Back To Articles
Print This Article
Discuss This Article
Off the Wall
Written by: Jeff WallMar 12, 2009 8:08am
For the last couple of months, the media has been counting down to the start of the NRL premiership tomorrow night in days, and in some it is now down to hours. David Gallop could be forgiven for counting it down in minutes! And who could blame him? Two days out from the premiership kickoff, and on the day the money making machine otherwise known as State of Origin was launched, yesterday’s Sydney Daily Telegraph devoted its front page, back page, and a double page inside spread to the debacle otherwise known as the Manly Sea Eagles. Things have not improved much today, and when you look at how appallingly the club has handled the fallout from what seems to have been one hell of a booze up season launch, it is not hard to see why. But tomorrow night all that should change – and you almost have to beg that relief in the form of a refereeing controversy, the video referee stuffing up, or even a good old fashioned dust up, or three is on its way! The great advantage the greatest game of all has in the face of a week of PR disasters is that it has triumphed over adversity in the past – and will do so again in 2009. But you do have to wonder how much long even a resilient, time honoured game, can stand it given today’s revelation than in the last 10 years there have been 80 drunken incidents of various degrees of seriousness involving first grade players? But survive it will, just as it will survive the recession or whatever it is we are currently enduring. In what shape it survives is the sixty-four-dollar question. The game survived the Super League War – but 11 years on is still burdened with the cost of it. What it needs is a premiership season that finally delivers on the so called principal justification for the salary cap – an “even” premiership race. That may be asking too much. Tomorrow night’s opening matches ought to be a promoters dream. The Broncos with a new coach up against the Cowboys also with a new coach, and the Storm up against the Dragons now coached by the coach of the Storm’s former mentor! And that is just for starters! And it is no less interesting over the weekend. The game surely needs a great opening round like never before! And it surely deserves the change of luck that will help deliver it.
Digg This!
del.icio.us
Google
StumbleUpon
