state of origin smokes

[Ken Gargett]

for those of us fortunate enough to live in qld (and those from nearby nsw who are the lambs being led to the slaughter), tonight is, of course, the first of this year's state of origin games (for those from elsewhere, this is massive and quite seriously the toughest footy on the planet). qld is favourite. this is very rare - normally we have to win as underdogs.

wondering if anyone has any special cigars planned? i'm tossing up between an upmann tang monarch or an SLR DC with some time on it (of course, if we get done then i'll hate whatever cigar i smoked for years).

and i got hold of a bottle of the zacapa XO to try as well.

[Bill Hayes]

for those of us fortunate enough to live in qld (and those from nearby nsw who are the lambs being led to the slaughter), tonight is, of course, the first of this year's state of origin games (for those from elsewhere, this is massive and quite seriously the toughest footy on the planet). qld is favourite. this is very rare - normally we have to win as underdogs.

wondering if anyone has any special cigars planned? i'm tossing up between an upmann tang monarch or an SLR DC with some time on it (of course, if we get done then i'll hate whatever cigar i smoked for years).

and i got hold of a bottle of the zacapa XO to try as well.

We've turned on some nice weather for you down here in Melbourne where it'll be played. Should be a nice chilly 8 degrees tonight with some dense mist cover. Luckily half the side play for the Storm.

[Guest rob]

Ken, geographically you're all but Northern New South Wales... Clearly you've been brainwashed sufficiently to be supporting the cane toads.

[Ken Gargett]

Ken, geographically you're all but Northern New South Wales... Clearly you've been brainwashed sufficiently to be supporting the cane toads.

think the game will be played under a closed roof.

as for being northern nsw, i'd even consider becoming a kiwi first (okay, not that seriously). despite the reds appalling season in the super 14, at least we did one good thing. lost so badly to the crusaders that they snuck into the finals ahead of the tahs.

[Guest rob]

I know it's bloody unlikely... but I'm starting to think there could be an upset in the making tonight.

The feeling I'm getting is NSW to win by 2.

[Ken Gargett]

I know it's bloody unlikely... but I'm starting to think there could be an upset in the making tonight.

The feeling I'm getting is NSW to win by 2.

upsets are always possible and we are much stronger in the backs than the forwards (and as everyone knows, these games are won in the forwards). it is a glittering backline playing for qld. if the forwards can hold their own, we should romp home. if not, disaster. i know that it has become fashionable to bag petro and price but they are seriously good players and if they are up to it - and one suspects they will be - the rest of our pack should follow. mick crocker might not have played much lately but he has huge experience and a massive heart and enough mongrel. would not be surprised to see him start. and for a change, all the kickers are with us. no johns, o'connor, hasem etc etc.

i'll be very disappointed i we tank.

problem is if we drop this first one, the next is in sydney and we could be 2-zip down and out of it before we know it.

GO THE MAROONS.

[Kangaroo495]

Even though I'm an AFL fan, and know nothing about Rugby, I couldn't imagine watching my team while smoking a cigar. Couldn't relax enough. I'd end up throwing the cigar against the wall at the slightest suspicion that the umpire made a sh*t decision... Which incidentally happens every 5 minutes.

Though, in this case, I'd probably smoke an NC, and therefore wouldn't matter if I threw it against the wall...

[OLS]

i'm tossing up between an upmann tang monarch or an SLR DC with some time on it (of course, if we get done then i'll hate whatever cigar i smoked for years).

and i got hold of a bottle of the zacapa XO to try as well.

You know what, Ken? I am completely unknown around here, but I enjoy your presence in the smoking balcony

films (hehe) OK, movies. You are a character and working your way towards being a gentleman. In honor of

this football I will never see, I am going to smoke a Montecristo Double Corona EL from 2000 or 2001, I forgot

which. And I will also say everything with an Australian accent for 24 hours and call me mates mate. I will pair

that with a Napoleon Cognac VSOP.

[Ken Gargett]

You know what, Ken? I am completely unknown around here, but I enjoy your presence in the smoking balcony

films (hehe) OK, movies. You are a character and working your way towards being a gentleman. In honor of

this football I will never see, I am going to smoke a Montecristo Double Corona EL from 2000 or 2001, I forgot

which. And I will also say everything with an Australian accent for 24 hours and call me mates mate. I will pair

that with a Napoleon Cognac VSOP.

may i say well done indeed, and you'll be delighted to know that we won. though not as convincingly as one would wish.

