No worries Bails...... :cheers:
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No worries Bails...... :cheers:
Well done, TG.
Just watching the replay of the game on ABC2 and an absolute disgraceful decision by the ref for the Rays try.....he clearly impeded the Spirit in their attacking phase, yet didn't pull the game back for a Spirit scrum......take a good look at yourself ref......you're a disgrace & perpetuating the Eastern States officialdom bias that persists in this fledgeling competition.
To his credit he refed the rest of the game OK.
While I am frequently disappointed by refing decisions- I must admit it must be bloody hard to be a ref. We should expect some dodgy ref calls though because we complain about the Wallabies and S14 refs and these ARC guys are getting paid less and are less experienced. And they are from the Eastern States.
for the record it was Matt Goddard
he's one of the good ones...
Nice work Gerry - Crowd 2013.
Perth move up to 6th on the ladder!
Great to see em win - a relief to see em of the bottom of the table - back line coming together - Break downs not so tragic - where's Hardy ?
http://sportal.com.au/default.aspx/r...s-34861/page/1
The Perth Spirit have scored their first away victory in the Mazda ARC with a 31-19 win over the Central Coast Rays at Bluetongue Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The Spirit dominated nearly all facets of play but the Rays took advantage of the few opportunities offered to them to score three tries to two.
But the weight of possession and territory and the boot of Cameron Shepherd, who kicked seven penalties from seven attempts, handed the Spirit a deserved victory.
The Spirit had all the early running, with centres Scott Daruda and Junior Pelesasa finding gaps in the Rays backline and only a slamming ball-and-all tackle from Rays scrumhalf Brett Sheehan on his own 22 on James Hilgendorf saved a certain try in the eighth minute.
The Spirit were on the board via a Shepherd penalty goal after a good break down the left wing by skipper Matt Henjak had put Perth in an attacking position and the scrambling home defence was pinged for offside right in front of their posts.
Shepherd doubled the advantage in the 19th minute when he slotted a 42-metre penalty but the home side hit back through a fortuitous try to flyhalf Sam Norton-Knight just moments later.
Referee Matt Goddard appeared to impede Spirit flanker Richard Brown as he went to take the tap down from an attacking Perth lineout on the Rays 35metre mark. Central Coast lock Chris Thomson snatched the pill and sent Norton-Knight away on a 55-metre run to the line. Hewat sent his conversion attempt across the face of the goal to leave the score 6-5 to the Spirit.
Despite having nearly all the possession in the first half, Perth had to settle for two more penalty goals from Shepherd to go into the sheds holding a 12-5 lead.
Perth started where they had left off and only last-ditch defence from Norton-Knight and Sam Harries saved tries as Shepherd slotted another in penalty after the Rays were again caught for offside in their own 22.
The Rays almost snatched another try against the run of play when Henjak went for a quick throw-in just a metre out from his own line. Hilgendorf spilled the ball into the in-goal where Perth reserve winger Dan Bailey narrowly beat Rays lock Camerom Treloar to the ball.
Another Shepherd penalty pushed Perth out to an 18-5 lead but the Spirit fullback handed the Rays a lifeline when he spilled the ball just a metre out from his own line. Sheehan was on the spot to dive on the pill for a try, and when Hewat threaded his conversion from the sideline the Rays were within six, trailing 18-12.
But Perth responded almost immediately when Brown wrestled a turnover inside the Rays 22 and quick hands saw Ryan Cross dive over in the corner. Shepherd missed the conversion for out wide to leave the visitors leading 23-12.
Shepherd made sure of a 25-metre penalty in the 66th minute before the Rays kept the game alive when big reserve forward Nifo Nifo barreled his way over for the Rays third try of the match after a scrum just five out from the Spirit line.
But the visitors wrapped up the match when Cross ran away for his second try in the 73rd minute, with the win lifting the Perth side off the bottom of the Mazda ARC table.
Perth Spirit 31
Tries: Ryan Cross 2
Conversions: Cameron Shepherd 0/2
Penalties: Cameron Shepherd 7/7
Central Coast Rays 19
Tries: Sam Norton-Knight, Brett Sheehan, Nifo Nifo
Conversions: Peter Hewat 2/3
Penalties: Peter Hewat 0/1
Crowd 2013 at Bluetongue Central Coast Stadium.
We had the cameras on us a few times.. Did we end up getting on the telly? :redface: :redface:
Not that I noticed.........
Awwwwwwwwww...... :(
They had the camera pointed right at us for the "fan shot" right after the last try, and again on the siren.. Man that sucks. :(
Nup - iwas watching, and have recored the game - but didn;t spot you fellas :(
Ah well...
One of the Rays supporters was going on about how boring the game was, so I yelled at him and called him Greg Growden... Made the cameramen laugh at least.
Was such a good afternoon.. Too much to list now cos I'm vewy tired.. But I'll try to get to it.
pics Sage?