This will hurt me...

This is the three hundredth post to the blog known as ‘ This will hurt me... ’, and what a post it will be! Actually, it is a quick link to promote The Swinging Arm , Australia's leading antidisestablishmentarianist rugby league periodical, which also happens to be the official journal of the Rugby League Institute of Technology. Now, I have to admit that I am not a huge fan of ‘the game played in hell’™. However, I am a big fan of anything associated with the fine work of the boy from Broken Hill, the sin-city residing former Reverend turned roving rugby reporter Barry "Scoop" Freelove. Anyone with any doubt as to Barry’s passion and eloquence on the beautiful game need look no further than his communiqué this week, titled Rugby League's Greatest Shame .

The Swans insist that it is all much ado about nothing ; the AFL is keen to protect the integrity of the competition ; Roos thinks that he is being unfairly persecuted and that the AFL have a vendetta against him ; Andy Demetriou says that it's "nothing personal" , he's even in the Telegraph counselling restraint . Aker (being Aker) just can't keep out of any argument and reckons the pre-season comp should be scrapped . The people of Sydney are in uproar ! In The Age, Carro reckons that it is a farce and is holding the fort for her good mate Snooze; in the Hun noted hack Mark Robinson thinks that it's all the fault of the league ; yet also in the Hun chief footy scribe Mike Sheehan disagrees and thinks that Roos has come out looking soiled , and that the AFL's point is valid. It should shock no-one that I agree with Sheehan. The competitive spirit within me cannot accept that football can tolerate actively trying to lose a game. As I said in an earlier p...

I don’t follow rugby league (actually, I think that it is a pretty ridiculous sport), so I know little about their rules and the reputations of their referees. However, I do reckon that this is some pretty good officiating. He doesn’t lose his cool, he explains his decision in a rational manner, and both sides get what’s due to them.