Whenever I hear or read about committees being created, I cringe.
It’s not that I oppose change, it’s just that I am wary of committees making significant recommendations based on the opinions of a select few.
And when you have titles such as “Rules Committees” or “Innovations Committees” I wonder whether the result is change for the sake of change, or recommendations to justify their existence.
Consequently, there’s no shortage of rule changes to tackle in this edition of “Bumpers Up”. But, as usual, there’s also news on the Eels front.
The first hit up is mine – you take it up from there.
A Fast Game Is A Good Game?
Apparently there’s plenty wrong with rugby league. Eight changes to NRL Rules in one season is massive.
The big sale to the public is unpredictability and a faster game. To be honest, I thought that the game was fast enough.
There’s also the pitch that the NRL is listening to the fans. Really? I must have missed all of that chatter about how long distance field goals should be worth two points. Maybe our decision makers are trying to woo more union lovers?
What about increasing the scope for six again and its inconsistent application via ten metre infringements? After only 18 rounds of this rule, the refs are getting more opportunities to leave the punters scratching our heads with their calls. No thanks!
Bear with me on my next criticism.
I deplore the elimination of the scrum after finding touch from a kick. After declaring that scrums are part of the DNA of rugby league, the NRL have eliminated the tactical setting of a scrum!
The scrum is part of the DNA of rugby league
Believe it or not, being able to “legally” slow the game or get a rest for your team is a viable tactic. Finding touch to give your forwards a break after prolonged periods of defence isn’t a bad thing. It’s also reasonable tactics for a team to find touch to take seconds off the clock towards the end of a game.
We have tap restarts for 40/20s and 20/40s. We get shot clocks to speed up scrums. Did we really need to make another change?
Potential full penalties from breaking early in scrums? Let’s tread carefully here. I’m wary but prepared to give that a go. Likewise the new rule around inconclusive Captain’s Call challenges – let’s see how that goes, but it wasn’t high on my list of concerns in the game.
I won’t be entirely critical as there are three rule changes that deserve applause.
The handover for incorrect play the balls is a long time coming. A full penalty against the team in possession has always been harsh. The territory gained from the resulting kick or the potential for a penalty goal was always a high price to pay for what can sometimes be a minor error. Does the handover rule also extend to facing the wrong direction or not rising fully to your feet? I’d like to think so.
The background bunker review is also worthy of praise – provided it’s quick and unobtrusive. Avoiding the embarrassing try calls that were seen last year is a good thing.
Finally, we come to trainers stopping the game for injuries. The replacement or interchange for such players maintains the safety concerns which is obviously paramount. I’ll give that a tick.
A note going forward. Over the last two years we’ve had a plethora of changes. Is it possible for the game to take a breath? I also hope that we don’t make NRL rules too different to the grassroots or international game.
Peni Terepo’s Life After Footy
It was quite an emotional interview given by Peni Terepo about his retirement. Though his epilepsy hasn’t been a secret, Baz’s health concerns were afforded some privacy by the club during the 2020 season.
Peni Terepo’s emotions were captured during the interview
Peni Terepo was part of an Eels pack that was laying an imposing platform during the early part of last season. He played six games during this period, taking his tally to 123 games over 8 seasons with the Eels.
Players want to finish footy on their terms. For Peni there was obviously the pain that comes from his body no longer allowing him to follow his football desires.
I spoke briefly with Peni at Eels training towards the end of the season. He was standing on the hill, watching the boys train from outside the bubble. Baz was missing being part of the team, missing the boys, and the separation was emphasised by COVID restrictions.
I didn’t ask about his situation. He volunteered about how he wished he was out there on the field. That was enough for me.
How good that the anguish of a career cut short can be replaced by the joy of starting life after footy in a business venture with his partner, Vanessa
Peni has always been known as Baz – Baz The Butcher. Now it’s his career. We wish him much success with Homies Butcher Shop.
Monumenteel History
Headlines were made this week with the announcement of plans to erect two major art pieces in the Parramatta Square precinct.
