"Backing up" and the cowardice of our footballers

Last weekend in Australia, those mighty players of the NRL did something extraordinary. At least it looked extraordinary to this Englishman, so used to the endless bleating by our jumped up football managers over the "workload" of their preening players.

You see, on Friday night, there was a league test match between Australia and New Zealand.

At the same time, a trial match for the "State of Origin" series (where players from Queensland and NSW play in a 3-match series of frankly bizarre intensity) was played for the NSW side (called City v Country). The next day - yes, about 14 hours later, nearly every player involved in these 2 high intensity games, then turned out for their clubs.

This is called "backing up" in Oz and it is a symbol of why Australian sportsmen are tough and have that "never say die" attitude we so struggle to replicate in our embarrassing excuse for a country.

Just imagine for a moment, what would be the reaction in Premiershipland if football players were asked to "back up".

Wenger would be crying for weeks, in that ridiculous comedy French accent he refuses to lose after 12 years in our country. We'd be mopping up his tears until Autumn. Ferguson, that hateful Scotch shop steward, would be screaming blue murder at the FA (not through the BBC natch) saying his "poor" players are overworked and simply cannot play twice in a 2 days. The players themselves would bleat about being too tired to play. The whole clamour would be deafening.

Yet NRL is a far harder game. They train harder for longer, play harder, risk horrendous injury every time they set foot on the field earning, lest we forget, less in a year than what Rooney takes home in 3 days. If any sportsman should not back up, its these guys. I note by the way mighty cyclists don't complain about riding 20 days straight in the tour de france do they?

No. What this illustrates is the depths to which football has sunk. These privileged, bone idle, spoilt, cosseted pseudo rapists we call fotoballers are simply pathetic. They would never back up and the cheerleaders in the MSM (yes you, Winter) laud them for it.

Grow a spine you idle, fat, lazy footballers. Stop complaining about your workload and get back on the training paddock. Ashley Cole, how about using some of your spare time to learn to kick with your right foot, you hateful little weasel?

Next time you hear Wenger moaning about having to play a pointless Carling Cup game (which by the way he mocks) on Tues night, with his vast squad of players, who then have to play a league match on Sunday, just think about the league boys in the NRL.