Eels Blogs

Now I don't claim to know everything about Rugby League but I am a very passionate and keen observer of the game. As the game evolves faster than it ever has before people are discussing the different changes that have been accepted by the NRL and the ones that have been proposed. This blog isn't about the rule changes, it's about the changing face of league. In the past league was seen as a blood sport. A couple of guys throwing the ball around in between throwing punches. The game plans were simple. Bust it up through the middle and use the speed of the backs to run havoc.

The game developed from supposedly the game played by the gods. League was the working man's game. The game really came to the fore throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s but the stigma of a blood sport was still there. There were plenty of players with high levels of skill, notably the Mortimer's, Sterling, Kenny, Gasnier, Morris, Sterling, Edge, Toovey, Lewis etc. but it was the infamous bust-ups during play that continually damaged the game's reputation. The players were some of the greatest characters in the game but that wasn't going to save the game's reputation. Players like Sterling and co. could provide a season of highlights in just a handful of games but these players were poorly paid and relied on midweek jobs to support their families.

As the game moved into the 90s the ARL was coming down harder on violence on-field. The bust-ups began to become history and it was only Origin that would re-ignite it. Apart from the hot-head of guys like Mark Geyer the game's reputation began to slowly improve. With the Super League war the players got pay increases and they moved away from working 2 jobs to now being able to support themselves and their families just by playing League. The game had come a long way from its humble beginnings in 1908 to being one of the premier sports in Australia but it wasn't done yet.

At the turn of the millennium the game entered a new era, a new breed of player had entered the game. Gone were the large, slow props, in came the mobile forwards. Gone were the thin, weedy outside backs, in came the built, fast and athletic backs. The game had moved away from needing a complete base from the forwards. The game developed a fast-paced tempo that was incredibly tough on players who weren't ready for it. The players became fine-tuned athletes. The game had developed it's face as one of a family game but the off-field dramas began to blacken the face of league. First came the salary cap issues with the Bulldogs and various indiscretions by players such as Willie Mason, Nate Myles, Brad Fittler, Matthew Johns etc. However, the game survived and continued to flourish. The players were more athletic and had the ability to catch the imagination of all ages. Players such as Lockyer and Johns showed longevity in the game and had uncanny abilities to change the entire outcome of a match through a simple 5 minute display of their skills. Feats of amazing athleticism became common place in the game. Whether it was Greg Inglis leaping from the field of play to throw the ball back in field for Gasnier to score in the Centenary International Test Match or Sandor Earl contorting his body to squeeze inside the corner post. Players such as Jarryd Hayne and Ben Barba began inspiring young kids to take up the game and showcase their skills. Coaches also adapted to catch up with the changes in the game.

Players are coached in wrestling techniques to slow down the play-the-ball, players are on eating plans and are given specialised gym schedules. Technologies such as hyperbaric chambers allowed faster recovery from injury as well as mandatory recovery sessions and a new set of technologies introduced into clubs. Humble strapping tap has been replaced with Kinesio Sports Tape and are given regular massages. A steak and chips with a beer in the local pub is now out of the question. But I digress. The need for players to be at their peak for 30 straight weeks means that this level of control and technology is needed to keep the players fit and healthy. Injuries are always going to happen but the methods for treating them have improved and full faith can be placed in the club doctors in getting the players fit. The development of junior systems has allowed clubs to bring junior players into the club and develop them into future players. Everything these days is planned down to the minutest of details to ensure that the teams have every chance of winning. While some will argue the amount of control clubs have over players doesn't allow players to be themselves it is the changing face of the game that allows clubs to do this. They are ambassadors for the game now and are seen as role models of the community. If they don't act in a correct manner the game's image and reputation is damaged. This writer, however, is of the firm opinion that this is price the players pay for having the privelege to play in the competition and enjoy the luxuries that players of the past never did. That is the changing face of Rugby League.