Who Is Dave Woods Trying To Convince?

When you come to my web site, I’m not about to start blowing smoke up your arse. I’ll write about things that are uncomfortable to say, that you probably don’t want to read, and the idea of that is that you will go away thinking about your own opinions of the game.

If you are a regular reader of this site, you probably completely agree with some things I say, and completely disagree with other things I say. That’s fantastic, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I have talked before about British Rugby League commentators and the way they “preach to the choir” on a number of subjects. The basic idea is that, you tell the audience what they want to hear so they like you, and hey, you have a regular gig!

So is that what we are seeing with Dave Woods recently?

It was just a couple of weeks ago that I reviewed one of his articles on the BBC web site, and now, not long after that masterpiece, he has written another that just makes me shake my head.

Titled Minnows Show Potential , Woods is talking about the likes of the New Zealand Maori, Samoa and talks about the World Cup format.

Unlike his previous article, I won’t go line for line (Then again, maybe I will!), but a few things stood out for me that I had to address.

It may have been a bad night for England, but any rugby league fan couldn’t help but get carried away with the infectious spirit of enjoyment that had Mount Smart bouncing.

A crowd of almost 12,000 roared their delight for a double helping of international rugby. Forget the Four Nations, this was a perfect advert for what the World Cup 2013 should be all about. 

Two Test nations playing back to back games, one made up purely on racial lines, and the second game a devastating blow out that was over at half time. Really Dave?

New Zealand Maori, in producing their rousing fightback against a beleaguered England, and Samoa’s tricks, flicks and brutal endeavour against the Kiwis, showed that there is life outside the so-called big three.

There might not be a serious contender for the world crown beyond Australia, New Zealand and a fully fit and fired up England, but in three years’ time we could all be having a lot of fun watching the minnows trying to bloody the noses and flatten the egos of the big boys, if the evidence of Auckland is to be trusted. 

First of all, does Dave really think there is a “Big Three”? Is he still there because, last time I looked, you have New Zealand and Australia….and then everyone else.

Then we have the classic idea that “A fully fit and fired up” England is somehow a contender for the “World Crown”. What fucking planet do you have to be on to think this is a fact? This is plan bullshit on any scale you want to go by.

I talk to people who love the English game, you live and die by Test Match results, and even they don’t bullshit themselves to this extent!

Hopefully the World Cup organisers will trust the skills and application of the smaller nations and force the threatened three to each battle their way out of their own individual groups, rather than setting up a heavily loaded super group as was the case two years ago. 

That would be the highly successful 2008 World Cup that thankfully revived the international game after it was on life support for well over a decade.

Anyone that thinks the “Super Group” is a bad idea is living with their head in the crowds. The Super group works, other sports would be doing well if they were to adopt the idea. Only, next time around, lets hope only the top two sides get automatic inclusion in the semi finals, that will see Papua New Guinea and Fiji having to then go on and fight other minnows like Samoa, Tonga and if they are lucky, England, from the other groups.

The Maori, heartened by the enforced absence of England’s injured skipper Adrian Morley and scrum-half Sam Tomkins for the majority of the match, dug themselves out of certain defeat with a second-half performance that helped turn Mount Smart into a bear pit as a partisan crowd screamed them on.

Certain defeat? This is the game where the Maori were unlucky not to win the game, right? Where they roared back from 18-0 down at half time to level things up, and who went for the win via a try rather than penalty kicks?

The same game where they Maori came back on the back of their superior skill and fitness. That game?

And in the second game, Samoa came at the Kiwis with uninhibited ambition in the first ever Test between the two. At times the Samoans produced some astonishing handling skills, inspired by the magician that is David Solomona.

I’m not sure what sport he is playing at times, but it’s certainly not like the rugby league that anyone else plays. He may not be the fittest or fastest, but even the New Zealand fans were laughing at each other in disbelief at some of the skills produced. 

Samoa got destroyed! They let in 50 points, and that was with the Kiwi’s missing most of their conversions!

As for David Solomona, yeah, its amazing the way he offloaded a couple of times. I also like the way he was completely stuffed after 50 minutes and was a liability in defense. He was playing a different game alright, its a terrible game where defense and fitness doesn’t have any worth and ball security is not an issue.

Its called Super League.

The Kiwis were too clinical and Samoa ran out of steam, but it has to be the most enjoyable one-sided game since the Aussies thrashed Fiji at the last World Cup.

Or when Australia thrashed England in the 2009 Four Nations Final. Or When Australia thrashed England in the 2008 World Cup group stages. Or when Australia thrashed England in the 2004 Tri Nations Final. Or….well, you get the picture….

Anyway, back to England. For 40 minutes it looked great. They were assured and controlling and the Maori looked to have been subdued. But then news began to filter through that Morley’s injury was quite serious and that Tomkins had a groin strain that was causing concern.

Probably not coincidentally, England’s foot slipped off the pedal in the second half as the Maori charged. 

So now he thinks England are that mentally weak?

To lose Morley, on the back of Jamie Peacock’s absence, would be a massive blow.

Morley only needs to be on the field to lift any side, as evidenced by the after match comment from his new England team-mate Darrel Griffin who commented “I was in awe playing alongside Mozz”. 

Can I just address this folks. Adrian Morley has played a lot of Test football for England and Great Britain, and he has been disappointing every single time. Even at his best, Morley never lived up to the promise he showed at NRL level and never was able to translate that into the Test arena.

Adrian Morleys most significant moment in test football is when he was sent off after just 12 seconds for a head high tackle in a game against Australia. Outside of that, can you remember another Adrian Morley moment at test level?

So this idea that an older, slower, far less effective Adrian Morley is somehow England’s savior is just strange if nothing else. At his best Morley played a very specific role that needed to be highly controlled by the Sydney Roosters. Outside of that, Morley has never show the same promise.

To be without both pack leaders going into the Four Nations will be like the Cavalry turning up at Little Big Horn with General Custer back at home nursing a hamstring pull.

If Tomkins is sidelined too, then… no, let’s not think about it.

Greg Inglis, Jonathan Thurston, Michael Jennings, Justin Hodges, Jarryd Hayne, Israel Folau….I mean seriously, he’s General Custer when Australia is turning up without Chuck Norris, Die Hard, Crocodile Dundee and that first rescuer dude that went down into the Chilean Mine!

There was plenty that was good in the England performance against the Maori, just not enough of it. But it was just a warm up game and the England camp will tell you the result doesn’t matter, it served a useful, if costly, purpose in settling on combinations and fine-tuning. 

As if results matter these days when assessing the English Rugby League team. When they are completely destroyed by opposition teams, its not because they are bad, they are just injured and not fired up!

Let’s hope we get it all right on the night in Wellington next week, otherwise we could get booted across the Tasman and into the furnace of Australia, because those Kiwis looked very good in finally taming the Samoans. 

Still, at least England are part of the big three, right Dave?

Make Sure You Go And Read: BBC Rugby League – Minnows Show Potential

Liked it? Take a second to support League Freak on Patreon!