Jamie Peacock says he is against relegation in rugby league as Hull KR ready for the Million Pound game.
Peacock will take the field for the Robins today as they bid to avoid the drop by beating Salford.
Writing for
The Daily Mirror, he says: "We step out into the Million Pound Game against Salford on Saturday - and I’ve never known anything like this in my career.
"I’ve been lucky enough to play in plenty of finals, but the pressure to win here is completely different.
"That pressure can be suffocating if you don’t manage it right, and I think we’ve been able to do that at
Hull KR.
"We have desire to win and the confidence that we’ve got a simple plan that we will commit to as a group.
"In big matches like this you have to focus on the process rather than the outcome - even though we all know what’s at stake.
"What I will say is that I don’t think rugby league is a sport for relegation.
"I know promotion and relegation is a big part of the tradition of English sport, but that goes back to when sport was part-time and you played at the weekend to supplement your wage.
"It also centres a lot around football, where you are often relegating people who are millionaires, and then into a market where there are tens of thousands of jobs around the world.
"In rugby league, most players’ wage is probably only about double the national average - and you’re being thrown into a market where there’s only 100s of jobs and maybe only 10s that are available.
"To put it into context, imagine doing your job all year and then having an 80 minute interview where everything is on the line - and the amount of stress that brings.
"I should say that I agree with promotion and there should be a way for clubs to get into
Super Leaguethat is mainly performance-based but also deals with clubs’ infrastructures.
"But if clubs come into the top division then expand it - I don’t think relegation has any part in our sport.
Having said all of that, we will be fighting heart and soul today to stay up.
But if we win, although we’ll be elated at the end of 80 minutes, we won’t be blatantly celebrating in Salford’s faces.
To me, that would be like being in a car crash, stepping out without any injuries, and looking back to see your mate needs to be rescued from inside.
We’re looking forward to the game - you have to if you want to play well and that’s what we intend to do."
http://www.loverugbyleague.com/news_23698-peacock-against-relegation.html
