By Brett McKay
November 24th 2008 @ 7:29am
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Loading ...England: not just out of their league
Since sinking to a 32-22 Rugby League World Cup semi-final defeat to New Zealand last weekend, much has been said about the state of rugby league in England and the UK.
English coaches and administrators have been quick to overlook four disappointing RLWC performances, preferring instead to look to the future and talk only in terms of growth, increased revenue, and their game being “on the right track”.
One of the lasting memories I’ll take from the RLWC – aside from the sensational image of New Zealand’s haka on Saturday night in the faces of the advancing Australians – was the hundreds, maybe thousands, of English supporters in the crowd (cheering for the Kiwis, admittedly) proudly wearing their club colours.
That they were there at all was a display of either love for rugby league as a game, or extreme over-confidence in their national team reaching the final.
The general view about English rugby league, and the Super League competition by default, is that while the games themselves are quite entertaining (I’ve heard it plenty of times that Super League games are better to watch than its current robotic NRL equivalent), but that the intensity and speed is no match to the Australian game.
This lack of speed, intensity, and certainly creativity, was all exposed in all four of England’s games in the RLWC.
But I’m not entirely sure that this particular problem is limited to English rugby league. I think what we’ve seen in rugby league is typical of English professional sport in general.
Consider the four major professional sporting competitions in England: the Super League, the English Premier League, the Guinness Premiership rugby union, and the cricket County Championship. All of them are, or are among, the top competitions in world within their sport.
All have one common denominator too: a mass influx of players from countries other than England.
Simply, this has to be having an effect on the improvement of English national teams.
Ignoring the 2005 Ashes series win (it’s easy, I recommend it), the English cricket team have a couple of World Cup runners-up medals, and a reasonable record at home, but limited success on tour in the last twenty years. They’re copping it in India as I write this.
All the while though, the County Championship remains littered with players from abroad. Between the overseas players of all abilities, and the journeymen who’ve forged long careers on changing counties, it’s not surprising England have used well in excess of two-hundred more Test players than Australia over the history of cricket. I haven’t come up with the search query to find out, but I wonder how many one-Test Englishmen there have been in history, and again, how this compares with Australia?
England have won and lost a Rugby World Cup in recent years of course, but while the Guinness Premiership is seemingly going from strength to strength (helped no doubt by the continual in-flow of overseas internationals), you do have to wonder if we can still say the same about the national team?
Like the Australian cricket team currently (depending on how much you read the paper), the English team would also appear to be on the decline. Their performances in recent weeks – particularly this weekend’s caning from South Africa – would support this, and they certainly appear a lesser side than the RWC runners-up they were last year. Another mid table Six Nations finish in 2009 would seem likely on current form.
English football fans once famously chanted “Two World Wars and one World Cup” in the direction of German opposition, but the sad reality is they’ve won very little since. Aside from spectacular recent World Cup failures, perhaps their biggest shame was not qualifying for the 2008 European Championships, despite been seeded. Actually, perhaps that was the second biggest shame; I’m sure a certain 3-1 defeat to a certain former convict colony in 2003 still ranks right up there.
But again, the Premier League is a haven for international players. There’s probably no better example than Arsenal, one of the so-called “big four” teams, but who struggle to name many Englishmen in their team from week-to-week. The notion of club being bigger than country could not possibly be truer for EPL clubs, and if having a team full of Spaniards or Brazilians or Frenchmen brings success, then bugger local talent.
So while ever this remains the case in England, and its domestic competitions, how will the national teams improve? How is a young opening bat from Somerset, or a young back-rower from Leeds, or a striker from London supposed to play for England if there’s an overseas player in his spot, and another on the plane if required? Where does young English talent go?
It’s often said that a strong England is good for cricket, and I’m sure the same could be said for both rugby codes and football too. It just seems such a waste for a country so densely populated, to continually produce national sporting teams that ultimately fail to deliver.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saddened to see the English continue to disappoint as they did in the RLWC, and as they often do generally. Just once in a while though, I’d like the Australia-England rivalry to be based on form rather than history.
Obviously, it is very easy to comment on the Poms’ plight from afar, but I just wonder when we’ll start seeing young English talent coming through, and when instant domestic success will be shelved in favour of national development. Sadly, while ever the domestic comps are a magnet of overseas players, it’s hard to see this happening any time soon.
