Recruitment legend delivers amazing praise for NSW rookie Dale Finucane
NRL recruitment legend Peter Mulholland has 40-odd years experience in rugby league and has handed out more than 400 contracts, which is why his word carries so much weight when assessing players.
Blues
Don't miss out on the headlines from Blues. Followed categories will be added to My News.
NUMBERS: Why Freddy wants Cleary at No.7
A video emerged on social media last month of Dale Finucane belting out a pretty handy rendition of Ed Sheeran’s ‘You Need Me’.
But absolutely no one was singing the blues last Sunday night when NSW finally realised they do need Finucane.
Amid all the controversy surrounding Brad Fittler’s Origin II selections, Finucane was an overwhelmingly popular pick because he is truly one of the rare breed — in that whoever you talk to about him they only ever have positive things to say.
MORE NRL NEWS
TAHU TO BE SACKED OVER CONTROVERSIAL ANTHEM COMMENTS
D EADLINE APPROACHES: EVERY CLUB’S ROSTER ANALYSED
NRL recruitment legend Peter Mulholland said it best this week when he rated Finucane along with Josh Jackson in the grand final for “hardest working, most dedicated kids that I have experienced”.
It’s an amazing statement coming from a man with Mulholland’s experience, 40-odd years working in the game and in that time he has handed out more than 400 rugby league contracts.
Mulholland deeply respects so many of the players he has worked with. But as he explained, what made Jackson and Finucane special was not necessarily their talent, but their attitude.
“Josh and Dale were great mates at the Bulldogs and they ran off each other,” Mulholland recalled. “On that alone they were destined to not only play NRL but be leaders.
“A guy like Jason Taylor had enormous natural ability as a rugby league player, and you don’t play 194 consecutive games and not do it through hard work.
“Mickey Potter (two-time Dally M Medal winner) got to where he got also by sheer determination — and he is one of the blokes who would be as close to them as I have seen.
“But these two blokes just got there on sheer determination, sheer commitment and just character.”
Mulholland himself is hoping to be in Perth this weekend to attend the Western Reds’ 25th anniversary on Saturday night before the Origin clash on Sunday.
The inaugural Reds coach has been bravely battling cancer in recent times and has been back in hospital this past week, but with his fingers crossed that the doctors will give him the all clear to get to Perth.
NRL FAILS TO GET BEHIND FARAH’S EFFORTS
Some people care about the growth of international rugby league. Others pretend to care.
Robbie Farah for one should be congratulated for the effort he is putting in behind the scenes in fighting for the survival of rugby league in Lebanon.
It is just a shame the Wests Tigers veteran isn’t getting the same support from the NRL, as well as all clubs and indeed some of Lebanon’s highest profile players, who withdrew during the week because of “niggling” injuries.
Can you imagine the outcry if players were pulling out of State of Origin with minor injuries, or if this was happening to one of the top Test playing nations such as New Zealand, England or even Tonga?
The crew try to get their heads around the Blues selection policy for Origin II and ask if it’s a version of the Simpsons “Homermobile” plus Latrell Mitchell’s future and Matty goes to the movies.
Before Wednesday’s crisis meeting that ultimately decided the players who had pledged their support would not boycott Saturday’s Test against Fiji after threats of suspensions, fines and potential prosecution, Farah was personally calling coaches and even some players to try and get them on board.
He asked one particular coach if a player ruled out through injury would have been cleared if this was an NRL game.
You can imagine the response.
But this is where it should be taken out of the club’s hands and all players should be assessed by independent doctors before being allowed to withdraw.
For this to happen, it has to be the NRL leading the charge, and demanding clubs make all players available.
It again makes a mockery of the way so many people lapped up recognition during the last World Cup.
If rugby league really wants to grow as an international sport, everyone needs to get behind it. Not just when it suits to dine out on the publicity.