So sticking up for my islander mates against your blatantly racist comments makes me a redneck hey
Go drink some bleach wanker
I'm surprised I haven't copped some criticism for what l posted earlier but to be fair a lot of this, not everything, has been taken out of context.
I have lots of islander friends, lovely people in general with great values and most of the sons I played rugby/league with for years and almost all missed out on key opportunities (representative, club, international selections) because they will tell you they were their own worst enemy. Of course this is only an example but it's not uncommoN.
I think it's a really delicate subject and it is a grenade in the hand of anyone who comments but if we take away the racial aspect it's clear to see that there is a difference between "football" smarts and "academic" smarts and in the modern game, as a player, you need both to succeed.
Some players have raw ability, some didn't and had to find other ways to be successful. I do get frustrated with a lot of islander/indigenous/caucausion players when they don't have the ability to see that they have a gift that if Utilised can put them on a path free of all the cliches and expectations us normal folk have. Then you have players.who do dumb shit and fall into habitual cycles which, if you consider a player like Issac Luke who could have gone down the pathway most around him had no choice but to take then you can see why it's frustrating for people to see greatness, ability and potential go to waste.
I think Polynesian players for instance have it tougher because of expectation and cultural differences which makes them more susceptible to failure, habit and ultimately, the wrong path which has nothing to do with their ability. Issac Luke speaks of how close he came to gang life. If hadn't of met his wife or got his first contract he admits he would have likely done what he knew and that wasn't a desirable life.
Do they lack intelligence? No. Do certain cultures who play our game find it harder to make the right choices, learn and grow as an individual and as a footballer. Yes.
Football is a tool which, for a lot of kids, is the only positive thing they know. Them making mistakes or f**king up isn't a lack of intelligence, it's a lack of education and understanding. And FWIW I could go to town on all the Caucasian players I've wanted to clip over the ear for the same things!!!
We can all move on now. If we didn't speak about this stuff we'd never have anything interesting to speak about.
