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The myth of Darius Boyd

Roar Guru
30th April, 2016
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Would the Broncos have won if there was a captain's challenge? (AAP Image/Dan Peled)
Roar Guru
30th April, 2016
116
2747 Reads

They love a good story north of the Tweed. I’ve heard and experienced a few of the Queensland ones.

Port Douglas is the most pristine place on earth, Bundaberg Rum is the best rum in the world, Sir Joh Bjelke Petersen was the best premier in the world, XXXX is the best beer in the world and of course XXXX is beer.

They love twisting the truth in the land of the banana bender.

Myth and legend plays just as big a part when it comes to rugby league.

Wally ‘The King’ Lewis, ruled over all and sundry before him during those heady, halcyon days of the 1980s, and early 1990s.

“Darren Lockyer was a better player than Andrew Johns”.

“Wayne Bennett is the greatest rugby league coach that ever graced the game”.

Queensland love to hype up their own to the point of such hyperbole, that the mere attempt to fathom any logic or reason is surely an exercise in futility.

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But there are some myths that simply do not stand up to any rhyme, reason, logic, or sense of reality, and none more so than the myth that we have been fed to make us believe that Darius Boyd is the number one fullback in Australia at the moment.

No, he is not.

I can handle the platitudes that go King Wally’s way. As a small child watching his ritualistic demolition of the NSW Blues annually in the 1980s, Wally stood out as the lead executioner. Albeit, I would argue he only played three good games a year, but they were three bloody good ones.

And while it pains me to admit it, Darren Lockyer, though not a patch on the greatest player I ever saw with my own eyes (one: A. Johns), at least he has the runs on the board. Captained his country, won Origin series, won premierships, record games holder, mastered two positions, at least he actually achieved something.

But Darius Boyd?

Has rugby league become that hard up for genuinely great players that we rush to laud the likes of such over-rated mediocrity encapsulated in a player that has never done so little, and managed to enjoy such a steady ride on the coat tails of so many?

No, no, before you start commenting below on how biased, ridiculous, and wrong I am, before you start throwing names at myself and relatives, just stop, and remember that we’re talking about Darius Boyd.

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Yes, Darius Boyd.

The player who only plays when Bennett coaches.

The player who, firstly unbelievably gets picked for Queensland, manages to stand idly at the end of plays started by Johnathan Thurston, finished by Greg Inglis, and allowing Boyd to place a ball over a line.

The guy who did so little at Newcastle, we were packing his bags and booking his tickets out of town the first chance we got.

Yes, Darius Boyd.

He can’t pass. Can’t really tackle. I saw him run, once, and that was when he was playing for St George Illawarra, after taking one of the luckiest intercepts I have ever witnessed in my entire life.

He can’t kick the ball.

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I think he can catch, which you would imagine he would do a fair bit as a fullback, but considering he spends a lot of time running away from the ball, take a photo of him doing that, because it’s rare. And most of his catches are when Greg Inglis is giving him the ball over a vacant NSW-defended tryline.

And the reason I mention all of this is that, in light of an Australian team that has managed to name three fullbacks in it, it amazes me that Darius wound up with the ‘1’ on the back of his jersey. If I’m Greg Inglis or Josh Dugan, and I’m playing out of position to accommodate Boyd, well, I’d be somewhat confused.

Rugby league has runs on the board in this regard. The way Andrew Johns played out of position to accommodate Brett Kimmorley was criminal.

Brad Fittler being shoe-horned into the side at the expense of others was sometimes curious.

The examples of Kimmorley and Fittler are New South Welshman I have mentioned, so it turns out that, while the land of pineapples and cane toads love to tell stories, this appears to be an Australian rugby league issue, not so much a Queensland one.

The point is that representative football is a reward. It is a reward for excellence. If you’re the best in your position, or the best in the game, you are given the reward of playing for your region, state, or country.

Darius Boyd achieves nothing that gives him the privilege to represent anyone. He should be thankful that the benevolent Bennett keeps picking him in first grade.

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By picking Boyd over so many others, it really sends a message, and it is the wrong message.

And if big Mal Meninga is legitimate in his public iterations that he wants to bring pride and passion and integrity back into the green and gold jersey, a good start would be to get rid of his Queensland buddy, Darius Boyd, and stick to picking the best players. Regardless of the myth that has been crafted in his name.

By doing so, perhaps we might focus less on the myth that is player reputation, and more on the legend that is the green and gold Kangaroo jersey.

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