Rugby League is Dying

[East Coast Tiger]

Rugby league used to be a working class game and that was largely a respectable thing, even if the elite still turned their nose up.

It is now a welfare class game and even lower middle class but aspirational people who would have once been rugby league people turn their nose up at the game.

 

[j5o6hn]

I would like to see the 3 man tackle stamped out,its a blight on the game,the ref as soon as the 3rd man tackles award a penalty and march the offending side another 10 meters, if they persist then sin bin, it may also stop wrestling as they wont have time

 

[T-Boon]

I would like to see the 3 man tackle stamped out,its a blight on the game,the ref as soon as the 3rd man tackles award a penalty and march the offending side another 10 meters, if they persist then sin bin, it may also stop wrestling as they wont have time

I don't disagree.
I have noticed that in a good percentage of three man tackles the third man absolutely is not needed in the tackle but just comes in to slow the tackle down.
Maybe instead of straight banning the three man tackle the rule should be if you need three men in a tackle you only get to have one marker or no markers.

 

[Sydney Knight]

Interesting points Willow.
On your last paragraph would it be that difficult to shift that culture within Rugby League of talking dumb? For example Mitchell Pearce is a well educated man. Oddly he spoke a lot better when he was at school and just entering the grade set up than he does now. Either being around Rugby League players made him sound downright uneducated or worse slightly brain damaged. Same with James Maloney who is an embarrassment to the game when ever he speaks. Mothers would be horrified to hear it.

There are some great orators in Rugby League. John Sutton's "yeah the boys" grand final speech in 2014 was Martin Luther King like

 

[WireMan]

I agree with all of that.

Your mate in Liverpool has a view that highlights the absurd class distinction. Britain has largely moved on from the old class attitudes but it is still lingering.

Australia is only marginally better imo. Despite the view that Australia is an egalitarian society, there still exists an attitude that someone is less important because they 'don't speak right' - and the inevitable put down due to their education, location or socio-economic status.

Going to disagree a bit with first paragraph.
Whilst I agree with the principal of class distinction Liverpool is not an area associated to much with the landed gentry.

It is what the city folk think of the town game.

The south have their own game, the north theirs. The population and money in both regions is enough to support both games but in the north the people and money is in cities which play a different code of football.
League is hanging on in towns but cities are spreading now into overflow estates. A lot of the town I am from is ex mancs and scousers. They really don't care about the rugby.

 

[alien]

You don't need rule / interchange changes, just police the ruck correctly. It can only really happen in the preseason, set the bar and actually stick to it. Ref's must CONTINUE to penalise:

1. flops
2. bringing attackers to ground after held is called. Ref's call held soon as moment is lost and their no attempt to offload. Stop any advantage in holding the attacker upright with the third man in. Tacklers will revert back to shoulder tackles trying to put player on their back. Back up with reward for dominant tackle.
3. Once a players is down and/or held it called any additional 2 or 3 attempts i.e locks, knees in, hands on ball penalise straight away. (Watch games from the 80/90's)

That will speed the play the ball up and then it give the attack no excuses in correct play the balls; police using foot/standing straight/playon the mark.

makes sense

 

[The Mad Hatter]

RL is the Freddy Krueger of the sport world.

No matter how much you try to kill it, it always comes back for more.

 

[cleary89]

Rugby league used to be a working class game and that was largely a respectable thing, even if the elite still turned their nose up.

It is now a welfare class game and even lower middle class but aspirational people who would have once been rugby league people turn their nose up at the game.

Is it surprising? I co coach a junior side. The other bloke (one of the parents) was telling the team at half time that they need to start a fight and have a crack. They didn't in the second half, but they did while shaking hands. The boys loved it, the coach "where was that during the game, you boys need to fire up"

I don't know how I can condone that to the point where I'm likely to throw in the towel. Wouldn't happen in afl in sydney.

 

[Brutus]

There are some great orators in Rugby League. John Sutton's "yeah the boys" grand final speech in 2014 was Martin Luther King like

That was utterly embarrassing.

 

[Willow]

Going to disagree a bit with first paragraph.
Whilst I agree with the principal of class distinction Liverpool is not an area associated to much with the landed gentry.

It is what the city folk think of the town game.

The south have their own game, the north theirs. The population and money in both regions is enough to support both games but in the north the people and money is in cities which play a different code of football.
League is hanging on in towns but cities are spreading now into overflow estates. A lot of the town I am from is ex mancs and scousers. They really don't care about the rugby.

I agree that Liverpool isn't deserving of this broad brush.