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oikee said | November 24th 2008 @ 12:14pm | Report comment
I can see it happening with-in 5 years Brett. I dont know what the other codes are like but do know they are healthy because of the international players. I have recently read that 3 papuans are being given a NRL contract, which is good . I have already mentioned that Englands performance was not that bad, yes they lacked a bit of speed, but there passion was good. They have plenty of juniors coming through, just takes time to get them up to top level. And the talent and skills of other nations was very good, so i dont know where they got all this training? maybe nrl and lower leagues and super league?
If anything this tournament has helped the poms, they now know what they have to do to go the next level. I enjoyed there games against the Kiwis. And also players size (hohia) is not really a issue if you really want something that badly.
I said it before and will keep saying it, i enjoyed every game this comp, but the final was something special, just enjoy it for what it was, a good small comp with hopefully a bright future, not many blogers bagging the concept now.
Brett McKay said | November 24th 2008 @ 12:28pm | Report comment
Oikee, I really hope you’re right, I really do.
I’m sure the limiting the number of “imports” in the SL will no doubt help England eventually, but I fear that that will just mean the SL Clubs will target overseas players in key positions, while the local talent once again gets overlooked.
There’s no doubt the International players help all the domestic English comps, and the EPL is no better an example, but I just wonder what message it’s sending to talented English kids coming through the ranks when yet another foreign player gets bought in in front of them..
oikee said | November 24th 2008 @ 12:42pm | Report comment
Agree Brett, but dont discard the entertainment factor, you need good players to keep the game at the top level, look at the amount of good players coming through the NRL now, this did not happen overnite, it was built by years and years of players learning from others in the game.
The thing i noticed was players learning from others in englands case. That guy Ade Gardner, he was alright, yes he made a few bobos, now think back to Mau Vatuivie and he did not give up. All the England players needed in my book was more time, something they did not have this time around. Next time will be different. I will guarantee you this, and i know league well.
Towser said | November 24th 2008 @ 1:12pm | Report comment
Cant speak for other sports but can for football. ,being brought up on the sport there.
Englands problems in that respect are nowt to do with foreigners & everything to do with the English approach mentality history regarding the game. Their is an inherent belief that because they invented it(Football & Rules) that the English way of playing is the correct way. The fact that history shows this to be a load of bollocks is irrelevant(this may also have a hint of truth for other sports also). The English way being(& what spectators expect) fast & furious but not necessarily technically efficient. So English football gives the English public what they want. Even teams like Arsenal full of foreigners uses their technique to produce a fast passing brand of football rather than a slow measured build up as on the continent.
I remember visiting my relatives in Sheffield a few years ago & saying that I thought that the Serie A produced better players technically than the EPL & thats why Italy did well in the World Cup as opposed to England. Sheffielders like all Yorkshireman are particularly blunt & told me in a colourful manner that English football was the best & foreign football was to slow.
This we invented ‘nowt tu learn attitude” may go across the spectrum of English invented sports. If it did it wouldn’t suprise me in the least.
oikee said | November 24th 2008 @ 3:14pm | Report comment
Good post Towser, well if the English league teams dont learn speed they will now. This is why i know they will improve, its really the only side of the game thats missing, the kiwi Super league player was at fault for not playing at speed, he soon learnt it and had a blinder in the final. Leilalie i think his name is, plays at half but they moved him to dummy half, seemed to do the trick. Cheers.
True Tah said | November 24th 2008 @ 9:50pm | Report comment
oikee,
UK RL is aeons behind Oz/NZ. Players looked sluggish and unfit, defence was attrocious.
The ESL needs to stop relying on NRL hasbeens to be its glamour stars, and they had better do something quick, because the GP clubs are going to start signing up the young and upcoming blokes…sooner or later the likes of Wigan and St Helens may well consider switching to RU.
Lets face it, the biggest story to come out of Englands World Cup campaign was how Keith Senior shagged some old boiler in Queensland.
Steffy said | November 24th 2008 @ 9:53pm | Report comment
“UK RL is aeons behind Oz/NZ”
3-0 in the test series againt NZ last year
paul said | November 25th 2008 @ 1:58am | Report comment
True Tah, there is no way on God’s earth Wigan or any SL club will go to rah rah. Who are you kidding? Thet would have a crowd of 1 and everyone would switch to soccer.
Ian Noble said | November 25th 2008 @ 3:00am | Report comment
Brett a very interesting article and in many highlights an overwelming sense in the UK that sport is for psrticipation not necessarily for winning, but as a Pom I think some important changes are happening.
Lets start with the Olympics, in 1996 GB won just one gold medal and we all know what happened in Beijing 2008. Better funding, better coaching, a more professional approach, following in many sports the OZ model, reaped its own rewards.
