A WEEKLY REVIEW: The Good The Bad The Ugly

Nash Rawiller, in full flight is a scene to behold, evidenced on Private Eye in Saturday’s Lawrence at Caulfield, but he was overshadowed by Jye Gray producing the grit that made the Rabbitohs mighty.

Gray is so good the word is out that South Sydney cannot afford to retain him. Jockey sized he has more muscle than Rawiller who, to partake in the saddle trade, is structured on skin and bone.

Riding Private Eye, Rawiller transmitted that warm and fuzzy feeling to favourite backers that a good thing was in superb hands, and would take whatever means required to get the best possible result.

Hands, too, served Gray well on Saturday going high to defuse missiles and low in try saving tackles to be a prime mover in the Rabbit victory over Parramatta, littered with big names.

However his coach Wayne Bennett and Cody Walker, a South Sydney on field general, in after match interviews, didn’t seem as enthusiastic about Gray as the average club supporter.

“He was so good but other players out there as good as him,” Bennett opined.

Sure his team was high on spirit with Tallis Duncan showing the benefit of experience while Tyrone Munro, dropped a few weeks back after being bomb shy, outpointed Josh Addo-Carr, an Eel speedster regarded as a major attacking force.

Again Ashton Ward, also a Rabbit lightweight, more than held his own against bigger and more experienced opposition. Coupled with Gray, the South Sydney line-up last week must rate with the smallest ever.

Not since the little master, Clive Churchill, has there been a more diminutive full-back than Gray, benched earlier in the season to make way for the burly Latrell Mitchell, who is much better in the centres.

Mitchell has kicked some spectacular goals and threw awesome passes but he has never had a better game for the Rabbits than Gray on Saturday.

Returning against Parramatta, Walker gave sweet service to makeshift centre Duncan who hits a gap like a rampaging bull.

Later Walker paid tribute to another Jye – Arrow. Arrow’s hard yards and tireless defence this season have been GOOD.

Alas a BAD came out of the Lawrence with Rawiller getting a nine-meeting suspension for careless riding, and the tactics of rival navigators.

Allowing him to dictate the tempo after getting to the lead comfortably from a wide gate, Rawiller “pulled their pants down (a derogatory term for being tactically inept)”, according to former jockey Simon Marshall on Racing.com.

“Nash Rawiller dictated terms perfectly, controlling a crawl to the 800 metres and still below average to the 400 metres, turning the race into a 400-metre dash home, Dan O’Sullivan reported on “The Rating’s Bureau”.

“That gave Private Eye every favour but it’s no knock on him, he capitalised on the advantage given to him by the riders of those being too passive, particularly inside the 600 metres when there was still little speed.”

Perhaps it could be argued that Blake Shinn was the victim of circumstances on Evaporate, the second favourite.

Evaporate began tardy. Good passage eventuates from a slick start, emphasised by Rawiller on Private Eye. Later Evaporate struck trouble in the straight before going down under three lengths.

It was a real mess.

Shinn picked up his fourth Scobie Breasley medal this year for “riding excellence”. He is one of the best.

Unlike the tabloid hacks of yore, guilty as charged, criticising jockeys now is not regarded fashionable. “They won’t talk to you,” a racing scribe told me recently. Retribution. Does it matter? Now the over-bleated “luck”, the lame excuse, comes into play. UGLY.

Jockeys are the greatest sportspeople, female and male, because they make split second decisions on pulsating horse power in the most dangerous situations. With an outstanding effort Rawiller and Shinn should get their just acclaim.

Nobody enjoys a good performance more than I do. Over the decades I’ve railed against the inferior, possibly soured with loosing. But I do have a giggle about it. I get travel sick riding on a merry-go-round.