The chumps that run Rugby League have hyped it all season. The Centenary Season finished off with the World Cup. So what have we seen so far? Delayed telecasts from the official broadcasters. Hype and interest waining. I am sitting here at Curly's drinking his Bacchus watching  a streaming broadcast on the net. The picture is fuzzy and if I didn't need glasses before the game, I will after the game.

Again, the official broadcasters have let the League down and importantly let us fans down. How much longer do we put up with this crapp???????

Melbourne Storm have somehow capitulated to the most hated team in the NRL. Standing beside my new mate, Lloyd from Manly (who used to be a North Sydney Supporter), cheering on Manly, I wondered how this came to be. Me, Snowy "Bloody" Fraser cheering on Manly. The team I detest.

The Melbourne Storm became the team I detested more. Not because of the player mind you. OK Some of the players. But players like Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk, Greg Inglis, Matt Geyer, Adam Blair and Dallas Johnson didn't deserve my hatred. BUT STEVE TURNER does, and Cameron Smith needs to find a new way about himself for me to even considering liking him again. They showed his face on the big screen at the game, with about 15 minutes left and he was universally BOOED. Take that for what it is Cam. No-one likes you remonstrating with the ref every couple of minutes. Just play the game MATE.

But the biggest thing about this Storm hatred is the antics of Bellyache and Wally. The coach and the CEO. Me against the world doesn't work mate. Allow your team to shine and talk the positives, and forget the crap. Waldren must go. To have a team of players like this one you have, and have everyone hate them is a sign that you two have pulled the wrong reigns.

Wally and Bellyache, this 40-0 thumping was your doing. Simple. REALLY.

Fans and opposition players now appear to be united in that Melbourne have become the most hated team in the NRL. The use of wrestling holds and grapples on the field, deny teams and players the capacity for playing the ball quickly and even worse potential injury. The over the top way they support each other as a team, their over-reliance on kicks to score, their boring style of dummy half running and overall the arrogance of their fans.

If, as many suggest, Manly and Melbourne play off in the final I will be supporting Manly for the first time ever.

It was a proud club. One with an enviable record of winning eleven straight premierships. It had a record of playing tough and of player commitment to the big red V. Last night it died.

In it's place we saw a team that executed poorly, was very predictable in attack and missing in defence. We saw that team cop some *** decisions from the match official, and lie down instead of using that to galvanise spirit. We saw a coach looking at bringing Jamie Soward back, only to be talked out of it players Cooper and Gasnier. While Ben Rogers played OK, he was nervous and that showed. During his stint at playmaker Coops and Gaz had seen more ball, and that was again evident last night. But Rogers was never going to win the game for the Dragons. The Dragons are a victim of a club that has coached and managed on consensus, and it just doesn't work.

So where to now. We are losing some players. Some will be sorely missed, like Josh Morris. Others will leave with our blessings like Jason Ryles. They talk about the great career of Gasnier. Yes it was a great INDIVIDUAL career with Origin and Test Highlights, never a TEAM highlight with a Premiership. Did Gaz lift the Dragons and make them a better team?

Next year, the wily old master Wayne Bennett comes to the club. He knows of the tradition, he knows of the pride, he knows the passion. He cannot do it alone. One man can not change the culture of this club, in which ALMOST GOT THERE has become the determinant of success.

Every year we state the obvious. We hate the McIntyre system. Teams that make the finals deserve the knowledge that they are in a knockout situation. Under the current NRL finals system, they don't.

All sides from 3 down, have the chance to be knocked out. IF every team ranked 5-8 win, that means the sides that finished 3 and 4, are knocked out. Is that fair compensation for finishing in the top 4. If the top 4 sides win, 7 and 8 are eliminated but teams 5 and 6 are given a second chance. Is this fair? NO

They should play 1v4 and 2v3 to see which team gets the week off. Teams 5v8 and 6v7 should play in a pure knockout series to see who plays the loser of the top ranked teams. For once the AFL have got it right. We don't.

Can I tell ya! I am sick to death of negative press about our great game. You really must ask, when will players learn?? I cannot comprehend the latest "alledged" behaviour from Greg Bird. If what has been reported is true, God forbid.

This end behaviour that continues to be exhibited by our players, tends to be a case of getting chance, after chance and then a big explosion leading to 100% negative press. This last result would seem to be along similar lines.

When will the NRL players learn.????

At times during the Cowboys-Titans game, you wondered why Luke O'Donnell hadn't laid off the angry pills. It seemed that every decision young Bernard Sutton made, was challenged by Luke. And not just challenged, VERY Angrily challenged.

