Visitors...

Hello visitors, welcome.. apparently i have to write a blog about you all.. or maybe just you. I dont expect there to be many visitors to this site, so if your reading this your unfortunately one of the priviledged few, either you have to read it because where in assessment, or your reading this because maybe someone has a gun to your head.. the main visitors to my site i would imagine are nrl fans, or mainly, fans of the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles.

I keep this blog going mainly for the NRL fans, but also mainly because i have to.
Visitors to my blog, i welcome you
enjoy this blog
i hope it serves you well.
meanwhile have a read of this here"

Assessment No. 2

To be perfectly honest, i believe my blog is too crowded, alot of links and unnecessary things that, if up to me, i would not have put on there. Such as site meter. Personally i dont really care how many people visit my blog, so putting a thing there to check how many people visit seems to just get in the way. Links like that also make my page look like they are full of advertisements and what not.

Although that aside, my websites function farely easily and are fair self explanatory. The aesthetic function of my blog is basic, here is an example of one of my blogs, it clearly shows the template of how most of my blogs are laid out, with a photo at the top and the story below. Alot like a news article. My blog is like a news website for Manly Sea Eagles fans, it is updated often with breaking news about the team and the sport its related too.

The blog layout is fair basic and light coloured, to open up the space and make it look less crowded. If i were to use a darker background it would make it look more enclosed and more crowded, by having a lighter background it makes the page more appealing and alot easier to read.

My Flickr site cant really be edited aestheticly, although the pictures that you upload usually make up the aesthetics, im using flickr more often now and use it as a means for using photos to post on various other sites such as myspace and to show my friends back home photos from uni. Delicious, much the same as flickr, cant really be edited for aesthetics as it is a preset template.

The balance between form, content and function are expressed in my blog as the all three even out to create a pleasent page that is easily accessed and navigated around.

Manly Finally Atop the NRL Ladder

Manly captain Matt Orford has nailed a 30-metre field goal with just over three minutes on the clock to hand the Sea Eagles a 13-12 NRL win over Melbourne in a top of the table thriller at Brookvale Oval.

Orford struck the field goal attempt straight between the posts to end the 12-all stalemate after Melbourne had fought back from a 12-6 half-time deficit in front of 18,640 fans.

Melbourne hooker Cameron Smith missed one attempted field goal while halfback Cooper Cronk missed two earlier attempts, his first charged down by the head of Manly hooker Michael Monaghan and his other sailing wide.

Monaghan had his own attempt from 35m also waved away.

In a game which is sure to see Manly lumped with the premiership favourites tag, the game started like a battle of the cellar-dwellers with three successive dropped balls from Melbourne's Dallas Johnson, Manly's Luke Williamson and then Storm centre Matt King straight off a scrum.

Manly settled first, with Chris Hicks barging over in the corner on four minutes off a play started by Monaghan, who was again outstanding for the home side.

Back-rower Anthony Watmough pushed Manly's advantage out to 10-0 after 14 minutes when he scored a fortuitous try when Israel Folau fumbled Orford's bomb and the Eagles secondrower dived on the loose ball, with Jamie Lyon adding the conversion.

Lyon converted a penalty shot from 10m out in the 19th minute for a 12-0 lead.

Melbourne fullback Billy Slater was denied by superb cover defence from Orford and Williamson in the 29th minute when he was held up over the line.

Folau made amends shortly before the break when he plucked Cronk's bomb from well above his head, leaping over Michael Robertson and then with two defenders on his back managed to surge over and touch down one-handed.

Cameron Smith's conversion just seconds before the half-time siren ensured a 12-6 scoreline in favour of Manly at the break.

Melbourne dominated after the break and Cronk's pinpont cross-field kicking led to Matt King's try in the 52nd minute, with Smith nailing the conversion to level scores 12-all.

The match then turned into an absolute bash-a-thon, with Watmough and Jason King put on report for a dangerous throw on Steve Turner in the 44th minute.

Slater left the field in the 48th with concussion, a fractured cheekbone and badly cut right eye from a heavy collision with teammate Sam Tagatese when trying to tackle Orford.

Manly substitute George Rose suffered a sickening broken right leg in the 63rd minute which will more than likely end his NRL season.
read about it here

Kite doesn't want to lose Origin spot

Origin prop Brent Kite says all NSW forwards have been put on notice after being clearly outplayed in the opening clash by Queensland's pack of veterans.

With NSW selectors expected to make a few changes for the June 13 Origin II clash, a nervous Kite turned in one of his toughest performances of the year for Manly in last night's 13-12 win over fellow NRL heavyweights Melbourne.

Disappointed at being shut down by Queensland's Steve Price and Petero Civoniceva on Wednesday night, Kite rebounded in the best possible way with a match turning 35 tackles, 20 hit ups at 182 metres for the Sea Eagles.

The Manly prop said he knows every NSW forward's head is on the chopping block and the next two weeks at NRL level are vital as selectors mull over making Origin changes.

"The battle is on for spots I suppose. History shows usually one or two changes made to a losing side and none made to a winning side obviously," said Kite.

