In an attempt to cheer myself up after the semi-final defeat to New Zealand I went along to watch the latest 007 movie and realised where we've been going wrong. It's fine picking James Roby, James Graham and James Peacock but it's James Bond that we need in the team. He never seems to be on the losing side!
The Rugby League equivalent of 'Groundhog Day' happens every time that we lose to our Southern Hemisphere rivals. The usual questions are asked (for about a week) and the usual replies are given. Here is my summary.
England: too many errors
Over the last 27 years I have had most experiences that International Rugby League has to offer. I started as a spectator before becoming a player which morphed into the Manager and has culminated in my position as a commentator. At some time in the future I will return to being a spectator again, at which point the cycle will be complete.
Skill shortage
My summation of this World Cup is that England did not have the technical skills to compete and beat the Australians and New Zealanders. I don't think that there is a massive difference in terms of the physical, mental or tactical capabilities of the three major national squads.
Political in-fighting within the sport of Rugby League has wasted so much time, money and energy that could have been better spent. People have been and continue to fight for their empire.
Phil Clarke
Quotes of the week
8.30am, Sat, Sky Sports 2
It could be argued that over the last 15 years we put too much focus on our physical preparations in place of our technical ones. It is much easier for a player to go to a weights room and pump some iron than it is to go onto a field and practice passing a ball whilst running at full pace to a moving target (i.e. what a player has to do to score a try at the highest level of the game.)
Much has been said about the difference between the kicking game of the Kangaroos and the Kiwis and that from the England side. That again is a measure of the technical aspect of the game. "What are your skills like?" is the question that is repeatedly asked in international Test matches. Unfortunately we did not have as high a skill level as the two teams that will contest this week's Final.
Wider view
A brief analysis of the reasons why England will not play in this week's World Cup Final would only answer some of the questions that fans ask in these circumstances. We have to take a much wider view to understand and appreciate the jigsaw puzzle which hinders our international chances of success.
Here are some of the problems.
1. The NRL is more intense than the Super League. Its environment breeds faster, more skillful, mentally tougher and more tactically aware players. The pass rate to get in it is very high and the standard to keep your place means that it is a survival of the fittest to stay there.
2. Australia has more than nine times as many people playing Rugby League than we do in the UK. They get to pick their best from a much bigger army of men. New Zealand struggle for numbers but have the advantage of their players playing weekly in the NRL.
3. Australia gets first pick of the best 'athlete' in many towns and cities. Rugby League is the most attractive and trendy sport in many parts of Australia. That is not the case in most places in the UK. The biggest, fastest, strongest and most skillful sportsman often choose to play football, cricket, rugby union or one of several other sports.
4. The Australian culture and climate are a massive advantage. Even in New Zealand, there is a much greater degree of importance given to sport than there is in the UK. All sports are celebrated and recognised.
5. A winning culture breeds a winning mentality. Australia have got into the habit of winning. (In 2003 David Waite's GB side pushed the Kangaroos into the last five minutes in all three tests but they still managed to win all three).
6. There are too many overseas players in Super League to give our national team a chance of beating their main rivals. Twenty years ago we had 16 teams playing in the top division and 12% of the players at that time were from overseas. In the 2008 Super League we had 11 British teams in the Super League and the overseas contingent made up 29% of the total playing pool.
7. The Professionalism of Rugby Union in the mid-90s means that we no longer have players like Martin Offiah or Jonathan Davies to help. We also lose some players to rugby union (e.g. Chris Ashton) and are losing out with many aspiring teenage players who now choose to play the 15-a-side game instead.
8. Political in-fighting within the sport of Rugby League has wasted so much time, money and energy that could have been better spent. People have been and continue to fight for their empire.
9. There has been no real investment in junior development from most Super League Clubs since the switch to Summer Rugby. If you analyse the percentage of intellectual or financial capital that has gone into the scholarship schemes in comparison to the first team you would realise that it out of balance. Australian clubs try to produce their own players and have done this better than most UK clubs. Young players are given an opportunity in the NRL much more than in Super League.
10. Most supporters, players, coaches and club owners are more interested in the domestic competition than they are in the International game. We sometimes get more fans to watch a club game than we do for a Test Match. We could do more to speed up our rate of improvement.
