Wallabies v Kangaroos

[RugbyReg]

I can't see it happening because of the tight schedule.

To me it seems like a league driven thing at the moment but not sure.

So it won't happen. It won't prove anything. And won't be much of a spectacle.

But...assuming its half and half for each rules what would be your Wallaby league team and Kangaroo union team?

Wallaby League:

1 Mark McLinden
2 Scott Staniforth
3 Timana Tahu
4 Lote Tuqiri
5 Rodney Davies
6 Peter Hynes
7 Matt Giteau
13 Beau Robinson
12 Stirling Mortlcok
11 Tatafu Nau
10 George Smith
9 Berrick Barnes
8 Phil Waugh

The pack basically just has to tackle I guess. With a couple of runners. A few leaguies in the backline of course. Cross or Lote for mine.

Now I don't watch much league anymore, but had a go at the team.

15 Greg Inglis
14 Billy Slater
13 Brent Tate
12 Darren Lockyer
11 Brett Stewart
10 Jonathan Thurston
9 Cameron Smith
8 Israel Falou
7 Dallas Johnson
6 Craig Fitzgibbon
5 Petero Civoneceva
4 Wille Mason
3 Steve Price
2 Anthony Watmough
1 Steve Price

meh....

 

[formeropenside]

It'll be a joke: you can't do proper scrums with a bunch of leagies, because you will break them all, and probably kill one or two. So, if you cant scrum, its not real rugby, and you might as well just play league.

If you are going to put on an exhibition match, play touch. At least then everyone will know prior to kick off its a waste of time.

 

[RugbyReg]

oh well, that lasted long...

THE Australian Rugby Union said it has no interest in a proposed game between the Wallabies and Kangaroos in Sydney next year.
Monday's Daily Telegraphsaid the game had been booked for an October date at ANZ Stadium but the ARU has denied any interest in the game.

The Telegraph's story mainly quoted promoter Phil Franks and a statement from the ARU said they had no interest in Franks' plan.

?Australian Rugby Union has no interest in a promoters plan to stage a Wallabies v Kangaroos match under hybrid laws in Sydney next October,? the statement read.

?The ARU has not been approached with the idea and has no intention of altering the existing 2009 program to entertain the proposal as floated in the media this morning.?

An ARU spokesman said even if the organisation was interested in a cross-code match against the Kangaroos it wouldn't need a ?middle-man? to organise the fixture.

So.....whats the best cricket team full of rugby players????

 

[disco]

My wallaby league team.

1. James O'Conner
2.Tuqiri
3.Tahu
4.Cross
5.AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)
6.Cooper
7.Giteau
8.Chisolm
9.Barnes
10.Palu
11.Brown
12.Mortlock
13.Smith

Mortlock would have a field day as a 2nd rower in league running at little halfbacks like Thurston.

 

[Pfitzy]

I think you doubt the skill and tenacity of some of the leaguies in the contact area, but that's beside the point.

It would never work for the reason fos has described: if you played the union half first, most of the league forwards would be in wheelchairs before the 20 minute mark. I'd just knock on at the kickoff (or kick < 10m if I had the ball) and work on smashing them stupid.

If you played the leage half first, most of the union forwards wouldn't be able to hack the pace I don't think...

 

[disco]

If you played the leage half first, most of the union forwards wouldn't be able to hack the pace I don't think...

Blokes like Dunning definitely would but if you play fellas like Chisolm, McMeniman & Mumm as your front rowers & remembering you can interchange in league then they'd be fine for 1 half of league.

Chisolm & McMeniman would be bigger than Mason pound for pound & he looks like a monster in league.

 

[Moses]

Here's one Kangaroo who'd do a pretty decent job at lock

What would be the point of the fixture? Here's the battle of two teams that can't beat the kiwi's..

 

[Ash]

If you played the leage half first, most of the union forwards wouldn't be able to hack the pace I don't think...

Blokes like Dunning definitely would but if you play fellas like Chisolm, McMeniman & Mumm as your front rowers & remembering you can interchange in league then they'd be fine for 1 half of league.

Chisolm & McMeniman would be bigger than Mason pound for pound & he looks like a monster in league.

They'd still struggle - any union forward would (simple example is Garrick Morgan). League has a lot more running required for forwards as they constantly run up and back the 10 on defence. Remember, Palu couldn't cut it as a league player at all and never got out of the reserves at St George. In fact, he got stress fractures from too much running.

I'm not sure that the cookie cutter prop in league is compatible with any positions in union, end of story.

 

[RugbyReg]

Garrick Morgan went from amateur rugby to professional league though. I agree that the work load is the biggest issue, but with interchange, the props only play about 20 mins a half right?

 

[disco]

the props only play about 20 mins a half right?

Carl Webb doesn't even play that but 20 minutes sraight up is about right.