"I think everyone is on notice. It's in the hands of the selectors.

"I felt like I tried hard but I think (Queensland) did a good job on me personally. I didn't have quite as much room to move as I would have liked.

"The good thing is whenever you lose you can get on a bit of downer for the whole week but it was good it was only two days to get some kind of redemption.

"I don't know how well I went (against Melbourne) but I felt like there was a bit of improvement. I felt like I wanted to try and do some things and get down a bit quicker."

With former Blues hardman Steve Roach calling on Cronulla pair Greg Bird and Paul Gallen to be included in the NSW squad to add some mongrel, 18th man in Origin I Ryan Hoffman has reminded selectors not to overlook him.

Storm back rower Hoffman was also 18th man earlier this year for the Australian side in the Anzac Test and is determined to win himself a playing jersey for Origin II.

"It was sort of like having your Christmas present taken away from you on Wednesday night, being able to warm up with the guys but not run out on the field," said Hoffman.

"I'm very confident I would be able to handle Origin football.

"NSW does have a very aggressive pack with guys like (Nathan) Hindmarsh, Kite, Willie Mason - they are all tough guys.

"Whoever you throw in you know they're going to do the job but personally I know if I get a chance I would be able to do the job."

read about it here

Manly defence used to grind way to top

Manly have credited pride in their vaunted defence as the catalyst for moving into the outright NRL lead and firming in premiership contention.

The Sea Eagles used their desperate defence to hold out Melbourne in a 13-12 thriller at Brookvale Oval on Saturday night, with both Storm tries coming from clever Cooper Cronk kicks.

Conceding an average of just two tries per game, the Eagles are easily the best defensive side in the NRL but prop Brent Kite said it was the disastrous fortnight in round seven and eight that gave Manly the kick up the backside they needed.

The Eagles conceded 30 points against both North Queensland and Canberra in successive weeks, Kite revealing Manly had made a conscious effort to refocus on defence leading into their bye in two weeks time.

"In previous games this year we've showed plenty of character and we did the same (against Melbourne)," said Kite.

"We started off real well defensively in the season and we had a couple of weeks where we conceded 30 points on consecutive weeks and since then we've made a real aim to get back on the defence.

"We are really focusing on trying to get one more win up (against Penrith on Friday) and go into the bye and put our feet up then."

Melbourne forward Ryan Hoffman said Manly's defence isn't only the toughest to break in the NRL, but the most physical he had faced all season.

With centre Steve Matai pulling off several bone-crunchers and props Jason King and Kite also hitting targets, Hoffman said the Sea Eagles were genuine title contenders and he wouldn't be surprised if the Storm met them again in this year's grand final.

"It was a very tight game and the scoreline showed that," said Hoffman.

"It bloody well felt like (finals football) ... you'd expect nothing less from one v two clash and Manly showed they are definitely a big finals contender.

"I thought it was a very even clash and they showed they were one point better than us so hopefully if we get them again we can get over them."

Kite said the biggest problem facing Manly now will be how to cover the loss of interchange prop and cult hero George Rose who suffered a badly broken leg and won't play again this season.

"I'm a big fan of George. I have done a similar injury and my heart just went out to him," said Kite.

"He was in good form too which is hard for us to find someone to replace George and give us that spark we need off the bench."

Manly could also have some judiciary concerns with Kite and Anthony Watmough on report for a dangerous throw on Steve Turner.
read about it here

Technorati

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Technorati really makes you feel great

My webpage thingy

Orford powers Manly past 'Baby Broncos'

Manly halfback Matt Orford gave NSW selectors a none too subtle reminder of his ability with a starring role in his side's 18-6 win over an Origin-depleted Brisbane at Brookvale Oval.

Orford, overlooked for Origin I in favour of Newcastle youngster Jarrod Mullen, had a hand in three of his side's four tries as the Sea Eagles joined ladder leaders Melbourne on 18 competition points ahead of their meeting on Saturday night.

Winger Nick Bradley-Qualilawa scored a double for the home side in his first game of the season with Jason King and Anthony Watmough the other Manly tryscorers.

The undermanned Broncos, who now have just three wins from their opening ten games, were always going to struggle to match the high-flying Sea Eagles.

But despite taking to the field without seven players in camp with the Queensland Origin side and Test forward Sam Thaiday on the sidelines with a fractured eye socket, Brisbane battled until the final minute with an effort that would have pleased coach Wayne Bennett.

They may have also unearthed a new star in 20-year-old fullback Denan Kemp, who punctuated an impressive debut with a sensational 75 metre try which saw him beat five defenders.

The Sea Eagles looked like running away with the game with two tries in the opening 13 minutes, Orford finding a chink in the Broncos armour to put Bradley-Qualilawa over after some great scrambling defence from the visitors.

Orford then turned to the boot to set up King for his four-pointer with a pin-pint grubber which hit the upright.

The Broncos regained their composure and threatened the Sea Eagles line, but were let down by poor options on the last tackle with halfback Shane Perry having an ordinary night with the boot.

