Are Metro Wallabies man enough to do the job?
Roar Guru By Rickety Knees, 22 Sep 2009 Rickety Knees is a Roar Guru
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The “Metro-Male” is known to carry a man-bag, use hand lotion, get facials, hair tints and also get his nails done.
The same metro male unknowingly ingests vast amounts of chemicals, such as estrogen (female growth hormone) in his food intake (extensively used in the production of chicken and farmed fish).
Many of these chemicals have been identified as “endocrine disrupters” – or gender-benders – because they interfere with natural hormones. These include phthalates, used in food wrapping, cosmetics and baby powders among other applications; flame retardants in furniture and electrical goods; PCBs, a now banned group of substances which are still widespread in food and the environment; and many pesticides used in grain production.
Research has shown that baby boys born to women exposed to widespread chemicals in pregnancy are born with smaller penises and feminised genitals.
The days of men-of-steel wearing a Wallaby jersey, so eloquently lamented by many Roarers, are largely gone. They have been replaced by an effeminised metro male (through no fault of his own), who is focused on his own image and only concerned with maximising his own capital.
There may come a time when when candidates for Wallaby selection are blood tested to determine whether they are really “man” enough to do the job.
Recommend this story.
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September 22nd 2009 @ 10:12am
AngryAnt said | September 22nd 2009 @ 10:12am | Report comment
I am almost speachless. I did not think the state of Australian Rugby could get any worse than the performance on Saturday, and then I read that senior players are demanding $2500 per man to play a trial for the right to get selected for the EOYT. They have to be kidding, right???
Here is what I think should happen.
1 – EOYT Selection Trial Match to go ahead.
2 – ARU publically invite the 44 players it wants to trial.
3 – Players have the option of playing – for nothing, or not.
4 – The touring party for the EOYT will be selected after the Poss v Prob Trail.
5 – Players will be selected on the basis of form, with a particular emphasis on their performance in the last match they played – Test, Trial, Club. (Not to sure how many of the squad from Saturday would want their tour hopes to be tied to the Wellington test) This would be a golden opportunity for bench and fringe players to displace under performing players who don’t play in the trial. All the fringe players need to do is turn in a good performance and they are a reasonable chance to displace the encumbent.
I believe this would achieve several things.
1 – Players would need to publically declare that they do not want/need to trial, and they are happy to stand by their form.
2 – RUPA and the senior players have made this about money (setting aside the obvious inference that by refusing to trial they somehow believe themselves to be entitled). So lets make this about money. The reality is the players receive $11,000 per test match. There are five test matches on the EOYT. That $55,000 each player who does not trial, and is replaced in the squad/team risks losing.
3 – RUPA cannot object too greatly because while some existing test squad members will lose money a different bunch of Australian Rugby players represented by RUPA will be getting that money. If they decide on some form of unilateral action i.e a strike against the trial of some form, they will be denying members of their Union a chance at earning up to $55,000. RUPA should look after the rights of all professional players in Australia not just the 22 from Saturday.
4 – I believe players like Mortlock(?), Waugh, Sharpe, Dunning, etc all players currently rated as past it would give anything and everything to have a crack at a trial and to prove they are worthy of selection on the EOYT. Does anyone really think they would turn down the chance to trial for a spot? (I agree that it may not end up being exactly the team we want going on the EOYT and that some mentioned above are past it, but hey if they are prepared to trial they are keen. More than can be said for some others.)
In addition to the EOYT trial, the ARU should include on the calender a Poss v Prob trial at the end of the S14 for players from states not involved in the finals. My guess is that all but the Brumby player next season will be available for this trial.
I guts me to have to say this but I am at a lost to understand what happen to the rugby ethos in this country. The current crop of players are a poor representation of what Australian rugby has been about, and unfortunately this is evident both on and off the field. If there are players who wish to dangle the threat of France at the ARU let them. Many elite rugby players will be motivated to stay to play for their country while they are in their prime. Those that don’t, well let them go. They are in all likelihood the same ones who shied away from the contest on Saturday.
There has been a lot of talk recently in Victoria about the Carlton (AFL) midfield being down hill skiers, the inference being they are great when it is easy but very average when the hard work is required. I would suggest at present that there are some in the current Wallaby squad (with a focus on those who played on Saturday) who are closer to winning an Olympic Down Hill Gold Medal than the 2011 RWC winners medal.
September 22nd 2009 @ 10:15am
Rickety Knees said | September 22nd 2009 @ 10:15am | Report comment
The ARU should announce a trial of possibles v probables (no payments involved) – with players required to register their interest and if selected – then play. Only registered players would be considered for the European Tour. This would draw a line in the sand on how much these guys want to play for the Wallabies. The match could be conducted at the SFS with the proceeds going to charity.
