NRL 2022: Truth of bush footy’s drastic decline; Is Penrith the NRL’s new most hated team? | Crawley Files

Country league legend Noel ‘Crusher’ Cleal has shone a light on how the dramatic decline in bush footy — once a breeding ground for the game’s stars — has impacted on the NRL.

Bush footy legend Noel ‘Crusher’ Cleal has made a stunning comparison that puts in grave context the drastic decline in NRL players coming out of country NSW regions compared to when he played in the 1980s.

It comes ahead of the NRL’s return to the country for Saturday’s clash between Wests Tigers and Cronulla at Scully Park in Tamworth.

Crusher said he sat down and wrote out this list while watching a recent NRL game, when it dawned on him how fewer players from country towns were now playing at big-city clubs like Sydney Roosters, Manly, Parramatta and Canterbury.

By Crusher’s count just at those four clubs alone, it has dropped from 39 to six in relation to regular first graders. He even went through the names one by one, stating every single town they came from. He also pointed out that the only current Australian Schoolboy from the country was Ethan Ferguson.

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Noel Cleal forged an excellent first grade career after arriving from the bush.

There is no doubt the growing Polynesian influence, which now represents close to 50 per cent of the NRL population, has had a huge impact. But Crusher reckons it shouldn’t stop kids from the bush getting a shot at chasing their dreams.

“Mate, I think the game hasn’t provided for bush blokes,” he said. “It is dying in the bush and the statistics back it up.”

He recalled the names of the players he played with and against in the 1980s who hailed from bush towns.

“Easts had Royce Ayliffe, Ian Schubert, Terry Fahey, Jeff Masterman, Robert Laurie, Ian Barkley, David Michael, David Trewhella, Tony Rampling, Noel Cleal, David French and Steve ‘Slippery’ Morris,’ Cleal said.

“Today it’s James Tedesco and Angus Crichton.

“In the ’80s Canterbury had Steve Mortimer, Peter Mortimer, Chris Mortimer, Greg Brentnall, Chris Anderson, Andrew Farrar, David Gillespie, Peter Kelly, Paul Dunn, Jim Leis and Brian Battese.

“Today Matt Burton and Josh Jackson. In the ’80s Parramatta had Mick Cronin, Peter Sterling,

Bulldogs star Matt Burton played his junior footy in Dubbo. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

Peter Wynn, Stan Jurd, Mark Laurie, Steve McKenzie and Kevin Stevens.

“Today: None.

“In the ’80s Manly had Graham Eadie, Les Boyd, Ray Brown, John Dorahy, Noel Cleal, Phil Carey, Ron Gibbs, Cliff Lyons and Mal Cochrane.

“Today it’s Reuben Garrick and Lachlan Croker. I’m talking regular first graders. That’s a comparison of 39 to 6.”

It follows Crusher’s appeal to the NRL last year to help save bush footy.

Twelve months on, he says nothing has changed.

“I have grave concerns,” he added. “If bush clubs die rugby league dies with it. It is not as if one falls down and another one pops up. It dies in the town.”

Asked how it could be fixed, he said they needed people on the ground to help with promotion and management.

Wests Tigers and Cronulla will lash at Scully Park in Tamworth this weekend Picture: AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts

And as the NRL vowed to do last year, he again made an appeal that “every NRL club needs to adopt an area”.

“They have budgets of $20 million,” Cleal said. “To employ a bloke or two is going to be a piss in the ocean to what the turnover of their club is.

“But they need to put people out there to help in the promotion of the game and help with the paperwork. Insurance and registrations. It needs help by people who understand the game and how it works. Just give them some help.”

MAL’S KANGAROOS BOLTER FOR WORLD CUP

Mal Meninga has revealed Nicho Hynes is a genuine Kangaroos World Cup contender if the Cronulla halfback continues his form into the big end-of-season games.

With Tom Trbojevic and Kalyn Ponga both in huge doubt, Hynes’ versatility will be a huge advantage when Meninga sits down to name his 24-man squad.

Meninga said of Hynes ahead of the Sharks showdown on Saturday in Tamworth against Wests Tigers: “Nicho can play in the halves, he has certainly played in the centres and he can play at fullback.

“I think the depth we have in those positions is excellent.

“But you have just got to get the balance of the team right and you have to have guys who can play a number of positions.”

Nicho Hynes could be rewarded for a stellar 2022 season with a call up to the Kangaroos. Picture: Getty Images.

You’d imagine that versatility would put Hynes ahead of the likes of Parramatta’s Mitchell Moses and Clint Gutherson, especially if both Turbo and Ponga aren’t available.

There has been a lot of talk about the players who have put up their hands to play for other nations, but even so there is going to be some big names who still miss out on the Kangaroos.

The dummy half situation is particularly interesting with four serious contenders, but only two will probably be named.

That means out of Harry Grant, Ben Hunt, Api Koroisau and Damien Cook, the NSW hookers might struggle.

Damien Cook may have lost his starting No.9 jersey to one of his Queensland counterparts in Harry Grant or Ben Hunt. Picture: NRL Photos.

On Origin and club form you’d have to say Hunt and Grant are certainties if they stay fit, although Mal conceded it would be hard leaving Koroisau at home after putting his hand up for Australia.

