SO you'd like to one day be a professional rugby league player like Queensland State of Origin star Johnathan Thurston (pictured)? Who's he? Watch the video below to see some of the amazing things Johnathan has done for the North Queensland Cowboys, Queensland and Australia.
And, who could forget that laugh?
Well, Thurston certainly is a talent and seems to enjoy his job, but what does it take to be a professional rugby league player like him? He certainly does have slick skills. He can pass, kick, tackle and run better than most. Those things aside, he's got to be able to follow the coach's game plan and each player must understand the team's moves. Players must know all the moves so their teammates don't run into each other or drop the ball.
Here's a few examples of some moves. Do you understand what all of that means?
Here's a few examples of some moves. Do you understand what all of that means?
Won't they just tell me the plan and the moves?
No such luck. Players need to read through game plan handouts and all the team's moves and become familiar with them before they start playing. Otherwise it's chaos, like the video below shows clearly. You don't want to be on a blooper reel, do you?
So they don't just turn up before the match and then play?
If only it was that easy. There is plenty of hard work, planning and commitment involved. And, what might be surprising for some, there's also plenty of intelligence. Most footballers probably don't come across as being too bright. But, their literacy and numeracy skills need to be top notch. And that starts a long time before they make into the National Rugby League (NRL). Those literacy and numeracy skills are developed in the classroom as a child.
For starters, they need to be able to read and understand the sport's rules.
For starters, they need to be able to read and understand the sport's rules.
What are some of the rules?
The objective of rugby league is to score more points than your opposition.
There is 80 minutes to do this. Players score tries (worth four points) by touching the ball down over their opponent’s try line. They can then convert that to six by kicking a goal. Players can also kick penalty goals (worth two points) and a drop goal (worth one point).
Each team has 13 players on the field and four players on the sidelines at one time. The four players on the sidelines come onto the field to replace a player on the field if they are injured or tired.
The football has to be passed backwards. It can be passed as many times as a player likes until a player is tackled in possession.
Each team has the ball for six plays (or tackles). After a tackle, the ball carrier rolls the ball back between their legs to a teammate standing directly behind them. After the six plays are completed the team in possession must handover the ball to the opposition. Most teams choose to kick at this point in order to gain as much ground as possible.
Watch the video below to gain a better understanding of some rugby league rules and then try and answer the questions below.
There is 80 minutes to do this. Players score tries (worth four points) by touching the ball down over their opponent’s try line. They can then convert that to six by kicking a goal. Players can also kick penalty goals (worth two points) and a drop goal (worth one point).
Each team has 13 players on the field and four players on the sidelines at one time. The four players on the sidelines come onto the field to replace a player on the field if they are injured or tired.
The football has to be passed backwards. It can be passed as many times as a player likes until a player is tackled in possession.
Each team has the ball for six plays (or tackles). After a tackle, the ball carrier rolls the ball back between their legs to a teammate standing directly behind them. After the six plays are completed the team in possession must handover the ball to the opposition. Most teams choose to kick at this point in order to gain as much ground as possible.
Watch the video below to gain a better understanding of some rugby league rules and then try and answer the questions below.