Roar Rookie
Joined January 2011
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My US workmates have been wondering why I've been yelling at my computer screen at lunch times, while watching State of Origin highlight clips…
Sadly, this is very well said.
'They can't lean on me': Why McLennan bailed on the board as 'agitators' welcome 'honourable decision'
I don’t brush anything off. Your frustrations and disappointments are very reasonable. My observation is that you bring that into your articles so regularly, even when it’s not relevant, that it is a distraction. It makes your articles needlessly political.
I didn’t win or lose during the pandemic but I am pretty clear eyed about what happened. The pandemic response was a daily exercise in the trolley problem. There was no best option, only a least worst one. Every single day, decisions had to be made about if and how to pull the lever to divert the train. Awful decisions to face but every government around the world faced the same thing.
The federal system of government meant we could have a tiered approach of decision making based on the constitution. Each jurisdiction responsible to their local electors. But no matter the system of government in a country, the same kinds of decisions were made.
If you feel like the outcome was a failure or the system failed, then I think you should be upset with your fellow Australians rather than the “government” or the federal system. The responses were so well supported by the state populations, evidenced by the re-election of the pollies as well as general polling throughout the pandemic.
We all saw that life was going to be bad for a while and decisions to protect the health system, and by extension a majority of us, were necessary. Terrible decisions with no right answer. But the vast majority supported the choices made. The federal system meant we had very targeted actions that met the needs of relatively local populations, according to those populations. Looking overseas, I think the outcome in Australia was remarkable.
The fact you used a statement from the Queensland premier, rather than the actual response implemented, as evidence of a failing tells me you confused what was said by pollies with what was done by the public service (health services through to police), thereby undermining your own argument.
ANALYSIS: McLennan's fatal blind spot, and why his exit leaves Australian rugby in a better place and a worse one
Nice article Geoff. I’m glad this has come to an end but still frustrated and disappointed we lost Dave Rennie because of Hamish’s terrible decision making.
On another note, you gotta let the covid thing go or stop letting your frustrations with the protocols blind you to what actually happened and why. It’s not unreasonable for state premiers to focus on the health system for which they are responsible. However, if you look below the surface of your frustrations you’d find out that Queensland hospitals treated (and continue to treat) people in northern NSW. Travel exemptions were given to those needing to cross the border for medical reasons. Not to mention the border bubble which was in part designed so people from northern NSW could access Qld hospitals.
Premiers had to play to their parochial populations, and we know what Queensland is like, while also keeping health services flowing to their catchments within the constraints of the pandemic.
I guess what I’m saying is, your articles would be more enjoyable to read if you dropped the politics or at least if you were accurate when discussing it. And I guess I’m also saying, I disagree that the federation was a bad model in the case of the pandemic. I’m also not convinced it’s a terrible model for rugby but I’m definitely in the minority there!
ANALYSIS: McLennan's fatal blind spot, and why his exit leaves Australian rugby in a better place and a worse one
Um, Phil? You were great on the field but now, just stop mate.
Stop hurting rugby.
States not RA the issue Australian rugby is facing as Wallabies great calls on reform measures to be backed
See ya Hamish
Exclusive: Embattled chair asks for extension, Rugby Australia meet AGAIN as civil war breaks out
Offensive? Ha no I was laughing at you. I used the face palm emoji on my phone but it got turned into question marks.
England's Curry accused Bongi Mbonambi of vile racial insult - but Boks fans have alternative explanation
Not at all. Pretending the context of the long history of racism, particularly in South Africa, doesn’t exist is ignorent.
England's Curry accused Bongi Mbonambi of vile racial insult - but Boks fans have alternative explanation
“lad” ????
England's Curry accused Bongi Mbonambi of vile racial insult - but Boks fans have alternative explanation
Well said, AK.
England's Curry accused Bongi Mbonambi of vile racial insult - but Boks fans have alternative explanation
I’d be more embarrassed about writing an article like this than winning a match for my country while scoring a century with the support of a teammate. But I guess that’s just me.
COMMENT: Virat Kohli just scored the most selfish hundred since Boycott - and he should be embarrassed
For years I’ve thought rugby is gone in Australia because it has isolated itself culturally. It’s become more entrenched in the private school system and the big end of town and the rest of us don’t relate to that.
Speaking of tone deaf, a bunch of ex-GPS kids claiming some understanding of what it means to be Australian because they like akubras and RM Williams boots? In cos-playing a farmer, Hamish shows he has as much of an understanding of Australia as George W Bush. These days, Australia is a little bit more complex than that old stereotype.
Add to all of that, modern rugby has become really boring. The game rewards or out plays now and penalises the risk of sweeping backline moves. Like it or not, Australians have a more flowing game to watch every week on channel nine. Never thought I’d find league more appealing than rugby but the way the games are played now….
So yeah, I think it needs an entire cultural reframe but I don’t think that’s possible. The powers that be are too comfortable spending other people’s money so they can keep playing pretend that they are the real Australians.
Parkes life: 'Mate, the name’s Shag and I’m here to help save Australian rugby'
😂
'Bloody disappointed: Wallabies OUT of World Cup as nation to miss finals for first time, Eddie fights for survival
Agree the jingoism is and always has been lame and served us very poorly, but I reckon Rennie will just be sad for his former charges rather than smiling.
'Bloody disappointed: Wallabies OUT of World Cup as nation to miss finals for first time, Eddie fights for survival
A predictable outcome when you leave your best players at home.
