jack coburn
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why leaguies rule the union roost
by world of truth australian correspondant jack coburn
For a sport that spent the best part of a hundred years using every avenue at their disposal to kill rugby league how ironic is it that rugby union now depends on rugby league like never before.
After years of shady deals the move to professionalism was meant to make paying players legal,doing away with the blatant hypocrisy displayed pre professionalism.
From influencing governments to using union old boys in armies,schools and business to stymie the growth of rugby league,no other sport in the world has used the low and calculated tactics to kill another sport that union has used on rugby league.France suffered more than many with the nazi aligned vinchy government confiscating all grounds,monies and other assets at the beckoning of union officals,even going as far as to ban the use of the name rugby league.Still to this day the International rugby board threatens withdrawal of funds to german,dutch and other union clubs who play rugby league during the union off seasons,but still rugby league is acknowledged as one of the fastest growing sports in europe.
Rugby league folk have always claimed their players were fitter,faster,stronger and more skilled and it seems union officials have put their tails between their legs and conceded. Despite unions obvious disdain to anything rugby league,they employed rugby league coaches to teach them how to tackle,but still lacked the skill in attack,which sadly as seen is harder to teach,so union officials decided to buy rugby league players,but had to pay them more than the national captain to come and play.I don’t think there is a sport in the world where players can switch codes and walk straight into the national side,it would be akin to a netball player walking into the basket ball side or a softballer walking into the national baseball team,union people just marvelled at the skill level of rugby league players,all while people laughed at how easy it was for them to displace union players out of the national side after just a handful of games.
The world cup in australia should have seen union blossom in the key markets of nsw and qld,but sadly where union was the number two sport,it is now a distant third behind the dominating rugby league and australian rules which has replaced it at number two.With no free to air television willing to show state games due to poor ratings(the union world cup pool games recorded the lowest ratings since their inception)and pay tv competing with aussie rules and rugby league,union is struggling to draw viewers.
The main problem is the fact that only two games a year,the bledisloe cup,and the world cup every four years,appeal to anybody on the outside of the union spectrum and has them struggling for attention.With only four professional teams in australia,(compared to fifteen in both the aussie rules and rugby league),and with two of those so poor they wound not be out of place in an amature competition,the appalling lack of development and depth has union officials worried.
So the union once again looks to rugby league for more players,hoping that by buying stars they can attract a bit of attention.The sad fact for them is that all the best players are ex rugby league players,all the stars are ex rugby league players and all the highest paid are the ex rugby league players creating not only embarrassment for union officials and players but planting doubt in the head of juniors,wondering if it might be better going to rugby league first knowing if they succeed they will be a walk up start for the national side on a big fat contract.
So with the rugby league people now dominating union we will see the nsw and australian backline basically an all rugby league backline,so I say go the leagueatahs and come on the kangawals show the union movement how to play the game,and remember you are the best advertisement for game of rugby league.
by world of truth australian correspondant jack coburn
For a sport that spent the best part of a hundred years using every avenue at their disposal to kill rugby league how ironic is it that rugby union now depends on rugby league like never before.
After years of shady deals the move to professionalism was meant to make paying players legal,doing away with the blatant hypocrisy displayed pre professionalism.
From influencing governments to using union old boys in armies,schools and business to stymie the growth of rugby league,no other sport in the world has used the low and calculated tactics to kill another sport that union has used on rugby league.France suffered more than many with the nazi aligned vinchy government confiscating all grounds,monies and other assets at the beckoning of union officals,even going as far as to ban the use of the name rugby league.Still to this day the International rugby board threatens withdrawal of funds to german,dutch and other union clubs who play rugby league during the union off seasons,but still rugby league is acknowledged as one of the fastest growing sports in europe.
Rugby league folk have always claimed their players were fitter,faster,stronger and more skilled and it seems union officials have put their tails between their legs and conceded. Despite unions obvious disdain to anything rugby league,they employed rugby league coaches to teach them how to tackle,but still lacked the skill in attack,which sadly as seen is harder to teach,so union officials decided to buy rugby league players,but had to pay them more than the national captain to come and play.I don’t think there is a sport in the world where players can switch codes and walk straight into the national side,it would be akin to a netball player walking into the basket ball side or a softballer walking into the national baseball team,union people just marvelled at the skill level of rugby league players,all while people laughed at how easy it was for them to displace union players out of the national side after just a handful of games.
The world cup in australia should have seen union blossom in the key markets of nsw and qld,but sadly where union was the number two sport,it is now a distant third behind the dominating rugby league and australian rules which has replaced it at number two.With no free to air television willing to show state games due to poor ratings(the union world cup pool games recorded the lowest ratings since their inception)and pay tv competing with aussie rules and rugby league,union is struggling to draw viewers.
The main problem is the fact that only two games a year,the bledisloe cup,and the world cup every four years,appeal to anybody on the outside of the union spectrum and has them struggling for attention.With only four professional teams in australia,(compared to fifteen in both the aussie rules and rugby league),and with two of those so poor they wound not be out of place in an amature competition,the appalling lack of development and depth has union officials worried.
So the union once again looks to rugby league for more players,hoping that by buying stars they can attract a bit of attention.The sad fact for them is that all the best players are ex rugby league players,all the stars are ex rugby league players and all the highest paid are the ex rugby league players creating not only embarrassment for union officials and players but planting doubt in the head of juniors,wondering if it might be better going to rugby league first knowing if they succeed they will be a walk up start for the national side on a big fat contract.
So with the rugby league people now dominating union we will see the nsw and australian backline basically an all rugby league backline,so I say go the leagueatahs and come on the kangawals show the union movement how to play the game,and remember you are the best advertisement for game of rugby league.
