These are lonely days for Australian sports fans. Old friends are not visiting as often as they used to.
The Bledisloe Cup hasn’t been seen on these shores for more than a decade, while the Ashes prefer the home comforts of mother England.
And, like a jilted lover, the Australian sporting public is reacting with confusion and anger.
Increasingly, much of that anger is being directed at younger players, members of the much-maligned Gen Y who are seen as soft, pampered, overpaid prima-donnas.
This culture was brutally examined by Andrew Webster in Saturday’s Sydney Morning Herald in an astounding hatchet job on Australian rugby, particularly on the ‘Three Amigos’ of Quade Cooper, James O’Connor and Kurtley Beale.
Among the more stunning revelations in Webster’s piece were the following:
– That the Wallabies were confronted in the dressing room by the head of the ARU, John O’Neill, after they had just been beaten 22-0 by the All Blacks in Eden Park last season, with O’Neill accusing 20 percent of the team of letting down the other 80 percent.
“That 20 percent are the same 20 percent who have their mobile phones in their hands right now,” he is reported to have said, among other damning observations.
– That Beale once told John O’Neill – his employer, let’s not forget – that he shouldn’t take a seat on the team bus, because “that’s Quade’s seat;”
– That the Three Amigos regularly hook up in Melbourne with Buddy Franklin, and that the ARU is apparently “concerned about the influence of Franklin on some of their players,” and;
– That James O’Connor is “usually the architect” of the trouble these blokes attract, according to a senior (although unnamed) ARU official.
The common thread to the above anecdotes, and to so many others involving these players – the burgers at 4am, the missing of Rugby World Cup team announcements, the tweeting about the “toxic culture” of the Wallabies – is clear: an excessive sense of entitlement and a lack of personal responsibility.
And while Webster’s piece, and much of the general anger directed at the athletes of Gen Y, focuses on rugby’s troublesome three amigos, cricket fans would likely be similarly frustrated at the attitudes of the likes of David Warner, Shane Watson and Glenn ‘The Big Show’ Maxwell, and NRL fans at the likes of Ben Barba, Josh Dugan and Blake Ferguson.
That these young men are the highest paid in the history of their chosen sports, receiving a level of remuneration that far exceeds their achievements, only fans the flames of frustration.
Quite rightly, Australian fans see a sharp contrast with the champions of the past, many of whom received little or no pay, and made enormous personal and financial sacrifices to represent their country.
Further, there seems little understanding or acknowledgment from young players that their income owes so much to the achievements of those who came before them. Effectively, the modern player is trading on the enormous goodwill built up by those who wore the baggy green and the gold jersey.
Instead, some players seem to believe the massive pay packet is enough – that being paid like a superstar makes it so, and that a
bulging bank balance is more important than a bulging trophy cabinet.
So where to from here? How does Australian sport turn the gaze of young players from the mirror to the future?
Focusing on rugby’s three amigos, it seems that circumstance might be sorting them out already.
Quade O’Connor has expressed regret about his past actions, and has been welcomed back into the Wallaby fold under new coach Ewen McKenzie, a strong mentor who has shown already that he knows how to get the most out of his talented flyhalf.
Meanwhile, James O’Connor is still searching for a Super Rugby franchise, with all but one citing his disruptive attitude as reason for rejecting him.
Currently, he looks likely to have to crawl back to the Western Force, an organisation who abruptly ended contract negotiations with O’Connor when his demands were deemed ridiculous. It’s a significant and timely wake-up call.
Kurtley Beale looks to be heading home to the Waratahs, where the strong hand of Michael Cheika, among other local mentors, will hopefully be enough to keep him on the straight and narrow.
But, more importantly, all Australian fans need to recognise that there are good and strong servants in our national sporting teams, and hope they are the ones to establish team culture.
Men like James Horwill, David Pocock, Will Genia and Stephen Moore, who would not be out of place in the great Australian teams of the past, and whose hard work and general attitude is without reproach.
Because, if the pampered superstars are allowed to keep setting the tone, then it really could be a long time before Australian sports fans see old friends like the Bledisloe and the Ashes again.
AndyS
Guest
I also thought the timing was interesting, but wondered whether it was a case of drawing a line under the "Deans era" and establishing the starting point for measuring McKenzie...
AndyS
Guest
Agreed. Push comes to shove, the money always wins and I think you are right. The team might have found the money if they were consistent game-breakers, but I wouldn't say that reflects on the players at all as I'm not convinced such a thing is really possible in Union.
AndyS
Guest
The flipside then is that, unless everything he wrote was a complete fabrication (and I haven't heard anyone contend that), the question might be asked why it was someone so seemingly outside Union that wrote the article. I can't imagine he somehow has unique access, so how is it that he was the only one prepared to write the article? Plenty who could be expected to have similar access have been prepared to express opinions and be negative, but only he was prepared to give the for-instances that lent weight. Not courage on his part, but perhaps a lack from those not prepared to provide specifics.
CHT
Guest
Sociology.
CHT
Guest
"I highly doubt you would be anywhere close to my education level and position." hahah awesome comeback dude... "You appeared happy to have the stats try and work for you when you thought they where in your favour but once you can’t defend what I post you scrap that and try another route. Epic fail." Epic fail? First, WHERE and WERE are two different words. Second, you fraudulently tried to represent the poll on the Webster article as being representative of the public opinion, which was equivalent to the Croatian referendum on the Euro where only 22% of people turned up to vote. In addition this was an appeal to belief i.e. 'most people think x is true, therefore x is true'. "I am heavily involved with the Melbourne Rebels and have been since the clubs inception dealing with the players and mentoring and also have regular dialogue with RUPA and key personnel." Here you make an appeal to authority. "The point on pay has been raised repeatedly – hence why ARU contract periods have been shortened." Then why raise it as if it is the greatest issue in the game.