Bye Eddie.
See ya Hamish.
'Bloody disappointed: Wallabies OUT of World Cup as nation to miss finals for first time, Eddie fights for survival
Their play has been fine, not upsetting at all. It’s not particularly revolutionary play. What’s irritating, which I tried to convey is how they don’t respect the opposition, the game itself or the game’s history. Self belief is great, necessary and admirable. Putting oneself on a pedestal of changing the course of a sport, when you’re doing no such thing is rather lame and irritating.
With a small number of exceptions, self proclamations of greatness tend to be misguided and in this case it is.
PS. Your point about the pitches in the 80s reinforces my point. Scoring fast on roads isn’t impressive. Requesting roads isn’t revolutionary. And if you look again, when referring to the 80s I mentioned the WI teams, not Australia.
Northern View: 'Aussie Snoozeball' hinted at a dreaded future. England have changed the course of Test cricket
This whole “changing the course of test cricket” is so grating because it completely disrespects the Australian team of the late 90s and early 2000s. Did everyone forget how fast Hayden, Langer, Ponting , Martyn and Gilchrist would score? Did you all forget the aggressive declarations of Taylor, Waugh et al? And they didn’t need flat decks to do it on. And what about the West Indies from before then. Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenwich, with Viv Richards coming in down the order put Crawley, Duckett and Root to shame.
The whole English carry on showed they have no respect for their opponents and are completely absorbed by their own story. They felt like they won the first test… But you didn’t so show some respect to those who beat you, and to the spirit of cricket, by acknowledging it and leaving it at that.
And this whole carry on about bad luck in Manchester…the forecast was plain to see from the start. It’s not very bazball to bat interminably which effectively forced a draw. Why not declare aggressively and back your bowlers to take the Aussie wickets, knowing there’s torrents of rain coming? Oh that’s right because you had flat decks made to order, you know in the spirit of cricket, so you couldn’t risk a sporting declaration ahead of the rain.
Aggressive cricket is not new. Branding it and claiming it as new doesn’t respect those who’ve gone before and isn’t in the spirit of cricket. But what would I know, I’m just a fan of the team who’s held the ashes for the last four series.
Northern View: 'Aussie Snoozeball' hinted at a dreaded future. England have changed the course of Test cricket
Wow. Pretty serious edit of my comment there roar mods. Deleting sentences that you don’t like is next level.
.
Are we not allowed to use inoffensive jokes to critique articles and the site anymore?
Michael Neser's extraordinary BBL catch exposed farcical loophole in cricket's rules that must be closed
I just can’t muster the emotional energy to care about the interpretation of this law. If I could, I’d probably suggest it remains because it allows for some great athletecisim in the field and is one of those rare things in modern cricket, a potential advantage to the bowler.
Michael Neser's extraordinary BBL catch exposed farcical loophole in cricket's rules that must be closed
It’s like some weird reflex that journos think they have to find a critical angle on the Australian captain. It’s lame and weird and unoriginal.
Talking Points: 'Makes it even worse' - The Cummins call that defied 'logic', Carey a keeper, Warner cops ice-cold sledge
Punter and Jonty were special, there’s no doubt about it. And Marnus is too. But they were all like the energiser bunny, bouncing around making it look like they were busy.
Roy, on the other hand was smooth as silk. Making the impossible appear possible without us all noticing. He deserved an extra 20-30 added to his batting average to cover the runs he saved that no one else could have saved. He wasn’t just a run out and catching machine. He saved copious amounts of runs that no one else could have saved. Pure athleticism.
But he made it look easy and so he was underrated. Even though he was highly rated.
Roy’s the man. By a Queensland country mile.
Magic Marnus is Australia's best fielder since prime Ricky Ponting - it's time we all realised it
JOC unlucky
Five French, four Boks, two ABs and one lonely Wallaby: The Roar's World Rugby XV of the Year
I can’t see how the game survives in anything like its current form. Surely the insurance costs will just become prohibitive for professional clubs to operate if the lawsuit in London succeeds. It won’t matter what we as fans want, it’ll just matter what the insurance companies are prepared to cover, won’t it?
For those interested, there’s an eye opening interview with Michael Lipman in ABC Conversations, talking about his early onset dementia. Echoes of Steve Devine on four corners a decade ago.
The Wrap: Rugby still in a fuzzy, concussed state but seismic change looms from an unlikely source
I love it when the roar gets used for political agendas within RA
The key reason why RA should break the bank to sign Scott Robertson as next Wallabies coach
100% with Warner on this. Disgusted by the roar stating that the “Warner PR machine” was out in force in reference to his wife’s comments. Such poor form to try and belittle her comments like that.
I think CA responded to the ball tampering appropriately in all but the lifetime ban of Warner. We claim to be clean skins in terms of ball tampering so we had to come down strong but the lifetime ban on Warner was over the top.
Also if anyone truly believes only the three of them knew about it, and not any of the fast bowlers or anyone who ever picked up an untampereed ball, please message me about my bridge that I’m selling.
'She lost a baby', 'You can murder 25 people and get a trial': Warner's manager's fury as Candice, Clarke, Healy hit out
It’s weird isn’t it? But Geoff has assured us it’s not political so…
ANALYSIS: McLennan's fatal blind spot, and why his exit leaves Australian rugby in a better place and a worse one