WA Rugby Newspaper Reporter of the Year

[Burgs]

Who do you think gave the best newspaper coverage of the Western Australian Rugby scene and the Western Force during the inaugural Super 14 Season?

[The InnFORCEr]

I think the Monday and Thursday lift outs in The West have been fantastic, but the Sunday Times seem a little more "in touch" locally.

However the best place for ALL the local stuff, you can't go past TWF!

[fulvio sammut]

What, no Rick Boyd?

[Burgs]

Didn't want you having a stroke in your appraisal Fulvio
I kept it to these two as they were the main reporters during the season for the two respective WA papers.

[fulvio sammut]

To be fair, Rick has lifted his game of late.Instead of running down other clubs, he's become effusive in his praise of his beloved Perth.I can live with that,they need all the supprt they can get.

[frontrow]

Nick Taylor has written some good articles, and he`s a wanneroo man..Good onya Nick

[rick boyd]

Yeah, where's Rick Boyd? Strewth and fair dinkum, what does a bloke have to do? Rugby WA, Sunday Times, The West, Western Force program, Sport 90.5 FM, NZ Rugby News, ARU web site, Sportal ... bugger me, I'm practically FAMOUS. And I know that's true because some bloke came up to me in the Mustang Bar the other week and said "Aren't you Rick Boyd?". I thought he was another one of Frank Sammut's summons servers that have been trying to find me since I called Paly 'cellar dwellers' last year, but since I started calling them 'genuine contenders' this year, I thought I was on a winner. Even Rob Turner's being nice to me these days. And I've still got those photos of you and Mike Allen with that hooker that Russell Eathorne sent around, Frank, so don't start getting cocky. So lift your game, Supporters Site. I know you've been swamped by a massive avalanche of FOUR votes for my good mates Dave the Japie and Mad Nick the Roo-dog, but you can't have too much of a good thing, as Russell always used to say. Well, until his Missus found out anyway. -- rick boyd (the guy who makes Wordsworth look like a poet. No, that can't be right...)

[fulvio sammut]

Can't remember that photo....how much do you want... could scrape up a couple of hundred I suppose....how much is Mike offering...

Photo or not Rick ,you can't get away with just "cellar dwellers". How about the following quotes from your vituperative pen... "lowly Palmyra"..."a massive hammering of Palmyra"..."rich possibilities but few achievements"..."aided and abetted the cause of their own demise'"..."a huge error rate"..."Palmyra their own worst enemies"..."dragged to a messy conclusion of knock-ons,dropped balls,injuries penalties and an ugly brawl"... "couldn't field a fifth grade"..."really suffering in numbers" and the real doozy "what ever torment that club suffers".

I was saving them all up to use all together in a mid season assessment on Perth's year to date but hey, I actually like most of the guys there and really didn't want to hurt anybody's feelings.

Must say though your more recent efforts have been most concilliatory and complimentary.I suppose in the journalism game it pays to run with the top dogs.

Keep it up Rick, the year aint over yet.

[Darren]

hehe... Seems folks around these parts care a lot about journos... (They're a mob of drunks from what I hear)

Welcome Rick, next journo poll we do, I'll make sureyour name is up the top

[rick boyd]

Hey Frank, you've practically been keeping a RICK BOYD scrap book. What with my Mum, that makes TWO of you. See, the thing with my style of writing is that I'm bound by sacred principles and mighty oaths to always tell the truth. That's why, much as I love Paly, I was forced to say those unpleasant things. I mean, you didn't come bottom for the last two years because you were playing like Wallabies. Can I be the 101st to say how pleased I am to see how much better Paly are doing this season and giving some of the heavyweights a wake up call, just when they thought they could take a finals spot for granted. And if you think I was harsh, you should hear the things Jason Jones said about you guys behind closed doors. Fair made my ears burn it did. If he said "ugly rugby" once he said it a dozen times. But his attitude must be paying dividends as Paly is not only talking the talk but they're walking the walk too. Congratulations.
And coach, ish not true what they shay about journosh and al...alc...aclh ... booze. Pershonally, I don't drink much. (Just often).

[travelling_gerry]

Dont you see Rick that this was a cunning ploy by Coach to get you to join up to TWF????

Well done Coach...

[fulvio sammut]

Just goes to show you can't say anything to a journo behind closed doors.
I didn't need a scrap book Rick, just read your gleeful entries on your club's website!
Anyway, point made on both sides, and I wont say anything more bad about you provided you keep the compliments coming.

About that photo though.....

[no.8]

I reckon next year we should have a BOP -
Best on Paper!!!

We'll have a secret ballot through out the year and at the end of Super 14 '07 we can disclose the winner at a function (paid for by Australian, West Australian and Sunday Times).

Who's in?

[LarryNJ]

I just got a nice tour & pub crawl of Perth from the website in Rick's profile.

Why no mention of ? You need to update your site to include on page 1!

[rick boyd]

Frank, I don't write the stuff on Perth-Bayswater's site any more. My good mate Loose Bruce does that. And you have to write to your target audience. On club sites, it's practically mandatory to be provocative, inflammatory and shamelessly parochial. That's what the club members want, and it has to be taken with several tablespoons of salt. Writing for WA my brief is to promote rugby, but I can't do that with bland euphemisms so when a side plays crap, there's no point saying they played well. Credibility is an issue. Writing for the newspapers my brief is to provide accurate and interesting copy, so I can be more critical, as long as it's true, and constructive. All Paly have to do is keep playing like they did against Cott and you won't have anything but fulsome praise pouring from my keyboard. And don't worry about that photo -- I didn't even get most of you in the shot: I forgot my wide angle lens that day :-)
Thanks for taking the Virtual Pub Crawl Larry. I confess my experience with JB's is limited. If you have any influence there and can line up a couple of Kilkennys or Caffreys, I'm open to moderate levels of bribery and corruption...