Panchitta Marra wrote:
Sorry Shawcross, his last season at Wigan was the last reasonable one he was capable of doing. He knew that himself, hence taking the Kings ransom and an easier pension. All IMO of course.
I don't think that is correct. His last season for us was when he was reigning Man of Steel and Golden Boot winner wasn't it? You don't go from that to a crock overnight unless some unforeseen injury puts an end to a player.
What happened to him when he went to RU may well have finished him in that he was out for months with that toe injury (very nasty) and he then had a car accident that hurt his back.
Both these things were unfortunate accidents not some chronic recurring injury that meant he was already finished when he left Wigan. Had these two incidents not happened Farrell was such an athlete I am sure he could have played on at least another two years for us. Lets not forget his contract was not up when he left so originally he and the club thought this was feasible and I saw nothing to change my mind it wasn't in his final season for us.
Dave
The injury siutation when he left us is a bit of grey area - he was reigning man of steel and GB, but his knees were knacked then. Throughout that off-season he was having cartilage problems and having physio to try and resolve the problem but really then he knew he needed surgery. When the rumours of his exodus to rugby u emerged he was recovering from the classic "minor trim surgery to clean up the knee".
I know this because at the time he was doing exercises in the gym similar to ones I was doing for a similar (thankfully resolved) injury and we had a detailed chat about knee injuries and their treatment and how much of a pain in the a**e they were.
Thanks Rich, I was of the same opinion too.
Faz had a great RL career especially from his signing at Wigan.
As he started his carrer early, I guess the knocks eventually took its toll for him to bow out of RL fairly young.
He is a bloke I would have loved to have seen atWigan in a coaching capacity, as someons earlier thread, starting in the academy. Jut think how those young kids would feel with such a Wigan & GB legend coaching them. That would be a great attraction for youngsters to come to the club, I am sure.
Why the tri-nations specifically? The intensity of the games, playing straight after the superleague or the lack of a proper off-season? Or a combination of all three?
Why the tri-nations specifically? The intensity of the games, playing straight after the superleague or the lack of a proper off-season? Or a combination of all three?
Players like Faz, Sculthorpe went into the series with knocks/injuries and they made them worse but because it was for their country they played on. They did so against superior opposition that absolutely hammered them physically. If you ever watch I think Faz final Tri Nations he was injured in one game, so called got 'fit' to play in the next and is bounced about by the defenders. Bad luck can happen to any player but generally players being physically dominated by a strong team suffer far more than players in a superior team. Hence, why Saints were always keen and indeed so were some of their players to avoid playing internationally.
Great minds think alike (although fools seldom differ)!!
I've thought the same thing about Long and Cunningham for a while and to be honest I don't blame them. It's a short and brutal career. If I was an up and coming league star, I'd play international early on to establish my worth and then duck out to try and squeeze an extra couple of years at the top.
I think they saw the writing on the wall Rich. The better players played for GB / England the bigger the price they paid. Faz and Scully had some great series but the toll on their bodys was brutal especially when they play less than fit which happens a lot. I think Long was actually saken by the game he starred in v Aus. Although he played well he was stunned by the punishment he still took. British players tend to have longer careers whereas Aussies play shorter careers but have ready made replacements by the dozen.