State of Origin 2017 Series

Fergo is a piece of shit, yes. Should he be in jail for grabbing a chick on the vag? Prob not. Should he have a criminal record? Most def.

Also, you honestly dont have a problem with 2 known pissheads, who have been in trouble together on more than one occasion - getting on the piss together (for reportedly 8 hours mind you, decent session) a few days before what us supposed to be one of the biggest games of their careers?

What kind of message does that send to the team? How is that preparing in the best way possible for a massive game. Its disrespecting the team and disrespecting the fans and is a fucking terrible look.

I don't have any issue with them having a few beers (assuming no behaviour issues and they weren't rolling drunk which would affect their performance at training the next day). It's their day off and with things like pub TAB an 8 hour session with a few punts and a feed might have only been half a dozen beers for all I know. With all the build up to the game, it potentially was actually good stress relief for them.

Having said that, fuck they're stupid and haven't helped themselves. Those two, together with no other players drinking in a pub a few days before the game. They were always unfairly going to get savaged by the media, particularly a dickhead like Rothfield for this. Help yourself and just don't do it, or at least go with a group of players so it's not just the breezer boys.

Pieman wrote:Also, you honestly dont have a problem with 2 known pissheads, who have been in trouble together on more than one occasion - getting on the piss together (for reportedly 8 hours mind you, decent session) a few days before what us supposed to be one of the biggest games of their careers?

What kind of message does that send to the team? How is that preparing in the best way possible for a massive game. Its disrespecting the team and disrespecting the fans and is a fucking terrible look.

Nope. If the team management give them a totally free day, no curfew and no expectation to stay dry, its not on the players. There's no suggestion of misbehavior, DUI or that they wagged a training session. If Loz wants to give them a free day, to spend as they wish, then that's an issue for Loz and the team culture he's built, not on the players.

How are you "disrespected" by Fergo having a few schooeys 5 or 6 days before the game on his day off? I knock a few pints down on my days off and I don't feel like I'm disrespecting my employer by doing so. Do we really expect footballers to not have a life outside the game, especially when they are expressly on a day off given to them to relax and unwind in the middle of a training camp?

The players are a part of the culture too.

Its more their history together. Fucking off and getting blind on their own, when they have both been in trouble together before is just dumb and looks fucking bad. I dont care if they had free time, the blokes are both fathers, they are all team mates - what do fergo and dugan do? Fuck off down the coast so they can go get blind outside of QLD.
Go spend some time with ur children, family, go see some sights, go relax. Dont go get smashed. The reported 8 hour drinking session is not a few schooners, its a fucking solid drinking session. Can they not go for one fucking week without getting sauced??

We expect them to prepare the best way possible, considering we pay their wages. Considering they will be making half a years wage for most people by attending a one week camp and playing a game of footy. Considering they are representing us, then they come up with the garbage performance they did. I totally understand getting away from it for a few days, but going to go get pissed a few days before what is supposed to be one of the biggest games of their careers is just wrong.

If they both come out and have great games and NSW win, we prob never speak about it again. But the fact fergo was rubbish, dugan was good but didnt exactly set the world on fire makes them targets for both fans and the media.

I mean fuck, if its a week long training camp - and they are 5 days out from a game - they have only been in camp for 2 days. Considering they wouldnt even do any hard training until prob 3 days or so before the game, what the fuck are they getting away from?

The main and only real problem with it, is making themselves targets and bringing the culture of the NSW team into further scrutiny.

Also, please dont compare turning up hungover at your job emptying bins at maccas to being an "elite" athlete.

Pieman wrote:The players are a part of the culture too.

Nope. Management set the culture and drive it from the top down. Players don't set the culture, they work within it.

Pieman wrote:Its more their history together. Fucking off and getting blind on their own, when they have both been in trouble together before is just dumb and looks fucking bad. I dont care if they had free time, the blokes are both fathers, they are all team mates - what do fergo and dugan do? Fuck off down the coast so they can go get blind outside of QLD.
Go spend some time with ur children, family, go see some sights, go relax. Dont go get smashed. The reported 8 hour drinking session is not a few schooners, its a fucking solid drinking session. Can they not go for one fucking week without getting sauced??

Yeah, they have a history of drinking when they shouldn't. So? That doesnt apply here - they were given free time to spend as they want.

Are there any reports that they got blind? They just had a few drinks on their day off. 8 hours in a pub doesn't mean getting spannered. From all reports it was a social occasion, not a competitive drinking session.

