I'm not entirely sure why the knives have suddenly come out for the St George Illawarra Dragons.
In the last week or so the Telegraph in particular has been in a huge rush to criticise everything the club does.
Firstly there was the idea that we were a protected species of the NRL because Justin Poore had a dangerous tackle charge downgraded. Never mind that, at the same judiciary hearing, team-mate Beau Scott was suspended for a tackle deemed so innocuous at the time that neither of the refs even noticed it.
Read more Try Hard blogs Then the paper labels the Dragons as arrogant, just because a few people wouldn't talk to the media. First up it was Poore, who was slammed for only giving a short statement after leaving the judiciary. Even though that's exactly what damn near every other player in the history of the judiciary has done.
Then there was more proof of our arrogance because Wayne Bennett wouldn't talk to them about their whizbang story ideas. Jeez, the guy hardly talks to anyone. He's been like that for years - it's hardly news.
Then they quote a conveniently anonymous source that claims Dragons CEO Peter Doust was already making enquiries about premiership T-shirts. Never mind that, in the very same story they wrote, Doust explained what he was actually doing had nothing to do with premiership T-shirts.
It continued today with a two-pronged attack.
Firstly there was a blog claiming that the 12-point loss to Canberra was proof that the Dragons had peaked too early and were just chokers. Funny, I don't recall the same hysteria when the Bulldogs went down to the Eels by 19 points a few weeks ago. Don't recall anyone labelling them as chokers either.
Secondly, there's the brouhaha over fullback Darius Boyd's terse responses in a press conference. So a footy player - one who has been given a pasting by the media in the past - didn't want to talk to the media. Whoop-de-doo. It's a reality of journalism that sometimes you have a dud interview with someone who gives you one or two-word responses. Most of us get over it and move on.
While I don't rush to adopt conspiracy theories like some fellow Dragons fans, there seems to be a bit too much mud being thrown here to be coincidental. Perhaps it's the tall poppy syndrome - the Dragons are travelling well so they have to be pulled down. But I notice they're not doing anything to pull down the Bulldogs.
Perhaps it's the old journalist's ploy of stirring the pot and creating some controversy just to sell papers or get hits on a blog.
Whatever the reason, the unbelievably petty nature of the complaints (a player didn't talk to you? Please, grow up) are almost a compliment to the Dragons. If that's the worst stuff they can dig up, then it's proof just how scandal-free the Dragons are.
In an era where players are routinely caught out doing something stupid or illegal - or both - there's been not even the slightest whisper of any Dragons player getting busted. There's been no rude text messages, no push-ups in undies at the pub. Nothing.
Instead, they're doing good things - like being heavily involved in the community. Like Justin Poore raising big bikkies for Rwandan kids. Like the plan to donate $1000 for every Dragons try, $10 for every tackle and $5 for every metre gained in this Friday's match against the Broncos to disadvantaged kids.
Pity some sections of the media don't want to tell us about that.
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