11. My experiences tells me that the standard of coaching in Australia is better than that in the UK (obviously this is a major generalisation and I do think that there are some excellent coaches doing great work in the UK).
12. We don't have as many players with the right attitude to be world-class players. (Again, a generalisation but go and monitor the attention to detail, preparation and extra training of your average Australian player to the average British one. This is not exclusive to rugby league but has been noted in football, rugby union, cricket also.)
13. Many people within rugby league are either in a state of denial or accepting of second best. In some areas we have gone backwards and do not seem prepared to go and learn from other sports. Rugby union is miles ahead of rugby league in some aspects and yet we don't seem to want to accept this and learn from it. We have regressed in terms of sports science and are falling behind many other sports. We need more people with an inquisitive outlook to improve the knowledge base.
14. There is no real research budget or thinking at the top level to help maximise our chances of international success.
15. The sport, as a whole, has a limited understanding of skill acquisition. Repetition of uncorrected mistakes just leads to more mistakes.
16. Some people claim that promotion and relegation forced clubs into short-term decision making. Time will tell if the new license system encourages longer term thinking and a willingness to produce rather than recruit players.
17. It could be argued that a more exciting and entertaining domestic competition in Super League, with less focus on completion rates and defence, actually damages or chances at international level.
18. The State of Origin competition is tougher than a Test match at times and prepares Australia's players to perform under intense pressure.
19. More extensive coverage of the game on TV helps to promote the game and educate young players and coaches.
20. I don't know what number 20 is and I would like to ask you. Please tell me what you think that I have missed. There is no rank order to the above list. Some are more important than others and some are inter linked.
Identifying all of the problems is one thing. Coming up with some solutions is much more difficult especially when we have no control over things like the weather, the government or the desires and wishes of the NRL clubs (who don't have much interest in International Rugby League.)
Please let me know if you think that you have any answers. Phil Clarke
Comments (63)
Simon Baynes says...
alot of your points are valid phil.but i think our skill level is better than our freinds from down under.our biggest flaw in the world cup was our tactics .the comments from mr.smith at the start of the world cup got me worried .he said we are going to entertain and let the ball do the work.the first game against png showed these to be the wrong tactics .our best players are around the ruck peacock morley graham pushing through the line getting qick play the balls then higham roby burrows pryce picking off the scraps.thats our game not pushing ball wide.we play desprate rugby with hour to go.i remember mr smith trying these tactics with leeds in a play off defeat against bradfofd luckily we played them again in the final two weeks later (kicked vainokolo to death ).but its not all doom and gloom we got some tremendous talent in this country but please mr.smith when we get to lock horns with our friends next year dont try and win the game in the first ten minutes .be smart round the ruck.run good angles .get agood kicking game.and please find a fullback who can beat a player and get us going forward better (the kid at kr not too bad)
Posted 20:44 7th December 2008
Chris Mccormack says...
Although I cannot argue with the majority of the faults Phil has listed, of which several have existed for decades, I don't think they should completely excuse the team performance in Australia. We can easily point to the faults of overseas players and lack of junior development, but this was apparently the best prepared British/English side ever. We have an excellent set of forwards, Burrow and Pryce can beat any halfback pairing on the day, all players were picked on form and don't forget this was basically the same team that performed quite remarkably against the Kiwis 12 months ago, not just in the results but also in the manner we played against them. This time around, it was almost as if a brand new set of players had been thrust upon us who couldn't pass a ball properly or read defensive situations correctly. So although we do have areas of the British game that need drastic improvement, the blame for this tournament has to go with the team, players AND coaching staff.
Posted 14:22 7th December 2008
Roger Smith says...
