England coach Tony Smith today launched a scathing attack on the standard of rugby league played in Australia. Speaking on the UK’s most popular league radio show, Aussie Smith was commenting on the recent State of Origin series.
During this discussion, he fired the opening salvo in what looms as a nuclear war-of-words with Australian coach Ricky Stuart as both sides’ preparations for October’s World Cup shift up a gear.
Asked by James Deighton, host of BBC Radio Leeds’ popular Rugby League Show, what England’s tactics will be to combat “the likes of Inglis and co”, Smith’s controversial remarks were obviously motivated by a desire to ruffle more than a few feathers south of the equator.
“I watched all of the State-of-Origin games, and I was quite disappointed,” replied Smith. “I find Australian rugby league quite boring in comparison to what we play here in Super League. I think we should be quite proud of what we are producing in the UK.”
Smith, who played for the Illawarra Steelers and St George before moving into coaching, went on to suggest that, so great was the standard of play in the UK, the big name Australian players lured to England by the promise of hefty pay cheques were finding it difficult to adjust to the demands of the English game.
‘Most overseas players are better in their second year, because there’s a lot of differences both on and off the field. Culturally it’s different. I much prefer the style that we play here in England.”
Smith, younger brother of Newcastle Knights coach Brian, has had a meteoric rise through the coaching ranks – starting as coach of lowly Huddersfield, before moving on for his successful stint at high-flying Leeds.
Last year he was appointed national coach, where he immediately tasted success as the mastermind of Great Britain’s whitewash of the New Zealand 2007 Tourists.
Whether England will win the World Cup, yet alone reach the final is debatable.
However, Smith’s recent international success, combined with Leed’s impressive World Club Challenge victory (against an admittedly Smith/Inglis-less Storm) must make the England team genuine contenders to lift the trophy in October.
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Crosscoder
Guest
Ara.crowds diminshing in rugby league games,18,000 at Sharks v Manly,ditto Souths v Parra,37,000 Broncos v Dogs,Titans over 20,000 average.The crowds have dipped in S14 both in Oz and NZ despite the new laws. The NRL crowds dipped in Sydney due to SOO and lack of star players,economy(at last reports not going gangbusters),and ANZ stadium.It has little to do with the game itself,yes there has been the odd boring game,but at the same time many edge of the seat matches.Unfortunately can't say the same for union despite the new laws and the the writer having played it for 6 years and watched it for decades. The one thing I will say is the English Super league is indeed less of a kicking game and relies more on the running and offloading skills of the players.No wonder it will expand to 14 teams from next year,and more than likely inlcude a Welsh Team,such is the tremendous growth of rugby league at grassroots level in England,Wales,Scotland. Rugby league has always been an innovator when it comes to rule changes,it will continue along those lines whilst it is played.
westy
Guest
Sledgecross.......the next thing you will tell me is that the Waratahs represent New South Wales....
westy
Guest
Sledgeross....................." the NRL is largely a Sydney based competition" .......it is in Sydney that there is trouble the demographic and power of league is definitely north of the border.
Steve Kaless
Guest
I'm not getting drawn into the petty Union arguments. But I will say that Smith's comments are perhaps a signal not only trying to fire up a war of words to build interest but also the growing pride the English have in their Super League competition. I must admit, I think the standard is definately improving there and it does seem a lot faster due to the fact there isn't the "wrestle" in the ruck that there is in the NRL. However, while the top teams might be able to compete with NRL teams, there still isn't the depth in the UK comp. Tony Smith though does strike me as a pretty good coach and does seem to be going all out on preparation for the World Cup, hopefully his Lions side can make a better fist of it than previous tourists.
