The Bunnies

[red+black]

I must preface this by saying I was always against Souths getting back in. Today, at home, they are currently 66-0 down, 78 minutes in, to the second last team, the Warriors. Since they were let back, I have said that no amount of time will help them, they are Bunnies by name, Bunnies by nature, and year after year they prove that they are unworthy. Every year the wooden spoon is almost an absolute certainty.

What do others think? (I do expect some flak from traditionalists, I'll wear it. I mean, I miss the VFL )

 

[Cleavy]

L-O-S-E-R-S! Kick them out of the comp!

 

[copa]

Doesn't look good...

the online media says the crowd was just over 6,000 and quite a few left at half-time in disgust.

 

[wagstaff]

I rarely watch Rugby League but happened to accidentally tape some of the highlights after recording the cricket that preceded it.

Curious with the scoreline, I decided to have a look. It was absolutely amazing to see how insipid the Rabbitohs were, they weren't even putting in a pretence of an effort, let alone a genuine one. And that final try the Warriors scored really topped it all off - I could've put more pressure on then the South Sydney side did.

Considering the ladder position of the side, hard to see the South Sydney coach remain in the job much longer I would've thought.

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

Hardly a guaranteed spoon every year. They didn't get it last year. Played some great football last year too. They just lack depth and are struggling to attract first rate talent, more troubled journeymen than anything. Let's see what Russ can do to improve their image and attractiveness.

 

[Minkus_Swan]

It seems that Rusty Crowe can't wine and dine some better players quick enough me thinks.

 

[roostersgal4eva]

Adelaide Rams got shafted because of this mob....

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

Adelaide Rams got shafted because of this mob....

:mad

No they didn't. The coming back together of the ARL and Super League killed off the Rams, the Mariners and the Gold Coast. Rationalisation in a bid to get to an elite 14 team NRL competition is what killed off the Rabbitohs, and forced the merge of Wests and Balmain, Norths and Manly. I think the St George and Illawarra merge was earlier and for different economical reasons and the Sth Qld Crushers just failed on their own. The Rams were long gone before South Sydney won their case to come back in to the comp again.

 

[roostersgal4eva]

we were averging 15 000 - 20 000 per game and were more competitive than what the team in question is now

the fact is unlike other sports all Rugby Leauge only cares about its own backyard

the way they treat the storm show they thought of as a 'token' team

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

we were averging 15 000 - 20 000 per game and were more competitive than what the team in question is now

the fact is unlike other sports all Rugby Leauge only cares about its own backyard

the way they treat the storm show they thought of as a 'token' team

Perhaps but still the readmittance of the Rabbits had nothing to do with Adelaide getting the boot.

Modern era history

1967: Cronulla and Penrith join the competition (12 teams).
1982: Canberra and Illawarra join the competition (14 teams).
1983: Newtown exit at the end of the season.
1984: 13 team competition.
1988: Brisbane, Newcastle and Gold Coast Giants join the competition (16
Teams).
1989: Gold Coast becomes the Gold Coast Seagulls.
1995: Auckland, North Queensland, South Queensland Crushers and Western Reds added (20 team competition).
Aug.: Gold Coast withdraws.
Dec.: Jeff Muller rescues Gold Coast (20 team competition).
1996: March: ARL takes control as Gold Coast Chargers.
1997: Adelaide Rams, Hunter Mariners join 10 team Super League, ARL runs
12 teams.
Reds, Mariners, Crushers exit at end of season.
1998: Melbourne added (20 team competition).
Adelaide, Gold Coast, exit at end of the season; St George and Illawarra merge.
1999: St George Illawarra join (16 team competition).
Norths, Souths exit at end of season. Balmain, Wests merge, Manly then
merges with Norths.
2000: Wests Tigers, Northern Eagles join (14 team competition).
October Auckland Warriors become New Zealand Warriors under Eric
Watson.
2001: August, Manly takes control of Northern Eagles Licence
2002: Souths readmitted (15 team competition).
May 25, Northern Eagles play last match in Gosford
September, Northern Eagles exit competition
2003: Manly Sea Eagles re enter Premiership in their own right (15 team
competition).
2005: Decision taken to readmit Gold Coast.

