Written Sunday 11/03/2007

SUPER 14 WEEK 6

Week 5 saw the Auckland Blues firm a hell of a lot for mine in Super 14 title consideration.  Really,  all they do is run fast,  and throughout most of the match their catching and passing from 1 to 22 was outstanding,  men taking the ball flat,  coming from a position of depth,  taking the ball at pace,  and running into space.  These New Zealand sides also treasure possession,  and are very skilful post contact.  Of course they are big men doing it all as well.  A couple of guys will force changes in All black selections I figure down the track a little bit.

On the other hand,  Australian sides let themselves down somewhat with basic catching and passing,  do not have the pace and size of the New Zealand sides and you virtually see no clean off loads post contact from Aussie sides,  it is just go to ground and recycle stuff,  allowing defences to regroup.  It is awfully hard to run a defensive pattern and system against sides like the Blues and Crusaders,  Hurricanes as well when they play well.  The inability to pass is endemic in Aussie Rugby at the moment and will take some time to fix.  Too many coaches concentrate only on complex plays,  with players that cannot catch and pass effectively.  Coaches spend far too much time coaching try scoring plays rather than coaching winning the ball,  keeping the ball and going forwards with the ball.

I note people complaining about the depth in Aussie rugby,  the fourth Super 14 side has made it too hard,  etc,  etc.  The problem was there long before the advent of the Western Force.  I had this discussion with people up top at the QRU not so long ago.

There is not a broad professional structure at the top of rugby,  it is like the top of a pyramid.  Four franchises,  30 contracts per franchise,  120 professional contracts,  and some of those contracts would not be much money.  There might be a couple of other Mickey Mouse contracts floating around,  named rookie contracts,  or training contracts,   you would nearly have to have a job to feed yourself and pay the rent,  so be very careful of the word professional.

Compare it to say rugby league,  16 teams,  25 contracts per team (my guess) 400 contracts.  Across the board,  there would be more individual intrinsic value in every contract than of those in rugby.  Add to that the next level or two down from the NRL,  and guys are being paid maybe 100 to 150 bucks a win,  it helps alot of ex rugby players through Uni degrees and things like that.  Guys like Sam and TIm Hannant,  both Qld rugby representatives at a younger age playing good footy up here on the Downs.  Qld could do with a Sam Hannant in their ranks right about now.

That's only the top end of the game,  where rugby keeps trying to build out of.  The junior structure in rugby,  while developing elsewhere,  does not even come close to that of league here.  Locally we have  7 or 8 sides fielding a full array from Under 6 or so to Under 18,  some age groups at some clubs have 35 players,  with Valleys at Under 18 fielding two sides.  Club rugby after Under 12 here is insignificant.  Five or six,  perhaps more schools participate in various rugby league competitions,  only two schools play rugby on a serious basis,  and neither of them do it very well any more either.

The arguments can rage on for as long as they like,  the fact is the opportunities for the elite athletes in the games are greater in the 13 man code,  the structures all the way down to the Under 6's are better in the 13 man code,  player and coach development is way,  way superior in the 13 man code,  administration too is so much stronger,  and more focussed on the task at hand.

I have said it before,  the key difference is that rugby tries to identify talented athletes and place them into a "good rugby system",  of which few are available,  rugby league develops good rugby league systems that players want to be a part of and that develops their game up and down the structure and across the structure.

And on Tuqiri,  now he says rugby doesn't want him,  5 million bucks says other wise,  but he is complaining of the arrogance in their negotiation.  I think they have been very generous in money and time.  If I were doing it,  there never would have been a second offer,  the first one was rejected,  I would have put it all to bed then and there.  He obviously has never been involved in some cut throat high level commercial deals and perhaps neither have the people at the ARU!  You also don't see them touted through the press over a period of several months.

The Man at the Top of the Mountain Didn't Fall There!