Josh McGuire signs with Cowboys - Immediate Switch

[something]

Mate in all honesty the thuggery and ridiculousness of Rugby League is one of its greatest aspects - take a shit in a pot plant? No worries mate have an origin jumper. **** a dog? Here, have a knights contract. Stick your fingers up a mates bunghole? Urban Legend status achieved.

Just don't piss in your own mouth.

 

[something]

No other league like it

 

[Nashy]

It’ll be interesting to hear your opinion when you actually have kids.

I was the world’s best parent until I had my own ;)

Do you actually buy into this crap of footy players being thugs, and parents being scared to have their kids playing? Why wasn't it like that in the past? Because the world went soft.

 

[Nashy]

There’s a lot more to it than that. Firstly, look at the size and shape of the Tongan/Samoan prototype players these days. Then look at how all players are trained and sculpted almost akin to race horses being pushed for every last ounce of performance. The kids in schools are of a different mix these days, physicality-wise.

We are also more educated and have the benefit of hindsight... and foresight. I am one of the parents that you describe.

Maybe the world went soft, but it did so while it went smart.

They're already fixing that bit of it aren't they? Making school footy a weight based thing, rather than age?

No matter what sport you play, you should being being trained and sculpted to be the best. Like everything in life, you want to be the best at it. It's not a bad thing.

While I understand the education of it all, I'm interested to hear what exactly your issue would be? If it's not the grubbiness of elbows, what is it?

 

[Porthoz]

It’ll be interesting to hear your opinion when you actually have kids.

I was the world’s best parent until I had my own ;)

 

[BroncosAlways]

Someone at Fox HQ hates @Unbreakable

So much Maguire!

 

[GCBRONCO]

I imagine Josh McGuire won't be impressed and wondering where this will leave him after joining the club?

 

[Nashy]

It's not a good response. It's a cop out which is akin to saying "You wouldn't understand", and not making a point.

 

[Porthoz]

It's not a good response. It's a cop out which is akin to saying "You wouldn't understand", and not making a point.

The point is... you wouldn't understand.

The advantage of us "old heads" (at least some), is that we have gone through the different stages, including those where we thought we knew much better than the old heads who were telling us that we actually still had much to learn.
The funny part is that you will be thinking exactly the same way as I did at the time...

I don't believe RL needs the grubby thug aspect to maintain its stand in the sports world as one of the exponents of physical virility.
In fact, I admire most the clean athletes in any sport that don't stoop down to grubby dirty tactics. Because that's doesn't make you more of a man... it makes you less of one imo.

Returning to the topic at hand, I don't think McGuire was particularly grubby, and I do believe we will miss his aggression (in its good aspects) and experience, but definitely not his interference in the attack building phase (famous fourth tackle hit-ups leading nowhere).

His departure will be beneficial to the Broncos in the end imo, as long as we do make the right moves and decisions around recruitment and retention.

 

[Foordy]

Someone at Fox HQ hates @Unbreakable

View attachment 4067
So much Maguire!

I thought Maguire was going to be coaching the Tigers next season ... but in a surprise move, he will be pulling on the boots for the Cowboys :P

 

[Nashy]

The point is... you wouldn't understand.

The advantage of us "old heads" (at least some), is that we have gone through the different stages, including those where we thought we knew much better than the old heads who were telling us that we actually still had much to learn.
The funny part is that you will be thinking exactly the same way as I did at the time...

I don't believe RL needs the grubby thug aspect to maintain its stand in the sports world as one of the exponents of physical virility.
In fact, I admire most the clean athletes in any sport that don't stoop down to grubby dirty tactics. Because that's doesn't make you more of a man... it makes you less of one imo.

Returning to the topic at hand, I don't think McGuire was particularly grubby, and I do believe we will miss his aggression (in its good aspects) and experience, but definitely not his interference in the attack building phase (famous fourth tackle hit-ups leading nowhere).

His departure will be beneficial to the Broncos in the end imo, as long as we do make the right moves and decisions around recruitment and retention.

You don't play football so you couldn't possibly understand the ins and outs of football. It's that sort of argument. It's parents putting themselves above non parents, and looking down on us because your argument must be superior.

The next bit doesn't matter. I'm not sure there are many people who support it.

McGuire not grubby? Come on mate, he's one of the biggest grubs in the game, it's just, he was our grub.

 

[Nashy]

Didn’t I make my point? Plus, it’s true, you really wouldn’t understand, yet.

I don't believe you did. You mentioned the Islanders, that's already been sorted out by the NRL by looking at weight. When does that start, next season I think?

The way you've posted further up would suggest your little dude won't be being a footballer, and that's fine, I don't care, but I'd like to know the reason behind it.

I'd love to see some information about it too. Because it pops up from time to time that it's a big problem, parents won't let their kids play footy because of the thuggery, but is it actually a thing? Or is it the fact that AFL is bigger in QLD than it once was, Soccer actually rates a mention here, and kids also have access to all the American sports?

