David EdwardsBarrett, SBW, and the rest..
June 6th 2008 03:40
All this nonsense in the media about ex-NRL players being unhappy has come as no surprise. The lucrative offer of the British 'Sterling' Pound is like an evil temptress to NRL superstars. Whilst the NRL is portrayed as the loyal housewife, never to leave your side, always faithful (yet unwilling to put out), the English 'Tetley's' Super League is the woman on the side. Wearing a silky red dress, saucy lingerie and with a daring glint in her eye, the English Super League is the intoxicating provocateur who will definitely put out - around for a good time, not a long time.
Rugby League players inevitably choose this short term fling, but end up retreating to their first love, the NRL. The role of nostalgia cannot be underestimated. Whilst in 2006 English 5/8 Leon Pryce expounded on the delights of Blackpool, and how Bondi simply cannot compare to a pebbled bay - it is probable that upon his return he realised what a shit-hole Blackpool really is. The bottom line is you love what you know. Leaguies don't have the ability to embrace a different culture/lifestyle on any other level than a handsome, 2 year contract.
Australian Rugby League players struggle to adjust to the harsh northern England weather, and long for the good ol' days of Australian summers, surfing and wearing three-quarter pants. It is the reverse situation of early British settlers, who labelled Australia as a barren, unliveable land, finding that wearing traditional British clothes in such an arid environment was uncomfortable. They did however acclimatise to these conditions in time, but of course many were there as "10 pound Poms", a clever initative to lure a population base to Australia. This serves in stark contrast to the "2 Million dollar Aussie"; the aging NRL player lured to England to serve as a 2 year solution to a positional deficit on the field.
It has been reported that Trent Barrett and Matt King's apparent desire to come back to the NRL has stemmed from the unhappiness of their respective wives. Trent Barrett took the money to go to Wigan, but made this choice in possibly the most turbulent period of his life. He has 3 children under the age of 4. Surely any normal person would possibly weigh this up as a potential obstacle to a smooth transition. As we all know, toddlers and babies are at times unmanageable, yet this (and his wife's wellbeing) factor clearly did not enter Barrett's mind. Blessed with the ideal of nostalgia, Barrett has been welcomed back with open arms by the NRL fraternity - and has benefited greatly by being away from Australia for 2 years. Towards the end of his time at the Dragons, Barrett was not in the best form of his life, yet upon return he has been hailed as a saviour, "one of the greats". Courted by various clubs and eventually settling on Cronulla, Barrett is lucky that his decision to come back to the NRL has been mainly documented as a "win" for Australian Rugby League - and people have instead forgotten about the fact that Barrett himself is an overrated commodity.
Apologies to harping on the issue of acclimatisation, but what do people expect when they sign a short term deal in a foreign country? The excuse of not fitting in just doesn't cut it for me. Do you hear migrants complaining about this when they finally are allowed residency in Australia after a series of stringent, xenophobic examinations? No. Because they are fucking happy just to be able to live, breathe and eat in a country that isn't war torn, reeling from genocide, or perhaps under some form of dictatorial regime. Yet they will work and work hard, for a pittance - in many cases leaving their family behind. So personally, i have little sympathy for Trent Barrett and his inability to fit in at Wigan. I have much more sympathy for his poor wife, who has been made to look like the scapegoat in his decision to return. Full credit must be given to Wigan, who allowed Barrett to leave on compassionate grounds. What they should have done is book a flight home and buy a new Australian apartment for Mrs Barrett and the kids, and order Trent to serve out his contract at Wigan. That way everyone wins.
The general consensus among NRL players is that the NRL needs to put out more. This is not just a tenuous reference to the off-field exploits of NRL players, but more specifically referring to the fact that NRL players feel underpaid. The SBW issue has occupied a great deal of headline space lately, and SBW needs to just make a decision before he makes a Tuqiri out of himself - i.e. a draw-out fiasco over pay-checks, to the point where the player himself hasn't a semblance of credibility left after the ordeal.
Just on the matter of SBW, did anyone else notice that his representatives at a recent negotiation on his behalf included Anthony Mundine and Solomon Haumono? It is dubious that SBW is willing to remain in league, if only due to the fact that two ex-leaguies turned boxers are representing him in conjunction with his manager. SportingMind awaits a transcript of the meeting, curious as to see Haumono's contribution to the discussion.
The NRL cannot claim the return of Barrett (and possibly King) as a victory for the NRL over the English game. Their decisions are completely circumstantial and are more a comment on family relations and northern English weather than anything else. As long as players keep fleeing to England and dollar-mongers such as Willie Mason keep venting publicly about player wages, then the NRL will face this player exodus year after year. As Mason mentioned on last weeks Footy Show; players will; "keep headin to England, the UK, France, and Europe". SportingMind was almost certain he could have summised the above with a simple "players will keep heading to Europe", but i was blissfully unaware that neither England or France were indeed part of Europe. Or that England was even a part of the UK.
