Farrell - "Aussies are soft" / What is up with the

[Bullseye]

it will be interesting if the tournament is held in australia - why are the lions so damn crap out here!

The Lions have only played one game in Aus since 1992 and they only had a few days to prepare/get over jet lag. They'd no warm up games or training camp. They were on a hiding to nothing.

Given proper preparation they would be as competitive as they are now.

 

[CouldaBeenAnything]

I think what Farrell is trying to say is that if players from GB can play these matches then why cant the Aussies.

As an example, any player who does the double in the UK (GF and Challenge Cup) and is picked for international duty has the possibillity of playing 28 Superleague rounds, GF play offs, 5 Challenge Cup rounds, internationals and WCC. Add to the the Origin if thats done again and you could get to over 40 games.

Just a thought.

What you have to remember is that fans over here look forward to seeing players that they admire comming over and playing in these type of games. Previous tourists never moaned as much they just got on with it. If the GB players can do it why cant the Aussies? Farrell's got a point.

True...but sadly it isn't as easy as that.

ESL has improved a lot in recent years, but there is no denying that the NRL is an infinitely tougher competition, State of Origin is arguably tougher than any international. The game here is generally quicker and more physical and the standard of the 'average' first grader here is higher (by that I mean ignoring the standout players, in which there isn't much between the two as we are now discovering, but the run of the mill players every side has)...

The tri nations will be a regular occurrence, probably biannually IMO with regualar internationals in off years...that way Australia, GB and NZ could play against some developing nations in the 'off years' as well as obviously the Anzac test and any planned Ashes or NZ/GB tests. (hopefully no one offs on short notice!). This would be a shot in the arm for PNG, Pacific Islands, Russia, USA, Lebanon...even if the games are basically used as trials for the stronger sides...the exposure would be awesome

 

[kier]

The NRL is a tougher comp than ESL - I don't think anyone would disagree. I do though feel that Aussies/Kiwis perhaps overstate the difference.

A common perception that I encounter is that half the ESL teams are weak - therefore 50% of a "good" teams games will be lacking intensity. In the recent past I'd have gone along with this but I don't think it's the case now.

Firstly - upsets in ESL are becoming more and more common, so the argument of 6 weak teams is less true now than it has been in the past.

Secondly - with the extra fixture system in ESL the top teams have played extra fixtures amongst themselves - increasing the proportion of tough, intense games.

Thirdly - on top of the extra fixtures the play-off & GF (a very recent addition to deciding the UKRL champions) has brought YET ANOTHER extra pressure cooker aspect to top ESL teams.

In effect - for a top side as many as 80% of its' fixtures may be against other top sides - a very marked contrast to recent years and probably in line with top NRL sides (for example top NRL teams do not lose sleep over the prospect of playing Souths/Manly ....etc atm).

These changes - coupled with the fact that UKRL sides are fot the first time EVER sytematically identifying and developing young talent (don't forget that GB are the dominant nation in youth RL atm) and you have the reason for recent improvement in the GB Lions performance.

And the good news - it's an improvement that's going to continue 8) :mrgreen:

 

[CouldaBeenAnything]

I think it will be great when GB are back to how they were in the 60's/70s and test matches are events much anticipated and looked forward to. The way it looks now is that this may occur much sooner rather than later

 

[bartman]

I'm sick of league adminstrators moaning and whinging. Carr - who is he anyway? He doesn't speak for me as a league fan or an aussie.

And all the talk about the Kiwi ref by Bennett before the first game was way over the top, and came across as really poor sportsmanship.

I hope the matches themselves end up speaking louder than the words from these clowns.

 

[panthersballboy]

Bennet always has something to complain about, that's just him. But Carr complaining about getting outvoted and whinging about the ref is a joke. In internationals it should always be a neutral ref to stop any suggestions of biast. I really didn't see much wrong with the NZ ref and Bennet liked him after we won the first game against GB.

 

[~bedsy~]

it will be interesting if the tournament is held in australia

I don't think the tri-nations will ever be held here... It's too bloody hot for the poms.

 

[suburbanknight]

it will be interesting if the tournament is held in australia

I don't think the tri-nations will ever be held here... It's too bloody hot for the poms.

:lol: Yes, you're right, we never have any hot weather over here. Not since we moved our season to summer have our players had to play in any kind of heat.

 

[Rednecked Yobbo]

What you call heat and what we call heat are two different things. :lol:
Bi-annually or even tri-anually would be the way to go at the moment, let fans anticipation build that way and then consider changin the format after 2 or 3 series. And bring the bloody thing so it can be played Down Under and in the land of the long white cloud.

By the way, any chance of bringing the World Club Challenge down here? Or are the poms too afraid of actually losing one?

 

[screeny]

Rednecked Yobbo, the Bulldogs wanted to play it in England. The other NRL teams were up for a Sydney match if they'd won the NRL GF.

 

[suburbanknight]

What you call heat and what we call heat are two different things. :lol:
Bi-annually or even tri-anually would be the way to go at the moment, let fans anticipation build that way and then consider changin the format after 2 or 3 series. And bring the bloody thing so it can be played Down Under and in the land of the long white cloud.

By the way, any chance of bringing the World Club Challenge down here? Or are the poms too afraid of actually losing one?

I've lived in Oz and whilst it can get hot its not too bad in the weeks that the Tri-Nations would be played. Not much different from the height of our summer. When we have a good one that is. ;-)

And as far as the WCC goes, we have been more than willing to come down and play it there. Its the people in charge of your game that don't want it. In fact some of us Leeds supporters were hoping it would be. I'd rather be watching it, live in sunny Sydney, than cold and wet Leeds anyday mate.

Besides, the last time it was played in Oz as a one off game the Broncos got their butts smacked at the ANZ by the Pies. So we ain't that worried. ;-)

 

[Nook]

Besides, the last time it was played in Oz as a one off game the Broncos got their butts smacked at the ANZ by the Pies. So we ain't that worried.

World Club Challenge 2010 Wests Tigers v Salford Campbelltown Oval
Heard it here first ;-)

 

[In-goal]

I am i farrell's corner here, if the tourists can't say anything positive don't say anything at all.

 

[Frustrated Fan]

Same could be said for the Brittish media. They seem to be focusing on the negatives.

If they were to focus on the positives, i'm sure the could find plenty of good things to print about the Australian camp.

 

[screeny]

Fran, the vast majority of messages that emanate from the Aussie camp are negative stories. The Brit media can't tell Love and Carr what to say.....