The state of English Rugby League

[byrner]

The idea that the officiating was intended to get the right result is only controversial in Australia as far as I can tell. I am not based in the UK, the local rugby league fans are new to the game, but neutral. The ones that gots up even earlier than they did in the UK saw a game that they also saw as fixed.

It does harm the credibility of the game in new countries. I appreciate this is not something the ARL are concerned with, but it is wasted oppotunity for us.

So u genuinely believe the game was rigged?
I didnt agree with the call, but there is no way it was rigged.

 

[Steve Davy]

So u genuinely believe the game was rigged?
I didnt agree with the call, but there is no way it was rigged.

I did not get up and watch it live and it seemed clear that would happen. Various people new to the game in this country and they were not Poms. They saw it as rigged and I do not blame them. It was an embarrasment for the sport.

 

[Indelible]

The problem is the lack of halves depth in England. Same problem the Kiwis have but we've gotten lucky with Foran & Johnson. Super League is fine in terms of talent just that there are a lack of qulity in the halves. Gareth Widdop is a good young player but he needs help. Maybe whoever coaches St. Helens next year will shift Lomax back to halfback, the way he plays is very similar to Shaun Johnson so to me he looks like the best bet. Marc Sneyd goes good too so hopefully one of the two has a breakout season next year.

The English halves pairing looks like it could be around for while, we know what Widdop can do and that's dominate the NRL, Smith has looked classy in this Four Nations and is a keeper.

Sneyd not up to International standard, defence is horrible.

 

[goodplayer]

I did not get up and watch it live and it seemed clear that would happen. Various people new to the game in this country and they were not Poms. They saw it as rigged and I do not blame them. It was an embarrasment for the sport.

get a grip please steve, england had a good enough lead ;-)

 

[deal.with.it]

Yeah i was at the game Steve, didnt see it as rigged (and i was hoping for an england win).
Matty Smith is a great halfback. Just needs to be selected for a few tourneys in a row.

 

[Steve Davy]

The three possibilities I can see are that it was a question of interprtation of the rules, officials who could not help being a little partial or a fix.

It is was the first two, you would expect it to be consistant throughout the match.

If it was the fix, then you would expect it to be initially officiated fair, unless an Australian defeat seemed possible, at which point decisions would be made to ensure England lost,l starting to penalities to Australia at crucial moments and dodgy try decisions if necessary.

 

[goodplayer]

ooh wow you still calling a fix ?

you've lost it as well . score more points , hats how you win ok

 

[Steve Davy]

ooh wow you still calling a fix ?

you've lost it as well . score more points , hats how you win ok

Pretty much every neutral I know who saw the game must have lost it too. Indeed, there is a Twitter argument at the moment between a Danish man and an Australian guy, where the Australian is convinced he is impartial and the Dane is biased, which is rather amusing.

 

[byrner]

I did not get up and watch it live and it seemed clear that would happen. Various people new to the game in this country and they were not Poms. They saw it as rigged and I do not blame them. It was an embarrasment for the sport.

Answer my question. Do u believe it was rigged.

 

[Bombay Devils RLFC]

The idea that the officiating was intended to get the right result is only controversial in Australia as far as I can tell. I am not based in the UK, the local rugby league fans are new to the game, but neutral. The ones that gots up even earlier than they did in the UK saw a game that they also saw as fixed.

It does harm the credibility of the game in new countries. I appreciate this is not something the ARL are concerned with, but it is wasted oppotunity for us.

Steve I am aware of your work for our great game and congratulate you on this but your statements are completely ridiculous.

The saddest thing is that you are actually fueling such idiotic comments and a person you has done so much for our game should really reflect on this.

Maybe you should replay the game and look at the missed tackles England made in the second half. Kallum Watkins is a great attacking player but his defensive skills are poor and in the end meant England lost the game.

I will be very interested to see your comments if Australia miss out on the final. Will you then still believe it is a fix??

 

[deal.with.it]

Haha, yeah. If Watkins doesn't miss the tackle, England win. If Hodgson passes the ball, England win. If Graham doesn't drop the ball, England win.

 

[Ernest the Sheep]

poms have lost the plot, their victim mentality, conspiracy theories, whinging, and even the fabricating of evidence to justify their whinging, would be hilarious if it wasn't so pitiful. That the nation that gave us Shakespeare and Beatles could be reduced to this pathetic turd heap should be a lesson for us all!!

