Parramatta in the 1980’s; Canberra and then Brisbane in the 1990’s and Melbourne in the 2000’s. The Storm are now officially in the annals of the sport as one of the great modern rugby league sides.

Sentiment wanted Parramatta to win, and while the Storm was not the best side throughout 2009, they got the premiership they deserved for making four grand finals. Their experience showed.

If only it didn’t take Parramatta 70 minutes to truly believe; and if only the two referees got the call right at the crucial moment that paved the way for Inglis’ field goal.

But the result was true. Ruthless. Brutal. Clinical. Their scramble defence was breathtaking; their ability to halt Parramatta’s momentum around the play-the-ball whenever it seemed they were gaining ascendancy, and their structure and organisation was a cut above. While Mortimer looked over his shoulder and time and time again only found air, the Storm had subtlety and variation all over the park.

All the week’s talk had been about catching Eric Grothe jamming in off his wing, yet the first try came as Reddy and Grothe stayed wide waiting for the second man play, but Ryan Hoffman grabbed the pill and ran straight instead, catching Robson and Reddy out. Too good.

Inglis catches a pinpoint Cronk bomb to score while Ben Smith has his hands on his hips ball watching; Parra’s attempts to bomb are defused, with Jeff Lima hustling around the action to block any incoming runs.

Too good. Pick a one-percenter, and Melbourne have been the yardstick for 4 years.

But answer one question: how was Billy Slater man-of-the-match? He might have been the standout of the finals – but that’s not what the medal was for – and he did drop a bomb that could have handed the win to Parra.

For Parra, on the other hand, Nathan Hindmarsh has surely earned himself a Kangaroos recall. Fui Fui Moi Moi must’ve come close to winning the Clive Churchill medal and I’m struggling to think of a better grand final try this decade, including Stacey Jones (02), Pat Richards (05) and Greg Inglis (07).

But Parra lost the grand final in the first half, which flew by without them showing any semblance of the side that has stunned us over the past three months. How long will their drought continue? They should be there-or-there-about again next year, maybe without another dramatic comeback from the doldrums. Mortimer is a young, class act and they’ve signed well in the forwards, but they need to sort out who will play 7 & 9 if they release the incumbents.

Melbourne? They’re just not going to go away. They were supposed to be finished after last year’s comeback, but that nucleus is still there. And they’ll always have their cut price gems that Craig Bellamy turns into grinders, tackle machines and line busters.

And Brett Finch? Not finals material at Parramatta. But at Melbourne …

Andrew Voss might rub people the wrong way, but he knows a good statistic when he sees one.

It went something like this:

2007 – Melbourne Victory, Geelong Cats and Melbourne Storm won Australia’s sporting premierships, with the Storm beating Parramatta, Brisbane and Manly en route to the win.

2009? Melbourne Victory and Geelong Cats are already on the board, and guess who the Storm have beaten in the finals? Manly and Brisbane, with Parra to come?

Like the Cats, the Storm have the chance to write themselves into NRL history on Sunday to join the great sides in rugby league history, or go down as a side that lost 3/4 grand finals. The Roosters, despite also losing two grand finals, will probably define the first half the decade, and the Storm the latter. If they win, the decade belongs to them (even though Brisbane also won two premierships; 2000 & 2006).

But the last club to make four grand finals on the trot (1981-4) has the chance to spoil the party and do the unthinkable by winning a premiership from eighth spot.

Vossy’s statistics might be compelling, but why has everyone gone cold on Parramatta all of a sudden?

Here is a side that has only struggled against one side since mid-July (Dragons 37-0 loss) – but came out and belted them the next week – in a run that has accounted for teams 1,2,3 and 4 in the process.

The argument goes that Melbourne can nullify Parra’s pack, upon which they have more structure in the play book, and if worse comes to worse, Greg Inglis is in demoralising form out wide, and Slater wants his Aussie jersey still. They’ll run plays down the left edge to catch out Eric Grothe. Will Parramatta’s kicking game be adept enough to turn Billy Slater around?

Ricky Stuart wrote an interesting piece in The Sunday Telegraph last week. Despite the article being a very public tete-a-tete with Brett Kimmorley, he argued that hype surrounding Kimmorley’s injury masked that he doesn’t have the game to deliver another premiership.

