I like League - always have done even through it, like Union, has been destroyed by the lawmakers. Have always much preferred Union, however.
That is a matter of taste but my reason is that I find League too one dimensional.
The real reason for my post though is the thing that always make me laugh about fundamentalist League aficionados who say that their sport is 'better' because the ball is in play more: I just don't understand this assertion at all when the ball is typically in play for just 4 seconds before the whistle goes for a play-the-ball (formal restart) at which point there is a 5 - 7 second pause to prepare for a play-the-ball.
Rugby League
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Re: Rugby League
For when the One Great Scorer comes to write against your name,
He marks - not that you won or lost - but how you played the Game."
He marks - not that you won or lost - but how you played the Game."
Re: Rugby League
It's unsurprising that it's predominantly backs who come from League to Union - essentially there are no "Union" forwards in League - it's really 13 a side backs - no rucks, mauls, line-outs or proper scrums so there really is no place for Union props, hookers or locks. League forwards are really bigger backs who do the tackling and crash work - flanker-cum centre role.
Would a League coach be of great benefit? Depends on the coach as they would have to adapt their strategies significantly - it may be OK to run off in isolation in League because you get to keep the ball after the tackle - in Union you lose it. Similarly the pitch is more crowded.
You could say all coaches need to adapt as the game evolves anyway and if you can adapt from one code to the other you have gone a long way to demonstrating that you can cope with change. One might suggest that is also one of the Tigers' coaching issues - they haven't been at the forefront of change over the past few seasons and following rather than leading.
Would a League coach be of great benefit? Depends on the coach as they would have to adapt their strategies significantly - it may be OK to run off in isolation in League because you get to keep the ball after the tackle - in Union you lose it. Similarly the pitch is more crowded.
You could say all coaches need to adapt as the game evolves anyway and if you can adapt from one code to the other you have gone a long way to demonstrating that you can cope with change. One might suggest that is also one of the Tigers' coaching issues - they haven't been at the forefront of change over the past few seasons and following rather than leading.
Re: Rugby League
Tigers have previously had a League to Union convert in Gareth Raynor.
He failed to make the grade & was a complete disaster who returned to League as soon as he could.
Freddie Tuilagi came to us from League and was a success story but he was a Union player (and Samoa RU International) prior to joining St. Helens.
As others have said, League & Union are very differnet sports. Some players make the cross over from one to the other successfully...in both directions, but many more fail to make the grade & probably wish they'd stayed where they were to begin with.
Moving from League to Union is not the same as moving from Super Rugby to Premiership rugby.
Sean Long (St Helens & GB RL legend) is now playing for Preston Grasshoppers. OK he's at the very end of his career but my point is that not everyone who makes the move is a 'Jason Robinson' or a 'Lote Tuqiri'. Some are a 'Gareth Raynor' or a 'Barrie-Jon Mather'.
He failed to make the grade & was a complete disaster who returned to League as soon as he could.
Freddie Tuilagi came to us from League and was a success story but he was a Union player (and Samoa RU International) prior to joining St. Helens.
As others have said, League & Union are very differnet sports. Some players make the cross over from one to the other successfully...in both directions, but many more fail to make the grade & probably wish they'd stayed where they were to begin with.
Moving from League to Union is not the same as moving from Super Rugby to Premiership rugby.
Sean Long (St Helens & GB RL legend) is now playing for Preston Grasshoppers. OK he's at the very end of his career but my point is that not everyone who makes the move is a 'Jason Robinson' or a 'Lote Tuqiri'. Some are a 'Gareth Raynor' or a 'Barrie-Jon Mather'.