Castleford beating Saints in the semi final

Regards

King James

Quote: Lebron James "Translation Rugby Union, If you must talk about it, do it here. PART III https://forums.rlfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=539828

Quote: Lebron James "Translation Rugby Union, If you must talk about it, do it here. PART III https://forums.rlfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=539828

Union internationals appear to be that type of event that people flock to irrespective of the product. A bit like the boat race, Henley regata, Wimbledon or a royal wedding. Also, when you do have a large crowd even a mediocre event can feel exciting. So rather than RU being a better international sport than RL I would put it down more to the lemming instincts of the middle upper classes.

Its a pity we cannot get these "lemmings" to watch RL in that case.

Perhaps more crowd shots on the big screen would attract the younger fans . It seems to go down well in Union but then again there is less time taken up in that game with on field action.

We could get Steve Price to adopt Joachim Low's scratch and sniff antics

Although nowhere near as stop start as say American Football and a bit of a generalization here, but, the Union fan does seem to be happy watching a break in play whilst their big guys trundle up for a line out, or reset a scrum for the fourth time as opposed to continual action? It's a reminder that they are watching mortals, not mere mortals like themselves and their endeavors for the second 15 following a night on the pop, it's them out there, but, a better version.

What grates me is that any prolonged breaks on TV are covered by slow-mo 'big hits', or close up's of forwards with steam coming off their broader than broad as can be shoulders so that we can all marvel at the improbability of it all...so brutal, so considered, so aspirational for the armchair fan. It's almost like the break in play which we may see as a negative is a positive in Union, it's a marketing opportunity.

This post isn't a slur on the Union, I've been a flanker a time, or two you won't be surprised to hear and have had a few great days out at Twickenham, obviously watching and quaffing Guinness by the bucket load, BTW it is a proper day out, but, as far as who has the better game is concerned give me RL every time.

We need to learn from and forget them at the same time and take the chips off our shoulders as our play stands up to scrutiny, we just need to maximize it's exposure IMO

I think marketing is the key to our shortcomings Rico & probably eliminating the meaningless scrums from probably 70 minutes of action. I know they take 12 players out of the game for a few minutes but they are a visual & uncontested anti climax to what could be 80 minutes of end to end struggle.
As for international Union my mind harks back to that 15 (?) minute scrum of a couple of years ago & how the game tends to be more of a showpiece of the referees pedantic authority than a spectacle for the onlooker.

You're speaking my language, silver2
However the "great and good" at Twickers has done it (to get people who have no interest in sport, to sit and watch their "product"icon_wink.gif, we should bottle it and keep it.

When I was still living at home with my parents in the 80s/90s, my dad would watch the rah-rah, and the crowd would be full of the Barbour jacket brigade. Blokes in their advancing years, and not a woman in sight.
Fast forward 20-30 years, and when sports news desks come on, the crowds are now made up of a lot younger age-group, and a lot of them women. Add to this,,
MILLIONS watching on TV. How have they done this? Simple. They've really SOLD their product. They've got into the minds of TV executives that the 6 Nation's REALLY matters.
Decades ago. It was just played on a Saturday afternoon. One game live, and 20odd mins highlights of the other game (depending where you were). Now, it takes over weekends, including prime time Saturday night slots. The RFU has got their marketeers out, and pushed it as "must see TV", just like the USA TV companies market their 8 week dramas as "events". If you're not watching, you're "missing out" because everyone else is tuned in.
People ARE lemmings. They do stuff because everyone else is doing it. They don't want to be seen as "not following the crowd".
In the days when I'd listen to that Gobdaw Chris Evans, he'd be on about 6Nation's games, for days on end, regardless of their quality. We need the RFL to get out there, and spread the word PROPERLY, 52 weeks of the year. Not just CC and GF weeks.

As I've said before. You play an average member of the public a previously unheard Ed Shearon record, but don't tell them it's him, they'll probably give you an honest opinion of it's "quality", Tell another load of people that it is Shearon, and the %age of people who say they like it, will be higher. I guarantee it. People like to "fit in", it's human nature (apart from cynical so'n'sos like myself).

Huge %ages of this country are gullible. They'll believe owt they're told.

The 20something union world cup has been announced its to be held in France.

Pound to a pinch of piddle they rock up with a sellout game in Perpignan, in the union stadium just down the road from Catalans home ground.

They won't miss a trick. ....

I’m wondering if the reason why League is struggling in England is very much to do with the attitude of the Australians to internationals. Cricket has the Ashes, Union has the Six Nations, Tennis has Wimbledon - where is League’s red-blooded focal point that sustains the domestic game? Yes we have the RLWC every four years but the impression I get is that it is just viewed as a contractual obligation by Australia. I’m not sure anything other than regular GB v Australia series can help League grow, and until Australia get interested in international fixtures we will lack the chance to really have a showpiece on the calendar to appeal to the casual sports fan and grow the game again

The timing of the RL world cup is not optimal as far as international sports go. Currently competing with Ashes Rugby Union Internationals F1 Season Finale 2 England Internationals against Germany and Brazil. Home nations football world cup qualifiers. We don't make it easy to get press coverage. Also my bugbear in the Rugby League tab on www.bbc.co.uk/sports disappears if you are not on an IP address in the North of England. We are buried on the 'All Sports' section along with darts, disability sports and gaelic games.

The timing of the RL world cup is not optimal as far as international sports go. Currently competing with Ashes Rugby Union Internationals F1 Season Finale 2 England Internationals against Germany and Brazil. Home nations football world cup qualifiers. We don't make it easy to get press coverage. Also my bugbear in the Rugby League tab on www.bbc.co.uk/sports disappears if you are not on an IP address in the North of England. We are buried on the 'All Sports' section along with darts, disability sports and gaelic games.

Didn't Roger Draper decamp to the RFL with the brief to raise the profile & marketing strategies of RL ? You would expect him to have some excellent media contacts following his time at the LTA unless he has been black balled by the establishment for coming up north.

Because due to the fact no one likes you, he's trying to politely shepherd you away from our board? I'm only guessing at this mind...

I'm not sure what it is makes you more irritating than other fans who use our board but you definitely are. maybe its the way you end every single post with "Regards, King James" just waiting for people to call you out on it so you know you've achieved your goal of winding someone up then act innocent as if you don't know what you're doing to fuel your strange need for a sense of Blasé fulfilment.