Dave
Guest
Sounds like Smith is getting some early promotional work in for the RL WC later in the year.
sledgeross
Guest
Josh, the only people who use the excuse of NRL equating to S14 are those grasping at straws. The NRL is largely a Sydney based comp. The Waratahs get to draw on a similar talent pool than that of the NSW Origin team. If there was only one NSW team in the NRL, Im sure the crowds would exceed the Waratahs. As such, it is silly to compare a club comp to a provincial comp, no matter what the code. I agree about the petty arguements though mate. Its hard not to get caught up in the rhetoric that goes around. Topics tend to force polarity one way or the other, even for the most even-minded person! At the end, we should be proud of all our teams (and scorn the Poms!) ;)
Josh
Guest
sledgeross - are you serious when you say "Compare crowds between club league and club union please"? Surely not - that argument went out in the 1980s. The equivalent of NRL clubs in rugby is S14 - compare those crowds. And why the petty arguments? Both codes have their good and bad points. My thoughts are that the difference between a good and bad game of league is fairly minimal, whereas the difference between a good and bad match of union is huge. I'd rather watch a game of QLD Cup league than half the rugby internationals being played recently, but then some of the great rugby matches are so far ahead of the best league matches it isn't funny. At the end of the day rugby will always be the dominant code internationally and club league will always be the dominant rugby code week-to-week in Australia - unless the mungos get wise and take the money on offer in French rugby.
westy
Guest
I do concede one thing that some young league players have the risk factor educated out of them too early for the sake of structured play. ......it was the risk player Thurston rather than the strustured Pierce who scored. .....You see on the last tackle of the game a risk player would have run it not tried a precise kick.......
chas
Guest
Ara: The crowds are not diminishing in RL games. 2008 has provided the second best attendance figures since RL was played in Oz. The SOO season always brings "negative attendances".
sledgeross
Guest
Cmon, Moggy dominated Origin when he played, Cosmo's!!!
cosmos forever
Guest
Before you all start hitting wikipedia for game attendance stats, just check the 500 other threads on the Roar that already cover that! As for Smith's comments, I watch a lot of both and I can see his point. Superleague can be really exciting and quite flamboyant. But in general that's because there is such a difference in levels of the players. Even the top club sides have some really low skiled players, which means lots of missed tackles and gaps for exciting players. I'm not having a go - it is definitely a different brand from the NRL. NRL is closer, more disciplines and more structured. Having said all of that, in the end, you can only put 13 on the field and I find it very hard to see how the best 13 from the UK can ever compete with the best 13 from here. Adding to this is that the best 13 in the Superleague are probably majority expats from Aus and NZ anyway, Again, no disrespect to the English, but having watched at least two games per week all season it is generally the imports who lead the way. And those imports are generally fringe first graders here - Adam Mogg classic case in point (but I love ya Moggy).
sledgeross
Guest
Why are crowds diminishing in Union games? Compare crowds between club league and club union please...... I agree Chris, NSW were boring as hell. It was like watching the Wallabies!
spud murphy
Roar Rookie
Talk about people in glass houses, did anyone ever see Tony Smith play? BORING as bat guano. Oh well i guess he's still entitled to an opinion and he may even have a decent point. Teams seem to playing out of fear of losing rather than in an attempt to win. Guess who started the boring "statistical game", you guessed it none other than big bro Brian, thanks Mr Control Freak. Still, we can smash the poms most days of the week. I'm more worried about losing the fans. Let me ask, is it better to play a boring brand of football and win or play flamboyantly and take your chances?
chris
Guest
League has become very predictable. I have never seen so much 1-out footy as i did last week by NSW. It was getting very difficult to watch.
Ara
Guest
Why do you think the crowds are dimisnishing in league games?
chas
Guest
Ara: .".........flair in Union" ? When did you see this? Tell me! Quickly! Five (or ten) kicks and a tackle!!!!!
sledgeross
Guest
More flair in Union? Stop taking the piss. At least we see some attacking play in league. Union hasnt been exciting since it went professional. We are lucky we have a Giteau type player in our side who can perhaps rectify things, but it has been a boring decade from a "flair" POV. Having watched a fair bit of Super League, and its reserve grade/junior set up, Smith is obviously delusional. The NRL is such a war of attrition because everyone is so good, its an even contest. In Super League, there are the big 4, and the also rans might string together a decent upset occasionaly, but that it. We will see how the Poms go on full size fields later on on the year. Playing at ANZ, or Suncorp will be different than Knowsley Road or Headingley!
Ara
Guest
I agree with Smith's comments! Five tackles and kick the ball hhoping for a try. I hate saying this but there is much more unpredictability and flair in Union then in League at the moment.