Its sad to see that David Peachey hasn't been picked for the Rabbitohs last game of the regular season this weekend. They may well have a Finals game of course, or indeed Jason Taylor may spring a surprise and play him with a Premier League number - let's hope so.
I've always been a great admirer of David Peachey. He is such an elegant, deceptively quick player; usually unflustered and great at chiming into the line at the right time in attack. I don't know the details of his Widnes sojourn but it looked to me that he was harshly treated. Even though they were relegated from Super League he came across to play for them, and it seemed the first panic wave saw him blown away back to Australia.
I also think he should have played a lot more representative football than he did. I'm sure that if he was a Queenslander he would have done so. I am a Maroon so a bit skewed but being a Pom I have no direct interest in the politics of the game in Australia. It seems to me though that Aboriginal and immigrant players have a much tougher time of making the Blues than the Maroons. There may be a counter argument that they have a bigger pool of players to choose from, but I don't think that holds water. Apart from Peachey recent examples for me include Nathan Blacklock, who was consitently NRL top scorer at St George, and the LEGEND that is Hazem El Masri, for me the best winger in the modern game. Any of these players would have had handfuls of appearances for the Maroons - this in the context that Queensland politics has generally been much more right wing than their NSW neighbours.
In any case, all best wishes to the Peach in his future endeavours. He certainly is the kind of role model young indigenous Australians need, and his work in rural communities will pay dividends for our game and the Australian nation in years to come.
Wednesday 29 August 2007
Monday 27 August 2007
Lockyer for Super League?
Good to see Darren Lockyer on the BBC's Challenge Cup Final coverage. He's allegedly over here to promote next year's World Cup, but we haven't even got venue details yet!!
As a Knights man you'd have to go a long way to persuade me that Joey Johns isn't the greatest modern day player, but I have to say I think Lockyer pips Joey for me. Not only has he been the centrepiece of great Brisbane Broncos teams over the last decade or so, he's made a massive contribution to the revival of Queensland in Origin (incidentally although I'm a Knight fan I'm also a confirmed Maroon) and has almost single-handedly giving Test football the credibility it deserves.
Its no coincidence that a so-called weak Kangaroos won a whitewash Ashes Series in 2003 - remember the last gasp try to seal the third win, created by who else but Locky. Its also no coincidence that the Lockyer led Kangaroos played probably the best 40 minutes of Test football EVER in defeating Great Britain in the first Tri-Nations final at Elland Road, and that Australia (without Lockyer) were blown away by the Kiwis the following year. Oh, and who scored the golden point try that won the Tri-Nations in Sydney the following year?
I was gutted that Darren got injured this season - it would have been fitting that he represented Dally Messenger in the Centenary International at the end of the season. I would love to see Darren play in Super League - preferably for Quins of course - and I think he could make as big a contribution as Alfie Langer did at Warrington for his two year stint.
Darren though did point out quite correctly that Australians come to Super League for the money - any Brits going the other way do so purely for the challenge (Adrian Morley being the shining example to any British player who wants to become a world beater by spending their prime years in the NRL). We kid ourselves that Super League standard is catching up with the NRL. I've been watching the game avidly since 1990 and I am confident in saying that the Great Britain team of 1990 was closer to the standard of the Kangaroos that any GB team we could put out on the park now. Also the Kiwis have flown past us in the meantime!
As a Knights man you'd have to go a long way to persuade me that Joey Johns isn't the greatest modern day player, but I have to say I think Lockyer pips Joey for me. Not only has he been the centrepiece of great Brisbane Broncos teams over the last decade or so, he's made a massive contribution to the revival of Queensland in Origin (incidentally although I'm a Knight fan I'm also a confirmed Maroon) and has almost single-handedly giving Test football the credibility it deserves.
Its no coincidence that a so-called weak Kangaroos won a whitewash Ashes Series in 2003 - remember the last gasp try to seal the third win, created by who else but Locky. Its also no coincidence that the Lockyer led Kangaroos played probably the best 40 minutes of Test football EVER in defeating Great Britain in the first Tri-Nations final at Elland Road, and that Australia (without Lockyer) were blown away by the Kiwis the following year. Oh, and who scored the golden point try that won the Tri-Nations in Sydney the following year?
I was gutted that Darren got injured this season - it would have been fitting that he represented Dally Messenger in the Centenary International at the end of the season. I would love to see Darren play in Super League - preferably for Quins of course - and I think he could make as big a contribution as Alfie Langer did at Warrington for his two year stint.
