Craig Fitzgibbon’s illustrious career cannot be questioned. A decorated career of 307 first grade games (including 47 at Hull in Super League), 11 appearances for the Blues and 19 for the Kangaroos.
As a Queenslander, I was never concerned when he was selected for the Blues. As a Kangaroos fan, I was always disappointed when he was.
I am not here to bag Craig Fitzgibbon, he was an honest player and always seemed like a decent bloke to me. I want to discuss the impact he and players like him have had on our great game.
I am sitting in my lounge room today watching a replay of State of Origin 3, 1998. Looking at the teams prior to the start of the match. New South Wales are stacked with stars such as the Johns brothers, Brad Fittler, Laurie Daley, Tim Brasher and Dave Furner. Queensland themselves have a strong team with Darren Lockyer, Allan Langer, Kevin Walters, Gorden Tallis and Shane Webcke.
As the game unfolds I compare it to the game of today. The brilliant interchange of passing in the game is obvious. Brilliant pieces of play between the Johns brothers, Daley, Fitler, with Jim Dymock and Furner offloading on the edges (albeit Dymock actually played a lot of the game at hooker, even though named at lock).
Queensland equally have an impressive number of ball players in their team. Lockyer, Langer, Walters, Ben Ikin and Jason Smith all combine well with several barnstorming runs and offloads from Tallis and Tonie Carroll.
I think about all the NRL games I’ve watched over the last few years, the ruck it up and kick it to the corner mentality.
The sheer number of talented ball players in both of these teams amazed me. The pure footballing brains and talent on display on both sides of the stripe were obvious.
Fast forward to 2016 and the Blues creative players who can ball play include Matt Moylan (a stretch) and James Maloney. At an even further stretch, there’s Wade Graham.
The 2016 Maroons have Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk and Cam Smith as their ball players.
What has changed? Why aren’t teams littered with intelligent players who have the ability to ball play? Why is the game not like this any more?
I give you my theory – the Fitzgibbon effect.
In 1998 Craig Fitzgibbon makes his debut, making the first of many representative appearances in 2001 and winning the Clive Churchill in 2002. At this point in time, he was one of the best backrowers in the game, according to many.
Fitzgibbon had no ball-playing ability. He had no flair, no excitement and as a footballer he was one of the most boring I’ve seen. I say boring, many others say reliable or consistent, and he was both of those. He was the perfect clubman. He was a slightly better but more even boring version of Alan Tongue.
Fitzgibbon was the mould of player every coach wanted and needed in their team. Over the last ten or so years we have seen a growing need for backrowers to play 80 minutes, to minimise their mistakes, to make 40+ tackles a game. Backrowers can now play in the centres, or even play prop with little difference to their performances or their style of play.
We have wingers (obviously they are not real footballers) who can even slot into the backrow position with relative ease if they have enough size.
Our footballers across the park have become Fitzgibbons. Predictable, boring, statistic driven clones of each other.
Lockyer changed the way fullbacks needed to play. Fullbacks are probably the most complete players in the modern game, but across the rest of the park the players have become sterile and predictable.
Remember when a 33-year-old Jason Smith returned to the NRL in 2005-06 and Queensland were begging him to pull on a maroons jersey? Why were they? Remember his ball playing at the line? His vision? He was a sensation to watch and one of the few players who no longer fit the Fitzgibbon mould.
Look across the NRL today and the athleticism has increased immensely, the structures have improved, the statistical analysis has gone through the roof. All of these improvements at the expense of developing actual footballers. We now have athletes who pretend to be footballers.
Let’s have a look at the likely candidates in the backrow for the Blues this year? Boyd Cordner, Trent Merrin, Graham, Ty Frizell and Josh Jackson. All fantastic players, but all in the post-Fitzibbon era mould. Not a heap of skill or talent there, but all capable of playing big minutes, few errors and able to play disciplined football.
For the Maroons it will most likely be Josh Papali, Matt Gillet, Sam Thaiday, Aidan Guerra and Gavin Cooper. Again, all fantastic players but again all are in the post-Fitzgibbon era mould.
We won’t see a Fittler, Smith, Johns, Daley or Ikin in the #13 or #3. This would mean there are too many actual football players and not enough tackling/hit-up clones in the team.
Craig Fitzgibbon – you were a great player and seem like a decent bloke. But you, and others like you, have killed off proper rugby league.
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