Rugby Union Thread

[Shiredad]

Slow down and think about what O'niell is saying, Peachey boy.

"If you look at the RAW MEASURES ..."

what are 'raw measures' ???

Crowd Attendances & TV ratings.

He's not saying that one code is better than another, he's simply stating a fact, that more people were going to and watching union games around the 2003 World Cup time.

And even though I don't really get into AFL, the thing the Melbourne crowd could teach the rest of Australia is how to cheer on your team. Listen to Melbourne crowd at any sport, and they're really bloody loud, non-stop cheering for their team. Good on them!

 

[peachey]

no one cared/s about union, union has never been better then league, union may have been bigger then league because you have 1000's of foreigners coming here to watch the WC

john o'neil should of stayed in retirementville

union is dying

 

[Megashark]

He's not saying that one code is better than another, he's simply stating a fact, that more people were going to and watching union games around the 2003 World Cup time.

Shireboy are you talking about test matches and Super 14 games? Because if so that is a comparatively few matches you are talking about - I doubt many spectators would turn out then or now to see club rugby union in Sydney or Brisbane. Are the club games even televised?

 

[peachey]

hahaha on the abc, like one or 2 a week and they are boring as all hell zzzzzzz

union should stop buying league players,and put money into there younsters eg daniel roach, he saw the light and jumped a sinking ship, they play like 12 games or less and thats it for the yr

 

[bort]

only really union and afl over here in WA. unless glory are goin really well at the time.

 

[Shiredad]

Shireboy are you talking about test matches and Super 14 games? Because if so that is a comparatively few matches you are talking about - I doubt many spectators would turn out then or now to see club rugby union in Sydney or Brisbane. Are the club games even televised?

Test Matches, S14 games, club games, and during that year, a whole heap of World Cup games ... they were all televised on Channel 7, and there were heaps of pool matches.

Peachey, did you actually read what I wrote? It seems like you read two words, then shut your eyes and started bashing the keyboard again.

 

[teflon77]

AFL, soccer and Union can lick my ****ing balls. ****ing snooze fests.

 

[Capital_Shark]

claimed the game had suffered from "a lack of progress" over the past three years.

Hmm.. I could have sworn it was longer than that. Say, perhaps, 100 years?

"But we also have to get people back to the game by playing not only winning but entertaining rugby."

Which means playing an expansive style where the ball is moved around and spread out wide to the outside backs, just like Rugby League is played. Oh, and as for those outside back, if this plan is work properly, we're gonna have to open the check books and go to a few League games fellas.

I don't know why you highlighted that quote Peachey, he's just saying back during the '03 World Cup, Union was strong and had begun to get the wood on League and AFL - which is spot on the Money. Thankfully though after that they went back to playing Union like Union instead of Union like League and interest died off. Now their National team is rubbish and no one gives a toss cause even Union people reckon they're f--ked come the World Cup.

To quote Laurie Daley - "Rugby League is a simple game played by simple men. Rugby Union is a complex game played by wankers."

 

[Megashark]

claimed the game had suffered from "a lack of progress" over the past three years.

Hmm.. I could have sworn it was longer than that. Say, perhaps, 100 years?

I think you'll find it's closer to 120 years. The breakdown area is still just as much as a dog's breakfast as it ever has been, with penalties galore. Scrums are constantly set and re-set, ad nauseaum. But perhaps the biggest blight of all on the game is the World Cup, which John O'Neill ironically saw as the catalyst for rugby union's biggest success in Australia. The World Cup has become the focus of the rugby-playing nations to the exclusion of all else, relegating regional competitions such as the Super 14 and even Tri Nations test series virtually to the status of selection trials. In NZ for example, the leading international players were withdrawn from the Super 14 competition for the first half on the competition to avoid the possibility of injury, and for the same reason France sent a second or even third string side to NZ for the current test series. The result has been a real decline of interest and enthusiasm for the game in NZ, where it has traditionally dominated the sporting landscape, and I imagine the effect in the other rugby-playing nations would be similar.

 

[peachey]

its like a version of league and afl put together... they like to kick balls and lay all over each other and cant even shoulder charge now what kind of game is that, lote shoulder charged someone = suspended for like 3 weeks

 

[Megashark]

AFL, soccer and Union can lick my ****ing balls. ****ing snooze fests.

