Like others on here I have not watched a single minute of it. I think it has been going on for about four weeks and I honestly have not spoken to a single person who has either watched it or had the least bit of interest in it. Just can't understand why the "Dark Side" gets all the hype

The one thing League could learn from Union is the opportunity to compete for the ball more. In union there are loads of opportunities to win back possession from the other side, many of which can lead to potentially great attacking opportunities. In League the chances to compete for the ball are minimal and means that momentum has become a major part of the modern game rather than a more natural ebb and flow.

Cycles can go on for five minutes or even longer in union and the ball can go unseen for minutes. One on one ball steal and the turnover every six tackles will do for me.

Watched it at the gym this morning. Should've watched something else, nearly got off the cardio machines just to get away!

You are right in some of the things you say, but wrong about others. I wouldn't say RU is "middle class" (whatever that means in 2011), just go to Gloucester, Bristol or Northampton to see that, but I would say it has the widespread appeal that you talk about.

In the same way that many people will be "interested" in Wimbledon but never watch another tennis match in their life, many people who would never dream of watching a game of rugby, would happily go to the pub and make an occasion out of an international.

It's not the sport for knowledgeable supporters (I have been at Twickenham and even with my limited knowledge, have known about 10X as much as the average "fan"), but it does attract support and who are we to question what those supporters get out of it?

RL is, imo the greatest game on the planet, but take away the actual product on the pitch and you are left with a provincial, mainly Northern minority sport that 99% of the country would compare with Darts (or possibly slightly less important).

If we could somehow translate the product to proper marketing, then we could have a global game on our hands.

Sadly as long as the communists in Red Hall, and more than a few "whippet and clog wearers" on here have their way, it will remain a minority Northern sport, who hangs onto it's "working class" roots at the expense of expansion.

People say this but think about the days when league was full of union players, Offiah, Botica, Tuigimala,Scott Quinnell, Davies, Gibbs, Bateman, Devereux, Craig Innes, Michael O'Connor, Ricky Stuart, all of them union men. League was a more exciting game IMO back then and these were more exciting players than todays admittedly very fit athletes. Today I feel league has become a war of attrition, the whole business about winning the collision, getting a fast playtheball or slowing the opposition's playtheball is crucial to success, it's just league's version of 'dominating the ruck'.

League fans just slag off union because they think they have to and have chips on their shoulders but they should remember the great history of our game has been based on bringing through players from union. The total lack of respect being shown by some fans towards Gareth Thomas is a disgrace in my book - one of the greatest rugby players of his generation and a better winger over the last 10 years than any winger league has produced (in this hemisphere) except possibly Carney at his peak.

True about the union imports. If we're being honest, most of the threequarters from Australia, NZ, France, Wales and England would star in RL. As for the games themselves, well my 3-year old loves running around the lounge whilst 'football' (RL) is on TV (with a football and pretending to be tackled for the whole game), but walks away when the union is on.

As you rightly say, marketing is the key.... And thats where the numpties at Red Hall register a massive "Fail".

League fans just slag off union because they think they have to and have chips on their shoulders but they should remember the great history of our game has been based on bringing through players from union. The total lack of respect being shown by some fans towards Gareth Thomas is a disgrace in my book - one of the greatest rugby players of his generation and a better winger over the last 10 years than any winger league has produced (in this hemisphere) except possibly Carney at his peak.'"

A big mistake is to compare the players from both codes - its almost like religion - you get born into a certain code and that's why you are there. It is a credit to the game of rugby league that some of the games greats came from Union, were embraced and placed in the highest esteem. I would like to think that players who came from Union to league and made it were good enough to start with but ended up as much better players.

I don't buy into the "chip on the shoulder" theory. I can really understand how Union, to a League follower, is an illogical and messy sequence of plays punctuated by lots of stoppages and very little "rugby". The opportunities for the likes of Chris Ashton, Dan Carter, SBW etc seem too far and few between, considering how good these lads are and compared with how much ball they would get if they were playing League.

Interesting thread this.

For my sins, i watch quite a bit of union because as well as a league fan I am a sports fan at heart.

If you watch the tri nations or the super 14, you will see a lot of great rugby played, and there are some terrificly talented players playing rugby union.

However when it gets to the world cup, it is much like the football world cup, where it becomes incredibly cagy , and the teams are petrified of taking any risks whatsoever.

My main criticisms of union are

1) rewarded for kicking into touch
2) time wasted at scrums and lineouts is just laughable
3) killing the game with a few mins to ago is ridiculously easy