Category Archives: Shumpty Speaks

I am a rugby league fan: but only just after the 2013 draw announcement

November 26, 2012 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , Leave a comment

If you did not know this already, let me be clear: I am a Canberra Raiders fan and I always will be a Canberra Raiders fan. I am also a Queenslander and nothing gives me more joy than watching Queensland defeat those who reside from below the Tweed. I am not, however, a fan of the NRL and have not been for many years.

I was lost to rugby league during the Super League wars and went from watching just about every game on free to air TV at the time to only watching my beloved Raiders and the State of Origin games. Rugby League test matches do nothing for me and I can’t say I have watched one in the last 3 years.

I was waiting with baited breath for the introduction of the ALRC to the game in the hope of some encouragement arising from their management of the game that might pull me back into the fray as a fully fledged NRL fan. To say that they have not done so would be an understatement.

Before we even get to my disgust with the draw, two other issues need to be mentioned in passing: the outlawing of the shoulder charge and the change in venue for the 2013 State of Origin series.

Rugby league is a tough game played by hard men: it involves body contact and one only needs to see the advertisements for the game run by Channel 9 and Foxsports to see that it is that one on one contact that sells the game. Fans of the game do not remember and do not discuss around the water cooler a tackle around the waist; they do however exclaim “did you see that big hit!”. I can not understand what the ALRC are trying to achieve by banning a form of tackle that has been part of the game since it started.

The State of Origin was meant to held with two games to be held in Brisbane this year. The commercial imperatives that relate to this decision I understand and frankly I could not be happier that Queensland will win their 8th series in a row at Lang Park in the second game. Will make the 3rd game a fizzer won’t it?

My major problem and why I can feel no attachment to the game is the way the ARLC treat their fans. There is no more clearer example of this than with the 2013 draw. The draw put out recently is frankly a travesty if you are a fan of any team other than Brisbane, Bulldogs, Titans or West Tigers. As a Canberra Raiders fan I have taken some time to consider when Canberra Raiders fans might get to see their team on free to air TV during the first 20 rounds of the season and it does not make for pretty reading. That is because, from the look of the draw, during the first 20 rounds of the season the Canberra Raiders will appear only once on Free to Air television. To put that in context: Channel 9 will have the rights to 60 games during that period and only once will the Canberra Raiders play in the 7:45pm Friday night or 3pm Sunday afternoon slots that get shown on Channel 9.

Mark your calendars those of you without Foxtel who follow Canberra because the only chance your going to get to see your team play on Channel 9 will be on 28 June against South Sydney. That is of course unless you go to the games or buy Foxtel. This is the way the ALRC have treated a team that came 6th on the table last year and made the second week of the finals.

It is not good for the fans. It is not good for the sponsors of the Canberra Raiders. It is not good for the game.

This fact has raised in my mind a broader question: is it just the Raiders that the ALRC is happy to ignore or are their other teams in the same boat?

I concede that I understand some of the commercial imperatives that sit behind Channel 9 showing the Broncos 14 times and I can understand showing the grand finalist Bulldogs 14 times. The problem though with scheduling is clearly broader than just a problem with the Raiders when you consider that the premiers, the Melbourne Storm, will only be seen on free to air TV 7 times in the first 20 rounds of the season whilst other teams that made the top 8 like the Sea Eagles (6 times), the Sharks (4 times) and the Cowboys (5 times) also receive only limited airplay.

Paradoxically, being a non-performing team does not seem to effect your exposure to the free to air television audience with the West Tigers (10th in 2012) to be seen on free to air TV 11 times.

This is a game built around its fans and the entertainment given to those fans. However it is clear that for the ALRC some fans mean more than others.

Now I know many readers will just consider this to be a whinge of disenfranchised fan looking for an outlet and part they will be right. The fact is though that I am sure I am not alone as a fan of a rugby league club who is not, in fact, a fan of the game any more. Am I the only one who now only watches my team play? Am I alone in only watching the Channel 9 coverage when my team plays?

