Friday night’s rugby league Test between Australia and New Zealand once again brought forward a deeply personal issue for me – it has become increasingly difficult to wholeheartedly support the Kangaroos.
They definitely wear the right colours and (mostly) speak with the right accents but there is something that has crept in to the way they play the game that doesn’t represent what our national teams have typically stood for.
I’m talking about a lack of respect for the match officials, and it is born of arrogance within a certain group of players which has gone unchecked.
Arrogance in this level of player is inevitable. Some of the players within this team will no doubt be remembered among the very greatest that have ever played the game, and it would be foolish to think they hadn’t bought into a certain level of the hype, especially where the hype is justified. If you play a sport to the level that some of these players are currently doing, it’ll only take so long before you realise you actually are pretty good.
Arrogance is also desirable to a point. It gives greater confidence and can help bring out the full range of skills and options. The problem arises when the arrogance goes unchecked and it comes out in the way they address match officials. Two incidents from Friday’s game highlight this for me.
The first occurred in the 33rd minute of the game. New Zealand’s Shaun Johnson put through a testing grubber which took a deflection of Jonathan Thurston into the in goal. As a result Billy Slater was out of position and, in desperation, blatantly shouldered the chasing New Zealand player to the ground.
This was one of the most clear cut professional fouls you are likely to see and there was not a second of debate within the commentary team about whether Slater would be binned.
When the video ref had had his look Slater was finally sent to the bin and his side escaped without a penalty try being awarded against them. Slater decided just taking his very much earned punishment from the man with the whistle was unacceptable.
Instead of shaking his head and trundling off he decided before he went he had to put the ref in his place by giving him a condescending lecture about “making sure he does the whole game like this.”
The second example occurred shortly afterwards, in the 37th minute. Greg Inglis attempted to play the ball and plainly lost control. The reaction from Thurston, who was standing at dummy half, was to turn to the touch judge and hurl abuse until he was intimidated enough to intervene and award a penalty.
It must also be said that Thurston is a repeat offender with respect to the abuse of officials.
These examples show the players’ egos have risen to the point where they feel, in the heat of those moments, they are above the officials and therefore the structure of the game itself. They are very humble off the field but the true test of character comes when the heat is on and it’s a test they both failed on Friday.
When these kinds of incidents occur it makes it very hard for me to give my all in support of the Kangaroos and, unfortunately, it has been a growing trend in the side over the last few years. The fact that, in both these instances, the players were so clearly in the wrong takes their behaviour from just being questionable to quite embarrassing.
With these players in new territory, with respect to the cash generation and media exposure, they probably don’t get many people around them who are willing to tell them to pull their heads in. So it’s left up to us.
Billy, Jonathan, pull your heads in.
You are great players but ordinary refs. Just as we wouldn’t get better play if the refs were carrying the ball, we wouldn’t get better decisions if you were holding the whistle. So just keep your traps shut.
Or, at the very least, get your facts straight first.
Queensland's Game is Rugby League
Guest
There's always some one willing to pick on Johnathon Thurston. I guess jealousy really is a curse. On a lighter note, happy birhtday Johnathon Thurston!
Jeff McGinn
Guest
Luke. the last comment is just sour grapes. "backchat, grappling, stomping, feet first tackles, third men in etc" These tactics have been part of our game forever.. it's just the press that have brought them to peoples attention. STORM or BELLAMY did not invent these things, nor are they the only 'USERS'. I have watched Rugby League, both here and in England since the early fifties and the game is much cleaner now than it ever was. I need to know the difference between any tackle that can get a 108kilo bag of muscle to the ground and the word Wrestling?. there is an element of wrestle in every tackle that has been made for 100 years. Storm just use better technique in their tackling -- Chicken Wing and all the rest of the BAD technique are once again NOT solely used by One club, you will find that they are usually made by certain players not the full team, the answer is, come down on the players that are using them, until such time they will not change their ways. Ohh and by the way, Storm have quite a good 'Penalties against' record, this is not due to favouritism or protectionism, it is due to the fact that they play within the rules. If the rule needs changing, they change accordingly -- eg: Billy Slater no longer leads with the feet. yet again a common tackling technique for try saving, used by Fullbacks for decades. BUT NO!, Billy invented this tackle.. Storm are Evil!!!!. The Daily Telegraph tells everyone this at every opportunity and it must be right "Coz it's in the papers"!!.. Sorry Luke this response is not an attack on your comment , more a frustration at a Million others posted on here sice my team started winning games, that coincided with Bellamy's arrival and I am sick of hearing the accusations aimed at ONE Club! --- MINE!
