Rugby League really gives me the shits

[Braveheart81]

You know what else is a cool story? The amount of average and sometimes below average players in League who have gone to union and excelled?

[citation needed]

 

[Willus]

You know what else is a cool story? The amount of average and sometimes below average players in League who have gone to union and excelled?

The successful:

- Lote Tuqiri: One of the best wingers of the NRL in the late 90s, had good success in the early part of his rugby career.
- SBW: One of the best players in league, actually learned how to pass after playing outside of Jonny Wilkinson, Dan Carter etc.
- Brad Thorn: One of the best forwards in league at the time, best convert of all time hands down given the technical requirements.
- Berrick Barnes: Played a few games for the Broncos. Another decent convert, but I wouldn't say he's exactly set the world on fire, but his schoolboy sporting record is very impressive, good cricketer and state level swimmer. Also was in the First XI Cricket for 5 years and First XV Rugby for 4 years, no mean feats. May just be a case of talented sportsman.
- Chris Ashton: Good player in both codes.
The average:

- Wendell Sailor: Also one of the best wingers in the same era as Tuqiri, did not do as well.
- Mat Rogers: Good league player, never nailed down a position in rugby though.
- Leon Bott: Was the next big thing in league, winning and being nominated for a few rookie gongs; the biggest rugby flop, what's he doing these days?
- Timana Tahu: Good 'ol Tim-Tam got found out in a game against the Boks when he didn't know how to defend in 2 directions.
- Cooper Vuna: Holds a record for try scoring against other clubs, earned 2 caps for the Wallabies, no tries, pretty average stats really but I liked his enthusiasm as a player.
- Shontayne Hape: Not a bad league player, pretty average at rugby, earning 1 league cap more than his rugby career (given how many test matches league has this is a pretty bad stat), has scored 56 points in league (14 tries) but 10 points in rugby (10 tries).

This is about all I can be bothered to do, but do you mind telling me which average league player has excelled in rugby?

 

[GPStyle]

The successful:

- Lote Tuqiri: One of the best wingers of the NRL in the late 90s, had good success in the early part of his rugby career.
- SBW: One of the best players in league, actually learned how to pass after playing outside of Jonny Wilkinson, Dan Carter etc.
- Brad Thorn: One of the best forwards in league at the time, best convert of all time hands down given the technical requirements.
- Berrick Barnes: Played a few games for the Broncos. Another decent convert, but I wouldn't say he's exactly set the world on fire, but his schoolboy sporting record is very impressive, good cricketer and state level swimmer. Also was in the First XI Cricket for 5 years and First XV Rugby for 4 years, no mean feats. May just be a case of talented sportsman.
- Chris Ashton: Good player in both codes.
The average:

- Wendell Sailor: Also one of the best wingers in the same era as Tuqiri, did not do as well.
- Mat Rogers: Good league player, never nailed down a position in rugby though.
- Leon Bott: Was the next big thing in league, winning and being nominated for a few rookie gongs; the biggest rugby flop, what's he doing these days?
- Timana Tahu: Good 'ol Tim-Tam got found out in a game against the Boks when he didn't know how to defend in 2 directions.
- Cooper Vuna: Holds a record for try scoring against other clubs, earned 2 caps for the Wallabies, no tries, pretty average stats really but I liked his enthusiasm as a player.
- Shontayne Hape: Not a bad league player, pretty average at rugby, earning 1 league cap more than his rugby career (given how many test matches league has this is a pretty bad stat), has scored 56 points in league (14 tries) but 10 points in rugby (10 tries).

This is about all I can be bothered to do, but do you mind telling me which average league player has excelled in rugby?

Cooper Vuna could barely hold down a spot in a struggling Newcastle Knights team. But when he switches to Union within two years plays for the wallabies. So for someone to excel i would say playing for the number 3 nation in the world is pretty impressive.
Same goes for Joe Tomane. Leon Bott never made a rep team in league so it is ridiculous to include him.
Also Jason Robinson is another leaguie who has dominated the union game

 

[JSRF10]

Jason Robinson was hardly an average league player

 

[Hugh Jarse]

You know what else is a cool story? The amount of average and sometimes below average players in League who have gone to union and excelled?

Care to name some.

And if they have been below average at mungo ball and excelled in a far superior game, it just confirms what a silly and irrelevant past time five kick actually is, and how misguided their original choice of recreational activity was.

 

[GPStyle]

Care to name some.

