentioned, training for the University Shield team usually began on the first day at school for the year. Every year there were teams for every age, from Under 12's through to Opens. These teams were graded according to the talent, and this happened forevery age group. Every Thursday for sport we trained for our respective teams. On Saturday morning there was a trip into nearby Leeton for a game in the Leeton Junior League. Then of course there were the annual knockout carnivals in the area which the school supported heavily, sometimes travelling three hours for a game. We also trained throughout the week.

For every home match the entire school had to be present to cheer and support the team. Part of the home game ritual was to form a tunnel for the boys to run through and scream out the school war cry - which always gave you goose bumps and daunted the oppposition team who undoubtedly had never heard 300 boys yelling and screaming at the top of their lungs, supporting their school. Add family, friends and the oppositions supporters and the crowds could easily reach 1000 - not bad for a school of 300.

Rugby league earned our school respect in the community and throughout the Riverina. It gave the students passion, a purpose and an identity. It bought us together as the area's other schools hated us, leading to a siege mentality in every game as we knew how much the other schools liked beating us.

I will always love rugby league because it reminds me of why we played it at school; for the passion and the love of the game. But mostly it was for each other.
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Post by greeneyed »

Raiders in league with union

It was a freezing cold Canberra day. The fog was thick, as was the frost, as I got in the car to drive out to Canberra Stadium to see the Raiders take on the Sydney Roosters. It was still zero degrees at 10am.

I took two blankets out of the boot when I got to the Stadium and bought myself a new Raiders beanie straight after walking through the gates. Beside the merchandise store, the match day sponsor was setting up a stall, and appeared to be giving out orange balloons to kids in exchange for a donation to charity.

The match day sponsor was the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union. The CFMEU has been a minor sponsor of the Canberra Raiders for some time, with their logo emblazoned on the jerseys of the junior representative teams this year. Each home match, they donate money to charity for every point the Raiders score. But their role from 2007 is to be much expanded. They are to become the Raiders major sponsor for three years in a deal worth more than $2 million.

The deal was announced in the week leading up to the Roosters game – on a construction site in central Canberra, with the Raiders players wearing hard hats and orange jackets. The money would be coming from the *'s “Tradies” Clubs in Canberra as well as the union itself.

I had been thrilled early that day when I heard that the Raiders had secured a new major sponsor – “one of the *'s biggest community sponsors”. The Raiders have struggled in recent years to attract a major sponsor - having a major sponsor on board so early was a real plus.

However, when news filtered through it was the CFMEU, I was less than impressed.

I am not anti-union. But the CFMEU has a reputation as one of the most militant unions in the country. Its practices have been the subject of much unfavourable public comment. How would this help the Raiders attract corporate sponsors? Why would a union want more than $2 million of their members’ funds to be channelled into an elite sports team? Couldn’t they spend the money on benefits for their members?

Fellow Raiders supporters told me I was crazy to be concerned. “Who cares where the money comes from?” they said. “We have the future of the club secured.” “It is no different to some major corporation trying to sell us a message.” “Rugby league is working class game and it is great that a union is sponsoring us.”

I stopped arguing. “I guess they do a lot for charity and grass-roots sports” I told myself. And that seemed to be confirmed by their match day sponsorship activities for charity on that cold Canberra day when we were visited by the Roosters.

I gave little more thought to it that day. The Raiders versus the Roosters was much more important. We had lost match after match against them in recent years. Surely it was time for the worm to turn?

And at half time, things looked very promising. I notice on the sideline a big group of people with the orange balloons getting ready to come on the field as the clock ticks down to the break. And then they swarm on the field after the players go to the sheds and line up in front of the main grandstand, holding placards. A Labor Senator is introduced to the crowd and she proceeds to give a political speech critical of the *'s new industrial relations laws. It is a political protest rally, not half-time entertainment!

All my fears about the divisiveness that would come with the CFMEU major sponsorship had come to pass - just one week after it had been announced. Sections of the crowd booed through the “event”. I don’t come to the football to hear political speeches and protests. I come for the sport.

I almost forgot the sour taste it left in my mouth when the Raiders went on to secure a huge win against the Roosters. But the controversy raged next day. The NRL had to pull the Raiders into line. They were forced to state the CFMEU sponsorship would not be used for “political advantage” in the future.