Jeff McGinn
Guest
"Tall Poppy Syndrome" -- yup Jean that is JUST what this article is.. sensationalistic crap!. You guys just watch todays tactics against Slater, then tell me he has no grounds for complaint!.. The guy gets hammered weekly.
Luke M
Guest
Of course they are better footballers than me, you peanut. If I acted like some of these players in public I would expect somebody on some insignificant forum would bag me out, and that's fine. Opinions are just that opinions, and the way you carry on suggests you are a QLD fan, or Billy Slater's girlfriend. Also, do you condone backchat, grappling, stomping, feet first tackles, third men in etc? Now I'm thinking you must be Craig Bellamy. I would also like to see if you have any pull at Etihad, because I would need a microphone and 5 mins to speak, which isn't easy to achieve when you are an Aussie battler like myself. Maybe you can give me a contact for someone at Channel 9 I could speak to? Or maybe I can streak with a megaphone. You distract the guards, andI will make a run for it.
I'mastormtrooper2
Guest
Well Luke, nobody asks you to like them, but in my opinion they must be better than you, because you won't find them on a forum about you, bagging who you are and what you represent, especially when they don't know you ... That in itself makes them much better people than you are and they are certainly better footballers then yourself and are paid plenty to do so and respected by those who matter most to them - their families, their friends and their fans, which just so happen to add up into the multiple of thousands ... A challenge for you Luke - There's every chance those players you attempted to slander will be all lining up in the first State of Origin game in Melbourne in May ... Just thought you might like to show your real courage and stand up in front of them at AAMI Park and express your true feelings ... C'mon Luke you can do it !!! I'm sure you won't have anyone take offence amongst the 35,000 strong crowd ...
Luke M
Guest
I agree 100% with this article. I have loved footy all my life, especially Test matches. I struggle to like this Australian team. Smith, Slater, Thurston, Hodges, Thaiday, Boyd, Inglis, Watmough. What a bunch of big headed, unlikeable blokes this team is. And before anyone argues every player i mentioned there has very unlikeable qualities. Cronk seems like a great guy, but he plays for the team which systematically changed the game for the worse, and blame everyone else when they get called on it. So i dislike him too. Smith - whinger, grappler. Slater - knees first, feet first, stomping on heads, that damn chip kick try that gets raved about like its the greatest feat performed by man. For Gods sakes, i have seen many tries better than that, Brett Mullins chip, juggle and put down springs to mind right away. Sandor Earl's try in the corner for Penrith in the semi v Canberra was better. Thurston - swearing at and no respect for officials. Crybaby. Hodges - that throat slitting thing, trying to start a riot in Origin. Thaiday - Third man in to punch a little bloke in the back of the head. You are a big man Sam, and how you are a better captaincy option than C.Parker is beyond me, and all the Broncos fans i know. Boyd - Milker, crybaby. Inglis - Plays for a state he lived in for 2 mins. Watmough - Everything about the guy. Come to think of it, if you wipe away Gallens last couple of seasons he fits nicely into the above bunch of blokes too. If Issac Luke was Aussie, he would be the cherry on the top of this cake of grubby egomaniacs.
Jean
Guest
Are people blind?? Billy only done what gets done to him every second week or so. Take a close look when Coop or Cam kick the ball for Billy. He [Billy] is quite often taken out without the ball. Where is the penalty or sin bin rule then.I can't remember when it [the rule]was applied.Billy is a wonderful player & a very smart one to boot. ''Tall Poppy'' syndrome I'd say. Go Storm & Go Billy.
Ra
Guest
time slater (and company) picked up the whister and know what its like when some morron with half a brain tries to argue the rules with him it's laughable - have they even done the level 1 referees certificate??? refereed an under 10s game ??? Nice place to start - best players don't necessarily make the best referees
Ra
Guest
refs gotta get out of the habit of discussing things with players, it's crap the way players now-a-days think they have a right to stand around and yell at the ref and demand an answer; penalise them; yellow card; or red card em - by rights that was a red card offence; taker a hike slater, you deserve it ! it seems like a hell of a long time ago that the ref was sir; yes sir; no sir; three bags full sir; no wonder Year 9 kids act the way they do, they are following their role model heroes !
