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When it comes to the impact it’s had on professional rugby in Australia, league has a lot to answer for: from the introduction of the drop punt, to the rigid defences and deep attacking lines.
The two rugby codes are totally different games, and they should be treated as such.
But too often, league’s influence has been felt in negative ways, from the recruitment of coaches (John Muggleton being the exception, who was a ball player) to the poaching of players, tactics, and conditioning techniques.
It’s time Australian rugby moved away from their reliance on leaguies and got back to using those who come exclusively from a rugby background.
The past weekend was a good reminder of why.
How many charge-downs do we see now in rugby because of the use of the league and AFL drop punt? Back in my day, we used the torpedo kick to gain ground. But these days, it seems players drop punt the ball for the heck of it, with little thought to where that kick ends up.
The Waratahs did this far too often against the Rebels on the weekend.
For the last quarter of the game, especially, when they desperately needed a try, they just couldn’t get one. All they did was turn the ball over by kicking it away.
I’ve said it before but it needs repeating: they need a complete overhaul at the Waratahs to get that team firing as they should. The players are simply not playing as a team.
Contrast the attitude of NSW players with that of the Brumbies, who have no big names or big heads in the team. They all play for each other.
It looks like NSW players think that they’re better than they are. And yet, they can’t handle it when the pressure is on. They play selfishly.
For example, Adam Ashley-Cooper hardly touches the ball. The two centers just do not pass him the ball. And the backs in general don’t seem to want to do a lot. They just kick the ball away.
No one knows how to put the opposition under pressure. All they do is run at straight at each other, which is a direct result of the impact that rugby league and its fitness trainers, coaches, and players have had.
Rugby players are all so big these days that anyone can practically play anywhere. There’s no need for specialisation anymore. Just look at Sonny Bill Williams: he’s about 6’4, around 110kgs, and he plays in the centers.
At the 1991 Rugby World Cup, I weighed 82kgs. By the time of the 1995 World Cup, I was up to 92kgs because of the arrival on the scene of Jonah Lomu. My mum thought I was on steroids!
That increase in weight impacted significantly on my style of rugby. I didn’t feel as light on my feet as I had 4 years earlier. So I can understand how the players today, with wingers regularly weighing in at over 100kgs, must find agility on the field a challenge.
So they’re all running straight at each other and not around their opponent.
In league you can get away with that because it’s such a different game: run it up for five tackles, then kick it. But there should be a whole lot more to it than that in rugby.
What’s worse, when rugby does poach a talented league player, they do nothing to help him adapt to the new code.
Lote Tuquiri is a good example. No one really taught him how to play rugby.
As a result, Lote was very explosive with the ball as a winger. But off the ball, his work rate was not great. I was a winger in my day, so I know what I’m talking about. He got very little support from his coaches: they basically said to him, you’re a professional, we expect you to learn it for yourself.
Now that he is back in the other code, he is a great player again.
We need to get back to the game we know. At the moment we are behind the other codes.
On a final note, I was very saddened to hear about the plight of my old teammate, Michael Lynagh. I believe he is getting better, though, which is great news. He is a wonderful guy and I wish him a very speedy recovery.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.