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Ex-Swarcliffe Rhino wrote:
Thats the rumour I heard. Took a swing at Tony Smith at the wedding. Probably all bunkum but still....
When Tony Smith came in, put an end to the drinking culture, stopped the infamous "Dews Fests" and generally cleaned up the squad. Some got onboard, some didnt want to.
He eventually rinsed the ones who didnt get onboard.
I've never got it. You do a job and everyone expects you to be sober when you turn up and fit for work every time. They are professional sportsmen paid good money and asked by their employer to follow a few simple rules. Having said that we had the same at U16's at our RU club. It's a competitive game Sunday morning so don't go out and spend all night drinking at a party the night before. We played a Bristol club and the entire back division had been up all night on the lash. It was embarrassing. The coaches sent out the message that if you rocked up "unfit" to play then you would be dropped for three weeks. I think it was the right message, especially at that age, to act responsibly. Adults at a junior club can do what they want - it was practically a requirement when I played to be hung over on a Saturday afternoon. But professionals? One request, don't get drunk when we ask you not to. Nothing sadder than an interview I saw with Gareth Hock moaning about the time Steve McBanana sent him and Hardaker home.
Some of the extracts from Sean Long's autobiography answered the question regarding why he never became the best half in the world and was almost always awful for GB/England. Imagine if he'd just not been p!$$ed all the time.
Statistics: Posted by DHM — Wed Apr 08, 2020 11:15 am — Replies 82 — Views 6787