I was at the England v New Zealand game in Newcastle. It was apparent to me, the Australians sitting next to me, and even the Kiwi the other side that referee Archer was not getting the New Zealanders anywhere close to onside. Coupled with other dubious decisions that ALL went against England, it was little surprise that we lost. If the opposition only have to retreat 9 metres, AT THE MOST, then it obviously becomes more and more difficult to get any go forward, and conversely for the Kiwis they did not tire as much as normal because of all the advantages that being allowed to be offside gave them. After the game Aussies were coming up to England fans and apologising for the ref who they branded a disgrace! When I got home and watched the game on Sky I was most surprised that the commentry team made no mention of the constant and blatant offside. Living in Essex, 2 hours from the nearest Superleague ground, it is not easy to convince others that rugby league is as good, or better than union - never mind all-conquering football! It doesn't help the cause by having dreadful refereeing standards at international level. Why don't we all play to the same rules and be refereed by the same rules? One other point - the way ticketing and official travel was organised in this country made it very difficult for people, like me, who were not from the rugby league heartland, to obtain tickets and sort travel arrangements for the tournament. I was dismayed to find that I had bought tickets and made bookings for the wrong semi-final. Why was it not made clear, well BEFORE the tournament started, that Australia were going to play their semi in Sydney, no matter what? Having said all that, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Australia, in no small way due to the friendliness of the Australian people I met. I thought that, in general, they were a credit to their country.
Posted 15:33 6th December 2008
Jayne Holmes says...
As a "Pom" living in "Down Under" I have had the pleasure of watching the NRL for some time now and agree with Phil on the skill levels and passion for rugby league in Australia. I 'm sorry to say that currently England could not defeat a State of Origin side let alone the Kangaroos. Guts, pride, heart and soul are not enough.
Posted 14:30 4th December 2008
Joe Hodkinson says...
Our junior playing season (winter sport) has a massive impact on player numbers. Notwithstanding London and Wales, widening the player pool will have a big impact on the quality of juniors coming through and this can be done throughout the RL heartlands in one easy motion. The RFL should act now, open negotiations with the regional associations and offer their support (both financial and resources) to allow the amateur game from u7s upwards to become a summer sport. Humberside have done it and seen something like a 85% increase in participation numbers in the first 2 years, purely because they are not competing with football. Kids dont have to make a choice at 10 years old, they can play both sports side by side. Every time we get a wet or cold (or both) winter, junior games start to get cancelled and coaches/players/parents start to complain about it. At present, for u7-u12s, the season starts in Sept and runs to June with a 2 month break mid season (Dec and Jan). The reasoning against the move varies from hard pitches to school holidays and availability of council owned pitches. These problems have been overcome in other parts of the country so there must be ways and means. The season could start in March and run until November with a break in August which in the long term could address alot of the issues above. There will be a couple of months were the season will overlap with football, but at least it will give the kids the choice and we may be able to attract more players to RL. By getting more kids playing the game, you are more likely to attract players like Inglis and Folau to our sport - naturally gifted athletes who would normally end up playing another sport as a child.
Posted 12:29 3rd December 2008
Steve Hartley says...
Phil, As a grandad I can look back as far as most fans. As a 'Cas' suporter I can best relate issues to my own club, but they are surely national issues. My own 'heros' were such as AlanHardisty, Keith Hepworth, Malcolm Reilly, Roger Millward , John Joyner etc. All 'local' juniors. In recent years, apart from odd exceptions the list would be from the Southern Hemisphere and therefore not eligble for the GB team. Other fans could I am sure reflect on their own team, offer other names and draw similar conclusions. Yes, of course we want to see the best players and for our own teams to do well, but if we take a longer term view we need to drastically reduce the number of imports. If we do, over time our local teams will again be full of players developed through school systems and the GB team will benfit . Am I old fashioned or is there a greater sense of pride in your own team when they have local roots? I agree with many of your points, however the develpment of local talent and the restrictions of Southern hemishere players is in my opinion the 'key'. My view is shared by friends and many fellow fans. It seems as plain as the nose on my face. Is there any logical reason why this is not supported by the RL supremos?
Posted 09:17 3rd December 2008
Ricky Taylor says...
Phil, The most interesting thing / worrying thing for me is the complete lack of any response from the RFL. Lewis has been quoted as saying he thinks Smith has done an excellent job and that the world cup was a success ! As much as we fans can debate and propose solutions - how much notice are the RFL taking, are the preverbial "old farts" happy with the corporate hospitality package and dont want to rock the boat ?? Where is the accountability ? I am not a Union hater as some League fans seem to be - I find the club games boring in this country, but at International level I think there is much we could learn. What about a rugby league Barbarians side - an addition to any international tour, and would give an opportunity for multi national players to play together, and provide an annual spectacle for a GB v Barbarians weekend. What about an international sevens tournament, this would bring in some of the lesser nations and provide a spectacle upon which to "sell" league. Finally I think the Roses match should at the very least be a two yearly 3 match contest, this would provide additional intensity and again a "spectacle" for the game.
