Round the corner kicking
Encyclopedia
Round the corner kicking was an innovation in the 1940s of Willie Horne
, the Barrow
, Lancashire
, England
and Great Britain
captain and rugby league
player. His distinctive round the corner style of kicking enabled him to kick over 100 goals in the 1945–46 season and then he scored more than 700 goals for his club Barrow before his retirement in 1969. He is regarded as the original inventor of this system of kicking and the soft-toed boots he used at the time reflected his alternative to the toe-end style of kicking which was then prevalent in both league and union
throughout the world before he revolutionised place kick
ing for all time.
The first global exponent of the 'round the corner' style was Barry John
. It led to a significant increase in the number of 'round the corner' style players in the 1970s- Andy Irvine
, Phil Bennett
, Gerald Bosch. In New Zealand
, they held onto the 'straight up & down', or 'toehack' as it was called down under, with such players as BG Williams, Bevan Wilson, Steve Watt.....until Alan Hewson came on the scene, the glove wearing kicker who kicked the last minute penalty at Eden Park in 1981, in an South Africa
- New Zealand
game. (CLA)
It can be argued that:
Players using this method do carefully measured steps to put them in the right position to kick the ball in the desired direction.
Nevertheless some older players that used the Toe Kick method in the seventies argue that there is little difference between Round The Corner and Toe Kicking and that Round The Corner Kicking is just a fad.
Willie Horne
Willie Horne was an English rugby league footballer. He played for Great Britain, England, Lancashire and Barrow between 1943 to 1959 and captained all four sides. He captained Great Britain in a test series against Australia in the days when Great Britain could beat the Aussies...
, the Barrow
Barrow Raiders
Barrow Raiders are an English professional rugby league team from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, who are coached by Dave Clark. Formed in 1875 as Barrow Football Club, the club is the oldest of the current professional sports teams in Cumbria....
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
and Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
captain and rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
player. His distinctive round the corner style of kicking enabled him to kick over 100 goals in the 1945–46 season and then he scored more than 700 goals for his club Barrow before his retirement in 1969. He is regarded as the original inventor of this system of kicking and the soft-toed boots he used at the time reflected his alternative to the toe-end style of kicking which was then prevalent in both league and union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
throughout the world before he revolutionised place kick
Place kick
The place kick is a kicking style commonly used in rugby league and rugby union. It is also seen in Association football, American football and Canadian football.-American and Canadian football:...
ing for all time.
The first global exponent of the 'round the corner' style was Barry John
Barry John
Barry John is a former Welsh rugby union fly-half who played, during the amateur era of the sport, in the 1960s and early 1970s. John began his rugby career as a schoolboy playing for his local team Cefneithin RFC before switching to first-class west Wales team Llanelli RFC in 1964...
. It led to a significant increase in the number of 'round the corner' style players in the 1970s- Andy Irvine
Andy Irvine (rugby player)
Andrew Robertson "Andy" Irvine MBE is a former President of the Scottish Rugby Union , and a former Scottish international rugby player. He earned fifty one Scottish caps, and scored over 250 points for .-Background:...
, Phil Bennett
Phil Bennett
Phillip Bennett was a Welsh international rugby union fly half from 1969 to 1978. His flair and range of tricks, including his famous sidestep and swerve, meant he was a firm favourite with crowds.-Rugby career:...
, Gerald Bosch. In New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, they held onto the 'straight up & down', or 'toehack' as it was called down under, with such players as BG Williams, Bevan Wilson, Steve Watt.....until Alan Hewson came on the scene, the glove wearing kicker who kicked the last minute penalty at Eden Park in 1981, in an South Africa
South Africa national rugby league team
The South Africa national rugby league team are a growing force in rugby league football, South Africa competes sporadically against other international nations because of their location and their absence from any major international competitions. They are ranked twenty-third in the world...
- New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
game. (CLA)
Advantages
The proponents of Round The Corner kicking which is the generally required method of kicking in rugby union today argue that greater accuracy and range can be obtained by this method compared to the Toe Kick method.It can be argued that:
- You use the flat side of the foot eliminating the chance of not kicking the ball in the center. (Flat toe boots however were used by toe kickers up till the seventies to eliminate this problem. Flat toe boots are still available from a USA website and used by American football kickers.)
- If you swing your leg sideways you can extend your foot further than with the toe kick method giving greater speed to the foot and better momentum transfer.
Disadvantages
The disadvantage of round the corner may be that it is more difficult to aim the ball especially when kicking from the side of the field, this requires greater accuracy to get the ball between the poles.Players using this method do carefully measured steps to put them in the right position to kick the ball in the desired direction.
Nevertheless some older players that used the Toe Kick method in the seventies argue that there is little difference between Round The Corner and Toe Kicking and that Round The Corner Kicking is just a fad.