Pieman wrote:We expect them to prepare the best way possible, considering we pay their wages. Considering they will be making half a years wage for most people by attending a one week camp and playing a game of footy. Considering they are representing us, then they come up with the garbage performance they did. I totally understand getting away from it for a few days, but going to go get pissed a few days before what is supposed to be one of the biggest games of their careers is just wrong.

It was like a week before the game and their preparation schedule specifically had free time built into it. Its not like they chose between a night on the sauce and film study - they were sticking to the preparation schedule by relaxing and having a night away from it all. Camp would be very intense, no wonder they got given the time off.

Pieman wrote:If they both come out and have great games and NSW win, we prob never speak about it again. But the fact fergo was rubbish, dugan was good but didnt exactly set the world on fire makes them targets for both fans and the media.

I mean fuck, if its a week long training camp - and they are 5 days out from a game - they have only been in camp for 2 days. Considering they wouldnt even do any hard training until prob 3 days or so before the game, what the fuck are they getting away from?

Lol. Being in origin camp isnt hard training. Thats a good one. Almost as good as the not knowing your left and your right fiasco.

Pieman wrote:The main and only real problem with it, is making themselves targets and bringing the culture of the NSW team into further scrutiny.

NSW held their game 2 camp at Star Casino. They have a convicted sex offender on the team. If _this_ is the line being crossed to make you wonder about the NSW team culture, then you need to have a look at yourself.

Pieman wrote:Also, please dont compare turning up hungover at your job emptying bins at maccas to being an "elite" athlete.

Im not doing any such thing - just drawing a parallel that its nobodies business what anybody does on their day off.

What's everyone making of the "I don't want to play on the bench" spat by Fifita? I don't mind a player not wanting to play on the bench. Even though it's a 17 man game, there is no doubt that starting on the bench isn't as much an honour as starting, so you should want to do that.

However, there's a right way and a wrong way to express that. The right way is "Well I'm not happy as I think I deserve a starting spot, but if you think that's best I'm going try and put in a performance in this game and for my club so you'll never consider playing me of the bench again."

But the bigger issue for me is what Laurie Daley seems to have done. It sounds like the conversation went like this:
Daley: I think it's best for the team if you start from the bench.
Fifita: I don't want to, waa, waa.
Daley: Oh okay, we'll start you then.

Surely Daley hasn't changed his mind because Fifita spat the dummy I hope. If he has that reflects really poorly on him and his leadership skills. The correct reply from him should have been "That's what we're doing Andrew. If you don't want me to do it again give me another performance like game 1, and we won't be having this conversation next time". I'm astounded if the coach changed his game plan because one player had a whinge about his role, and if true then Daley has to be dropped.

Fifita's whole performance this origin series doesn't reflect well on him. He can put in great performances like Origin 1 and the GF, but performances in the last two matches are like David Warner in cricket. He risks being seen as a flat track bully who doesn't perform when the going gets tough. And this is backed up by the whole McGuire sledging scenario. Some people perform better when sledged, others perform worse. If this pretty tame sledge (it wasn't racial or about family) upsets him, then he can expect it a hell of a lot more in the NRL from now on. And if the sledgers have enough game to back it up, why wouldn't you. He's exhibited that if you show some mongrel earlier on to him, he is half the player he is when things are going well. Only Fifita can fix that.

Dip wrote:What's everyone making of the "I don't want to play on the bench" spat by Fifita? I don't mind a player not wanting to play on the bench. Even though it's a 17 man game, there is no doubt that starting on the bench isn't as much an honour as starting, so you should want to do that.

However, there's a right way and a wrong way to express that. The right way is "Well I'm not happy as I think I deserve a starting spot, but if you think that's best I'm going try and put in a performance in this game and for my club so you'll never consider playing me of the bench again."

But the bigger issue for me is what Laurie Daley seems to have done. It sounds like the conversation went like this:
Daley: I think it's best for the team if you start from the bench.
Fifita: I don't want to, waa, waa.
Daley: Oh okay, we'll start you then.

Surely Daley hasn't changed his mind because Fifita spat the dummy I hope. If he has that reflects really poorly on him and his leadership skills. The correct reply from him should have been "That's what we're doing Andrew. If you don't want me to do it again give me another performance like game 1, and we won't be having this conversation next time". I'm astounded if the coach changed his game plan because one player had a whinge about his role, and if true then Daley has to be dropped.

