When the Blues and the Maroons take the field to do battle in Game Two of the Origin Series, the games show-piece event will once again be missing the skills of the little man, a pocket dynamo who could bring the crowd to their feet whenever the ball found its way into their hands. And you know what? The game really is poorer for it.
While there are still successful ‘little’ men in the game, their days are numbered as League moves deeper into the professional era. The truly talented players will always reach the top but the question remains, will the next generation of youngsters continue to keep playing when they are getting bashed out of the game?
The most talented of my contemporaries are now plying their trade in the National Youth Competition with some people my age beginning to get their chance in first grade. The training programs these players are exposed to when they enter the professional environment means they are now bigger than ever.
The grass roots of the game is going to suffer drastically unless serious consideration is given to the re-introduction of weight divisions. Some areas of Sydney already have begun to implement it. Weight limits may be an unpopular system and viewed as a means to discrimination but it really is needed. Consider that an average NRL player will retire around 30-32 years of age give or take a few years. Most begin playing at an early age. This is in some cases a quarter of a century of getting tackled and running. The body can not sustain that type of punishment.
The little man who beats a big man with skill and speed would excite the crowd. Ken Irvine, the greatest winger of them all was a twig next to todays behemoths. Yet even he may find himself an endangered species in the modern game.
In an age where the government is concerned about childhood obesity, should we punish those who are lighter by making them get belted every weekend?
If we don’t act now the endangered species may well become extinct.
Hen
Guest
Not sure where you are coming from Liam - Darren Lockyer is hardly big and not doing too bad :)
Liam Howitt
Roar Guru
Tom that is a fair point, there is still a number of little men in the game today who are still successful. True talent will rise given the opportunity regardless of body shape, height and weight. The issue is not about the current small men in the game, it is about the next generation. How many will still want to play top level rugby league when they get belted every weekend for many, many seasons. It is an extremely demanding game to play and the trends used in the NRL flow down to the lower leagues. For example it is now common place for coaches to have second rowers playing out wide to run at the centres and wingers. Half-backs and five-eighths now defend out wide, and there are always at least 3 in a tackle now as kids seek to slow down the play the ball. I hope I am proved wrong, the gaem needs the smaller men. it is always a great spectacle to see a little man get one over a bigger one. Skill should beat size and strength.
Tom Alexander.
Guest
I don't know that they are indangered the Titans have Preston Campbell South Sydney have Chris Sandow and Issac Luke the Cowboys Matty Bowen the Bulldogs Brett kimmorley Hazem El-Masri and Ben Barba coming through Warriors have Stacy Jones Lance Hohaia and an even smaller player in Kevin Locke Panthers have Lachlin Coote and Jarrod Sammit who seems to be holding his own Parramatta have young Mortimer even Benji Marshall falls into the smaller bracket of players in league there will always be a place for the Allan Langers Kevin Walters Johnathan Davies Ewen McGradys and Geoff Tooveys in Rugby League.