heading into 2006 and this game the tigers were talking shit just like if Steven Bradbury gave an interview saying that he was the best skater in the world, and they still were complaining after it ffs
Mason's tackles deserved NRL ban: Tigers
Tuesday, March 21, 2006 - 6:54 PM
The fallout from Friday night's spiteful NRL clash between the Bulldogs and Wests Tigers continued after the premiers claimed Willie Mason's high shots deserved at least a week's suspension.
And the Tigers warned they wouldn't be bullied again, declaring: "We've got to stamp our authority back on the game".
Mason, who monstered the Wests Tigers pack during his side's 47-12 victory, entered an early guilty plea after being charged with a grade one careless tackle by the match review committee for his hit on former teammate Jamaal Lolesi. He received a base penalty of just 75 points, which was insufficient for a one-match ban.
The match review tribunal also looked at two other high shots in the opening exchange involving Mason before concluding a penalty from referee Steve Clarke was sufficient punishment on both occasions.
"I was very surprised that Willie got away with three head-high tackles after he'd been warned," Tigers assistant coach Royce Simmons said.
"How they didn't come up with a week's suspension surprises me.
"I don't want to confuse that with how they played the game - they came out and played a hard, physical game, I won't whinge about that.
"That's rugby league, it's a physical game."
Simmons also felt the Bulldogs "carried on too much" after prop Bryce Gibbs was concussed after colliding with Bulldogs powerhouse Mark O'Meley. (Even though the tigers would have done the exact same thing)
The Bulldogs revealed after the game they were pumped up after Gibbs publicly stated he wanted to become a more dominant player.
"I think when Bryce Gibbs was on the ground getting a brace put around his neck they might have carried on too much," he said. (They had stopped carrying on WELL before they had got a neck brace out)
"I think when someone is knocked out on the ground, that's obvious, you should be worried he hasn't done any injury.
"They might have gone a little bit over the top there.
"All I know is Brycey Gibbs is a great competitor and loves to compete.
"He'll be lining up again, don't worry about that."
Tigers front rower John Skandalis, whose running battle with Mason was one of the highlights of the game, said he had no problem with the physical nature of the clash.
"It was alright, they bashed us a little bit," he said.
"That's football, that's what they train for and that's what we train for.
"We tried to get over them and they did it better than us.
"We just have to improve on that.
"Gibbo made some comments about lifting the aggression in the way he plays, not about the other side.
"They mistook that.
"He's not going to change his tactic, he's going to go out and play aggressive in defence and attack, not in fighting.
"If people are trying to read things into it, that's how they are trying to motivate themselves."
Simmons expected other teams to try to bash the Tigers out of the game with an aggressive up-and-in defence.
"They can if they're game," Simmons warned.
"I don't know how many of them are game, but they can if they want to.
"We've got to stamp our authority back on the game. I'm sure most sides are going to say `let's go out and bash them', but we've just got to stand up to that."
"I think you've just got to come back out and play good controlled aggression football.
"We're not talking about any crap or anything spiteful.
"I just think over the next six weeks sides are going to try to intimidate us and we will play good controlled aggression against those sides.
Sydney Roosters prop Craig Fitzgibbon said it was a fine line between being aggressive and going over the top.
"It's a contact sport, we're not playing tiddlywinks," Fitzgibbon said.
"Sometimes emotions can boil over but I certainly think everyone takes the field with the intention of playing within the rules.
"Sometimes accidents happen and people slip up, it's part and parcel of our game.
"I certainly don't think anyone takes the field looking to get suspended."