Harsh. Returning from injury, Kimmorley would be the first to admit he didn’t reach the same click as he had been all season, so it’s rough to jump to that conclusion.

But Stuart’s point is, grand finals are not only won on defence, but by the team with an X-factor. Willie Mason, Benji Marshall, Darren Lockyer, Brett Stewart …

And look at these two grand finalists, and they are laced with super star game breakers. Hayne, Inu, Moi Moi, Mateo … Slater, Inglis, Cronk, Smith … It’s pretty evenly matched. There’s not a lot in it.

Melbourne’s watertight defence has been deemed too strong, too efficient, too mobile at the right time of the year. But let’s face it. The Broncos were meek, and so too were Manly. Parramatta aren’t one-trick ponies. They can go out wide to their blistering pace. Luke Burt and Inu are a scintillating duo. If that doesn’t work, they can burst through the ruck or torment with second phase.

I don’t know how people can forecast a whitewash.

It’s an Eels fairytale for me. And another great Sydney club rising from its slumber to reignite the sport in this part of town.

As much as anyone tries to change the face of rugby league or aussie rules as they ‘battle’ for supremacy, it loses sight that these two cities just love two different sports.

Melbourne always buzzes in the last week in September; but its feverish when St Kilda and Geelong are there, and Brisbane and Sydney are not.

It will be hard to top the emotion of last week’s Parra-Bulldogs clash.

It proves one thing – the AFL can stick their Western Sydney Woodducks in a game against the Gold Goast Gibberers out at ANZ Stadium, but they will never eat into the well-worn bloodlines that run deep through Western Sydney.

“Are you afraid,” smiled Serena, flashing her big, pearly whites at the poor, little line judge, who stood up defiantly to report the barrage she had just copped. She was just doing her job. It’s not her fault Serena put a tincy, wincy one-sixteenth of her toe on the line serving to stay in a Grand Slam.

“You’re not afraid are you,” she double-checked. How considerate.

Geezuz. I was. Every pound of Serena’s hulking frame looked destined to deliver her promise of “shoving this ball down your throat”. Shit. She would’ve blasted that poor little linesperson out of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

So Serena blames the poor, little linesperson.

John Cartwright blames the refs.

Wayne Bennet blames McIntyre, whoever he is, for inventing this crack-pot of a finals system that sends the minor premiers to Brisbane and Melbourne after they lose in round 1 (but will remain the system because the best team always wins the premiership).

Thankfully, Roger Federer blamed no one. He almost cracked it when a punter in the crowd called the ball out mid-point (correctly, mind you. The linesman must’ve still been thinking of Serena’s biceps). But ultimately, the most graceful player in the world remained gracious. He didn’t even cry, and acknowledged the better player won on the day.

Just like the Dragons should’ve. They should’ve just blamed Jarryd Hayne.

If Gasnier, Churchill and Messenger were as good as people say they were, they must’ve carved up the league like Hayne is at the moment. Now it’s his challenge. If he maintains anything near this form, he could be one of the all-time greats. Like Andrew Johns (although very different players) they aren’t one trick ponies. It’s not Hayne’s pace that makes him a cut above. Stewart, Morris, Phil Graham and plenty of others are quick. Plenty of players can kick, too. A few can set up tries at will. Most forwards can off-load. But Hayne can do all of that, on top of his handiest asset of all – no one can tackle him!

On Sunday, once you  cut through Gus’ orgasmic squealing, Rabbits waxed lyrical about the level of talent in the modern game, going on to list the magical roll call of fullback’s who currently entertain us.

He has a good point.

There was his favourite, “Billy the Kid”. Hunt, Patten, Stewart. He almost forgot Bowen. He did forget Kurt Gidley, the NSW captain. Canberra ace Josh Dugan, former number 1 Minichello weren’t even considered, and no one remembers to wrap Preston Campbell. Ever. He’s a freak, too.

About a year ago on this blog, I didn’t know how the NRL was going to survive on its ‘she’ll be right’ mentality …

Yet here we are. Its league’s defining mantra. It will just survive and continue to entertain. And thrive.

For the record, Melbourne put their hand up for another tilt at the title on the weekend, but I have a feeling the champs will come from a probable Bulldogs-Parramatta humdinger of a Preliminary Final.

