The Rocket

I agree ` League Tag `name sounds good, it is short, to the point and punchy. And of course you can then add either Mens or womens in front. Played on the full size pitch would really show case the athleticism of those involved and I think you need the full size pitch if it is going to be played at a WC, otherwise it runs the risk of potentially looking like pre match entertainment. There is nothing like one player running flat out being pursued by another running flat out that a full length pitch provides, that really gets a crowd on its feet. A shorter field is often just a dash to the line. It has to be taken seriously at this level. And it should be if we are talking about the best from every country that has qualified. I really like the idea with League Tag that we keep all the elements that make RL, the lot, bar the tackle. An added bonus is that we can keep the ` fend `, now whether it would have to be kept to the all parts of the body bar the head I am not sure, personally a palm directly on to the nose as someone is reaching for your Tag would ad that bit of physicality that could give the whole thing more cred. I always thought that a broken nose is a badge of honour in ex-Leagies. Don`t know though how attractive I would find a chick with a broken nose though. The ladies probably feel the same way. LOL. I really feel like we are on to something with this version of the game, it would be such a great advert for the full tackle version and the code in general. Countries sending players from non league nations will get serious League exposure. Something that may expand the game back home. One other quick point, my impression always was that Tag was developed because there was too many disputes in touch over whether some one was `touched` or not, you know what I mean, `I got you!` `no you didn`t` `Yes I did` etc. I can remember people in each others faces over this, and the higher the stakes the more the disputes. I am happy to report that the `Ready4Rugby` has not eliminated the touch, in order to rid itself of the play the ball and maintain continuity while distancing itself from league they have `play on ` after the first touch. Stop, and a sort of bizarre throw the ball in the air to yourself and compulsory pass after the second touch. It is called a phase and you get two of them before a compulsory handover, dangerously close to a set. And as long as there is `touch` in involved there will always be trouble. MrOriginalC`s concerns may be allayed perhaps if the alternative, like union is slightly ridiculous, and if union fans want to play something for fun or fitness on a week night a TTRL sport , like they are now doing anyway may be their best option, may be too if the League thing is not overdone in areas where there may be sensitivities. The only small concern of course with Tag is the cost of the Tag gear itself, I don`t think it would be exorbitant , you could put advertising on those Tags anyway. I will leave it there for the moment even though I haven`t addressed the point about what name to consider for a shortened version. But this an extremely long post any way and don`t want to overdo it. Will speak soon.

Let us know how it goes.

You are a cheeky ######, nice juxtaposition. Yes, and tomorrow we will wrap this TTRL thread up. I think all we now is to decide what version of TTRL would be best for a World Cup. I like the Ladies Tag League you described, but we would need to think of a better name and then be able to refer to it as Womens and Mens. I think I can safely assume you are familiar with `Clancy of The Overflow`, there are some very beautiful images and sentiments described in that poem. Someone on here asked what is exactly the Australian Bush and that poem sprang to mind. Better than the Jolly Swagman. I`m done.

Now SP, you have become just one big barrel of laughs lately. Ever since that stoush with Dunbar, do not let these pommies get under your skin mate. They are different to us, genetically of course we are all identical, we can trace our family back to 1350 in Suffolk, but something happens when you leave the place, you can hear it in the optimism in a lot of the Canadian posters. And everyone knows the Brits can`t stand that gushing enthusiasm of the Yanks. But of course there is something special about that little island and its people. `This Royal throne of Kings, this sceptred isle/.....this other Eden/........this little world/ this precious stone set in the silver sea.` Sorry mate, I should never post over here after 10.

You have got me stumped , there is not a link with` I come from a land down under ` that I do not know about. And by the way I deliberately misquoted Mr. Bennet, I was trying to make it sound a little more contemporary. Not everyone has your grasp of the language U.P.

I had written him a letter, for the want of, knowledge better,

He`s a poet, and he doesn`t know it.

