Sir Andrew Farrell
Posted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 1:18 pm
Name me someone in another sport in Britain who has been as consistently excellent as our skipper for eleven years and if you do think of one, tell me if he has played in as physically demanding a sport as rugby league and has the sheer all round ability to master virtually every facet of his game. Faz is simply a legend and like so many other great league stars it is simply scandalous that he fails to get the recognition he warrants nationwide.I played against him several times as a schoolboy and he was basically the finished article at 14 despite playing in a poor school side, he started out as a big bulky wide running second row in the first team when he wasn't needed as a playmaker, but since the break up of our team of all talents in the mid Nineties I have lost count of the number of times he has won us a game when it appeared we were going to lose through sheer ability, versatility and force of personality. I can't believe anyone else is even being considered for Man of Steel, let alone GB skipper.
Whilst I've got a few minutes spare, have to say we were superb on Saturday and I thoroughly enjoyed the game. Luke Robinson was outstanding which perturbs me, Dallas appears to be injured as he failed to run one in when clear for about the third time in recent weeks and didn't we defend well? Particularly Dallas and Orr. Enjoyed the contre temps between Orr and Faz under the posts for sheer comedy value as well.
Equally, whilst watching the highlights on Grandstand yesterday have to say for fear of sounding boring isn't it time we got shut of Ray French for the good of rugby league? We've had 25 years or so of harking back to the past, "Ooooh has he got the pace" in a high pitched Saints accent and the attempts to disguise his bias during a derby, it is surely time we gave someone the mike who actually makes rugby league sound like a real sport rather than greyhound racing. There was a great moment yesterday when he was describing Faz scoring in a doleful, resigned way when he suddenly realised he should be impartial and exploded into frenzied Jonathan Pearce style hysteria about ten seconds after the ball had been touched down. Jonathan Davies is of course, a god and rumour has it, at the age of 41, is about to threaten Brian Jacks' thought to be unbeatable record on BBC's Superstars...
Whilst I've got a few minutes spare, have to say we were superb on Saturday and I thoroughly enjoyed the game. Luke Robinson was outstanding which perturbs me, Dallas appears to be injured as he failed to run one in when clear for about the third time in recent weeks and didn't we defend well? Particularly Dallas and Orr. Enjoyed the contre temps between Orr and Faz under the posts for sheer comedy value as well.
Equally, whilst watching the highlights on Grandstand yesterday have to say for fear of sounding boring isn't it time we got shut of Ray French for the good of rugby league? We've had 25 years or so of harking back to the past, "Ooooh has he got the pace" in a high pitched Saints accent and the attempts to disguise his bias during a derby, it is surely time we gave someone the mike who actually makes rugby league sound like a real sport rather than greyhound racing. There was a great moment yesterday when he was describing Faz scoring in a doleful, resigned way when he suddenly realised he should be impartial and exploded into frenzied Jonathan Pearce style hysteria about ten seconds after the ball had been touched down. Jonathan Davies is of course, a god and rumour has it, at the age of 41, is about to threaten Brian Jacks' thought to be unbeatable record on BBC's Superstars...