League stars to go to the olympics?

[alexc]

f**k some of you twigs must be massive down syndromers to even think some league players would play in the olympic sevens.

 

[myanonymoususername]

Two different sports with two different governing bodies. The fact that indoor volleyball and beach volleyball are BOTH in the Olympics tends to suggest they're considered different sports. At best beach volleyball is a derivative form of the game.

I'd Union 7s isn't quite at that level. I really think it's a shame they put 7s in rather than the full form of the game.

Bit hard to do that given the Olympics only go for 2 weeks. The physical demands of a contact sport like rugby probably limit teams to a game every 3-4 days, so all you could run in an Olympics is maybe an 8 team knockout comp. 7's on the other hand can be a larger tournament, completed over 2-3 days and with a larger number of truly competitive countries. It also seems to have a decent audience that like to watch it.

 

[roopy]

I'd be surprized if some NRL stars don't sign up for some countries in Union 7s.
Malta and Lebanon have great 7s sides that could easily adapt to Union and pull the pants down of any ARU side - and countries like PNG, Cook Islands, Morocco, Russia, Serbia and others will definately use players from a League background - and they will murder countries with a pure Union background, because Union 7s is a lot more like League than Union.

 

[Perth Red]

On the flip side if Rl had any sense and marketing (joke I know!) they would jump on the coat tails of this big profile raising and announce the World RL 7's to be played in February at SFS featuring world cup teams and a sprinkling of clubs from around the world.

The profile of "Rugby" 7's is going to go up dramatically, lets use it to get more for our game!

Could become part of Ch10's SOO and Test match package.

 

[krudmonk]

League players wold fail at the Olympic 7s because of the rules and the need to ruck, maul, and perhaps, scrummage and be involved in lineouts.

Wrong. Look at sevens players; they are all the same build just like in league. There are no 300-pound props or 7' locks. The much touted dynamics of union are not nearly as emphasized in sevens.

 

[Thomas]

I'd be surprized if some NRL stars don't sign up for some countries in Union 7s.
Malta and Lebanon have great 7s sides that could easily adapt to Union and pull the pants down of any ARU side

Sorry, what?

You're saying that Malta and Lebanon would beat Australia in 7's because they have some players who play rugby league?

You are seriously deluded. That's Big Footy talk you're spouting.

 

[Thomas]

Wrong. Look at sevens players; they are all the same build just like in league. There are no 300-pound props or 7' locks. The much touted dynamics of union are not nearly as emphasized in sevens.

No, there are no large props but you still have the tall backrowers. They still have scrums, lineouts and rucks and mauls in 7's

 

[roopy]

Sorry, what?

You're saying that Malta and Lebanon would beat Australia in 7's because they have some players who play rugby league?

You are seriously deluded. That's Big Footy talk you're spouting.

Yes - they would.
Union players are average at running with the ball - very few would make it in the NSW cup - and faced with an NRL standard squad from Malta they would be seriously embaressed - rucking and lineouts wouldn't save them faced with guys who can run the ball.

 

[krudmonk]

No, there are no large props but you still have the tall backrowers. They still have scrums, lineouts and rucks and mauls in 7's

I'm well aware, but the amount of people involved changes the requirements of each position. You can't have a bunch of big, lumbering men on the field.

 

[shiznit]

Rugby 7's is a perfect fit for the olympics... it can be run over 3 days.... they can run it in the main stadium before the track & field starts.

its a real party atmosphere and they usually pull big crowds. the world series has really spread the game around the world. having been to the Wellington, Hong Kong & Mar Del Plata i can tell you its pretty awesome. im looking at going to the Las Vegas leg next year. if i can raise the funds.

the most important thing though... it really is wide open as to who will win it.... while NZ, SA & Fiji will be favorites... they can easily be tipped over... just look at the world cup last year... the semi's were Wales V Kenya & Argentina V Samoa.

stacking your team really doesn't work... you need your guys playing sevens for awhile building up. the games a really different. having said that... i would say a lot of RL players would make the transition easier than RU players.

Jarryd Hayne you reckon??? if i was him id stuff playing for Australia... and play for Fiji... they would be wicked!!

 

[Thomas]

Yes - they would.
Union players are average at running with the ball- very few would make it in the NSW cup - and faced with an NRL standard squad from Malta they would be seriously embaressed - rucking and lineouts wouldn't save them faced with guys who can run the ball.

NRL standard squad from Malta? Who are these NRL standard Maltese players? What will they do when they get tackled? Get up and play the ball? What happens when they have to compete in a lineout? A scrum? You do realise they won't be handed the ball every 6 tackles?

I probably shouldn't have replied because it is quite obvious you are trolling. No one could seriously be that deluded....apart from the AFL fans on Big Footy.

Even though you aren't serious, I suggest you watch some RU 7's.

 

[Thomas]

Rugby 7's is a perfect fit for the olympics... it can be run over 3 days.... they can run it in the main stadium before the track & field starts.

its a real party atmosphere and they usually pull big crowds. the world series has really spread the game around the world. having been to the Wellington, Hong Kong & Mar Del Plata i can tell you its pretty awesome. im looking at going to the Las Vegas leg next year. if i can raise the funds.

the most important thing though... it really is wide open as to who will win it.... while NZ, SA & Fiji will be favorites... they can easily be tipped over... just look at the world cup last year... the semi's were Wales V Kenya & Argentina V Samoa.

