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The Game Future NRL Stadiums part II

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14,480
That, and any Aussie sports star who can string three sentences together is labelled a hoity toity know it all and lambasted as "not really one of us".
 
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13,797
^^ Listen to Michael Jordan speak to the media at in the early years of his career to how he spoke in the later part. Both NRL and AFL have their natural player spokespersons but they also put some talented but shy/awkward or nervous young ones into the spotlight. Some begin to shine in the spokesman roles from initially being unintelligible.

Yep. I remember speaking to Anthony Minichiello in 1999 at the Roosters end of season awards night. Was very shy and not comfortable talking to people he didn't know, let alone the media. By the end of his career he was very comfortable in any such situation. It comes with experience and just plain old maturity.
 

TheRam

Coach
Messages
13,461
Yep. I remember speaking to Anthony Minichiello in 1999 at the Roosters end of season awards night. Was very shy and not comfortable talking to people he didn't know, let alone the media. By the end of his career he was very comfortable in any such situation. It comes with experience and just plain old maturity.

This a hard one to prove or explain, but not necessarily. So many Australian kids are shocking speakers and don't really improve all that much even in adulthood. Aussie kids are shy and timid speakers next to the Yanky cousins. American children are actively encouraged at home and school to express themselves and thoughts constantly, whereas Aussie kids get a pass and are not pushed into public speaking situations all that much.

It's just a different attitude between the two cultures. Yanks are taught to embrace the world and stand up and grab whatever you want from it or someone else will, but Aussie kids are not encouraged in the same way at all. Much more laid back. Also I prescribe to the old adage when you here kids say "Um" between their thoughts and words, a quick smack over the knuckles with the ruler is the called for remedy. Getting rid of "ums" and "ars" is a huge push forward in getting kids to speak with much more purpose and authority. You need to roll with your thoughts and sentences and keep your words coming, bouncing along to engage. The larger and varied your vocabulary is the greater command you'll have over listener/s, and generally by having a larger pool of words to draw on you can then naturally find ways to be more engaging and or entertaining. It makes your mind quicker.

Aussies in general are terrible speakers next to Americans. Negros who make up some of the poorest and least educated groups are awesome speakers even with their ghetto crap lingo. They are just on another level to us verbally. It needs to come from your early years generally, that turn of phrase and confidence that American kids have. Mini maybe confident in his public speaking now, but can he engage you much in what he is saying? I say not because he is just ticking all the boxes when he speaks publicly. That thinking on your feet in public and being confident not to trip up is what you learn in your formative years.

Speaking is one thing, but being eloquent, informative and entertaining are totally different. The Americans in general master how to be themselves and can entertain in front of the camera with great confidence. Aussie sports men and women generally don't unless they are character driven personalities that naturally know how to entertain.
 

T-Boon

Coach
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15,161
Perhaps it's because the NBA playing pool is funnelled through the American college system?
Yes, I suspect it is due to the year or two they spend in college and the couple of years they spend preparing for college at school. I think the dopey culture in RL is picked up at grass roots leagues club level.
The players need to maintain a minimum level of scholastic work ethic to stay eligible for their school teams.
 

Perth Red

Post Whore
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65,420
These guys earn a crust running into each other. Elocution probably isn't high on the skills list! Better to find the best 1 or 2 players at each club and train them in public speaking then roll them out as the players spokesperson. James Graham is a great speaker, once you get past the scouse accent.
 
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11,607
These guys earn a crust running into each other. Elocution probably isn't high on the skills list! Better to find the best 1 or 2 players at each club and train them in public speaking then roll them out as the players spokesperson. James Graham is a great speaker, once you get past the scouse accent.


The accent is part of his charm.
 

T-Boon

Coach
Messages
15,161
These guys earn a crust running into each other. Elocution probably isn't high on the skills list! Better to find the best 1 or 2 players at each club and train them in public speaking then roll them out as the players spokesperson.

I agree that the NRL should take charge of it. The clubs are incapable.
It should be a part of being named in the state of origin squads in the off season. Two weeks compulsory, intensive public speaking, elocution training.
 

Timbo

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
20,270
These guys earn a crust running into each other. Elocution probably isn't high on the skills list! Better to find the best 1 or 2 players at each club and train them in public speaking then roll them out as the players spokesperson. James Graham is a great speaker, once you get past the scouse accent.

I remember for years Mark McLinden did all of our pressers despite never once being our captain because of how good a speaker he was.
 

Perth Tiger

Bench
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3,022
I agree that the NRL should take charge of it. The clubs are incapable.
It should be a part of being named in the state of origin squads in the off season. Two weeks compulsory, intensive public speaking, elocution training.

but then that would be costed to the NRL admin and then clubs will be whinging again in a couple of years over ‘out of control spending’.
 

Diesel

Coach
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19,923
Time for the NRL to grow a set and have the GF in Brisbane. Sydney has had its chance and the whole stadium situation has been a debacle. In 2020, our game shouldn’t be played on cricket ground.
 
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