Comments on: Why John Howard is out of his league

By: Miguel Sanchez

Miguel Sanchez — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:49:46 +0000

Wonder who Spiro votes for?

Only in New Zealand elections though…

By: Ben

Ben — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:58:54 +0000

Silly article Spiro – I think you should try and keep politics out of sport for fear of showing some political bias.

Howard ran the 15th largest economy for 11 years and would be a great adminsitrator for any sport, particularly one which he is genuinley interested in. Albanese is a traditional ALP battler who is more interested in doing what is best for the ALP, NSW Right and his ALP donating mates……not Australia, NRL supporters or anyone else.

Howard was often seen in a Wallaby jersey ? Hmmmm hard to wear a League one overseas when no-one knows the game, ditto for AFL.

For whoever said Howard is a populist – Rudd/Swan State of Origin dressing room, Brisbane Lions AFL game.

Anyway move back to sport mate, save me the political lesson – the original folks from the ALP who established Rugby League would not vote for them now anyway, definitely not for the Super Nerd from QLD.

By: fox

fox — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:32:05 +0000

Lol!

By: Mike wc

Mike wc — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:38:47 +0000

Spiro,
You miss the whole point on this disgrace – the fact that political interference means the NRL are doing what some jerk politician wants – not what is good for the game – it is a disgrace & heads should role. As to whether Howard is right for the job – couldn’t care less – whats’ wrong is the corrupt processes happening here.
As a journalist you are weak for accepting this as reasonable behaviour – show some ticker & write about the disgrace it is.
Albanese should be in jail if he is using his position for his own gains.

By: Michael of UK

Michael of UK — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:57:44 +0000

Davies was working from an earlier quote.
http://www.colonialrugby.com.au/hooligans-game.htm

By: Firestarter Bob

Firestarter Bob — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:54:43 +0000

“like gaining acceptance in private schools, for example” Are you serious? You think it is rugby league’s fault that the code hasn’t been taken up private schools?

By: Cattledog

Cattledog — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:24:41 +0000

Hey Billo, there are some pretty sharp fellows at the heads of all football codes in Australia and that’s probably one of the reasons JH has been approached, be it un-officially or not. Whilst we might consider many of them dumb, we are in the main not privy to the information from which many of the decisions we consider dumb are made. It happens constantly in business, whereby the workers may consider a decision dumb or not well thought through without being privy to all info. However, that’s not to say there aren’t some bad decisions made, regardless of available info.

As for acceptance in private schools, RL is played in many of the catholic schools and some others. If you’re meaning within the GPS system, IMO, that’s still some time, if not generations away, although I note that many of the larger public high schools are introducing a term of RU as an extension to RL. Perhaps it may not be as far away as I think, however, it would be as an adjunct to rugby rather than a stand alone code.

Anyway, wouldn’t be surprised if 7′s at the olympics isn’t the start of melding the two games together!

By: Billo

Billo — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:32:26 +0000

Rugby league needs to do a lot of things to expand its constituency, like gaining acceptance in private schools, for example.
Part of that would include not being so close to the Labor Party, which has tended to take the game for granted, and hasn’t done much to protect it, as far as I can see.
It would be good to see someone like John Howard involved in the new Commission, and, via that, in international rugby league.
Whatever some posters might think of him, Howard raised Australia’s profile in the world, not least with the United States. Rugby league should appoint him to be an international ambassador for the game.
Fortunately, for those who like to look down on rugby league, the game’s administrators are far too dumb to do anything like that.

By: Cattledog

Cattledog — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 11:06:15 +0000

LOL Thought the missus may have pulled the plug on the laptop!

Must have a different photo…the bloke I see kept the economy boyant and didn’t place us in crippling debt. Wait till we have to start paying THAT back!! Anyway, lets keep sex and politics out of it…well…politics anyway!

By: Parisien

Parisien — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:52:19 +0000

Sorry Cattledog, I was just being tongue in cheek, and I didn’t get to finish that last comment because I had some chores to do!

On a more tragic note, take another look at the header photo and that goof wearing the Wallabies tracksuit (no, not the fella on the left, the one on the right).

By: Fly on the Wall

Fly on the Wall — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 09:46:42 +0000

I think you’ll find it was Jonathan Davies, dual international, who said:
“Soccer is a gentleman’s game played by thugs,
Rugby is a thug’s game played by gentlemen,
and league is a thug’s game played by beasts.”

By: Cattledog

Cattledog — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:48:42 +0000

Not playing that game again Parisien…once a blog’s enough! Anyway, theories and opinions are like arseholes…everybody has one!

By: Pete

Pete — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:44:33 +0000

League and Labor party in bed together… makes me think, how does AFL expect the Western Sydney team to be success when its being set up in both a Rugby League heartland and a Labor strong hold… don’t think they’ll let this one through… unless it boost the price of land in the area and the developers get excited… No wonder the AFL has a 25 year plan…

By: Parisien

Parisien — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:41:14 +0000

Since when were Australian rugby men so hen-pecked? Is this a symptom of what is wrong with the Wallabies. “Couldn’t do the extra skills training coach, I had too many household chores to finish.”

