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By profession, I am a rugby league man, but I’ve bought a ticket to the Super Rugby grand final this weekend. I have done so for one – no, make that two – reasons.
The first is that I am a dedicated NSW sports fan and our union team, the NSW Waratahs, has richly earned its first-ever home decider. Michael Cheika’s men have been bang on the money all year and I really want to see them ice the cake against the Crusaders from Kiwi-land.
The second reason – and, come to think of it, this should have been my first – is that Israel Folau and Kurtley Beale are playing.
I really love watching these guys play. They play like league-ies in rugby union uniforms and they look good – really, really good. They are bordering on outstanding, but that’s only when someone decides it might be a good idea to give them the ball.
I’ve watched the ‘Tahs closely all season.
They’ve played great and positive footy and deserve their finals berth. Collectively, they are a highly talented team but to my eyes, they only become ‘special’ when Folau and his good friend, Beale, enter the fray with their ad-hoc, instinctive gifts and style of play.
I believe these guys are the primary reason the Waratahs are sitting pretty in the game of the year. If one or both weren’t in Blue jumpers, I feel NSW would be watching on yet again.
Folau and Beale both have rugby league backgrounds – and wouldn’t rugby league love to get their hands on them in the near future! It may happen, it may well not.
Israel, of course, played his early football with the Brisbane Broncos and Melbourne Storm. He achieved state and international honours before trying his hand at AFL.
Everyone knows Beale was a product of the famous rugby nursery, St Josephs College, but before that, he was stand-out talent for Mt Druitt in the Penrith rugby league juniors.
He was destined to stay in league before his grandfather spotted an opportunity for him in union and urged him to take up a scholarship for schooling and rugby union at the famous Joeys college.
Folau and Beale have chosen to play union at this point of their careers and the code has become a very handsome winner on the back of their incredible skills, athleticism and spontaneity. I think I am right to say that union was in dire straits before they came together.
There is no need to cite statistics to demonstrate how incredible an impact Folau and Beale have had on the Waratahs this season. I think their contribution, both individually and together, is obvious.
They seem to know how to engineer points when many around them are scratching their heads.
I am not saying either of them is Superman. Nor am I saying that the genuine rugby players around them are no-hopers, no-talents or anything negative. But the Waratahs – and the Wallabies, while I am in this vein – are indeed blessed to have Folau and Beale in their midst.
The code was in major trouble before they got together. Tries were at a premium, Test wins were becoming scarce, the type of football being played was boring to the power of three. Rugby union was battling for media mentions against the other three football codes, but the tide has turned dramatically for the better.
As I write this, two men with a rugby league foundation are at the forefront of all that is good in the resurgence of both the Waratahs and the Wallabies.
While union is definitely on an upward trajectory, these two players are riding on top of the wave.
The NSW team has plenty of top-class footballers but in my view, the big danger to the Crusaders will emanate from backline instigators Folau and Beale.
If they aren’t seen and used as the go-to men, I don’t think the Waratahs can bloom.
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