I did not post last night Pedant because it all seemed a bit frivolous given what is going on, however I know that being morbid is not going to help. I did spend my evening doing a little bit of Google searching and found out a couple of things that may be of interest. The TryTagRugby site, yes they should change their name immediately and the fact that I refer to it as TTRL has been more an instinctual thing for me. Similar to the reaction of the Australian TryTag rugby teams you mentioned in a previous post, here the word rugby has completely different connotations. Getting back to what I was saying, the TryTag Rugby sites does have listed as its major partners the RFL and the International Tag Football Federation, ITFF, with a direct link to their home pages and vice versa. The ITFF has a picture of Bill Harrigan, although it does not say what he does, and also mentions Jeff Hardy, ex St. George and Illawarra Steeler. I suggest at least the NRL are running the show or at least up to their necks in it. Good news. Like you noted their previous three WCs in the southern hemisphere do not mention the word `rugby` in their title, however neither is League. Tag WC, OzTag WC & Tag Football WC. Not such an issue down here where League is entrenched, but unlike Ireland where TTRL WC would have more impact. Anyway now what I hope is some good news. When I searched the RFU and the England Rugby websites I could find no link to or mention of TTRL competitions. Instead I found a promotion for `Ready4Rugby` apparently a union alternative. Featuring a half hearted endorsement by League loving Eddie Jones. Have they abandoned the battlefield ? The troops may still be there but the generals have fled. My God this would seem like a major victory for Rugby League. It is imperative we must strike. The insertion of that key word at a time of such vulnerability could penetrate like a lance and perhaps be that small victory that signifies a changing of fortunes. The inclusion then in our World Cup would ram home the advantage. It seems like good news to me , the field lies open, we must advance.

It could work, my first thoughts were they wouldn`t touch it with a barge pole because of the strong union links that a lot of the teams would have, but when, as above, you consider it from a players perspective, the opportunity to play in a real WC, not a Tag/Touch WC, but one with real meat on its bones, culminating in a final potentially played at somewhere like Old Trafford. As you say "eye teeth". And if, like you said, we treated those TTR organisations with respect, i.e. equals, by having the RLIF offer them a formal invitation to compete in our WC. They could have a revolt on their hands if they said no. Either way the inclusion of TTRL in our WC would certainly make a lot of players of those versions of the sport sit up and maybe even start to lobby their admin bodies about why can`t we be part of that next time. So many exciting possibilities Irish, sometimes it seems like we just need someone to grab our sport by the scruff of the neck to really realise its full potential.

But do we even need them or their imprimatur? I agree we need to keep the names so that the comparison is continually made with any union rival and to remind all who`s game they are playing, or do we? I worry that creating some new name may end up sounding like and being viewed as some funny little offshoot . Again.

I think that is why we would have to go for the killer blow and put in the WC. WheelChair Cup Final, followed by the Final of the Men`s and Womens TTRL , and then of course the Mens and Womens Rugby League Cup Finals. The union can`t do that, surely a game simulating League in their big tournament would be a bridge too far, they can not offer it that prestige. Any way you live there, I do not, probably too much sun down here, you lose perspective.

You have made this assertion elsewhere with equal force and it is one that I have certainly agreed with for quite a while myself. Yet it seems often to be the dirty little secret that no true League loyalist would ever utter in public or even admit to. Yet in this era of declining birthrates, the consequent smaller families and the resultant over protective parenting as anxious mums and dads protect their diminished broods it is no wonder that parents are directing their only son or daughter into perceived less physical past times.( Chad Townsend is not helping things however). I witnessed a boy form an aspirational local family recently be made to wear headgear and a mouth guard while playing soccer. Poor kid, thank goodness he threw them away after about 20 minutes. Not much chance of him playing League though without full body armour. But getting back to your original point, your point is an astute one. And echoes a similar response that I was formulating for articchris, in regards his observation re: Kalyn Ponga and Shaun Johnson. My thought was that if there were sufficient numbers in TTRL then it would be very likely League talent scouts or even just local league coaches or their associates would be keeping a close eye on the talent in those formats . Ready to tap some kid on the shoulder and say "you interested in coming over and having a run with the u16`s". One of my proudest moments in sport was when our primary school rep team was short and the coach came to my year 5 class and in front of the class said Rocket " do you think you can play fullback for us this arvo ?". I dropped everything and walked out of that room feeling like the real Rocket. The story I heard regards Brian Fletcher ,Roosters, NSW and OZ star was similar, happy just playing `park` footy with his mates, spotted by a talent scout, convinced to give it a go and the rest is history. Yes , I think you are right It could be another way of easing people into the game.

