Cruncher wrote:
Every time I hear this, I cringe. It's populist nonsense.
Of course they are entitled to a few drinks. If they are old enough, nobody can legally stop them.
But if they want to be the best athletes they can be, they'd be advised to stay off the hard stuff until the close season - just like Hanley, Edwards, etc.
Being a professional sportsman is a short career. For most it ends around 30 years old. Then you've got the rest of your life to get driunk. Is a bit of self-discipline for 10 years too much to ask for a lad who is earning very good money for doing what he loves 80 minutes a week?
I agree and I have said this for literally decades, usually responded to negatively.
The first players I was aware of adopting this approach were Betts (he was tea-total at the time) and Hanley. I really admired their dedication.
The approach of these players back then was the sort of attention to detail that made Wigan's success all the easier when they faced up to players who acted as if they were still amateurs off the field.
All this "they are only human" stuff ignores what a science fitness is these days.