[Guest rob]

A pretty awesome 20 minute burst of force in the 1st half by the Maroons.

A bit of a shame that there was some preceding controversy courtesy of the referees... it would have been interesting to see how the maroons would have replied to being down 8 - 0.

A deserved win though.

[Ken Gargett]

A pretty awesome 20 minute burst of force in the 1st half by the Maroons.

A bit of a shame that there was some preceding controversy courtesy of the referees... it would have been interesting to see how the maroons would have replied to being down 8 - 0.

A deserved win though.

we had ten brilliant minutes and coped for the rest. had the early try been given, would have been interesting. i was disappointed we didn't go on with it but they were good enough to do enough.

i note that all the bleating in the nsw papers about the possibly dodgy try then fails to mention your first try was from a blatant forward pass. there were decisions i thought were poor that went both ways.

it must have given nsw a lot of heart for the next game but all three of their tries came from kicks - and one then had the forward pass and the other two struck qlders and went off at unlikely angles. bounce of the ball went very much nsw for those. without that, big scoreline.

i suspect we'll bring in hunt for hodges, possibly him or slater on the wing and prince on the bench. thought the old warhorses up front were very good and thurston is brilliant. inglis a frreak but if you manage to shut him down, along comes izzy. thought hayne your best.

bring on game two.

[Colt45]

Admittedly ignorant of what you guys are discussing, I must say it sounds an awful lot like Harry Potter's quidditch -

very English. Queen's birthday is just around the corner, is it not?.....

[asmith]

Ken lets be honest here, NSW were lucky to get that close, QLD became lazy in the last 20min of the first half and most of the second half. I just want to know how Gidley is feeling this morning talk about letting the pressure off twice.

I didn't have a cigar cause I would have thrown it at the TV

[First Lady]

Admittedly ignorant of what you guys are discussing, I must say it sounds an awful lot like Harry Potter's quidditch -

very English. Queen's birthday is just around the corner, is it not?.....

You are correct honey..... another long weekend this weekend

[maalouly]

I was lucky enough to be able to watch it live from India, Kolkata. ABC was broadcasting it live, though bars in this end of the world don't open before 8:00 usually, they made an exception for us. I think they realised it was a mistake, after having thrown have my nuts on the floor and nearly throwing the remote control at the TV.

I think if the referee gave us the first try, things would have been very different. Ah well there is another one in 3 weeks and this time I think we will win, even though the Maroons were the favourites, the Blues put up a great fight. I had a cigar after the game, Monte Cristo #2.

[Ken Gargett]

I was lucky enough to be able to watch it live from India, Kolkata. ABC was broadcasting it live, though bars in this end of the world don't open before 8:00 usually, they made an exception for us. I think they realised it was a mistake, after having thrown have my nuts on the floor and nearly throwing the remote control at the TV.

I think if the referee gave us the first try, things would have been very different. Ah well there is another one in 3 weeks and this time I think we will win, even though the Maroons were the favourites, the Blues put up a great fight. I had a cigar after the game, Monte Cristo #2.

i agree with the 'things could have been different'. there would have been serious momentum but whether they could have carried it for another 75 minutes is a massively different thing.

and for all the screaming in the nsw papers about the try that was not given (personally, i think he probably just touched the line but had no problem if it was given), there was not a mention that the try you did get before half time was a refereeing disgrace. the ball went a metre and a half forward and was given as a try.

and both the other tries came from very lucky bounces off qld players. we could play another 100 games and you could not do it again, but that is half the fun.

the more i think about it, the more i think that while i am disappointed that qld could not really put in the killer blows (credit to nsw), nsw was probably lucky to be that close on the scoreboard.

it shows how much class and experience counts.

[Ken Gargett]

might be worth mentioning that i have just seen that they have got technology involved with super slowmo, freezeframe and close ups and hayne was clearly out. that said, when sport gets down to that, it loses something.

[Ken Gargett]

we are not talking about einstein here.

[Ken Gargett]

No, just a queenslander..

two words - ben cousins.