Soccer I don't mind, AFL and Union I mostly cannot understand what is going on.

 

[WillyInBris]

It got me thinking what attendances are like etc in the coded anyway found this http://www.convictcreations.com/football/battlestats.html interesting to read the stats.

 

[Capital_Shark]

I think you'll find it's closer to 120 years. The breakdown area is still just as much as a dog's breakfast as it ever has been, with penalties galore. Scrums are constantly set and re-set, ad nauseaum. But perhaps the biggest blight of all on the game is the World Cup, which John O'Neill ironically saw as the catalyst for rugby union's biggest success in Australia. The World Cup has become the focus of the rugby-playing nations to the exclusion of all else, relegating regional competitions such as the Super 14 and even Tri Nations test series virtually to the status of selection trials. In NZ for example, the leading international players were withdrawn from the Super 14 competition for the first half on the competition to avoid the possibility of injury, and for the same reason France sent a second or even third string side to NZ for the current test series. The result has been a real decline of interest and enthusiasm for the game in NZ, where it has traditionally dominated the sporting landscape, and I imagine the effect in the other rugby-playing nations would be similar.

Good point Mega, you're right. Unfortunately at time League can be a little too much the other way, with UK clubs (and even some Aussie) clubs not allowing their players to take part in mid-season international fixtures. Its usually the Kiwi players though. What makes it even more unfortunate is it could be easily solved with some better planning, and we could in essence have the best of both worlds, club and country.

 

[Shiredad]

It was interesting to read some comments from Tommy Raudonikis about his thoughts on league at the moment - to paraphrase; "Learn to Scrum, and stay away from the hairdressers."

One interesting point he made though, is that there is no longer any sense of contest for the ball. I know you're all going to say ****ing **** my ****ing **** ***** to me, but honestly, that's what I personally enjoy about Union - contest for the ball.

What I hate about Union is refs who like the sound of their whistle, and refuse to just get on with the game, rather than re-setting the scrum 5 or 6 times. If it fails twice, give a free kick or tap and get on with it quickly.

I agree, some of the rules are a farce, and it's so hard to know where the boundaries are and how the ref will interpret the rules, but personally, I still enjoy it, and I'm entitled to my own opinion.

 

[Capital_Shark]

It was interesting to read some comments from Tommy Raudonikis about his thoughts on league at the moment - to paraphrase; "Learn to Scrum, and stay away from the hairdressers."

One interesting point he made though, is that there is no longer any sense of contest for the ball. I know you're all going to say ****ing **** my ****ing **** ***** to me, but honestly, that's what I personally enjoy about Union - contest for the ball.

What I hate about Union is refs who like the sound of their whistle, and refuse to just get on with the game, rather than re-setting the scrum 5 or 6 times. If it fails twice, give a free kick or tap and get on with it quickly.

I agree, some of the rules are a farce, and it's so hard to know where the boundaries are and how the ref will interpret the rules, but personally, I still enjoy it, and I'm entitled to my own opinion.

***ing **** my ****ing **** *****

I hope you remember what it means cause I got no clue!

Of course your entitled to your own opinion, just so you know though, if it differs from mine its wrong

 

[peachey]

thats all union jus, gay-fest they all jus lay over each other but when the ball gets out they jus kick it like AFL....

 

[Shiredad]

Think about it like this; if Rugby Union never existed, neither would Rugby League ever have.

 

[peachey]

now thanks to league union is disappearing..

the french team is so gayyyyyyyyyy

 

[Great White]

I think the game itself needs to change IMO, Rugby has become pretty boring to watch in the last 5 years or so. Not that I ever loved watching it, but it used to be a lot more free flowing etc back then.

 

[Shiredad]

Yeah, I agree.

They're running some new rules in the Toohey's New Shute Shield, and from what I've heard, it's a bit better.

And last saturday's game against Fiji was a cracker, only because Fiji's defense wasn't that great. Heaps more space for the aussies to throw the ball around a bit, some nice set plays.

And some ferocious rucks, real contesting for the ball sort of stuff.