Anyone here like Rugby League

shoppers · Post by **shoppers** » Mon May 07, 2007 3:23 pm

I love the sport, I find it very entertaining and have done such I was a kid growing up....oop North!

However, I have been a convert to Union since living in Leicester for over 25 years.

Put simply, the sports only have a passing similarity and its not comparing eggs with eggs in my opinion. So I don't see why you should berate League. All it does it further enhance the view of Union fans being narrow minded....which I know we're not!

If you don't like the sport, fine....don't watch it. But please don't slate it for those that do.

Wendys · Post by **Wendys** » Mon May 07, 2007 4:14 pm

Hi Shopper

I was not knocking RL, as I said I use to be a fan, and some of the players are terrific. Watching GB rugby league team is a great time (unfortunately never do well against Southern hemisphere teams). I also feel that it is a good way into rugby, as its not so complicated as union. I believe that you can support both codes.

I do feel sorry for the league as they do seem to loose some of their big names to the union side.

Watch out for Chris Ashton, he will be an excellent player, given a couple of seasons.

Keep watching both Shopper

Moose · Post by **Moose** » Mon May 07, 2007 5:23 pm

I occassionally watch it, but being a prop probably don't empathise enough with it to enjoy it...i guess i just find it a bit formulaic in that it's run/tackle/kick, and all the teams play in pretty much the same style as far as i'm aware, there's no variations with 'power play' like Tigers are good at utilising, no meaningful scrums or lineouts. Personally, i enjoy the set piece and forward play too much to really get into League.

POSTIGER · Post by **POSTIGER** » Mon May 07, 2007 5:54 pm

shoppers wrote:Put simply, the sports only have a passing similarity and its not comparing eggs with eggs in my opinion. So I don't see why you should berate League. All it does it further enhance the view of Union fans being narrow minded....which I know we're not!

If you don't like the sport, fine....don't watch it. But please don't slate it for those that do.

Totally agree with everything you have said there Shopper. I love both sports having played both at college(Union)and University (League and Union) and though the Tigers and union are my first love, league is great to watch and fantastic to play.

I don't really understand the comaprisons because they are two different sports they just share the same prefix! It's a bit like comparing Tennis and Badminton, on the surface they are very similar but they are totally unique sports.

I love the tactical game of Union, where kicking and scrummaging are paramount but then I enjoy the pace and excitement that you get with league. In my opinion Union is a more cerebral game but League is more dynamic and often more entertaining - I love them for totally different reasons!

And yes i played in the backs! Perhaps if I had been a gnarled prop I would feel differently!

redtiger · Post by **redtiger** » Mon May 07, 2007 6:29 pm

i'll watch a bit of st helens or wigan when they're on cause they're local ish. its just nowhere near as good as union tho

100%rugbygirl · Post by **100%rugbygirl** » Mon May 07, 2007 7:01 pm

Love rugby league. But as it has been said they are totally different sports. League is a fast flowing interesting game but union will always be closer to my heart.
I probably watch league more because my parents and family are from widnes and are keen chemics fans which has rubbed on to me!!

while we are on the topic - did anyone watch the millennium magic weekend on saturday and sunday? I was suprised by the number of supporters they got down but at like £5 a ticket for 3 matches it was good value for money, shame about the pitch cutting up though.

Goffer3404 · Post by **Goffer3404** » Mon May 07, 2007 8:26 pm

Two codes. Two sets of rules. Two games. Interesting the quality of transfer between the two. Davies did well, Robinson too. Farrell! Enjoy the both, but the overlap is slim.

westy154 · Post by **westy154** » Mon May 07, 2007 8:55 pm

I will watch any sport, as evidenced last week when I watched an entire game of netball on Sky Sports. My house mate comes from Leeds and is as 'League' as they come, but we both are also big fans of each others respective codes.

I'm Union through and through and would take our great sport over any other in the world. However I really enjoy League these days. It has it's limitations, but it is as enjoyable a sport as almost any other.

It aint as great as Rugby Union Football, but it is far in advance of Association Football, the dullest sport known to man.

Daveyboy · Post by **Daveyboy** » Mon May 07, 2007 10:37 pm

My county of birth (Leics) means that I had very little exposure to RL until later in life when I could afford Sky TV!