One of the NRL’s good guys – Hazem or Hindmarsh – will hoist the trophy in three weeks time.

St George have shown their hand. They don’t have a plan B. That’s good enough to win a hell of a lot of matches in a sport where the premiership rounds are as much about attitude as ability. But if you can’t beat the eighth ranked team, no matter how hot they are, cop it. Not good enough.

The Bulldogs lost their compass on Saturday, but still did enough over the Knights. If Noddy is fit, as he will be according to most reports, then they are lukewarm favourites in my book.

Funnily enough, the Titans could be the team to push Parramatta. The Dragons didn’t throw enough at the Eels defence. As tough as their defence is, the Titans will move the Eels around. They’ll probe. But whether they can handle the Eels’ firepower is another question.

So it’s September. And the NRL seems to get better, more even, and more unpredictable every season.

Is it a case of being unable to differentiate more mediocre teams, spread evenly because of the salary cap? Let’s leave that for another day.

Let’s just sit back and indulge, like David Gallop probably sitting with his feat on the table, throwing darts at those who questioned the salary cap, the top-eight, and the McIntyre system. What other sport can genuinely not even make a ball-park prediction for the grand final three weeks out. Brilliant.

Don’t we love athletics in Australia! Well, sort of. For two weeks every four years at the Olympics. Or if Jana and Tamsyn get the claws out or some long-haired loony who can smoke and jump into a sand-pit at the same time comes out to entertain us.

Yet something peculiar has happened. We’re following the athletic field events at the World Champs, yet the Olympics have well and truly been and gone.

Unfortunately, so too have the Ashes, which probably explains our desperate search for sporting relevance.

So thank the lord for Steve Hooker – not only a gold medal, but his injury-plagued triumph is one of the great solo Aussie sporting achievements this decade.

Together with Dani Samuels’ discuss success, we’ve soared from somewhere in athletics exile into the athletics wilderness. And so we rejoice.

But sadly, another inquisition into another Ashes drubbing is well under way. I won’t go over borrowed ground, but I think it begs other interesting questions:

Who is Australia’s national team?

How valuable are Punter’s pretenders as Australian sporting currency?  Will the Aussie public be out in numbers to support test cricket this summer?

Unlike 2005, we haven’t just witnessed one of the greatest series of all time. In fact, our national side went down to one of the worst English sides on paper in recent memory – despite dominating the batting and bowling statistics.

Throw in Pakistan and West Indies – two unattractive touring sides – and test cricket will face one of its greatest litmus tests on these shores this summer.

While selector Merv Hughes’ nonchalant reaction to the series loss indicates the cricket hierarchy are pretty comfortable with their lot, they best beware.

People always turn up to cricket in their droves. But these days, Australian crowds are not stupid. Not only do they want to see winning sides, they want to see style.

Australia’s ranking has plummeted to a sacrilegious fourth spot.

Meanwhile, the Socceroos have gone with a bullet into the top 15 – unbelievable. You might call FIFA’s ranking hocus-pocus, but they are the official numbers and we have football luminaries like Portugal, the Czech Republic and the Ivory Coast in the chasing pack.

The once mighty cricketers and Wallabies should be looking seriously over their shoulder.

The 15-man game is in dire need of an overhaul that won’t be coming thanks to the Northern Hemisphere’s delight at what has turned into a sad impersonation of a once decent sport.

80,000 might have dragged themselves to the Bledisloe at ANZ, but the Tri Nations and Bledisloe have lost their status in the overall realm of Australian sporting interests.

I have an easy answer for those buffoons running the game: make tries worth 10 points!

If they don’t, how long until test match crowds in Australia take the same decline as Super 14 crowds?

This is arguably the most competitive sports market in the world.

A-League crowds have stubbornly hit a plateau; the Swans can’t pack the SCG anymore [new Western Sydney teams in both those codes is another issue for another day], and league, despite all the scandals, is enjoying a renaissance with crowds because the game is just so entertaining.

It’s a simple equation.

Sydney FC play long-ball, the fans won’t come. Play good football, and they will come. Unfortunately, it’s been a while since the latter.