The Sea Eagles extended their lead four minutes after the restart when an Orford switch of play gave Bradley-Qualilawa a narrow passage down the right hand touchline before Anthony Watmough took it out to 18-0.

With the play looking like it had broken down, Watmough performed an acrobatic forward roll to spin out of a Brad Thorn tackle before powering his way over, Thorn's misery was compounded when he was placed on report for a lifting tackle on King in the lead-up to the try.

Ben Kennedy who?

read about it here

Aesthetics

Aesthetics can be defined as a branch of philosophy, a species of value theory or axiology, which is the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste. Aesthetics is closely associated with the philosophy of art.
Again aesthetics are subject to opinion but some aesthetics can be universal such as the the opinion that a kitten is considered cute, or maggots are considered to be repulsive.
Websites can also have aesthetic function.

RSS

What is XML?
Wikipedia defines it as
The Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a general-purpose markup language.[1] Its primary purpose is to facilitate the sharing of data across different information systems, particularly via the Internet.[2]
It is a simplified subset of the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), and is designed to be relatively human-legible. By adding semantic constraints, application languages can be implemented in XML.
What is RSS?
RSS is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated digital content, such as blogs, news feeds or podcasts.
Users of RSS content use software programs called "feed readers" or "feed aggregators". The user subscribes to a feed by entering a link of the feed into the reader program. The reader can then check the user's subscribed feeds to see if any of those feeds have new content since the last time it was checked, and, if so, retrieve that content and present it to the user.
I signed up with google reader purely for the fact that it ties in with my google account and is easier to set up

RSS

What is XML?
Wikipedia defines it as
The Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a general-purpose markup language.[1] Its primary purpose is to facilitate the sharing of data across different information systems, particularly via the Internet.[2]
It is a simplified subset of the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), and is designed to be relatively human-legible. By adding semantic constraints, application languages can be implemented in XML.
What is RSS?
RSS is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated digital content, such as blogs, news feeds or podcasts.
Users of RSS content use software programs called "feed readers" or "feed aggregators". The user subscribes to a feed by entering a link of the feed into the reader program. The reader can then check the user's subscribed feeds to see if any of those feeds have new content since the last time it was checked, and, if so, retrieve that content and present it to the user.

Interestingness.. ness

Personally, which is whats great about this thing, it is just my personal thoughts.

But i would have thought interestingness is subject to opinion, just because i find something interesting doesnt mean the rest of the world will, well if they do then ill be surprised, happy as well, but mainly surprised.

which is why im wondering how im being marked on interestingness? is it your interests where catering for? or our own, again personally i dont think whoever is reading this and myself have all the same interests, yet if your reading this then you must atleast agree with me in some respects.
for example, the following picture;

now i find it interesting, because i took the photo, i did it, i made the mushroom blow up with a golf club.
But on the other hand, whoever may be reading this may be anti-hit-mushrooms-with-golf-clubs and may find it offensive. Therefore peoples opionions vary to make something interesting, although there are some things that can be universally interesting.. on second thoughts i cant actually think of one thing that EVERYONE in the whole world finds interesting.
I'am a massive fan of The Who, therefore i find this picture interesting

whereas you might not.

Which is why im still a little confused as to how im going to be marked for interestingness, my blog mainly consists of NRL news, Movie news and the occasional article on classic rock bands, The Who, The Kinks etc, with what there doing now, IF you find that interesting well then keep reading
if not your reading the wrong persons blog
although no matter who you are i think you will like this picture.



:)

Delicious

Using Delicious at first seemed pointless, it was very similar to using the favourites tab in internet explorer and i could not work out any reason for using it. Although i soon discovered that it can make saving websites easier, and grouping websites and finding other people with the same interests.

The one thing i like about using delicious is the fact i can find other people that have saved similar sites to me and find people with the same interests.

Although if it werent for that i would still not have bothered using this tool as i would have easily just have settled for using the favourites tool in my internet explorer
here is a link to my delicious account.

Delicious

Using Delicious at first seemed pointless, it was very similar to using the favourites tab in internet explorer and i could not work out any reason for using it. Although i soon discovered that it can make saving websites easier, and grouping websites and finding other people with the same interests.

The one thing i like about using delicious is the fact i can find other people that have saved similar sites to me and find people with the same interests.

Although if it werent for that i would still not have bothered using this tool as i would have easily just have settled for using the favourites tool in my internet explorer
here is a link to my delicious account.

Selectors overlook Orford for City team

Matt Orford, originally uploaded by morganf2096.

Manly halfback Matt Orford hasn't given up hope of wearing the NSW No.7 jumper in the State of Origin opener despite being overlooked for a City Origin berth.

City selectors plumped for Penrith halfback Craig Gower to partner Braith Anasta in the halves, Orford paying the price for an ankle injury which disrupted his early season campaign with the Sea Eagles.

Gower and Country halfback Brett Kimmorley will now battle it out on Thursday night as they stake an early claim to wear the NSW No.7 jumper in the Origin series opener on May 23 at Suncorp Stadium.

Both City and Country sides will feature plenty of new blood with 10 players set to grace the representative stage for the first time next week.

