On the same day that Danny Buderus announced that he would not be taking part in the 2006 Tri Nations in Australia due to personal reasons, Keiron Cunningham announced that he would retire from test football all together because…well, he wants to.
Two international hookers of a similar age. One stepping down for the series, one stepping down for good, but how will history look back on both players Test careers should both players never pull on their national jersey ever again.
At this stage it would be very easy to compare the two players records, but that would be too easy. So lets hear from Keiron himself…
“I’m at the stage where I feel I should be concentrating on my club rugby,” he told the Sunday Mirror.
“I have explained the situation to Brian Noble, who hopes I will reconsider my decision, but at this stage I will not be going.”
And then this classic…
“I’ve been on three tours Down Under and this six-week trip would be too long,”
Since signing a ridiculous with the RFL after threatening to move to Rugby Union, Cunningham has been very kind to his club, having turned down numerous representative jerseys because of injuries and then recovering in time to play for St Helens.
Then to go an and complain about being on a six week long trip, what a joke. Tell that to Australia and New Zealand who have both had to head to England every year since 1999,s Tri Nations on long tours for fear that the RFL will whinge about going broke if we dare play a serious outside of Wigan!
Players like Webcke, Buderus and Wiki who have been ever present for their national teams over this period of time must roll their eyes when they hear Cunningham p*ssing and moning about such things. Like they wanted to leave a summer off season behind to head to a Northern Winter and the wonderful surroundings of Hull!
But see, thats the thing, those players DID want to make the effort to play for their country, and it seems that Cunningham never did.
So while Buderus has an off season for the first time in 6 years, Cunningham can sit out another Tri Series and watch another Test match being played without him.
The more things change, the more they stay the same…
Related Links
BBC: Cunningham Quits Test Football
SMH: Buderus Gives Up Test Spot In The Name Of Love