The commissioned Eels artwork
Indigenous artist, Reko Rennie, has been commissioned by Parramatta Council to create his “Where Eels Lie Down”. The intertwining Eels will acknowledge the indigenous culture and history of Parramatta as a gathering place.
The Parramatta Eels are unique in Australian professional sport. No other club name more closely aligns to the indigenous heritage of the area it represents. Though there were once discussions about changing the emblem of the club, the name Parramatta (Burramatta) is genuinely definable as a place of the Eels. Thank goodness that change never eventuated.
Local artists, Claire Healy and Sean Cordeiro’ will be contributing “A Place of Eels” – an eight-metre representation of the 1960s Leyland Worldmaster bus used by Parramatta Eels coach Jack Gibson as a meeting room when the team were forced to train out of Granville Park from 1982.
What the Bus creation is expected to look like
There will be critics of these artworks and the money spent on them. But a huge part of any city, any community, is its identity. From its indigenous past to today, people have gathered together at Parramatta – this place by the river.
For me, I will never forget the gathering back in 1976, when the city centre burst its seams for the street parade prior to the grand final. Yes, there is more to the city of Parramatta than a football team, but the Eels are representative of its heart.
The Boys Will Be Back In Town
Monday will be a big moment in the Eels 2021 Premiership campaign. With the exception of the Origin stars, the full squad will finally be on deck together at Kellyville.
Although they’ll only get the solitary week of training before the festive season break, it’s an important time for the players to become acquainted. There’s also the opportunity for the new additions to begin to pit themselves against the established group.
With the larger numbers opening the capacity for the coaches to introduce full opposed sessions, it means that we gain greater insight about positional changes or challenges.
It’s a time that can clarify, or a time that can leave the coaches with selection dilemmas – good and bad.
Of course TCT will be there to report on what unfolds.
Stay tuned.
Eels forever!
Sixties
sixties, i also have doubts as to the need to speed the game up any more than this past season, I still scratch my head with the bell rings and 6 agains, then the refs waving their arms as if to bat away a raid by blow flies or similar.
I have said in regards to the ten metre infringements and numerous teams that exploit needs to be fixed, and from my perspective the best way is for the Touch Judges to stand back the mandatory 10 metres to adjudicate on the off side, if a team encroaches then raise their flags, the bunker could watch for that and tell the ref through their contact phones.
Its one thing for the game to be fast but another where it has the potential to take away from the game, as the big men tire very quickly and how often do we see half or more of a team walking with hands on hips meaning totally empty body tanks.
I wonder how much input has come from the coaches, let alone the players in these decisions, was not that long ago that new rules/changes being advocated were tried out in preseason trials, and then input from the players, coaches and clubs, rather than officialdom watching from air conditioned boxes, and little if any input from clubs and players.
I really sit on the edge as far as how the game really is these days, and the refs do not help in that direction either.
Re Peni, what an incredible story and a sad one at that. We have had some tough players over the years, and Peni was no exception, how many criticised him for his handling errors, yet once involved he generally improved after a couple early drops, no wonder when its revealed as to the cause of the problem. The club should be congratulated for the way they handled this situation despite many supporters wondering what was happening with Peni.
Thanks for the memory and your dedication to the eels Peni, may you and family enjoy a long time together and for a successful future in your new business, no doubt you will be either physically at games watchingg the eels, or in spirit.
I don’t want the game any faster Colin. Surely that’s now the end of any thought of reducing the number of interchanges.
As for Peni, those who’ve followed his career closely knew that his absence was related to his epilepsy. Not everybody gets to go out of the game they way they wanted to, but Baz ultimately made the call, and after more than a century of top grade games, he can feel justifiably proud.
Surely someone is taking the PISS – it could not be a REAL project.
I have been a supporter of Parramatta Rugby League Club, starting as a 14 year-old in 1960, coming on board when the Club signed Ron Boden, fresh from a Kangaroo tour of England and France with the 1959 side.
Success in the pre-season trials had given us ‘youngens’ hope for a successful Rugby League team for us to follow and be proud of.
