Why the hatred towards rugby league

[papabear]

U

Shit man, the comments against both codes go both ways. League fanatics hate union, Union fanatics hate league. People are passionate about the things they love. Purely by the size of the supporter base I’d say the number of union haters outweigh the league haters from the respective codes.

Read the article peter Knox union and league merge.

Count the respect and the comments you will find a lot more hate from union.

Like not liking one game for whatever reason is fine, but there are comments about the fans..

 

[papabear]

Pretty much my thoughts as well (how often are AFL players in the news for bad behaviour as well?)

Also up here in Qld the endless wankfest over the Broncos absolutely shits me. Watching Easts destroy them on Thursday was glorious.

Read the sun for afl player behaviour.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not going to defend league player behaviour but incidence being reported on goes to the popularity of a sport in a location.

Take Mitch Pearce for example, went to barker, still has a lot of interest coz he plays. See Bosnich no one in Australia knows what he got up to but they sure as shit do in England.

 

[wamberal]

Papabear, surely you are not suggesting that league does not overwhelm us on any measure when it comes to bad player behaviour? The papers are full of it.


Incidentally, because we are a genuine international sport, and this is a time for domestic sports only, we are obviously easy to attack.

 

[rugboy]

I am a fan of both codes. Grew up playing both every weekend. They both have their pluses and minuses. League has lost most of the contested elements, which has meant the players are literally all the same shape these days. Rugby by its nature of keeping contests, which for the purists are a highlight, has meant they have retained value in all different athletes . My worry for rugby is League has done better to capture the casual viewer, realising both sports are in the entertainment business. New rules this year, heralded by Eddie Jones, reduced penalties and therefore stoppages keeping the game more free flowing and more time in play. Less rules equals more game and more entertainment. Rugby seems to be pushing the envelope the other way. Teams have become expert at exploiting rules to draw penalties and cause resets, slowing the game and reducing the time the ball is in play. Purists love the dark arts, casuals want entertainment, while it is only a threat in Australia rugby does need to stay relevant as an entertainment product against league and AFL to remain relevant, especially to younger audiences.

 

[Dismal Pillock]

Too many egos for it to ever happen but a merger makes perfect sense financially.

So what would it look like?

quick shitty scrums= fuck yeah
gotta keep lineouts so deal with it leagies
rolling maul=history
rugby breakdown ball contest thing? Leagies would never go for that. "Fuck no mate, I'm not putting my fucken head in there."
13 players=fuck yeah.
3 subs=also fuck yeah.
6 tackles=not a fucken chance

Rugby props will HATE the merger idea. "But.....but.....what about the rugby is for all shapes and sizes thing? You mean I can't be fat and unfit and play my favourite sport any more?

 

[Derpus]

I am a fan of both codes. Grew up playing both every weekend. They both have their pluses and minuses. League has lost most of the contested elements, which has meant the players are literally all the same shape these days. Rugby by its nature of keeping contests, which for the purists are a highlight, has meant they have retained value in all different athletes . My worry for rugby is League has done better to capture the casual viewer, realising both sports are in the entertainment business. New rules this year, heralded by Eddie Jones, reduced penalties and therefore stoppages keeping the game more free flowing and more time in play. Less rules equals more game and more entertainment. Rugby seems to be pushing the envelope the other way. Teams have become expert at exploiting rules to draw penalties and cause resets, slowing the game and reducing the time the ball is in play. Purists love the dark arts, casuals want entertainment, while it is only a threat in Australia rugby does need to stay relevant as an entertainment product against league and AFL to remain relevant, especially to younger audiences.

Ditch mauls, no scrum resets, no live TMO reviews (except for grounding). Donezo, fixed.

 

[Derpus]

Read the sun for afl player behaviour.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not going to defend league player behaviour but incidence being reported on goes to the popularity of a sport in a location.

Take Mitch Pearce for example, went to barker, still has a lot of interest coz he plays. See Bosnich no one in Australia knows what he got up to but they sure as shit do in England.

Lots of cocaine?

 

[Quick Hands]

One of the many wonderful things about growing up on the northern beaches is that both codes were/are quite strong and most kids played both, at least in the younger years. This means there isn't the great hatred here that seems to exist elsewhere. Many Manly or Warringah rugby supporters also support the Sea Eagles vice versa. We still have our preferred game, but often having played both codes with the same kids growing up it doesn't extend to much beyond a bit of banter.

I've watched some great union games and some crap ones and some great league games and some crap ones. Enjoy going to watch the Sea Eagles or the Marlins with kids and/or mates and hope to continue to do so long into the future.

 

[papabear]

Lots of cocaine?

He would make Warney look like gentlemen when he was in form.

 

[papabear]

One of the many wonderful things about growing up on the northern beaches is that both codes were/are quite strong and most kids played both, at least in the younger years. This means there isn't the great hatred here that seems to exist elsewhere. Many Manly or Warringah rugby supporters also support the Sea Eagles vice versa. We still have our preferred game, but often having played both codes with the same kids growing up it doesn't extend to much beyond a bit of banter.

I've watched some great union games and some crap ones and some great league games and some crap ones. Enjoy going to watch the Sea Eagles or the Marlins with kids and/or mates and hope to continue to do so long into the future.

Yeah I get this from northern beaches are much more partial to both then north shore ppl or smh readers !!

