Rugby League really gives me the shits

[terry j]

yes, yes and yes to all of your 'guessing'. Tho funnily enough, I don't recall playing league (or any sport) in the early HS years. That seems a bit odd, maybe I am getting senile. That was when my olds sent me to a private school yada yada.

You, and others, seem to have a grasp of the history of the essential differences between the two games, but my guess is that at the beginning there was not THAT much difference, minor tweaking surely? In any case, that difference was enough for you to say 'no real competition after 07' and it was more attractive.

So what was the chicken and which was the egg? Meaning, if for us (and that may be the problem with how I phrase my question) union is a superior game-including spectacle, ie not just more intellectually engaging-and league in the early days WAS the better game/spectacle, is the current situation due to league rule changes ruining their game, or any union changes improving what was a dour game?

Or both of course.

Still, I spose we have to acknowledge that simply some people prefer checkers over chess.

 

[wamberal]

Nup, I am pretty sure that loig starting (in Australia, that is) with 13 men, no kicking out on the full, no lineouts, and a play-the-ball instead of rucks and mauls.


So right from the get go, it was more attractive to us Aussies. Superficially, that is.

 

[TOCC]

Nup, I am pretty sure that loig starting (in Australia, that is) with 13 men, no kicking out on the full, no lineouts, and a play-the-ball instead of rucks and mauls.


So right from the get go, it was more attractive to us Aussies. Superficially, that is.

culturally it was marketed as they workings mans game and also poached a large majority of the top rugby union players at the times, thus increasing its popularity more..

 

[ChargerWA]

With the ARUs stewardship of the game in Australia is it any wonder League is more popular!

It's 2013 and the ARU still offers no elite opportunity for junior development outside of Eastern Sydney.

It's not a case that League is better, it is just better at engaging with its fan base.

 

[Aussie D]

It's 2013 and the ARU still offers no elite opportunity for junior development outside of Western Sydney.

Not there (Western Sydney) at all. Try outside Eastern Suburbs / private schoolboys.

 

[ChargerWA]

Not there (Western Sydney) at all. Try outside Eastern Suburbs / private schoolboys.

Sorry, West Aussie reversal. Our affluent suburbs are all west.

 

[qwerty51]

It's the ocean.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

With the ARUs stewardship of the game in Australia is it any wonder League is more popular!

It's 2013 and the ARU still offers no elite opportunity for junior development outside of Eastern Sydney.

It's not a case that League is better, it is just better at engaging with its fan base.

I tried registering for the SmartRugby program for this coming Monday evening. It asks for your details including your post code to determine where you live. I entered mine and it didn't register. I had to ring through (finally got someone after around a dozen attempts) and spoke to someone. They asked me the postcode in which I provided. She then told me it wasn't in there database. She asked me if it wasin Sydney. I said yes. She then said "it must be a new area as it hasn't been updated" in which my response was "oh, yes, it was, 150 years ago!". Just goes to show the mindset of the Union. Unless you live in a very narrow patch as far as they are concerned you don't exist.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

I tried registering for the SmartRugby program for this coming Monday evening. It asks for your details including your post code to determine where you live. I entered mine and it didn't register. I had to ring through (finally got someone after around a dozen attempts) and spoke to someone. They asked me the postcode in which I provided. She then told me it wasn't in there database. She asked me if it wasin Sydney. I said yes. She then said "it must be a new area as it hasn't been updated" in which my response was "oh, yes, it was, 150 years ago!". Just goes to show the mindset of the Union. Unless you live in a very narrow patch as far as they are concerned you don't exist.

Don't drag the east into this: rugby is close to being adopted by the local greens candidate it's so close to extinct.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[JSRF10]

I was watching Manly Roosters last night, and one of the Roosters players fore armed a Manly attacker in the face attempting a tackle. Just as I was about to go into a rant of how rugby league uses the report system to bottle big disciplinary calls the referee sent the bloke off, to my surprise. I guess on occasions you can polish a turd!

 

[Mr Doug]

Picture an average (very average) League "scrum", then look at page 37 of Weekend Australian sport section (May 11-12, 2013), with a great photo of a scrum from Western Force v Chiefs (at Pukekohe) match on Friday 10/5. IMO, Rugby is a contest, League is a series of scripted plays.

 

[Pfitzy]

League is checkers. Rugby is chess.

 

[wamberal]

Loig is instant coffee, rugby is a great espresso. I could go on.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

League = Rugby for Dummies

 

[Try-ranosaurus Rex]

League is shit. Union is heaven's game.

Let's leave it at that.

 

[GPStyle]

League at the moment is leaps and bounds ahead of union in every facet. Crowd attendance, number of juniors and most importantly skill of players. Union is dull game dominated by fat non-athletic men collapsing in scrums.

 

[Pfitzy]

At least Union HAS scrums. Not 12 man arse scratching ceremonies

 

[GPStyle]

I admit i believe wholeheartedly that scrums should be abolished from league they are there purely for backs to attack which i believe is rarely used. But i also believe that union should get rid of them just replace it with a quick tap or kick. They serve no purpose

 

[Sully]

I admit i believe wholeheartedly that scrums should be abolished from league they are there purely for backs to attack which i believe is rarely used. But i also believe that union should get rid of them just replace it with a quick tap or kick. They serve no purpose

Holy shit mate. I had to force myself not to ban you!

Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk HD

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Sully Do it. Do it. He supports the Soap Dodger AND the Gay Gordons. Further he seems to not like watching us fat non-athletic types in scrums.