Very few people in life are ever lucky enough to meet their sporting heroes.
Even if you do, it can often be a massive disappointment. Those great on the pitch, aren't always great off it. It can be a huge let down.
Talent
So what's the point that I'm trying to make here?
It's about their size. Nobody mentions when a small player like Davies, Tomkins or Burrow makes it to the top of the game but I wonder how many were discouraged or turned away from rugby because some coach said "you're not big enough to make it" when they were in their formative years.
Does the sport do enough to keep these types of players in the game? (It's worth remembering that Sam Tomkins was released by Wigan at the age of 16).
I believe that we lose so much talent and that we need to address this issue immediately. Most people who follow rugby league know that the competition for players with rugby union and the NRL Down Under is stronger than it has ever been and many players will leave the game in the near future. Hence the reason to act.
We must all do what we can to encourage the 'little fellas' who are playing rugby league, show them clips of Jonathan Davies, Sam Tomkins, Billy Slater etc and highlight what they've achieved.
Put the Rob Burrow solo try from the Grand Final in 2011 to easily demonstrate that smaller players can be Super League players. Help them to learn the ways in which they can maximise their strengths (with either their skill or speed) and work on their weaknesses. Make sure that the game at a junior level caters for these types of players whilst they are physically maturing.
It's too easy for some coaches to say that the game has moved on now and size is all that matters. I've often heard people say 'he's not big enough, he can't tackle.' I've even been guilty of it myself in the past.
But looking back at the career of Jonathan Davies has helped me to look forward and I know the sort of player that I want to watch in the future.