 

[BrisbaneRhino]

At least England gave the world those things. As opposed to ACDC, Dame Edna and Paul Hogan.

 

[Steve Davy]

Answer my question. Do u believe it was rigged.

Yes. I though it was rigged when the ref was sent in a few days before. I have always been quite clear with my answer to that.

Were it interpretation, then it would have been the same for both sides and in both halves.

Were it childish partiality, then it would have been the same in both halves.

If it was rigged, the game would initially be officiated fairly. Had Australia been in a commanding position, it would continue to be officiated fairly and people kicking up a fuss about the ref would be dismissed as having been shown to be paranoid. However, if Australia looked like winning, then there would be penalties given in key positions to get them back in the game. If they still looked like losing, then increasing dodgy calls would happen. Had England made fewer mistakes, they would have had more penalties against them. I said this before the game and it is exactly what happened. The view where I am in Europe (not the UK) is broadly this, the views I know of in England are that the ARL cheated.

Imagine the ARL are doing what is best for the international game and the entire point of the international game in their eyes is:
- To demonstrate ARL superiority
- To raise money
A final with England vs New Zealand would undermine both those point and (to them) undermine the entire point of the Four Nations. Therefore, they did what was best for the international game in their eyes.

The belief is that I am being very one-eyed. However, that also means neutrals were being one-eyed and that it is pretty much only Australians who are impartial on the game. That is silly.

You may find it a shame I think this way, but I find it a shame that a major game was fixed and that few Australians are willing to hold them to account.

 

[Ernest the Sheep]

you can think what you like, it's a free world. Only problem is your whinging doesn't coincide with reality. I thought the ref was at least adequate, and in fact have seen far worse performances by a ref.

 

[LeedsStorm]

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/series/super-league-set-of-six

Andy Wilson pretty much spot on.

Said before, don't dispute the result, its done and has actually set up a pretty intriguing third round of the comp - been a while since we could say that.

What I feel justifies a 'whinge' that you convicts insist on labelling us with, is the fact that every game Australia v England or GB has, pretty much has one side pissed at the refs officiating. This is ultimately because each country has either different interpretations of the rules or straight up different ones. Why the f#ck is this the case? Is it too big a deal for the NRL to consult anyone else whatsoever about a rule change?
As Hall mentioned after the game last week, ESL rules, that's a try and the convicts are playing to avoid the wooden spoon this weekend.

 

[Ernest the Sheep]

Andy Wilson is just another pommy ponce talking outa his arse. Is there no end to the production line of pommy ponces? seriously, no wonder you poms have a massive chip on your shoulder if this is the crud you are fed. The hall try was never a try, not even in esl would it have been a try. Get your hands off it, and get your eye-sight tested!

 

[Steve Davy]

you can think what you like, it's a free world. Only problem is your whinging doesn't coincide with reality. I thought the ref was at least adequate, and in fact have seen far worse performances by a ref.

I can only imagine the fine spirit that you would have had the boot been on the other foot. Still, if you believe the rest of the world is bias, that is up to you.

This is not entirely negative. The comparison to WWE may seem perjorative, but that is a wealthy sport with a good spread. Fixing the right results has an upside.

Furthermore, once the RFL accepted the conditions, which looked very dodgy from the start, there is little point in complaining afterwards. There is even less point in pretending it did not happen to equate whinging with not playing make-believe is infantile. However, if you accept playing with clipped cards, you have to just do your best to win with those clipped cards.

From an ARL point of view, that was the most crucial game in the Four Nations. Getting Australia in the final was crucial to the success as they saw it. It may be the only game that is necessary to so heavily diddle.

 

[Steve Davy]

Andy Wilson is just another pommy ponce talking outa his arse. Is there no end to the production line of pommy ponces? seriously, no wonder you poms have a massive chip on your shoulder if this is the crud you are fed. The hall try was never a try, not even in esl would it have been a try. Get your hands off it, and get your eye-sight tested!

Again, you are pretending it is just poms. I do not live in England, most of the people I spoke with who watched the game were not English. Yet, I have not spoken with anyone who did not find the officiating dodgy in the extreme.

 

[Ernest the Sheep]

Again, you are pretending it is just poms. I do not live in England, most of the people I spoke with who watched the game were not English. Yet, I have not spoken with anyone who did not find the officiating dodgy in the extreme.

you need to get about more then