Quote: Last Son of Wigan "
1, Possession can be lost anywhere on the field with a turn over in the tackle, this creates a situation were field position is vital. To not lose the ball in your own half the team will have no other choice but to kick from their half to the opposition, the opposition then will be faced with the same predicament and have to kick back, thus resulting in a game were two teams kick the ball back and forth to each other-not entertaining rugby.
The 6 tackle rule protects the ball carrier allowing them to run with the ball making running/ball carrying the main source of attack. RL then constantly features the most exciting part of rugby, running with the ball in attack. '"
It is true games can revolve around kicking too much but good sides can secure possession (which is what RU is all about) without resorting to a kicking game.
The other side of the coin is sides can also tie up possession in the forwards with the backs not getting a look in.
My view is for RU to be attractive it requires the teams to almost agree not to play a percentage game.
RU types will argue a good forwards tussle and low scoring game is as entertaining as any other outcome. It is a forwards game at many levels. My son plays it and is a back and is far less involved than the those in the pack.
Quote: Last Son of Wigan "2, The point scoring system. In RU 3 points for a drop kick, 5 for a try. This creates a situation were several drop kicks can win you the game, its far easier and less entertaining to watch two teams kick for drops when they're down the other teams end. Pushing for a try is more entertaining, this is what happens in RL with 4 points for a try and only 1 for a drop. This allows the drop kick to become a last minute match winning move adding more excitement to the 1 point finish after nearly 80mins of two teams running the ball. '"
Agreed they should bite the bullet and drop the penalties to two points.
Quote: Last Son of Wigan "3, Fitness. A controversial point, but if a man has to do more running over an 80min period he has to be fitter. In league the game is non stop running with minimal kicking, RU has far less running action from the defense and attack. '"
As Jonh says, it's just different types of fitness required.
Quote: Last Son of Wigan "4, The ruck/maul area, difficult to see who has the ball, not entertaining rugby.
'"
The problem is not the ruck or the maul but what happens when it stops with a whistle. They form the inevitable scrum and it is another stoppage. Well executed rucks and mauls do not last forever but should be a prelude to getting the ball out and into play into later phases. What is also frustrating about this aspect of RU is watching the ball come out and then be taken back in again!
Quote: Last Son of Wigan "5, Penalties. In RU due to the nature of the ruck and maul we seed many knock ons then go un-counted for, a sport which contradicts the rules set in place to govern the sport. Forward passes are more 'relaxed'. '"
Unfortunately even since Cummings has been in charge we have changed rules in RL such that the ref must interpret them far more than in the past. I am not convinced RL is not as "clean" a game as it once was for clearly defined rules. Things do go unpunished in RU and the ultimate acknowledgement of that was when lifting in the line out was made legal to cut down the penalties.
Quote: Last Son of Wigan "Fundamentally if we look at the advent of TV and broadcasting in the UK we see the epi being London, public school boys from the south dominating the sport index pushing their 'rugger' as the rugby to hit the airways, granted RU has been around longer managing to build the sport globally forming a fantastic fan base while poor marketing and lack of funding kept 'working mans' RL in the north of England.
The marketing over the years in RL has seen many changes to compete and offer a different 'brand' to RU. SL, changing the names to a more NFL feel after the NRL changed suit. '"
Not sure what your point is here. RU has been the game of the establishment for decades but RL can blame itself for that in part with a poor approach to the international game.
Quote: Last Son of Wigan "But still today we see awesome internationals in RU, massive crowds all attending the 6 nations with a each country having a 'true' national team, whereas in stark contrast we see a RL WC fizzle without any true international bang. '"
They are big occasions but the RU international game is still dominated by a few teams in pretty much the same way RL is. The depth of the RU international game is almost as much of a PR exercise as RL's. Our biggest failing is not getting France as a competitive International side. The game just isn't big enough in Scotland or Ireland to make it sensible to compare. We should have a different slant on International competition and bring the French and PNG on more and have emerging nations competitions (we had one in one world cup and it was a great success which I guess is why we never repeated it!)
Quote: Last Son of Wigan "What I'd give to see a RL 6 nations, a RL WL with the magnitude of the RU WC. So to link back, to raise media attention by bringing over a Johnny Wikinson or an O'Driscoll would be a positive step, raise the profile and help develop the sport in such rugby loving countries as Ireland, Wales Italy and France. '"
It isn't going to happen and if it did I doubt it would have the effect you describe. It would be a blip in the sporting news.
I read in the Mirror 8 page pull out comments from Clare Balding that this year there is no RU world, cup, no major soccer championship and not a lot else going on team sport wise when the SL season is on. She was saying it was time for RL to take the chance to get itself in the shop window while the opportunity was there. Unfortunately I doubt anyone at RL HQ realised this was the case.
Unfortunately we are our own worst enemies.
Dave