The Club success in the trials elevated to “Saturday Match of the Day”.against the mighty StGeorge Dragons.
Match of the Day meant the game was played at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and believe it or not..it was the Club’s first ever Match of the Day status since the formation of The District Rugby League Club in 1946 (the year I was born),
The Club’s first match was played on April 12, 1947 against Newtown, before about 6,000 fans, with the Bluebags running out comfortable winners 34-12.
The Club did not have much success until the establishment of the Parramatta Leagues Club – opened in 1959 – and known as ‘The House that Jack Built’ – Jack being Jack Argent, the Club President at the time.
The Match of the Day did not go well. Another star import – Paul Pyers – suffered a broken jaw early in the game and was forced to miss most of the year through injury.
There were no replacements allowed in that tough era of hard men, and hard football – if you were injured and forced off – the team played short.
St George, was in the middle of its 11 premiership streak – won the match 52-0.
Parra never got another match of the day until 1962.
The signing of the great Ken Thornett from English Club Leeds for an 8 match ‘visit’, resulted in seven wins and a draw, and enabled the team to finish a semi-finalist for the first time EVER.
Ken returned ‘full time’ in 1963, and was joined by his young brother Richard, and the team was on its way to become a powerhouse in the NSWRL competition.
The Club attracted huge following of fanatical supporters, with the fans hungry for premiership success.
The Clubs best hopes came in 1976, under the late great Terry Fearnley the team progressed to the Grand Final playing against arch rivals Manly Warringah.
Although the Eels score 2 tries to 1 in the decider, they went down 13-10, with Graham Eadie kicking five goals (several from scrum penalties) to John Peard’s two conversions.
It was the match where Parra’s international winger Neville Glover, spilled the ball with the try line wide open.
The following season, the Eels added the great Michael Cronin to its ranks, and the Club made it to the Grand Final against St George.
The Crow missed with a conversion attempt in the dying minutes which would have given the Club its first premiership.
Instead, the match ended at 9 all after extra time could not produce a winner. The match was replayed the following week, with St George comfortable winners 22-0.
The signing of Master Coach Jack Gibson as Head Coach in 1981 was the catalyst the Club needed to end the long wait.
It is now part of history – that it was Jack who rang the bell – and made that great sporting quotation “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead”.
The great man took the Club to three straight premiership wins 1981-1982-1983.
It is MY BELIEF that erecting an UPSIDE BUS as a piece of artwork as a memorial to that era of history of Parramatta District Rugby League is an ILL THOUGHT OUT JOKE.
Imagine what Jack Gibson would say if he heard the proposal.
Parramatta needs a better piece of art to celebrate the influence the Rugby League Club has had on the District.
A statue of Jack Argent, Ken Thornett or Jack Gibson ( in his fur coat) to me, seem more appropriate.
An upturned bus would only bring laughter and negative comments.
I don’t get it – DO YOU.
Agree with your sentiments Pete. Your insights are as relevant today as they were in George Crawford’s column back in ‘62.
Always an honour to have a legend like Pete add his opinions on TCT.
Just to be different, I don’t mind the symbolic aspect of the bus…..so there’s another opinion for you and I was around that time ……remember 1962 Parra beating St George at Cumberland, my first ever game of football as a spectator.
I was there , stg stood down a few major players who had played reps on the day before , raper and few others , after the game ken kearney went around shed and took of every players boots for them , TRUE !!!!
Great memories.
I have to admit that I’m not crazy about a bus. I understand that the bus also represented a meeting place for that team, just as the artwork will be placed as a meeting point. I guess it will be a talking point. I don’t think that a statue of a person is the answer either. In fact I’d like to see suggestions from readers.
As always, thanks Pete.
I must have missed something as the bus thing has gone completely over my head. Pete being a year older than me has put up a great post, but I would like to know about the idea, not having seen it even in a drawing makes no sense at all, buts part of our scty these days.
If a player or specific person is chosen instead, that will create more talk of negativity where the argument would be against anyone chosen is always beaten by an alternative.
