Watching Jarryd Hayne’s whingeing, whiny audiences with referees this season tells me that modern day league players are clueless when trying to get a better deal from referees.
More so, I believe the NRL has only a handful of good captains – leaders of men who set the standard by stirring example, making their men want to follow them into battle.
I can name only three or four standout skippers: Cameron Smith, Paul Gallen, Johnathan Thurston and Jamie Lyon.
Sam Thaiday, Greg Bird, Simon Mannering and Anthony Minichiello will have some supporters I’m sure but in my mind, they aren’t in the same class as the leaders mentioned above.
You are welcome to disagree, but I reckon most modern skippers aren’t really worthy of the honour that used to accompany the captain’s title down through the years.
The coach’s penchant for choosing co-captains and club captains etc has weakened the job and I can’t see it improving any time soon.
Take a look at the South Sydney situation and the man named as their 2013 captain, Michael Crocker.
He has spent lots of time warming the bench and it’s pretty hard inspiring your troops from the sideline.
History shows the truly great teams in any era you care to examine, had brilliant leaders out in front.
Men such as Clive Churchill, Norm Provan, Mal Meninga, Wally Lewis, Steve Edge, George Peponis, Arthur Beetson and Max Krilich earned legendary status not only for their skills, but also their generalship.
They knew how to address the whistle-blowers, whether they were buying a little time for their team-mates or somehow trying to engineer a better ‘shake’ by way of penalties.
Team captaincy, to me, looks to be a fading facet of the modern game.
I wonder what we will be seeing and expecting from our on-field leaders in 10 or 15 years down the track.
Meesta Cool
Guest
100% right on Cronk, sometimes I watch him on the field, and wonder who is the captain..
Cameron
Roar Guru
Sorry about the late reply Mushi, was working. In regards to the on field behaviour and rules meant to keep players in line I don't think this is anything new to rugby league. Gordon Tallis v Bill Harrigan? Darren Lockyer's very funny but silly words about Raper after the rape allegations against Bulldogs? (not a ref thing but still in the view of the public eye (children)). Etc. etc. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/04/1078378911504.html Even last year the question was asked - should captains be allowed to backchat and influence referee's? http://www.foxsports.com.au/league/nrl-premiership/the-nrl-on-fox-panel-question-whether-captains-should-be-allowed-to-backchat-and-influence-referees/story-fn2mcuj6-1226473011911#.UYDvSKMt3f0 There are much bigger problems then the arguments that occur on field. If the ref is willing to cop it then what message is he sending. Remember the Andrew johns spat at the sideline ref? These are so trivial and minimal incidents, it's pathetic. The actions the players take does not transcend to society. It is just society showing through the NRL. these players are human and are faced with the day to day activities of dealing with media, they're bound to make a mistake. As said in the first link I provided " We can't expect our players to be diplomats 100 per cent of the time," Societies problems come down to many factors but NRL is not something to compare to in relation to treatment of refs. Watched football (soccer)? Now that's worse!
Epiquin
Roar Guru
The problem lies with clubs' attitudes towards captains. They name 6 players co-captain and then change that every round anyway. To be a captain should be a prestigious title that is given to the most experienced and respected player on the team. It all started gong wrong when they offered captaincies as part of contracts to lure players, such as when the Sharks signed Kimmorley.
Tim Prentice
Expert
Well Brendan, if Hayne is proving he isn't a good captain and the Eels are crashing and burning every week, why he isn't relieved of the responsibility/burden and we see another player chosen? Top class captains have always been integral to RL clubs' successes. Parra needs one desperately.
Tim Prentice
Expert
I agree with a lot of that Rabbitz. And I'll also suggest the really good captains project themselves to their teammates and are not always chosen by coaches. I could be wrong, but I suspect that Ricky named Hayne as on-field skipper because he was trying to get inside his head and give him confidence, as well as keep him involved in all aspects of the game for 80 minutes. It hasn't worked very well. He has no idea how to talk to the whistle-blowers and keep his simmering emotions in check. Refs are human (and watch replays of Parramatta games). They seem to bristle every time Hayne approaches. I'm not sure whether the coach I reviewing Jarryd's 'performance' as captain every week but there are plenty out in RL land who are. He is hurting more than helping the Eels.
Tim Prentice
Expert
But your original point is valid, Nick. Two refs, two captains - it is asking a bit much for them ALL to find common ground in the heat of battle.
Tim Prentice
Expert
Nothing at all wrong with a poker face is there Stu? Wins many hands.
Tim Prentice
Expert
Thanks for your reply, DR. Thurston is definitely one of the standout captains as he gets down and dirty (and even gets smashed by taking the defensive line on) when his team is struggling. In other words, this guy leads by example. He senses the moment when his team needs a lift and does what he can to provide it. That is pretty much what this article is about. Skippers dealing with referees is another issue but the very good ones can -- and do. My main point is that inspirational captains appear to be on the wane. And I think that is sad. On your second point re trainers, I say no - they are not undermining the captain's influence, just relaying messages etc. The captain still has the final say.
Rabbitz
Roar Guru
I think the issue of Captains (and players in general) having no idea how to deal with authority figures stems from their upbringing. A lot of these talented players have been treated as some sort of golden haired child for as long as they can remember, special treatment, special rep camps, right up to being looked after from the age of about 16 by the clubs, to put it bluntly, no-one has ever said no to them. So when a ref or ump has the temerity to pull them up they simply have not learned the social graces so do not know what to do - and given they have gotten away with acting like brats all their life they simply do what comes naturally. There is a lot to be said for making them live in the real world...
