From time to time someone responds to a moan with “life is tough – then you die.” Death is inevitable, but a tough life? Actually not – particularly for professional rugby players in Australia.
While growing up in Papua New Guinea, and on school holidays in the Queensland bush, I met Aussies who defined the concept of hard – both physically and mentally.
They struggled against very tough odds every day of their lives working on cattle stations, farms, construction projects in the middle of nowhere, and the cane fields of North Queensland.
These people knew what it was like to hang on to something when it was cutting through your fingers, or to keep lifting when your muscles were burning up, because quitting meant losing an arm or leg or worse under the weight of something collapsing or recoiling, or being bowled over by a much larger animal.
This happened on a regular basis. When it didn’t kill them they were at it the next day. They were hard from work and life; the kind of people who might be beaten down but who never quit.
We used to have people like that playing rugby – not just in Australia, everywhere.
When I was much younger I imagined that the Welsh were formidable in the scrum because their forwards were born bent over slogging away at a coal face and their backs were quick and clever from escaping from collapsing mine shafts. I digress.
What do we have today? Well, players are big and strong in a limited sort of way – the product of hanging out in gyms pushing weights that rarely do anything unexpected – let alone bite back if they are neglected.
After a couple hours of ‘work’ – maybe even a test match – they hit the pub or the beach, or ‘tweet’ their legions of fans. The most stressful thing an average day brings is deciding what to do with all that time off.
What we have are a bunch of soft-bodied and soft-minded poseurs. Across the board they have not got a clue what real adversity looks like, let alone what it means to stand up to it both physically and mentally – to earn the right to be referred to as ‘hard.’
The irony of the age of professionalism is that these over-paid sooks aren’t as well prepared to play as the old blokes who had real day jobs and played for pride in the jersey.
Australia has a legacy of hard men playing rugby. We haven’t had many recently. There are none (none!) in the current lot, and a number of pretty boys who will never be.
Before you decide who to take on the spring tour, coach Deans, perhaps you should ask yourself what kind of a man you are getting – not just what his rugby looks like today.
There is a model for this, coach – Brad Thorn.
If you look carefully enough, and do some serious culling of your current herd of fat cattle, perhaps we can have some of what he brings to the All Black’s game in the Wallabies next year? Please.
fix it
Guest
A bunch of city boys are in the team. Being a junior rep-player from the country and going to the city to play against rep Sydney players is a stark contrast. When in Sydney, we play against Islanders and fellow white lads with lovely hair, and who are no doubt talented more then us. But when it comes to grit and toughness and the desire to say 'f--k it, let's rip in,' us country players prevail. Its not rare for a 18-year old colts player to play three games a day out in the bush. Just some brief points for Robbie if he happened to read this. 1. PASSION. PHIL F------N' WAUGH. Could of really made a difference off the bench in the tri-nations games. 2. Pick and drive. Quit this ridiculous thing of halfback popping the ball to forwards, who are caught 3 metres behind the advantage line. 3. For the love of God, pick some working class heroes ie. Ratu Nashinguygvy for the tour coming up. Expose them. Does every Wallaby have to go to St Josephs or something? Thanks.
Al Tomfrey
Guest
Hard men???? Um, this is a game, not reality. If you want to call yourselves hard and be hard, enlist and join the fight against the Taliban, who are hard. Really hard. Grown men hiding out playing games with rules and safety provisions for a living, when real men are out fighting or otherwise protecting and serving the nation are not hard. Don't kid yourself that you are. Enlist. Anyone man enough?
MM
Guest
Hey - no harm done - the banter was obvious - yes - I did recognise who your contribution was meant for. Have actually got to like you a stack - you're out for fairness - not for your own glory - but Pothale, no harm meant, you sometimes intervene at times when KO and I may not agree - perhaps agreed to disagree? My take is one of fairness - not technicalities which can be argued endlessly. Each person's reality is his own - a very true statement. Hey mate - thanks for being around - for the irony too.
Derm
Roar Guru
Sigh! MM - wake up and smell the irony. KO and myself were engaged in gay banter and ready repartee - long before you arrived on the scene. My earlier comment to KO was about your contribution, not KO's.
