Quote: steadygetyerboots-on "A couple of things stopped that from happening in my opinion. Some were physical and some were choices that Southernwood made.'"
I've heard from many sources that his attitude stank. I don't know him so I can't confirm.
However I have some sympathy for him. Scrum halves by nature are meant to be cocky, arrogant and impulsive - that's what makes them special. I'm not saying it's always the case but it's often enough. These days we are sanatising charecters out of the game in the name of structure and frankly that's not the British mentality. It's not even in the Aussie mentality anymore, the NRL is awash with talented rougues and is all the better for it IMHO. To me the problem lays within our coaching structure. In the NRL they seem to be able to get rid of the worst of the flaws in these players and with the occasional exception they go onto be great players. Here unless they are class prefect material like Sinfield we bin them, what's wrong Coachy to much like hard work?
I think SL has forgotten that it represents the peak of ability not reliability and size, SL is the one that needs the showmen and we just don't seem able to nurture genius. Sad really, and as I say if Ackroyd doesn't have a really good attitude and inner dicipline he won't make it and even if he does he's fighting the common perception that only Australia produces playmakers.
