Under 20s take the cake.

While their first grade counterparts fell to their ninth loss this season, the South Sydney Rabbitohs under 20s side gave the fans something to smile about with their victory over the Melbourne Storm in the Toyota Cup Competition at Bluetongue Stadium.

The match shaped to be potentially brilliant, with both teams performing well in the competition. With Souths coming off a 38-12 thumping away victory over Canberra, they were looking to make it four wins on the road.

With Eddie Paea again returning to the side to pair up with emerging half-back Chris Sandow, this focal point of the team proved important in their success.

Souths came out firing, defeating the Storm 36-14 and also edging away from them on the competition ladder.

Souths scored six tries to three, with half-back Sandow converting six from six goals. S.G Ball player Malcolm Webster stepped into the side, using his speed to score himself one of the six tries.

While South Sydney fans are disappointed with their first grade results, their Toyota Cup team are proving that they have some strong players coming through the ranks. With the first grade team struggling to secure a concrete halves combination, the performance of Sandow shows that if retained he could prove to be a good half-back in the future.

Local fans who made the trip to Bluetongue Stadium were pleased with the under 20s result. Long time supporter Dean Sheppard said:

It’s good to see the young guys playing so well. Hopefully we can retain a lot of the players and maybe they’ll be top grade players in the future.

Another supporter Ben Smith added

The introduction of the under 20s comp has been really good. It’s good to get here early and watch the young blokes. Sometimes their games are better than the first grade games. It’d be nice if the top squad were getting the same results.

The team play the Dragons at home next week and hope to make it six wins in a row.

Dragons snare two points with late try.

St George Illawarra snuck in a victory against Manly after a seesawing battle at Brookvale Oval last night.

Trailing 18-14 with five minutes remaining, centre Josh Morris used clever footwork to send a pass to twin Brett Morris who crashed over for the winning try. Jamie Soward’s conversion sealed the two point win.

The Dragons scored four tries to three in their 20-18 victory, causing an upset which ended Manly’s five game winning streak.

After trailing 12-10 at half time, the Dragons regained the lead in the second half after being awarded a controversial benefit of the doubt try by video referee Phil Cooley in the 54th minute. Cooley saw no evidence that Winger Jason Nightingale and second-rower Lagi Setu’s multiple touches constituted a knock-on after gathering a Soward cross-field bomb. He awarded the try, putting the dragons infront 14-10.

It wasn’t long before Manly hit the front again. After a series of penalties against the Dragons, Manly were given ideal field position which they turned into points after winger Micheal Robertson grabbed an Orford grubber. They were denied a try by Cooley three minutes later after he ruled Brett Stewart failed to ground a Robertson grubber.

The Dragons went into the match without NSW centre Matt Cooper who suffered a minor back injury after the State of Origin clash Wednesday night.

The victory provided joy amongst both the players and the fans, both with a new bout of confidence heading into next weeks match with the South Sydney Rabbitohs. It also improved their position on the ladder.

Fans hope to see more victories in the coming weeks. As local supporter Elissa Pacetta stated:

Hopefully the boys can string a few more wins together and claim their spot in the top eight.

 

Souths young gun.

Growing up watching Rugby League and wanting to one day be like their heroes is the dream of many Australian boys. For some it passes, while for others the desire to play first grade burns forever.

For local Mascot junior Mark Kheirallah, there would be no better job than playing Rugby League for a living. That’s his dream and he is on the right path.

Living in Mascot with his Mother, Brother and sister, Kheirallah is a typical seventeen year old boy. Yet the difference is that his wish to be a professional footballer takes up a large part of his life, not that it bothers him.

I love footy, it’s what I want to do. It doesn’t matter how many hours of my time it takes up, it’s all part of achieving my goals.

While attending Matraville Sports High School for Rugby League and playing in the South Sydney Rabbitohs S.G. Ball team, it is easy to see that at the moment, football is Kheirallah’s life. With a training schedule and nutritional plan set in concrete, Kheirallah is quickly acquiring the tools that could make the difference in the future.

I train three times a week with Souths as well as playing footy for school. We’re told to eat every two hours so we get all the benefits out of our meals.

Kheirallah played in both Mascots under 17′s and under 19′s grandfinal victories last year and was a member of the South Sydney Harold Matthew’s team.

After trialing in October last year, Kheirallah now plays for Souths S.G.Ball after a long off-season process. The team missed out on this year’s final after being beaten by the eventual winners Sydney City Roosters.