This is obviously an issue for the grassroots rugby league fan base but it does not appear to be across the ALRC’s radar. If it is on said radar then clearly they have just been blinded by the wad of money coming from David Gyngell. Until the voices of the fans are heard I can’t say I expect to return to the fold as a fully fledged rugby league fan. This is something that saddens me because some of my favourite memories as child are of sitting with my dad watching Friday night football and talking to him and my mates in anticipation of the games ahead.

And with that there is nothing else really to say except go the mighty Raiders and bring on Super 15 season.

Australia v South Africa, 2nd test, final day

November 26, 2012 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Sorry all: no time for a lengthy pre-last day blog about the 2nd test. Between work, birthday stuff and feeling a little poorly time has gotten away from me.

Suffice it to say it presents as an excellent day of cricket today. Many are writing off the Proteas however if they can get to lunch without loosing a wicket that surely gives them a sniff of a draw and makes Kallis batting again a real possibility. For Australia this must be Nathan Lyon’s day for a victory to be assured and a big question for me is just how many overs M Clarke will bowl. Surely him bowling in tandem with Lyon is the way to go today.

It will be a great day of cricket. Bring on 10am!

Australia v South Africa: 2nd test, day 4

November 25, 2012 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , , Leave a comment

Day 4 of the second test from Adelaide dawns today with the match fairly evenly poised. I did not get to watch any of the game yesterday due to a golf commitment and will be similarly indisposed today playing in the Ipswich Rugby League Old Boys Golf Day out at the Rosewood Golf Club.

Nonetheless, I have watched the highlights package of today’s play and analysed the score card and have some thoughts on what will be the keys to success for the combatants on day four.

1. The battle of the captains: Clarke v Smith

I think it would be fair to say there have been moments in this test, indeed in this series, where one of the two captains has clearly had the ascendancy in both the position of the game and the tactical nous they have put into their decision making. The game is even at the moment and could very well come down to which of the captains “bests” the other captain in the game of high stakes chess this test match has become.

2. How many runs is too many?

The largest run chase at the Adelaide Oval to win in the 4th innings is a little over 300 runs set in 1910. I think that record could be broken here simply because there is so much time remaining in this game and how good the pitch still is to bat on. Two full days of cricket remain or 180 overs. A lot can happen in that time and thus the run chase set by the Australians for their South African counterparts (if they are allowed to set a target rather than being bowled out) needs to be enough that the draw is secure as a result but also needs to be low enough so as to entice the Proteas to go for it.

3. Clarke / Hussey: can they do it again?

If Australia’s first innings showed fans one thing only, it was who fragile Australia’s batting lineup is at numbers 7 through 11 against quality bowling. Thus the course of the game will rest heavily on the shoulders of the men at the crease presently. If Clarke and Hussey can stay together till about tea today then it will be likely that the game will be out of the Proteas reach. Conversely if one of them falls early this morning then there is another real prospect that Australia will be “6 out and all out” (Siddle having been and gone as night watchman) which will open the game up for a South African run chase.

All of what happens today hinges on the partnership noted above and thus I have no more “keys” for readers to look for today. I for one will be glued to my cricket score apps on the golf course willing the Clarke / Hussey combination to another big partnership. If they can not produce one I fear that the game will fall directly into the hands of the South Africans.

It will be another fascinating day of cricket. I hope you enjoy it!

Shumpty Eats: Moo Moo Bar and Grill

November 25, 2012 By in Shumpty Eats, Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , Leave a comment

For those of you who know me or have seen a photo of me it will be obvious to you that I love food and I love steak. My favourite steak restaurant in Brisbane and, indeed, just about my favourite type of restaurant anywhere is Moo Moo Bar and Grill which is part of the Stamford Hotel complex.

Last week, I again had cause to attend my favourite restaurant. It has been become a tradition for one of my colleagues from Melbourne and I to, in his words, “go for cow” when he is up in the sunshine state and this was one such occasion. Unusually we were not alone on this occasion with a group of six of us heading to Moo Moo on Thursday night for a feed after a long day in the office.

As regular readers of my food reviews will testify too, when I find a menu item that I like I generally stick to it. Moo Moo is no different an experience if you are dining with me: I know what I want to eat from the minute I cross the threshold into the restaurant.