But the CFMEU has not spent more than $2 million for nothing. The Raiders being in league with this union is something the club and its supporters will come to regret.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

It isn't great but it's all I can think of.
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Nick
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Post by Nick »

looks alright to me ge 8)
thickos
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Post by thickos »

Three top articles in so far for the Green Machine. 8)
IBG
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Post by IBG »

*shoots self*
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Post by Nick »

me and ibg to go... id imagine we are both about half way through
IBG
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Post by IBG »

I've got nothing.

My idea turned out to be a flop.

*goes back to the drawing board*
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Post by Nick »

im in, but its honestly IMO, one of my worst... had nothing for ideas and was rushed off my feet the past week so i had to do a rush job tonight :doubt:

im still liking our chances thou
IBG
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Post by IBG »

Aaaahahaha, got an idea.

*writes furiously*
Nick
Mal Meninga
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Post by Nick »

yay :lol:
IBG
Gary Belcher
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Post by IBG »

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand in.
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Post by greeneyed »

A typo or two corrected Nick....

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Deadline Dilemma!

Late Thursday afternoon the NRL via David Gallop issued a press release stating they were abolishing the controversial June 30 anti-tampering deadline, in what was described a move to block raids from rival codes and ESL.

The decision sent the league world into a frenzy of debate, most of which centred around the fact *'s a move that should have been made a long time ago, given how difficult such a deadline was to enforce and the endless media speculation about teams breaking it - despite next to no official complaints being levelled against any club for doing so.

Under the old rules a player could not negotiate with another club until July 1 in the final year of their contract. However the *'s manager could seek expressions of interest from clubs well before that time, and from there, the June 30 deadline is near impossible to police.

But now it has officially been scrapped, new debate has raged over exactly what this means for the NRL. Of major concern is the idea a marquee player could potentially sign up to play elsewhere one to two years before their commitments to their current contract are fulfilled, which is a bad situation for both the clubs and their fans.

The fans want to feel an affinity with the players, they want to feel as though the players representing their club have the same passion and love for it as they do. Seeing a player run out for your beloved club and knowing they have elected years in advance to leave your club, would leave a very sour taste in the mouth and could create disharmony between fans, players and clubs alike.

An anti-tampering deadline of some sort is still need as no rules or regulations on the contractual situations of player means the above situation is a distinct possibility. So if the June 30 deadline doesn’t work, and no regulations at all aren’t the answer, what is?

A lot of suggestions have been thrown around, some have been good, some not so good. But the general opinion of experts and punters alike is that something must replace the failed June 30 deadline.

One of the suggestions gathering momentum is the idea of a designated trading period, a la the English Premier League (Soccer). However I question whether this would solve anything at all. Essentially *'s the same as the anti-tampering deadline and just as hard to police. If clubs didn’t adhere to the June 30 deadline, *'s to say they will sit on their hands until the designated trading period before getting in the ears of their desired player?

Another suggestion being thrown around is to make the *'s last rights stipulation in player contracts more common in the NRL. This is used to great use in other sports, and allows the current club of a contracted player a last chance to equal or better rival bids. This would mean clubs are far more secure about their off contracted players, particularly marquee players

The most logical solution to be thrown up thus far has been the idea that a player is free to negotiate at any time so long as they're in their final contractual year. This means we don’t face a situation where clubs poach talent with 12-24 months or more left running on their existing contract. It would also allow the clubs who have paid good money for their stars, some sense of security, knowing a freshly contracted player will not be able to be approach until the final year of their contract.

One thing is for sure, there is no easy or simple solution. There are many possibilities, including a combination of different ideas. But if the failed “June 30 anti-tampering” deadline has taught us anything *'s that something working in theory and practice are two completely separate things. The job ahead of the NRL is a difficult one.

However *'s up to the powers that be in the NRL to come up with a system that not only allows the players a considerable amount of freedom in which to determine their futures but to also produce a system that is fair to the clubs who employ them, and the fans who support them. Like the rest of the NRL loving public I eagerly await the outcomes of this and hope the NRL can come up with a happy medium for all concerned. And with that i bid them good luck!
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Nick
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Post by Nick »

cheers GE
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Gary Belcher
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Post by IBG »

5v5, should be a toughy.

Hope my article wasn't too stupid.
Nick
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Post by Nick »

as per usual, the pressure was on and you rose to the occasion, well done mate, i recon its gold
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Post by greeneyed »

Great article IBG. Should get top marks. I'm expecting high 70s for mine I'm sorry. I was really lacking any inspiration or ideas. I should have gone hard on attacking soccer as I truly believe in that .... but I don't think it would have been too popular right now. ;)
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