Admit it. You would miss Mason if he left.
-SportingMind
Rugby League players inevitably choose this short term fling, but end up retreating to their first love, the NRL. The role of nostalgia cannot be underestimated. Whilst in 2006 English 5/8 Leon Pryce expounded on the delights of Blackpool, and how Bondi simply cannot compare to a pebbled bay - it is probable that upon his return he realised what a shit-hole Blackpool really is. The bottom line is you love what you know. Leaguies don't have the ability to embrace a different culture/lifestyle on any other level than a handsome, 2 year contract.
Australian Rugby League players struggle to adjust to the harsh northern England weather, and long for the good ol' days of Australian summers, surfing and wearing three-quarter pants. It is the reverse situation of early British settlers, who labelled Australia as a barren, unliveable land, finding that wearing traditional British clothes in such an arid environment was uncomfortable. They did however acclimatise to these conditions in time, but of course many were there as "10 pound Poms", a clever initative to lure a population base to Australia. This serves in stark contrast to the "2 Million dollar Aussie"; the aging NRL player lured to England to serve as a 2 year solution to a positional deficit on the field.
It has been reported that Trent Barrett and Matt King's apparent desire to come back to the NRL has stemmed from the unhappiness of their respective wives. Trent Barrett took the money to go to Wigan, but made this choice in possibly the most turbulent period of his life. He has 3 children under the age of 4. Surely any normal person would possibly weigh this up as a potential obstacle to a smooth transition. As we all know, toddlers and babies are at times unmanageable, yet this (and his wife's wellbeing) factor clearly did not enter Barrett's mind. Blessed with the ideal of nostalgia, Barrett has been welcomed back with open arms by the NRL fraternity - and has benefited greatly by being away from Australia for 2 years. Towards the end of his time at the Dragons, Barrett was not in the best form of his life, yet upon return he has been hailed as a saviour, "one of the greats". Courted by various clubs and eventually settling on Cronulla, Barrett is lucky that his decision to come back to the NRL has been mainly documented as a "win" for Australian Rugby League - and people have instead forgotten about the fact that Barrett himself is an overrated commodity.
Apologies to harping on the issue of acclimatisation, but what do people expect when they sign a short term deal in a foreign country? The excuse of not fitting in just doesn't cut it for me. Do you hear migrants complaining about this when they finally are allowed residency in Australia after a series of stringent, xenophobic examinations? No. Because they are fucking happy just to be able to live, breathe and eat in a country that isn't war torn, reeling from genocide, or perhaps under some form of dictatorial regime. Yet they will work and work hard, for a pittance - in many cases leaving their family behind. So personally, i have little sympathy for Trent Barrett and his inability to fit in at Wigan. I have much more sympathy for his poor wife, who has been made to look like the scapegoat in his decision to return. Full credit must be given to Wigan, who allowed Barrett to leave on compassionate grounds. What they should have done is book a flight home and buy a new Australian apartment for Mrs Barrett and the kids, and order Trent to serve out his contract at Wigan. That way everyone wins.
The general consensus among NRL players is that the NRL needs to put out more. This is not just a tenuous reference to the off-field exploits of NRL players, but more specifically referring to the fact that NRL players feel underpaid. The SBW issue has occupied a great deal of headline space lately, and SBW needs to just make a decision before he makes a Tuqiri out of himself - i.e. a draw-out fiasco over pay-checks, to the point where the player himself hasn't a semblance of credibility left after the ordeal.
Just on the matter of SBW, did anyone else notice that his representatives at a recent negotiation on his behalf included Anthony Mundine and Solomon Haumono? It is dubious that SBW is willing to remain in league, if only due to the fact that two ex-leaguies turned boxers are representing him in conjunction with his manager. SportingMind awaits a transcript of the meeting, curious as to see Haumono's contribution to the discussion.
The NRL cannot claim the return of Barrett (and possibly King) as a victory for the NRL over the English game. Their decisions are completely circumstantial and are more a comment on family relations and northern English weather than anything else. As long as players keep fleeing to England and dollar-mongers such as Willie Mason keep venting publicly about player wages, then the NRL will face this player exodus year after year. As Mason mentioned on last weeks Footy Show; players will; "keep headin to England, the UK, France, and Europe". SportingMind was almost certain he could have summised the above with a simple "players will keep heading to Europe", but i was blissfully unaware that neither England or France were indeed part of Europe. Or that England was even a part of the UK.
Admit it. You would miss Mason if he left.
-SportingMind
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