Posted 11:04 29th November 2008
Philip Hart says...
Phil, One other thing i think plays a part is back when you were playing the greats like yourself, Garry Schofield, Hanley, Offiah etc would all go over to Australia and have a spell down there after your season had ended. It got you guys playing with them at club level and learning from them. The benifit was there to see at Test level. 1992 is the cloeset we've had to beat the Aussies but you look at the england team and not one person scares me.
Posted 13:28 28th November 2008
Simon Swift says...
I have been a league fan ever since my dad took me to watch my first game at the age of 5. I have been living in Oz for the last 3yrs and one major difference to the game has to be the way that the sport trwats the young players, the NRL clubs have a huge influence and say on how the young players progress, and get them invlolved with the club a young level - it's hard to expalin in detail the difference but the intensity and education they receive from past top players is enormous. The ex-pros have to keep earning with the club as they don't get paid the same high amounts as their SL couterparts. ALL NRL players view the SL as a way of earning an 'english pension' before they retire. The authorities have to act and make some radical changes before the gap makes international RL outside of Aus/NZ a bigger joke than it already is!
Posted 02:26 28th November 2008
Martin Ackroyd says...
i went to blackbrook the well known st helens breeding ground to referee the other week a under 14,s game . you would have thought they would have had plenty of players and some good ones 2, the struggled to get 14 players and none stood out at all , at under 15 and 16 players are identified and took by pro clubs this dusturbed me a lot so an under 14 team at st helens in my opinion will not provide pro players of the future . and please please lets stcik to or go for no contact and have 7 a side during winter months for kids under 12 no shivering little wingers that never touch a ball get them involved using skills please!!!
Posted 18:48 27th November 2008
A Lee says...
Cannot agree with you more Phil, and in my opinion there are three things holding back England Rugby League from being competitive with the Aussies and Kiwis: 1.) There seems to be a provincial mindset that the game is played in a small corridor of the north of England and that this is acceptable, and the natural way things should be. All other major sports in the UK can gather resources from the entire country but not RL. This provincial mindset affects the international game as well, as people seem not to care. The test match attendances in the UK have been pretty bad, so if there isn't much care for the international game at a grassroots level, how can needed intensity be called upon in the international arena? 2.) More should be done in terms of youth development, and here I think solutions exist. SL clubs should concentrate more on their Academy sides and there is an obvious synergy here with youth football development. These Academy sides shouldn't just play each other but should play a lot more university sides including a larger slate of teams in the south. This has been a boon to RL development and quality for Oxford/Cambridge and the varsity match. Playing more uni sides would give extra game time to the Academy players, expose the university sides to elite level competition and provide opportunities to scout for talent where it would otherwise not have happened. 3.) State of Origin. Period. The Aussies play basically three additional test matches each each at the very highest level of the game. Let's face it the Origin Match between Lancashire and Yorkshire was completely unsuccessful. SOO works because of the intensity and rivalry built up over years, England can't duplicate this overnight, but something needs to be grown organically in a similar vein. Otherwise, England will always be taking a knife to a gunfight.
Posted 19:11 25th November 2008
Brian Anglin says...
Seems to me theres an aw full lot of people in the English game with blinkers on, and unless someone like yourself with passion and understanding of this game starts pulling the reigns we'll never get out of this rut. Its nearly forty years since we won the Ashes and its not looking any closer. Read my comments in the Manchester evening News in reply to recent articles and tell me if I'm wrong, if I'm not then join in the chorus and lets get some changes made.
Posted 12:10 25th November 2008
Jay Carroll says...