“It is a dilemma,” Meninga said.

“I mean, he played Origin this year and is playing in the best team in the competition.

“And he has indicated to me he wants to play for Australia, which I love.”

It adds a bit of extra spice to Thursday night’s showdown between Grant and Koroisau in the big Panthers-Storm blockbuster.

Nicho Hynes is in the mix for the Kangaroos. Art: Boo Bailey

IS PENRITH RUGBY LEAGUE’S MOST HATED CLUB?

Is it jealousy, or are the Melbourne Storm’s claims justified — have the Penrith Panthers become an arrogant football club?

What can’t be disputed is that in the countdown to Thursday night’s blockbuster between the NRL’s two most powerful clubs there is no shortage of bad blood.

But unlike it has been for years, where most of the resentment always surrounded the Storm, now it’s the Panthers suffering the image crisis.

Not only have they taken over from Melbourne as the game’s benchmark team in recent years, but there is undoubtedly a groundswell of bitterness, even a genuine dislike, towards the Panthers.

It’s got to the point where they are now perceived as being the game’s new most hated club ahead of the Storm.

Jarome Luai and the Panthers have been the NRL’s benchmark for three years. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

Penrith fans might be horrified to hear that.

For those who support the Panthers, they are a team that can do no wrong.

How could you not admire a club that has built its success from the ground up with such a wonderful development program, and who play such a brilliant brand of footy that is the envy of every rival?

But then you look at some of the run-ins they have had in recent times to understand where some of the discontent originates from.

Whether it’s Jarome Luai taking a cheap shot at any number of players, from Parramatta’s Reed Mahoney to the Bulldogs’ Kyle Flanagan and even a concussed Selwyn Cobbo in Origin this year, it’s earned Luai the reputation as the game’s biggest pest.

Throw in the rivalry from Ivan Cleary’s former Wests Tigers who will never forgive Cleary for walking out on them.

Or Ricky Stuart’s Raiders who have despised the Panthers ever since Stephen Crichton pulled Joe Tapine into that post try celebration last year, and Ivan tried to make out it was just some good clean fun.

“I’m just a bit confused as to what’s the problem,” Cleary said at the time.

“I don’t think people see the niggle that comes from the opposition towards our team.”

Tempers flare between Stephen Crichton and the Raiders. Picture: Matt Blyth/Getty Images

Then there was Ivan’s showdown with Wayne Bennett last year, when the then Rabbitohs coach went public that the refs were giving the Panthers too much latitude protecting Nathan Cleary.

In recent days Storm chairman Matt Tripp has reignited the latest feud when he joined the cross examination relating to the public perception of the Panthers.

It came in response to Greg Alexander’s radio spat with Cameron Smith last week, over the history of the Storm’s wrestling tactics.

While most in footy (outside the Storm, of course) would probably agree with Alexander’s claims that most of the NRL’s ugly wrestling tactics originated out of Melbourne, what was still most interesting about Tripp’s comment was that he directed it at “the arrogance of the club”, and not just Alexander.

“You can say a lot of things about the Melbourne Storm, but the one thing they can’t be accused of is being arrogant,” Tripp said on the weekend.

“We go about our business and don’t make outlandish comments – we respond to comments, but you won’t see us on the front foot making stupid comments, particularly about other clubs and their tactics.

“So for the deputy chair of one of our biggest competitors, a week out from having to play them, to make unfounded and stupid comments as he has done, just goes to the arrogance of that club and their perceived status in the game at the moment.”

It went directly to the heart of this issue, with Tripp tapping in on an overriding emotion that is being levelled at the game’s new superpower on several fronts.

Jarome Luai's Instagram post.

As much as Penrith fans will point to this being another example of the tall poppy syndrome, there is just no denying there will be many more who agree with Tripp about the Panthers’ “perceived status in the game at the moment”.

You just have to look at Luai’s recent Instagram post in support of Nathan Cleary.

In case you missed it, Luai put it up the night after Cleary was charged for a sickening spear tackle on Parramatta’s Dylan Brown that led to a five-match ban.

It showed Luai and Cleary standing side-by-side with their hands locked together, and just three letters written in huge capitals: F E C.

Initially, no one outside the Panthers’ inner sanctum understood what the message represented.

That was until a story emerged in The Daily Telegraph linking the abbreviation to a player mantra the Panthers had apparently started following their defeat in the 2020 grand final.

The claims were F E C could be an acronym for “F*** every c***”.

It’s still unclear if Luai’s post was meant to replicate that expletive message.

But what is worth pointing out is that there has also been no denial.

Nathan Cleary’s spear tackle on Dylan Brown.

And so if it is true than you are entitled to wonder how and why the club, and even the governing body, didn’t pull Luai into line for it.

Here you had a tackle where only luck saved an opponent from suffering a catastrophic injury.

Yet Luai’s blind loyalty to Cleary appeared to indicate a blatant disregard to the danger that awful tackle represented to an innocent opponent.

Though perhaps that also explains the mindset driving these young Panthers towards back-to-back NRL titles, that they are prepared to go to any lengths to get the job done.

Some would see that as a badge of honour.

Others might perceive it as a sign of arrogance.

CRUSHER’S BUSH FOOTY LAMENT