Fifita's whole performance this origin series doesn't reflect well on him. He can put in great performances like Origin 1 and the GF, but performances in the last two matches are like David Warner in cricket. He risks being seen as a flat track bully who doesn't perform when the going gets tough. And this is backed up by the whole McGuire sledging scenario. Some people perform better when sledged, others perform worse. If this pretty tame sledge (it wasn't racial or about family) upsets him, then he can expect it a hell of a lot more in the NRL from now on. And if the sledgers have enough game to back it up, why wouldn't you. He's exhibited that if you show some mongrel earlier on to him, he is half the player he is when things are going well. Only Fifita can fix that.

Youve gotta like that he wants to be starting and wants to be seen as the premier prop in the side, if not the country... But you're bang on - Loz can't put his sulk before the team. Klemmer starting is much better for the team balance, imo.

Pieman wrote:Fergo is a piece of shit, yes. Should he be in jail for grabbing a chick on the vag? Prob not. Should he have a criminal record? Most def.

Fuck me dead you say some stupid shit. I'd love to hear your opinion if it was your daughter he was assaulting.

The stories are getting worse. They were that putrid on Saturday, they were hidden from the media, a journalists car gets vandalised and the Fafita dummy spit. Who was running the camp ?

No Worries wrote:The stories are getting worse. They were that putrid on Saturday, they were hidden from the media, a journalists car gets vandalised and the Fafita dummy spit. Who was running the camp ?

To be fair, the hiding from the media is a Hadlee invention in his constant search for relevance.

Krump wrote:
Fuck me dead you say some stupid shit. I'd love to hear your opinion if it was your daughter he was assaulting.

Why should he be in jail for it? No one in Australia would go to jail for that isolated incident. He was charged with a criminal offence. He didnt get the criminal record he should have (this sort of thing where people get off with no criminal record happens all the time too).

He is a piece of shit, Its disgusting, its wrong, its a criminal offence, but jail worthy? No way. Show me some cases where, as an isolated incident, someone gets sentenced to a jail term for groping a girl like that. And yep, If he did it to someone you were with or knew or were related to, or even if u saw him do it to a stranger, yep, you would put 15 on his chin - and ironically you would prob be the one ending up with a criminal record and not him.

Krump wrote:
Fuck me dead you say some stupid shit. I'd love to hear your opinion if it was your daughter he was assaulting.

To be honest we don't know the details around it, if he's just misread the situation or she complained about it after the fact then who's to say it's worth time.

If that was a jail-able offence for a first time you'd have empty clubs.

Sex offenders list, criminal record - jail time is rough.

ryno_ wrote:

Nope. Management set the culture and drive it from the top down. Players don't set the culture, they work within it.



Yeah, they have a history of drinking when they shouldn't. So? That doesnt apply here - they were given free time to spend as they want.

Are there any reports that they got blind? They just had a few drinks on their day off. 8 hours in a pub doesn't mean getting spannered. From all reports it was a social occasion, not a competitive drinking session.



It was like a week before the game and their preparation schedule specifically had free time built into it. Its not like they chose between a night on the sauce and film study - they were sticking to the preparation schedule by relaxing and having a night away from it all. Camp would be very intense, no wonder they got given the time off.



Lol. Being in origin camp isnt hard training. Thats a good one. Almost as good as the not knowing your left and your right fiasco.



NSW held their game 2 camp at Star Casino. They have a convicted sex offender on the team. If _this_ is the line being crossed to make you wonder about the NSW team culture, then you need to have a look at yourself.



Im not doing any such thing - just drawing a parallel that its nobodies business what anybody does on their day off.

Yeah mate, Cam smith has nothing to do with the culture of the side. Jeez. If you think the players are not a part of the culture youre off ya head.

Doesnt apply here. lol. They were given free time to do what they want a couple years ago too and fergo ended up going ten pin bowling up the wrong alley. How they spend their free time 100% clearly and obviously applies.

Where did I say it wasnt hard training? I literally said they wouldnt do any hard training until 3 days or so before the game. They dont go in and get flogged all week. The first few days they are getting over their last game. They would prob have 1 fitness session the whole camp. Most of the time they do light ball runs and work on combinations. They arent running fuckin sand hills in origin camp every day. Also, Learn how to read and all that etc etc.