Darren though did point out quite correctly that Australians come to Super League for the money - any Brits going the other way do so purely for the challenge (Adrian Morley being the shining example to any British player who wants to become a world beater by spending their prime years in the NRL). We kid ourselves that Super League standard is catching up with the NRL. I've been watching the game avidly since 1990 and I am confident in saying that the Great Britain team of 1990 was closer to the standard of the Kangaroos that any GB team we could put out on the park now. Also the Kiwis have flown past us in the meantime!
Sunday 26 August 2007
Wembley - home at last
Had the great honour of being at the Challenge Cup Final yesterday. Congratulations to St Helens for winning the trophy, but like most neutrals I was rooting for Catalans.
I was sad when the decision was made to get rid of the twin towers, but I've got to say that the walk along Wembley Way from Wembley Park tube station was as good as it ever was.
I really enjoyed the game - a real Cup Final with plenty of grit and tension. If the Dragons could have held on to the ball a bit better and a break or two had gone their way (how did Jason Croker's try not get awarded for benefit of the doubt??) things may have turned out differently, but after just two seasons they've achieved a great deal in getting to the Final. Building on the Semi Final appearance of Toulouse a couple of seasons ago it bodes really well for the game in France.
When you think that it was ILLEGAL for our game to use the word Rugby in France until 1981 (we had to use jeu a treize rather than Rugby a treize), the fightback is well and truly underway. Let's hope for a good French performance in the World Cup next year and the re-establishment of in season Tests against France every year.
I've digressed a bit from my elation at being back at Wembley! I enjoy the Millennium Stadium a lot, having been to the Wales - New Zealand game in the 2000 World Cup, the 2004 Challenge Cup Final and this year's Millennium Magic; the fans had a great time in Edinburgh at the Murrayfield final by all accounts; I'll leave my comments about Twickenham on the grounds that this is aimed at a family audience (those b*****s spent a hundred years trying to destroy us!)
However good the other venues were, Wembley really does feel like home for our game. I've seen some classic Test matches at the venue as well as Cup Finals and we really do wear the stadium well. I hope the reopening will prompt the Rugby Football League out of its fear of an empty seat at Tests (not daring to go to a venue bigger than 25,000) and bring Test football back to Wembley.
I was sad when the decision was made to get rid of the twin towers, but I've got to say that the walk along Wembley Way from Wembley Park tube station was as good as it ever was.
I really enjoyed the game - a real Cup Final with plenty of grit and tension. If the Dragons could have held on to the ball a bit better and a break or two had gone their way (how did Jason Croker's try not get awarded for benefit of the doubt??) things may have turned out differently, but after just two seasons they've achieved a great deal in getting to the Final. Building on the Semi Final appearance of Toulouse a couple of seasons ago it bodes really well for the game in France.
When you think that it was ILLEGAL for our game to use the word Rugby in France until 1981 (we had to use jeu a treize rather than Rugby a treize), the fightback is well and truly underway. Let's hope for a good French performance in the World Cup next year and the re-establishment of in season Tests against France every year.
I've digressed a bit from my elation at being back at Wembley! I enjoy the Millennium Stadium a lot, having been to the Wales - New Zealand game in the 2000 World Cup, the 2004 Challenge Cup Final and this year's Millennium Magic; the fans had a great time in Edinburgh at the Murrayfield final by all accounts; I'll leave my comments about Twickenham on the grounds that this is aimed at a family audience (those b*****s spent a hundred years trying to destroy us!)
However good the other venues were, Wembley really does feel like home for our game. I've seen some classic Test matches at the venue as well as Cup Finals and we really do wear the stadium well. I hope the reopening will prompt the Rugby Football League out of its fear of an empty seat at Tests (not daring to go to a venue bigger than 25,000) and bring Test football back to Wembley.
The NK Pom?
I'm a Pom (English to you) and a fan of the Newcastle Knights Rugby League club - THE finest Rugby League team outside the M25! Anyone familiar with UK geography may deduce from this statement that there may be a good side inside the M25 and that I may follow them. And you'd be right. I'm a season ticket holder at Harlequins RL, formerly the London Broncos, Super League's finest.
I have a history web site at www.rlhalloffame.org.uk. I love the game and hope to post my random thoughts about it here on an almost regular basis.
I have a history web site at www.rlhalloffame.org.uk. I love the game and hope to post my random thoughts about it here on an almost regular basis.
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