 

[mark_s]

I think we underrate the collisions that occur in league. You basically have someone running full steam at 2-3 people (who are running full steam back the other way) over 15m. This happens hundreds of times in a league game (and I found it as boring as bat shit as a player), but probably only 5 times or so in a typical union match and even then it rarely is forwards on fowards. I suspect some of the union forwards would end up with shoulder injuries given they wouldn't be used to this form of repetative hig impact contact.

On the flip side, as stated above, the leagies would end up in wheelchairs from the scrums. So I see losers alround form a full hybrid game. It could possibly work in a 7s format with mainly backs up against each other.

 

[Pfitzy]

Especially with the bunny scrums we have in Union 7s. Still pushing but not as much technique.

I use a simple example for fitness - touch footy. I get about as breathless playing touch as I do rugby (cue smartarse comments ) because, as Ash says, of all the up-and-back on defence. On attack, league is less exhausting than Union because only 2-3 blokes are involved in any given play. But the impact is quite a bit higher because you're getting a runup and blokes and there is less opportunity to put leg drive into play.

 

[Henners]

If you played the leage half first, most of the union forwards wouldn't be able to hack the pace I don't think...

Blokes like Dunning definitely would but if you play fellas like Chisolm, McMeniman & Mumm as your front rowers & remembering you can interchange in league then they'd be fine for 1 half of league.

Chisolm & McMeniman would be bigger than Mason pound for pound & he looks like a monster in league.

They'd still struggle - any union forward would (simple example is Garrick Morgan). League has a lot more running required for forwards as they constantly run up and back the 10 on defence. Remember, Palu couldn't cut it as a league player at all and never got out of the reserves at St George. In fact, he got stress fractures from too much running.

I'm not sure that the cookie cutter prop in league is compatible with any positions in union, end of story.

I dont really think you can say that no union forward could cut it in league. I think guys like Ray Price and Ben Kennedy might disagree.

 

[Major Spliff Biggins]

And now we have the master of arse-piss drivel give his two cents;

http://www.rugbyheaven.com.au/news/news/roy-masters/2008/11/24/1227491461648.html

"It was raised at an official level early this year. ARU boss John O'Neill floated the idea of a game between the Kangaroos and Wallabies to celebrate rugby league's centenary year.

"Our rules in the first half, yours in the second," O'Neill told me, with the brief to mention it to the ARL/NRL hierarchy."

Am I supposed to believe that the Head of the ARU saw fit to refer the concept to Roy Masters (a journo that is scathing of Union at any opportunity) to bring up with the ARL officials? Is he for real?

And this point is very relevant;
"Officials might consider it an ass of an idea but what's the alternative? One code waiting for the other to die? Both games are a chance of expiring in a world where every other team sport allows a forward pass."
Hmm, which code may be dying? One played in a few provincial areas, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Northern England with a brutal salary cap? Or one which has a wealth of European riches, a World Cup that is the third biggest sporting event in the World and a fan and player base that dwarfs anything league can muster?

You are a tosspot Masters! :bootyshake

The concept is an absolute farce. It would also disadvantage union massively; scrums, mauls rucks couldn't be contested for the safety of league players, and the union players could not keep up with the pace of league. Utter joke!

 

[hi-jinks]

In fairness to the Colo, I have to say, the league poster dribble on this topic has been champagne comedy.
I haven't laughed so much at some of the "thought" (and I use that term loosly) from the esteemed league posters for quite some time.
It is worth a read.

 

[Pfitzy]

Spliffy - the riches of Euro rugby could just as easily kill rugby as the salary cap could kill league. Inflated salaries in a highly competitive market could result in an unsustainable venture.

 

[Moses]

ARU has no interest in promoter's proposal

Australian Rugby Union has no interest in a promoter?s plan to stage a Wallabies v Kangaroos match under hybrid laws in Sydney next October.

ARU has not been approached with the idea and has no intention of altering the existing 2009 program to entertain the proposal as floated in the media this morning.

?We only know what we have read and heard and have no interest,? said an ARU spokesman.
?In any case, it is not the sort of venture that would require a middle man.
?We will have nothing further to say on the matter.?

http://rugby.com.au/news/article,125386.html

 

[barbarian]

Its an idea that will never go away, but there is too much at stake for either code for it to go ahead. Getting flogged would be hands-down the worst PR, regardless of any external factors (rules, injuries, etc). The winning side would never shut up, and the losers will whinge- it will create far more problems than it will solve.

The ARU and NRL place too much emphasise on the bottom line for it to happen, and the effects on the loser will be far greater than the couple of mill each would make for holding it.

 

[Major Spliff Biggins]

Spliffy - the riches of Euro rugby could just as easily kill rugby as the salary cap could kill league. Inflated salaries in a highly competitive market could result in an unsustainable venture.

Fair point, but as far as codes tetering on the brink and lacking potential for growth, the cards are certainly in Union's favour. Maybe not in the Sydney, Brisbane and PNG markets, but everywhere else...