Fast forward to the Raiders-Knights game and we saw a contrast. AllanTongue elevated into hooker and captain, gave the ref an ongoing battle all game. On other hand, we saw Danny Buderus, usually the master of this game, be very humble in his approaches and callouts from the ref. He knew his side was being ill-disciplined, and conducted himself accordingly, with a genuine resolve to fix the issue.

Dissent is an ugly thing, and the way some players are carrying on, surely proves that the respect for the referee is gone. I believe it started going when the players were called by name and not number. They need to go back to that simple philosphy and they need to do it now. And sin-bin the first sign of angry dissent. Period. That will stop this crap and serve as a strong warning to all players. It must stop, NOW.

The St George Illawarra Dragons are rapidly running out of chances in the run home to the finals. There last three games have been characterised by playing for just 40 minutes, with the other 40 minutes being of a very poor quality.

The Dragons have been the greatest under achievers in the NRL recent history, and 2008 looks like it will be the same again. When they knuckle down, do the hard stuff before swinging the ball they compete with the best. When they don't they are wooden spoon material.

Which Dragons side will stand up over the remaining rounds.

I cannot fathom why Channel 9 is our official free-to-air broadcaster of the NRL. Picture this. The Blockbuster of the Season. The Grand Final Rematch. Being played at Brookvale Oval. Defending Premiers Melbourne against Manly, the team hell-bent of ending their reign. Friday Night Football. THIS GAME IS NOT BEING TELEVISED LIVE INTO MELBOURNE. Instead they have the following crap.

Get real please Gallop. Stamp your feet, throw a tanty, run away to Southern France. This is unteniable from one of the major partners of the NRL. The game should be showcased in Melbourne LIVE. The AFL are showcasing at the MCG, Melbourne (last place) against Geelong (first place) What an opportunity missed by the NRL and Channel 9. What a joke.

And on another joke, we have the Footy Show, or the Sonny Bill sympathisers, showcasing the ungrateful one SBW again. This is over guys, we don't want him in our game. The only reason why you guys are soft on this, is due to the egg on your faces by giving Sonny Bill promotional time on your station. Guys, he has *** on you too....get over him. Everyone else has. Regain some respect for yourself.

I hear the term a lot on the mainstream media. Marquee Player. It's a shame this Marquee Player is leaving the game. Why has this Marquee Player been voted the most over-rated player in the game? Isn't it great that this Marquee Player is speaking up for all young Polynesion players?

My only question is what constitutes a Marquee Player. The players I loved playing with, were those tough players who stood their ground, were relied on to produce the goods week in, week out. The players you would go to war for and with.

It would appear that this style of players are not Marquee players.

So what constitues and who makes the annoitment as a Marquee Player?

Ole Snowy's life gets a bit hectic at times, and he has been bugged again by those pesky French Rugby Union sides about resurecting his playing career. The figures being talked about are in the seven figure amount. The way they see it, they need drawcards and players with some personality.

Which leaves me bemused by the talk of Mark Gasnier signing for a package that is similar to ole Snow. Why would he do that. Snowy is an ole hack and dsrves his final pay packet out of the game. He will be best suited to the pace of the old YAWNION, but why Gaz. Firstly, you won't get the ball. They don't have any play the balls Gaz. That is the only time we see you run now, out of dummy half.

Why does Yawnion hold out so much for NRL players. Money talks they say, and that seems to be the overiding theory behind the trapsing to French Rugby Union.

So we are left with the quandrary. Do we open up the salary cap, hold onto some of the players but potentially say goodbye to some clubs. That is the question that needs to be answered.

As a fan of the game, we know the best and biggest sledgers. We know the players who provide those witty remarks that get under the skin. As the sledge has evolved, so has the players understanding of what is acceptable, and what isn’t.

Unfortunately, the same doesn’t seem to apply for some fans. Some of the remarks made by fans at a game, can make you laugh, as they are at times, smart, and witty. All fans enjoy this style of comments on either side of the combatants fan base.

When fans resort to low-life remarks on a personal or race level, most fans shudder. These fans are not smart or clever. To resort to this is dumb and indicates so many things about them. This style of remark is simply not acceptable.

