I wouldnt hold your breath.

I just happen to "prefer" to watch a faster more dynamic and skillfull version of the handling code thats all.

I dont mind the game of RU at all if there is nothing better to watch that is. Prefer it to Soccer or Cricket.

Yes you are right it wasn't his first game and he did look a quality player with one of the best side steps I have seen. He was victim to the thuggery that most RU stars had to put up with from average League players who were jealous of the signing on fees and were too dim to realise that these stars could help to bring them some of the benefits of success.

PS: Rees also played professional cricket for Glamorgan for more than 10 years and was an excellent fielder. He came on as a sub fielder at Headingley in a Test against Australia and caught a good catch off Fred Trueman.

Lighten up folks... it was a tonque in cheek quipe... hence the smilie.

apologies if it caused any offence.

Your right, RL and more so SL, have mostly removed competing directly for the ball but it is retained to some degree albeit indirectly by applying pressure and poor position to the opposition. Forcing the error now being the prescribed method and the very occasional ball steal one on one.

Yes the basic skills are similar and I agree RU is more of a strategic game played up and down the touch lines generally but for me its too pedestrian for large periods. That's just my personal view by the way.

I did like the Old Leo`s approach when on tour, according to my brother a life long member, they would instigate a NO KICKING rule....

Ken Dalby was our Maths teacher but he used to excuse us lessons if we were training.


LOVE this anecdote........
Oscar winner Colin Welland sums it up. He's at England v Oz semifinal 1991. Rob Andrew kicks a last minute drop goal and England win. Another in the Royal Box say " wouldn't you just love Rob Andrew in Rugby League, "
Colin..."and what the f%$k would we do with him for other 79 minutes"

Just kidding folks

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/25314912

www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/25314912

Union (much like football) is a sport where it's too easy for the inferior side to stifle the ambitions of the superior one by denying them possession and taking time out of the game. Something which it's much harder to do in League.

The main attraction for me with RL is that the attacking side can only go forward hence the game is more dynamic and fluid and there isn't the option of simply retaining possession to deny the opposition the ball as in soccer and to some extent RU

The problem with trying to retain the ball in union for the sole purpose of denying the opposition possession is that its impossible to keep that up for 80 minutes and unlike football you cannot switch that tactic on when you go one score up, all it takes is for a succession of two or three rucks to draw in all of your forwards to maintain the possession and hold up play for as long as you can and suddenly your defensive line is horribly exposed to a mistake and a switch of possession.

Its often been compared to a game of chess, you just need to understand the rules and be patient.

Good analogy

Yes RU is a game of Chess, complex rules, played tactically, some might say slowly, playing for position, the advantage ebbing and flowing, seeking to gradually pile on pressure, until the opposition collapses.

RL is a game of Checkers, straight forward rules, all positions going forward, often at pace, forcing positions until gaps are created, and the opponents line is breached.

What about Vickery at Hull

Up until this season though, it was easy for teams to retain possession and wind down halves/games when they were in the lead. I've seen plenty of examples of teams going through 14/15 phases of possession with nothing but pick and drives from the back of a ruck, each then taking 15-20 seconds to recycle the ball to the back again.

The changes for this season meaning that the ball has to be used as soon as it becomes available to the player at the back of the ruck will lessen that, but it won't stop teams playing what is in effect unlimited tackle league to wind down the clock.

Just don't get me started on scrums, and the complete inability of even elite referees to determine who and why a scrum might end up collapsing...

I was talking to a Yorkshire RU ref last week over a pint and this coming season he is going to explain the new scrum contact rules to the pack once then he will start to award penalties after the first offence.