And yes, that is part of whats wrong with the culture of it. Well done. They also dont have a convicted sex offender, he was found guilty but has no criminal conviction. I have never once thought Fergo should be picked in the side and I thought staying at the casino for a night or 2 (to please a sponsor) gave off a bad image. 100%. Its all a part of it and these 2 muppets off getting blind on their day off plays a big part in what is wrong with it all. To say this is fine and separate it from the entire shitshow that is the NSW origin team - is just insane. How you can say that eg staying at a casino is bad for the image and culture and then say 2 moron going off to get blind a few days before the game is not bad for the culture is absolutely beyond me.

And no, no one cares what you do on your day off.

When these guys are supposedly in preparation for the biggest game of the year, and they have a bad history together, and there are already question marks over the culture of the team and so on, and when these guys are highly paid athletes are they are expected to be doing everything in their power to win the game - fucking off from the team and going to get blind is not something that invested fans want or expect. The very least they can do is stay off the piss for a week.

Honeysett wrote:

To be honest we don't know the details around it, if he's just misread the situation or she complained about it after the fact then who's to say it's worth time.

If that was a jail-able offence for a first time you'd have empty clubs.

Sex offenders list, criminal record - jail time is rough.

He admitted, on the record, that he groped her without her consent. Im more then happy for that to be the "jail-time" standard, regardless of how that might affect the patronage of clubs. If all the Fergo-esque dickheads won't be there, the clubs are starting to sound pretty good tbh.

ryno_ wrote:

He admitted, on the record, that he groped her without her consent. Im more then happy for that to be the "jail-time" standard, regardless of how that might affect the patronage of clubs. If all the Fergo-esque dickheads won't be there, the clubs are starting to sound pretty good tbh.

He actually said he thought it was a chick that he hooked up with previously, and yes, grabbed her thinking she wouldnt care.

Thats what he told the court anyway.

I totally agree that there should be harsher punishments for just about everything in australia, but that is not a jail worthy offence here, as right or wrong as that is. Should it be? Prob.

ryno_ wrote:

To be fair, the hiding from the media is a Hadlee invention in his constant search for relevance.

Not sure if Kiwi or best typo ever ???

Pieman wrote:Yeah mate, Cam smith has nothing to do with the culture of the side. Jeez. If you think the players are not a part of the culture youre off ya head.

Cam Smith is a part of the leadership group of the team. They set the culture. Players don't. Fergo certainly doesn't.

Pieman wrote:Doesnt apply here. lol. They were given free time to do what they want a couple years ago too and fergo ended up going ten pin bowling up the wrong alley. How they spend their free time 100% clearly and obviously applies.

No it doesn't. What they do in their spare time is of no care to you, the NSWRL or the media.

Pieman wrote:Where did I say it wasnt hard training? I literally said they wouldnt do any hard training until 3 days or so before the game. They dont go in and get flogged all week. The first few days they are getting over their last game. They would prob have 1 fitness session the whole camp. Most of the time they do light ball runs and work on combinations. They arent running fuckin sand hills in origin camp every day. Also, Learn how to read and all that etc etc.

A "light" training session, paired with video review sessions for an origin camp would be hard work. QLD have at least one player a year bedridden after a day or 2 in camp...

Pieman wrote:And yes, that is part of whats wrong with the culture of it. Well done. They also dont have a convicted sex offender, he was found guilty but has no criminal conviction.

Well I'm glad you still find time to defend Fergo from his sexual assualt conviction between being furious at him for having a few drinks on his day off. Good to know where you draw the line. Says a lot. Women in League round is clearly having a big impact in Newcastle.

Pieman wrote:And no, no one cares what you do on your day off.

When these guys are supposedly in preparation for the biggest game of the year, and they have a bad history together, and there are already question marks over the culture of the team and so on, and when these guys are highly paid athletes are they are expected to be doing everything in their power to win the game - fucking off from the team and going to get blind is not something that invested fans want or expect. The very least they can do is stay off the piss for a week.

Their preparation schedule for the game specifically grants them time away from the camp to relax. You cant say it's poor preparation when free time is built into the schedule for preparation. Other players fucked off away from camp aswell - its not like they all played golf together while those 2 went to the pub.

No Worries wrote:

Not sure if Kiwi or best typo ever ???

The second one... I dont think Ray knows how to move furniture or erect scaffolding.

Pieman wrote:

He actually said he thought it was a chick that he hooked up with previously, and yes, grabbed her thinking she wouldnt care.

Who he didn't know the name of and isn't on any club's CCTV.

There's a sucker born every minute.