The Biggest Little Men

Good evening all and thanks for stopping back. Thankfully there were no off-field incidents to ruin what I thought was a great weekend for rugby league last week. The double-header here in Brisbane was fantastic. For the first time in a long time I was genuinely disappointed I couldn’t get tickets to a game (well two, actually) of football. For those wondering, tickets were valued as normal (adult minimum at $27).

These double-headers should become regular events. I would love to see four a year:
1. ANZ Stadium on the first Sunday afternoon of the year...could even make it the Friday night however I like a Queensland ‘derby’ game that night too.
2.Melbourne involving a marquee game for the Storm (possibly the Broncos). For the other choose a team with a strong kiwi-connection to try and reach that audience down there. And if there’s an Origin or Test in Melbourne...play the double-header straight after.
3.New Zealand obviously involving the Warriors and another team with a strong Kiwi connection. The Roosters or Souths would be good options.
4.Suncorp Stadium straight after an Origin game as we saw last week.

Anyway, the main thing I wanted to talk about were some of the fullbacks we have in the game these days. There was no better way to follow up the Origin and double-header than having a sold out Sunday arvo game at Leichhardt Oval as we had. The biff was good and the whole atmosphere was outstanding...as it often is at these grounds. But what I wanted to talk about were the fullbacks.

It really was a clash of the titans out there...little Matty Bowen from the Cowboys up against littler Shannon Gallant of the Tigers. These two guys stand at a tick over 170cm each but are in there mixing it with monsters each and every week. You have to really admire the courage and bravery they show because let’s face it; as fullbacks they get belted more than any other player and as tiny warriors in a land of giants...these little guys get bashed more often than not.

Yet not once do you see these guys back down from a challenge. Anyone that saw the game last week might remember Carl Webb scoring a try before getting involved in a bit of a scuffle with a few Tigers. And you know who was right there having words with the big man? Little Shannon Gallant. Webb towered over the fullback and had a look on his face of, “Back down little man, I know and you know I could eat you for breakfast whenever I choose!” And it was true. But the point is little Gallant was right there, standing gallantly toe-to-toe with someone much bigger than him.

We’ve all probably heard the saying about not being the size of a dog in a fight and these guys sum it up beautifully. They also have their own unique skill-set...like Gallant slicing through the middle of the field then racing Bowen to score in the corner. That little moment was simply outstanding.

Then of course there’s Preston Campbell. There was a great moment the other night when Campbell, one-on-one with a defender, used the goal post to zig around and make a fool of his opponent to escape the in-goal area!! That was brilliant and fantastic to watch!

Earlier that night I was sitting watching that game when I thought I was about to see little Presto squashed to death. He gathered his kick-return and was faced with three or four big forwards looming down on him. So you think Preston would try and dart around them or die with the ball to try and soften the impact right? No...Campbell wound up and charged right into two of them. They hit him from both sides and I dead-set thought they’d pan-caked him! I think I even shut my eyes for a split second on impact! But nuh, not little Presto, he bounced straight back up and got on with the game.

I did feel a bit sorry for him when the coach pushed him into the centres to mark none other than the biggest pup in the kennel, Jamal Idris!! Talk about a miss-match, Idris had already trampled him once that night to score a try. But Campbell, as ever, held his own and handled the big unit pretty well.

I think it’s fantastic to have these little guys in the game. Don’t get me wrong, I think fullbacks like Billy Slater, Jarryd Hayne and Karmichael Hunt are great but the Bowen’s, Gallant’s and Campbell’s are pretty special too. Not only the way they dance around opponents but the way they get belted every time and just dust themselves off is outstanding and admirable to watch.

If they were in my team, I wouldn’t swap ‘em for no one.

Tips this week: Broncos, Manly, Bulldogs, Cowboys, Melbourne, Canberra, WARRIORS, Roosters
Last week: 3/7(Total: 79/132)
Winning percentage: 60%

Yes I have tipped the Broncos…they are my team and if the Titans are serious this year they should roll them by 30 points. Am I confident the Broncos can win? Not at all…but, as Justin Langer used to say, you just never know.

Also, and I have no reason or explanation why, but I’m on the bro’z to beat the Dragons in NZ this weekend. I have sworn off the Warriors at least three times this season...but now I’m back, and I don’t know why!

Any mail or opinion hit me up at andrew.keyte@gmail.com, comment below or on my Facebook.

Go the bro’z,
Keyto