I'mastormtrooper2
Guest
So Eamon, if your point is valid, which you obviously believe it to be, then the referee's didn't think there was anything wrong with what Billy Slater said and by now they would have dealt with it, and they would know JT pulled the wool over their eyes and there is nothing that can be done about that now the final whistle has blown and the game is along way from over ...
Eamon
Guest
Players telling the ref how to ref the game really isn't on, people who think is good would probably act the same way, the refs should penalize any abuse or intimidation of officials, hey every one has an opinion but there is a time and place and on the field isn't it. All the censorship of players and coaches in post game interviews sux because this is a place when the fan can hear the gripes and complaints about the ref, if they (coaches and players) were allowed to say it.
I'mastormtrooper2
Guest
So what the hell should the referee done with Nathan Fien's pathetic attempt of debating the rule whilst walking from the field to the tunnel ... So go and support another International team - Billy and Jono won't give two figs about that, me either, because that type of infringement happens in every game ... Perhaps "SOAPIT" you might remind yourself to keep your opinions to yourself, because without a shadow of a doubt the referee and or linesman are supposed to know the regulations and I'm sure they would have nailed the boys arses to the bench if they thought they had over-stepped the mark ... That's the way it is and neither footballer used abusive and or foul language, they where simply expressing their point of view - Billy had a point, because there where a whole lot more illegal tactics happening on the paddock on Friday night going unnoticed ... In fact Billy could have possibly chosen more than one way of interferring in that play, he just acted on impulse ... He also has an innate respect of referees by the way, his Grandfather was a well known whistle-blower in NW and NQ ... Your just nit-picking over the obvious, so next time you're looking for fault, take a look at what happens in the tackles that go unnoticed ...
Gareth
Guest
It's probably pretty hard to reign in the ego of someone who has given himself angel wing tatts on his own back. Have to agree with Nafe though. Referees need to get tough on players and wear any negative press they might cop for dismissing a protected species like Billy Slater or Johnathon Thurston as a badge of honour.
Vid p
Guest
Clutching at straws mate. I think Slater was within his rights to give the lecture - he is always checked when chasing a kick and if he is going off then he may aswell get the point across. I thought this was professional. Thurston did intimidate the touch judge - but a lot of players try to do this - the touch judge needs to have some backbone and not give in to it. IN summary - this is part of the character of elite sports players - Andrew JOhns was one of the biggest babies i know but it shows their competitive edge and i like seeing it!
Jeff McGinn
Guest
Although VERY wrong to talk to the ref. Slater must get really frustrated - several times he was checked making attempts to get through the line for a kick, NOT ONE was penalised (Nor mentioned in this article) . yup Ref. make sure you treat all obstructions the same -- and Billy, Keep yer mouth shut and let the captain do the whingeing!. Did anybody notice what a great game it was!!??. I woukld much rather discuss this than the trivial matter on offer here!.
Nafe
Guest
I think you are pointing the blame to the wrong people. Its not Thurston's fault nor Billy's fault that they play the game to win no matter the cost. The referee should have changed the Sin Bin to a send off for questioning the integrity of the referee and the Touchie should have penalised Thurston for dissent. If you get away with it week in week out, why wouldn't you continue to get the advantage? It's the same with the play the ball area, When a tackle is complete, penalise the flop, penalise the holding onto the player, penalise the 10, If these things are cracked down on, they will become less and less. Watching the City V Country, I think the referee did a reasonable job except in the play the ball area where there were countless flops and holding the tackled player. If you want to speed the fgame up, these are the areas that need a good look at. No new rules are needed, just police the ones that already exist.
steve b
Roar Guru
I couldnt agree more , i said it in a comment yesterday in another article who do these Bozo s think they are . Slaters comment was uncalled for and Ingliss allmost made the touchy call for back up with the big death stare , and he was in the wrong , it has to be said that these guys think they should be untouchable..Arrogance at its best or worst should i say . .
Gaz
Guest
Come on Soapie lighten up, channel nine's adds are more of a concern then this stuff.