Rugby League is Dying

[THE CHAMP]

If it's on a Friday you just know it will be held in Brisbane

You're right.
The burial should be at the home of rugby league.

 

[Albert Rosenfeld]

Rugby league is alive and well in France.

It has produced talented players like the following current international squad:

Morgan Escare,

Fouad Yaha, Tony Gigot, Vincent Duport, Benjamin Jullien, Jordan Sigismeau,

Thomas Bosc, Lucas Albert, Theo Fages, William Barthau,

Greg Mounis, Jason Baitieri, Kevin Larroyer, Ben Garcia,
Olivier Elima, Romain Navarette, Remi Casty, Antoni Maria, Julien Bousquet, Mickael Simon, Eloi Pelissier, John Boudebza,

Remy Marginet, Thibault Margalet ....\\\\/

and many others.

 

[madunit]

While Collins has a good piece, I find it hard to take the matter seriously. The media is mostly opinion trying to tap into the public perception with a little fact added sometimes.

Given that the media in Australia (to a lesser extent) England and France for a long time were run or written by Rugby Union fans/officials/players etc, it was alwsys going to death ride Rugby League.

 

[LeagueXIII]

True, the media agenda in most countries has always been to marginalise rugby league

marginalize

(ˈmɑːdʒɪnəˌlaɪz) or
marginalise

vb (tr) to relegate to the fringes, out of the mainstream; make seem unimportant:

 

[Willow]

While Collins has a good piece, I find it hard to take the matter seriously. The media is mostly opinion trying to tap into the public perception with a little fact added sometimes.

Given that the media in Australia (to a lesser extent) England and France for a long time were run or written by Rugby Union fans/officials/players etc, it was alwsys going to death ride Rugby League.

I'm pretty sure that's what Collins is saying.

Regardless of the whys or wherefores, it is a fact that Rugby League gets treated like a second class citizen by sections of the sport media. And it goes much deeper than just saying they don't like the game. It's more akin to a class distinction, a notion which is outdated on numerous levels.

 

[LeagueXIII]

I think the media in Australia always focused on the violence in games in the old days so much that it created the illusion that is all that happened. Having seen some old games in which I had only heard about the fighting, it's a surprise to see that the games are quite skilfull, entertaining and the violence very very minimal. Yet the media make that the focus.

 

[Warriors Fever]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ru...die-Jones-slams-rugby-league-Sam-Burgess.html
Eddie Jones has just put the boot into League, despite currently having Ben Teo in his side, plus many ex-leaguies appearing as Wallabies back in the early 2000's. If rugby league has no skill, then why do many reasonably good NRL players walk into national rugby union sides?

 

[_Johnsy]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ru...die-Jones-slams-rugby-league-Sam-Burgess.html
Eddie Jones has just put the boot into League, despite currently having Ben Teo in his side, plus many ex-leaguies appearing as Wallabies back in the early 2000's. If rugby league has no skill, then why do many reasonably good NRL players walk into national rugby union sides?

100% correct. Ryan Cross is the prime example.

 

[mongoose]

but but but burgess! :sarcasm:

 

[Warriors Fever]

100% correct. Ryan Cross is the prime example.

Timana Tahu, Cooper Vuna, Taqele Naiyaravoro (played NSW cup for Balmain), Israel Folau (john Eales medalist), Joe Tomane, Berrick Barnes. Soon to be Wallabies Eto Nabuli, (probably) Marika Koroibete, Karmichael Hunt and perhaps Luke Keary lol if he decides to change codes. Makes you wonder what someone like JT could do in the Wallabies. Now who from the Wallabies squad could possibly make the Roos?

 

[THE CHAMP]

Always loved the great old saying : Rugby union is a game for rugby league players that can't play.

 

[LeagueXIII]

but but but burgess! :sarcasm:

Yes why couldn't Burgess a rugby league FORWARD become the world's greatest living rugby union CENTRE!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!:sarcasm::crazy::crazy:

 

[LeagueXIII]

And why do these guys always compare CLUB league to INTERNATIONAL union

Why not club league against club union..........I wonder why

 

[T-Boon]

On the field the game could do with a coach or a rule change to bring in more variety in playing styles away from 'structure' and 'competitions'.. the teams that throw it around more and bring ball skills to the game should be the ones that win. All teams now are a clone of 2007 Melbourne and I consider this to be the ugliest era of football in the 30 years Ive been watching.
The teams with lesser resources such as Gold Coast, Canberra etc should develop their own playing styles. Instead of 5 offloads a game aim for 30. Instead of 4 passes per set of 6 aim for 20. Keep the ball alive.
Once that positive change happens the game will start doing something it hasn't done in many years and that is see and influx of new fans.

