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..Farah says it's time to get even By James Hooper From: The Daily Telegraph August 04, 2010 12:00AM
ROBBIE Farah still shakes his head and bristles at the thought of the Black Sunday massacre.
The afternoon of May 16 this year, when South Sydney put a 50-10 cricket score on the Tigers at the SCG.
So resounding was the flogging, coach Tim Sheens took the team straight to Newcastle for a week-long camp to nip the rot in the bud.
"It was definitely the most embarrassing day of my footy career, sitting in the sheds after the game," Farah said.
"It was the most empty I've felt after a match.
"It was a major turning point in our season and there was a lot of criticism and a lot of rumours going around about what happened that day and why it happened.
"Since then we've had eight from 10 wins. We're not as fancy as we have been in the past but we're winning the close games.
."We've learnt now how to win ugly and that's been a problem of ours the past couple of years.
"We've been bagged for winning the close games but I'm just happy we're winning.
"In the past we've been bagged for trying to be too fancy."
As the old rugby league adage goes, you would rather win ugly than lose pretty and unfortunately for South Sydney, they know all about it. The Rabbitohs looked like good things in last-minute losses to the Roosters and the Dragons in rounds 18 and 19 and have now lost three of their past four matches.
Set to challenge for a place in the finals midway through the year, suddenly it's all gone oblong in the Burrow.
While the Tigers find themselves entrenched in the top four and intent on challenging for the minor premiership, the Rabbitohs' sheds resemble a M*A*S*H ward on a bad day.
Forwards David Taylor, Luke Stuart, Mick Crocker, Beau Falloon, Scott Geddes and Sam Burgess are all missing, meaning a Band-Aid pack, including Jaiman Lowe in the starting front row and Craig Stapleton on the bench, has been assembled.
Farah and the Tigers were loath to talk up the revenge factor against the Rabbitohs, but Tigers legend Benny Elias expects it to be privately mentioned this week.
"It was tough to take, watching your team get flogged by 50\. I'm sure it's been spoken about behind closed doors and I'm tipping there'll be plenty of feeling come Saturday night," Elias said.
"The Tigers haven't had a regular halfback but they're finding a way to get home each week so if all of a sudden they really click, look out."
One of the biggest problems for the Concord-based outfit is Benji Marshall's up and down goal-kicking, leading to Marshall sacking himself at halftime against the Sharks last Saturday.
"It is an issue at the moment and hopefully we can get it sorted out. I'm not sure whether Benji still wants the job or not," Farah said.
ROBBIE Farah still shakes his head and bristles at the thought of the Black Sunday massacre.
The afternoon of May 16 this year, when South Sydney put a 50-10 cricket score on the Tigers at the SCG.
So resounding was the flogging, coach Tim Sheens took the team straight to Newcastle for a week-long camp to nip the rot in the bud.
"It was definitely the most embarrassing day of my footy career, sitting in the sheds after the game," Farah said.
"It was the most empty I've felt after a match.
"It was a major turning point in our season and there was a lot of criticism and a lot of rumours going around about what happened that day and why it happened.
"Since then we've had eight from 10 wins. We're not as fancy as we have been in the past but we're winning the close games.
."We've learnt now how to win ugly and that's been a problem of ours the past couple of years.
"We've been bagged for winning the close games but I'm just happy we're winning.
"In the past we've been bagged for trying to be too fancy."
As the old rugby league adage goes, you would rather win ugly than lose pretty and unfortunately for South Sydney, they know all about it. The Rabbitohs looked like good things in last-minute losses to the Roosters and the Dragons in rounds 18 and 19 and have now lost three of their past four matches.
Set to challenge for a place in the finals midway through the year, suddenly it's all gone oblong in the Burrow.
While the Tigers find themselves entrenched in the top four and intent on challenging for the minor premiership, the Rabbitohs' sheds resemble a M*A*S*H ward on a bad day.
Forwards David Taylor, Luke Stuart, Mick Crocker, Beau Falloon, Scott Geddes and Sam Burgess are all missing, meaning a Band-Aid pack, including Jaiman Lowe in the starting front row and Craig Stapleton on the bench, has been assembled.
Farah and the Tigers were loath to talk up the revenge factor against the Rabbitohs, but Tigers legend Benny Elias expects it to be privately mentioned this week.
"It was tough to take, watching your team get flogged by 50\. I'm sure it's been spoken about behind closed doors and I'm tipping there'll be plenty of feeling come Saturday night," Elias said.
"The Tigers haven't had a regular halfback but they're finding a way to get home each week so if all of a sudden they really click, look out."
One of the biggest problems for the Concord-based outfit is Benji Marshall's up and down goal-kicking, leading to Marshall sacking himself at halftime against the Sharks last Saturday.
"It is an issue at the moment and hopefully we can get it sorted out. I'm not sure whether Benji still wants the job or not," Farah said.
