It is not often a documentary about rugby league gets major coverage in our national newspapers and a primetime slot on BBC One on a Sunday evening. The Rugby Codebreakers deserved to be watched by a national audience. It was up there with ESPN’s feted 30 for 30 series. This was brilliant television, about rugby league.
The treatment of working-class Welsh rugby players who opted to be paid to play league rather than remaining union players in poverty was outrageous but explicable. Their departures caused grievous damage to the Wales rugby union team for decades. The treatment of the black Welsh rugby players, after being snubbed by their national team due to their ethnicity, was scandalous – and illegal – and rightly described as “rugby apartheid”.
It was surprising that former Welsh Rugby Union president Clive Rowlands should appear on the programme suitably appalled by the extraordinary ostracising of league converts, but if he is issued a belated apology for any of their bigoted behaviour it didn’t make the cut.
The Rugby Codebreakers is a treat, achieving that magic trifecta sought by most documentaries: intriguing, entertaining and educational. Professor Tony Collins, the doyen of rugby history, was a key figure in the programme and BBC Wales presenter Carolyn Hitt validates it all with her enthusiasm and honesty about a subject she admits she had only a skewered view.
On the surface, these are dark days for Welsh rugby league. The financial incentive for union stars to risk their reputation and bodies in the 13-man code are long gone. Other than Andy Powell’s best-forgotten dalliance with Wigan, it is eight years since a Wales rugby union star turned their hand to league. Gareth Thomas retired from union and took up that challenge in the last few years of his career, with respectable results, helping Wales win the European Championship and reaching the play-offs with Wrexham-based Crusaders before they collapsed.
On Sunday, North Wales Crusaders face Featherstone in the Challenge Cup. But this incarnation of the Crusaders is a team of northern Englishmen based in Widnes. There is no “pro” team left in south Wales, the inappropriately-named Ironmen relocating to Llanelli this winter to become West Wales Raiders. Inexperienced, isolated and exposed, they have played twice this season, scored 12 points and conceded 156.
Cora Staunton, the Gaelic footballer who switched continents and sports to go pro in AFLW
However, do not write off Welsh rugby league. Last year they were the third most-active nation in the Rugby League European Federation; they are extremely active at youth level; almost all their Under-16 team who beat England last year have signed with Super League clubs; and although humbled, their World Cup squad contained a majority of Welsh products. Two of their youngsters who competes at the World Cup in 2017, Regan Grace and Morgan Knowles, are starring for title favourites St Helens. It would be no surprise if they were back down under in 2019 in the Great Britain squad.
Wales can be a talent well again for the giants of English rugby league, but only if they are given a helping hand.
Clubcall: Hemel Stags
While the debate about what should happen, if anything, to the third division goes on, No Helmets saw a sound League 1 battle between two of last year’s bottom three recently that would have strengthened two of the arguments. Hemel Stags 16-22 Coventry Bears was exactly the sort of contest both clubs left the amateur Conference for the semi-professional leagues for about five years ago, not one-sided thrashings at the hands of famous old clubs and wealthy full-time upstarts.
And yet the official attendance was given as 110. That might have included the club officials, maybe even the players. I counted 79 spectators, including a policeman and one dog. The latter two were not together and neither stayed all game. They should have done, as Hemel eventually turned their dominance into points to come back from 16-0 down before falling just short.
Wise owl Dean Thomas and his youthful coaching partner Jack Howieson – one of several solid pros produced by Hemel since they formed in 1981 – look to have built a new Sheffield-based team (including just five of last season’s desperate Stags) who should restore some pride. But turnstile income suggests a return to fiercely-fought amateur competition would be more suitable.
Foreign quota
The opening NRL action has been as awesome as can be expected when you look at who can’t get a game. In the second tier NSW Cup, Western Suburbs featured Hull hero Mahe Fonua, England international Chris McQueen, former London and Leigh halfback Josh Drinkwater and Fiji star Taane Milne.
Other RLWC2017 stars playing reserve grade footy are Papua New Guinea’s Rhyse Martin and Italy’s Mason Cerruto for the Bulldogs; Derry’s finest James Hasson alongside recent Hull KR and Wakefield forward Mitch Allgood for Illawarra; while the Roosters’ second team – Wyong Roos – included Italy duo Chris Centrone and Josh Mantellato and Fiji cult hero Eloni Vunakece (he of the afro-on-fire barnet). It’s a similar story in Queensland’s Intrust Super Cup: Luke Page – the white Kumul – is at Burleigh Bears, Michael Dobson and Atelea Vea at Wynnum, and Toronto reject Dave Taylor has joined Luke George at Central Queensland Capras.
Meet the USA Rugby League World Cup captain … and organic food entrepreneur
Goal-line drop-out
Following the news that the RFL are relocating to the Etihad campus in Manchester came the return of Sheffield Eagles to the Steel City. While their new Olympic Legacy Park base looked rather bare on TV for the inaugural game against Toronto Wolfpack last Sunday, having a presence in our major cities can only benefit the game in the long-term.
By the time the RFL are in situ with Manchester City, the Eagles should have developed a ground rather than just a 4G pitch surrounded by a rather Eastern European landscape of stylish modern blocks and flattened industrial works. And with the likes of exciting Saints loanee James Bentley, USA skipper Mark Offerdahl and his former London Broncos team-mates Illies Macani and Oscar Thomas in their ranks, the Eagles should recover from their awful 0 and 5 start to avoid the drop.
Fifth and last
Walk Like a Panther review – Brit wrestling comedy that forgets to be funny
Since This Sporting Life, Rugby League’s role on the big screen has been rather limited, although I highly-recommend Ben Kelly’s bleak Australian indie drama Broke – one of Guardian Australia’s films of 2016 – about a former North Sydney Bears star fallen on extremely hard times. But fans may recognise a couple of burly fellas in the new British comedy Walk Like A Panther which opened at the weekend.
Former England prop Rob Parker, who won a Challenge Cup and World Club Challenge with Bradford, and former Halifax and St Helens front-rower Adam Fogerty – lately of the Toronto Wolfpack board – play a pair of brothers. The movie, a Full Monty for wrestling, also stars the Royal Family’s Sue Johnston, Phoenix Nights’ DJ Ray Von and Stephen Graham from This Is England. Walk Like A Panther has had “mixed” reviews. Feel free to add your own below the line.
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