Understanding Players
By Rob Richmond
November 16 2006
Rob writes with only the passion he can, about what it is like to be a player for the Saints. We should all ahare in his pride, and take his comments on board.
Broonie makes a fair and valid point, no one keeps a player if he's unhappy, it can so easily upset the rest of the squad.
If,
IF!
This rumour proves to be true its probably a smart move from wally.
Purely from a motivational stance what does wally have to prove? World cup winner, European cup winner, Grand slam winner, British Lion, numerous England caps and of course former club captain.
hoddros above says he believes that he wouldn't leave unless he couldn't start every game, well personally i disagree. Wally has been one the first names on the team sheet for around 6 or 7 years now. There's no challenge for him at the club, regardless of what Dylan, Danny and Matias do.
Now, I understand that could be perceived to be disrespectful, even sour grapes on my part. I assure its not.
let me put it another way,
lets you are say, Mr S.T. Holder,
you go to game every week, you may even go to most away games too. You are a fervent supporter who spend plenty of money and is particularly proud of the club. You may also go to FG and expect to see star players on the field. Imagine how Mr Holder might feel if Wally wasn't played week in and week out. This of course could apply to any of the players, Los, Bruce, Monty, Ben, hell we've even seen vociferous support in recent weeks for the apparent mystery of Sam hardings disappearance from the starting 22. One that I myself have recent spoken on, (just to clear it up once and for all, No, I don't know why Sam isn't in the 22, No, I do not agree with supporters that he has divine right to be selected, no i do not agree that any player has that right, however i do fully believe that many supporters expect to some boys on the field week in and week out) But if I was Mr Holder I would fully expect to get my money's worth out of the club, in terms of performance, in terms of entertainment and in terms of star power.
Now, I'm not saying that wally is picked week in and week out by the coaches and theres not a damn thing that anyone can do about it. Wally is clearly a better player than Danny, Dylan and Matias, (thats me on record as saying it!) wally would not of got all of those honours I posted above unless he was a talented rugby player. What I am saying is that there is a flip side of the coin of Mr Holders, expectations shall we say...
In the modern game, especially in the front row, it takes a massive amount of effort, both physical and mental to compete at the highest level week after week after week. international games are often like being in a car crash on a weekly basis, even those who accuse wally of being a serial wing lurker have to appreciate that the pure physical effort needed is waaay beyond those of normal people. And more often than not, supporters, rugby followers, occasional rugby watchers, the average joe on the street, cant ( and sometimes wont ) see Wally and Jonno or wilko or Lol or Daws as normal people.
They still are, normal people. They maybe more recognisable than you and me but they still put their pants on one leg at a time... Yes, its a job, and just like you and me they are just as likely to have a bad day at work or even feel a change is needed in their lives...
see what i mean?
Normal people..
I sat down with Danny and his lovely wife Katherine on Saturday night, a had a few beers and discussed this very matter, dissolution.
I like Wally, always have, occasionally said some unpleasant things about him, but like most they aren't heart felt. But having spoken with our kid I can totally see where he may be coming from.
From a personal aspect its quite funny, no one ever gave Danny a chance of being a professional rugby player, not a chance. No help, no money, no decent school with a reputation for rugby, no representation for England at school level or U18s, nothing. Just pure hard work.
As a family we always, always remember this, we've made a point of never taking Dans job for granted, simply because we have seen how hard it took him to get there, Dedication to his dream, to be a professional rugby player. From the day that he and I had an argument in the back of the car on the way home from training where I said I just want to play rugby and have fun with my mates and Danny turned around and said "balls to that, I want to the best!" and from then on he was always trying to prove me wrong, simply because I turned to him and told him, "no chance"
Like i say theres a flip side to the coin.
Turns out being a rugby player is hard, really hard.
Dan still has 4 or 5 years left in him, with the Saints? I dunno, i hope so, he hopes so too, but who can say? well slugga and Grayse can say, but i will leave it up to them. But Sat there nursing a soda and lime on Saturday night, Dan told me how he hopes to go on into coaching when his playing career ends and also how much he misses being on the kit with Dad and I. That one day, he' d quite like to return to the stone-masonry game...
I reminded him that he would soon change his mind when he had to put up with 12 hour days, lumping great big pieces of bath stone up and down scaffolds as well as our fathers rather peculiar since of well being. (for those of you who haven't met my old man imagine gollum and Arkwright combined, ooh, shudder, just thinking about it gives me the willies!) Also, that it certainly doesn't pay as well as rugby.
Its easy for us to forget that playing rugby day in and day out can get pretty monotonous that pulling your boll0cks out at the gym is often a bloody horrible thing to do, especially when you almost live there, like many players seemingly do, that arthritis or the knees is a terrible thing to endure when you are 65, let alone when you are 35. Or as Danny told me that the "policeman's heel" ( Bobby's used to get it from having to walk every where and be on their feet all day long) that he has recently contracted means that he regularly requires 5 injections into the heel of his foot. (now as a guy with really bad feet, and many a ingrown toenail, i know having to have injections in your feet is a chuffing horrific place to have to contend with)
Simple things like this you and I may take for granted, perhaps its something that does need more attention brought to, and certainly a little more thought.......
Two years ago I wrote a story for the site where I gave mention for my fears for Wally and player burn out. I put forward wally as a prime candidate, and having read the torygraph article the other week, it would appear from the outside that I was correct. I can honestly say I'm gutted to be proven wrong.
playing week in and week out for saints/england was always very likely to leave him jaded. I cant say it for sure but it could be that Wally has become weary of life in the comfort zone at FG. Now, whilst Mr Holder may of been pleased to see wally, its important too that we all take time to think about wally being happy too.
Now I'm sure someone will read this and say,
"well, wally get payed boat loads of cash he should be able to handle this kind of thing"
well perhaps you have a point, but for how long should he have to handle it? A year? 2? 10?
sooner or later it would get to anyone....
look at Los, he's come to FG for a fresh challenge, thats honest, thats integrity, that ambition. Those who accuse Los of being here for the cash are way off the mark, but sadly its the tell tale sign of the Internet world we live in, keyboard heroes every where.
Where he goes, if he goes, is up to him,
However, if true its very sad indeed for the club and wally himself, but its a short career and i can certainly understand where he may be coming from....
nothing in life is certain,
rumours are always doing the rounds,
but look at the way Glaws spent the cash they saved of Vickery and became a completely different team....
something to ponder in the cold winter months....