Here here so do I they are representing our Country it doesn't matter whether its Rugby union or tiddlywinks if they pull on the shirt they should get the support, you don't have to watch it to support it.

Let's hope people are as patriotic this autumn when it comes to buying tickets for the 4 Nations.

Haha a contested rugby union scrum versus an absolute joke of a 'rugby league scrum' theres only one winner im afraid.

Our animosity with Union isn't based around the local clubs who are part of the community and have always welcomed RL lads, even when under strange new names. Its with the institution called the RFU who banned its players from setting foot in RU clubs should they try RL as an amateur for over 100 years, who controlled the Armed services for so long and universities, who now control the media and the ridiculous amounts of corporate income generated from financial institutions that not long ago were bailed out by you and I.
Thats why I will be supporting whoever England are playing because it will take a lot longer then 15 years for the scrotes to die off.

Yep, tell that to the viewing public in Australia/NZ who are switching off in droves over the gruntafest called the RU Scrum taking up some much gametime. Contested ? Only if one team has a significant advantage will you see them taken against the head.

The sports basic differences is that RU always claimed each tackle resulted in a contest for posession and that the game was much more strategic. This means you can have lots of stoppages for the fat blokes to have a breather before the next scrum/lineout and hence the sport has a position for all shapes and sizes, yet rule changes have made it difficult for teams not in posession to actually win it - and you will often see teams killing out the last few minutes with 35 plays going nowhere.

RL's biggest threat is itself - ably proven for over 100 years.

Two brilliant posts.

Agreed....to an extent!

There is a lot of faff around scrums in union....and sometimes, a particularly 'picky' ref can reduce it to near farce, as they go again, and again and again for various infringements......then award a penalty!!! For me they should have a 'three strikes' rule - third 'failed' scrum....immediate penalty to opposition.

As for the farce that is the 'scrum' in League these days....I despair!! If the sport has given up on the scrum (which they appear to have done years ago) - why not just admit it, and come up with a replacement. As I've said before on here - they might as well mark a circle in each quarter of the pitch, and when a 'scrum' is awarded, place the two packs in this circle (maybe even holding hands!!) while play is tap-restarted!!

Bring back the contested scrum in League is what I say!! Something to inflame the passions, and re-awaken the dormant skills of the scrum-half and hooker. Union scrums are about brawn, whereas league scrums were more about skill and cunning.....and an excuse for a bit of biff in a controlled environment!!

The RL scrum is a way of restarting play giving the team with the feed the space to potentially try something different, 99% of the time. The other 1% a team pushes and we all gasp in shock. Contested scrums have no role in todays 10m defence and speed of the game. Look how slow old games appear and how messy the scrum was eg 71 final etc compared to today, not saying better or worse btw as that is opinion or nostalgia.

Why is it only League fans need to tell everyone how much they hate Union? Why not Cricket or Tennis? When the Olympics start next year, will people be on here cheering on some bloke from Kazakstan in the hammer throw?

I don't mind a bit of Union. I'm not the biggest fan by any means, but I can appreciate the odd game and I definitely appreciate that it's a totally different sport to League.

If people are cheesed off about the fact that Union is stealing some of our top players, or because of the media exposure compared to league, direct your frustrations at the RFL. They've held RL back more than the RFU have.

As for scrums, both Union & League scrums are a farce. The only good thing about the League scrum is that it's usually over in 2 seconds.

How often do teams do anything different?

How often does the first receiver take the tackle and then we're back to normal?

Should be done away with completely, if they're not going to contest them.

But they can and do. Ours was the kick over for Turley after drawing up the FB, didnt HKR put a move on on Sat as the HT hooter went ?

Okay...

Union: Hate
Tennis: Indifferent, but I hate Wimbledon. They should wait until it's packed and fill it with water.
Cricket: like test and 1 one dayers, don't like twenty/20.
The Olympics: Like the stuff that isn't , like equestrian. Can easily watch Athletics, boxing, etc. Got into the Olympics due to being laid on a sofa for 4 weeks of them 3 years ago after a knee reconstruction, I genuinly think it saved my sanity...just.

I'll carry on...

Football: I can manage MOTD, but struggle with a full premiership game.
Golf: Like
F1: Like
Racing: Like jumps, not flat.

So 'Murray Mount' 'Henman Hill' and Cliff Richard piping up singing isn't irritating enough to make your teeth itch?

It's Leigh RU club I have a particular problem with, but that's for personal reasons. A RU club down in Bath saved my brothers holiday by turning The Open Golf off the telly to put the Northern Rail Final on for him.

Haha I think you just have to bite the bullet, walk into Leigh RUFC, awarded the title by CAMRA as the 'Club of the Year 2011' ask the landlady, politely, for a pint of the finest Real Ale in the North West that you can possibly imagine, then thats it, you'll be a rugby union fan.