PHYSICAL TOLL EXACTS DAMAGE OFF-FIELD AS WELL
Posted on November 27, 2010 by Tribe13
Written by Sean Fagan for Tribe13.com.au
A concept for a post season eight-club World Club Challenge has been put forward by South Sydney owner Russell Crowe.
Crowe reveals his American dream
Coincidentially, amidst the start of the Ashes cricket series, older rugby league fans have once again lamented that the game has let Kangaroos and Lions Ashes tours fade away into history.
Many will allege a lack of creative leadership, however at the root of the problem with any proposal for extra tours and tournaments is how and where you fit it into the season, given player burnout is self-evident to all who follow the game.
Rugby league’s biggest drawback is also its greatest asset – it’s physicality.
The game itself demands and exacts such a physical toll on those that play it, that excellent concepts/games, that otherwise would be big development/income-drivers for the code, clubs, and its players, can’t proceed – simply because of player burnout or risk of injury, and/or they do go ahead but without many of the top players, or in a less than ideal manner (viz. the WCC not being until the next pre-season).
In short, the game on the field works against the greater good of the growth of the code.
Low (or no) impact sports have decided advantage over rugby league when it comes to being able to fill an 11-month long calendar full of games and tournaments. At the other end the scale, American football has to restrict its regular NFL season to 17 weeks – anything longer is too much of a burden on the players.
Which leaves a conundrum for rugby league - if you alter the game on the field, then will people still want to watch it? Do you risk compromising its core values?
Yet players in past generations, even though holding fulltime jobs, sometimes played 2 games a weekend, and sometimes a mid-week game as well.
I’m sure today’s players would rather play than train. But of course, the way the game is played today, repeated doses of 2 matches a weekend plus a mid-week game would quickly ruin a career.
I’m probably a lone voice on this issue, but I really think there should be a serious study of the game undertaken, with the objective of evolving the game so that it still delivers the attributes we all desire to see, but come with far less physical burden and damage to those that play it.
That way extra games and tournaments that will help the game’s bottom line and development can become a realistic option.
Source: Tribe13.com.au