We knew what would happen in this grand final – and it didn’t.
asserted
it → know → final
All the smarties, and all the rest of us besides, knew that however much popular sentiment was behind the Knights in this NRL grand final, last year’s wooden-spooner workers beating the uppity glory boys of the eastern suburbs would be wonderful – but elite sport just doesn’t work like that.
The Knights, we knew, had left their best on the field by beating Penrith last week, and would have nothing left to give.
asserted
we → know → nothing
The Roosters, obviously, had too much firepower, too much big-match experience, too much sheer talent, to lose against – what’s that smell? – the sweaty proletariat from the north.
asserted
smell → have → north
And yet all through the first half it was obvious we had a real contest on our hands.
asserted
we → have → hands
Despite the Roosters dominating possession and territory, the Knights had something the Roosters did not.
asserted
Roosters → dominate → something
While the Roosters always threatened to score, the only thing they had to show for it from the first half was a piece of individual brilliance from their rugby-bound winger Mark Nawaqanitawase to not just toe it through as we’ve seen players do many times, but use two toes – a tap with the left to bring it under control, and a thrust with the right to perfectly push it over the try-line to dive on top of it.
asserted
players → threaten → it
(How many times are we going to see “Marky-Mark” do things that we’re not quite sure that we’ve ever seen before?)
asserted
we → go → that
Secondly, the Knights had a bit of luck.
asserted
Knights → have → luck
There is no doubt that opening 40 minutes the Novocastrians had the rub of the green, with the ball bouncing their way, including right into Kalyn Ponga’s arms just when they needed it most to score a runaway try – their second after a great early effort by Francis Manuleleua.
asserted
they → be → Manuleleua
Going into the break, the Knights 12-6 lead was a fitting reward for their efforts.
asserted
lead → go → efforts
To that point the Roosters had showed very little bar two tactics endlessly repeated: the up and the under.
asserted
Roosters → show → tactics
Sooner or later, was their clear reckoning, the individual brilliance of Marky-Mark must make the difference from whatever scraps their kicks delivered.
asserted
kicks → make → scraps
Sadly – you heard me – the Roosters were pretty much correct.
asserted
Roosters → hear → me
Though the Roosters centre Billy Smith scored a good try to close early in the second half to make it 12-12 and Sam Walker nailed a penalty to give the Roosters a 14-12 lead, with 20 minutes to go – who else could it be but? – Marky-Mark went over in the corner again to make it 18-12.
uncertain
it → score → corner
As I write, let us rejoice that this superb athlete is coming home to the Wallabies.
asserted
athlete → write → Wallabies
Good Lord willing and the creeks don’t rise, at about this time next year he’ll be wreaking havoc on the All Black, Springboks and French in the World Cup.
asserted
he → rise → Cup
With Joseph Aukuso Suaalii also in our corner, no team in the world will be better equipped to dominate the aerial game.
asserted
team → equip → game
We now resume our normal service.
asserted
We → resume → service
In the meantime, as the game went on the Channel Nine coverage gave us regular crosses to the folk watching at home.
asserted
coverage → go → home
“The cutaways to the Paddington Inn,” a mate noted, “look like a casting call for Australia’s Next Top Model.
asserted
mate → note → Model
The cutaways to Newcastle look like a gathering of great Aussies.”
asserted
cutaways → look → Aussies
The casting call people looked as if they were pleased.
asserted
they → look → ?
The Novacastrians looked as if they were hanging on every tackle, every pass.
asserted
they → look → tackle
They were the ones we wanted to be rewarded for their passion.
asserted
we → want → passion
Please, can the Knights pull this off against all odds?
asserted
Knights → pull → odds
Can the team showing all the heart, all the grit, all the refusal to give up, actually triumph against the team just endlessly kicking the damn thing?
asserted
team → show → thing
The Roosters really just did have too much firepower, too much Marky-Mark and too many up-and-unders to be denied.
asserted
Roosters → have → firepower
When Daly Chery-Evans put over a field goal with 10 minutes to go to make it 19-12, it was going to need a miracle and there wasn’t to be one ….
WAIT!
With just three minutes to go, Greg Marzhew sails over for the Knights in the corner against all odds!
asserted
Marzhew → put → odds
Converted, the score closes to 19-18, and an ordinary match is set for a superb finish!
asserted
match → convert → finish
The Roosters won with that score.
asserted
Roosters → win → score
But the Knights remain the people’s choice.
asserted
Knights → remain → ?
They displayed all the qualities we most admire in sport – courage, creativity, refusal to bend – but just didn’t get there in the end.
asserted
we → display → end
The Aporia