Parramatta centre Timana Tahu was a surprise inclusion in the Country side, the former Test back having thought his representative days were numbered after signing a contract to play rugby union next season.

He will partner Melbourne's Anthony Quinn in the centres with St George Illawarra Matt Cooper (concussion) and Ben Smith (virus) not considered given the short preparation for the match.

Similarly, Country selectors decided not to take a risk on Dragons prop Jason Ryles (shoulder), with Sydney Roosters backrower Craig Fitzgibbon named in the front row.

City selectors were also left with a dearth of options up front with Cronulla second rower Lance Thompson named at prop and Wests Tigers tyro Bryce Gibbs the only recognised front rower on the bench.

Bulldogs pointscoring machine Hazem El Masri beat out South Sydney flyer Nathan Merritt for a spot on the wing for City, coach Tim Sheens admitting El Masri's outstanding goalkicking played a significant role in his selection.

read about it here

Sea Eagles Face First Defeat of the Season

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, originally uploaded by morganf2096.

The ladder leaders travelled north with hopes of staying undefeated after building the best defensive record in the competition, but the Cowboys' dynamic fullback Matt Bowen scored two tries and saved numerous others in a masterful performance which lead Manly to a 14 nil dillema at half time.

The game looked like it was going to be an arm wrestle early on, but a piece of Bowen magic in the 25th minute broke the contest wide open.

Another Matt Bowen effort saw his cousin Brenton Bowen score on the right hand side a short time later.

North Queensland was in control of the match at 18-0 after rookie centre Ben Farrar scored on debut with a strong try just after the break.

However, the Sea Eagles managed to get back into the match after a kick from Matt Orford found the hands of Michael Robertson, who was able to bat the ball back to Jamie Lyon.

The Australian centre's missed conversion still left the visitors 14 points behind with less than 30 minutes to play but a contentious try to Chris Hicks a short time later saw the margin reduced to just eight points.

It looked to everyone but referee Stephen Clark like there'd been a forward pass in the movement but with video ref Paul Simpkins unable to rule, the four-pointer was awarded.

The Eagles had no luck with another scoring movement in the next set of six, a Stephen Bell touch down denied due to an obstruction.

This was just one of number of no-try rulings, with the Cowboys also losing out on a contentious try in the first half.

Johnathan Thurston looked to have knocked on at the half-way line before passing to Matt Bowen, who produced one of his trademark electrifying runs to the try line.

Simpkins once again ruled against the try despite referee Stephen Clark having ordered play to continue.

Matt Bowen was in everything for the Cowboys, with his second try almost sealing the result for his side before a four pointer to veteran five-eighth Jason Smith in the 63rd minute put the icing on the cake.

The Eagles hit back with three consolation tries in the final ten minutes, with two scored while Thurston was on the sidelines after being sin-binned for dissent.

The result was Manly's first loss for the year, causing a slide down to second place on the ladder

read about it here

Manly, Storm continue undefeated in NRL

NRL Premiership Logo, originally uploaded by morganf2096.

Manly and Melbourne opened up a four-point gap at the top of the NRL table after the competition's two undefeated sides continued their flawless start to 2007 this weekend.

And to make matters worse, coaches Des Hasler and Craig Bellamy both warned there's still plenty of improvement left in their unbeaten sides.

The Sea Eagles kept up their incredible defensive record, conceding just one try to the Gold Coast Titans in Sunday's 20-8 victory at Brookvale Oval to continue to top the ladder with six wins.

Last year's minor premiers Melbourne trail Manly only on points difference after they held out fast-finishing Penrith on Saturday afternoon at Olympic Park to win 30-20.

Manly and Melbourne head the table with 12 points, North Queensland running third with eight points but a chance to move closer when they host South Sydney tonight.

However, after the top three there are seven sides locked on six points - New Zealand Warriors, South Sydney, Parramatta, Gold Coast, Newcastle, Cronulla and Bulldogs.

New Zealand Warriors will receive two for the bye to move into fourth at the completion of the round, while the Knights and Rabbitohs can also move up with wins later this round.

Manly fullback Brett Stewart scored twice in the first five minutes to take his remarkable home ground tally to 33 tries from as many games.

The Eagles led 18-0 at half time and although they failed to kick on Hasler praised his side's committed defence which has now conceded just eight tries in six games.

"Our defence has been the cornerstone and it had to be today," Hasler said.

"But we certainly don't need to keep testing it and putting it under pressure like we did today.

"We got to Townsville next week (to play North Queensland) and we certainly need to step up."

Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy admitted his side had also failed to hit their straps so far this season, but is happy the Storm continue to grind out victories.

"We're not playing perhaps as well as we can skill-wise and technique-wise ... but I'd rather have a team play not as well as they could but show the intestinal fortitude these blokes do," he said.

The Bulldogs ended Parramatta's three-game winning streak today with a come from behind 21-18 win at Parramatta Stadium.

A Daniel Holdsworth field goal and late Hazem El Masri penalty booted the Dogs home after trailing 16-12 at half time.

"It wasn't pretty again, we certainly haven't hit our straps which is disappointing but I think on the positive we hung in there and defence got us home in the second half," said Dogs coach Steve Folkes.

