Wallabies v Springboks
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@pukunui said in Wallabies v Springboks:
God (no pun intended) these things rile me
but I'm actually not sure why. I mean why should I give a fuck about this theatrical nonsense, but something bothers me about it - stark gullabilitiy I guess.
I also wonder about the securely aetheist or agnostic among the group - does it all exclude them? probably not but it ain't all that natural in my book
The NZ sevens team used to get all preachy like this too...and look what happened to them
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@Kirwan said in Wallabies v Springboks:
Looks like a couple of atheists standing out back waiting for the nonsense to finish
Yeah I'm sure it's not an "us and them" thing.
It's probably no big deal. I've played cricket with Sikhs and Muslims and their antics had no effect on my participation or team harmony
Agree with your description of it. -
If you look at the background it becomes crystal clear the players are actually on their knees praying for a bigger crowd.
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All good, showing up now. (All on mobile)
Very easy to upload.Saw another angle and there are plenty of other aussie players standing around in the background, looks to be mainly PI players from the Aussies. Pretty sure that is Quade on the far left. Is the non praying Bok Morne Steyn?
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@nostrildamus said in Wallabies v Springboks:
If you look at the background it becomes crystal clear the players are actually on their knees praying for a bigger crowd.
The entire top section of the stand was empty which is a disgrace. International footy in a brilliant stadium.
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@antipodean said in Wallabies v Springboks:
@nostrildamus said in Wallabies v Springboks:
If you look at the background it becomes crystal clear the players are actually on their knees praying for a bigger crowd.
The entire top section of the stand was empty which is a disgrace. International footy in a brilliant stadium.
In a state where stupidity has trashed a franchise, in a country where the national team got walloped twice in the last month, on a day where it pissed rain for two hours leading up.
The last factor would have wiped out about 5000 walk up tickets. The First two account for the other 20000.
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- @NTA said in Wallabies v Springboks:
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The entire top section of the stand was empty which is a disgrace. International footy in a brilliant stadium.
In a state where stupidity has trashed a franchise, in a country where the national team got walloped twice in the last month, on a day where it pissed rain for two hours leading up.
The last factor would have wiped out about 5000 walk up tickets. The First two account for the other 20000.*
Quite so, 30,000 turned up at Suncorp.
No matter where the debates meander on why the players do as they do and fail as they fail, who is the right coach, what is wrong with this coach or that, the referee is a dunce and so on, this is what is happening continuously, the inevitable erosion and contraction of a once valuable institution which is a central part of community life.
You cannot imagine the deep disappointment and sense of loss one feels after a lifetime involvement, from mid teens, witnessing the decline of Australian rugby.
When my son started playing our Catholic parish school was putting 120 juniors on the field every weekend, supported by the effort of more parents than one could count - Eastwood's future grand final winners brought along by ordinary fathers from subbies and lower grades all the way through to champions such as John Ballesty, John Cootes, Mick Mathers and Dennis Tutty. In the '80s we had up to a dozen junior clubs in the district and now there are six.
I saw the discussion here on Brett Papworth's criticisms of the ARU and stayed out of it. It was clear no-one knew that he, a former local junior, has served as Eastwood president forever, who speaks with the universal support of my peers from those days who did well enough to now be substantial financial sponsors.
Younger men hearing older hands speak of what they have experienced have little patience to listen and swiftly turn to the dismissive pejoratives of "rose coloured glasses" and "pre-professionalism amateur day ignorant old men". That amuses me greatly - the Eastwood district then and now is the domain of high net worth individuals running their own shows, typically Irish Catholic and Lebanese successful businessmen who pour time and money and knowledge and achievement into their community without hesitation. We reached a point back then at which we had to slow down our fund raising program - we had been so successful that we were putting our various sporting club tax and corporate exemptions at risk.
Rugby used be run by amateurs and they managed to steer the thing pretty well through the glory days, certainly with more effectiveness borne of passion and determination to leave it in good shape when they moved on than is evident now. Rugby eventually became a profitable business, the opportunists spotted the income flow, and the professional managers came in and fixed it.
In as brief terms as I can manage - the opportunity lost came after the '03 World Cup, which netted the ARU $42m.When John O'Neill returned in December 2006 there was just $3 million left. Simultaneously Andrew Demetriou was launching the wealthy AFL into western Sydney, jostling for position with a similarly cashed up FFA and NRL. The ARU fiddled around for a bit and did nothing, then acted as a delusional gambler on a losing streak by throwing big money at a half dozen or so individuals - ex League and fast tracked wunderkind - believing their presence alone was enough to counter the other codes. That idea worked a little bit for a little while and now we are left with nothing enduring.
If we had formed a ten year plan when the money was there in 2004 - like Eddie McGuire and Mick Malthouse did with Collingwood, like the All Blacks did under Sir Graham - focusing on the existing network of Club rugby, with a modest form of NRC we would be profiting from it now.
Back to the start and NTA's pen picture of Suncorp on Saturday - from the very beginning of Super Rugby the reliable barometer has been Waratah rugby, where the money and the numbers of people are concentrated. When they win the ordinary supporters and the corporate supporters literally pour through the gates, it's the place to be seen. When they are losing the ground is like a mausoleum. Sports business is too fragile an environment to entrust the future of the game to fools.
- @NTA said in Wallabies v Springboks:
