I don't have a problem with McKinnon or Smith. I do have a problem with 60 Minutes.

I can't remember the last time I watched 60 minutes. A few years ago probably. I remember watching a story that was so one sided that I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It used to be the kind of show that featured stories told professionally. It was true journalism. Now it is little more than a TV version of a tabloid.

I broke my 60 minutes drought as I wanted to watch the story on Alex McKinnon, the rugby league player who became a quadriplegic after a horrifying illegal tackle in a game last year. The story started off well. Stories from Alex's youth, funny anecdotes from his family and documentation of what seems to be a great love between him and his fiancé.

Where they starts to lose it was at the point where they obviously wanted to cause dissent, to get people talking, to make something pointed in order to shock viewers...keep them watching. Never mind it was only part of the truth.

Now I think McKinnon is a brave man who deserves the outpouring of sympathy he is receiving. It is a huge tragedy that a man so young has been so injured. When his mother spoke about how she felt when he said he wanted to die it truly touched me. I hope too he gets a bigger settlement from the NRL so he has the money he needs to live the rest of his life.

However today Cameron Smith, The Australian and Melbourne Storm Captain has been left shocked after being labelled the bad guy by 60 minutes, this program that should be led by guidelines of responsible journalism.

During the program they showed McKinnon sitting with Liz Hayes watching the footage of that terrible tackle. McKinnon found it hard, obviously and was trying to describe why he moved his head the way he did. The big surprise... The pointy part of the story that Liz Hayes & team seemed so keen to deliver was that McKinnon had no malice for the Melbourne Storm player who lifted him in the tackle, the player who was suspended for 7 weeks but rather was angry at Cameron Smith for his on field comments at the time.

It is fair to say that looking at isolation at what Smith says it does give the viewer a bit of a jolt, just as it does Hayes and McKinnon who are viewing it together. 60 minutes put the footage together just perfectly for best effect. McKinnon on the ground, his face stricken, unable to breathe and unable to move. Then carried off on a stretcher... The mood sombre. Then Smith is arguing with the referee about the penalty that went against his team. The referee tells him the penalty stands, the player is on report, it is an illegal tackle. But Smith does what many a captain has done before and will do again, he argues the point. 60 minutes make sure you see and clearly hear him say ' if he doesn't duck his head, that doesn't happen' Then go to McKinnon's reaction as he watches with Hayes. He is upset. He suggests that arguing over a penalty when someone comes off on a stretcher is fucking ridiculous. 

Now reading this you may think he has a point. I did at first. People are saying how did Smith not know how serious it was? How could he blame McKinnon for his own injury? Well I imagine if Smith were to see the footage he would agree it was not his best moment. Arguing over a penalty that injures a player to the extent they have to be carried off on a stretcher seems petty and unsympathetic.

But 60 minutes leave it there. A brief positive mention from coach Wayne Bennet about Smith's character and that is it. No talking to Smith or the Storm. Nothing. Just an seriously injured man watching footage of the moment his life changed forever reacting to that pain in front of a camera.

That's not responsible. They didn't need to show him watching the footage. They didn't need to focus on Smith but they chose to in order to spice things up. All the family shots and loving moments overshadowed by introducing a villain simply because they could.

Smith when he was on the field didn't get to watch the replay over and over. Perhaps he truly didn't know the extent of the injuries. He did what a captain would do... Try and argue against a penalty. Was it bad form to argue so long? Yes. In hindsight might he realise that those comments can be construed as blaming McKinnon for his own injury? Absolutely but that does not excuse the one sided reporting. If 60 Minute had done its job and reported all the facts it would have reported that despite McKinnon's suggestion that Smith never got in touch, Smith and other Storm players tried to visit him in hospital several times but were denied. They should have mentioned that Smith was instrumental in the Rise For Alex fundraising campaign and that Smith wore McKinnon's number as a sign of respect. They didn't.

If you want to call out Smith for his comments then do so but 60 minutes showed little integrity by the way they handled the story. When you leave out relevant facts to make your version more poignant then that is not journalism. So little wonder I stopped watching the program. Somehow I don't think I will be going back.  

State of Origin time again. The question of Passion will arise...

It is that time of year again. The time where every Rugby League fan declares themselves blue or maroon(apparently pronounced maroan... don't get me started...) The time of year where friends turn to bitter enemies. Where you are suddenly the biggest fan of players you would normally detest simply because of the colour jersey they put on. It is State of Origin (SOO) time.

Now I live in Queensland. This does not make me a Queenslander. This is state of 'origin' after all and I originally came from the blue state. The wonderful state of NSW. Sydney to be precise. Now why I live in Queensland is a long story beyond the scope of this piece. I imagine you are shaking your head wondering how I have managed the past seven years. Well it has not been easy, I do not hide my Blues status. I wear it like a badge of honour which does of course mean this time of year tends to be difficult for me.