And if they have been below average at mungo ball and excelled in a far superior game, it just confirms what a silly and irrelevant past time five kick actually is, and how misguided their original choice of recreational activity was.

I beleive it shows evidence quite the contrary. That the union teams worldwide need to buy the rugby league players just so that they can gain crowds and media. Prime recent example: Israel Folau

 

[Willus]

Cooper Vuna could barely hold down a spot in a struggling Newcastle Knights team. But when he switches to Union within two years plays for the wallabies. So for someone to excel i would say playing for the number 3 nation in the world is pretty impressive.
Same goes for Joe Tomane. Leon Bott never made a rep team in league so it is ridiculous to include him.
Also Jason Robinson is another leaguie who has dominated the union game

haha yet Vuna had almost 30 tries to his name with the Knights, only played 2 matches for the Wallabies too.
Joe Tomane was hardly an average league player, he did do some amazing things in a league outfit especially at the Storm when he ripped the Broncos a new one.
Bott never made a rep team in League but was offered $350,000 a year from the Roosters and hasn't even made a Super Rugby team lol.
Robinson was by no means an average player anyway hahah, he scored 170+ tries and would have been 3rd on the NRL ladder for all time tries scored (if he had played there) and he only played 8 years in the Super League.

Please get your info right hahaha.

Edit: Yeah.. preeetty sure the reason you find it boring is because you're supporting the English.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I beleive it shows evidence quite the contrary. That the union teams worldwide need to buy the rugby league players just so that they can gain crowds and media. Prime recent example: Israel Folau

The troll is strong in this one.

Folau was an AFL player that converted to rugby. He was playing AFL because he got bored with counting up to 5 and waiting to chase a kick. I am yet to see any listing of below average mungoballers to support your assertion that these have set the world game of Rugby on fire.

 

[Pfitzy]

It's a drawing a pretty long bow to say league players are more skilled than union players. None if the forwards can catch and pass. Only about three of the backs in each team can.

They can't seem to handle a simple man on man defensive line duty, and can't put a bloke on the deck when it really counts. Yet they can't seem to score tries without kicking about 60% of the time.

The tackling is awful - I saw five minutes of Souths run over Manly tonight and the sheer lack of technique was horrific for supposed professionals.

I think the NRL packages a decent product - and their commentators will browbeat you into believing so - but they'd be a lot better if they spent less time in the gym.

There are also quite a few league players who failed, but they weren't high profile enough to warrant notice. Tahu was fucking ordinary though.

I think SBW summed it up best: felt embarrassed to take a notepad and pencil into the team meeting. Not like there is anything to remember.

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I hate autocorrect ...

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Many of the League boy's that have come over have been among the best in their position in the in 5 humps and kick. Tuqiri, Sailor and Rogers were regular Origin and Test League player's. Vuna was a Knights regular starter. Folau left League as a "superstar" as did SBW.

 

[GPStyle]

It's a drawing a pretty long bow to say league players are more skilled than union players. None if the forwards can catch and pass. Only about three of the backs in each team can.

They can't seem to handle a simple man on man defensive line duty, and can't put a bloke on the deck when it really counts. Yet they can't seem to score tries without kicking about 60% of the time.

The tackling is awful - I saw five minutes of Souths run over Manly tonight and the sheer lack of technique was horrific for supposed professionals.

I think the NRL packages a decent product - and their commentators will browbeat you into believing so - but they'd be a lot better if they spent less time in the gym.

There are also quite a few league players who failed, but they weren't high profile enough to warrant notice. Tahu was fucking ordinary though.

I think SBW summed it up best: felt embarrassed to take a notepad and pencil into the team meeting. Not like there is anything to remember.

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I hate autocorrect .

To say that league defense is horrible is quite ironic seeing that numerous rugby union teams have hired rugby league players and coaches to instruct on how to tackle. Most notably Brain Smith with the brumbies and how did that work out?

 

[GPStyle]

The troll is strong in this one.

Folau was an AFL player that converted to rugby. He was playing AFL because he got bored with counting up to 5 and waiting to chase a kick. I am yet to see any listing of below average mungoballers to support your assertion that these have set the world game of Rugby on fire.

One of the more ridiculous comments i have heard to say that Israel Folau left for entertainment when he admitted he did it for money with his family. Joe Tomane, Cooper Vuna and soon to be Benji Marshall

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

It's a drawing a pretty long bow to say league players are more skilled than union players. None if the forwards can catch and pass. Only about three of the backs in each team can.