Cronulla established themselves as the second best defensive side in the competition with a 26-0 win over Canberra on Saturday night at Toyota Park.

Centre Ben Pomeroy landed a hat trick, but more impressive for the Sharks it was the second time they kept a team scoreless at home following their 18-0 drubbing of Penrith in round one.

"We're really starting to set some standards with our defence and to keep them to nil, even though they didn't throw a great deal at us, you can only defend what they throw at you and we did that again," assistant Sharks coach Shane Flanagan said.

read about it here

Manly triumph over Titans 20-6

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, originally uploaded by morganf2096.

Manly continued their unbeaten start to the NRL season with a 20-6 victory over Gold Coast at Brookvale Oval on Sunday.

The Sea Eagles won their sixth successive game to start 2007 with a three-tries-to-one victory over the Titans, but it was hardly Manly's best performance of the year.

Aside from two Brett Stewart tries in the opening five minutes, and a masterstroke by returning Manly captain Matt Orford ahead of half time, the Titans dominated the contest.

It was only through the Sea Eagles' competition-leading defence that they managed to escape with the two competition points.

Manly led 18-0 at halftime but that lead quickly eroded when Mat Rogers put Matt Hilder over in the 45th minute.

The Titans appeared to be mounting a comeback late in the game until prop Brad Meyers was softly penalised by referee Tony Archer for a late hit on Travis Burns after a kick.

Jamie Lyon slotted his penalty from 15m out directly in front of the posts for an unassailable 20-6 lead with seven minutes left on the clock.

It was an unfortunate end for the Titans who had been gathering momentum against Manly but struggled to break through the best defensive line in the NRL.

Manly have now conceded just eight tries in their opening six games.

The Sea Eagles were boosted by the return of skipper Orford playing his first game since round one when he injured his ankle.

With his first touch he grubbered behind the line for Brett Stewart to score in the second minute.

Stewart then scored after a 60m play set up by his older brother Glenn and included centre Steve Bell and winger Chris Hicks.

Stewart's two tries in the opening five minutes - taking his record at Brookvale to 33 tries from his last 33 games - gave the Sea Eagles a 12-0 lead and a carve up looked to be on the menu.

However, the Titans rallied, dominating possession and field position to constantly threaten the Manly line.

But, as has been the case all season, the thin maroon line stood tall repelling wave after wave of Gold Coast attack.

When Manly finally got some possession in the Titans half, Orford spotted fullback Preston Campbell in the defensive line and kicked on the second tackle from the halfway line, allowing winger Chris Hicks to sprint free and score for a 18-0 halftime lead.

read about it here

Orford to play against Titans

Matt Orford, originally uploaded by morganf2096.

Manly captain Matt Orford will make his comeback from an ankle injury in Sunday's NRL clash with Gold Coast at Brookvale Oval.

Halfback Orford has been called immediately into the undefeated Sea Eagles' starting line up, with stand-in No.7 Michael Monaghan to move into hooker as Matt Ballin drops to the bench.

Young replacement Clint Halden has been left out of the 17-man squad.

Internationals Brent Kite and Jamie Lyon will both play for Manly while the Gold Coast's Luke Bailey and Jake Webster will also back up from Friday night's Anzac Test.

read about it here

Eagles not feeling the pressure: Hasler

NRL Premiership Logo, originally uploaded by morganf2096.

They've made the perfect start to the season, but Manly coach Des Hasler insists the Sea Eagles are under no pressure to keep it going.

The undefeated Sea Eagles have surprised many with their flawless start to the NRL season and are aiming to make it six from six with a win at home against the Gold Coast Titans on Sunday.

Their stunning start is even more impressive considering they've been without injured representative players Matt Orford, Steve Menzies and Steve Matai.

While they are quickly earning respect from their rivals, they appear to be going about their business quietly.

"There's no pressure, it's just about keeping it in perspective," Hasler said.

"Most sides try to get off on a good start.

"In early games you try to get points under your belt because there are times during the year that momentum changes that you can't control like representative season.

"These early points are good for a club and we'll take them."

Manly face a tricky task at Brookvale on Sunday against Titans, who have also surprised many winning three from five in their inaugural premiership campaign, including last week's 28-16 win over reigning premiers Brisbane.

Sea Eagles forward Anthony Watmough, who along with Jason King will play his 100th NRL game this weekend, said the Sea Eagles knew better than to underestimate the NRL's newest side.

"Any team that can knock the reigning premiers off is going to be a big task," Watmough said.

"They've knocked off a couple of good teams as well this year.

"We're going to have to be on our game and it's a challenge were looking forward to."

Both sides will have their two Test representatives - Manly's Brent Kite and Jamie Lyon and Gold Coast's Luke Bailey and Jake Webster - back on the park after coming through Australia's 30-6 win over New Zealand on Friday night without incident.

The Titans have promoted Brad Meyers to prop with Josh Graham moving into lock for the suspended Luke Swain and Michael Hodgson dropped to the bench.

