In the midst of the current obsession with the shenanigans surrounding the Good Friday clash between Souths and the Bulldogs, rugby league journalism here in Australia has overlooked one of the most important bits of league news to have emerged this year.
Leeds’ champion, Kevin Sinfield is calling it quits on an illustrious league career at the end of 2015 in order to try his hand at rugby union.
Sinfield is rightly regarded as one of the best players to have laced a rugby league boot in the current generation.
Ever since debuting with Leeds at the tender age of 16, the former England captain has done pretty much all that can be done in league.
His rugby league career features six Super League titles, three World Club Challenges, one Challenge Cup victory as well as rugby league’s Golden Boot Award as the world’s best player.
Sinfield’s decision to switch codes will no doubt provide fodder for the gossip columns and will have code warriors up in arms.
However, at 34 years of age, and having achieved everything in the sport, Sinfield is clearly in the twilight of his athletic career so any criticism of the man is unfounded.
While we may not have seen much of him in Australia as he played his entire career in Europe, he is renowned in rugby league circles as one of the best and toughest footballers going around in the past decade.
On behalf of rugby league fans here in Australia, thank you Kevin Sinfield for some excellent memories.
Tripehound
Guest
Good question Sleiman and I suppose there are a few different answers depending on how you view things. It has happened under several different coaches over 20 years plus, first it was Phil Clarke moved to the 6 jumper followed by Andy Farrell, Paul Sculthorpe, Kevin Sinfield and Sean O'Loughlin. It seems they wanted to have a more powerful, better defensive player at 6 in an attempt (in my opinion misguided) to match Australia (in particular) in a kind of war of attrition. The aforementioned players have all been excellent footballers with good distribution skills but during this period there have been some tremendous stand offs that have never had a squeak at top level, Tommy Martyn and Lee Briers spring immediately to mind. These blokes were natural halves and positively oozed class, skill and guile. They always brought something different to the table and had the ability to change a game with an off the cuff piece of magic. I suppose in these times of more structured football they didn't fit the coaches blue print or indeed the coach in question dint feel comfortable enough to try a different way. Although it may sound mad citing the early 1980's, the 1982 invincible Aussie touring squad sent shock waves throughout the UK Rugby League community and we've been trying to play catch up ever since and, again in my opinion, we keep taking the wrong decisions and seem to trail in the NRL's wake by trying to play a bastardized version of what you men were doing 5 years ago, instead of finding our own path and playing our own game to our own strengths.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Is there a reason why coaches kept doing that?
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
Poor Kevin raced out of the line to try and make that tackle. Had he done so he would have been given a knighthood.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
If the Golden Boot is a problem for you, don't wear it. lol
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
The Kiwis take on Leeds as part of their warm-up for the UK tour this year.
Tripehound
Guest
An exemplary professional. At club level Sinfield has been absolutely superb, he's pulled Leeds out of the mire on too many occasions to list. Not so sure if he ever cut the mustard at international level on such a consistent basis, but he was forever being moved from the pack to the halves. I remember seeing a 16 year old Sinfield playing for Leeds reserves at St.Helens back in the 90's and he stood out a mile even in those days. Off the field you couldn't wish to meet a more mild mannered, polite, considered and generous person. After his sabbatical in Union I'd be amazed if Kevin didn't take up a prominent admin role with either Leeds or the RFL. With regard to the bloke Lee mentioned, Garry Schofield, what a fantastic player. Tremendous service for both Hull and Leeds and if memory serves he had a couple of off seasons at Balmain and Wests back in the 80's. As great a player as he was, Garry never picked up a winners medal throughout his illustrious career. A final point on another player mentioned, Paul Sculthorpe, he never played in the NRL but would have ripped it up. He is currently in the Sahara competing in the marathon des sables raising money for a Rugby League charity. Paul was another player who infuriatingly kept being moved from his true loose forward position to stand off in the national team something that incumbent GB/England coaches have had a penchant for doing for the last 20 years or so.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
Barba didn't deserve jack.
Alex L
Roar Rookie
In fairness, it was a tackle he should never have had to make. If Burgess hadn't given away two penalties in succession that set would've ended on the NZ 40.
F. Shield
Guest
He scored more tries in less games the year before his Dally M Medal year and 15 tries the year before that. 3 good years is more than ONE good year. If he sorts himself out and plays in his preferred position (fullback) we just might see the best of him, he's only 25. Maybe some people don't won't him to sort himself out. Also there was 5 years between Dally M drinks for Hayne.
Bronco Juggernaut
Guest
I have problems with the golden boot. It is given to the best player in the world and I have a problem with Sinfield being called the best player in the world in 2012, and Johnson being called the best player in the world in 2014. They should change the award to the best player in internationals not the best player in the world, because in 2012, there was no way Sinfield was better them players, he wouldn't have in been in the top 50 best players that year.
Bronco Juggernaut
Guest
He won it in 2012, that year Barba deserved the award that year. That's what year my comment was based on.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
They took us out of our comfort zones and in my case, reminded me that there was more to the world than my street.
Christian D'Aloia
Roar Guru
The difference is it's actually true in Barba's case. Looks that way anyway.
F. Shield
Guest
ONE good season? They said the same thing about Hayne.
Lee
Roar Rookie
Yes, I do, thank you.
Lee
Roar Rookie
Bring back Kangaroo tours and Lions tours. Not 20 matches, maybe 6 mid-weeks and 3 tests. Oh how I miss those tour matches, I loved watching them. There was always something so magically mysterious and exotic about those tours.
Lee
Roar Rookie
Barba?? Oh please, he had ONE good season. He'll never reach those heights again.
Lee
Roar Rookie
I think you're being a bit harsh there. It's unfair to judge a player as unworthy simply because he didn't have a crack at the NRL. I only ever saw Sinfield play at intl. level and he was a real handful out wide. Speed, toughness and uncompromising professionalism is what he displayed in those World Cup games that I saw. He would have made it in the NRL, I have no doubt.
F. Shield
Guest
Very good player from a very good era of Great Britain players; Radlinski, Wellens, Senior, Carney, Sculthorpe, Long, Morley, Cunningham, Peacock, just off the top of my head. Great career.
Jason Hosken
Guest
Do you mean Gary Schofield?