MM
Guest
Wait a minute Pothale - very recently you asked Knives out and myself if we needed a separate room as you felt nauseated... Pray, tell me - why are you climbing into an already resolved issue? Try looking for answers in nature.
Knives Out
Guest
You can always spot Hemjay. He's the Millwall of the Roar, why attempt wit when angry vitriol will suffice?
Derm
Roar Guru
I'll give you wing flutter, yeh jessie, yeh. You're Hemjay and QC in disguise, I betcha. No one else could provide such a line in markedly eloquent bullshit.
Knives Out
Guest
Maybe you should open your heart to the wonders of nature and yet also remain aware of the human context. What great heart beats when an coconut falls from the coconut tree? The cradle rocks and a mosquito's wing flutter is felt in Cyprus.
Derm
Roar Guru
Would you two like a room? I'm feeling nauseated.
Derm
Roar Guru
Head. Sailed. Over. Comes to mind.
Knives Out
Guest
Rare, but it happened, Amband, so it's arguable that the union problems aren't specific to the Australian union side.
Knives Out
Guest
But is it, though? Maybe some, but not everybody, eh.
Amband
Guest
they are ignoring the vast pool of young talent in the suburbs when it comes to advancing the game. High honours are given to those that went to the right school quote "What talent is the ARU ignoring? As I recall the Kiwis beat up their league counterparts in the most important league game of the calendar." well that is rare
MM
Guest
Know something Knives Out - you're a true champ!! May it never set in your heart either - for the sun, nature and creation is far too great to settle in any human's heart!
Knives Out
Guest
As long as the sun never sets in your heart.
MM
Guest
When the sun sets in either of those two places - humanity will have far larger problems than debating rugby - that's for sure.
Knives Out
Guest
Oh absolutely, but will the sun set in the East or the South, and what happens to the rooster when the wind blows from the cow sheds? What say you, bru? Is it clever to try and criticise without having the intelligence to specify what is being critiqued or does that merely illustrate that El Nino is not as strong this year? Will the onset of nuclear power in Pakistan really affect the mental composition of the average man, and if so what type of character analysis is necessary to measure how many spikes on a pineapple? In light of this I offer you a simple invitation - do unto those, as you would have done to you. Look at every blade of grass and recall the vitality of Pan. Consider that rage is merely externalised depression, and that wishful thinking is not the same as wishful doing. How about posting something worthwhile up? Or do I mean down, and isn't that poor grammar? But then who needs grammar in the cosmos of semantics. How difficult is it to be the man in the high castle when every man's house is his kingdom?
MM
Guest
Pothale gave the answer earlier. It's pretty clear. Okay brother, let's be cool - in my last reply focus of the problem or perceived problem was brought back - there was an opportunity to get back to the core issue(s). I did ask you for a comment of wisdom which you well know you can produce - so now what Knives Out? Tell you what Bru, you're making things difficult on yourself when you really don't have to. Be cool too. Be objective and kind meaning hard on merit, soft on people maintaining focus. How many more times are you going to decline the opportunity and attempt a character analysis? There's the open invite - how about posting something worthwhile up?
Knives Out
Guest
MM, stop looking for attention. It's unbecoming of an adult. You critiqued something that I had said without the decency of specifying what exactly. I'm not sure what your agenda is but try and be cool, brother.
MM
Guest
Knives out - I doubt you're an Englishman - having a go at them maybe? You did well. Nice piece of literature thereafter... seriously - you can put up far more intelligent comments as you've done many times in the past - much to your credit - soz the wheels fell of the wagon on this article. Re the grasp of irony - tell me something I don't know.... Now why don't you put a good comment in re the article at hand - feeling sorry for Deans is not what he's paid for pal - he collects a tidy enough sum. He wanted the job - he should get on with it and he may well prove to do so - when, is what we are clueless about. We're talking about players here - their attitude, what brings it about resulting in huge disappointment from their fans - these young lads may well be in the grooming for the future - nothing wrong with that - but players with attitudes cannot be groomed - past, legendary players had it far harder yet performed far better far sooner. As South Africa's Naas Botha says, "Generally it's not wise to change history...". And it's history that is being changed here and that's why it's not working. Say what you like - I'm getting out to another exciting challenge. Cheers