September 22nd 2009 @ 11:43am
stillmissit said | September 22nd 2009 @ 11:43am | Report comment
Rickety Knees – I agree with you but have you thought that this is exactly what O’Neil wants a big backlash. It gives him a chance to make RUPA look like the stupid, selfish bastard that Dempsey appears to be.
September 22nd 2009 @ 11:57am
Rickety Knees said | September 22nd 2009 @ 11:57am | Report comment
Good point – IMO JON is better off winning hearts and minds of the disaffected by making the bastards play and marginalising RUPA in the process.
September 22nd 2009 @ 5:16pm
Jim Bom said | September 22nd 2009 @ 5:16pm | Report comment
Good point, however remember the ARU and the RUPA have a legally binding agreement. Not so easy to just say get a new set of registered players. I think there was an article by Zavos or someone indicating the RUPA agreement stipulates the maximum number of games contracted players can play, which is less than NZ and RSA and way less than Europe. Another metro-man indicator.
September 22nd 2009 @ 11:42pm
katzilla said | September 22nd 2009 @ 11:42pm | Report comment
‘The match could be conducted at the SFS with the proceeds going to charity.’
What proceeds? Are you saying that people would actually go? Sounds a bit boring to me, best just get 16 bags of candy floss and have them sit around and not commit to rucks.
September 22nd 2009 @ 10:47am
Ray said | September 22nd 2009 @ 10:47am | Report comment
Great post RK, as usual.
Similar stuff is apparent, and has been for quite some time, in the Sharks team. Them Durban boys spend a lot of money on hair highlights and preening too – but they produce pretty good footy so no shouting at me Saffers!!
Regarding the $2500k per player… Shocking, if they were currently 10-0 (in their favour) then yeah, demand more money – as in any job, exceptional performance gets due rewards, but when you are playing rugby that is that ugly, faark, they should pay the ARU for the privelage of wearing that jersey. What a joke.
September 22nd 2009 @ 10:55am
Mr Grumpy said | September 22nd 2009 @ 10:55am | Report comment
If JON is as ruthless as we are led to believe, it is time for him to stamp down on player power. If the players do not like it, they can bugger off overseas. How will these pampered poodles handle working in the real world where their wages are lower, none of their whims are catered for and the adulation of the fans exists no more?
Will Australian fans hear the word rotation once the Super 15 starts to ensure local players did not play more than the agreed 30 games in a year? The current collective bargaining agreement between the Rugby Union Players Association (RUPA) and the Australian Rugby Union is local players can play a maximum of 30 games a year.
I believe New Zealand and South Africa have a maximum 32 games a year, but Roarers from those nations could clarify this.
Most Super teams would have one or two trial matches, before playing 16 games in the preliminary rounds and there is the possibility of up to three matches in the finals. Then there could be three or four inbound tests in June/July followed by six matches in the Tri- or Quad-Nations. Finally, a tour in November where there would be at least four matches.
A potential of 35 matches a year.
Who will tell the coach of a local Super 15 side he has to rest his star player/s so they do not exceed the RUPA agreement? Or will the pressure be placed on the Wallabies coach?
The fans will be the loser as they have bought tickets in good faith to see Rocky Elsom, Will Genia or Matt Giteau playing but they are not possibly available due to the RUPA limit on matches?
Australian administrators and media have moaned about overseas sides resting their players, so those threats of years past would sound hollow.
And playing a few more matches may harden local players instead of some narcissism in front of a gym mirror (Australian fans can wish).
September 22nd 2009 @ 11:46am
stillmissit said | September 22nd 2009 @ 11:46am | Report comment
Interesting post but I think that around 30 games is enough for a year. That is just under 60% of years weekends they play. There is a limit on what a body can stand.
September 22nd 2009 @ 11:09am
Willem said | September 22nd 2009 @ 11:09am | Report comment
The wallabies need to go on some form of performance pay, meaning no win no pay (apart from base salary of coarse). And Ray you are right I think its a bit of a stereo type thrown at the coastel teams in south-africa that they are a bunch of pretty boys. Its funny how winning can make people not care about what happenes behind the scenes.
As for the article, in my fifteen years or so of following rugby i cant really remember many wallabies who could be classed as real hard men anyway, bar a few exceptions, as a springbok supporter when you think of playing the wallabies you think “watch out for their skilled backs and watch out for their tactics” the thought of a wallabie team being packed with “men of steel” does not really ring a bell to me.
September 22nd 2009 @ 12:59pm
Ziggy said | September 22nd 2009 @ 12:59pm | Report comment
Back when I played – before most of you were born – the Wallabies had many hard men. Some of whom made our lives a misery on the field.
September 22nd 2009 @ 1:02pm
Ziggy said | September 22nd 2009 @ 1:02pm | Report comment
One match I still vividly recall is Keith Oxlee vomiting on the sidelines because Greg Davis was hitting him so hard in the tackles. John Thornett was no push over. They had many tough men.