Though it is not the losing that bothers me the most. I mean of course it bothers me. No one likes their team to lose. I have been following NRL since I was a small child. I still have not quite gotten over Balmain's grand final loses in 1988 and 1989. The scars are still there. So losing seven years straight has not been pleasant. At times it has been downright depressing. But the current Queensland squad is made up of some of the best players in the world. It is little wonder they keep winning.

What really bothers me though more than that whole seven year thing is the whole issue of passion. No not bedroom passion. I'm not talking about that nude picture of Robbie Farah from that calendar a few years back. The one with the picture of him holding that seemingly effortlessly placed brick. No I don't mean that kind of passion. Not at all... Wait hang on where was I?

Oh yes. Passion. That thing that the Queenslander insist they have much more of. That intangible something else they insist is the secret behind their wins. You see the Queenslander would have us believe that they are more passionate than their NSW counterparts. They say their pride in the jersey is stronger. Queensland players grew up, they say, wanting to wear the maroon jersey. The New South Welshmen it is said want to wear the Australian jersey. The country they represent is more important to them than the state. This is why they keep losing. They don't have the passion.

Every single year it is mentioned. Often by the players themselves, former players, coaches etc. It is not just a media beat up. These men believe that: they believe they are superior to those south of the border... At least where this pride and passion are concerned.

It is interesting to think about that fact that wanting to play for your country is somehow not a good thing. It would seem Queenslander are Queenslander first and Aussies second. Hmmmm...Interesting. But forget about that for now. What I want to explain to you is how it felt growing up in Sydney as a rugby league fan. What I know of the passion those of us from south of border feel.

If we can just remember for a minute that there was not always a Queensland team in the NRL. In fact before it was the NRL it was the NSWRL. It consisted of teams mostly in and around the Sydney area. It started in 1908. So this is how long players who hail from NSW have had to take pride in where they come from.

Only I think we see it differently. Back then we were not perhaps as passionate about being from NSW because the enemies were closer than that of another state up north. When I was growing up the pride in your team went right alongside with the pride in where you came from. In my case it was western Sydney. Which means South Sydney and Manly where the enemy. The deadly enemy. You want passion? Try watching a game played at Brookvale, Redfern or Leichhardt oval played anytime last century and see for yourself.

Even now over 100 years later these rivalries live on. These relationships full of hate still exist. I cannot barrack for Souths. No matter that each player on his own may be nice enough. It is what it represents. Souths are the enemy. That is it. That is all. Souths supporters are as passionate about hating us Westies. We both hate the Eastern suburbs and everyone hates Manly.

Passion about where we come from? We have it in spades thank you very much Mr. Queenslander. It is just different to yours. It comes from over 100 years of rivalries. Something you would know nothing about having joined the comp so late.

So once SOO started those rivalries were still there. They took a group of guys who on the field were used to hating each other and often even trying to hurt each other and said you now play as a team. We are all from NSW and the enemy is Queensland. Now to be fair they caught on pretty quick. Players came from north of the bridge, south and east and west of it and somehow formed a team.

Now after all these years I would say they still do it pretty well. Perhaps even the passion for the part of Sydney you come from isn't as strong as it used to be. Players often do not live in the suburbs that their team represents. But if it has ever seemed that these players lack passion for the Blues jerseys ( and let's face it like I said before, it is said of them, every single year) then I think this is why. It is hard to forget old rivalries. Brisbane is one team in the comp. They have no history of hating other teams from a few suburbs away. There was no quickly driving through a suburb after getting lost when you realise you are driving through Redfern with a Wests bumper sticker. There are no great punch ups in final matches that live on in folklore between two teams from the opposite sides of the tracks that made up Sydney, the punches thrown with every ounce of passion and pride these men possessed.This sort of passion is unknown to the Queenslanders who go on about it so much.

So if we are going to talk about passion then lets get it right. Both sides have passion. Both sides are proud of where they came from. It is just different. It comes from a different place based on the different history behind the formation of each states journey through the great game of Rugby League.

I don't doubt the passion of the Queenslander. I actually like quite a few Queenslanders... well at least at other times of the year. But I am quite tired of my boys in Blue being labelled as something lesser than their Queensland counterparts. Whether we win this year or not all I ask is that the players play their guts out and show their pride in the jersey. I'm certain they will. They have been outplayed the last seven years because of a discrepancy in skill and experience. Passion is not and has never been the difference.

From the Vault of old Blogs... What's in a name?

Lazy today. Well actually not lazy but rather the muse has completly left me. I have written two blogs both of which I have rejected as utter rubbish. So I thought I would bring you something from the vault! I may well keep doing this if it proves popular (with myself anyway..) So here is a blog I wrote back in 2008 about the great game of Rugby League and the great Australian tradition of nicknames...

The Hill at Henson Park had somewhat of a reputation for being uncomfortable and crowded. Crowded, because every weekend the Newtown jets played at home, we would all head to the ground and park ourselves on the hill to watch the game. Comfort was just not a factor. Mum and Dad would sometimes bring little fold up chairs, a blue rug to cover mum's knees in the winter. Always with her was a transistor radio to listen to the commentary and her copy of the Big League so as to be able to name every player and possibly keep tab of the penalties.

