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Zorba's Zone: Time's up Harrigan

05/29/2012 07:26:01 AM

Billy Joel had a big hit a number of years ago with a song titled Say Goodbye to Hollywood.

I couldn't think of a more fitting tune to play at Bill Harrigan's farewell bash if the ARLC gets serious and punts the out-of-his-depth referees' boss.

I'll even supply the party pies and fizzy drink to get the party started.

'Hollywood' Harrigan's attempts to defend the performance of Origin refs Matt Cecchin and Ben Cummins - not to mention bumbling Mr Bean in the video box - were laughable.

His decision to appoint rookie whistleblowers in the first place was nothing short of outrageous.

Guess how many Origin matches the C brothers had between them before last Wednesday? Two.

Cummins blew the whistle in two games last year while Cecchin had not made a single appearance at this level.

Yet they were thrown together for one of the biggest games of the year. Incredible.

Where were Tony Archer (11 Origins) and/or Shayne Hayne (9) when we needed them most?

I'll tell you where. They were at home with bbq tongs in one hand and a cold beer in the other wondering how the hell they missed out on an invitation to the biggest show in town.

Twenty Origins between them yet neither landed a gig.

What a disgrace.

Harrigan gambled with P-platers in a Grand Prix and crashed headlong into a wall.

They panicked when the brawl erupted and sent Michael Jennings to the bin and got it wrong again when Greg Bird was penalised for a good, hard Origin-style back slam.

And please don't get me started on Sean Hampstead's try decision on Inglis.

That totally knocked the stuffing out of what was going to be one of the great Origin finishes.

Harrigan's explanation of the Inglis decision could not have been more confusing had he delivered it Mandarin.

He is never wrong and never has been.

Yet no-one ever calls him to order.

Well I am. So say goodbye to Hollywood, say goodbye my baby.

Okay, now I've got that off my chest we'll run through a very tricky round 13.

There are potential landmines everywhere but here I go: Manly, North Queensland, Tigers, Bulldogs, Brisbane, Warriors, Cronulla.

See you next week.

 
Photograph Copyright : Getty Images

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