"It's Not Just A Bloody Game" by Greg Growden

[Jehna]

Ok so like all of you I'm not exactly a fan of Growden. But I work at Dymocks and so we're forced to read all the new books that come in. Given that they're allocated based on interests I got loaded with Growden's new book...i was less than impressed and tried to claim that reading his crap was actually not an interest of mine, but I lucked out...so I picked it up with more than a little skepticism...

But...it pains me to say it, but it's actually quite good. I attribute this to the fact that it is essentially a collection of hundreds of the best and most colourful stories about rugby, from the days of early club rugby to the international competitions today, including the regional competitions and the World Cup. Consequently, i don't have to read his bullshit opinion...it's more hearing players tell their stories, hence it's not a bad read Mark Ella does the foreword as well which means you're kinda eased into it.

So give it a go. I certainly learnt some amusing things. There is a particularly funny section on all the stupid comments commentators have made on air, as well as personal stories from players about superstitions, rituals, off field stories etc.

Yay

[jargan83]

so that means growden didnt actually write the majority of it???

[Jehna]

so that means growden didnt actually write the majority of it???

Yep...which i think is probably why i finished it....or in fact started it...(i mean i certainly don't get paid enough to read his crap)

[The Lone Hydrangea]

That ejiot isnt getting any of my hard earned. Cant you misappropiate say 50copies Jehna for general TWF distribution?

[The EnForcer]

I'm with you TLH just purely out of principle. He's a lying muck creating scumbag. Sorry Jehna, just can't do it.

[Sagerian]

Thanks Jehna I'll add it to my shopping list.


-Growden's book
-Matches
-2 stroke petrol

[Burgs]

Does it come with its own sachet of sauce?

[Jehna]

Do you really think I paid for it?! Thank you publishers for sending reading copies...and given that I talked a customer out of buying it yesterday (*ahem*) I'm thinking we'll end up with a good few more 'reading' copies for general distribution

[jargan83]

Is it worth handing over some hard earned cash for it??

[Thequeerone]

More instrested in J O' Neil s book is that worth reading ?

[Jehna]

Is it worth handing over some hard earned cash for it??

Well not trying to be rude but i think it depends how old you are and how long you've been following rugby. I mean I'm still pretty young even though i've been involved in rugby all my life. So there are a few stories etc about people I don't really know, and probably things I wouldn't appreciate as much as others. At the same time I felt like I learnt a lot of inside stuff I didn't know about players, coaches, teams, commentators etc.

For more of a run down:
Chapter 1 - The Stars
Has little stories (i'm talking half a page at most) from players today and players from the past. Highlights for me were finding out Phil Waugh has named his shoulders Sledge and Hammer, and reading the list of mangled descriptions in Murray Mexted's commentary, for example:

"My father used to call that not a tactical kicker but a testicle kicker...basically a real balls-up"

"He was so slick and smooth you could call him a Brazilian:

"It's pretty cold. I can see erect nipples out there"

"Rico Gear. What a great sounding name. He sounds like a drug dealer from Brazil"

"We want consistency, but we don't want a consistent referee to consistently blow the whistle" (thought we could use this one at the Spirit games...)

Chapter 2 - The Characters
History of the coaches, the commentators, the refs, other people who've written books, and old balls in rugby, and their favourite stories.

Chapter 3 - The Madness
Crazy on field events or things on game day. For example on Adam Ashley-Coopers debut for the Wallabies he was seen wandering along the sideline in his street clothes contemplating whether to head to the kiosk and buy a meat pie, just 10mins before kick off. Then, he was grab by staff, told to get dressed and sit on the bench because Elton Flately was suddenly sick. 8 mins later he was standing on the field. Also, ref David McHugh was attacked by a South African supporter warned only by the touchee saying 'there's some weird guy on the field running up behind you...you may want to turn around"

Chapter 4 - It's not just a bloody game
The language, behavioural patterns, codes, pecking order, the money, mateship laws, comparisons to NRL, player events, the injuries, the bad gamesetc. One of the favourites was a conversation between Knuckles and Gits after he'd just been signed this year by the Force (Gits is joking clearly as he lives in Perth)
G: Hey boss i'm moving into a block of units in your street
C: Which one?
G: The block next to yours
C: The block with sixteen units...which one?
G: Any unit I like. I've bought the whole block
C: Oh god I feel sick..

Chapter 5 - Trans-Tasman War
Ah...stories about the All Blacks and the Wallabies on field and off. Fav bit were the headlines in NZ papers after Australia beat them in the 2003 World Cup:

"Australia Post has been forced to recall postage stamps with pictures of Wallabies on them, because people couldn't figure out which side to spit on"

Chapter 6 - Word Cups
Self explanatory. Fav stories was about a team doctor attending a player on the field who was told by a ground official to move because he was obscuring the Qantas sign from television viewers

Chapter 7 - Quotable Quips
Self explanatory. Favourites are endless but some are:
All Blacks assistant coach about head coach- "He's the only man i know who was born with an upside down smile"

Larkham - "We knew that we had to be prepared for anything when playing against South Africa - even genitals aren't safe"

David Brockhoff on Matt Dunning - "You've got to go down the mine first and when the diamond comes up then we start to use it. This bloke will help with the digging."

Chris Handy - "Beating NSW is like sex: when it's good it's great, and when it's not, who cares, you can always get on the piss"

Dan Crowley - "The only way a front rower becomes a good front rower is to have his head shoved up his arse at least fifty times"

John Eales - "With John Connolly no longer around it makes it a bit easier to get around the after-match buffets"



THE END...hope this helps more...like i said, i enjoyed it but i guess it depends on how much you already know and if $30 is that much of a loss for you

[Jehna]

More instrested in J O' Neil s book is that worth reading ?

Read about a chapter so far Coach. Will let you know but looks like it'll be good. The people that worked on it are a good team with bios

[jargan83]

Cheers for the run down jehna, sounds like it could be worth it. I'm 24 and i've been following rugby most of my life as well

[shasta]

Sounds good Jehna. But I also can't stomach letting that bastard end up with some of my hard-earned. I'd rather put it Mark Ella's way. Read that yet?

[Jehna]

Sounds good Jehna. But I also can't stomach letting that bastard end up with some of my hard-earned. I'd rather put it Mark Ella's way. Read that yet?

Yeah it's pretty good shasta. Quite a fan of Mark Ella Get's a little boring in parts but generally quite a good read. He's got a lot to say about the game