I’ve been inspired by a brilliant performance by the Wests Tigers on the weekend. Specifically, I have been inspired by a player who, under the common law of sporting cliché, must always be described by the news media as “mercurial” (and duly was, by the Sydney Morning Herald on the front page of Monday’s sports section).
Why?
Because he blends skill, flair and inconsistency in such quantities that the best parts are Picasso and the worst parts are just a woman with a nose on the side of her head.
So here he is, with four accomplices, as part of the Top 5 Sportsmen That Must Always Be Described As “Mercurial”:
1. Benji Marshall (c)
Can do no wrong in my book, owing to his pivotal role (literally) in the Tigers’ miracle 2005 premiership. However kicking out on the full repeatedly, missing tackles effortlessly (literally – on Sunday he ran alongside Wes Naiqama after a linebreak without even attempting to bring him down) and throwing no-look passes where yes-look passes would do could easily be mistaken for mistakes by others. But then Benji beats 7 defenders with 2 steps, 1 swerve, 2 fends and 1 feint and puts his winger away in the corner for a barely believable try. Then sets up two more, kicks the goal and the game is won.
2. David Campese
In any other week, Campo would not just be No.1, he would be goose-stepping Mercury himself. He had speed, step, swerve and skill. He was Australia’s greatest winger, but also a brilliant first receiver (his first try in the 1991 World Cup semi-final anyone?). He could pick up a half-volley from his boot-laces at speed, and kick longer than just about anyone who has played for the Wallabies in 25 years. All he needed was the ball. And that was the problem. In defence, Campo was 50:50 at best – in fact if he played against himself, that would be a representative score! Throw in a couple of pin-point passes to the opposition (Ieuan Evans, Mark Brooke-Cowden) and you have a bloke who was quicksilver itself and who made Rugby compelling for so many years.
3. Phil Blake
The greatest one-season wonder in the modern history of Rugby League. Sure, Blake actually played for 16 seasons (and 261 first-grade games) but the only one I remember was his 27-try season in 1983, when every second try seemed to be from a chip, chase and regather. Had he not already been playing for them, Manly would surely have poached him! Instead, he ended up migrating to Souths – the irony! – and Norths, and Canberra, and Saints, and Warrington, and Auckland. 7 career clubs, 138 career tries, 11 career tackles – that’s mercurial.
4. Michael Slater
Despite his puzzlingly low Test strike rate of 53.3 (or 3.2 runs per over), Slats is credited by many, including me, for revolutionising Test opening in the same way Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana did in one-dayers. Among many great moments, he hit four fours in the first over of the 2001 Ashes series, brought up his ton against England at the SCG in 1999 with a lofted drive over mid-off (Darren Gough was bowling at his sharpest) and invented the now clichéd helmet-kiss for the ton.
Yet he also threw away tons with monotonous regularity: dancing down the track to slog in 1998 against anonymous Pakistani spinner Arshad Khan (as I watched in horror from Kings Cross fleapit the Mansions Hotel), only to be stumped for 96. Repeating the trick against Chuckali in Galle a year later. Peeling off yet another 96 against the weak Windies in 2001 before being caught off another yet another spinner, the iconic Mahendra Nagamootoo. Mercurial.
5. Virender Sehwag
“Viru” is Slats’ spiritual successor, despite obvious differences in nationality, temperament, Test average and technique! Caught for 195 trying to hit Simon Katich out of the world’s biggest ground in 2001, the MCG, Sehwag was undeterred, saying afterwards “it was there to hit”. His devil-may-care approach was rewarded in 2004 when he became the first batsman to bring up a triple-century with a six. He went one (actually, ten runs and about ten overs) better last year, when he scored the world’s fastest-ever triple century, off 278 balls. He has now made ten ducks and eleven scores over 150, and despite an almost complete lack of foot movement is the best batsman to watch in world cricket. Mercurial!
There could be honourable mentions aplenty in this category, from Marat Safin to Kenny Fletcher, but I’m interested in your suggestions.
With thanks to Nicholas Gray and Peter Hemming for their input.
Rusty
Guest
haha!
amband
Guest
David Knox had a pass as good as anyone and a cleverness as good as Ella's on his day. Lloyd Walker another. Both should have played for the Wallabies sooner
b-rad
Guest
can people please look up the word "mercurial" before posting :-)
swamprat
Guest
Eddy The Eagle sored with the Gods .
captain nemo
Roar Guru
Dean Jones mouth cost him 50 tests
SouthernWaratah
Guest
The Waugh Brothers cost Deano 50 Tests
fox
Guest
Never good enough for the title sadly!
fox
Guest
Dean Jones has to get a mention.
SouthernWaratah
Guest
sometimes fly half for the Wallabies
sam.gilbert
Roar Rookie
manny edmonds.. some might not know him but he was an electric fly-half, a bit like benji. He didn't seem to care for tactics or set plays, just played by instinct. could be brilliant or woeful.
sam.gilbert
Roar Rookie
sorry rugby fans but i gotta put some weight behind diego maradona. the ultimate flawed genius. how he isn't number one is beyond me. also, i wouldn't agree that campo was a good first reciever( im not sure if this was said tongue in cheek or not).. in fact i would downright disagree. he was just such a brilliant talent he could run it from anywhere on the field.
Whiteline
Guest
Brett Papworth - when he wasn't injured
captain nemo
Roar Guru
Wally Lewis, Tim Horan, Totai Kefu, John Eales, Ray Price
gavin
Guest
why is Heather Mackay always forgotten in these best of sports figure things? She was arguably better at her sport, squash, than Campese was at rugger Benji is brilliant. Sadly his combo with Scitt Prince was ruin when Prince moved away from the tigers. Benji himself has suffered for that
Jez
Guest
Marat Safin: One of the only players who could beat Federer in his prime... and then could lose to Thomas Johansen the next day, and in the process of both matches swear constantly in Russian and break all of his racquets all while being watched by 7 blonde Russians on his bench - mercurial Shoaib Akhtar: Could rip any team apart, had the world's longest run up, got suspended for bribery, drugs, then his injury which ruled him out of the world Twenty20 turned out to be genital herpes - mercurial Doug Walters: Scored 100 in a session with a 6 off the last ball against the poms, went out and got blind drunk that night and then got out first ball the next morning. Used to wedge a lit cigarette in the fence when he went out to bat, just in case he got out quickly... mercurial
Scott The Aussie in Devon
Guest
Cheyne Horan was mercurial, AND an enigma wrapped in a conundrum. He refused to follow the lead of the vast majority and kept on single fin Lazor Zaps, and then the Kerry Bindon inspired "sausage" boards also single fins....and STILL was able to win events and keep up there. Then he hopped on what everyone else was riding....and won easily at the Pipe Masters..
David
Guest
could Terry Campese be the second Campese to be judged as mercurial? Is the surname, the shared DNA or the water in Queanbeyan?
rat rat rat
Guest
Tony Iro. Scored some match winning tries, but also would try and pop a pass in a 3 man tackle off the kick-off....
Dan
Guest
should have looked up "mercurial" :P . Some how got it mixed up with "talismatic".
Dan
Guest
No Andrew Johns, no Wally Lewis? Both players are immortals of Rugby League and capable of far more on the football field than the likes of David Campese ever did. He could score tries sure, but if you can't tackle, you don't deserve the title of an ever lasting "mercurial".