Manly have named an unchanged line-up but halfback Orford could be a late inclusion with a final call to be made on Sunday morning.

Should Orford be given the green light to step in, he faces a tough first assignment against one of the NRL's form halfbacks, Scott Prince.

"He's been on fire," Orford said of the former Wests Tiger.

"He is the Titans' main weapon in attack.

"The forwards giving him plenty of room and that dummy, they speak about it every week and they prepare for it and he still gets every player with it.

"He is going to be one player we have to focus on, that's for sure."

Brookvale Oval, 2pm Tomorrow, Be There!

read about it here

Stewart brothers eye RL Country call ups

Glen Stewart, originally uploaded by morganf2096.

Brothers Glenn and Brett Stewart hope Manly's undefeated start to the NRL season leads to a rare representative debut for the siblings.

The Stewarts have both been in sparkling form for the Sea Eagles this season - Brett scoring three tries and averaging 139m gained per game while Glenn has averaged 31 tackles and three off-loads per outing.

With the NSW Country Origin team to be selected in two weeks, both Stewarts have strong claims to a maroon and gold jumper for the Coffs Harbour clash on May 3.

They would become just the second set of siblings to play for Country since the annual clash went to full Origin format in 1987.

Newcastle's Andrew and Matthew Johns are the only brothers to have worn a Country jersey at the same time in the 18-16 win over City in 1996.

Older sibling Glenn said it would be a dream come true for the Wollongong-born brothers, who still live together, to achieve representative honours at the same time.

"It would be unreal. Playing for Manly together is enough of a bonus but to be representatives together would be the next step," said Glenn Stewart.

"I'm not looking too far ahead, I'd just be happy to keep playing consistent football for Manly.

"If that happens no-one will knock it back."

Fullback Brett is used to gaining plaudits and has already garnered strong NSW State of Origin support for his outstanding start to the season, but such glowing affirmations are unusual for workhorse Glenn.

Told Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes had rated him Manly's "unsung hero" of the forward pack prior to last week's clash, the 23-year-old said he was happy just to go about his business in the background.

"I didn't even know about that (Folkes comment), it's good to be getting recognition like that so I can't complain," he said.

"(But) this is the first year I've had playing consistent first grade footy and I'm just glad to be a part of it for the next few years," he added, referring to the three-year contract deal he signed on Monday.

"I'm really happy with (my own form) but I've still got a lot of areas in my game I've got to improve on, just cutting out errors and stuff like that, so there's always something to work on."

Younger brother Brett, 22, said it would be amazing and certainly warranted if he and Glenn were both selected for NSW Country.

"It would be enormous I suppose. We always wanted to play together at club level and to do it at a representative level would be even better," he said.

"(Glenn's) workload has been massive and he's probably been the most consistent player we've had throughout the first five rounds and his new contract shows just how good he's been going."

read about it here

Matt Orford could return for Sea Eagles

Matt Orford, originally uploaded by morganf2096.

Manly are considering rushing captain Matt Orford back from injury and straight into their starting line-up for Sunday's NRL clash with the Gold Coast.

The halfback trained with his teammates for the first time in over a month at Narrabeen, ending his non-contact session with some goalkicking practice.

The 28-year-old has not played since injuring his left ankle against Canberra in round one, but coach Des Hasler hasn't ruled out throwing Orford immediately into the fray despite the club's undefeated start to 2007.

Orford wasn't named for the clash at Brookvale Oval but did admit he was a "slight chance" to play on Sunday if he comes through a contact training session on Friday.

"Yeah I think I'm a slight chance but there isn't any pressure," he said.

"Even if I pull up well after doing some heavier sessions there is no rush. I don't want to come back for one match and be out for another four.

"That was the first (session with the team) and by no means was it a big session but it's good to get back with the boys and get my hands on the ball again.

"That's my first time having shots at goal and I'm a little bit sore now.

"Contact is probably the biggest thing, being twisted.

"I'm nowhere near that stage as yet.

"I'll see how I pull up."

Hasler may be reluctant to rush Orford given the club's five-game winning streak, but with Brent Kite and Jamie Lyon forced to back up from the Anzac Test he won't finalise his side until Sunday morning.

"We are fortunate enough with our start to be in a position where we don't have to take half gambles and rush an injured player back," said Hasler.

"We'll give him as long as it takes and see how it comes up after some contact, tackling, footwork and change of direction."

Hasler said veteran Steve Menzies (abdomen) and Kiwi international centre Steve Matai (ankle) remain at least a fortnight away.

Kick off is at 2pm Sunday, Brookvale Oval

read about it here

Eagles bag 16-14 win over Bulldogs

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, originally uploaded by morganf2096.

Manly have continued their remarkable undefeated start to the NRL season by coming from behind to defeat a brutal Bulldogs outfit 16-14 at Telstra Stadium.

In a punishing encounter highlighted by some heavy hits in defence, the Sea Eagles emerged triumphant with a three tries to two victory in front of 20,269 fans to remain at the top of the ladder after five rounds.

With the Dogs' kennel of world-class forwards dishing out some bone-crunching tackles, it took a clever piece of individual brilliance from halfback Michael Monaghan to deliver Manly victory.

