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Invariably, when someone is interviewed in NRL circles your ears might pay extra attention if you like what they say. So this thread is a chance to talk about some of the great rugby league minds in the game. People who you could listen to for hours. People who make you go away having learned something.
Phil Gould : I love his team-mentality talks. Things I hear regularly sound like "coming into this game" and "they'll be looking to". As casually as reading a form guide in the horse racing, he'll go through a list of teams and identify strengths, weaknesses, motivations, match-ups, and sets the scene in lamens terms. It's a bit like walking up to a half-completed chess match and Gus says "that guy should win in 16 moves if he doesn't make mistakes". Also love his interviews. He did one a year or two ago with the Big-4 from Queensland SOO and last weeks one-on-one with James Graham was compelling.
Andrew Johns : Dont laugh. There's one thing he does really well, but not enough. Standing in front of a plasma TV deconstructing plays and options from key-players has me glued to the TV. Those chats where he says "watch this player here" and the 360-degree camera angles sweep around to behind the posts to reveal something we've missed off-camera. Joey does that really well. I wish I could listen to him do it more.
Michael Ennis : NRL360 has revealed a star in the making this year. I highly imagine if he doesn't wind up in a regular media gig (Triple M strong contenders I hear), he has the brains to be a first grade coach at some stage post-career. His weekly segment with Benji Marshall is compulsory viewing.
Cronk / Smith / Slater : 750+ games NRL experience. 100+ games rep experience. Premierships. Winning streaks. Consistent greatness over the span of their career. Imagine if you could get all-three in a room and ask them to analyse the chances of the remaining contenders. I've seen enough from SLater while he's been off injured to see how much he analyses play. He was in the coaches box one week, sitting in the back row, gesticulating with his hands while all 5 other heads were turned to listen to whatever plan he hatched up on the spot. Also saw him with Cronk and Smith at halftime in a huddle hatching plans. The three together are master craftsmen. I'd love to listen to more of what they think.
Phil Gould : I love his team-mentality talks. Things I hear regularly sound like "coming into this game" and "they'll be looking to". As casually as reading a form guide in the horse racing, he'll go through a list of teams and identify strengths, weaknesses, motivations, match-ups, and sets the scene in lamens terms. It's a bit like walking up to a half-completed chess match and Gus says "that guy should win in 16 moves if he doesn't make mistakes". Also love his interviews. He did one a year or two ago with the Big-4 from Queensland SOO and last weeks one-on-one with James Graham was compelling.
Andrew Johns : Dont laugh. There's one thing he does really well, but not enough. Standing in front of a plasma TV deconstructing plays and options from key-players has me glued to the TV. Those chats where he says "watch this player here" and the 360-degree camera angles sweep around to behind the posts to reveal something we've missed off-camera. Joey does that really well. I wish I could listen to him do it more.
Michael Ennis : NRL360 has revealed a star in the making this year. I highly imagine if he doesn't wind up in a regular media gig (Triple M strong contenders I hear), he has the brains to be a first grade coach at some stage post-career. His weekly segment with Benji Marshall is compulsory viewing.
Cronk / Smith / Slater : 750+ games NRL experience. 100+ games rep experience. Premierships. Winning streaks. Consistent greatness over the span of their career. Imagine if you could get all-three in a room and ask them to analyse the chances of the remaining contenders. I've seen enough from SLater while he's been off injured to see how much he analyses play. He was in the coaches box one week, sitting in the back row, gesticulating with his hands while all 5 other heads were turned to listen to whatever plan he hatched up on the spot. Also saw him with Cronk and Smith at halftime in a huddle hatching plans. The three together are master craftsmen. I'd love to listen to more of what they think.