 

[kbw]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ru...die-Jones-slams-rugby-league-Sam-Burgess.html
Eddie Jones has just put the boot into League, despite currently having Ben Teo in his side, plus many ex-leaguies appearing as Wallabies back in the early 2000's. If rugby league has no skill, then why do many reasonably good NRL players walk into national rugby union sides?

Eddie Jones nearly single handedly killed off RU in Australia.
He set the game back 100 years. He would not know football skills if it hit him in the head

 

[DiegoNT]

And why do these guys always compare CLUB league to INTERNATIONAL union

Why not club league against club union..........I wonder why

Brett sheehan played 1 game for Souths in 2002
Brett sheehan then played 7 games for the Wallabies

Souths 2002 NRL team was harder to crack then the Wallabies

 

[Warriors Fever]

Brett sheehan played 1 game for Souths in 2002
Brett sheehan then played 7 games for the Wallabies

Souths 2002 NRL team was harder to crack then the Wallabies

Ha ha makes sense

 

[Warriors Fever]

On the field the game could do with a coach or a rule change to bring in more variety in playing styles away from 'structure' and 'competitions'.. the teams that throw it around more and bring ball skills to the game should be the ones that win. All teams now are a clone of 2007 Melbourne and I consider this to be the ugliest era of football in the 30 years Ive been watching.
The teams with lesser resources such as Gold Coast, Canberra etc should develop their own playing styles. Instead of 5 offloads a game aim for 30. Instead of 4 passes per set of 6 aim for 20. Keep the ball alive.
Once that positive change happens the game will start doing something it hasn't done in many years and that is see and influx of new fans.

Ok I see you got your opinions based from last Wednesday and fair enough but not all teams play like Melbourne.
We smoked Brisbane on Saturday and that's because we played that exciting style, Brisbane; when they are on like to shift the ball early and are not as structured as one would think. The Cowboys certainly play structured football, but this involves some precise lines and ball movement. Canberra are one of the more excting teams to watch ATM, with one of the best attacking left sides, as well as Austin, Hodgson, Whitehead, ETC.
While it sometimes can be a bit monotonous, you should really watch more games. It's hardly the ugliest era of football.

 

[T-Boon]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ru...die-Jones-slams-rugby-league-Sam-Burgess.html
Eddie Jones has just put the boot into League, despite currently having Ben Teo in his side, plus many ex-leaguies appearing as Wallabies back in the early 2000's. If rugby league has no skill, then why do many reasonably good NRL players walk into national rugby union sides?

I see his point. League is about athleticism, speed and power more so than particular football skill. Rugby League produces phenomenal athletes - we can be proud of that. I guess there is technique in wrestling and how to avoid being wrestled.
Maybe league needs to create some statistics around wrestling so that fans can become more knowledgable about the wrestling techniques and then we can start to think of them as skills.

 

[T-Boon]

Ok I see you got your opinions based from last Wednesday and fair enough but not all teams play like Melbourne.
We smoked Brisbane on Saturday and that's because we played that exciting style, Brisbane; when they are on like to shift the ball early and are not as structured as one would think. The Cowboys certainly play structured football, but this involves some precise lines and ball movement. Canberra are one of the more excting teams to watch ATM, with one of the best attacking left sides, as well as Austin, Hodgson, Whitehead, ETC.
While it sometimes can be a bit monotonous, you should really watch more games. It's hardly the ugliest era of football.

When Parra went on that successful run in 09 with a philosophy of offloading at all costs I thought that was going to become a serious alternative style of play but the coaches just flat rejected it including Daniel Anderson the next season.
I do enjoy watching the Broncos and Canberra as they seem less structured and obsessed with completions. The main reason I like the Broncos style is the backline isn't block play after block play. I am sickened at the sight of block runners these days.