 

[Cult]

When does the weight division thing end? Are we going to have 15 year olds who have never tackled anyone bigger than them? Surely that won’t help the quality of the sport in the long run.

 

[Morkel]

When does the weight division thing end? Are we going to have 15 year olds who have never tackled anyone bigger than them? Surely that won’t help the quality of the sport in the long run.

Maybe, but we are experiencing a dearth of genuine playmakers, I can’t help but think the two are related.

Let kids learn to scheme and control games without the prospect of someone literally twice their weight trying to make them two-dimensional.

They can start to develop their defensive game when they actually start developing their body frames. No harm in that.

There would likely be a few more Thurstons, that won’t be a bad thing.

 

[Socnorb]

Have you ever been to an AFL game? They are ferals.

Huh?

 

[Dash]

Huh?

Nevermind, I misread Accept's post.

 

[holdzy]

So, my (adopted) dad was as big a league player as any. He played until he was mid-late 30’s, won all the best and fairest trophies, Captain/coached the All Whites club team for years, played rep teams and then coached my All Whites team when I was a kid. He’s all of about 5’8” or so, but is built like a brickshithouse and played second row like Trevor Gillmeister, though he was very fast on his feet over short distances, too. He also has a background being a black belt judoka which he states helped his game tremendously (70’s/80’s).

As I’m not his biological son, I’m built the opposite. When I was young, I was skinny and relatively short, but extremely quick. Lots of rep athletics teams. I played until I was about 14 with dad as coach but one day he tapped me on the shoulder and said that my neck was too long and the way I played (think stature of a young cherry evans but scrawny with the giraffe neck, but my nickname was ‘the axe’) it was likely to snap.

I listened to him, took up basketball, and won a comp against all of my ‘superstar’ school mates by playing in a team full of B graders. I’ve always appreciated that tap, but I also appreciated that he let me play for as long as I did, and truly believe I got out at the right time as everyone was maturing and getting a lot stronger.

Fast forward and I’ve got my first son playing RL here in Toowoomba, and bloody well, too. He’s also a second rower playing against much bigger blokes. In his later teenage years, he snaps his arm twice over three years with more time recovering than playing. He was lucky... you don’t walk on your forearms. If that had been his legs, he wouldn’t be able to do all the things he can do now. The doctor said no more to him and he listened, even though he was on scout’s radars. I’m proud of him for that decision.

If my younger son desperately wants to play RL, I won’t stand in his way, but I’ll push for oztag or touch first. I’ll certainly be exposing to as many other team and solo sports first though in hope he doesn’t end up going towards playing league.

All sports have physical risks, but full contact sports like league are excessive IMO, especially these days.

Happy to answer further questions but at this stage I’ve waffled plenty and my Captain Morgan Black is calling my name ;)

I had a similar in some ways but different in others experience growing up. I played for the Redcliffe dolphins growing up, I was small but very fast. Contact was never a problem. Beyond the unavoidable bruises, i never felt unsafe really. I learned how to take a tackle very early on (also how to take a fall, being a bit of a clown growing up). Ironically, I had the most trouble playing cricket. I was very successful as a kid playing cricket, played rep and had a lot of people planning my future in the ranks coming through. My dad wouldn’t let me wear a helmet growing up, the idea being if you get hit you deserve it because you should have dodged it. So there is inherent risk in most sports, and on top of that the way people are coached and trained. Some parents think it has to do with ‘having balls’, but hopefully most know better. My daughter wants to do gymnastics, and seeing her do back walk overs and shit makes me cringe as much as if she was playing full contact footy.

It’s not really about the superiority of argument as a parent, it’s more about literally feeling it in your bones concerning your kids safety. Times have changed, for sure. For the better, I think though. If it’s not safe, there is less of a ‘eh, **** it’ attitude, but perhaps also a tendency to over protect as well.

 

[Porthoz]

You don't play football so you couldn't possibly understand the ins and outs of football. It's that sort of argument. It's parents putting themselves above non parents, and looking down on us because your argument must be superior.

The next bit doesn't matter. I'm not sure there are many people who support it.

McGuire not grubby? Come on mate, he's one of the biggest grubs in the game, it's just, he was our grub.

That's an incredibly stupid answer mate, you're better than this. If you don't play football, you actually couldn't possibly understand the ins and outs of being a football player. However, it doesn't mean you don't understand the game...

Being a parent doesn't make me superior, it just gives me an understanding that you cannot have, because you aren't one. You may think you know how you'll behave and think as a father, but trust me, in many aspects you don't, because fatherhood changes you in ways you can't fathom!

And the reason I know this, is because I've been on both sides of the fence.

As to McGuire, I didn't say he wasn't grubby, just not that big a grub, certainly compared to players like Fifita or Gallen for example, who are the type of players the game could do without imo.