Tuesday 23 March 2010

WHITE BOOTS ARE BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH! OFFICIAL

Nah then.

Another busy week in't union and we do think sometime that the @PFUChairman is going to collapse if this disgraceful behaviour continues amongst the membership.

First up we have the usual boot problems as ever. I hope that the membership is aware that wearing white boots can seriously damage your health. As James Peacock of the Leeds chapter found out to his cost on Friday night when he sported a pair o' bluddy white boots on Friday night and subsequently buggered his foot. Let that be a lesson.

T'others spotted in unsuitable footwear at the weekend include....
Joel Clinton (Hull (East)) - White boots
Luke Burgess (Leeds), for a bloody change - White Boots
Craig Huby (Castleford) - White with a BLUE flash? At least he refrained from kicking the ball, but we can't help thinking he's taking the mick.
Shane Tronc (Wakefield) - White boots
Richard Moore (Wakefield) - White boots
Michael Korkidas (Wakefield) - White boots
Scott Wheeldon (Hull (East)) - RED boots?
Andrew Lynch (Bradford) - Yellow/Grey boots (wtf)?

The usual suspects from the Catalan chapter were also spotted sporting some inappropriate footwear at Wrexham on Friday night, though it was noticeable that Rémi Casty had been dropped. We feel sure union pressure contributed to this. We hear some members were involved in the heavy welcome that Gareth Thomas was given to our fine sport and we commend them for that.

We've also had a report from our finally-resurfaced Cumbrian scout (we thought we'd lost him in the recent snows) about a lad called Ruari McGoff at Wukkinton. Not only did he wear GREEN Boots last week we thought he'd learnt his lesson when he were spotted in't sport shop in't week only to turn up at Spotland in a pair of GOLD boots on Sunday. Deary me today, what is the bloody world coming to.

Let's just reiterate this:


In other news, James Graham of the Tellins Chapter has also been snitched on for a grade two kicking the football offence during the "Cup Final" at Knowsley Road on Friday night. Apparently he put a "bomb" up during the game. This is unacceptable behaviour from young James but it's glad to see him back after apparently going missing in Manchester last October.

Garreth Haggerty is one lad the young 'uns should look up to. Still with the classic prop physique, he came up with a charge down t'other night, but rather than try going the length, just handed it onto a cheeky half-back instead. It's classic case of knowing your role. The aforementioned Rémi Casty is clearly learning too. Picking up a loose ball against Salford, he went 30 metres, clearly realised what he was about to do and dropped it, thereby ensuring compliance with union policy.

We'll repeat the appeal again for your sightings and citings folks, we rely on your help to ensure culprits are dealt with in the correct fashion. Comment on here, contact the Hon Chairman on RLFANS or Twitter.

Thanking you kindly

As you were

Tuesday 16 March 2010

Busy week for the PFU disciplinary

Nah then.

Ridiculously busy weekend for the Union with breaches left, right, centre and loose forward I don't know where to begin.

First up the Hon. Chairman would like to place on record his thanks to Twitterer @garrylad for his reporting of an unsavoury incident involving Mr Mark O'Meley. Apparently the big lad was caught doing the heinous crime of "kicking the football" during the Hull (West) v Wigan game on Friday night. The fact this kick led to a try for a cheeky half back is nigh on unforgivable. That's a grade two charge for the Ogre and has been referred to the fines committee.

Speaking of tries, Shane Tronc of the Wakefield Chapter bought disgrace to this fine Union by scoring TWO tries during their game at the Hull (East) chapter on Friday night. To compound this Mr Tronc was also spotted sporting a pair of WHITE boots. Good god lad, I hope they are paying you well down at Belle Vue as you'll be making a significant contribution to Union funds for those transgressions. Although we will let you off for the actual tries Tronc lad, they did fall well within Union guidelines, i.e. classic crash-over technique.

While we are on the subject of boots, it's been a pretty poor do this weekend from Union members. We've decided to name and shame them we don't mention elsewhere.....

Bradford Chapter member Mr Craig Kopzcak (v Warrington)
Fartown Chapter member Mr Darrell Griffin (v Leeds)
Perpignan Chapter members Messrs Dane Carlaw and Remi Casty (v Castleford)
Wakefield Chapter member Mr Richard Moore v (Hull (East))
Leeds Chapter member Mr Luke Burgess (v Fartown)

Mr David Ferriol of the Perpignan chapter apparently sported a pair of white boots augmented with a PINK stripe. This will result in a disciplinary hearing which may see Mr Ferriol's Union membership revoked. He should take note of the example set by Perpignan shop steward Mr Jerome Guisset who sported a pair of solid black boots. It's good to see the veterans of the art leading the way on this and backing the new official campaign to eradicate this blight. The Hon. Treasurer's young lad knocked this up in a Photo shop or something:



This is the official logo of the Back To Black campaign.