More about the food in a minute: the restaurant itself is ultra impressive in both fit out and ambience. One enters by walking past the open kitchen which immediately gets the taste buds welling in anticipation. The staff are generally friendly and know the menu very well. On last Thursday night, our waiter was simply excellent: knew his stuff, gave great steak recommendations and ensured that we were served swiftly noting the late hour at which we arrived.

Now, did I mention food? Any meal at Moo Moo consists, for me, of three essential parts:

1. Entree

2. Steak

3. Side dishes.

Let’s start with the entree: as is my usual custom I ordered the Charcuterie platter for one for entree. The menu describes this “dish” in this way:

Moo Moo house prepared charcuterie accompanied w. Branston Pickle, field mushrooms, Spanish peppers, wood fired onions , sourdough + cornichons

A pick of 3 charcuterie from a rolling list of six always leads to some difficult decisions. On Thursday last I went for Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, Wagyu Bresaola and Sopressa. They were excellent and the accompaniments were all fresh and quite tasty. To be honest I could have just asked our waiter to replenish the charcuterie on my plate and I would have been a happy man however there was steak to be had.

For my steak, I went with my usual order: the Cape Grim all natural pasture fed 350g rib fillet. I had this cooked medium and it came out cooked to perfection. One of my favourite aspects of eating at Moo Moo is the option to order 3 sauces with your steak and, as per usual, I obliged with the combination of the Moo Moo Jus, chilli and garlic butter sauces coming up a treat.

I mentioned sides before in a separate category and that is in part because Moo Moo is like a number of steak restaurants around town inasmuch as it allows you to pick your own sides to go with your steak. The other reason I mention the side separately is simply because they are so good they could be a meal on their own. I was tasked, having been to Moo Moo Brisbane at least 10 times, with sourcing our sides on this occasion and went with what I consider to be the two best sides on the menu: Moo Moo Truffled parmesan shoestring Fries and Tempura Onion rings served with smokey bbq sauce. The onion rings are the best I have had: I tell people when I describe them to imagine the best onion ring they have ever had and then multiply the taste sensation of that onion ring by a factor of 100 and you have the Moo Moo onion rings. Yet again on Thursday night the side dishes were the perfect accompaniment to my steak.

All in all, yet again I had a great meal (with great company and great service) at Moo Moo Bar and Grill and would happily recommend to anyone that this is a restaurant you must to go if you are ever in Brisbane. Those of you from Brisbane who read this blog, if you have not yet made it to Moo Moo Bar and Grill you need to do yourself a favour and get there as soon as you can. You will not regret it.

One final postscript: if you are looking for a cheap steak then I am afraid Moo Moo Bar and Grill is not for you. Simply it is a quality restaurant that gives a five star experience coupled with a fantastic menu. Frankly if are not expecting to pay for such a place you are in the wrong place. I love the place and will happily pay for what I consider the best meal in town.

Ratings:

Food: 9/10

Service: 9/10

Fit out: 9/10

 

 

Moo Moo The Wine Bar + Grill At The Port Office on Urbanspoon

The keys to success: Australia v South Africa, 2nd test, day 3

November 24, 2012 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , , , , 1 Comment

It was another amazing day at the Adelaide Oval yesterday with the South African team showing why they are rated the best team in the world with a stunning fightback.

It all started with the ball for the Proteas with their bowlers, led by the seemingly irrepressible Morne Morkel, strangling out the Australian bottom order after the dismissal of Clarke very early.  I am certain that if you had have asked Graeme Smith this morning if he would be happy with Australia only getting to 550 yesterday I am certain he would have been happy to agree.

That was the start of a fairly poor day for the Australians because once it became the Proteas time to bat, Australia’s bowlers were as innocuous as they were on day 1 at the Gabba.  The proof of this is in the wicket takers column of the score book: the only Australian bowler to take a wicket was David Warner with the other wicket falling to a run out.

