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Added Monday 14/01/08
I have given a lot of thought to my comments on tough guys, and still tough means tough. There are still some really tough guys out there, and it dawned on me recently that one of the toughest performances, man, woman or child (and I exclude those fighting terrible diseases, they take tough to another level) I have seen recently happened at the open schoolboy rugby trials in the middle of 2007, June/July or May/June, somewhere there. Mick O’Leary, leading the side broke his nose, very, very badly on day one of the tournament, maybe even game one, memory is not that good. It was a pretty bad break, and I understand medical advice was that he not play. Personally, as a coach I would have gone with that advice. I also understand though that his parents cleared him to play on, I guess that removes some liability, and that is important. He was not too bad, well I thought so until the last two days. When I arrived at the team hotel, or the hotel where most of the team were staying on the day of the final Mick was a mess, a complete mess. He had a headache that would have killed three normal men, was applying ice packs to his head, could hardly open his eyes, and had swallowed goodness knows how many painkillers. I didn’t think he could possibly play, in fact thought he would pull out. At best I thought the coaching staff would make the decision, he was a complete mess. I also knew, that given the inspiration that Mick is and was to the side, that the Downs would be in some severe trouble, probably couldn’t win without him. However, none of the decisions were made and somehow, Mick got himself up for the game, didn’t play it all, but when he was on he threw himself into his work as if he were completely uninjured, and as we all now know inspired the side to win the tournament. I understand that Mick missed a fair bit of the next week at school due to the injury becoming infected. Point being that Mick’s mental ability to overcome incredible pain, and it was obvious he was in pain, his nose was spread all over his face, and he had a bruise across his melon, was what got him up that particular morning. It is this mental ability to get the pain blocked out that makes “tough” guys. You can read plenty about it in the Johns book, Johns himself, Ben Kennedy to name a couple. However, for one so young, and for one not making any money out of the game at all, O’Leary’s ability to overcome severe pain, and play at the top of his ability level in a final, after four days of tough football, rates as the toughest thing I have seen in 2007, outside of what I mentioned above. The comment was made to me by his first XV coach Peter Healy that there are that many in the family, that Mick has to fight to feed at home, so he is used to pain and discomfort. Would you also believe that Mick, in the discomfort that he was in, did the washing up in the motel that particular morning of the final. He will add a dimension of toughness to the University Colts side (all I have heard is that he is going there), his mental toughness is something that will not let him down. I hope he gets to play Colts 1, but he will start behind Nick Seymour, the highly rated BGS, Qld 1 and Aussie Schoolboy hooker, but starting behind someone won’t phase Mick, I get the feeling he will just use that as a motivator in his drive to play Colts 1. I guess not too many would know that Mick started life in the backs, and got ushered into the forwards when he went to Downlands, as one of the “bigger” kids in Under 13. As an 11 year old I have seen Mick belt goal kicks over from the touch line and 25 metres out, he has a prodigious goal kick and punt kick. If he ever came along and played club rugby, and was available for State Titles, he would have rounded out our centres very nicely, and therein lies just how different coaches see different things, he also has a great pass either side, and a very good ability to be very direct in attack and defence. He will need to work on his lineout throw, but that is understandable having only recently joined the hooking ranks. I also would like to see Mick stop running into people, but that is a coaching thing, and the guys he is about to be coached by will no doubt talk about “face and space” a lot more than he has currently heard, and he will learn about dominating contact a little differently than taking it on every time, especially given he is a fair bit smaller than a lot he will be up against. He will go OK though this kid and while not the fancied choice, his uncompromising attitude to life in general will keep Nick Seymour looking over his shoulder in 2008. No doubt in my mind the toughest guy I have ever seen play is Martin Lang. His direct running style meant he was going to get belted every time he got the ball but he always put his hand up to get the ball and get belted. Many gutless thugs made themselves a reputation for being tough by belting up on Martin Lang but the fact is they got sick of trying to belt him and he never got sick of being belted, he would just play the ball and then line up for another go. No glory in that just plenty of guts. (Can't disagree with this guy's assessment in any way shape or form) Another reader rang me and said "gee you are setting up the rivalry between Seymour and O'Leary early". My comment, someone has to back the underdog, and Mick will certainly be the underdog, early, but his rivals sure better be dam tough, you won't kill this guy with a stick.
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WE DON'T STOP PLAYING BECAUSE WE GROW OLD, WE GROW OLD BECAUSE WE STOP PLAYING. |