It is a different game to RU - similar, but different.

I enjoy it and there is no doubt that lessons have been learnt from RL (eg defence coaching). I like it less than RU because that is the game that grew up on.

But it is no less a game.
The detractors ought to try playing it sometime! ;o)

andy182 · Post by **andy182** » Mon May 07, 2007 10:48 pm

Just watched the highlights of the Bradford v Leeds game on BBC and he refered 99% of all decisions to the video ref. Can they not make their own decisions?!?!

The only try he didn't cost Bradford the game when it clearly wasn't a try! Madness. They are nearly as bad as some of the GP Refs!

tigerstotty · Post by **tigerstotty** » Tue May 08, 2007 2:04 pm

OK, now I'm gonna show my age!!

I was brought up on Rugby League, my grandad playing for Hull KR (the red & whites). Family was split as being "East Hullers" Hull KR, but father's family "West Huller", i.e. Hull FC.

I used to go to every match, home and away, up til about 20 years ago. I was at the legendary (in these parts anyway) Hull v Rovers (Hull Kingston Rovers that is) Wembley final in 1980, which we won of course.

Recently, went to my first league game for 20 years, the local derby, which unfortunately FC won - and being married to a "black and white" that made for quite an interesting weekend.

The passion of the two sets of supporters is unbelievable, the noise during that match was unrelenting and it didn't take too long (about 30 seconds I suppose) for me to get right into the spirit again!!

100% more exciting than football, IMO, but I should say that now, given the choice, I'd watch Union every time.

BTW, us red & whites got our revenge on Saturday - up the Robins!!!!

ALECW · Post by **ALECW** » Tue May 08, 2007 2:11 pm

Yes, Wakefield, bit like football though, take it or leave it. :o? :o? :o? :o? :o?

Dave Angel · Post by **Dave Angel** » Tue May 08, 2007 2:54 pm

I too am a "Rugby Leaguer" by birth who changed to Union in later life.

I still avidly watch League and even try to get to one or two live games a season if I can.

Had Tigers not been playing on Saturday I would definitely have been in Cardiff for the Millennium Magic day.

League & Union are completely different sports that just happen to share a few common rules & concepts.
It is true that some players have moved between the codes but that doesn't mean they are directly comparable.

Rugby players have also played county cricket (and some even International cricket!) and club football. Just because they share common ground doesn't make them the same. You may not realise it but Rugby League balls aren't even the same size & shape as Rugby Union ones!

The tennis/badminton comparison is a fantastic example!

League is more skillful than Union in some ways, and less skillful in others. Unless you properly watch matches in BOTH codes you will not be able to appreciate the high level of skill involved in the one you don't follow.

For fantastic rugby league in recent history, you shouldn't need to look any further than the St.Helens side of last season.

For all-time greatness, look no further than Wigan's 8 consecutive Challenge Cup titles between 87/88-94/95 and 7 consecutive league titles between 89/90-95/96.

westy154 · Post by **westy154** » Tue May 08, 2007 2:59 pm

andy182 wrote:Just watched the highlights of the Bradford v Leeds game on BBC and he refered 99% of all decisions to the video ref. Can they not make their own decisions?!?!

The only try he didn't cost Bradford the game when it clearly wasn't a try! Madness. They are nearly as bad as some of the GP Refs!

Som eof the RL referees are shocking for 'going upstairs'. I really hope the rules of union never change sufficiently to allow that many decisions to go to the TMO. I know they have to make the right choice, but they also need to have a bit of gumption about them.

Dave Angel · Post by **Dave Angel** » Tue May 08, 2007 3:57 pm

The difference between the use of TMOs in Union & League is that the TMO in League can look at a lot more and are therefore used more often.

Union TMOs can only rule on incdents that happen in-goal or directly affect the grounding.

League TMOs can rule on the same, but also on anything in the build-up to a try such as obstruction, offside, knock-ons etc. In Union, even if a TMO sees such an offence, they are not permitted to disallow a try because of it.

Therefore a Union ref will usually only go upstairs if he questions the grounding or touch-in-goal. A League ref will have far more scope for referring a decision upstairs and therefore does it much more often.

Leicester Tigers

Anyone here like Rugby League

Rugby league