If you’re looking for a ‘feel good’ rugby league story in 2018, I’d say good luck finding one.
The entire season has been suffocated with refereeing controversies, coaching debacles, basket case clubs with salary cap dramas, poor crowds and the constant criticism of Ben Hunt.
I get it though. Controversies get the clicks and sell the newspapers, which is why rugby league journalists are labelled as ‘crisis merchants’.
So much for Todd Greenberg’s #TalkTheGameUp initiative.
But for a rare change of pace, it’s been great to see clubs paying their respects for retiring great and future immortal, Johnathan Thurston.
For a player who’s achieved just about everything there is to achieve in rugby league, it’s also his contributions off the field for his local community, indigenous community, junior rugby league and the fans, makes the man affectionately known as JT, one of the games most cherished role models.
It’s great to see other clubs, players and coaches recognise JT’s contributions to the game with post match presentations and guards of honour.
But let’s not stop with JT. Other retiring greats such as Billy Slater, Simon Mannering, Sam Thaiday, Luke Lewis and so on deserve the same recognition.
It would be great for the game if clubs turned these sorts of gestures into a rugby league tradition of sportsmanship and respect.
Much respect to the New Zealand Warriors, who went a step further with a special tribute for retiring referee Matt Cecchin after their Round 22 match.
I understand that all retiring players are honoured on grand final day, but post match tributes during the regular season provide a more personal touch for individual retirees.
Sure, these stories won’t get the clicks or sell the newspapers, but respect is everything and it’s a wonderful image for the game.
Rob
Guest
A lap after the game, saying goodbye to all club fans is suffice. i’m happy to see him also have a wonderful send off in his final game for the Cowboys at home. Probably a presentation and highlight package before the Bulldogs game was also a good idea. Every game is over the top. I’m sure some of the hype is probably getting a little embarrassing for JT considering this season has been so disappointing. I’all be one of those that go and cheer him this weekend, thanking him for his service. It was good to see Winterstien acknowledged before the Broncos game. I hope the same respect is given to others in their last home game also.
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
Hi Ethan, I follow every club on twitter and the clubs always post the work they do and players do in the community, but it's never anything that will be shared by the mainstream media. But to your point, the NRL could share club reports on their community work to build on the image of the game as a whole.
Zavjalova
Roar Rookie
Good to see articles like this put an emphasis on the good things players and clubs do for the game. The media won't report on this stuff so perhaps the NRL should take note and do it's own reporting to help fix their own image
Zavjalova
Roar Rookie
Yeah... the author kind of point's that out in the article Sherlock. More to the point, feel good stories don't make headlines.
Adz Sportz
Roar Guru
Hi Paul, I guess in JT's case, announcing this will be his last season well over a year ago, wouldn't make sense for teams to give him a tribute early in the season if they were scheduled to play the Cowboys twice. It all depends on when a player announces his retirement. I'm also not suggesting it should be a rule or an expectation for teams to show their respects with a tribute to a retiring player. It's a clubs prerogative whether they wish to do so or not. The Warriors have lead from the front with their tributes, as they feel respect for players, and referees, who have done so much for the game is important. Sharks promoted the game as JT's last in Sydney and for a club who has developed a fierce rivalry (knocking each other out of the finals several times over the past few years), Sharks fans showed up wearing those cardboard JT headgears. As far as I'm aware, the Broncos didn't pay their respects with a post game tribute for JT, doesn't mean they don't respect JT, they simply preferred to pay their attentions to Thaiday's 300th. Again, I'm not suggesting it should be a rule or an expectation, it's not a necessity, I'd just encourage clubs to recognize retiring greats as it's a great image for the game and their club.
Nat
Roar Guru
NZ also gave Thaiday a team send off albeit an informal team greeting on the field. Also, think of the back story on JAC and James Roberts after their Origin selection on NRL.com. I think a lot of good things happen behind the scenes in league that weren't acknowledged enough by the media but appreciated and remembered by the players.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
Lots of feel good stories in RL, just the media tend to ignore them.
Paul
Roar Guru
I like the concept but am not sure how this would actually work out? I was going to use your example of JT and the Storm to try and highlight the dilemma. The Storm played the Cowboys in Round 3 in Melbourne and hammered them. It seems too early in the season the be saying farewell to Thurston. They then played again in Round 12 in Townsville with the Storm getting the points in a tight one. Again, is it right to celebrate both the win and JTs career with less than half the season gone and after the Cowboys had suffered a defeat that must have gutted them? The other point is how to celebrate a person's career if they announce their retirement with only a round or two to go? My thought was to keep it simple. All grounds have a large screen, so Clubs could put together a piece, honouring players who were about to retire and play this at their last few home games. If a player like JT is actually at the ground at the same time as was the case with the Sharks, invite him to do a lap of honour. If not, film the showing of the tribute, get some crowd reaction & player comments and send it to both the player and their Club.