Good catch. Just like byrney did that one time
Iâve never understood why rugby league donât have some kind of American football style âdownsâ system where the number of plays resets when you advance a certain distance
Thurston, Langer both also had the ball on a string.
Using the post off a kick also a tactic that was mastered in Nrl.
40/20 was around years before union adopted similiar and has been a great addition
Kick to the winger was first seen with Langer to Willie Carne for the broncos around 89 id say.
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Seriously shite. Yesterdays men and have been for a long time despite your protestations.
The ball bouncing about is just rolling the dice, itâs not entertaining (and nor is the recent trend in rugby towards it too).
Again Super Rugby has more tries than the NRL on average. This is a myth pushed by rugby league types thay is gobbled up.
No the majority of kicks in rugby league are simple clearance kicks down the park. If you want to look at fawning, look at the NRLâs response to Marky Mark joining the code and catching a few balls in the air.
I am well aware of Andrew Johns banana kicks, I watched rugby league (and the NFL) long before you. There is skill to his ones but thatâs not the point- the game is designed around repeated Hail Marys. This reflects the game and the type of person they appeal to these days (and is reflecting in the adverts) - obese Australians with gambling problems. The true rugby league fan appreciates the pre Bill Fallowfield era of limited tackles and contested scrums.
Your entire argument is, youâre older than me so youâve watched more of it. Iâm sorry to tell you youâve wasted those precious years with infantile analysis, going by your inability to deal with the point repeatedly put to you, the problem union has with kick tennis. Throw up the names of a few more former greats there, to convince yourself that adds something to your debate.
NRL is sensational. UK equivalent a pile of wank
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No defence in super rubby itâs a grand watch but it isnât a serious comp until the knockout stage
Thatâs not my argument, Iâve made it very clear. Those who talk about âexcitementâ and get giddy over balls hitting shins before a try are low dollar fans. Getting excited over Vegas ffs, you just know the sport is run by a bookie. Once the tv rights bubble comes down this lot are fucked.
Super League is actually a good watch, I prefer it to the NRL these days.
Rolling the dice, taking a chance is to be admired and is entertaining for mine. Not just for the sake of it but more not being afraid to chance it when its on. id watch any nrl match but struggle.to watch a currie cup.match for example or a urc match that hasnt an irish team involved.
But respect your opinion that taking a gamble is less entertaining to you than playing the percentages. Each to his own.
Amount of tries isnt a metric id use as a gauge Tim. Does a world cup match where wallabies whallop romania by 100 pts make it better than a 21-20 league GF? Leinster baiting the brakes.off benetton by 10 tries? As a sporting spectator, for mine at least, you want to see a contest and competitiveness. If looking to use stats, id be more interested in seeing figures for the average margin between win/loss per game than highest scoring.
For me, its close contests where a small bit of brilliance is the ultimate difference between unlocking 2 neck and neck teams, particularly where its two teams youve no attachment to, is the mark of a sporting contest. And the 6 or so weeks of NRL finals is as good an example of genuine contest in pro sports going that i can think of
Whats a league type? Youve a fair knowledge of the sport- whats the distinction youre making?
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A townie id say
I believe thats horseshit to fit your argumenut (of course they are down the field, as they are in union, who kicks backwards??-) but not really the point. The kick down the field in union is more.often than not booted back- kick met with kick- or touch which leads to stop in play
The kick.down the field in nrl is never kicked back. Its fielded by the fullback or wing- the teams fastest game breaking attacker. Like.nfl,.kick return is among the most exciting elements. Far rarer in union but yet we all love to see it.
Touch is also less sought as a good kick chase guves you chance to nail your opponents best attackers and wear them down and make his teamates retreat for their set of 6
Really? Whats more entertaining- when a kick creates panic that a retreating winger will have to play it or a kick that goes ingoal and.he can just touch down? Make them.play it either side of the line. Reward a well weighted kick. Your opponents try area should still be in play. Manage to get it there, they should have to get it out. Letting them.touch it down is horseshit- why should they get a handy out?
Where league could.learn from.union tho is creating more opportunity for turnovers. Be it like the old rake in the scrum or play of the ball contest in league decades ago, there should be more opportunity to create turnovers- turnovers swing momentum.
1 on 1 strips good but, short of handling error, tackle 1-3, even 4, are too robotic. The 7 in union is such a pivotal, momentum.and game changing position that rewards tenacious, pugnosed fight for competiton that league doesnt have
A situation where a team can nominate a player as their â7â and allowed strip in multi player tackle situation would force more ball movement in early sets if carrier saw they were going into contact with the other teams 7 close by.
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And bring back the biff a la ice hockey. Would stop a lot the shirt fronting and wrestling shit.
Let the boys punch on.
(Arthur guinness inspired meandering comes.to a closeâŚ)
Thatâs not the comparison, itâs Super Rugby.
The Six Nations and the Rugby Championship also had 7 tries per game.
TRIES are the metric rugby league fans constantly slated rugby for.
The salary cap and the structure of the NRL is great and to be admired, but also a function of how provincial it is. Rugby has a major problem with its size and scale in various countries which makes alignment a challenge.
That said, there is still a lot of crap in the NRL. The cream of the crop rarely move and the dregs are often the dregs. Thatâs down to management (which is part of good competitive sport) but is a factor too (nobody wants to watch the Gold Coast Titans)- I expect their expansion franchises are going to be a disaster for various reasons but weâll see.
The key focus for me is the rules. Rugby is guilty of it too but does try to preserve tenants of the game. Paul Kent described the latest NRL kick off rule changes in the NRL as looking to appeal to the âlowest common denominatorâ - artificial ways to keep games close. The âSix Againâ and phantom penalties are other recent ones. This isnât sport.
But yet you follow itâŚ
I do, because there are fundamentals to RL that I love. I love the battles in the middle and that style of forward play, grinding teams down over the course of play. Conversely I also enjoy lighter and more mobile packs and that style of play. I also enjoy the tackle given the different defensive line rule to rugby. I even like some of the kicksâŚ.
What I dislike is the OTT efforts at âexcitementâ which Kent described as the LCD focus.
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Sounds like a fairly fitting description of a sport Timothy.
They are building a serious outfit