What Makes a World Class Player?

When listening to Rugby League commentaries, you often hear pundits say that several players are 'world class'. In response, I often think (or sometimes even say), "no, he's not". That brought the question to mind what is a world class player?

It's a wholly subjective question and there is no right or wrong answer. How you reach your conclusion depends how widely you define world class. Is it limited to the best player in the world in that particular position? Are players who have not delivered at international level included? Do you have to prove yourself in the NRL?

When I thought of 'world class' players in Super League, four names came to mind. Those were Alex Walmsley, Morgan Knowles, Sam Tomkins and Daryl Clark. Interestingly, all of these players are English and only one has played in both major competitions. Perhaps it is an uncomfortable reality that we do not get any overseas world class players in Super League anymore because it is a step down from NRL intensity.

I recall on the opening weekend of the season, new Wigan signing Cade Cust put in a kick from a scrum for Jai Field to score a fantastic try. An Australian follower commented to say that the New South Wales Cup looked to be shining in Super League. I hadn't thought of that beforehand but it was rather depressing that players who cannot get games in the NRL can be key players in a top Super League team.

The other way of looking at it is that, on occasions, big name NRL players have found their way to the UK and flopped. It's one of the more intriguing points in sport that environment can be as key to a player's success or otherwise as playing ability is. 

Patience is a virtue...

Sometimes, it isn't immediately obvious that a player has the potential to be world class. For fans of football, evidence of this comes from Chelsea's transfer dealings. In 2016, they sold a player called Mo Salah to Roma after making just 13 appearances for the club in 3 seasons. In 2014, they sold another player called Kevin De Bruyne to Wolfsburg after making 3 appearances for the club. These players are now two of the best players in the Premier League (in my view, the best).

It is unquestionable that both of these players are world class. If there's any difference aside from semantics, they are also two of the best players in the world. Yet at the ages of 23 and 24, Chelsea made a decision that they had better options in their squad.

A lesson that even at an age where you may have thought a player to have become established (or, that you at least have a gauge on their potential), sportspeople have careers that can last 20 years. A  bit of patience can go a long way.

Bringing it back to our sport, Alex Walmsley is similar. In his early 20's, Walmsley was an amateur player at Dewsbury Celtic, before joining Batley and latterly St Helens. When he started in Super League, he struggled with the most fundamental skill of playing the ball. St Helens showed patience and he is now one of the most devastating runners of a ball in the game. In my view, a world class player.

The Starting Gun...

Whilst some world class players only show their true ability towards the middle of their careers, for others, the potential is there from the get go. On his Wigan debut, Sam Tomkins scored five tries. Ok, it was against Whitehaven in the Challenge Cup, but I cannot bring to mind another player who has made such an immediate impact.

By the end of his first full season, Tomkins had already made his England debut, been named in the Dream Team and won the Young Player of the Year award. In the years that followed, he seemed unstopabble and moved to the NRL for the 2014 season.

What followed was a mid-career dip. He was not an NRL superstar, despite a huge transfer fee. He then returned to Wigan where he won two Super League titles, but did suffer from recurrent knee problems and did not bring the same level of threat in his attacking game as he did during his first spell at the club. Wigan made the call to sign Zak Hardaker to replace Tomkins in 2019.

The saying goes that form is temporary and class is permanent. Tomkins influence at his new club Catalans has shown that, where he has returned to the peak of his powers and, for the second time in his career, is the Man of Steel.

Any more?

I wonder if my list of world class players in Super League is a bit too prohibitive? John Bateman has succeeded on both sides of the globe, although hasn't quite hit those heights since returning to Wigan. Tommy Makinson has won a golden boot. Jake Connor can be unplayable on his day. James Roby has been the picture of consistency for 18 years and, whilst not as speedy as he once was, remains a key player at St Helens.

I wonder if I am suffering from English defeatism? We often criticise the NRL for putting their players on a pedestal but I think I am guilty of that too. The England national team defeated New Zealand in their most recent test series and were highly unfortunate not to win the World Cup in 2017, losing narrowly in the final to Australia.

Whatever your definition of world class is, we are lucky to have some top quality players taking part in our competition week on week. And at the end of the year, we host the World Cup where, without question, all of the best players in the World will convene on England to test themselves against the best.

Now if that isn't a world class prospect, then I don't know what is.