Now, I have this theory that

By: Pete

Pete — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:38:08 +0000

the internet… its the modern man’s “shed”

By: The Link

The Link — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 07:51:16 +0000

I still think the Howard link was a bit of hype whipped up by Michael Searle to get attention to the broader idea of the independent commission.

By: Firestarter Bob

Firestarter Bob — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:25:13 +0000

Spiro, If Labor and rugby league are one and the same perhaps you could explain the NSW state labor government and their attack on the income of Leagues Clubs and what that has done to rugby league at all levels of the game. Friends of rugby league? Perhaps they were, but not now. Labor used to be the working man’s party.

By: jeznez

jeznez — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:09:16 +0000

Sorry Cattledog, you are barking up the wrong tree.

Pippinu is spot on. Soccer aka ‘The Beautiful Game’ (not my view but one of its nicknames) is the gentleman’s game played by thugs. Thugby League is a thugs game played by thugs. ‘The Running Game’ (and how I miss those days after this 3N’s) or ‘The Game They Play in Heaven’ is the thugs game played by gentlemen, because lets face it we all need to let our hair down and our knuckles drag from time to time.

By: John Ryan

John Ryan — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:40:41 +0000

Given that Howard was booted out of office and his own seat,I dont think he has anything to offer,one of the most divisive Politicians of his generation,and thats as far as I will go as I have a deep dislike for everything he stands for.
I don’t think there is any value in his being there,he is more a RU type I think,you want you take him

By: LeftArmSpinner

LeftArmSpinner — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:19:28 +0000

Spiro, what is happening with the Union equivalent of the Independent commission for the NRL, the breakaway of grade rugby from NSW rugby? is it going to happen and if so, when and what will be the benefits?

this is the sleeping giant of aust sport, still be be awoken.

By: sheek

sheek — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 04:02:44 +0000

OME,

Good to see you’re in good company. More than once my beloved has threatened to remove the computer from the household, except that my daughter requires it for her schoolwork.

Anyway, better go. She could be home any minute, & there were a few chores she expected me to do in the meantime!

By: Damo

Damo — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 03:50:17 +0000

‘Get off that bloody laptop and help me with the kids you lazy bastard” seems to doing the rounds except my beloved isn’t always that polite.

But have to comment on “league is on the cusp of something great”? League is a good game. Great tradition in Sydney etc, etc. but I struggle to understand what “greatness” awaits it that will leave the more international rugby code in its wake.

By: Cattledog

Cattledog — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 03:19:42 +0000

Nice one OME…particularly like the premature articulation! Forget the notion JH is in it for the betterment of RL. He’s actually a JON ‘plant’ to keep RU ahead of the game. We do need all the help we can get at the moment.

By: OldManEmu

OldManEmu — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 03:04:31 +0000

Forget the notion that….OldManEmu wears the pants in the Emu household.

‘Get off that bloody laptop and help me with the kids you lazy bastard”

Sorry for the premature articulation.

I was going to say forget the notion that this proposed independant commission needs to be inhabited by “Rugby League” types, in fact quite the contrary I would argue.

Roy and HG once described State of Origin thus: “A lot of big hits, a lot of duds and a lot of fat old blokes”. The reference to the lots of fat old blokes was the interminable procession of officials wearing blazers – or “Rugby League” types.

The commission needs to be devoid of fat old blokes. Management and administration acumen are paramount,not one’s association with a club or representative team. Rugby League is on the cusp of something great in this country and if the game can get this commission right, it is my humble opinion that it will leave Rugby Union for dead. Conversely if it stuffs the commission full of fat old blokes nothing will be achieved.

By: Cattledog

Cattledog — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 03:00:25 +0000

The adage goes…Union is a bastards game played by gentleman whereas League is a gentleman’s game played by bastards.

By: Pippinu

Pippinu — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:45:57 +0000

that’s not a bad start to the game – but one point of order: I thought rugby was a thug’s game played by gentlemen, and that League was a thug’s game played by thug’s?? (not my words, or views, but this is what I used to hear in Canberra) Soccer is a gentleman’s game played by thugs.

By: Cattledog

Cattledog — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:41:22 +0000

Forget the notion that…League’s a gentleman’s game played by bastards. Howard will at last bring some ‘decorum’ to the table!

By: Pippinu

Pippinu — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:22:38 +0000

…forget the notion that….????

Perhaps we can turn this into a bit of a game for a lazy weekend.

Please complete OldManEmu’s line:

“Forget the notion that….”

It need not be related to this discussion, or anything really.

Most imaginative answer wins bragging rights and the inaugural “oneupmanship” award.

By: Pippinu

Pippinu — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:20:28 +0000

Sheek
many of our discussions are really another form of religious debate!!

The only difference is that it’s far more important than religion!!

By: OldManEmu

OldManEmu — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:18:26 +0000

I thought that the proposed appointment of Howard as Chairman of the new independant commission was an excellent idea. Forget the notion that