Since moving to the great state of Queensland 10 years ago, rugby league has gradually found its way into my heart. It took a while, but I now cheer the maroons like I was a born and bread cane-toad.
Aussie rules will always be my first love, but I have great respect for league and the men who play it. It's a pulsating and at times brutal game, that highlights skill, strength and poise in equal doses.
Now that I've pumped up the tyres of the game, it's time to throw a few tacks on the road. There are a few things about the sport that I don't get, have never got and don't think I will ever get. I'm hoping that some of you tragics out there might be able to shed some light.
Number 1
I don't understand how a sport can allow players and coaches to shop around for a new club smack bang in the middle of the season. Tell me this isn't a disgrace!
How does a fan feel seeing their favourite player sipping a latte on the news with a bunch of big wigs from a rival club. It must be gut wrenching. How about finding out that your coach will be at another club next year...fair enough?....bull dust!....there are still 15 games to go this year!
Yep. This rule or lack of a rule, has always befuddled me.
Imagine going up to a mate and saying "your girlfriend and I have agreed to start going out next year, I hope that's cool".
Of course it's not cool. How can my mate ever look at his Mrs the same way again. Do you think footy is any different?
If a player or coach isn't solely devoted to their team or club for the whole year, they should piss of straight away. We don't want to see them swanning around on the news deciding whether they want beaches or bogans. Show some bloody respect to your club, fans and team-mates...I just don't get it?
Number 2
Next mystery is.....Monday night football. There are 2 things I don't want to be doing on a Monday night.
1. Picking up dog pooh in the back yard with my teeth.
2. Watching rugby league.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday are days/nights for footy. AFL can take note of this too. Monday we are trying to ease into the working week and starting to think about next weeks match. All of a sudden it hits us! There's another flaming game to go.....what a HUGE pain in the arse.
Unless you have Fox you can't watch it, no one goes to it and even for the die-hards, it's really really hard to care about this game. You see the score Tuesday morning on the Today Show and after you comment about what a tosser Karl Stefanovic is, you breathe a sigh of relief that the round is finally over.
Get rid of it Gallop...agreed?
Number 3
Monday night footy sucks, but what about the Sunday night Grand Final...you must be joking. Grand Final day in all codes is an Aussie tradition. Barbies, beers, the kids playing, wives catching up....sensational!
Then along comes the Sunday night Grand Final. Fans get on the gas all day and are blind by the time the dodgy international act comes on (remember Billy Idol....GOLD!).
You watch the game, then quickly say goodbye to friends as you rush the kids home to bed. Someone was smoking the good stuff when they came up with this one. I just don't get it?
Number 4
My final dilemma is rep games. Playing Origin or City/Country games in the middle of the week, in the middle of the season. Please explain?
There is no doubt that State of Origin is the games showcase. Why not treat it that way? Make the season shorter and allow 3 weeks off for the series. Let clubs refresh their stocks and take a break.
Origin can completely change the make-up of the season. The Bronco's have been hammered over the years by Origin. The integrity of the whole season can be shaped and ruined. Tipping and betting is thrown into chaos, while the exhausted players guts it out by playing up to three games in a week. Dumb!
I might be wrong, but it seems ludicrous. City vs Country may be traditional, but what's the point of it? An origin selection match you say? Then what is the regular season? A bowl of goldfish? Play a few regular games in rural areas. It's time for this game to spend 10 in the bin (years that is).
It's seems obvious, but maybe I'm missing something. If you can enlighten me please do. I have many more questions, but I'm starting to look like a league basher, which I'm not. As I said, I love the game, but these issues have stumped me from day 1. Please help!
Either the crew running the game are drop kicks, or I'm the drop kick and they are yet to be proven geniuses. What do you reckon?....Tragic!
I can try to explain the Monday Night Football mystery - taken directly from the NFL in the US. Like rugby league, "footy" (gridiron) day is Sunday and the TV networks saw it as an opportunity to pull in more advertising money by adding Mon night games. Not that this explanation makes the whole thing any better...
ReplyDeleteOne more thing, I'm going to be that jerk who asks for more options on this week's poll. How about Mark Ella as Aust. best indigenous sports person?
Good points on both counts Timothy. I am very Union naive. Apologies.
ReplyDeleteHere is my attempt to shed some light and an opinion or 2 on this weeks subject of Rugby League, and it is a good one of course being my favourite.
ReplyDeletePoint 1. The Australian Rugby League did at one point have a rule that no player, coach etc could negotiate a transfer or a release until a certain agreed upon date. It was hopelessly impossible to regulate, so much so that it was finally decided that we are all "big boys" and can do what we like. OK the purists (Adam you I think are one) and myself(to some extent) still would love to see the days of players from an area probably playing for that area's team and thus creating loyalty, local derbeys etc all good for fans/TV and the like. Does Billy that grew up in Geelong and has all his life wanted to play for the Cats , but gets drafted to the Hawks decide to sit on the fence not play and hope the Cats will pick him up. I think not! He is a professional, takes the money. But then do professionals feel the loyalty and passion for Club and Supporter? Possible, but to me only if he is a one club lifer. These days I think it is only possible for the very elite like Darren Lockyer.He has the luxury of a club that loves him.
2.
Monday nite football, totally agree but it makes dollars through sold TV rites and is a spin off of the old (70's) Amco cup and as Tim said a copy of NFL. Hate it because I cannot justify Fox in my budget.
3. The Sunday grand final is one way where at present NSW can stick it up QLD. NSW has a public holiday the following Monday. It is always held in Sydney regardless, even if 2 non NSW clubs making the final.
It is the NRL not the NSWRL and should rotate between Bris/ Syd at least. Melbourne GF, don't go there!
4.Rep games, yes a dilemma. One QLD has sorted out. The annual City V Country is one still conducted but has been relegated to the state league. The NSW dimwits still think that the public swallows the bull of it being a selection game for Origin. CRAP! Waste of time NO, anytime that the sky blue tossers belt each other in a game is a good one!!
Rep games are a pain to clubs and yes the Broncos, Storm and at present Dragons all suffer. But, a players value on the transfer market is indexed to whether or not the individual is a past or present SOO or test player. A long year but thats business.
Finaly my two bob on the indiginous sportsperson, I think the inclusion of Eddie Gilbert would have been worth while. Who is he? A fast bowler in cricket that made the test team as the sole coloured player, roomed separately to the white members but stuck at it and was said to have been as quick as Thommo. To have made it under his pressures I think is admirable.
Cheers Macka
Good one Macka. Nice to have an insight from someone with a solid knowledge of the game.
ReplyDeleteMost of my grumbles basically boil down to the mighty dollar, which is a shame, unfortunately it's the way of the world.
There seems to be a reason or a story behind these odd happenings of league...but I still don't get it!
Thanks for bringing the achievements of Eddie Gilbert to light. He can be added to the growing list of champions that I left of the poll list.
Cheers.