Elite players face burnout
By Stuart Honeysett
November 29, 2004
BULLDOGS coach Steve Folkes believes the NRL's elite players could be forced into early retirement if the Rugby League International Federation decides to hold the Tri-Nations tournament each year.
Folkes ... hold Tri-Nations every other year.
The Kangaroos continued their dominance of the international arena with a comprehensive 44-4 win over Britain in the final and they now head to the United States for a friendly against the US Tomahawks to wrap up their seven-week tour.
The success of the tournament has prompted the RLIF to declare it will be staged again with the details of scheduling and location to be confirmed after a meeting involving all stakeholders.
The players involved in the tour have already indicated they would be happy to contest another Tri-Nations in 2005 provided the matches between Australia and New Zealand are played at home.
But Folkes said yesterday the Tri-Nations should only be held every other year to give players a break from the demands of the NRL's 26-round season.
"International football is extremely important to our game and everybody that plays footy ... that's their ultimate goal to play for their country," former Test forward Folkes said.
"But if you want these internationals to be around in four or five years' time then you've got to take a step back and assess how draining all this is.
"And how physically and mentally it might shorten the guys' careers and shorten them significantly."
The premiers had eight players involved in the tournament – four for Australia and four for New Zealand. Matt Utai, Roy Asotasi, Mark O'Meley and Andrew Ryan all require post-season surgery.
Folkes said the players involved in the Tri-Nations won't be expected back at the Bulldogs until January and it was more mental than physical fatigue that concerned him about their premiership defence in 2005.
"We've got guys – take Willie Mason for example – who haven't had a significant spell from football since November in 2002," Folkes said.
"If it goes again next year, that means he's been playing three years straight and that's too much. You're going to burn everyone out if you keep that up."
The result of the final was a welcome relief for both coach Wayne Bennett and the team who were confident of preserving the Kangaroos' international record. Australia have not lost a series since 1978 (against France).
Bennett came under fire before the tour started because of controversial selections in the 25-man squad, including former Kiwi lock Tonie Carroll and centre Shaun Berrigan, both from his club side Brisbane.
QRL managing director Ross Livermore, who along with other QRL delegates on the ARL board was behind the push to have Bennett replace Chris Anderson as coach, said the critics had proved themselves to be "bad judges".
"It wouldn't worry him the criticism, knowing Wayne, particularly that coming from south of the border because he'd just say that's par for the course," Livermore said.
"But I would think he would be very, very happy to be justified in his selections."
Bennett has already been offered the national job again next season but has yet to decide if he will continue.
Livermore said he would like to see Bennett remain as Australia coach for at least as long as his predecessor Anderson, who held the position for five years.
"I think his thing was to get international football back on the agenda and that's what he achieved," Livermore said.
"The worst thing is blokes will sit there now and say, 'look at that disastrous Tri-Nations final'. But that's unfair on the Poms because they played some bloody great football (during the tournament) as did the Kiwis."
