Round 1
Brisbane Broncos 16 l. North Queensland Cowboys 23

2007 NRL Telstra Premiership Index [Table] [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

Location: Aus_NZ > National > First Grade Competition: NRL Telstra Premiership

Bennett hits out at NRL over TV stoppages
Sat March 17, 2007
Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett has fired the first shot this season slamming the NRL as last night's game between the Broncos and Cowboys in front of a packed house at Suncorp Stadium was stopped for a TV commercial.

The Broncos were gaining momentum in the match until the stoppage and from there the Cowboys recovered and stormed home on the back of some brilliance from Matt Bowen.

Bennett who has coached the Broncos to five Premierships along with a Super League title and before that Brisbane Souths to a Premiership didn't hold back after the match in the press conference when asked if he knew there would be a stoppage for a TV commercial.

Bennett said, "I had no idea."

He continued on by saying, "I hope that's the last we see of it.

"Of course it's worrying.

"Every time they do that, they are playing with the fabric of the game.

"When you have the opposition down and on the rack, it gives them time to recover. An extra 30 or 40 seconds is a huge recovery time."

Brisbane vice-captain Petero Civoniceva said:

"In a game of momentum, you take that away - they get their gas back, it's a bit unfair."

Civoniceva admitted he was shocked when referee Steve Clark told him that, "we have to wait for an ad break."

It's certainly no fault of Clark who was merely following instructions from his masters.

NRL Chief Executive David Gallop said of the incident:

"It's something we need to monitor, but it's also something we need to accept because we're getting two games of footy on Friday nights now.

"Our broadcasters need to be doing what they need to do to bring us two games of footy, so we just need to keep an eye on that for the next few weeks.

"It's something we've agreed to but we've also agreed to monitor it as well, and that's what we'll do.

"It concerns me if the coach didn't know about it, so I'll look into that."

Gallop's comments certainly aren't convincing and not strong enough from a so-called esteemed leader in our game.

It's just another tragic sign that our game is becoming more and more American by the day.

Rugby League is a game built upon momentum and confidence and the TV stoppages cuts into the basic fabrics of what makes our game the greatest of them all.

What is more disappointing is that the TV networks who badly need Rugby League in the ratings wars only paid a pittance for the rights to the value it should have been sold on the open market.

Well done to Bennett for speaking up and hopefully more coaches and clubs get our game back to how it should be played.


Cowboys topple Premiers in thriller
Sat March 17, 2007
The biggest crowd for a single club match rocked up to Suncorp Stadium last night as 50,416 spectators watched North Queensland inspired by Matt Bowen and Johnathan Thurston toppled defending Premiers Brisbane 23-16.

North Queensland led 16-6 at the break with unheralded centres Ashley Graham and Mark Henry scoring the Cowboys three tries. Graham was first to score in the 7th minute and his try on the stroke of half-time was a telling blow. Henry crossed in the 21st minute as the Cowboys took control in the opening 40 minutes.

Dane Carlaw scored Brisbane's only try in the first half when he charged onto a superb short ball from Shaun Berrigan in the 12th minute. It was the second half where Brisbane began to dominate with Karmichael Hunt scoring a superb 50m solo try in the 58th minute and that was backed up by Joel Moon finding space near the line to cross five minutes later. Darren Lockyer converted Moon's try from the sideline to level up the scores.

Brisbane were coming home much stronger and only desperate Cowboys defence and a few mistakes from the Broncos saw the North Queenslander's survive. It was a piece of sheer brilliance from Bowen where he found space from an inside ball by Thurston and made a fool of Justin Hodges to score a magical 60m solo try. Bowen sealed proceedings with a drop goal two minutes from time.

There was controversy in the match on and off the field.

Brisbane forward Corey Parker is out for the next month with a fractured wrist and Lockyer is in doubt for next weeks game with an ankle injury. There could be further dramas for the Broncos with lock Tonie Carroll involved in an incident with Sione Faumuina where it looked like that his fingers were across the eyes of Faumuina. It was certainly no Steve Linnane incident when he eye gouged Greg Alexander in 1987, but it certainly didn't look good.

To top off the drama on the field, there was more off it with Broncos coach Wayne Bennett accusing the NRL of "tampering with the basic fabric of the game" as there was a designated TV commercial break during the game. It will anger many people who believe our great game is being turned into some American type of event.

NRL chief executive, David Gallop, says the stoppages will continue as part of an arrangement with Channel Nine. Gallop says that is because the NRL is getting two games on Friday nights now.

Considering that the TV networks only used their spare change to pay for the rights despite the absolute importance that Rugby League holds for them in the ratings war, it's a poor excuse from Gallop. Bennett is 100% correct on this and it is tampering with the basic fabric of the game.

Rugby League is an 80 minute game where momentum can change at the blink of an eye and TV stoppages ruins the flow of our great game and basically turns it into one of the American sports.

What Bennett said in the post-match conference is 100% correct and when Rleague.com gains some quotes we'll put them in an article. What Bennett says should be taken on board.

Channel Nine has done a sensational job with the back-to-back games, however, they need to find some decent commentators to support Andrew Voss. It was painfully biased towards the Broncos and lacked any real insight into the contest.

Tue November 14, 2006
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