First of all I feel that the attitude of British sports men and women is more negative than some of the leading sporting nations. But I dont feel through any fault of their own! I have spent some time in the states and seen how much emphasis they put on winning. This is brought about by the way they admire their sports stars. Most kids aspire to be the next Jordan or Faurve, and when they aspire to be these people its encouraged and positivley reinforced by parents, school teachers and sports coaches. They have summer camps set up (my job while in the states!) set up in individual sports, geared towards creating sports people from the age of 7! Teaching them fundamental skills as well as the attitude they need to be successful in the sporting arena. If money is an issue for these youngsters then the camp or government bodies pick up the slack to ensure that youngsters have opertunities to succeed. I have several friends who have been there for several years coaching the kids footy teams, most of whom are in managerial positions and are working hard to coach the kids there. My point? the 7 year old kids here are coached on a local field with no facilaties by parents who voulenteer their time to coach, dont get me wrong I admire anyone who voulenteers their time and I will not knock the parents, but a more professional approach at an early age will breed success and a winning mentality. In terms of rugby I feel we would benefit from having less imports, so clubs really think about the player they are signing rather than just sign all and sundrey just to find there may of been a kid in the acadamy caperble of doing the same job all along! Bring back promotion and relegation. Concentrate on producing quality players in the hotbed areas of Leigh, Halifax, and Cumbria, rather than expanding to S. Wales where Union is more successful, better paid and better thought of than League with a fantastic international set up too!
Posted 12:08 25th November 2008
Matt Lang says...
Whilst we're at it how about the weather? Amateur rugby league at junior level remains a winter sport in thie country. Whilst I fully agree that over in Oz RL is a marquee sport, getting it's pick ahead of the majority of other sports, surely our young players are not gaining essential ball handling skills that the Australians take for granted because in the most part, they play in the dry? Just a thought.
Posted 09:17 25th November 2008
Paul Forsyth says...
I would like to point out a few things regarding England's awful showing in Aus. The pivotal players chosen by T smith were a massive weakness in the squad. We had a full back who is flattering himself at St Helens due to their sheer domination of Superleague. How slow did he look compared to Slater? He looked out of his depth at the top level of the game. Our two wingers were clearly not up to the mark. Calderwood is simply not a good enough club player, asking him to compete against Vatuvei, Tate, Folau, Inglis etc is pure folly. Gardner, as with wellens plays for the best team and his exploits are hughly over exagerated. The two centres are too old, simple as that. Burrow was very good as was Graham and Peacock. I firmly believe the talent is there as the fruits of the academy systems were our best performing players. There are far too many journeyman Antipodeans in the english game. The key positions just mentioned are top heavy with such players. I fail to accept that the likes of Sam Obst, Ben jeffries and the like are better than some undiscovered young english players unable to get their shot at the top grade. Australia's domination of the game came around the time state of origin began, is this coincidence; i don't think so. I would like to add that I thought the coach was found wanting, defensively we have gone backwards since the last Tri-nations debacle under Noble, all this has seriously disillusioned me and i find myself watching the other code now. if you take Wigan as the worst offender, they have produced scores of talent in the recent past and all have ben farmed out to other clubs in preference to Aussies. Tim Smith is a wild child over weight risk, yet over he comes for a fat wage packet at the expence of a talented youngster. The current Wigan team is stacked with Aussies and this cannot be good for the game, period. Sort it out or we will never be able to compete and I for one am fed up.
Posted 22:32 23rd November 2008
Pete Nealon says...
How about not enough home grown players in key positions. I'd love to see the RFL offer SL clubs an insentive to play UK players in key positions of 9,6,7 and 1. I think we also need to see the full back as more of a marquis player as the aussies do. Look how many times players over there graduate from playing at full back to playing in the halves as they are guven so much more oppurtunity to handle in key try scoring plays. I don't think anyone needs to comment on our lack of kicking game- this has been the case for as long as you can mention. We don't pick players that are going to ensure that we get repeat sets of six to build up pressure. This either goes down to a lack of skills, or again, not prioritising this key aspect of the game.
Posted 20:59 23rd November 2008
Richard Wilson says...
