Round 14: Here's One I Prepared Earlier

While St George Illawarra and Newcastle are the only teams yet to have a bye, the Tuesday Roast has also powered through 13 rounds of NRL action without a week to recharge the batteries. So, as the boffins from the Curiosity Show might say, here’s a Roast I prepared earlier. Luckily, it is a highly informative and extremely relevant Roast: an actual transcript of Steve Mortimer on SKY News (Sportsline) on Sunday 7th June and his perspective on Swine Flu. With Benny Elias no longer on television, it doesn’t get much better than this and he is ably assisted by SKY “journalist” Craig Norenbergs. Sit back, relax and enjoy.

Craig Norenbergs (SKY News Host): The State of Origin has been thrown into turmoil with revelations that one of Queensland’s star players has contracted Swine Flu. SKY News has learned that Bulldogs prop Ben Hannant came down with the symptoms last week just after the Origin first game. It’s not known how he caught the Flu, but it has obvious ramifications for the second game due to be played in Sydney next week considering he had contact with players on his team and the opposition.

And joining me now is SKY News Rugby League Expert and former Bulldogs captain Steve Mortimer. G’day Steve, good to see you.

Steve Mortimer: Ohhh ohh… got some tough questions I guess to ask…

CN: Yeh this, this is a difficult one, we’re entering into the kind of area of medcine (sic) here, ahh but obviously Ben Hannant ok, let’s say, the day after the Origin, he came…came down with this thing…

SM: Sure yeh…

CN: What should they do now?

SM: Well look, can I just say I’ve heard read the Swine…about the Swine Flu, I think it is eight hundred and something Victorians have got it and a hundred and something in New South Welshmen and so on, but have we had a death from it at the moment? No ok, well, ok that’s fair enough. Look can I just tell you, I’ve had a flu injection every year…for flu…and even when I was playing in my football career, I’ve played with the flu a number of times and got through the game. Now having said that, and I can understand, I guess, the attention that this might bring, but I’m sure that Ben Hannant and all those eight hundred and seventy four other Victorians in there would have received a vaccine or whatever it might be. Do you think they would have been isolated from their work um workplace? I don’t think so. So look you know, sometimes it’s certainly to be addressed sincerely but sometimes I think it can be overplayed too. It is a Flu, I don’t know about the…all I’ve done is read about it, so I understand your questions but I just think there’s been a lot of footballers that have played with flu and unless I guess the NRL can go to the Medical Institute and say well ‘what are the ramifications?’ or whatever, so be it, but umm I think we just move on.

CN: I guess it comes to what the other players, his opposition players and I guess his team-mates have to say, because it’s actually the connotations of the name ‘Swine Flu’ and…

SM: Yeh…

CN: …what happened obviously in Mexico, people died from it over there but it has a reputation, doesn’t it?

SM: Well that…it does have a…yes, yes and that’s in Mexico and we’ve got to respect that as well, but…and I guess it is Australia, it’s a very serious…I guess…issue to address, but umm I think until the NRL speak with the…the umm…the Australian Medical Institute or whatever the appropriate organisation is and the ramifications, as I said, I read there’s eight hundred-odd Victorians umm maybe getting a vaccination or whatever, but will they be isolated from work? I doubt it very much, so guess what? Rugby League is also a sport and work too for these professional footballers.

CN: Ramifications obviously, with Origin just…just…

SM: Well, very much so, umm I’m just trying to think, has Melbourne sort of come up with this so Origin doesn’t continue? (laughs) I don’t think so, no, but uh look it needs to be treated seriously, but as I said before, if people are dying and falling down in Australia, certainly needs to be addressed even more severely, but yes, we’ve got to show the respect, NRL does that, but quite frankly, Craig, I’ve played with the flu a number of times over my thirteen years playing for the Bulldogs and yes I might have given it to other players, but I took a vaccination and I guess that’s life, you know, so. You know, that’s probably the best answer I can come up with.

In Round 14 action:

* Brisbane was gutsy, but ultimately the Bulldogs were far too good on Friday night. The Bulldogs – and Ben Roberts, in particular – showed the Rugby League World just how much Lockyer is missing Tonie Carroll.

* It was rainy and freezing in Auckland, so you know what that means…yep, a low-scoring Warrior win. Newcastle was unlucky to lose McManus early on, but the Warriors got an early lead and kept Newcastle scoreless.

* The Roosters continued to improve and should have beaten the flat Titans, who struggled after their battle with the Dragons on Monday. Gold Coast had one chance to snatch a late win and the fearless Chris Walker did so by putting put the ball down inches before hitting the corner post.

* It was a large crowd at Penrith and everyone enjoyed their noble efforts, but really, wearing pink on a rugby league field was never going to work. Seriously, Manly put in a very solid effort and had the better of most of this game. Wolfman’s pink beard could never be described as better, but his amazing rundown and try-saving tackle on Lachlan Coote was one for the ages.

* Melbourne outlasted Souths in a shootout in the Wild West. Souths’ effort was much improved, but Melbourne always looked like they could do enough to win the game: a notable achievement for them during the Origin period.

* Canberra and Cronulla battled furiously to see who could make more mistakes. Cronulla looked set to win, but an amazing Canberra fightback saw them steal the victory in the dying minutes. In other words, Canberra really should have won this one, but they failed to kill the gallant Sharks off and 20 minutes of sloppy then tired play allowed Cronulla to win.

* In Wollongong, the Dragons and Cowbores produced one of the games of the season. This was a ferocious battle and the Cowbores threatened to stand up to the Dragons: a rare event this season. Ultimately, the Dragons’ long-range try ability was the main point of difference (with Feral Thurston finally cooling off coming a close second) between the teams.

* Last night, Wests ended their near-five year period of futility against Parramatta. At times it appeared as though there would be more Parramatta success, but the Tigers’ efforts to pressure the Eels’ inexperienced halves into poor play were ultimately pivotal and the Tigers came home strongly for an important win.

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