Much has been made of the withdrawals from the Four Nations tournament, not just from Australia but also from the New Zealand side.
Held the year after the World Cup, we have more than usual number of withdrawals, 17 of them from the Kangaroos.
Today Show hosts Ben Fordham and Karl Stefanovic suggested that some players were exaggerating their injuries, which drew quite the response from Matt Scott.
Rooster players Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck were up-front, saying burnout was their reason for missing the tournament rather than injury. The ever-quotable Willie Mason accused the Roosters of telling the players not to play rather than the players making up their own minds.
The opening matches of the Four Nations provided the 1994 Kangaroo tour members an opportunity to gather and celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the last long-term tour.
The ’94 Kangaroos featured some true greats including Laurie Daley, Alfie Langer, Brad Fittler, Ricky Stuart, Steve Walters, and a young Steve Menzies and Wendell Sailor The tour was captained for a third time by the great Mal Meninga, who believes the Four Nations should have been rescheduled for 2015.
These longer tours featured 28 member squads and by the ’94 tour the itineraries had been cut to only 18 games (they were as high as 38 back in the 60s) compared to 3 or 4 in the Four Nations. The tourists would play club sides as well as regionals and junior reps.
Tours were only four years but other years featured more than one-off Anzac Tests and the British would often return the favour by making long-term tours of Australia. In the 1992 British Lions tour, their last, the Lions played club sides Illawarra, Canberra, Parramatta and the Newcastle Knights.
On the 1986 tour, the great Terry Lamb featured in all 20 tour games – that’s almost a full NRL season. When interviewed about the reunion, Sailor said he would have played in all 18 if possible. Despite this, Wendell commented that today’s players are over worked.
But is this the truth? Seasons were just as long back in the Kangaroo tour days and teams played in mid-week cups as well.
The big difference is the amount of time spent training, and the pressure upon highly paid coaches and players to perform. Everyone seems more accountable these days, coaches have fitness staff and professionals who do not let players have an offseason. The gruelling pre-season starts so much earlier, with the Brisbane Broncos starting on November 5 under the guidance of Wayne Bennett.
The game is not significantly faster or harder than it was in 94 (Beaver managed to play all the way up to last year) – just check some YouTube videos and you will agree. Knockout comps such as the Panasonic Cup were ceased in 1989. This is unfortunate as in England the Challenge Cup still exists, providing fans and players with a second chance of glory and excitement.
I remember as a child when Paul Vautin, Peter Sterling and the legendary Chicka Ferguson, among others, would go play in the offseason in the UK before the seasons in the UK changed.
If players are so over-worked, why are 19 of the 21 players to play 300 games from post 1998? Basically, as the players have got paid more, the international level players are more valuable to their teams and their coach’s survival. If the ’94 Kangaroos could go on an 18-match tour, surely the players of today are able to play four in a tournament that helps spread the game of rugby league? It can be the making of rising stars and sustains an advantage of its biggest rival, AFL.
Unfortunately we will never see another tour like 1994, the clubs will never allow it.
If the players need rest, why don’t we give them a longer off-season? You can understand how players can get mentally stale if they start sprint and running training in November, only one month after the grand final. A viable international scene makes the game bigger, and generates revenue, helping everyone in the process, not just NRL coaches.
3 Hats
Guest
The important fact is that those people who change clubs because a top player changes clubs are Kids not adults. I see at Souths games a whole family who goes for Souths but one kid has a Bulldogs jersey on! Have you all seen this? Children change allegiance not Adults. When I was at school there was this one kid who always went for the club who won the comp, St George then Manly then Parra etc. We all used to bash him when we played footy at school.
3 Hats
Guest
That is not entirely true Epiquin, it may be for most clubs but for the Rabbitohs, No. Souths have had the most Members/fans for quite some time, even when they were down the bottom 8 years ago. The only difference now is that the "fair weather fans" have come out of the woodwork, as they do with ALL clubs fans and it is those same Johnny come lately's who will also disappear if they start losing? Most clubs survive with their Leagues Clubs cash injections! Souths don't have that same luxury. Making and winning the GF adds about $2 Million to the bottom line.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Kangaroo tour sides rarely saw the same players every game, at most players would play 2/3rds of the matches. The 1982 tour saw 22 matches played over 3 months, and the most games by any player was 16 while the average was closer to 12. Plus Kangaroo tours were every 4 years, and generally didn't run within 12 months of a full world cup tournament.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Matthew - Well they are going to lose him because he can't play forever so I guess you are predicting a big hit to South's bottom line.Also I would suggest the number of people who follow NQ because Thurston plays for them would be tiny compared with the number of people who support them because they grew up in North QLD and have a loyalty to that geographic region and the club that represents it.They followed NQ before Thurston came and will follow them long after he is gone. I understand mate, yes there are some people who don't really support any club, but drift along as temporary supporters of clubs that are winning and those clubs usually have star players but if one of those star players heads to a losing club I bet they don't follow him.
