Opinion
As Rugby league television continues to evolve, one aspect I’m coming to enjoy more and more is the ten minutes immediately after the game.
There was a time we only saw long shots of players shaking hands, but now there is extensive up-close coverage of the post-game mingling. It’s always a very convivial gathering, and I often wish I was down there, wandering around, having a chat and just generally finding out what everyone had been up to.
If you’d never played the game, you could be forgiven for thinking the conversations were very friendly.
“Bad luck, mate. Where do you think you went wrong?”
”Oh, you know, we didn’t complete our sets. Simple stuff – get to the kick, work for field position, respect possession. Too many silly errors”.
But the truth is players only talk like this when they have a microphone in front of them. In real life they engage in small talk and swap simple pleasantries, a lot like normal people. In fact even some of the former players in the commentary box can be quite funny and engaging when they’re not pretending to be experts.
As the players give their opponents a warm hug and then separate into groups of two or three, we can only wonder what they’re chuckling about. Maybe they’re comparing completion rates, but I doubt it. More likely they’re discussing interest rates or global warming or the latest book they’ve read. I don’t really know. I’m just happy to see them enjoy each other’s company.
Of course they would enjoy each other’s company a lot more if they didn’t have to be constantly on their toes, looking around, trying to avoid the representatives of various broadcasters. Sadly we never hear from the more clever players, as inevitably it’s the slowest, most cheese-like players in the herd who are captured. They are made to put on headphones, and then we endure serious, penetrating questions, such as, “What did the coach say at half-time?”.
Imagine if a few years ago you’d copyrighted the sentence “concentrate on completing our sets and get to the kick”. You’d be laughing all the way to the bank. I’ve always believed that NRL players on television, just like well-behaved children, should be seen and not heard. This applies doubly to retired players.
(Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
The after-game interviews are painful to watch, but at least they encourage the children to go to bed.
One of the highlights of any match is the bit before the highlights. I love seeing the camaraderie between players. After bashing each other for 80 minutes, they then set a wonderful example by demonstrating the friendship and respect they have for each other.
But not everyone agrees. There are many fans of losing teams who would rather that after a loss their players rolled around on the ground, moaning and weeping.
No, thank you. I’ve no desire to see churlish children putting on temper tantrums when everything doesn’t work out perfectly for them.
Speaking of which, the coaches press conference needs an overhaul. Please leave the captains in the dressing room and give more time to the coaches. Unlike the players, these men are trained public speakers, and the more experienced ones can be relied upon to put a light-hearted spin on everything. For example, every time Canberra loses I hang around for the conference, knowing there’s bound to be a few good laughs.
A lot of damage can be done when we allow players to speak. The legendary Don Bradman was seriously diminished when the public finally heard him speak, as the squeaky little voice didn’t match the magnitude of his on-field feats. Similarly, if you’d watched only Cameron Munster play, you could easily be convinced he was the smartest man on the planet.
Just because I don’t want to hear players speak, don’t think I don’t appreciate their efforts. I’d actually like to see more done at the end of games to show players how much we appreciate their work.
When I go to the theatre I notice that stars are given a bunch of flowers after a strong performance. I’m yet to see this happen at the footy, but I think it would be a nice touch.
At full-time in Origin games I’d like to see each player be given a large bouquet. For the Queenslanders, I’d recommend dahlias or hibiscus in a deep burgundy that approximated maroon. Cooktown orchids would also work.
For the New South Wales team, the beautiful blue agapanthus or hydrangeas are quite striking. Blue pansies might also be appropriate.
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