Trailing 14-10 with 10 minutes remaining, Monaghan ran to the line and chipped over the top, regathering the ball on the full then offloading to centre Steve Bell who scored less than 10m in from touch.

Ice-cool centre Jamie Lyon calmly slotted the conversion to give the Eagles the lead and surely cement his selection in the Kangaroos Test team to be named on Sunday after a superb performance.

The Bulldogs had appeared on track to end the Eagles' perfect start to 2007 when they led 6-4 at halftime and Sonny Bill Williams emerged from the break to rattle Manly.

First he lined up Brent Kite with a massive shoulder charge, then next tackle knocked the ball out of Anthony Watmough's hands.

Seconds later he ran onto a Mark O'Meley short ball to sprint 20m and score.

But Manly hit in the 49th minute when Dogs winger Hazem El Masri fumbled an awkwardly bouncing grubber from Monaghan straight into winger Chris Hicks' hands and he scored the simplest of tries, Lyon's conversion reducing the deficit to 12-10.

Despite a woeful first-half performance littered with handling errors from both sides, the Dogs assumed the lead just five minutes from the break after an inspired piece of play by replacement Dallas McIlwain.

McIlwain tackled Manly backrower Anthony Watmough 10m out from the Sea Eagles line forcing a handling error.

He then grabbed the ball from dummy half and charged straight for the tryline, dragging Watmough all the way with him to score.

Earlier, the Sea Eagles had grabbed the lead when winger Michael Robertson crossed in the corner after just 12 minutes.

Monaghan drifted across the park and then looped a long cut out pass to Robertson who was free on his left wing and able to sprint about 10m and dive into the corner.

read about it here

Brett Stewart

Brett Stewart, originally uploaded by morganf2096.

Manly fullback Brett Stewart declared himself ready for State of Origin after starring in the Sea Eagles gallant come from behind 13-10 NRL victory over New Zealand Warriors on Sunday.

Stewart took his remarkable tally of tries at Brookvale Oval to 31 from 31 games to put the Eagles ahead in the 59th minute after having two first half crossings disallowed.

It was the first time Manly had taken the lead despite dominating possession with Michael Monaghan's 72nd minute field goal sealing the Sea Eagles first win at home over the Warriors since 1996.

It was also the club's fourth successive win to start the year, their best start since 1997, and keeps Manly equal with Melbourne and North Queensland at the top of the ladder.

Stewart, 22, said he was ready to step up for NSW in 2007 with incumbent Brett Hodgson (Wests Tigers) and former custodian Anthony Minichiello (Sydney Roosters) both battling away in club's yet to win this season.

"I think I could handle it. It's obviously been a goal of mine and probably every player when a young bloke begins. I think I would be up to it," said Stewart.

"The way we are going at the moment I suppose it is going to help anyone's chances on the brink.

"I just want to be playing firstly good for the club.

"I don't really want to be thinking about it. My first goal is to make (NSW) Country."

Stewart was unlucky not to pick up a fistful of tries on Sunday.

His first effort in the 11th minute was disallowed for double movement. He crossed again in the 28th only to have the play called back for obstruction, with a blindside solo run ending inches short just prior to halftime.

The Warriors led 6-0 at the break after former Eagle Michael Witt's cross-field bomb bounced into Tony Martin's hands in the 14th minute.

Manly skipper Brent Kite was held up and then stripped of the ball over the line also in the first half, while winger Michael Robertson had a 42nd minute effort dismissed because he pushed opposite Michael Crockett out of the contest.

Manly eventually opened their account when quick hands by Stewart put winger Chris Hicks over in the corner on 55 minutes.

The speedy fullback then put the home side ahead four minutes later when he dummied through the line to score untouched.

The result proved Manly have matured since last year's limp finals showing, winning without experienced trio Matt Orford, Steve Menzies and Steve Matai for the third straight week.

"We came in (halftime) at 6-nil and thought we maybe should have been behind a little bit more than we were," said Stewart.

"To go out in the second half and grind a win out is something we haven't been able to do in the last couple of years so that says something about the confidence in the team at the moment."

Backrower Simon Mannering scored a 78th minute try to give the Warriors a sniff of stealing the win but it was ultimately too little too late.

The Warriors have now lost to Melbourne and Manly in successive weeks and next Sunday face the other undefeated team of the competition, North Queensland, in Auckland.

"I think Manly deserve a fair bit of credit today," said Warriors coach Ivan Cleary.

"They really did not give us a look in after 20 minutes.

"We defended well for long periods ... we made something like 350 tackles and a lot of those were in our own end."

Warriors winger Crockett was sent to hospital after dislocating his left elbow in the 67th minute while George Gatis suffered concussion after a shuddering accidental hit from teammate Evarn Tuimavave.

read about it here

Using Flickr

I had a few problems at first getting Flickr up and running but overall i find it a very interesting and useful tool, especially for blog posting and uploading pictures on the internet for people to use, see and share between other people.
Her is a link to my Flickr Account

Roger Daltrey is given the all clear

PEOPLE THE WHO, originally uploaded by morganf2096.

