Is Stanley the Ultimate Rugby League Player?
Thursday 13 November 2008
In the course of a long and illustrious career Stanley Gene has played in most positions and in most sorts of teams. He’s fought relegation, won a World Club Championship and represented his country with particular honour at the highest level. He’s also one of the few players to turn out for both sides of the city of Hull and still be loved by both sets of supporters. He provides journalists and fans alike with a plentiful pool of anecdotes, not least about his elusive birth certificate.
It is ultimately though his versatility and consistency which mark him out as one of the game’s greats. When Stanley goes onto the park, you know what you’re going to get week-in, week-out.
Watching the World Cup, Hull KR coach Justin Morgan must have been mightily relieved that he’d retained Stanley's services. By shifting the blame for Stan’s uncertain future earlier this year onto new rules introduced by the RFL, Morgan dodged a rather large bullet.
But let’s fire it off one more time. In an age in which we are questioning the value of overseas players in Superleague, especially the so-called superstars from Australia whose fortunes have been at best mixed in the English game- why was it Stan who was set to lose out at KR as a consequence of the new rules?
We watched last season as countless Superleague teams had their season decimated by injuries and struggled to find adaptable players who could provide cover across the park. Rovers had a man who many teams (not least their cross-city rivals) would have loved to have in their squads last year. A Rugby League every man who’ll do a job whatever is asked of him.
He should be held up as the example of precisely the sort of overseas player clubs should aim for. Someone who’ll provide a bit of everything, not an overpaid, single-position Australian ex-international who’ll spend his first year struggling to fit in, and his second year looking forward to his return flight down-under.
See Stanley’s official testimonial site here and be sure to buy his autobiography Daydream Believer.
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