Memo to Ricky and Gus: We don’t care
Roar Guru
By Steve Kaless, 27 Apr 2009 Steve Kaless is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- NRL, Phil Gould, Ricky Stuart, Rugby League
Sydney, July 7, 2004. NSW Blues Coach Phil Gould celebrates a try. The NSW Blues beat the Queensland Maroons 36-14 in the third State of Origin match to win the series at Telstra Stadium, Sydney tonight. AAP Image/Action Photographics/Colin Whelan
Maybe I’m totally out of step with the rest of the rugby league community, but the public saga of the fallout between Ricky Stuart and Gus Gould is surely one of the most boring things to grace the code in living memory.
Considering rugby league never seems to have trouble filling newspaper space in Sydney; the fact that both major newspapers seem to want to fill their endless column space documenting the latest chapter in the lover’s tiff makes things even more astounding.
If there was ever proof that the editors of the Sunday papers took us all for morons, this is it.
It is the sort of thing you’d expect from the women’s mags as they detail a Hollywood divorce, and the fact that both men seem are so keen to continue things under their own column does little for either one’s reputation.
During his tenure Phil Gould has told anyone who’ll listen that the Telegraph is full of untrustworthy journalists who are constantly misrepresenting him and anyone else who said for the side of right in rugby league, but then suddenly he is happy to do any interview with them when they give him a call.
He is very lucky his players were never so naive.
Honestly, just what is the problem? So a couple of blokes don’t like each other. Big deal. I don’t like certain people and certain people don’t like me, it’s a fact of life and in the world of rugby league it is hardly earth shattering.
It is the sort of thing you might occassionally get from a lovestruck teenager constantly retelling the mistakes of their past relationship before it all headed south.
You‘re supportive for a while figuring it is good therapy, then it gets boring and finally you give him a break until they find something else to talk about.
So while it gets irritating from a teenager, it is embarrassing that two grown men who advertise themselves as the leading thinkers of the game retell their versions of history with such obvious bias and spite while each scrambles for the moral highground.
Isn’t it obvious to both that they are coming across as military grade peanuts.
So you both left the Roosters with a lot of baggage, but why do we both need to suffer for what seems like eternity for it?
Where are the sport’s editors of the respective newspapers to tell either of them that maybe it is time to move on and we don’t need any more trees cut down in defence of their egos?
Clearly someone thinks it is selling newspapers, but just who is deciding to buy either the Telegraph or the Herald in order to read about which sook has spat his dummy?
Honestly, so much for balanced journalism. You really would hope that the sports section might be one area of the paper we can keep the agendas to a minimum, but alas that seems like a bit too much to ask. Just ask Denis Fitzgerald.
Give me an alcohol related incident any day.
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- Explore:
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The Link said | April 27th 2009 @ 8:35am | Report comment
Touche Steve. Although as a lesser of two evils i’ll take Gus anyday. His coaching record is starting to look very favourable against Ricky’s.
Jason said | April 27th 2009 @ 8:53am | Report comment
If it is so boring, why did you write an article about it?
LeftArmSpinner said | April 27th 2009 @ 9:47am | Report comment
with you completely. no one cares. both are immature and petulant and have an exagerated sense of their own self importance.
Hemjay said | April 27th 2009 @ 10:30am | Report comment
Steve I agree with you it is childish but at the same time its funny, also it is working because like Jason said your writing about it and we’re all reading it then commenting about it.
As a Kiwi Ricky lost all credit that he did have after his massive meltdown post final at the the World Cup. Gus is just plain annoying he is a know all and tends to think his opinion is more highly sort than anybody elses. This spat makes great Sunday reading or whatever day you decide to read it. Lets face it it adds to the spectacle that is rugby league and keeps bringing the fans back for more. Its human nature we love controversy in all aspects of life, but as a footy lover we get great sport and day time soaps all rolled into one.
Brett McKay said | April 27th 2009 @ 11:02am | Report comment
Steve, I think most people will agree with you, and that on the whole, it’s boring-as-buggery playground-childish. That said, there’s been some gold medal sledging in this little saga, and that’s where Hemjay makes a good point. As funny as it sounds, the Gould-Stuart episode is both boring and entertaining sports fans!!
znotty said | April 27th 2009 @ 12:03pm | Report comment
i think Jason has nailed it……Personally i find the Brian Smith destroying the Knights from within saga much more compelling even if inevitable from the day of his signing.
The Link said | April 27th 2009 @ 2:10pm | Report comment
On the undercard for Green v Mundine perhaps? Gotta love the Terrorgraph…..
Gould and Stuart given fighting chance
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25389439-5001023,00.html
Steve Kaless said | April 27th 2009 @ 4:01pm | Report comment
Well it certainly seems to have legs.
Brett you have nailed it, it is one of those issues that polarises sports fans. There are those who like things fairly straight up and down and focused on the field (I’m probably certainly of that persuasion) and others who like a bit more hollywood gossip thrown in the mix. Which type you are will probably determine whether you want to pay for a ring side seat.
Znotty, Brian Smith destroying the Knights from within? They have probably been one of the most overachieving side’s this season, would love to hear more of your theory.
Cheers
sheek said | April 27th 2009 @ 4:06pm | Report comment
Link,
I agree, Gus is the lesser of two evils. Apart from listening to him solve all the world’s problems, he likes a punt, he likes a drink, by the looks of him, he likes a good feed also. Just like me.
And Brett tells me I go around the world to explain myself, just like Gus!
However, their public spat is quite pathetic, & of course, I’m exercising my individual right not to pay any attention to them!
Brett McKay said | April 27th 2009 @ 4:33pm | Report comment
Sheek, no-one explains themselves quite like you!!
I didn’t think the Gould-Stuart thing could get any more pathetic, but as Link as shown, the Terror knows no bounds when it comes to stupidity.
This is now reminding me of a Simpsons episode (stay with me people) where they discover that the only way to get rid of mutant killer billboards is to ignore them. Sadly, I’m sure when this latest installment dies a natural death this week – and it will – the Terror will breath new life into it come Origin time…