It has been great seeing the minnow teams start coming through. Kenya can really move around the pitch. I have a bunch of mates pooling their funds together to go to Vegas as well.

stacking your team really doesn't work... you need your guys playing sevens for awhile building up. the games a really different. having said that... i would say a lot of RL players would make the transition easier than RU players.

Yeah, they probably would but you are correct in saying that playing sevens to the high standard in the IRB competition is something that guys spend a lot of time doing. We're starting to see plenty of 7's players who specialise in that form of the game.

Jarryd Hayne you reckon??? if i was him id stuff playing for Australia... and play for Fiji... they would be wicked!!

Would Hayne make the Fiji team?

 

[hutch]

Would Hayne make the Fiji team?

thats a ridiculous question, even from a union fan.

 

[In-goal]

Does anyone here remeber Bradford being invited to the middlessex 7's a few years back? They had to play some very high quality 7's teams, the day after they played St.Helens in a SL fixture.

Bradford went on to win every match by more than 20 points including the final.

RL players would dominate this form of the game due to defensive pressure, and more importantly proffesionalism.

Don't think for a second that these blokes couldn't win gold.

 

[caylo]

Hypothetically if you made a 7s rugby team form NRL players who would you pick (never going to happen). Lets remember its a sport were there is very limited stopages. I would go -
Hayne
Slater
J.Morris
B.Morris
Thurston
Inglis
Jennings

 

[Ladmate]

Hypothetically if you made a 7s rugby team form NRL players who would you pick (never going to happen). Lets remember its a sport were there is very limited stopages. I would go -
Hayne
Slater
J.Morris
B.Morris
Thurston
Inglis
Jennings

I would have Marshall for one of the Morris brothers.

 

[shiznit]

Does anyone here remeber Bradford being invited to the middlessex 7's a few years back? They had to play some very high quality 7's teams, the day after they played St.Helens in a SL fixture.

Bradford went on to win every match by more than 20 points including the final.

RL players would dominate this form of the game due to defensive pressure, and more importantly proffesionalism.

Don't think for a second that these blokes couldn't win gold.

LOL the middlessex sevens...

dude... they wouldn't be playing against northern club sides and the armed forces...

i love RL... and i have a massive amount of respect for players who play RL at the elite level... i even know afew of them...

but the international level of sevens is very tough to adjust to. the way the game works is miles different from 15's or RL.

you need to keep in mind that once the player is tackled they cant just hold on to the ball and keep playing it.... they cant just hit the deck and shake like a fish out of water and wait for everyone to get off them. they need to learn how to be efficient in a ruck. they have to be even more accurate at the breakdown in 7's because its more open. they could maul the ball up the field and RL players wouldnt have a clue on how to stop it.

theres also the lineouts. they would have no experience AT ALL with lineouts. so teams would just kick to touch all the time and pinch there lineout ball...

my point is... you can have all the attacking power in the world but you still need those specialist sevens players in your squad.

here in NZ weve learnt from it... i remember us stacking a side with Jonah Lomu & Christian Cullen and we got thumped by the sevens master Waisale Serevi.

Australia learnt the same lesson at the Melbourne Com games where they stacked them with Tuqiri, Sailor, Rogers & Geatau... and they couldnt even win a medal.

you have to balance your squad.

however... i would LOVE to see Jarryd Hayne in the Fijian side. the way he holds up play and stops and walks backwards and sideways is something a sevens player does often.

 

[Thomas]

thats a ridiculous question, even from a union fan.

You didn't see this?

 

[Thomas]

LOL the middlessex sevens...

dude... they wouldn't be playing against northern club sides and the armed forces...

i love RL... and i have a massive amount of respect for players who play RL at the elite level... i even know afew of them...

but the international level of sevens is very tough to adjust to. the way the game works is miles different from 15's or RL.

you need to keep in mind that once the player is tackled they cant just hold on to the ball and keep playing it.... they cant just hit the deck and shake like a fish out of water and wait for everyone to get off them. they need to learn how to be efficient in a ruck. they have to be even more accurate at the breakdown in 7's because its more open. they could maul the ball up the field and RL players wouldnt have a clue on how to stop it.

theres also the lineouts. they would have no experience AT ALL with lineouts. so teams would just kick to touch all the time and pinch there lineout ball...

my point is... you can have all the attacking power in the world but you still need those specialist sevens players in your squad.

here in NZ weve learnt from it... i remember us stacking a side with Jonah Lomu & Christian Cullen and we got thumped by the sevens master Waisale Serevi.

Australia learnt the same lesson at the Melbourne Com games where they stacked them with Tuqiri, Sailor, Rogers & Geatau... and they couldnt even win a medal.

you have to balance your squad.

however... i would LOVE to see Jarryd Hayne in the Fijian side. the way he holds up play and stops and walks backwards and sideways is something a sevens player does often.

Yeah spot on there.

I remember watching that 7's game between NZ and Fiji. Lomu was at his peak and Cullen...well he was Cullen (possibly the best runner with a ball I have seen in either code...youtube him for those who don't know about him). I was thinking "oh NZ are going to walk all over them" and they got thumped.

Serevi was what? 35 year old?

Hayne would go well. He would be able to put a lot of guys into space.

 

[BIKER DRAGON]

Another good reason why both codes after a 115 years of trying to destroy each others games should merge back together as 1 Rugby code, using the rules of Rugby League (which is the better rules of the 2 codes) to be the rules of the merged game.