Any Rugby League fans out there?

[test_recordings]

Seen Leeds Rhinos a few times.

Still think union's better

[Molzie]

hey Molzie
how did you bugup yourself 388 times?

[Dystinkt]

Bradford Bulls, although the way things are were probably gonna totally fuck over

[nousd]

Seen Leeds Rhinos a few times. Still think union's better

I preferred playing League cos it's less chaotic and easier to know your role and participate fully
but for the same reason Union's usually better to watch cos it's less predictable and depends more on a team effort.

Union defence has been improved over the last few decades or so by League defence coaches being used
(I think first by SA Stormers)
so there's not the discepancy in technique anymore...League tackling used to be much harder than Union's

Union's also adopted League's chip kicks and corner kicks more
and guys like Kurtley Beale have brought Joey John's banana kicks into Union
whereas League in Oz has long used NZ place kick coaches.

Both games can be pretty boring though.
League needs imaginative skilled halves to avoid 6-tackle-sets-then-kick marathons.
State of Origin rarely descends into this bash and barge monotony.
And Union needs referees keeping the flow going without allowing Crusaders-like cheating
(blocking opponents, lying on the ball, diving into mauls etc)
nor holding up scrum outcomes for boring minutes with totally random penalties.

There's s'posed to be a match between rep league & union teams in Britain later this year...should be interesting.

[Molzie]

you best not be talking shit about the crusaders



I think it's safe to say both codes are better than AFL

[Shum]

AFL is so weird. super fun to play though.

[nousd]

The best thing about Aussie Rules is
during quarter time breaks, particularly in little country towns,
everybody goes out onto the field and surrounds their team,
listens to the coaches instructions in silence,
then traipse off to watch the impact.

In League, the mob'd be giving the team gratuitous advice and fighting each other
and in Union the reserve graders would be so pissed by then, they wouldn't make it out to the middle.

And Rules players are sooo fit...like physically fit, stamina and all that.

[Intrigued]

I've played both, and imo League is the tougher sport.

I suppose both sets of fans argue who has the faster game but I could think of nothing worse then line-outs, repeated kicks at goals and kicks in play. There's just no structure to the game at all.

Of course, each to their own....and I am a Northerner!

[nousd]

with some reservation,
I agree
basically cos League's more one on one
If some big bopper runs over yu in League you're pissweak
in Union, you've got more backup from loose forwards.

[Sexual_Chocolate]

good guess Nev...breakaway in U, lock in L...best posies for tackling eh?
what about you...rangey fullback?

Lock. loved it. first person there in the fights haha.

no its him

[Molzie]

I was a lock too and hated it. Always wanted to be an openside but because of my height I was forced into locking.

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Rugby-No ... s-20140408

[nousd]

this explains a lot

[Shum]

Sod playing in the forwards lol.

[nousd]

re the Anzac test on Saturday:
beware the written-off under-strength kiwis

[Molzie]

We'll be competitive for the first 15 mins

Who are the tahs playing this weekend?

[nousd]

Canes (pronounced "Cans" to avoid American cultural influence)
who've finally come good.
Prob going to league test tonight
and, particularly if it's really cold, wet & windy,
(so Sydneysiders won't go & Wello fans will dominate)
to Tahs/Cans tomorrow.
Same venue, the old Sports Ground a la Allianz.

[Molzie]

Canes or the tahs to win it this year

Maybe brumbies

Probably saders

[nousd]

Hope so.
Maybe not.
Hope not.

Didn't get to League...proceeded as I expected with beautiful backline moves winning it for Roos.
Did get to Union...Tahs made a good start but then stopped tackling & started fumbling...Falau is NOT the god the Sydney press makes out.
But then, after the crowd had laughed and shaken its heads, a miracle happened...
NSW kept running the ball (Hooper was brilliant but they all had a go)
Conrad Smith & Hurricane outside backs began worrying
and the Tahs came from behind and won!
Would be a worthy grand final.

[ehbes]

US is gonna be playing NZ in november. i'll be counting to see how many of our players get decapitated

[nousd]

presume you mean Union?
Eagles are doing OK lately
but need to beat Canada regularly with cohesive forward play
to go the next step imo

if you mean League,
yeah, you'd be slaughtered
even if you put on a top gridiron team
not for lack of skills or strength but lack of stamina

did you see the London Sevens final...fitness won against guile