The NRL should be the strongest it's ever been. So why isn't it?

[TheVelourFog]

No I'm not being pedantic, as there's only bn tinkering to the rules; adding a tackle if a kick has gone too long is not a real rule change, and adding a referee is not changing the rules of the sport, and besides when Australia play they only have 1 ref on the park.

It's a rule change for me, but I guess we will have to agree to disagree

 

[DiegoNT]

Canard,

You and I roll around in rugby league circles. Naturally, the bigger stars of the 15 man game will escape us time to time.

Spending alot of time in the North Shore with my Namibian friend (who's into Union) you become a little bit more privvy and exposed to the Rugby Union world, their cult heroes, Icons. They are bigger stars in that area and around what we initially think. Their faces are marketed to certain sectors of our society. Different marketing channels. In the media, we tend to ignore Super 15 news I think.

Make no mistake, I'm not going to sit here and say that Union stars are bigger than League or such nonsense, however they have their own pull in this country, that is for sure.

I could go down to the local rugby club and probably wouldn't find a single person who could name the complete wallabies line-up, though half of them could tell you who's the reserve hooker for parramatta. The only well known union players of the past are decade the ones who were reserve graders in league ( rocky Elsom, matt gitau, berrick Barnes, O'Conner). Brett sheehan couldn't make the souths side during the paul langmack era yet he made the wallabies side ffs

 

[Rabbits20]

It's a rule change for me, but I guess we will have to agree to disagree

It's a rule change for me too.

 

[Ojlovednicole]

I could go down to the local rugby club and probably wouldn't find a single person who could name the complete wallabies line-up, though half of them could tell you who's the reserve hooker for parramatta. The only well known union players of the past are decade the ones who were reserve graders in league ( rocky Elsom, matt gitau, berrick Barnes, O'Conner). Brett sheehan couldn't make the souths side during the paul langmack era yet he made the wallabies side ffs

You raise interesting points.

That said, Giteau was courted by many a NRL club (namely Canberra) and Berrick was an up and comer lost to the Broncos which they left to rue. I remember plenty of discussion on losing him a decade ago. No biggie but.

Someone like Brett Sheehan just had talents in areas unsuited to league (the opposite can happen too).
He was a little guy that got smashed. Probably didnt have 360 degree vision in his head. But his ball skills were silky and he was explosive from a starting position.

 

[DiegoNT]

.

Someone like Brett Sheehan just had talents in areas unsuited to league (the opposite can happen too).
He was a little guy that got smashed. Probably didnt have 360 degree vision in his head. But his ball skills were silky and he was explosive from a starting position.

Catching a football, and being able to string 2 sentences together automatically made you overqualified for souths during the paul langmack era. Being unable to crack that side yet make the wallabies. Shows a huge gulf in talent between the nrl and the aru

 

[MarkC]

Union is a boring game to watch.

I think it is a fun game to play, but so is league.

Union is more of a social sport where a group of mates play together at club/district level, and it is not too serious. At that level there are just as many if not more players than league. Most players or former players follow the game.

Just about everyone I know who is a passionate Union fan is a former player.

This has got nothing to do with the attractiveness of the NRL, except to say Union is no competition and will probably never be serious competition.

This also goes back to the salient point that there is nothing significantly wrong with the NRL as a game.

There have been plenty of attractive games and spectacular tries scored this year.

There have also been a couple of dour boring games, but that is mainly caused by the following factors:- 1) The players available, 2) The playing conditions (rain etc.) 3) The coaches adopting negative tactics.

The is no need to change the rules to encourage coaches to play a more attractive game. defense alone will not win the comp.

Most smart coaches are getting their defense sorted first, but the current balance in the game will require a positive attacking approach to win the big games at the end of the year.

