Go the Eels

No more sleeps; this is the day! After a dismal start to the 2009 season, the Eels turned around just in time to scrape across the finish line. And by continuing their extraordinary run that would see them win 9 of their last 10 games, they went on to be the first team ever to make it to the Grand Final from 8th position on the ladder.

So, in just a couple of hours, the Parra Eels will take on the Melbourne Storm to win their first Grand Final since 1986.

Go The Eels!

Disclaimer: The above picture is for illustration purposes only and does not depict today's actual decoration of Parramatta Town Hall. While I would love to post some images of a town that is well and truly engulfed in blue and gold; I am at the moment photographically impaired and must resort to a photo from the Columbo archives, taken a couple of years ago.

Party spoilt

That's right; we may have lost the first 2 games, and therefore the series; but with a comfortable 28:16 win, the Blues have avoided complete humiliation. The Maroons might be celebrating the series win, but the whitewash predicted by many did not happen.

Congrats NSW; and remember, State Of Origin 2010 (aka revenge) is less than a year away!

For the pride ...

... and honor! The series might be lost, but now that we're sufficiently far behind, nothing is going to stop the Blues from not just catching up, but obliterating them unbearably smug banana benders in what will be the most spectacular thrashing since ... well, since ever, really.

Ok, so the Maroons get to play at home, which might make things slightly difficult; but even so, they shall go down in history not for winning all three games in the first time for 14 years, but for losing to a massively underrated NSW side.

Let the battle begin!

Ready For Round 2

Granted, things didn't go too well down there in Melbourne. And most experts agree that the Maroons go into tonight's clash as the favorites, while our Blues might still lack experience, with a number of players experiencing State Of Origin for the first time.

On the other hand, it has been said that the Cane Toads only won 2 out of 14 games played in Sydney. Then, the fact that NSW has almost completely rebuilt the team from scratch also means that it wasn't these 13 blokes who lost the previous 3 series. And apparently, some of them banana benders aren't feeling too well.

So, the stage is set; and in just over half an hour, the game shall begin. Tries will be tried; balls will be kicked; refs will be booed; brilliant moves will be applauded, and men not known for having a dislike for women will grab each other every which way they can.

18:28

Ok, things didn't go that well last night; but the Blues played better than the end result would suggest. By half time, things were looking grim; not least due to a couple of "unfortunate" calls by the refs, and too many scenes like this:
Billy Slater scores for the Maroons

But the NSW boys made a formidable comeback, giving the Maroons quite a few reasons to be worried:
Craig Wing scores for the underdogs

That was, of course, before the final seconds, when Darius Boyd, not content with a 6 point lead, touched down for a final try just as the bell went off and the game was well and truly over.
Darius Boyd wins the race against the clock

So now we've fallen behind early; that should leave us plenty of time to catch up. And the combination of lessons learned, confidence gained from a promising second half, and the advantage of playing on home turf should leave the Blues with more than just half a chance for round 2.


Queensland celebrate their deserved, albeit short-lived, victory

Some not too happy Blues after a devastating, but without any doubt temporary, defeat.

All images shamelessly swiped from here

Go the Blues

Yes, it's that time of the year again – We're taking on the banana benders; we're less than an hour away from kick-off of the first of three State Of Origin games. It's true that many see the experienced QLD side as favorites, but there are those who say the rejuvenated NSW side has what it takes to break the 3 year losing streak. Yes, we have quite a few Origin rookies in our team, but quite a few "experts" (i. e. anyone with more knowledge of the game than myself, and that's pretty much everybody) agree that it's a team that can score points; and last time I checked, that was the way games are won.

So I'm confident for tonight's game; and when Origin 2 comes to Sydney in 3 weeks' time, things will look even better.

Ready to go ... the 2009 series of State Of Origin kicks off
Image stolen from here

From a slightly geekier perspective; I'm also looking forward to seeing my first State Of Origin game in Hi Def TV, after recently upgrading some of my electronics stuff.

The Footy's Back

That's right; after endless months of bloody cricket and boooring golf clogging perfectly good TV air time, we're only minutes away from the start of round 1 of NRL 2009. And seeing that the off-field soap operas seem to be off to a good start even before the first ball has been kicked^*, we might well be in for all round exciting and enjoyable season.

^* (For overseas readers, or locals who spent the last week under a rock: A high profile player has volunteered to uphold the tradition of alcohol-supported bad behavior and to follow the examples of many others to bring himself in a situation that leads to a charge of sexual assault. Both scenarios are not entirely unheard of in rugby league, but one guy engaging in both of them in one night, at his club's season launch celebration one week before kick-off, is quite an achievement).

Anyway, I'm off to the lounge now (via fridge; to check if the cold ones are, well, cold enough yet), to watch the Storm beat the Dragons. And whatever you might have to say, please ask yourself just one question: Can it wait until half time?