Miller off, Ralphsmith on.
I cannot believe that happened. Ralphsmith is, at best, a bush footballer, who is more hair than substance.
Picture this.
We're playing a team that we are matching. A premiership contender with their full list to pick from. And we're cracking in. Half our list unavailable. Barely a bloke over 190 to pick from. And we're cracking in.
But here's a problem. After a dominant first half, their big guys are starting to get a taste for it. Grundy's throwing his weight around. Gawn is being the premiership captain he is. But our two makeshift tucks are toiling.
Their forwards are beginning to exert an influence. But our backs are just plugging the dam wall.
It's tight. A point the difference.
Enter Hardwick.
'Let's sub out one of our last remaining talls. The only bloke even holding ground against the opposition ruckman. Let's put in a guy who can't compete anywhere, and turns the ball over in a game where it is punished. Let's take out the only guy holding our backline together, and throw him in the ruck. That'll do it.'
5 minutes later.
'Who the hell is Van Rooyen, and why does he have 3 goals?'
The selection tonight was already dumb. Which is impressive, seeing how few options there were. Ralphsmith should never be a sub. Mansell should never be in the forward line. Ross and Sonsie should both be playing.
But to make that sub when the game was in the balance...
That was a game losing move.
I cannot believe that happened. Ralphsmith is, at best, a bush footballer, who is more hair than substance.
Picture this.
We're playing a team that we are matching. A premiership contender with their full list to pick from. And we're cracking in. Half our list unavailable. Barely a bloke over 190 to pick from. And we're cracking in.
But here's a problem. After a dominant first half, their big guys are starting to get a taste for it. Grundy's throwing his weight around. Gawn is being the premiership captain he is. But our two makeshift tucks are toiling.
Their forwards are beginning to exert an influence. But our backs are just plugging the dam wall.
It's tight. A point the difference.
Enter Hardwick.
'Let's sub out one of our last remaining talls. The only bloke even holding ground against the opposition ruckman. Let's put in a guy who can't compete anywhere, and turns the ball over in a game where it is punished. Let's take out the only guy holding our backline together, and throw him in the ruck. That'll do it.'
5 minutes later.
'Who the hell is Van Rooyen, and why does he have 3 goals?'
The selection tonight was already dumb. Which is impressive, seeing how few options there were. Ralphsmith should never be a sub. Mansell should never be in the forward line. Ross and Sonsie should both be playing.
But to make that sub when the game was in the balance...
That was a game losing move.