Epiquin
Roar Guru
I don't think you understand Innes. I know people support clubs. But often its players that draw people to clubs. It was said that the Tigers were one of the most popular clubs with kids because Benji played for them. People support both the clubs and the players who play for them.
peeeko
Roar Guru
Good points Muzz, i guess it happens in all sports. i imagine the german and argentine players must have been fatigued at the end of the FIFA world cup. I guess the relative importance of internationals in RL versus football is a lot different
peeeko
Roar Guru
HI Glenn, i was mainly trying to make comparisons with the 94 team, i see your point about the 70's
Matthew Edwards
Guest
I know a few people who support souths because of Greg Inglis, or Cowboys because of JT. Losing GI would have a massive impact on souths bottom line.
Matthew Edwards
Guest
Fair point hahaha the headline monster got us again!
Matthew Edwards
Guest
Firstly I definitely don't think they are gods gift to the universe. For the most part I couldn't care less what the NRL players earn. They are underpaid in relation to what they earn as a percentage of the codes income when compared to other sports worldwide. That is a fact, make of it what you will. I also am fairly certain the NRL turned a massive profit last year and will again this year. And that wasn't even my point... My point was: The salary cap is lowering their potential income. You don't think if there is no cap these guys don't make more money? We also are talking 'underpaid' in two different ways I think, I am talking from purely how much revenue they generate when compared to us normal folk they obviously are overpaid, but that is irrelivent.
Muzz
Guest
Most, if not all clubs, do give their rep players an extended off-season. However, this doesn't appear to help.The majority of players, including those in the Kiwi side, will show symptoms of fatigue/burn out at some stage.It's the coaching staffs challenge to get them up mentally for "1 more game" where as players, should be frothing to go out and perform. Games can still be entertaining but also filled with unforced errors and plenty of missed tackles.When was the last time you saw Cam Smith miss 6 tackles in a international game?
Glenn Innes
Guest
Or to put it another way if Greg Inglis left South's to play for Penrith how many South's fans would suddenly dump South's and start supporting Penrith?Not many, they support South's not Greg Inglis.
Glenn Innes
Guest
Epiquin - People follow clubs, that is why team sports are so much more popular than individual sports, it makes them more robust. Players come and go but the clubs are always there, you are not like boxing for eg, dreaming about the next Mike Tyson to try and get you back on the back page of the newspaper.
pat malone
Guest
thanks Muzz, i see what you are saying. however if smith and cronk seemed flat they haven't played for 6 weeks and most of the players they played against also have played a full season and didnt look flat. one of the points i tried to make was that in the absence of internationals, players should be given a mental and physical break with a longer off season. starting pre season training in november is going to make players flat 10 months later maybe
Glenn Innes
Guest
Peeko - The longer careers are partly down to advancements in surgery and physiotherapy Back in the seventies if you did your knee that was pretty much it.Not only were the surgical techniques crude by modern standards but you simply did not have enough spare time to go through the rehab programmes needed to get you back to somewhere near your former speed and agility because you had to work to pay the rent.
Renegade
Guest
Actually I do.... but you seem to think Footballers are god's gift to the universe. Well sorry, that's not the case and i'm as big a rugby league fan as there is. They all earn what they are worth, simple as that.... I've never once said they are overpaid because they aren't..... but none of them can seriously complain about being underpaid.
Muzz
Guest
peeeko - Training programs are designed for the players to peak at a certain time, and, in most cases, its the NRL finals series.Once you peak, sports science can't help.It's time for a holiday in Hawaii sipping cocktails by the pool. Take a look at Cam Smith and Cooper Cronk in last weekends game.Both these men love to play for their country and wouldn't miss it for the world.However, they looked flat as a tack. Sure you can tough it out and take the old school approach of harden the f bomb up, but it's a professional sport.The difference between performing at your best for your club, state and country could be as simple as knowing thats it's time to take a break.
Epiquin
Roar Guru
I guess I was more referring to your point that people follow clubs, not players. I believe it is a combination of both. I don't really have the expertise to judge if players earn enough. But it's not really the point. It's whether THEY feel like they are earning enough. Jarryd Hayne made the point earlier in the year that players are quite restricted in being able to develop their own brand, which limits their earning potential. He has a point.
peeeko
Roar Guru
My point was that players have longer careers in terms of years, not necessarily playing more games per year
peeeko
Roar Guru
Just take a look at some games in the nineties Muzz. Also with the help of science, players should be able to recover quicker