For Petro to have been subject to this racist remark is simply wrong. Petro is one of the greatest leaders we have in the game and the respect he has at this level is enormous. The fans at Parramatta Stadium  deserve censure and they have got it. Security was poor in their actions of this, and also needs to be examined. The fact that Jonathon Thurston and Matt Sing were also subject to a very similar line of racist remarks, two seasons back indicate that the Eels don’t have it right. They banned that guy for life, somehow it would appear that either he, or his line of thinking has snuck back in and now topped it off with a five year ban.

No place for this sort of crap in our game, leave it. Admire and respect the players from all sides.

Been up in Qld this week and I get the feeling they are feeling a little cocky. They are feeling cocky due to a coupe of things, but Qld have a habit of not playing well when they are cocky. My good mates from THEFOOTY.com, are concerned about Qld for the following reasons.

• Their horrible record at ANZ Stadium
• The final game for NSW Legend Danny Buderus.
• The current state of play concerning debutants who usually have great games. The fact that the debutant is the son of a NSW Legend heightens this concern.
• Qld are favourites and they seldom play the best when in this spirit.
• Willie Mason has shut up

My mates from the Nambucca RSL are concerned about NSW for the following

• Hard to come back in elite company after being kept to ZIP in the last game
• Big ask for a brand new halves combination to bring certainty to attack in the deciding match
• Last NSW Debutant was Steve Turner (enough said)
• Picked Mitchell Pearce one year too early
• They have picked Willie Mason

So there you have it. Concerns on both sides. This match is gearing up to be a ripper.

Grub Jackson was a bloke that wandered around the bush playing for a couple and clubs and an arch rival of ole Snowy. Facials, eye gouging and the like were all part of Grubs' skill set. Geez Paul Gallon reminds me of him. Just some of the crap that Gallon comes up with, is just not needed. Todays episode at Shark Park is a case in point. A good hit on young Eel Cordoba, was then ruined by a forearm chop to the back of the head and then to rub salt, patted him on the head a number of times.

No need for that crap Gallon. One thing for sure, carry on like that and natural justice will prevail.

Curlys' Dad, who spend much of his life at the heartland of Rugby League, had a favourite observation when watching game on telly. The former NSW Country and QLD country A Grade referee, would openly state " NO BUGGER THERE" if he was in any way, shape or form disapointed with the crowd at the game, be it a Sydney or Brisbane fixture game. Bryce passed away in 1987, but at the moment, his saying is ringing true. Theres NO BUGGER THERE.

Lets look at Friday Nights game. At the Sydney Footy Stadium. Apparently the crowd was over 9,000. They were all playing "hide from the camera" as just about every TV angle showed passages of empty seats. Roosters v Penrith in what should have been a top quality game. Instead it became a one way traffic. Then on Saturday, the good folks at the Shire, deserted their team who took on the Warriors.

The on Sunday in the open expanses of ANZ Stadium, the Tigers and Eels played off in what should have been a cracker. 44-6, end result to Parra. No crowd, no atmosphere.

Each game was affected by a lack of intensity from the combatants. The maths is simple. No crowd, no atmosphere, no intensity.

We have been outspoken on ANZ stadium. We believe it will kill the game in Sydney LONG TERM. CEO's are taking the short term view of match guarantees and pocketing the money. What they are failing to realise is that fans are sick of ANZ. Yes it is great for the big games, Grand Final and Origin, but for a club game ot is ridiculous.

It has been rumoured that the AFL are keen to buy ANZ and to lock the NRL out of the stadium. Except for Origin and the Grand Final, I couldn't think of anything better. It would force the NRL and clubs to take the game to the fans and to build sustainable incomes and bases to build from.

Look at the role the Governmet plays here. The Qld Government, builds Suncorp Stadium, Skilled Park and manages Dairy Farmers. All top quality stadiums, all with atmosphere and all games feature a crowd. The NSW Government canes the clubs with a crippling poker tax, and meagre resources are allotted to improve some suburban grounds. It is simply not good enough. The NRL needs a series of boutique grounds for Sydney games that feature a House Full sign at 17,000-20,000. Many would say that we have that, with our suburban ground sructure, but these need to be massively overhauled to bring in line with the expected standards today.

Parramatta Stadium would need a little work to fit the Bill, Brooky is being upgraded but to be fully in line needs more work. A stadium needs to be obtaned for the Bulldogs/Dragons/Souths/Roosters to play from while Penrith could upgrade their stadium to fit the bill. One boutique stadium needed, with others needing upgrades to reach and fullfill the standards. Will this happen? Probably not. Should it. YES.

The game is dying. People want more than a game. They want an experience.You don't have an experience in a third full stadium.

NO BUGGER THERE.