Don't get me wrong, I really do like Britain. I go there every chance I get. But historically, the notion of class distinction is something that Brits mastered to a fine art. And Australians live in the denial that we are not affected by this.

In the long term, it doesn't do anyone any good. I know I'm getting into the area of Noam Chomsky.

 

[bobmar28]

I agree with all of that.

Your mate in Liverpool has a view that highlights the absurd class distinction. Britain has largely moved on from the old class attitudes but it is still lingering.

Australia is only marginally better imo. Despite the view that Australia is an egalitarian society, there still exists an attitude that someone is less important because they 'don't speak right' - and the inevitable put down due to their education, location or socio-economic status.

Speaking with an elitist accent is not .... Speaking right.

 

[Parra]

Hardly exists in Australia anymore. Go back and listen how Whitlam and Fraser spoke to hear some of the last examples in aussie politicians. Or watch some aussie tv from the same period. That governor from Prisoner is a classic example. You just don't hear it anymore.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

Is it surprising? I co coach a junior side. The other bloke (one of the parents) was telling the team at half time that they need to start a fight and have a crack. They didn't in the second half, but they did while shaking hands. The boys loved it, the coach "where was that during the game, you boys need to fire up"

I don't know how I can condone that to the point where I'm likely to throw in the towel. Wouldn't happen in afl in sydney.

FMD. Where was this?

 

[Parra]

Sounds like a coach I had in the 80's and he was considered a dinosaur then.

 

[Captain Apollo]

When you hear some of the dross being spouted against league by any Union hack, point them to this comment from Andrew Voss -

Former Wallabies and Japan rugby coach and now England mentor Eddie Jones had a few things to say last week in talking up rugby union over rugby league.

"Rugby league is not a skillful game," bleated Mr Jones.

Sorry ol' chap but even if you thought you had a point, I know the sensational entertainment of NRL games such as Manly and Penrith, and the Dragons and Bulldogs last weekend was genuine.

But if Mr Jones does want to take the issue further, let him bring to the table the match statistics from the union Test in Brisbane on Saturday night.

His side won scoring three tries to their opponents' four. England's third try came in the final minute. They kicked six penalty goals.

England ran the ball for the grand total of 311 metres in 80 minutes. They carried the ball just 67 times. England kicked the ball on 23 occasions.

They passed the ball only 65 times. They had three offloads. England made 121 tackles and missed 22.

Go ahead. Ignore the above numbers. They are just stats. And maybe Jones is right. Maybe union is more skillful than league.

But how could you be sure when the ball was in play for less than 25 minutes?

 

[T-Boon]

There are several skills that could be brought back into the game with some simple rule tweaks.
For example:
1. The charge down is an exciting skill which we would see more of if the kicking team didn't get a restarted tackle count when/if they regather;
2. The 40/20 rule should be more like a 30/40 rule as it is far more achievable;
3 In a one on one tackle competing for the ball should be encouraged by saying there is no knock on in the act of stripping and there is no restart to the tackle count if the stripped team regathers;
4. You should be allowed three markers after a one on one tackle.

 

[Warriors Fever]

When you hear some of the dross being spouted against league by any Union hack, point them to this comment from Andrew Voss -

Shots fired ha ha, it's good to have a league supporter stand up for us in the media.

 

[Brutus]

Onya Voss!

 

[Warriors Fever]

There are several skills that could be brought back into the game with some simple rule tweaks.
For example:
1. The charge down is an exciting skill which we would see more of if the kicking team didn't get a restarted tackle count when/if they regather;
2. The 40/20 rule should be more like a 30/40 rule as it is far more achievable;
3 In a one on one tackle competing for the ball should be encouraged by saying there is no knock on in the act of stripping and there is no restart to the tackle count if the stripped team regathers;
4. You should be allowed three markers after a one on one tackle.

1. Completely agree, charge downs should be rewarded.
2. don't know if the 40/20 rule needs to be messed with, it should be a challenge.
3. Not sure about that one, If you fail in stripping then you've played at it I think.

 

[Bronxnation]

There are several skills that could be brought back into the game with some simple rule tweaks.
For example:
1. The charge down is an exciting skill which we would see more of if the kicking team didn't get a restarted tackle count when/if they regather;
2. The 40/20 rule should be more like a 30/40 rule as it is far more achievable;
3 In a one on one tackle competing for the ball should be encouraged by saying there is no knock on in the act of stripping and there is no restart to the tackle count if the stripped team regathers;
4. You should be allowed three markers after a one on one tackle.

Mate.. Have you ever played the game? Just wondering? I don't think any team would ever take the option of 3 markers..