Everyone needs to be on their toes. That includes the honchos at Cricket Australia. If they don’t lift their game, in everything from spinners to selectors and Mike Hussey to Phil Hughes, they will quickly find themselves a clear second choice to the Socceroos for Weet Bix commercials for a long while.

Finally, tanking has reached the NRL!

We’ve been missing the boat wondering for weeks if the Melbourne Demons were tanking to pip Richmond and Freo for the spoon and the pick of the draft picks.

Forget dodgy selections or above average (and that’s a lot! of) behinds being kicked.

It’s the Wests Tigers who have turned to the tank – and not of the Taniela Tuiaki variety – to get that edge as they try to finally break their final-eight hoodoo.

In the cut throat environment of NRL finals series, the Tigers have secretly had their players strutting around Concord Oval like spacemen, carrying oxygen tanks to enhance recovery from injury.

Finally, an initiative to neutralise alcohol slowing down recovery for rugby league players!

But any advantage is to be taken, especially when you’re about to come up against Jarrad Hayne this Friday night – fast becoming the most talismatic player of this next generation.

Two months ago, I walked out of the SFS after the Dragons gave the Tigers a football lesson wondering how it could’ve all gone so wrong. Bound for overseas that weekend, I could’ve sworn that by the time I came back, the Sharks and Tigers would be fighting for the right to wield that dastardly piece of willow that looks to be headed to Shark Park this season.

But Sunday’s demolition job of the poor old Sharkies catapaulted the Tigs into fifth place. You’ve got to be kidding! It’s got people (prematurely) dreaming of 2005. Comparing – now rightfully – Marshall ’09 with his days of old. In Tim Moltzen, he has finally found his new Prince.

This NRL – it’s a unique monster. The more you criticise it, the better it gets.

Say what you will about salary caps, standard of competition, the uneven draw and that top-eight system that supposedly rewards mediocrity.

If it wasn’t for that bit of marketing ingenuity half of this year’s sides would’ve lost interest and conked out weeks ago.

But one win, and there’s a sniff. The bright lights of the finals wards off mid-table satisfaction. Six wins on the trot and you have a cosy view of the outhouse.

Suddenly,  Friday night’s Tigersv Parra, 5th v 9th, is arguably the club match of the season.

This NRL You write it off and before you know it it’s about to dish up the most tantalising finals series in years. Wayne Bennett will not want to face Parramatta in round one; or Brisbane. How about the defending premiers, Manly? In fact, who knows who it will be? Take your pick, Benny. It’s going to be one helluva finals. It’s why this game never goes away.

If only The Daily Telegraph’s ‘scandal free zone’ actually lasted a week without imploding embarrassingly and wasn’t laced with such ulterior motive.

If only. If ever. Just feed them more oxygen. Might make their mellons think quicker.

Meanwhile, the “Close the Gap” round was a perfect chance to talk about the sport’s potential to create goodwill in creating an Aboriginal Dream Time team to play the NRL All Stars early next year, where the Dream Team will get first dibs at selecting the best of the sport’s indigenous talent.

While the international game plods along, shouldn’t the sport tap into a dream marketing idea they have sitting on their door step?

Look around any junior league squad and you’ll spot a whose-who of Polynesian talent dominating the scene.

A Polynesian v Dream Time contest probably has more relevance these days than the City-Country.

The sport should think outside the square and come up with a triangular tournament between the Dream Team, All Stars and Polynesian side. If Origin is the greatest arena, this would be the greatest spectacle. Show some initiative!

Ladies and Gents, welcome to my new look blog! After a couple of weeks on the road, I’m back home, primed and prepared for the end of the Aussie Winter, which usually means one thing – we’re on the road to September and all the hope that it brings punters in footy land.

This year, it means so much more, as we await the start of the most exciting A-League season ever, with a World Cup waiting at its end, all the while glued to the box until the wee hours clinging in hope that Ricky Ponting’s men might pull a rabbit (or pull a decent selection – Stuart Clarke, perhaps? That’d make life easier) out of their hat and retain the Ashes over in England.

It’s a tough existence for us punters! If only we can just zip Karmichael Hunt in one of those farcical high tech swim suits, where we can whisk him away at world record pace to join Freddy and Brett Seymour for a few schooners before coffee with Mitchell Johnson’s mum en route to spending a year doing nothing with Lote, and the scene could not be more perfect!