The Who's lead singer Roger Daltrey has been given the all-clear to continue on what could be their last world tour.
Tuesday March 13, Daltrey walked off stage during the first song much to the disappointment of fans with no exlanation, several minutes after Daltreys departure, Townshend announced that the show had been cancelled. He then told the crowd that Daltrey was suffering from a very bad case of broncitis.

Several shows were cancelled while Daltrey rested and speculation arroused that it may be the end of The Who's current world tour, although this recent message on Pete Townshends blog has left fans with a sigh of relief.

"The last four shows of the tour will go ahead. Roger has been advised by no less then three doctors that he is OK to perform and although I think he may still find the next few days hard (more shows in a row than we normally do) I'm sure we'll be great. Thanks for your patience. See you in Little Rock, Oklahoma, Tampa and Fort Lauderdale."

The Who then resumed its North American tour in Arkansas.

"Boy, it feels good to be out of bed," Daltrey said about 30 minutes into The Who's concert Thursday night at Alltel Arena in Arkansas.

Daltrey sang all but one song in a 95-minute set, resting his voice only when guitarist Pete Townshend sang "Eminence Front."

The band returned for an 18-minute encore, a medley of songs from the rock opera "Tommy," and Daltrey then stayed onstage for an acoustic encore. Throughout the show, Daltrey, 63, could be seen coughing while away from the microphone, and sipping drinks.

read about it here

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles

Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, originally uploaded by morganf2096.

From www.nrl.com

Manly's grafting NRL win without three of their stars at the Wests Tigers' fortress Leichhardt on Saturday night has the Sea Eagles believing they might have overcome their Achilles heel, a lack of depth.

The 19-8 victory over the fumbling Tigers was typical of the grind retired lock Ben Kennedy brought to the peninsula but was also achieved without captain Matt Orford, Test veteran Steve Menzies and New Zealand international Steve Matai.

The Sea Eagles have bought big over the past few seasons, signing Kennedy, Orford and representative stars Steve Bell, Jamie Lyon and Brent Kite.

But the perception has lingered that the back-up was thin on the ground.

Regular hooker Michael Monaghan, who starred on Saturday night standing in for Orford at halfback, said the win had shown the club's depth, especially in the form of replacement hooker Matt Ballin, who scored the match-clinching try on debut.

"I think the depth we showed tonight, Matt Ballin in his first game I thought was close to our best player, and (that) shows the competition for spots and the depth of the club at the moment," Monaghan said.

"There's still a couple of other guys there who are pushing their claims for a spot in first grade as well so without those big name players it was a real good effort."

Coach Des Hasler was also pleased with Ballin's debut in wet and windy conditions.

"Playing against one of the number ones in (Tigers hooker Robbie) Farah around the rucks, he was very tidy and very strong in his defence," Hasler said.

Hasler added it was a case of the youngsters starting to come good for Manly, who have now won their opening two matches.

"The side's certainly matured a lot in the past 18 months and I think it's starting to show and some of the players are really starting to display that," he said.

Meanwhile, the near full-strength Tigers have been left facing the question which dogged them in 2006 after two losses from two starts: Was the 2005 premiership a fluke?

But coach Tim Sheens said last year's injury crisis at the club meant he had more depth at his disposal in 2007.

"We'll be better because the guys who got 14 games last year who weren't going to get 14 games have got them this year," he said.

"I'm a little stronger in relation to Chris Lawrences and Shannon McDonnells and these sort of kids."

Sheens signalled that there could be changes to his line-up after on Saturday night's inept display with the ball.

"There's plenty of cohesion in defence, they're working all right although we had a couple of small issues that let us down," he said.

"... we can't be continually losing games with poor handling like that."

read about it here

First Blog - Gump 2

Well here it is, my first blog, and im allowed to write about anything, something that has caught my attention apparently..

I was reading recently about the making of a Forest Gump sequel which made me curious to how the hell they would make a sequel to that move, it would be like making a sequel to Titanic or something similar.

Apparently six years ago writer Eric Roth was hired to pen a sequel screenplay to his 1994 Oscar-winning hit "Forrest Gump". The eventual script, which was based on Winston Groom's sequel novel "Gump & Co.", was completed but never made and has been sitting in the vaults ever since.
Taking place several years after the events of the first film, it finds Forrest's shrimping business failed and Jenny dead - leaving Forrest a single unemployed father. Gump stumbles through important historical events once again, this time through incidents in the 1980s and 90s including a meeting with actor Tom Hanks.

Now, Cinema blend reports that according to one of their sources the script has been pulled out of cold storage for another look by Gump producers Steve Tisch and Wendy Finerman.

Seems that the project never got off the ground five years ago due to a legal dispute between Paramount and Groom over his royalties from the film adaptation - and so refused to sell them the rights to "Gump & Co.". Now it would appear they have worked things out.

Finerman and Tisch are apparently talking to Tom Hanks and Gary Sinise about returning but things are far from set.

This is a link to the story on the movie sequel
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Forrest-Gump-Gets-A-Sequel-4626.html