My sister and I would wear Newtown beanies when it was cold and eat meat pies and sometimes run around paying football with other kids. Sometimes we would even watch the game, totally captivated, if we happened to be winning. Eventually we would get season tickets in the grandstand but the memory of the noisy crowded hill lingers.

Over the hum of the crowd Dad would occasionally throw Mum a question. 'Who is the ref?' 'Who was that bloke that just dropped the bloody ball?' 'Who just came on as a replacement?'

Mum would use her binoculars and consult her Big League to answer the questions. My questions generally went along the lines of 'Can I have an ice cream? Or 'when does the big game start?' She did not have to consult her Big League or the binoculars for those.

'So who came on as the replacement?'
'What'
'Who came on as the replacement?'
'What'
'I SAID!! - WHO CAME ON AS THE REPLACEMENT??'
'I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID!!- IT WAS WATT!!!'

I am not making this up – it actually happened. A man named Watt came on as a replacement and much hilarity ensued.

So what is in a name? Generally Rugby league players go by a nickname. I am not sure what they called the fellow Watt but most players rarely get called by the name they were christened with.

I have a greater understanding of the game these days and am as fanatical as my mother was then. The Newtown Jets are no more and neither is Balmain, the club that replaced Newtown in my affections. Now my affections lay totally with the Wests Tigers, an amalgamation of Balmain and Wests.

I watch the Footy Show on a regular basis which is hosted by guys that used to play when I was younger. They may no longer be playing but they still seem to unable to appreciate the concept of a Christian name.

The footy show host, Paul Vautin is still (affectionately) called 'Fatty' or 'The fat man'. They even use it on the promos for the show. Really – 'The footy show hosted by the great Fatty Vautin. He is joined by Sterlo, The Chief and Matty with guest appearance by The Falcon.'

Some of my favorite players ever from the great Balmain team of the late 80's must sometimes have to look at their birth certificates to remember their names. There was 'Jimmy' Jack, 'Junior' Pearce, 'Blocker' Roach.

Yes just for the record Blocker was not known for his brains but also the terms suited his build and how it felt when you ran into him…

Then there was poor Paul Sironnen who only got 'Siro'. I suppose there is something to be said for having a name that shortens easily into a nickname rather than having to come up with something appropriate to the player's personality or the like.

These days' things are bit less interesting with name shortening being the option most taken. Though Andrew Johns was (and still is, in retirement) known as 'Joey'. His brother Matthew simply got Matty. Thought thinking about it, Andy would not have suited Joey at all…

So anyway in the Tigers, Brett Hodgson gets Hoddgo, Benji Marshall gets well Benji… I have no idea if his real name is actually Benjamin but he has only ever been known as Benji, even listed in the program. Or Robbie Farah. Is he a Robert? Same goes for The Storms Billy Slater. Is he really a William? Who Knows? Check the guides – he is listed as Billy. Does he have another nickname or is Billy enough?

Then there was the great Laurie Daley. Was he ever a Lawrence? Or Willie Mason? When did he decide he would be professionally known as Willie? Not that you would ever ask lest you get your head bashed in….

On a strange note Jonathan Thurston is known as Jonathan. I have never heard him referred to as John or Johnny. Very unusual, perhaps he is one of those people that insist he be called his full name. I wonder how he got into Rugby League?

Then there is the case of those that just have a great name to start with and have no need for anything else.

Ray Warren has been commentating for years and though he said some gems over the years he is always very careful to pronounce the names of the players correctly. As the game becomes more cosmopolitan his job is being made much harder. Little wonder some of the players resort to nicknames.

The classic at the moment and I mean no offence at all to this guy, who is a great player is Fuifui Moimoi. The commentators, including Rabbits (Ray Warren – get it?) love calling it when he gets the ball. They never use a nickname, his name is great enough. Neither do they simply say his surname (Moimoi) or his Christian name (Fuifui) but rather get a buzz out of shouting out the whole thing.

'The balls goes to ground and is picked up by FUIFUI MOIMOI!!!' It sounds as though he has won the game single handed every time he gets the ball. I have no idea if he has a nickname. I can only imagine.

Also enjoyable for Rabs and his ilk are Feleti Mateo and Setaimata Sa. The great coach and now commentator Phil 'Gus' Gould once said he longs for the day Setaimata and Fuifui are playing in the same game and involved in the same play just to test Rabbits' skills.

I think having a name like Braith Anasta is pretty cool as well. Can't think what you would shorten that too.

So while they might be prevalent in Rugby League I thinking shortening names and nicknames are something of an Australian institution.

There is something very informal about Australians and for some reason many of us feel that calling someone something different to their Christian name is a sign of affection. When people call me Kell for example I know they like me. Why else would they call me that?

So while many non Australians might be thinking we are all a bit strange. The truth is if you are being called Robert or William by an Australian then chances are you either insist on being called that (and run the risk of being called something much worse), are sitting on the High Court of Australia or else they don't like you. Chances also are you don't play much Rugby League