The figures don't add up in 1999. Says 16 team comp down from 20 in 1998 but we had one merge and two leaving. Must have been a 17 team competition during 99.

The history of the league prior to the 80's was pretty scant actually. Amazing how much happened during those two decades.

 

[Calthorpe14]

This is starting to become a very serious problem, however, they have made imporvments to the squad in 2007.

The addition of the likes of David Kidwell, Nigel Vagana, Dean Widders and with the possiblity of Roy Asotasi coming in aswell, there are positive signs.

IMO, give Crowe and homes a court some more time to fix the problems there and then see what happens.

 

[Aucklander]

More importantly, the Warriors are now making all the right moves.

 

[music_2000]

sad result for a team that was once top of the table in their heyday remember the late 60s anyone? Lets see what Peter and Russell do now.

IMO move the team to central coast or another state and start afresh. the NRL needs to work on at least building a fan base in other states

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

This is starting to become a very serious problem, however, they have made imporvments to the squad in 2007.

The addition of the likes of David Kidwell, Nigel Vagana, Dean Widders and with the possiblity of Roy Asotasi coming in aswell, there are positive signs.

IMO, give Crowe and homes a court some more time to fix the problems there and then see what happens.

Holy ****. I didn't know that Vagana was leaving the Sharks. Him and Phil Bailey, that's our preferred centre pairing.

There is zero loyalty in the NRL.

 

[1908]

Why would moving Souths to the CC make them suddenly a winning team?????? They would still have the same players.
The club should be trying to get a decent coach ie. John Lang and build from there.

 

[pcpp]

Why would moving Souths to the CC make them suddenly a winning team?????? They would still have the same players.
The club should be trying to get a decent coach ie. John Lang and build from there.

It won't make them a winning team but it'll look better for the game having 15,000 at CC than having close to 80,000 empty seats at Australia's second largest stadium.

 

[ParraEelsNRL]

Holy ****. I didn't know that Vagana was leaving the Sharks. Him and Phil Bailey, that's our preferred centre pairing.

There is zero loyalty in the NRL.

Bailey is heading to Wigan.

 

[1908]

Another stupid arguement Souths have had 4 poor seasons yet their crowds are very comparable to St.George who have made the semis for a number of years and have alot of star players. Why would the people on the CC support a losing team. When Souths start winning they will easily pull 20,000.

Average attendance after last week:

Parramatta 12,985
St.George 12,626
Cronulla 12,467
SOUTHS 11,978
Canberra 10,289
Melbourne 9,046
Warriors 8,534

The question should be asked why aren't some of these other clubs drawing bigger crowds?

Between 1999 and 2006 average crowds:

Wests Tigers 13,261
St.George 12,833
SOUTHS 11,744

 

[Ed_Gein]

Disgusting loss. Maybe players like Orford and Anasta should of went there to help get the team going. But no one wants to join a team thats sitting bottom of the table constantly. But judging by a post someone made, Kidwell and Vagana are definate improvements and a step in the right direction.

 

[Teagueeee15]

This is starting to become a very serious problem, however, they have made imporvments to the squad in 2007.

The addition of the likes of David Kidwell, Nigel Vagana, Dean Widders and with the possiblity of Roy Asotasi coming in aswell, there are positive signs.

IMO, give Crowe and homes a court some more time to fix the problems there and then see what happens.

But will they be there come two seasons time. Souths just have a revoving door where they get a couple of high profile players who are gone in a couple of seasons. IMO Vagana and Kiddwell are just the next Brian Fletcher, Chris Walker and Ashley Harrison.

 

[Hawkk]

Anyone read Mike Coleman's article in the Courier Mail yesterday?

http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/story/0,20797,19596129-5003409,00.html

IT was like that scene from Russell Crowe's Academy Award-winning movie Gladiator. The one where Rusty looks down at his band of gnarled, hungry warriors and says: "On my signal, unleash hell."