You should, because I think " the somebody on these page(who) recently referred..." was yourself. Your previous references to Ireland and the lack of profile League has in that nation , despite the popularity of TTRL forms of the game, was certainly something I had in mind when thinking about their World Cup participation in one of these forms of the game. Even the process of selecting a national team, with so many competitions obviously having no League affiliation, yet wanting to select the very best players, may involve treading on a few union toes. However the enticement of playing in high profile RLWC, and possibly representing your nation in front of 50 000 at Old Trafford ( is that where the WC final will be held?)as the introductory game and Final in itself, before the Womens and Mens World Cup Finals, would surely tempt any prospective code-hopper. And I would be very surprised, if for example an Irish TTRL team made it deep into the tournament, that it would not garner a fair amount of publicity back home and attract more than a few eyeballs if not even attendees. If not devotees. This scenario I would like to think would apply to any country where League plays second fiddle to union yet where the non-contact version of our sport is popular.

Funny thing that, my brother-in-law played league all through his youth and into his twenties until it became a bit too demanding, especially having to go to work every day. He took up union and it was quite funny because he was slaying them, despite only ever being a run-of-the mill Leaguie. Since he hit his 40`s he now plays soccer. This only highlights the need we have in providing something like what you described above to keep them in the game especially when they are introducing their own children into sport. His son, my nephew, now plays union. He is a stocky little fellow and they play him on the wing, every time I see him I say " there is money in halfbacks", because he is an intelligent little fellow and I reckon he would make a pretty good little organising League halfback. There is an excellent post by Unapologetic Pedant at the bottom of page three ` Growth of the Game` thread describing the various varieties of TTRL and their suitability for different scenarios.

Every point you blokes make are legitimate reasons why this version of the sport should be considered part of the Rugby League family. Like it or not RL is a physically demanding sport where not everyone can participate in the full contact version, it should not reduce their right to participate in a fully fledged and affiliated version of the sport . What other business would let their product be sold under a different name and not take advantage of having developed that product. Because that is what we are effectively doing by not reaping the rewards of a very popular offshoot of our product.

But we have to have TTRL unquestionably associated with Rugby League to gain full value from it. By having a version of it at our WC would allow us to claim it as our own. Especially with countries competing to send their best team to the Rugby League World Cup. In OZ the figures in 2019 were 170 000 registered contact RL players, 680 000 playing non-contact versions. I bet those proportions are the same everywhere. We have to change the public perceptions of origins of TTRL.

Somebody on these pages recently referred to " both the contact and the non-contact versions of Rugby League". For the sake of the game TTRL must be claimed under the Rugby League banner world wide. There can be no doubt that these versions of the code are unequivocally RL orientated. TTRL should be a part of the Rugby League World Cup as soon as 2025. With 16 of the worlds best mens and womens teams representing their home nations. If the other code reciprocates it will only highlight to all who watch how much TTR is more like our game than theirs. It is important as a code that we send a message to players of TTR world wide, no matter what code their allegiance is with, the sport they play every week is born from Rugby League. Henceforth TTR playing numbers, no matter what their allegiance, should be included in Rugby League participation numbers. It must be recognised there are two versions of our code. The contact and the non-contact version. For too long we have allowed this variation of the game to be hijacked by union. By including it in our World Cup it will be a bold statement staking our rightful claim to be the originator of these forms of the sport. An added advantage is that companies and potential sponsors may start to view it the same way.

Totally agree, when I saw him in the WCC I couldn`t wait to see him come over here and do the same thing. On TV on the weekend I forgot he was out there until I saw him in the huddle after a try. I really expected him to be like how you describe in your second sentence in the Adrian Morley mould.

You beat me to it, the poms are having a field day tonight.

I`m an Aussie and believe me from what I`ve seen of him he has definitely added to Canberra`s game. Even Bateman`s great overhead pass on the previous weekend was preceded by Williams darting back and forth across in front of the defence although he got no credit for the uncertainty that he created in the defensive line from the commentary team.

I thought Leigh won that debate on that other thread (through sheer attrition ) and thereby gained promotion.

Had to google that. Hedgehogs and echidnas, Brits and Aussies, cousins. Okay mate, good luck with your season restart.

I saw an echidna, creature a bit like your hedgehog, about 5 years ago. I was about 40km out of town and there it was wandering across the road. Always make me glad because If you see one it usually means there are more around.

Post from OZ, Saw a Black-Necked Stork in a swampy area I have fenced off to keep the cattle out. Probably seen about ~8 over the last 15 years. Magnificent creature. It was very shy and flew away soon as I appeared, it circled and returned to the same area , unfortunately I was working in the area and it flew off again. There was other smaller storks in the swamp who weren`t concerned by my presence nearby. They can have a wingspan of up to 2m`s, this one was probably 1.5m`s.

I watched the highlights of the Digicel Cup the other day and If Pacific Treize can start throwing up talented footballers like those on show, should be really good news for French League.