Couldn't agree more with all those who said SL clubs play too many games. What sort of competition is it where teams don't play the others the same number of times. Almost every other sport in the world operates by each team playing every other team home and away (except possibly the SPL in football and the NFL being notable exceptions). The RFL can put whatever banner on it they want to, put the fact is that this is purely for financial resasons (in part, to fund the over-paid imports that litter each club). If the RFL capped the number of imports allowed, there'd be no need for each team to play so many home games. The current SL format also devalues derby fixtures (Wigan-Saints, Leeds-Bradford, Hull FC- Hull KR), where these teams could realistically end up playing each other 5 or 6 times each season (depending on play offs and cup competitions). Where's the spectacle in that? I believe that part of any solution to improving the international game in this country must begin by cutting the number of weekly rounds in SL; make teams play each other twice (once home and once away). This would free up weekends mid-season to play representative matches at a higher intensity (Yorkshire vs Lancashire, GB vs Aus/NZ imports, whatever), affording more players the opportunity to experience a higher standard of football on a regular basis. It would also mean players are less fatigued come the end of the season, when they could have been playing for 10 months straight. Obviously this isn't the sole solution to the problem, but I think it'd be a good place to start.
Posted 15:52 23rd November 2008
Bruce Woodcock says...
It is easy to apportion blame rather than look for answers to the problem. The fact is that the RFL must be made accountable after all it is they that have put the current junior development programs in place and it is those systems that are failing. Super Legaue clubs do have control through the scholarship system of the supposed elite players in the country but is what the clubs are deloivering in trms of development adequate. Lets look at Bradford as an example the reliance on Bradford is to encourage young players from outside the area to attend there scholarship is this to give those players every advantage through the clubs development or to ensure Bradford have those players in place to make it easier to sign those players, I feel it is the latter rather than the former and many super league clubs follow this position. The RFL should be ensuring that at every stage of a junior players development that the development provided is of the highest standard it is not happening, if the RFL spent time talking to those individuals on scholarships and monitoring the would see this fro themselves. The RFL has become bogged down with classroom mentality born about by the fact that the majority at the RFL running junior development are from a teaching background. There is a fundemental flaw in the system were are the elite players who have retired and like Phil Clark would be capable of pushing the system forward. The RFL concentrate highly on a minority of so called elite players while they should be focussing that the development of all the junior players is of the highest standard. The RFL are responsible through its Junior Development department for the future of the game and frankly the RFL have got it wrong.
Posted 14:26 23rd November 2008
S Royle says...
From a more holistic perspective and one that has almost certainly been inserted since the onset of Super League, could one not suggest that ultimately economic survival has been preferred to the long term development of national quality? At both club and administrative levels owners and chief executives alike have constantly sought ways to make the game more appealing in order to draw finances from spectators and advertisement. Essentially the influx of foreign players at the playing level and the establishement of new clubs by the RFL can all be attributed to these goals. However as we are beginning to find out this is to the detriment of national player development. As Phil suggests, the player base is already thin and without action this could dwindle to nothing. Despite this, RFL policy continues to contradict itself. For example It calls for a stronger international game, but how can this be achieved without a strong England team? It must be said that this is consistent with previously announced objectives such as calling for the greater development of young players and yet increasing international qoutas while simultaneously neglecting 'hot bed' areas such as Cumbria, not to mention the omission of teams like Widnes, Halifax, Featherstone, Leigh etc... from the upper tier. This of course is not some xenephobic rant at expansion but more a criticism of the 'ad hoc' policies that the RFL have introduced within an economically orientated system without thinking of the much bigger picture, which may I add is the survival of rugby league as a proffessional game itself.
Posted 13:40 23rd November 2008
Dave Crooks says...
I watch a massive amount of both codes. As I live in Northern Ireland I played only Union but enjoy the league game. In my humble opinion both codes suffer from the influx of overseas players. With the large amounts of of money being generated the owners of clubs in both codes appear to be looking for the quick fix and therefor buy in the players to fill certain positions instead of nurturing and brining on home grown talent. I have watched all the internationals this weekend and am disapointed by the results but not surprised. The Southern Hemisphere is carrying all,before it..I think this process has to be addressed. The old adage of its the taking part and not the result is dead and buried, its time that the Northern Hemisphere got its act together, or we will continue to be second best in all codes and games. I have to include cricket and football. By the way I was not impressed by the Ireland result yesterday.
Posted 10:59 23rd November 2008
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