Brumbies Hat or Gumbies Hat 2008?

Growling Ferret – I’m inclined to agree, but was hoping they may show something creative to compensate for the loss of ageing star quality. If you’re going to have a tough year, why not have one where you win four games by playing beautiful rugby, rasther than four or five by being even duller than the opposition? There is no doubt there remain some excellent players in the squad when all are fit (Shepherdson, Chisholm, Cambell, Smith, Tawake, Gerrard, Ashley-Cooper, Mortlock, Rathbone) and some who can become so (Salvi, the Faingaa brothers, Lealiifano).

Fossils such as I can remember the exquisite backline work that shredded good defences and the recognition that good rugby can be a game of taking a lot of low percentage shots on the basis that some will come off, and that proportion will increase during a game. Remember the days when an attack would be launched from nowhere, using any available string of players as de facto backs? The defensive technique of minimal commitment and maximum speed was effective against the lumbering high commitment style most teams did. But the game has moved to something closer to the leaden predictability of rugby league, and it needs a new style to take it back to where it should be.

The Brumbies built up enormous intellectual property in the MacQueen days; the public followed in droves. It stayed, and was used, but did not increase under Jones. Nucifora lived off its capital, and tried to adapt it to the fact everyone else was adjusting to it. Fisher simply failed to add to it or use it, and he has now lost Larkham, the player still capable of pulling a sparkling individual gem from nowhere.

One of the best (junior) coaches I have seen told his average team, on a day they were facing annihilation by good opposition, that they should use the match as an opportunity to try things they always wanted to try. They lost, badly, but every one of them stepped up and tried to add something. They became better by being freed up. Maybe it’s such a year for the Brumbies. A year of dull failure should be the end for Fisher – a year with as many shining moments as possible will bring the people back and might save him.

VP, yep agree with your verbology, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. And you could probably read your mail after the fact. It’d be kind of like reading tea leaves, if you follow me. Eew!

No Gregan, no Larkham, no Paul, no chance of winning = nobody turning up to games any more…

The Brumbies are no longer the hot ticket they were 5 years ago – the game has got boring, the stars are all gone. Its following the pattern of the Raiders – once the success is gone, the fair weather Canberra supporters leave as well.

I always used to park on Dryandra St in O’Connor, and walk over the ridge (it’s a lot shorter than you’d think – probably closer than Fern Hill).

I’ve also decided not to renew my mebership this year. Doing the maths, a basic membership works out to be a good deal only if you manage to make it to all the games – miss one and you’re better off just buying tickets. Particularly given the dearth of quality home games this season, I just can’t see myself amking every match.

Sure you get a hat and other stuff, but I’ve now got 4 hats sitting in my cupboard unused.

And I’d like to second the complaint about the lack of quality alcohol. Things were OK when you could still get Extra Dry, but now the choice is Tooheys New or nothing.

HC – not unlike eating one’s words. I had thought the order of the verbs made it clear that these were separate acts – one cannot, after all, read something that has already been consumed. As to condiments – tomato sauce is the only accompaniment to most food sold at the games, but English mustard would help the flow of tears.

…by the time I had eaten and read my mail…

VP … Well I won’t be too shy to ask. What did your mail taste like and can you recommend any good condiments to go with?

Ah canberra, the car based society, al you people want to drive to the brumbies, despite most rugby clubs putting on free busses for the brumbies games.

so to all you people who park in the neighboring suburbs during the games i say this, take a FREE bus instead.

The many people I cannot stand include those who park at Calvary – it’s hard enough to get in and out during Brumbies or Raiders games and to find the parking has absolutely disappeared was worse.

I usually park at Fern Hill and walk down. Its funny watching people fight for position, driving slower than I am walking back to my car.