They can't seem to handle a simple man on man defensive line duty, and can't put a bloke on the deck when it really counts. Yet they can't seem to score tries without kicking about 60% of the time.

The tackling is awful - I saw five minutes of Souths run over Manly tonight and the sheer lack of technique was horrific for supposed professionals.

I think the NRL packages a decent product - and their commentators will browbeat you into believing so - but they'd be a lot better if they spent less time in the gym.

There are also quite a few league players who failed, but they weren't high profile enough to warrant notice. Tahu was fucking ordinary though.

I think SBW summed it up best: felt embarrassed to take a notepad and pencil into the team meeting. Not like there is anything to remember.

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I hate autocorrect .

League isn't the game it was in the early 90s. A great deal of the skill is now gone. As you say, the defensive prowess that they like to savour is long gone.

Having watched two games of the Currie Cup today, with reference to the Cheetahs/Lions game, if all Rugby was played in that spirit and got exposure to the wider public. League would be in serious trouble.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

To say that league defense is horrible is quite ironic seeing that numerous rugby union teams have hired rugby league players and coaches to instruct on how to tackle. Most notably Brain Smith with the brumbies and how did that work out?

Tackling and defending aren't mutual. Do understand that right? Defending requires vision and communication alongside technique. I know quite a few staunch League people who will acknowledge that once upon a time League players were good defenders, then just good tacklers but now they like many just wish it was like the years gone by because both are pretty dire these days.

It should also be noted that the play in Rugby tends to open up regular leading to more unstructured open field running which makes defending more difficult. In League with the overly structured defensive lines there are no reasons why they shouldn't be better defensively. But they aren't.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

One of the more ridiculous comments i have heard to say that Israel Folau left for entertainment when he admitted he did it for money with his family. Joe Tomane, Cooper Vuna and soon to be Benji Marshall

Joe Tomane was very highly rated in League. Very highly. Will Chambers is back in the NRL performing well with plenty of plaudits from the experts. He only had one good season in Rugby. Good but not great.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

./...snip.../. League would be in serious trouble.

What do you mean would?

It is in serious trouble. It has zero international relevance. Some poeople in NSW and Queensland like it. A few new Zealanders think it is interesting and some Soap Dodgers in the North of England, but like working down the mines or at the cotton mill, that is dying off a slow and painful death.

No one else plays this incestuous little overhyped simplistic game. Hardly worth worrying about.

 

[GPStyle]

What do you mean would?

It is in serious trouble. It has zero international relevance. Some poeople in NSW and Queensland like it. A few new Zealanders think it is interesting and some Soap Dodgers in the North of England, but like working down the mines or at the cotton mill, that is dying off a slow and painful death.

No one else plays this incestuous little overhyped simplistic game. Hardly worth worrying about.

Come on mate why are you so offended by rugby league. To say people don't like it is quite funny. Please look at the stats first before you say this sort of stuff. I can't wait to see the crowd for the bledisloe tomorrow night for what is supposed to be the biggest game of the year for the wallabies. They are offering half priced tickets already when state of origin got sold out all three games within two weeks

 

[terry j]

I'd like to see a league 'forward' come and play in union. Heck, SBW (a back in union) plays in the scrum does he not?

Half of 'em can't even play the ball without dropping it, good luck in the scrums, lineout or rucks and mauls.

 

[barbarian]

Also Chambers and Tomane played Oz Schoolboys rugby, so had an extensive background in rugby- unlike Sailor, Tahu etc.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

What do you mean would?

It is in serious trouble. It has zero international relevance. Some poeople in NSW and Queensland like it. A few new Zealanders think it is interesting and some Soap Dodgers in the North of England, but like working down the mines or at the cotton mill, that is dying off a slow and painful death.

No one else plays this incestuous little overhyped simplistic game. Hardly worth worrying about.

I meant as a "product" on TV. Rugby when played the way it should is just so superior to League it isn't even remotely amusing. Quite sad actually. I'm not being arrogant or dismissive in saying that. Like I said, having watched the Cheetahs/Lions game the speed, skill and intensity involved would blow League as a commercial "product" out of the water and the other games I've watched this week weren't bad either.

I guess what I meant was, if we could guarantee that Rugby would be played as it should (like it is in Super Rugby) I'd put it up against the NRL any day and if given a fair shake I believe it would win.