Day two was obviously South Africa’s day and day three beckons as possibly the most important day of this test match.  After Australia decisively won day 1 and South Africa fought back on day 2, here are my keys for success on day 3 at the Adelaide Oval:

1. Will Pattinson’s efforts with the ball match his efforts on the sledge?

James Pattinson appears to Australia’s appointed enforcer with the ball and has made his presence obviously felt through his overt sledging of the Proteas in the second innings at the Gabba.  I do not have any objection to sledging: it is part of the game.  However, the best sledgers are those who are also players who perform; viz., G McGrath and S K Warne come to mind.  Yesterday Pattinson was simply ordinary and leaked runs at 5 runs per over when the Australians needed him to take early wickets.  Whispering in Smith’s ear when he was on 8 that he was “f*cking all over [Smith]” obviously did not help.  Hopefully that performance will be humbling for him and he will come out today with a little less lip and more focus on bowling.  Australia definitely need him at the top of his form.

2. Is there a big hundred coming from Graeme Smith?

Graeme Smith was excellent yesterday and led the way for his team after the dominance of the Australians on day 1.  His opposing captain has made an art form this calendar year of performing when his team needs it most and the Proteas need Smith to push on for a big innings today if they are to consolidate their position in the game.  Smith can score big hundreds with 4 of his 25 test centuries doubles and a further 4 over 150. Australia will be desperate for his wicket early in part in the hope of it precipitating an Australianesque collapse.

3. Can Lyon do more than contain and lead the attack?

Nathan Lyon bowled a little over 35% of the overs sent down to the Proteas and it seems likely that he will bowl a large amount of overs today.  From what I have seen he did not really look like taking a wicket though, so whilst he did keep the run rate of the South Africans down they rarely looked troubled.  If the pacemen from the land down under continue to look as penetrative as a blunt spoon it will be up to Lyon to lead the attack and take wickets.  If he cannot it could be long day in the field for the Australians.

4. Run Jacques Run: just how bad is that hamstring?

Because of the amount of time he spent off field, Kallis cannot come into bat until the fall of the 5th wicket in the Proteas innings.  Additionally, because of the change in playing conditions he will not be entitled to use the services a runner.  Depending on the state of the South African’s innings when he comes in whether or not he can bat effectively could prove a key turning point in length of time the Proteas are able to bat.

5. Which wicketkeeper is the part timer: Wade or De Villiers?

This is obviously a rhetorical question given that is Wade who is the full time wicketkeeper, however on today’s evidence one would have struggled to realize that.  A very ordinary missed stumping chance compounded by letting through 7 byes (when his counterpart, the “part time” De Villiers did not give up one in 550 runs) are indicative that it was not Wade’s best day with the gloves.  He will need to be on his game on what might be a very long day in the field for the Australians.  A dropped chance or another missed stumping might well see Australia’s now limited grip on the game slip away completely.

There have been many twists and turns in this test match already: today may well bring many more.  I can’t wait!

Vale Bryce Courtenay

November 23, 2012 By in Shumpty Speaks Tags: , , Leave a comment

Reading has always been an important part of my life for as long as I can remember. There is very little I won’t read but when I am given a choice the books on my bedside table usual run to sports biographies, non-fiction tomes about the First World War and the works of Stuart MacBride.

I also have a few books that I read every year. There are some obvious ones in that list: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and the complete works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle I read every year without fail. Added to that list is The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay.

Bryce Courtenay’s passing overnight has given me moment of pause to consider the impact of his writing on me. I need to concede here that I only enjoy reading three of Courtenay’s works: the two books in the “Peekay” series, The Power of One and Tandia, as well as the heart breaking April Fool’s Day. The fact is I have never really gotten into the remainder of his work however those three books are easily in my top ten books of all time.

It is ridiculously rare for a book to effect me emotionally but reading April Fool’s Day and in particular the Courtenay’s description of his son Damon’s death for the first time made me more than a little weepy as well as introspective. Enough said really.

The “Peekay” duo of books are a cracking read when considered apart but when considered together they form a powerful reading experience that takes one through the changing face of colour politics in South Africa at the time of the Second World War and beyond through the eyes of a young boy who becomes a man. Throw in boxing, Oxford, the law, rugby and sex and it is a book that has something for just about everyone.

As I said, I am not a really a fan of the following books from Bryce Courtenay but I will forever be grateful to him for sharing the story of his son Damon and spinning the yarn of Peekay. He will be sadly missed but the characters he created in those books will live on forever for me.