On the Richter Scale of seismic gamechangers, David Lord could claim to have set the bar for the European Super League.
Reaction to the Australian promoter’s jaw-dropping scheme 40 years ago may have stopped short of goading the fans to storm Twickenham but it caused a sense of outrage not dissimilar to that felt at the shenanigans of the ‘Dirty Dozen’.
While everyone despised the unbridled greed behind Super League, Lord had his players firmly on-side. Far from being intimidated by threats of life bans, they were rubbing their hands at the prospect of being paid for something they had al...