 

[RugbyFuture]

It's just a self feeding thing, depending on which side you see it from, hate breeds hate. The biggest time I was against league was when I was writing about rugby on the roar and you just got blasted every time you said anything. You'd probably find the numbers are there on the smh just because of where it was placed or certain demographics.

 

[Up the Guts]

I am a fan of both codes. Grew up playing both every weekend. They both have their pluses and minuses. League has lost most of the contested elements, which has meant the players are literally all the same shape these days. Rugby by its nature of keeping contests, which for the purists are a highlight, has meant they have retained value in all different athletes . My worry for rugby is League has done better to capture the casual viewer, realising both sports are in the entertainment business. New rules this year, heralded by Eddie Jones, reduced penalties and therefore stoppages keeping the game more free flowing and more time in play. Less rules equals more game and more entertainment. Rugby seems to be pushing the envelope the other way. Teams have become expert at exploiting rules to draw penalties and cause resets, slowing the game and reducing the time the ball is in play. Purists love the dark arts, casuals want entertainment, while it is only a threat in Australia rugby does need to stay relevant as an entertainment product against league and AFL to remain relevant, especially to younger audiences.

Yep, I'm also a fan of both codes. All these concerns are spot on, imo.

Another thing I would add in favour of NRL is that people who don't really follow the game often 'have a team' given its a domestic competition built on suburban rivalries.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

I am not a product of the Private School system but I love Rugby. I grew up with League but have no interest in it at all anymore, but I do not berate the game nor the players and supporters. I do think there are millions of non-Rugby fans in this country who are missing out on the 'game they play in heaven'.

Same here. Watched my Dad play the game as a kid (he wasn't a private school bloke either) with a bunch of rough working class blokes and fell in love with it.

 

[Dan54]

U
Read the article peter Knox union and league merge.

Count the respect and the comments you will find a lot more hate from union.

Like not liking one game for whatever reason is fine, but there are comments about the fans..

Probably got more hate in that article because it written as league virtually taking over union/ I only browsed it as I though it was so ridiculous I really didn't think it was serious. According to it the whole world of rugby was going to change their laws to suit fans in one country?? I have no problem with league or league supporters, I don't watch the game ,I tried it not for me on so many levels, but I actually think maybe papa you think hate goes one way because you don't cop it from the league fans. When I first came over I at first got a little pissed at the shit I copped for following 'Rugga' which seemed at that time to be what some thought was a good insulting word for rugby, but after a few weeks and listening to what most were saying were things like rules/laws too hard to unsderstand (I just agreed and said you needed a certain IQ to follow rugby), it was only played/followede by GPS/Toffs etc (until I pointed at myself and blew that argument to shit), etc so after a while I never really copped it that much. I actually think I heard more crap against league from AFL people. But whatever people follow whatever they want, I like that we have different sport and regardless what anyone else thinks , I don't want the games to amalgamate, the whole idea of what was written in that article left me thinking that it would be a sport I wouldn't/couldn't follow and I would just have to follow rugby from rest of world.

 

[papabear]

The afl hate is understandable - deep down they know league is a tougher game and probably wouldn’t hack it... union and league don’t have the problem as they are about equal in roughness.

also in afls mind league is stopping there march to take over Australia sporting and tv market.

there league hate probably comes from feeling less then or put down, the class divide and history, but this is why I don’t get why there would be hate from those that consider themselves more then..

 

[PhilClinton]

My worry for rugby is League has done better to capture the casual viewer, realising both sports are in the entertainment business. .

This is the key to the 'rivalry'. If you asked me to go and attend a live viewing of whatever the rugby discussion show on Fox is, I'd be no chance of going. But if you asked if I wanted to go along and watch Matty Johns, Fletch and Hindy talk shit about league players behind thinly viewed drug jokes for an hour, I'd be keen.

The NRL have been able to a create an entertaining product that extends well beyond the 80mins the players are on the field, and I think Rugby has struggled to do that for quite some time, for a example read through these forums and nearly every commentator/expert talking about Super Rugby is universally hated by people on this site, and we're supposed to be the fans.

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

The NRL have been able to a create an entertaining product that extends well beyond the 80mins the players are on the field

I'd argue that this has been created by the broadcast partner not the NRL.

 

[PhilClinton]

I'd argue that this has been created by the broadcaster partner not the NRL.

Yep agree Fox have a big hand in it, but this format of entertainment has been in the code for a while. I'd argue that during its prime, The Footy Show on channel 9 was must see television even for people who didn't follow the NRL. They had celebrities, comedians, musical guests and game show elements.

 

[Up the Guts]

This is the key to the 'rivalry'. If you asked me to go and attend a live viewing of whatever the rugby discussion show on Fox is, I'd be no chance of going. But if you asked if I wanted to go along and watch Matty Johns, Fletch and Hindy talk shit about league players behind thinly viewed drug jokes for an hour, I'd be keen.

The NRL have been able to a create an entertaining product that extends well beyond the 80mins the players are on the field, and I think Rugby has struggled to do that for quite some time, for a example read through these forums and nearly every commentator/expert talking about Super Rugby is universally hated by people on this site, and we're supposed to be the fans.

Yep, unfortunately rugby takes itself too seriously to ever produce something like the Matty Johns' Show.

I also wouldn't understate the role of Matty Johns in shifting League towards the production of this sort of content. The guy is an extremely talented entertainer.

 

[Slim 293]

Yep, unfortunately rugby takes itself too seriously to ever produce something like the Matty Johns' Show.

Too serious? Or self respect?