 

[southwalesrabbitoh]

And soccers the biggest sport in the world, so should change more rules so there's more nil all draws.
The actual game of rugby league itself is fine, we don't need drastic rule changes to make it better. Geoff Toovey was on nrl 360 last night and said that anyone asking for the game to be 'faster' haven't played the game, because we are already at the limit of what humans can do with their bodies. Maybe a reduction in the interchange will bring back more endurance, but that's about it. We've had some amazing attacking displays this year, we've had some amazing defensive displays ( just look at broncos the other day, not only did they score one hell of a try, but they put in a pretty gutsy defensive display to). The problem isn't with the game, but with the people in charge who market it.
Ken Arthurson was on sterlo's show last night, a man with decades of experience, and he mentioned in his time rugby league has seen many lows, and times when the game was seemingly on its knees and the reason the game survived these tough times was because the product is so good. If we keep tinkering and changing the product, the next time the games on its knees, we may not survive

Rubbish, Toovey is wrong, he needs educating on sports science and the history of sport, that's what they said about the 4 minute mile, but once it was cracked loads went under it, that's what they said about women and marathons, it's beyond women's capabilities they said, and as Toovey is now, they were wrong too. I'm a sports scientist. Haven't you heard of adaptations? And that we're only able to use about 60% of our capabilities at the moment. We're evolving, you do know that? We're animals, you do know that?

Yes some front-rowers will be in the NSW if we go to 11-a-side, but tough, but if Sam Kasiano and G Rose had more discipline regarding their food, then they may still be able to play professionally.

And haven't you seen the start of every Incredible Hulk episode? As I said, we're still pushing, we're not near human capabilities, training regimes will change, GOOD, I want them spending less time lifting heavy weights and more time on the exercise bike and out on the training paddock.

 

[TheVelourFog]

Rubbish, Toovey is wrong, he needs educating on sports science and the history of sport, that's what they said about the 4 minute mile, but once it was cracked loads went under it, that's what they said about women and marathons, it's beyond women's capabilities they said, and as Toovey is now, they were wrong too. I'm a sports scientist. Haven't you heard of adaptations? And that we're only able to use about 60% of our capabilities at the moment. We're evolving, you do know that? We're animals, you do know that?

what a load of rubbish

 

[southwalesrabbitoh]

So I'm right, as you haven't answered properly. I know I'm right in any case.

I'm sure you've heard past professionals say that the game has become very structured, some have said boring, others repetitive; with full-time professionalism it was inevitably going to become more structured and prescriptive, and the only way of making it more like it was meant to be, and more like the way it was played in the 1980's is to go to 11-a-side. Isn't it obvious?

 

[TheVelourFog]

So I'm right, as you haven't answered properly. I know I'm right in any case.

I'm sure you've heard past professionals say that the game has become very structured, some have said boring, others repetitive; with full-time professionalism it was inevitably going to become more structured and prescriptive, and the only way of making it more like it was meant to be, and more like the way it was played in the 1980's is to go to 11-a-side. Isn't it obvious?

yes yes and we will all sprout wings and grown an extra leg
must be in that other 40%

 

[southwalesrabbitoh]

No, it's just that we aren't using all of our leg power at the moment, RL hasn't gone down in numbers on the field for over 100 years, and the sport has only been going since 1895, and since 1906 really, as that's when the play-the-ball replaced the continuous live ruck and we went to 13-a-side.

 

[Ojlovednicole]

Why 11 per side?
Why not 12?

 

[southwalesrabbitoh]

Because soon we'll need to go to 11 if we went to 12 first, so lets be strong and go for it now, and I don't see much difference between 12 and 13 a side, 11 is a difference, we've seen many sides with 12 beat sides with 13, it happened last weekend here, with Huddersfield beating Widnes away, even though Hudd. were dwn to 12 men for the vast majority of the match.

 

[Ojlovednicole]

12 would be just handing them a joint.

Just something to take the edge of, but still function as is.

 

[southwalesrabbitoh]

lol, ay, something like that, I don't really like your personality.

 

[Ojlovednicole]

Furthermore,
Where would you cull the extra player from?
When the lock goes, its simply a 5 man scrum and forward pack. The structure stays as the lock is essentially a roving warrior.

11 would cut into the core setup of play i think.
That said, when they experimented 11 in u/20s, it was a resounding success.

 

[Ojlovednicole]

lol, ay, something like that, I don't really like your personality.

oh,
story of my life

 

[southwalesrabbitoh]

Furthermore,
Where would you cull the extra player from?
When the lock goes, its simply a 5 man scrum and forward pack. The structure stays as the lock is essentially a roving warrior.

11 would cut into the core setup of play i think.
That said, when they experimented 11 in u/20s, it was a resounding success.

Ah, I would get rid of the scrum, no more scrums please; they're embarrassing, don't people realise that some of us live in RU areas!

 

[southwalesrabbitoh]

oh,
story of my life

Don't frown, it's ok, we're all different.

 

[southwalesrabbitoh]

And your name on here is sick.