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After being both a Roosters and rugby league fan for quite some time now, it’s safe to say that I understand the level of commitment required to compete at the top level.
Without having played in the NRL myself, the ‘grind’ of NRL is something I’ve grown to admire, and I further appreciate the way the athletes perform on a weekly basis – not only for their own success – but for the fans of rugby league.
Being a 10-year-old boy, I would go to the SFS with both my mum and dad to watch my beloved Roosters play. I would typically sit with my meat pie and be captivated by the players and there footballing ability. There would nothing better than see ‘Mini’ score length of the field tries, or even Freddy Fittler’s unstoppable left foot step that would see him cut through even the toughest of defenders.
They were the heroes I looked up to as if they were some-what immortal.
What I would watch and understand at such a naive age, were two teams playing a game of football for 80 minutes. There were 34 blokes running out on a football field trying to win a game of footy – nothing more, nothing less. I wouldn’t pay attention to the contract sagas, I wouldn’t know about the off field dramas and wouldn’t care so much about the rivalries – I would purely just love the game for what it was.
It’s the game I grew to love, a game I still very much so love. However, what I have now learned is that rugby league, in many aspects – is more than just game of two halves.
Unfortunately, I can’t turn back time and go back to the days where I didn’t have a care in the world. The worst of my problems were the Roosters losing in golden point, not the fact that a star player was caught out drunk the night after.
There are so many events that can happen in a game of rugby league that grasp the headlines for all the wrong reasons. It is such a shame that what captures the attention of rugby league fans is the more negative occurrences that open up a target for not only the players – but more so the NRL hierarchy.
It now seems that minor details of rugby league are overpowering the game for what it is, and what it has been. Unfortunately, common sense never prevails. If only it was that easy.
As I now grow older and become more intrigued in the politics of the game, what I witness are controversies and arguments that have nothing to do with the game itself and it’s unique nature. It seems that the game I’ve grown to love is far becoming a more contentious topic for debate for all the wrong reasons.
Fans now argue about refereeing howlers that “lost there team the game”, rather than appreciate the quality of football that was played that day.
More often than not, fans look for excuses that act as a scapegoat for a teams loss – we can no longer value the players and there ability to win a game of football. A superstar like Greg Inglis could pull of the freakiest of plays to win in the last minute of the game, but hey – it’s the referees fault the other team lost, right?
How often have we heard the same old story of Dave Smith not doing his job? The NRL schedule is a joke. Why the hell is State of Origin interfering with club football? The salary cap isn’t working. Television rights need attention, or fans complaining “I’m over my team playing on a Monday night”.
Yes, it is inevitable that NRL fans must deal with the circumstances of the business the NRL is – there’s no doubt that the external issues of rugby league do need attention. But how much attention do we need to emphasise on the blights of the game?
What ever happened to rugby league being loved for the excitement that it offers? The intensity of games that puts the smiles on the faces of so many people in Australia – a game that establishes a sense of community for even those who are not as fortunate as others.
It is a sad but true conviction that footy fans find it harder in this day of age to appreciate the game of rugby league and what is has to offer. Players and athletes alike bust themselves every day of the year to not only bring success for their club, but for the fans that have supported them in the most darkest of hours.
The point of this article is not to boast about the negative aspects of rugby league, but rather urge fans to support the game that I’ve grown to love. Let’s value the players and there freakish athletic ability, and marvel at the unique form of entertainment that simply, nothing can compare too.
Just love the game for the 80 minutes of raw emotion that it offers – maybe even 90 if you’re lucky.
That’s the beauty of the game isn’t it? Its inevitability, it’s unpredictable nature that we are so lucky to witness. I don’t think we should ever stop and take for granted the spectacle of rugby league we have on offer, because something that we do know and certainly can all agree on, is that it is truly the greatest game of all.
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