There’s plenty to rip into, so mark this page down and the plan is that every Friday there should be something new online to tease you with.

Thanks for reading and the feedback over the past year.

If ever there was a sign of the silly season dragging on a bit too long, look no further than the stone cold cardboard cut out of Miron the Mute, draped next to poor old Paul Okon who had to somehow justify why his boss had gone on his petulant silent protest to spite the FFA’s decision to play this week’s derby at the 50,000 seat Suncorp Stadium instead of Gold Coasts’ 25,000 seat Skilled Park.

It’s all fun and games. Some would love Miron to be as lifeless as the cardboard version – but for most people, me included, Miron’s return is part of the jigsaw puzzle that will make 2009-10 a breath of fresh air for the A-League.

This is the manager who said: “Miron may stay, Miron may go, but Miron will always drive a Mercedes“. He also once quipped “you look in the mirror and instead of seeing yourself you see Frank Farina” – but given his current histrionics, he probably dreams of seeing Jose Mourinho peering back in the mirror.

EPL manager he might not be, but in my opinion, he’s got as close to an A-League dream team as a coach can muster under the current salary cap, thanks to Clive Palmer, the A-League’s own Roman Abramovich.

It’ll be fascinating. Miron’s sides always play good football. His Roar side couldn’t score and copped heartbreaking losses. Now, he has an unbelievable spine and two of the league’s best marksmen (Van S trattan, although injured; Thwaite, Griffits; Culina; Porter and Smeltz). As the man himself says, he built this team up from scratch – “not something even Alex Ferguson” has done. Not much room for failure, is there?

Will the Coast live up to the hype? I believe so. The team is too full of class not to.

Otherwise, here’s my perilous attempt to gaze into the crystal ball. Will Miron be the greatest of them all?

1. 1. Melbourne. Were hopeless last night, but have far too much quality with the likes of Olyroos Nick Ward and Billy Celeski only on the bench. The sight of Muscat hobbling off is all their worst fears at once, as they lack depth at centre-half. But you’d be a brave punter to pick the Victory to have a poor season.
2. 2. Gold Coast. Shane Smeltz almost kept an average Phoenix team alive all on his own. He can surely push a quality United all the way to the end of the season.
3. 3. Sydney FC. Will be rock solid this year – if key personnel stay fit. Simon Colosimo is like a new signing. They have a marquee man who has a reputation and position on the line, with Mark Bridge and Alex Brosque – probably the league’s two great underachievers – waiting in the wings. if nothing else, they’ll be full of youthful exuberance and talent coming up from last year’s youth side. Watch Rhyan Grant in particular. Will be interesting to see if Kofi Danning and Brendan Gan can take their games to another level… and how will Shannon Cole cope with season two?
4. 4. Brisbane. Arguably the best midfield triumvirate that can run any team off the park with Charlie Miller-Mass Murdocca-Matt McKay, but how will they compensate for Murdocca’s early injury? Experience all over the pitch plus excitement machines like Zullo, Tommy Oar, Mitch Nichols and Robbie Kruse.
5. 5. Perth. Here’s to hoping that Perth are the story of the year and the sleeping giant re-awakens in the West. Frankly, they have a lot to like about them, not just in the shape of three quality Socceroo signings. From Tando Velaphi at the back to Eugene Dadi up front, they were playing some entertaining football at the back end of last year. Dave Mitchell knows how to mould a team, so why not Perth!
6. 6. Newcastle. Have I gone mad? Sometimes the scene at Newcastle is a case of who let the mad-men out of the asylum? Between contract disputes, player walk outs, coaching resignations, injuries and board room intervention, they are a soap opera. BUT, they still have a team of potential and a coach with a point to prove. There are a lot of variables, but throw in perennial A-League threat Sash Petrovski; the enigmatic Ljubo Milicevic and the brilliant Italian Fabio Vignaroli alongside their hoard of youngsters, and you just never know.
7. 7. Adelaide. They will probably make the top-six, but I’ll be surprise if they’ll have improved on last year. If they play with 1-up front again, it will be hard slog grinding it out all over again like last year.
8. 8. Central Coast. Already doing what they do best and proving the pundits wrong. Last night was workmanlike; they lack the quality they’ve had in the past, but they’ll be there or there about again because it’s the only way they know.
9. 9. North Queensland. Their squad has really spruced up of late with David Williams, Paul Henderson and Shane Steffanuto joining the stable. They are a real unknown quantity. Their squad looks tired, Jacob Timpano is already on the long term injury list (no joke), but they have a divine presence up front after all…
10. 10. Wellington. Someone has to come last, and they don’t have Shane Smeltz. With big debate to ensue about renewing their license given the AFC’s opposition to having them in our league, it is a huge year for them. They can cause some upsets.Will be interesting to see how their striker Greenacre and youngster Barbarouses go.