Daniel Szabo
Roar Guru
There is much more to being captain than the ability to talk to referees. In fact, I'd say talking to refs is the least important skill of all for captains to have. I mean, when is the last time one of these captain-ref conversations actually resulted in an overturned decision. Captains do this to give their team a breather and so the defensive line can get set. Captains know it, players know it, refs know it and the fans know it, so we shouldn't pretend otherwise. What makes a good captain is one's ability to inspire your troops and to lead from the front. It's for this reason you don't see many winger-fullbacks as captain. For Minichiello I think the decision to make him Roosters captain is more of a reward for being a great servant to the club, rather than a reflection of his ability to lead the side, plus it gives the Roosters another year to groom someone like Boyd Cordner as their long-term skipper. For Hayne, I feel sorry for him as I believe he has been thrust into this role due to lack of a better alternative. Parra should've done more to get Hindmarsh to play on because they really don't have anyone who is captain material (Tim Mannah is a decent candidate, but he doesn't play big enough minutes). As for the best captain in the game. Obviously it's Smith followed by Gallen followed by daylight. Irrespective of their ability to 'effectively argue with refs' (whatever that means), both are great leaders of men. Smith's record as Storm, QLD and Australia captain speaks for itself. Gallen's performance in Origin 2 2011 is perhaps the greatest captains knock I've ever seen in rugby league. Apart from those two, Robbie Farah is a standout for me. He has lead the Tigers really well through some tough times, and his Origin 2 2012 performance showed what tremendous leadership qualities he has. As far as individual Origin efforts go, Farah's is probably second only to Gallen's a year earlier. I would have no issue giving Farah the Blues' captaincy should Gallen be unavailable. One player who we haven't (and probably will never) see the best of in terms of captaincy is Cooper Cronk. He's probably the greatest leader never to be a permanent captain. On the rare occasion he's had to deputise for Smith he has done it superbly. If not for Cameron Smith, Cronk might have been one of the game's greatest ever captains.
The eye
Guest
Parra copped some atrocious decisions against the Coast,JT's Cowboys were out and out robbed in the final last year,as was Gallens Sharks in a couple of monumental refereeing blunders last year...and let's all forget about Greggys and Justin's tries that decided the SOO . How often do the refs get strict or err against the Storm ?Love to see a trading places scenario where Cam was captain of Parra for a week and see how long he'd keep his cool.
up in the north
Guest
Good article. Yep Cam Smith for mine, the guy just carries himself so well away from the game. While representing our country he's a tremendous ambassador, he also has one of (in my opinion) most important attributes, 80 mins. It's a bit hard to inspire your buds if you aren't on the paddock. The idea of co-captains is frankly bizarre, why do it? I also thought there have been quite a few out-standing players who would have made great lead from the front type captains. But since they were usually already well led they were happy to just be a player without the extra work. There is more to Captaincy than calling plays.
Nick
Roar Guru
because Tim Mannah isn't best buddies with Sticky like Jarrod Hayne is.
Nick
Roar Guru
zing!
Brendan Bradford
Roar Pro
Just because a couple of great leaders rise above the rest, doesn't mean captaincy is a dying art. Jarryd Hayne's whining and carry on merely proves he isn't a good captain. It says nothing about the general level of captaincy in the NRL. Today we have a couple of Jarryd Hayne's for every Cameron Smith - that's no different from how things were when a raft of lesser captains were outclassed by Provan, Meninga and Lewis.
planko
Roar Guru
This is cause most rugby league players like to tag team rather be tag teamed. Matty Johns where are you...
Nick
Roar Guru
I think the aura/power/influence of a captain has lost a lot since the introduction of the two referees. Before that, a captain could develop a sound relationship with the ref when it was a one on one discussion, and mutual understandings were easier to come by. Nowadays, it looks like captains are being tag teamed into submission by the refs, especially when they do a good cop/bad cop routine. Captains have to be twice as diplomatic as they were back in the day.
solly
Guest
Co-captains? That's what a vice-captain is for. I'm generally not in favour of choosing the 'best' player to be a captain. In that regard, I never thought Benji should have been chosen as the Wests Tigers captain, let alone New Zealand's. As for the comment about Cameron Smith's deadpan facial expression, I have to say I laughed. It's true!
Stu
Guest
I think it's Smith's lack of facial expression that stops people being offended. Thurston, Gallen and Lyon get disbelieving expressions on their face. Smith might make the same comment but without the expression. ...it's all theatre.
mushi
Roar Guru
Okay Kellet but then your conclusion doesn’t make any sense as it is entirely justified by happenings away from the field itself whilst the actual rules for on field behaviour suggest it is wildly inappropriate. You introduce social expectations of the whistle blowers performance as a partial justification as to why the actual rules of the game scan be ignored (the rules do cover off dissent and the use of foul language). “Players are constantly placed in the spotlight of society and are expected to always be better. Referees are the officials and they’re expected to perform” You also use a review process external to what happens on the field as justification “ especially when you’ve then got the referees boss coming out and saying the player was correct. Causes some discontent and the players/captains may feel vindicated.” So in conclusion your position is societal rules and judgment external to the football field can justify a players behaviour but the same principles can not be applied to criticise it?