It’s always a disappointment losing. You work so hard to make the grand final all year and when you don’t get there it’s tough. But you just have to forget about it and keep playing your best.

While Kheirallah prefers to play in the halfback position, he currently alternates between fullback and five-eighth for Souths. Growing up as a Newcastle Knights supporter, the one player he admires is Andrew ‘Joey’ Johns.

Joey is the best player I have seen. You watched him and could just tell he was two steps ahead of everyone else. He was strong in all aspects of the game and could lift a whole team. As a halfback, that’s who you want to play like. You want to be just like the best”

Yet now his ambition is to one day play first grade for Souths. His alternative plan is to become a computer electrician, yet this is merely a back up he hopes to never have to use. While currently being coached by former South Sydney half-back Craig Coleman, Kheirallah has learnt a few key tools that could help benefit his future.

I want to play first grade for Souths. Right now, there is nothing I want more. I just want to keep playing footy, keep learning and getting better. I’ll just keep doing my best and hopefully one day i’ll be running out playing first grade in the red and green.

At 17, Kheirallah has many years ahead of him. If all goes to plan, he’ll be a player of the future.

Age is no barrier.

Twenty years ago, Tihema Baker hung up his boots for the last time. Or so he thought.

At forty nine years of age, with a wife and five daughters, the idea of playing Rugby League again was never a serious thought in this local Rockdale residents mind. Spending years watching his daughters play the female dominated sport of netball or coaching their oztag teams, Baker was excited when asked to play in the Masters of Rugby League competition by a friend.

A friend asked me if i’d like to play Masters and i thought ‘well i’ve got myself back into a bit of physical fitness, a chance to play footy again? Why the hell not!’

So as of 2008, Baker is lacing up his boots once more. While the Masters Rugby League Competition is not exactly like Rugby League (there is more information in my previous post), it has allowed Baker to be part of a league team once more.

It’s good to be back in a footy team with the mates i socialise with. We get out there, have some fun on the field and then have a drink together after the game.

Yet it’s not always full of laughs. As a man with a love for the game the fun can sometimes be put aside with the luring temptation of victory returning.

Occassionally the competitive jucies come back. Then you realise you’re 49, not 20. Some people take it very seriously, but at the end of the day it’s about getting back out there, using your skills and having some fun.

While Masters is not as physically and mentally tough as actual Rugby League and it is only played once a month, the bumps and bruises still take their toll and the unlimited interchange comes in handy.

You’re not as hard as you were when you were young. You get a knock and it’s not as easy to bounce back up and play the ball or make another tackle. It’s a different kind of challenge.

Playing football again has reignited the camaraderie of a team between Baker and his friends, it has also given him the chance to show his children that he practices what he preaches. As he regularly coaches their Oztag (a variation of Rugby League) teams, he is able to show his children the skills he possesses.

It’s nice that the kids get to watch me play, i never thought they’d all get a chance to see me play footy.

When the game is over, it’s back to his normal family and working life. That is the beauty of the game. A taste of the old, the ability to show his kids and still be able to work on Monday. As Baker happily states:

It gives you a chance to get that feeling of footy back into you. 

A taste of old glories.

 

A game of Rugby League on a Saturday night in the winter isn’t very interesting. Yet, the men who run out one Saturday every month in the Masters of Rugby League Competition are.

The motto is

Masters of Rugby League- where old stars still shine.

What could be more fitting?

The competition is for men over 35 and who are retired from competitive football. Old champions, still hungry for a taste of the game they love. It is the football of old. A small stadium filled with family members and friends, the smell of meat pies and deep heat seeping through the air. The players are footballers of old and their love of the game shines as they run onto the field again.

As Referee Coordinator Colin Smith says, the game is really about respect

Players respect each other. Nobody tries to run over each other, they run at the holes. You don’t really see many injuries and that’s what makes the game work.

In compliance with the modified rules, this makes the game one of passion not of victory and injuries.

Men can play the game on Saturday and go to work on Monday.

Great examples can be drawn from the game on Saturday between the Rockdale Bulls and Dragon Dreamasters. The players ran out, laughing and smiling, with no intentions of hurting one another. As the game progressed you saw the emphasis on skill. As no score is kept, the game is ultimately about fun.

At half time, instead of being strategists, team members laughed at each other, their mistakes and compared old war wounds. When the game finished, both teams huddled together to show their respect for each other. Both teams talked and laughed, sharing beers and proving the true nature of mate ship that the competition achieves.

When the game is over, they leave to the sounds of their children’s praise and with the satisfaction of being able to once again play the game they love.