Fingers crossed this will be the best season yet. First couple of games have been scrappy, but there’s so much to like – marquee stars, derbies, glamour Gold Coast v Sydney clashes, young stars, former Socceroos, World Cup positions on the line. Bring it on!

Team to watch:

VELAPHI (Perth)

MULLEN (Adelaide)    De VERE (Brisbane)  COLOSIMO (Sydney)  BERGER (Melbourne)

OAR (Brisbane)             VIGNAROLI (Newcastle)   GRANT (Sydney)  SONG (Newcastle)

JESIK (Newcastle)   WILLIAMS (North QUEENSLAND)

Poor old Tommy. Queenslanders die by State of Origin. Some New South Welshman care, others just want to see a decent spectacle. But Wednesday’s loss was the worst night of Tommy Raudonikis’ life.

Frankly, while all I care about from Origin is that Robbie Farah is fit enough to play on Friday night, if Origin is to stay alive as a contest, NSW needs to get the blood boiling again like it was in the 1990’s.

Who is today’s Mark Geyer? Paul Sironen? Chief Harragon? Geoff Toovey? Who?

NSW might not be good enough to find a Johns, Daley or Fittler, but there’s no reason they have to personify the most pathetic nickname in sport – the cockroaches – with a meek surrender.

It might be too farfetched to bring back Tommy.  After all, the man whose tactical sophistication went as far and wide as the “cattle dog” cry (start an all in blue in a scrum) and who initiated Trent Barret into State of Origin in 1997 by making a placid country boy skull three beers on the trot, harks from a bygone era.

But next year the coach has to be independent. Clearly Origin is about passion – Queensland ran out of players and still managed to win. Enough of the the ridiculous country retreats where the players think they are going into a battle for life and death. Let them ride the storm like Grand Final week. Soak it up realise what they are playing for.

Throw out the clipboard and go for the passion.

Next year, throw Laurie Daley and Andrew Johns in as the dream team. Send them into the cauldron. If there wasn’t a risk of Freddie walking into the Maroons hotel waving the game plan, I’d throw him in there too (assuming he’s no longer a Roosters coach by then!)

Imagine those titans of Origin – Meninga v Johns/Daley – going up against each other! Who wouldn’t want to play for them? Who wouldn’t feel obliged to bleed for them?

Wednesday night was rubbish. Origin isn’t dead. But it needs life.

If the debate on Wednesday morning was why the helpless throngs of desperate League fans in Perth and Adelaide couldn’t watch Origin live, yet the troops in Kabul or Baghdad could, then frankly, by Thursday, I wish I hadn’t been able to watch it either.

The match might have been beamed into squillions of league hot spots around the globe (ah hem), but let’s hope not too many watched – because it was stinker.

An advertisement for Rugby League it was not.

If the crème de la crème of the code cannot catch, pass, tackle nor kick, it doesn’t bode well for the argument of Origin being the greatest show on earth.

I know, I know – this rant isn’t in the spirit of Origin.

What of Queensland’s Origin spirit? What of the way they “Out-Origined” (thanks Gus) New South Wales? What about the guts Queensland’s injured players showed? What about the 4-0 history breaking feat? Aren’t I just being a cockroach with soar grapes!?

What about Queensland, huh! The best ever. Tenacious. Blood spilling, gut wrenching, body on the line, herculean. The Cane toad’s were the proverbial hospital ward and still found enough ticker to win.

Forget injury and illness, what about the referee and field position. Those Queenslanders are hard to topple. They just want Origin.