The committee would like to place on record their praise for Warrington shop steward Mr Adrian Morley for playing the full 80 against Bradford without a break. The committee also noted that Mr James Peacock also completed the full game, but this was tempered by the fact he was named in the second row. We hope Mr Peacock raised his concerns with the relevant department as this could jeapordise his membership of our fine Union. A temporary pass out can be obtained, but no request was received from Mr Peacock. His fine, fine record leads us to give him the benefit of the doubt - maybe it is lost in the post - but we seek a face-to-face meeting.

Andy Raleigh of the Fartown Chapter let himself down on Sunday with his white boots, but this was offset by him sparking up a bit of knuckle by flinging a few at some fancy dan second rower. This doesn't excuse entirely the footwear, but the biffo will be taken into account when deciding the level of the fine. The committee would also notes that white booted Mr Ryan Bailey of the Leeds chapter has learnt his lesson from the World Club Challenge. He was the first member on scene and decided this time to throw a few indiscriminate punches as well during the same schemozzle.

The Union has also contacted the Dewsbury shop steward to enquire why the number 8 and 10 shirts have not been occupied by members this year. What is the bloody world coming to? They have some cheeky half back wearing 8 and a bloody centre - a bloody centre - wearing 10. This is a bloody disgrace, these numbers should be sacrosanct on a rugby pitch and only sported by Union members. We realise this is an area overlooked by the Union in the past in these squad number days, but now we're aware there's an issue, we'll be looking.

Don't forget, if tha sights owt then cite em. Comments on here or contact the Hon. Chairman on twitter.

Thanking you kindly, as you were.

Thursday 11 March 2010

Footwear in the spotlight

Nah then.

It was a busy weekend at PFU Towers as the coffers started bulging again. Anyway, let's crack on with business.

First up we've had a report from out colleagues across the pond about Toulouse Olympique playing an unregistered member in their last two games against Dewsbury and Keighley. The Hon. Treasurer went along too see for himself and he duly reported this fact to be true. We will be liasing with our French colleagues for assistance in this matter, but the Treasurer discovered that the player in question is very keen to make his move to the front row permanent. He'll have to sort them white boots out though and that's a problem our cross-channel cousins seem to have. Down at St Estève, Andrew Bentley was seen packing down, unlicensed, at prop in white boots. And headgear. What is the world coming to?

Not that France is alone in white boot scandals. Reports from Headingley indicate not one, but TWO breaches of the footwear code during the game against Harlequins. Ryan Bailey and Luke Burgess were both spotted in white boots. They should be packed off to Elland Road as soon as possible to link up with the nancyballers. Mr Burgess apparently claimed after the game to be a stand-off in a prop's body as a possible excuse for such behaviour but the Union will not accept or tolerate that. A letter has been issued to the Leeds shop steward to ensure both members are brought back into line.

The committee also wished to commend Mr Glen Hall of the Bradford chapter for sporting suitable facial hair during their game against Wigan Warriors. It is a pleasure to see a member taking the time to sport such a moustache, even if he does look like an extra from Blazing Saddles.

The committee also report that the occasional licence of Mr Sam Burgess has been transferred to our Australian colleagues ahead of their season commencing.

Monday 1 March 2010

World Club Challenge fallout

Melbourne were the visitors to British shores for the World Club Challenge and not only did the British side lose, PFU members let themselves down. We received two reports regarding members of the Leeds chapter, both related to biff incidents. Needless to say, dishing out knuckle is a fundamental aspect of prop forwardry. It was therefore a major disappointment to see two distinguised proponents of the art completely bottle out of it when the fists started flying.

Ryan Bailey is fined for not chucking any punch worthy of the name, despite being in perfect position to do so.
Jamie Peacock was subbed off as the biff began and failed to come charging off the bench to get involved. He escapes a fine due to his previous good record of cracking Australian skulls, but is issued a written warning.

Elsewhere, we welcome back Craig Huby to the disciplinary committee. We're starting to worry. Perhaps Mr Huby has been kicked out of home and now continually resides at PFU Towers. If we thought counselling wasn't complete and utter mumbo jumbo, we'd consider sending him. Instead, we've yet again to issue a fine for yet another kick to the corner. It's not as severe as he was let off the hook by a sympathetic team-mate who failed to score.

Mitchell Stringer seems to have taken up goal-kicking, much to the chairmanships chagrin. Compounding it with a three-from-three record only makes things worse and he's duly fined - the Dickens Rule.

We don't want to end on a sour note, so we finish with a commendations for James Graham for putting in the full 80 on Friday night and Adrian Morley who smacked another playmaker round the chops - Brett Hodgson on the receiving end this week.