paterson says magners is better than the premiership!

captain_insaino · Post by **captain_insaino** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:36 pm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/7510444.stm
what an idiot. hes only saying this because he couldn't cut at gloucester which is one of the best teams in the premiership

bc · Post by bc » Wed Jul 16, 2008 9:50 pm

I agree, it sounds very much like sour grapes to me.

I expect we will here big Jim Hamilton saying the same thing in a few months time. Another one who never really cut it at this level.

Bill W · Post by **Bill W** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:02 pm

Is this a joke?

In terms of attendancies, sponsorship, TV audiencies? What pray are the criteria?

Of course it is a joke. Because that describes the Magners League perfectly.

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:11 pm

No relegation in the Magners League - the bottom team faces the prospect of permanent elimination, especially if it is Welsh.

Bill W · Post by **Bill W** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:16 pm

Then let them all finish bottom regardless of their religion or secual preferences!!!

Daveyboy · Post by **Daveyboy** » Wed Jul 16, 2008 10:18 pm

Sounds like he is desperately trying to "Big" himself up.

big john · Post by **big john** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 8:02 am

Right before you all think i am mad please read on it makes sense in the end.

I think he may have a point in what he has said but maybe not the one he tried to make, We all know the ML is a joke with not sides going down and very weak teams some weeks BUT with this you get a "better" game for fans as the defence is weaker so they get to see more run rugby and more try's scored so maybe yes its better for the NEW fans coming to rugby and that is what the sport needs to grow is fans.

So maybe with it being a weaker league it has become more fun for the slowly growing fan base but for the true and pure fans the GP is still way above, i just hope that the GP can keep getting more fans in to keep the game growing.

westy154 · Post by **westy154** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 9:15 am

I normally watch the Friday night game on BBC2 Wales. Crowds aren't interested, the basic level of skill is often poor and the intensity is more often than not lacking.

You sometimes get bad games in the Prem, but nowhere near as many or as frequent as the Magners in my experience.

In fact, it is such a silly prospect I don't rightly know why I am even bothering to respond?

Chobbsy · Post by **Chobbsy** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 9:38 am

Bill W wrote:Is this a joke?

In terms of attendancies, sponsorship, TV audiencies? What pray are the criteria?

Of course it is a joke. Because that describes the Magners League perfectly.

Not to mention they are not club sides but provincals and most of the time they are seconds side because they don't play their HC players during the season

Kinoulton · Post by **Kinoulton** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 9:49 am

The comment is obviously daft, but the responses here are a bit harsh. If the ML is full of "easy" games then this isn't reflected in the distribution of points.

Last season, the spread of points in the ML went:
61 56 48 48 46 39 37 34 29 24

Average points 42. The middle six teams all finished within 20% of that. Two were more than 20% over the mean and two were over 20% below it.

GP:
74 70 69 64 63 63 59 52 37 36 34 12
Average points 53. Only 5 teams finished within 20% of than mean, with 3 teams well over it and 4 well under it.

Also the GP shows a massive 15 point gap between 8th and 9th and a rather ridiculous 22 point gap between 11th an 12th.

No such chasms appear in the ML.

Only stats, of course.

dailywaffle · Post by **dailywaffle** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 10:15 am

Whatever the stats may or may not show, I know that the ML rugby I watch is less intense and less structured than GP rugby, very often with second teams being fielded by the away side.

Anyone who is suggesting that ML rugby is better than GP rugby is having a laugh, or is playing up to their sponsor. I see Magners sponsor both Edinburgh and their league.

fallingwithstyle · Post by **fallingwithstyle** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 1:11 pm

I agree with the comments made here - the ML is infinitely less interesting than the Premiership.

A side issue though is how Glawster screwed up with a guy fresh from being one of the top guys at the World Cup. They keep buying in more and more players yet still win nothing. Maybe they should curb the bad feeling and cliques within their camp then the likes of Patterson won't need to relapse into sour grapes.

shedhead1 · Post by **shedhead1** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 4:03 pm

fallingwithstyle wrote:I agree with the comments made here - the ML is infinitely less interesting than the Premiership.

A side issue though is how Glawster screwed up with a guy fresh from being one of the top guys at the World Cup. They keep buying in more and more players yet still win nothing. Maybe they should curb the bad feeling and cliques within their camp then the likes of Patterson won't need to relapse into sour grapes.

Shedhead 1 here:
No, its called earning your place. He will have known this before coming to Gloucester.Thats why we play a superb mix of young and old. Prove your up to the challenge in a Gloucester shirt and keep your place.

Regards
Bob

tigerfeet13 · Post by **tigerfeet13** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 6:44 pm

I'm sure Paterson is expecting to be an automatic choice for Edinburgh.

I'm also sure Paterson was expecting to be an automatic choice for Gloucester.

He couldn't cut it at Glos in the much more competitive GP and the fact that both Paterson and Jim Hamilton are both picked for Scotland when they were both fringe players in the GP says volumes about the lack of quality players available to Scotland.

Yes Magners League games are often quite exciting because they are freuently high scoring but some of the defensive play is a joke and the skill levels from a lot of the clubs leaves a lot to be desired.

I know Munster won the HC last year (they Prize Europe far higher than the ML) but just look at the number of 1/4 and Semi Finalists from the GP and ML over the past few years.

Jim__2 · Post by **Jim__2** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 8:38 pm

CP is a muppet.. Simple as.

He's rarely started for Gloucster!

The comment he made that the ML is better than the GP is rubbish. It's a matter of preferance. The GP is a tighter competition where the likes of Worcester has the capability of beating teams like Tigers or Wasps. The teams are usually stronger aswell because of the relegation system. But the ML is a lot faster.

ML teams have that security of being in the league despite playing poorly. Because there is no relegation. Without relegation, teams in the ML are more likely to concentrate on the HC and teams like Leinster and Munster putting out weaker teams in ML games.

All weaker teams in the GP have the capability of beating stronger teams. Like Worcester playing Tigers.

All weaker teams in the ML do not have the capability of beating the stronger teams. You don't see Connacht beating Munster or Leinster do you?