Rugby League World Cup

Ok, I know it is just about the lamest "World Cup" on the planet but it does start of Friday for anyone who's interested.

Actually, the real reason I wanted to mention it is to note that one of the Irish prop's names is Wayne Kerr.

Aye, just about beats the golf world cup for lameness.

Has anyone apart from Australia ever won it? See, that's how important it is - I have no idea!

Humble apologies JGK, but WGAF. I'd rather watch Gangles and SRT paste us than endure the Leeeeeeeeg WC. I may give the Final a look.

And the Aussie player interest sums it up. Look how many guys have pulled out with injuries - the same injuries that they played semis and Grand Finals with.

Why does rugby league even bother trying to be an international game? Confine it to Sydney, Yorkshire, and players in NZ who weren't good enough to play union.

Hard to argue.

right up with the suggestion to ditch Australia and include NSW and Qld to make it more competitive

skully wrote:Humble apologies JGK, but WGAF. I'd rather watch Gangles and SRT paste us than endure the Leeeeeeeeg WC. I may give the Final a look.

And the Aussie player interest sums it up. Look how many guys have pulled out with injuries - the same injuries that they played semis and Grand Finals with.

Fair enough. I really just wanted to tell the "Wayne Kerr" story.

Henry wrote:Why does rugby league even bother trying to be an international game? Confine it to Sydney, Yorkshire, and players in NZ who weren't good enough to play union.

skully wrote:Hard to argue.

It's a struggle, but the reason RL chiefs try to make RL an international game is because RL is a great product and very entertaining to watch. The superior fitness and handling skills in RL, especially in the forwards is one of the reasons why any game contested by the English champions of RL and RU contested over two legs playing both codes is always won by the RL side. As is any prestigious rugby union 7s tournament that has a rugby league team taking part.

because RL is a great product

phurt. That'd be why it's so popular?

Mick Sawyer wrote:

because RL is a great product

phurt. That'd be why it's so popular?

Like AFL?

JGK wrote:

Mick Sawyer wrote:

because RL is a great product

phurt. That'd be why it's so popular?

Like AFL?

I should have made it "popular internationally" but meh!

T20 cricket is popular - doesn't mean it isn't rubbish though.

Hang on! The first time I saw the "we''ll play your game and then you play our game" series was in the mid-nineties and from memory the only game that had to be modified was the RU game because RL forwards (who hadn't packed a proper RL scrum since sometime in the early eighties) would all have ended up dead in a proper RU scrum.

The only reason forwards in RL seem to be fitter is that they don't have to spend half the game being crushed in REAL contests for the ball.

JGK wrote:

skully wrote:Humble apologies JGK, but WGAF. I'd rather watch Gangles and SRT paste us than endure the Leeeeeeeeg WC. I may give the Final a look.

And the Aussie player interest sums it up. Look how many guys have pulled out with injuries - the same injuries that they played semis and Grand Finals with.

Fair enough. I really just wanted to tell the "Wayne Kerr" story.

How crass was it of the journo to ask Mr Kerr about his name at the airport? FFS, some of these qunts need a good slap.

Bradman wrote:Hang on! The first time I saw the "we''ll play your game and then you play our game" series was in the mid-nineties and from memory the only game that had to be modified was the RU game because RL forwards (who hadn't packed a proper RL scrum since sometime in the early eighties) would all have ended up dead in a proper RU scrum.

The only reason forwards in RL seem to be fitter is that they don't have to spend half the game being crushed in REAL contests for the ball.

So qmy, are you one of the rabid masses that makes it's way to Dairy Farmers Stadium in Townsville via Cessna every 2nd week?

That was a hack on League forwards skulls. They wouldn't last a minute in a Union scrum. As for cessnas, we own one but it is driven by my brother -in-law. I know enough to land one with a lot of help from ground control if the pilot has a heart attack mid-air and even then you'd want to start believing in some form of higher being real quick.

So you are very much a Rah-rah man not Leeeeg then, qmy?

Much rather watch a club Union game, back in the good 'ol days (needed a doctor to authorise a replacement), than a League game at the top level (with the exception of SOO).

Mind you I'm influeneced by the school I went to.

Bradman wrote:That was a hack on League forwards skulls. They wouldn't last a minute in a Union scrum. .

Similarly, most RU forwards wouldn't last 10 minutes in RL before needing to be replaced or just passing out.

Similarly, most RL forwards couldn't ruck and maul non stop during a multi-phase play, and you should also note I said "good 'ol days".

My personal preference is dictated by my background, though I love RL and the athleticism of the modern day RL forward, I just have a hankering for the old days (even in league) where a forward (quite often cousins playing on a dustbowl in FW Qld) came off at the end of a match bloodied and bruised.

Bradman wrote:Similarly, most RL forwards couldn't ruck and maul non stop during a multi-phase play

Wanna bet? Once aquainted with the rules RL players at the top level would pish all over the union players, and deep down you know they would as well. Looking at it from another angle, name me a front row forward that plays RU at international level that could last more than 60 minutes of an RL game without needing an oxygen mask and a life support machine?

Take as much time as you need, I'm here all week.

Don't mind both codes personally, though not really a huge fan of either.

More of a Union man, but can quite happily sit and watch a League game too.

A poor game of Union is a better spectacle than a mediocre League game, but Union would find it hard to match a top notch game of League.

Not my words, but those or at least to the effect of Clive Woodward, and sounds about right to me.

Either way, quite looking forward to the RL WC, though it'll probably be at crappy times in the UK.

Geoffrey Trueman wrote:

Bradman wrote:Similarly, most RL forwards couldn't ruck and maul non stop during a multi-phase play

Wanna bet? Once aquainted with the rules RL players at the top level would pish all over the union players, and deep down you know they would as well. Looking at it from another angle, name me a front row forward that plays RU at international level that could last more than 60 minutes of an RL game without needing an oxygen mask and a life support machine?

Take as much time as you need, I'm here all week.

Brad Thorn switches pretty easily between the All Blacks and the Broncos

Geoffrey Trueman wrote:

Henry wrote:Why does rugby league even bother trying to be an international game? Confine it to Sydney, Yorkshire, and players in NZ who weren't good enough to play union.

skully wrote:Hard to argue.

It's a struggle, but the reason RL chiefs try to make RL an international game is because RL is a great product and very entertaining to watch. The superior fitness and handling skills in RL, especially in the forwards is one of the reasons why any game contested by the English champions of RL and RU contested over two legs playing both codes is always won by the RL side. As is any prestigious rugby union 7s tournament that has a rugby league team taking part.

Agree completely. I played Union but League players are more skilful.

All the AFL ever did was prevent Australia from being an International force in Rugby and Football.

Imagine how strong a team we could field if there were no AFL?

Whilst we can argue the relative merits of which athelets in Leeg or thugby are better.

There can be no debate that RL is a better spectator sport.