What a great victory for Queensland in the Origin the other night.

It’s not a game that I would watch again but still a fantastic result.

I was glad to see Nine paying tribute to Mal Meninga’s stature in the game and how it may be impacting on his players’ performance, but I wasn’t overly rapt with Ray Warren referring to the NSW team as “we” all the time.

It is probably a ploy to build up the Ben Ikin “us and them” on-screen tactic.

League is in good shape at the moment as far as the product goes.

Now I do write some derogatory things about other codes from time to time and most is meant in fun.

Take AFL. I actually like watching the game but what is going on with their rule interpretations and tactics of late?

The other night in the Bulldogs versus the Lions match, the Dogs kicked the ball 29 times backwards and forwards in a row to each other unchallenged to keep hold of possession.

I thought Leigh Matthews’ head was going to explode.

Then I watched Monday’s game, the hands in the back rule and the knocking the ball deliberately out of bounds rules are nearly ridiculous.

The poor old umpires will be feeling the pinch, going by the crowd behaviour of the Collingwood supporters.

The NRL Snipe is fired up this week, taking a bit of the shine off the Maroons’ win.

The Snipe reports: “Good news this week for current Queensland players.

Bad news for a former star. It looks like one former player is heading for some jail time for constant driving offences.

“It all is a bit sad as he is a great bloke but reinforces that no-one is above the law.

“On a lighter note, another former player had to front up to his daughter’s recital the day after Origin 2. Feeling a bit dusty, he smuggled a radio into the evening so he could hear the wrap-up of the previous night’s game and the market for the weekend.

“His better half was disgusted but was heard telling other parents it wasn’t as bad as the previous year’s ballet concert when he was busted listening to the trots. It wasn’t all bad, as he backed three winners.”

"There is no doubt about Caloundra Sharks ex-president Brett Clarke’s straightforward personality.

He is about as subtle as a sledgehammer.

The league stalwart, whose age is like the words to the Blues’ victory song, unknown, is still playing for his beloved Sharks and as complementary to me as ever.

A few years ago, when I was running the water for the Kawana Dolphins in a game against the Sharks, I was greeted with:

“What would you know, or that’s right you’re a league expert. You’ve got no idea, p... off” as I waddled on the field.

The league expert comment was in reference to what the Daily used to have under my name in the league tipping section.

Even though I didn’t know him at the time, and was usually sledged from the sideline from spectators rather than players, with comments like, “lucky you’re not a fireman, by the time you get the water there the house would have burned down”, it turned out Brett was right, I did have no idea.

I was a little bit offended at the time, but since then have got to know Brett well and realised how much work he puts into football at the Sharks.

He is still abrupt though, going by this e-mail he sent me the other day.

“Hey Ash, can you make mention in your article that no-one reads in the paper that there is a gridiron exhibition match here on Saturday,the 16th at 2pm between Arizona (that’s in the USA if you don’t know) and a Qld combined side. Free entry, cheer girls etc.”

So if you want to see some American footy it is on at Caloundra Sharks this afternoon and, if you are looking for Brett ,check the bench behind the cheergirls.

P.S. I had to fix the spelling up, lucky I have some idea.

Tonights league battle between Nambour and the Sharks may have a few extra spectators as the Crushers are having a 20-year reunion of their first premiership team which beat Caloundra 28-18.

I remember it well. The Nambour boys played well and they had some great performers as well as a passionate coach.

Trevor Swan was the man that orchestrated that first win and there is nothing I can say to describe his passion for winning a game of league except “bugger” as they beat Maroochydore the following year.