Football/Soccer under Fabio Capello England remain unbeaten this calendar year, they have just beaten Germany in Berlin 2-1 with largely a 2nd team to illustrate the growing depth of the National squad with a number of young players coming through. Even Arsenal who fielded their second team v Wigan first team in the Carling Cup and beat them 3-0 with a number of young English players, not including Walcott who at 19 is now an England regular.
Rugby Union one of the biggest nuts to crack as the professional game has been out of the control of the RFU until this year when a club/country agreement came into force. As part of the agreement clubs agreed to release squad players for more time with the international set up for which they will be compensated. In addition an incentive scheme has been agreed for clubs to be rewarded for the number of English registered players they have in their first XV squads. Better professional contracts is attracting more English players to remain professional instead of joining main street. It will take time but by 2011 I will be disappointed if England don’t make a better fist of it.
Rugby League, the poor performance of England may turn out to be the best thing possible for League in England. Richard Lewis the CEO has already indicated that the review will be wide ranging with the intention of bringing through more English talent into the professional ranks. England intend to bid for the next RLWC, which will give the game an added spur.
Cricket is going through a transistion and I am not sure the central contracts are giving the players enough game time. An example would be Steve Harmison who lost form under the central contracts, returned to the county scene for Durham bowled more overs and got his rythmn back and surprise surprise is now bowling better than ever. The academy system is stronger and as Justin Langer remarked he was surprised by the number of young English cricketers beginning to break through. There are restrictions on the number of foreign players in the county scene although there is a recognised problem with Kolpak players, who gain EU exemption by Dutch, German or whatever parentage. There was the classic case of Shane Warne being outside the foreigner restrictions as he has a German mother and could play for Hampshire as a Kolpak player, so they could sign another foreign player.
As a supporter it always amazes me that in spite of some terrible English teams we turn out in droves to support. Look at the Barmy Army in OZ following the England cricket team in the last Ashes series. Perhaps we are masochists at heart or we are praying for a miracle, they say sport is unpredicatble.
Colin N said | November 25th 2008 @ 3:44am | Report comment
Only 35% of the players are English. To me that illustrates that those 35% have to be very good players to get into their respective teams. If you think about it, 1966 and 70 aside, England have never had a great international football side, in terms of the quality of the players. In the 2006 world cup, that was considered to be a golden generation. I know they didn’t perform well but you can’t deny that the majority of that England side was made up of world-class players.
Both Rugby League and Union are producing some very good youngsters but it takes the right coaches and time to bring them up to international standard.
I’m not so sure about cricket. At the moment, I wouldn’t say if a player got injured in the squad, that a County player would come in and do a good job. No-one’s really raving about any of the English youngters in cricket. Adil Rashid possibly, is it James Harris maybe. Players like Malan etc have had good seasons but not spectaculor ones. It seems like the best performing players are the oversees ones, except for Mark Ramprakash, who is now too old for international cricket.
oikee said | November 25th 2008 @ 9:25am | Report comment
Interesting veiw True Tah, your post to me just looks like a typical Union fan who wants league to dissapear off the face of the Earth. Being a league fan like myself and steffy we can see more than someone who does not really follow the game,.
Having always followed league for over 40 years i can see vast improvement by the England squad. Yes they got beaten but it was not as bad as some make out.
I watch the super league regulary, what i see “and people who know league would also see this” is a Super league that is now becoming a top notch comp. The aussie players that are shifting over there dont look super human anymore because this comp is fast becoming a high quality affair. To make this point even more legitament is the fact that Channel 9 sees what i see, a fast moving comp with great exposure, massive support and will become the top comp in the world. Leagues super stars will all be playing in England one day. Why anyone of these teams would move to union like you say is just wishful thinking, people in oz love league and we are being rewarded , by getting to see super league on free to air, dont expect the same for union, we dont even really rate the super 14 comp.
Unions international game is its force, league cant compete with that, not that i really think it should bother. I have mentioned once before that i love league at this size, i really dont want it to get to much bigger, i like the fact its not massive, its got a small agenda which keeps me interested, hope we never lose that.
Just a final point, not many people believed New Zealand would win the World Cup, even New Zealanders did not believe, they all forgot one thing which i had mentioned many times on previous posts, mainly to my little mate Allan ( who is a regular poster) the rugby league gods, they do exist.
Westy said | November 25th 2008 @ 4:28pm | Report comment
Thankyou for the article Brett….what I find interesting is the performance of English rugby union mirrors the dismal performance of English rugby league. Is there something wrong with both their domestic professional competitions?