September 22nd 2009 @ 1:19pm
Willem said | September 22nd 2009 @ 1:19pm | Report comment
Then its quite sad that it is but only a distant memory one that is definataly not held by someone in my generation
September 22nd 2009 @ 11:29am
Bay35Pablo said | September 22nd 2009 @ 11:29am | Report comment
The RUPA needs to have their head pulled out of their a$$es.
This is the same bunch of gits that insists S14 players can’t be told where to play, thus letting teams like Randwick and Uni load up on them, rather than farming them around and strengthening all teams.
It’s the same selfish attitude that sees half the Wallabies not willing to get stuck in.
If I was a former Wallaby I’d feel sick in the guts at this tripe.
September 22nd 2009 @ 2:04pm
Campbell Watts said | September 22nd 2009 @ 2:04pm | Report comment
here’s Tony Dempsey’s contact at RUPA:
gsmith@rupa.com.au
I just sent off a letter voicing my disgust with their behaviour and the poor return on our investment we get from these greedy little shits!
Flood them with emails and let them know how annoyed we paying public are!
September 22nd 2009 @ 2:51pm
stillmissit said | September 22nd 2009 @ 2:51pm | Report comment
Hi Campbell are you sure this isnt George Smith’s address at rupa? I would like to write to Dempsey as well
September 22nd 2009 @ 4:39pm
Campbell Watts said | September 22nd 2009 @ 4:39pm | Report comment
It’s his PA’s email.
September 22nd 2009 @ 3:16pm
Spencer said | September 22nd 2009 @ 3:16pm | Report comment
I have sent my email! Whether it’s George Smith , or not.
September 22nd 2009 @ 9:15pm
Hansie said | September 22nd 2009 @ 9:15pm | Report comment
I’ve just provided my free advice to Dempsey.
September 22nd 2009 @ 11:40am
Bay35Pablo said | September 22nd 2009 @ 11:40am | Report comment
Oh, and if RUPA wants to make reasonable demands, here’s some of mine:
1. I want my money back for paying to see the Bledisloe in Sydney, which was a garbage game. That lot get paid $11K each to provide rugby of lower quality and less nous and ticker than club sides give.
2. I want my money back for the merchandise I buy, because if they can pull that jersey on and show no pride, why should I have to pay for it? Give me a retro 1991 jersey (preferably illegally copied in an Indo sweat shop, meaning no royalties go the the ARU), at least those blokes had ticker (and integrity).
3. I want all the time back spent defending the Wallabies against every ignorant Kiwi, Bokke and Pom that opens his gob to give a sledge. I shouldn’t have wasted my breath defending these turkeys.
4. I want all the time back for defending this great sport from the mob of leaguies, aerial ping pongers, and fussballers.
I’m mad as hell about this issue. It really is the last straw. I am seriously p!ssed off. The same “senior players” that displayed no leadership over 5/6 games want to make demands? They should be begging to show up for free, and do some grovelling in the middle of the SFS that they have played with no ticker. I don’t recall one of the players saying after the last game they were gutted and disappointed in themselves, and they had let the side and country down. Just another day at the office it seems.
Some players have fronted up, and everyone knows who they are, but some players in gold should rack off to Europe for their pension cheques if cash is what they want.
(looks around and kicks innocent passing photocopier)
September 22nd 2009 @ 11:49am
stillmissit said | September 22nd 2009 @ 11:49am | Report comment
Great post – the perfect summation of how we all feel. Should be sent via a HERO GRAM to our Wallabies assuming they have finished shopping and lunch somewhere nice by the water.
September 22nd 2009 @ 12:11pm
Bay35Pablo said | September 22nd 2009 @ 12:11pm | Report comment
Stillmisstit, I have seriously been thinking of sending an open letter to RUPA, copied to the ARU, SMH, Roar, etc to that effect. This is the first time I have been this p!ssed off in a long time. And I have a temper at the best of times. Luckily I didn’t fire it off first thing, because Wayne Smith’s Aus article suggests Growden’s article (which I read this morning before almost spitting my cereal in fury all over the breakfast bar) doesn’t have all the facts right. Shock horror. Unprecedented.
However, it seems alynch mob may be forming even without me laoding up some Molotovs to storm the barricades.
However, any such letter would be signed off as follows:
“Please stick this letter up on the wall of the training room. Use it to get angry and fire up. Get angry that we fans are daring to get angry at you lom whom we can’t possibly understand the lot of. And then have a good hard look at yourself. Because if you need some rant from a fan to get fired up, you’re in the wrong game. And you’re getting angry because you know you’re one of the ones that didn’t put in.”
September 22nd 2009 @ 12:34pm
stillmissit said | September 22nd 2009 @ 12:34pm | Report comment
You should do it. Get Rickety Knees and Blinky Bill and christ even I would add my name to that, and create a letter addressed to John O’Neil copy to RUPA and copies all round.