Bones506
Roar Guru
Really - I highly doubt you would be anywhere close to my education level and position. You appeared happy to have the stats try and work for you when you thought they where in your favour but once you can't defend what I post you scrap that and try another route. Epic fail. I am heavily involved with the Melbourne Rebels and have been since the clubs inception dealing with the players and mentoring and also have regular dialogue with RUPA and key personnel. The point on pay has been raised repeatedly - hence why ARU contract periods have been shortened.
CHT
Guest
Bones that's enough numbers out of you son, you need to go back to school before you engage the adults here. "Explain to me how you are fine with these 3 players being paid what they are yet failing to deliver results or consistent performance when layered with their very strong rap sheet" This comment suggests you take issue with the players for how much they get paid, why don't you go cry to the ARU. I clearly remember the same three blokes dominating against the Boks and winning us a number of games, so perhaps instead of self-combustion we acknowledge the All Blacks have been a great side, they are world champs; but we are looking forward and building under Ewen... The same bloke who will reprimand these lads if they slip up. Once again, we need to be mindful we are talking of young men, for young men mistakes are great if you learn the lessons. Now I think that's enough out of you Bones, really.
Bones506
Roar Guru
I would agree with you but then we would both be wrong. Keep you head in the sand and be fine with sub par on field performances and A LOT of off field issues. Oh yeah - add missing WRC jersey presentations due to being ut on the gas at Sheaf until all hours.
Bones506
Roar Guru
How about these for stats: Pumped 47-29 last saturday Haven't held Bledisloe for 10 years Beaten AB's 3 times in last 5 years Explain to me how you are fine with these 3 players being paid what they are yet failing to deliver results or consistent performance when layered with their very strong rap sheet
Mike
Guest
The Rebels have a history of sacking players and club officials, more than any other S15 side. They also have severe financial problems. Beale and O'Connor were dropped as part of more drastic cost-cutting which included the shareholders giving up on their investment and throwing the keys to the VRU.
Mike
Guest
The point is that those "stats" are meaningless, so no you can't. Keep desperately grasping at straws.
Mike
Guest
No Eiger, you wouldn't have been. That is the point. If an employer tries to fire a worker for very minor matters that have little or no relevance to work, the worker will be reinstated.
Mike
Guest
That's not what he said at all expathack. He is simply pointing out the lack of any objective basis for your assertion that one of the most competent and committed players must be dropped (noting that your real target appears to be just O'Connor, for reasons known only to yourself).
Mike
Guest
What a peculiar post. Your only issue appears to be with O'Connor. That is where you are off in la-la land: When has O'Connor "punched a team mate"? When has O'Connor "trashed a hotel room"? When has O'Connor been involved in "breaking and entering + theft"? When has O'Connor made comments about his team being "toxic"? When has O'Connor been involved in "scuffles"? When has he been involved in "several other off-field issues"? And after all of those lies, you then have the hide to say "Quite a rap sheet really." The rap sheet is yours, for inability to write the truth. The only issues with O'Connor appear to be having (allegedly) attended a pub with Matt Giteau in 2009 (nobody competent has suggested it affected his game), a food fight with two other players in 2011 which was termed "minor", missing the team bus and going out to Maccas. That's it. You are pathetic. "QC deserves another chance as has has shown some change but JOC is on the edge." Says who? Your opinion carries no credibility whatsoever, so don't say as an objective fact that he is "on the edge". It is clear that he is not, because no-one relevant is listening.
Mike
Guest
expathack, when I write "giving your all for the team" I am referring to what everyone can see on the field. You don't seem to have watched any games. You seem to be building some sort of half-baked innuendo based on the Rebels dropping O'Connor - this is the Rebels that drop more players than any other side in S15, for little reason that anyone can fathom. They are a bit of a basket case. Furthermore, given their well known financial problems, the most likely reason that O'Connor and Beale were dropped was because the Rebels couldn't afford them. The only reason that O'Connor doesn't have a side now is because of when he was dropped. I don't think any sane person believes he will be without a team by S15. I am searching for a kernel of rationality in your reasoning.
Bones506
Roar Guru
You seem to be making a lot of excuses for their behaviour. I don't have a huge issue with the 4am Hungry Jacks run but 3 days out from a test is far from idealand causes unwanted distractions to the wider construct. Several years ago Giteau and JOC were in a pub getting hammered on a Wednesday before a Test in which we lost to Scotland. Punching team mates, food fights, trashing hotel rooms, breaking and entering + theft, comments about a team being toxic plus several other off-field issues and scuffles. Quite a rap sheet really. QC deserves another chance as has has shown some change but JOC is on the edge.
Bones506
Roar Guru
I am well aware what it is. You can only go on what the actual stats are.
expathack
Guest
Congratulations on fitting a bizarrely random philosophy reference in there by the way. It'd be interesting to hear what Weber would have made of your suggestion of blind support of the Wallabies. Assume that was intentional irony on your part? Even though he's dead I somehow get the feeling he died just that little bit more being mentioned in amongst your drivel....
expathack
Guest
Which is why the Rebels were so eager to re-sign him. Oh wait....
expathack
Guest
Not trying to recast the article Mike, just pointing out the difference in effect between your argument of "Yeah but Luaki punched someone" (in a situation completely unconnected to the rugby) If, after all the (admittedly anonymous) quotes from senior players that have come out recently and the Rebels flat out refusing to re-sign O'Connoer, you still feel he's out there giving his all for the team .... well all I can say is you've got a pretty interesting definition of "giving your all for the team"