Refereeing Raffles Aside, Souths' Capitulation Breaks Supporters' Hearts Again
Sydney Morning Herald
Monday August 4, 2003
South Sydney 12
Bulldogs 62
The operator of the big screen at Aussie Stadium yesterday had a greater sense of timing than the South Sydney players.
When the video referee ruled ``no try" after Canterbury fullback Luke Patten scored what appeared to be a certain six-pointer, the operator flashed up an advertisement for a local optometrist.
When the green letters of ``try" came up after Canterbury's Ben Harris chased a kick and forced the ball millimetres from the dead-ball line, it was immediately followed by the announcement that ticket B24 had won the day's raffle.
Video referee decisions are increasingly becoming raffles, with Bulldogs' coach Steve Folkes conceding there is guesswork in the close decisions.
``You win some, you lose some," he said, predictably claiming Patten's no try as legitimate.
A pass from Souths' Owen Craigie to winger Nathan Merritt five minutes into the second half could have resulted in a try but Bulldogs winger Hazem El Masri threw out his left arm, the ball rolled over his shoulder, Patten scooped it up and ran 50 metres.
``I can't see how that was forward when the ball went backwards," Folkes declared, echoing the opinion of most of the 8482 crowd.
The only person with better timing than the big screen operator was El Masri.
He kicked 11 goals from 11 attempts, including one almost level with the left-hand corner post, and eclipsed Daryl Halligan's record of most Canterbury goals in a match a tally of 10 goals on three occasions.
El Masri also scored a try, meaning he was only two points short of Halligan's record of most points in a match (28), scored against Gold Coast in 1998 and Wests in '99.
Symptomatic of the Bulldogs' relentless charge at correcting history after last year's salary cap debacle, forward Willie Mason said El Masri was more upset about missing one record than happy about achieving the other.
Folkes said: ``He's been radar-like the past six weeks. He's very hard to put off."
Souths' coach Paul Langmack also said El Masri added ammunition to the Bulldogs' finals campaign, saying: ``The beauty of El Masri is he kicks them from anywhere."
The Dogs' 10 tries were shared by seven players, winger Matt Utai scoring three and Mason two.
Typical of the Bulldogs' traditional miserly approach, Folkes said that what pleased him was ``not so much the 50 points margin but the fact we kept them to 12 points".
Souths break your heart, then leave themselves open to the charge they play without ticker.
Just before half-time, Craigie threw a ball back inside over his head to a support at the end of an exciting movement, only for the Bulldogs to seize possession.
Shortly after, Utai picked up a ball as if plucking a dandelion and ran 85 metres to score, making it 20-8 at the interval.
According to Langmack, his players were ``still very confident at half-time", but then winger Ahmad Bajouri attempted a risky pass on tackle one, only to see lock Travis Norton pick up the loose ball, break one tackle, swivel out of attempts by two other Rabbitohs and pass for a try.
Souths rallied after the Patten no try for Shane Rigon to score, making it 26-12, but Langmack used words like ``abysmal" and ``capitulation" to describe the final 20 minutes.
Three players were placed on report for lifting. Nigel Vagana lifted Souths' Jamie Russo in a tackle, prompting Folkes to say: ``Years ago it would have been tackle of the round."
Craigie and Russo were later placed on report for lifting Mason, an achievement that could have them awarded medals at the Olympics.
Folkes speculated that referees were becoming ``paranoid" about lifting, saying of the Vagana tackle: ``There was no chance of injuring yourself badly in that tackle."
Souths have tried to win with rejects, refugees, retreads and reprobates but need mature, high-priced talent to succeed.
Langmack lamented that the club had few players mentioned as candidates at State of Origin time, adding: ``We haven't got the right personnel to play semi-finals."
He declared the effort the worst of the season and correctly observed that the Dogs ``didn't play that well in the first half".
It is the nature of modern football that once the avalanche starts, it is very difficult to stop.
Asked to explain what goes through a player's mind when the mountain starts to rumble, Souths' Ashley Harrison said: ``You say, `put your heads up', but it's easy to say and hard to do."
© 2003 Sydney Morning Herald