The eels and the Parramatta river are the primary areas of the district heritage back before the eels team got into the Sydney comp We were adorned with Royal Blue and Gold as our team colours. Like the team the district RL team and much of the heritage around us was based on the wonderful icon of an aboriginal man spear in hand and standing on one leg with the other against that leg for support, he was spearing a meal, in this case an eel that were a bit in plague proportions, yet its an endearing logo, and would make a wonderful symbol in the heart of Parramatta, representing the original people in the district and those who have come into the area since the RL team was founded and called for the inclusion, something my late dad was involved in.
Here’s the news about the art work Colin:
https://www.parraeels.com.au/news/2020/12/09/iconic-eels-artwork-for-parramattas-cbd/
Thanks sixties, I think!
Forgive my ignorance and lack of understanding of modern art, but for goodness sake the two photo’s first of bus crashing is bad enough but the coloured boxes that must have fell through a paint house and glue pot makes the bus actually look ok, until you look at it.
How much were the B” artists paid for those high – oops Low lights of modern artistry especially as there is no runaway bull to take offence or liking to the items.
I am happy to add my voice to the sentiment around the rule changes. Clearly we all love PVL for keeping the action on the field this year but I fear one Phil Gould has a little too much influence on Peter’s thoughts. Gus started talking about extending the 6 again rule to the 10m rule very early after it was brought in. Inside knowledge OR seed planting?
I do hope that “they” stop fiddling with the rules now and just let the players play!
Same mate. It’s time to sit back and take a breath.
Tks sixties. I’m thinking there is probably a better concept than the bus, but they are probably trying not to have a full on and obvious NRL display in a major city with all sorts of divergent interests. Present something that people think ‘geez, what’s that?’, engage them in a different way to a statue of a person which is direct and obvious. Whilst I think NRL is at the centre of the universe, I know I’m a minority, sad but true!
First premiership, rebuild Cumberland, Big Jack, legendary players…we Eels supporters get a good storyboard out of this in a public place. Maybe the visual of it is like your mother in law ( or father in law of course)…over time you grow to accept it.
Wise words today BDon. A statue of a person just would be too straight forward. I like the analogy too. 🤣
I feel that the innovation committee think scoring more tries is exciting, good footy. If we speed the game up with no earned breaks, we will not see brilliant tries that amaze the audience. We will see boring tries from overlaps or around the ruck.
It has been really good reading the training reports. Cartwright looks really fit. I hope he stays on the right track, more so for himself, but also he could be really good for us.
I have to wonder what we are going to do at centre. The issue for Michael Jennings could become very problematic for us.
I hope everyone has a wonderful and merry Christmas. Have some much needed fun/ relaxation and stay safe.
Thanks Shelley. We had a stack of rules added in the last 12 months.is this sudden surge of changes like ripping the bandaid off – let’s get it over and done with? As I’ve said before, unless something awful that needs fixing emerges, I hope the NRL take a breath for a while now.
Hi Sixties, you rang a few bells when you mentioned the 76 parade, had to stop and recollect my thoughts on the “place of the Eel”
Which was mainly to say that Parramatta’s identity is a big thing to me, even though I have lived away for the past 40 years.
I think the originality of its indigenous heritage is very important as we go further in our long term development…..another reason if you like as to why Parra should attract more supporters from outside of its natural boundaries….. I believe we should be sponsoring indigenous competitions anywhere and everywhere practical with the view that every Aboriginal kid feels an affinity with Parramatta.
I could go on but I know you get my drift…..and no I have no indigenous heritage…..just a Parramatta one!!
That was me that posted that Sixties, I thought I was already logged in. Dementure is becoming a curse Lol
As a fellow old timer I can identify mate.
Thats a good point about the reach of the club. We have re-focussed on the local district from a player development perspective, but there is probably merit in at least looking at aligning with the major indigenous carnivals. Obviously, investment in bush footy is a talking point in the game, and that’s where the gold can be found with indigenous kids. Should we look at a region or at just the bigger carnivals?