Except this time around it was New Zealand captain Steve Price talking to the Warriors and Russell's boys South Sydney the ones on the end of the mother of all floggings.

No matter how much money Russell has tipped in to the Rabbitohs, it obviously wasn't enough. Or, on the other hand, way too much.

Ever since George Piggins led the faithful down George Street and won his gladiatorial battle to keep Souths in the NRL competition, we have heard words like passion, commitment and "Pride of the League".

We have also heard that old chestnut, "a strong South Sydney means a strong rugby league".

Well, it obviously doesn't work in reverse. South Sydney is so weak right now as to be an embarrassment but the league itself is in good shape, raising the question: just what are the Rabbitohs doing in the competition?

They aren't adding anything in terms of crowds – there were only 6500 poor misguided fans at the cavernous Telstra Stadium on Sunday – and they are hardly a TV ratings magnet.

The Queensland Cup match on the ABC on Saturday was 10 times the spectacle of watching the Warriors hold their training run on Sunday.

But more than that, it's the betrayal of trust.

South Sydney fans are as loyal and passionate as any others. They deserve better.

And so do the fans of other clubs. A New Zealand Warriors supporter deserves value for money just as much as a South Sydney one does, maybe even more.

Souths fans choose to support these lemons. Other fans have to watch them by default.

Coach Shaun McRae was lost for words to describe the worst drubbing in Souths' long history. Suffice to say the ones bandied around during the court case weren't applicable.

Passion and commitment certainly weren't on show last weekend, or the one before that, or pretty well every one this season.

The only match they have managed to win was the one they had to win, against a hopelessly understaffed Brisbane Broncos ripe for the plucking.

If they couldn't get themselves up for a credible performance against a team of crocks, reserve-graders and schoolboys, they never would.

How weak were the Broncos that day? Weak enough for Souths to beat them, which says it all.

Yet South Sydney fans still seem to think it is their God-given right to be in the competition.

Well, as someone whose team was kicked out of the NRL never to return, I can tell them no club has that right. (North Sydney Bears)

The only reason Souths are still alive is that Piggins wouldn't give up.

Somehow he managed to keep together a seething mass of competing factions, agendas and in-fighting long enough to win the court case without the club imploding.

That happened almost immediately after the decision.

Piggins has gone now, of course, stabbed in the back by many of the members and high-profile drum-bangers he thought were his mates.

He is well out of it, I'd reckon.

Russell Crowe and Peter Holmes a Court picked up the Bunnies for a pittance. To turn them around will need a fortune.

They will need to buy an entire new team for starters.

McRae told his players to remember Sunday's game. He told them to take a photo of the scoreboard and keep a copy of the videotape. Why? Does he really think they care?

This isn't a team; it is a group of blokes getting paid to play football by the weakest side in the competition – the weakest in any competition in the country, for that matter.

And the only reason they are getting paid to play for Souths is that no other club wants them.

The pride of the league? The shame of the league, more like it.

There was probably only one good thing to come out of Sunday's mismatch, and that is that Piggins wasn't there to see it.

He vowed never to go to another game after being shafted by the members to make way for Crowe and Holmes a Court.

That was the best decision he ever made behind buying his first truck, I'd reckon.

I consider myself a Souths supporter, but frankly a lot of what Mike has said I agree with.

We need to pick up our game.

 

[I_LUV_AFL]

we were averging 15 000 - 20 000 per game and were more competitive than what the team in question is now

the fact is unlike other sports all Rugby Leauge only cares about its own backyard

the way they treat the storm show they thought of as a 'token' team

State of Origins, Test Matches, RL World Cup matches and more junior development then ever before says that you are wrong. A few years ago, I would have agreed but things are changing and the big wigs at the NRL see the importance of the Melbourne Storm.

By the way, N.QLD 16 bt Souths 14.

 

[Hawkk]

Was just watching the replay on FS.

A much better performance then the 'display' vs the Warriors.