Let me know if you want any input or assistance. This has gone too bloody far!
September 22nd 2009 @ 12:40pm
oikee said | September 22nd 2009 @ 12:40pm | Report comment
You should also demand that they play a game of rugby league to toughen them up a bit, those guys are whimps .
And another thing, their is not 1 superstar in Union, not 1. Heaven help us if they ever produce a superstar, might have to pay them a million a week to just turn up. 
Golden boot anyone. ? Well he would not be a running back , would he. this superstar.
September 22nd 2009 @ 3:19pm
stillmissit said | September 22nd 2009 @ 3:19pm | Report comment
Bay35Pablo – Just had another thought why not start a thread with the letter and we can all sign it and then forward it on to RUPA ARU etc etc
what do you think?
September 22nd 2009 @ 12:17pm
Sam Taulelei said | September 22nd 2009 @ 12:17pm | Report comment
I don’t know why the players are taking this stance. They didn’t play last week and still got paid.
September 22nd 2009 @ 12:18pm
Invictus said | September 22nd 2009 @ 12:18pm | Report comment
Now that’s funny….
September 22nd 2009 @ 1:05pm
Chris said | September 22nd 2009 @ 1:05pm | Report comment
I suspect that the most of the players didn’t even know that this game was on offer, but have been tarred by it. I’m sure most of them would give it a go. Drew Mitchell left his hotel at 3am after the Bledisloe to catch a flight to Sydney to play club Rugby that day.
It sounds as if a few of the senior players were privy and they objected. If this is true, there aren’t too many senior players in the squad, so its not hard to work out who this could be…
September 22nd 2009 @ 1:13pm
Ben C said | September 22nd 2009 @ 1:13pm | Report comment
Comedy gold!
September 22nd 2009 @ 3:17pm
Spencer said | September 22nd 2009 @ 3:17pm | Report comment
Three thumbs up (from Tasmania).
September 22nd 2009 @ 11:46pm
mother teresa said | September 22nd 2009 @ 11:46pm | Report comment
nice sam;its laugh or cry right
September 22nd 2009 @ 12:07pm
cookee said | September 22nd 2009 @ 12:07pm | Report comment
some folk are blaming jono for modeling certain behavior and the kids have picked up on it.too old to send them to their rooms
September 22nd 2009 @ 2:11pm
Campbell Watts said | September 22nd 2009 @ 2:11pm | Report comment
Great stuff Pablo!
I just email your post to Tony Dempsey to let him know the man-on-the-street’s opinion – and added a few choice words of my own!!!
Bastards!!!
September 22nd 2009 @ 11:40am
Peter K said | September 22nd 2009 @ 11:40am | Report comment
For once this is not directly about money. They dont really care about the 2.5K. The senior softies who pretend to be rugby players are realy really sacred of being shown up by hungry , hard nuts.
The possibles would smash the wannabes off the ruck because they are scared to put their bodies on the lines.
I agree with other make it optional to attend. The current test players who dont take a significant risk of not being selected.
September 22nd 2009 @ 11:45am
MM Fike said | September 22nd 2009 @ 11:45am | Report comment
I suggested a probables V possibles a day or two ago. I didn’t realise our overpaid players would want even more money.
But is our game in trouble?
Free to air TV figures for Sydney:
League, Broncos V St. George 1.03 million
Test, Wallabies V All Blacks 249,000
No Fox Sports figues but they would be small I reckon.
Bring back ELVS.
September 22nd 2009 @ 12:13pm
Bay35Pablo said | September 22nd 2009 @ 12:13pm | Report comment
MM Fike, the 5.30pm start didn’t help. I had to rush to get home from the Woodies v Uni semi to watch it.
September 22nd 2009 @ 11:56am
Old Pig said | September 22nd 2009 @ 11:56am | Report comment
Posted this earlier on another thread.
“So here’s the problem. 10yr old son was looking forward to seeing his current heroes (and adding to his list) with the possible vs probable match. Now all he’s got to look forward to is a possible training session to attend. Under normal conditions this would be considered a great honour and something he might recall latter in life but given the current attitude I’m not sure I want him to be part of this experience. While I think there is much more to this issue and RUPA are probably not helping the situation, what a bunch of selfish individuals some of these player have become. Can someone help me explain this to my son?
If ‘O’Neill has the balls then he should make a stand and make it a ‘no shown no go’ policy as far as the NH tour is concerned. Who knows it just might give Deans an opportunity to blood some new boys who want to wear the gold jumper with pride and at the same time get rid of the dead wood. I can handle the not winning, not trying hard enough attitude of late but not wanting to play outright, at home in-font of your loyal fans for the right to wear your countries colours just isn’t rugby”.