And that’s great. Origin folklore. Stuff of legends.

But our “Brave Blues”?

Give me a break.

If I saw that in reserve grade, I would’ve considered asking for a refund.

And that’s what makes me feel short changed.

Beyond all the brouhaha about selectors, the coaches and the mistakes, the game was just missing something.

Then as each pedestrian set rolled by, I realised  - the match was showing up the flaws in this sport.

While everyone jumped up and down about how well the referees did not to blow the pea out of the whistle, the players had a field day, getting to know each other, groping around the play the ball.

Suddenly, the modern game’s biggest weapon was gone. Kaput. Dummy half was getting the Blues nowhere.

Then – no one in the Blues line up was adept at kicking the side out of trouble (see Wallace finding himself stuck down short sides, cornered at awkward angles on the last); centres were drifting out wide at the same angles as the sliding defence; wingers didn’t know when to come inside; forwards couldn’t help that temptation to haul the ball out the back at the wrong time.

This was State of Origin. The best we can offer. That’s what they came up with at the crunch?

It proves how critical penalties are in the context of modern rugby league. They decide who dominates field position, and who doesn’t need to find a way to come up with that decisive clutch play.

On Wednesday, our state’s best players were hopelessly exposed. Did the other side show they were much better? Not really. They were exceptionally brave, desperate, and passionate about the concept of State of Origin. But they just accepted the gift-wrapped presents as if their Christmases came at once. Or three times – in the space of 20 minutes.

There was certainly a lot of man love (probably illegal in Doha!) after the Roos sealed qualification.

Pim mightn’t have been jumping around like our old friend Hiddink, but he certainly earned effusive praise from Timmy Cahill.

 One thing’s for sure, there’s a long way to go before he convinces a lot of other punters.

Pim’s proven he’s a guru of the Asian confederation. A glance at our team sheets for each of the qualifiers shows the pragmatic Verbeek has gone for a ‘horses for courses’ mentality – pick the team to tackle all the variables, from the opposition, to the type of weather.

I’m not going to go over much traversed borrowed ground. The campaign hasn’t been entertaining.

Forget about Wednesday night’s match. No matter what anyone tries to convince themselves, it was a dead rubber against Bahrain, after a marathon flight, qualification in the bag, on a horrible evening in Sydney. The players went through the motions and threw any notion of shape out the window by the end of the match.

I’ve written it before; Verbeek’s challenge is to use the artillery at his disposal to create a team that can dominate and dictate the tempo of matches on their own terms.

He has 12 months to create a legendary team – and it won’t work having Scott McDonald huffing and puffing around all on his lonesome.

There’s a year to go. But I’m going to poke my head into the crystal ball and see who might be heading to South Africa, with an updated and new-look top 50 to boot. Rip in.

1. Schwarzer
2. Petkovic                
3. Federici               (gks)
4. Neil
5. Moore
6. Emerton
7. Wilkshere
8. Chipperfield 
9. Spiranovic            
10. Milligan   - a favourite son, who has got his act together. If Pim trusted Coyne, he wouldn’t have cajouled Moore back.                                
11. Grella 
12. Valeri                     
13. Culina
14. Jedinak                                    
15. Bresciano 
16. Cahill   
17. Kewell
18. Garcia                 
19. Holman    - I’d love to see Nick Carle, but I just can’t see it happening. If he couldn’t get half an hour last night, then will we he?            
20. Kennedy
21. McDonald
22. Rukyvytsya  - if he scores a few goals for FC Twente, he could be the joker in the pack. You read it here first.
23. Sterjovski 
    ————————————
24. Viduka ** gets in if available
25. Djite – a big season in Turkey gets him over the line too
26. Carney
27. Coyne
28. B Jones
29. Carle   
30. North
31. Holland – another smokey.
32. J Burns
33. Archie Thompson 
34. Beachamp      – had the spot, but bad luck and poor form has shot him down the pecking order.
35. R Williams
36. Galekovic
37. Vidosic
38. Troisi 
39. Steffanuto 
40. Madaschi
41. Coe 
42. Kisnorbo 
43. Vargas
44. Celeski  
45. N Burns 
46. Aloisi  
47. Porter
48. Theoklitos 
49. Milicevic
50. Vukovic