How has Rugby League changed over the past decade?

[Oliver Clothesoff]

Saw an article on the BBC asking the same question but for Football and it got me thinking about what has changed in Rugby League over the past ten years and was wondering on others’ thoughts on the matter. 

[aj1908]

yes for the worse.  wrestling being the biggest blight on the game.

getting rid of the shoulder charge another one.

in the nrl more mistakes are the two refs and the bunker.

banning punching from games.

the physical aspect of the game has been watered down.

[Dunbar]

9 minutes ago, aj1908 said:

yes for the worse.  wrestling being the biggest blight on the game.

getting rid of the shoulder charge another one.

in the nrl more mistakes are the two refs and the bunker.

banning punching from games.

the physical aspect of the game has been watered down.

When did we allow punching?

[aj1908]

14 minutes ago, Dunbar said:

When did we allow punching?

 

 

[Oliver Clothesoff]

The advancement in social media has had a mixed effect on the game. News is accessible in seconds and can be broadcast the world over at the click of a button so keeping up with news, scores etc has never been easier. That said, online abuse and players being pictured/videoed doing certain things has had a negative effect. 

 

[LR23]

2 minutes ago, Oliver Clothesoff said:

The advancement in social media has had a mixed effect on the game. News is accessible in seconds and can be broadcast the world over at the click of a button so keeping up with news, scores etc has never been easier. That said, online abuse and players being pictured/videoed doing certain things has had a negative effect. 

 

We've not really taken advantage of social media as a sport although this season it did get a little better.

[Wigan Riversider]

42 minutes ago, aj1908 said:

 

 

Apparently Terry's wife punched harder than Gorden

[Damien]

1 hour ago, aj1908 said:

 

 

They were both sin binned so it wasn't 'allowed' then.

[aj1908]

13 minutes ago, Damien said:

They were both sin binned so it wasn't 'allowed' then.

I can post loads of videos where punching was allowed lol I did that one for the lols 

The Nrl.had a policy that only the third man in a fight got sin.binned.

The no punching rule came.about after Paul gallen smashed mate Myles in an origin game 

Then Cameron Smith went on nrl360 and had a.sook about how unfair it was so.they brought in the ban.  

[fighting irish]

a sook? ha ha ha I love it. 

[Celtic Roosters]

It's more about money.

[DC77]

3 hours ago, aj1908 said:

yes for the worse.  wrestling being the biggest blight on the game.

getting rid of the shoulder charge another one.

in the nrl more mistakes are the two refs and the bunker.

banning punching from games.

the physical aspect of the game has been watered down.

You Australian? 

I think one of the worst things to happen rugby league in the UK is adopting the more brutal Australian aspect of the sport, wrestling being the main curse. The previously free flowing, creative British game is unrecognisable today, with the more attritional, less eye catching Aussie game played here. 

What works in Australia does not work here. Aussie rules, the most Australian of sports, is a symbol of the Aussie sporting mentality. They love confrontation, fists flying, and in rugby league’s case, “bring back the biff”. 

 

I think if rugby league is to gain back some of the lost interest in the UK the sport needs to go back to being more British. The Shaun Wanes of the world play a very Australian game...risk averse, physical, attritional, five drives, and wear down the opposition. Its effective, but ugly, and limited in appeal here (ironically enough his gutless thug player Ben Flower’s punch on the fella who was already out cold went viral, although it had nothing to do with the sport rather the assault itself). Bennett, this god of Aussie rugby league, has made England/GB unwatchable. More defensively solid yes,  but like watching paint dry. The 2017 RLWC was an 80 minute arm wrestle. The tests under him are an abomination.

Less Australian, more British, and the sport will start to regain some of it’s lost support.

 

[Tex Evans Thigh]

1 hour ago, DC77 said:

You Australian? 

I think one of the worst things to happen rugby league in the UK is adopting the more brutal Australian aspect of the sport, wrestling being the main curse. The previously free flowing, creative British game is unrecognisable today, with the more attritional, less eye catching Aussie game played here. 

What works in Australia does not work here. Aussie rules, the most Australian of sports, is a symbol of the Aussie sporting mentality. They love confrontation, fists flying, and in rugby league’s case, “bring back the biff”. 

 

I think if rugby league is to gain back some of the lost interest in the UK the sport needs to go back to being more British. The Shaun Wanes of the world play a very Australian game...risk averse, physical, attritional, five drives, and wear down the opposition. Its effective, but ugly, and limited in appeal here (ironically enough his gutless thug player Ben Flower’s punch on the fella who was already out cold went viral, although it had nothing to do with the sport rather the assault itself). Bennett, this god of Aussie rugby league, has made England/GB unwatchable. More defensively solid yes,  but like watching paint dry. The 2017 RLWC was an 80 minute arm wrestle. The tests under him are an abomination.

Less Australian, more British, and the sport will start to regain some of it’s lost support.

 

Also...Get Brexit Done!

[Futtocks]

I know there'll be plenty of negativity posted, so here's an early attempt to add balance.

Over the past decade, we've seen growth internationally, most noticeably with the rise of Tonga*. Yes, there have been setbacks, what with Greece and the whole phoney "World RL" (or whatever they called themselves) scam. The overall direction, however, is up. The spread of the game in South-Eastern Europe and Latin America, for instance.

*plus the singing fans. Holy mackerel, the singing!

The entrance of the PNG Hunters and the decision to do the same for the Fijians is a great plus.

There is more RL to watch free of charge than ever before, thanks to live streams. The BBC have raised their game in both quality and quantity. As for pay TV, the NRL Live Pass gives you absolutely every match, without the usual Sky Sports practice of cutting to a RU promo the moment the final hooter goes (and sometimes before).

Other forms of the game (PDRL, Wheelchair RL, Women's RL, Nines) have found their place as part of a more joined-up sport.

Mal Meninga's glorious political career.

Toronto came along with the most off-the-wall proposal anyone in the game had heard since the days of Mike Dimitro and the U.S.All-Stars. Then they made it work! 

Salford went from the edge of oblivion to Old Trafford, and entertained plenty of neutrals along the way. Hull FC broke their long-standing Wembley duck, as did Catalans with their less long-standing duckling. 

No international trophies for England, but some superb and gripping encounters.

And an astute Workington Town signing from the Eighties paid off in the World Cup. Okay, it was the Cricket World Cup, but it was awesome anyway.

[EssexRL]

36 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

I know there'll be plenty of negativity posted, so here's an early attempt to add balance.

Over the past decade, we've seen growth internationally, most noticeably with the rise of Tonga*. Yes, there have been setbacks, what with Greece and the whole phoney "World RL" (or whatever they called themselves) scam. The overall direction, however, is up. The spread of the game in South-Eastern Europe and Latin America, for instance.

*plus the singing fans. Holy mackerel, the singing!

The entrance of the PNG Hunters and the decision to do the same for the Fijians is a great plus.

There is more RL to watch free of charge than ever before, thanks to live streams. The BBC have raised their game in both quality and quantity. As for pay TV, the NRL Live Pass gives you absolutely every match, without the usual Sky Sports practice of cutting to a RU promo the moment the final hooter goes (and sometimes before).

Other forms of the game (PDRL, Wheelchair RL, Women's RL, Nines) have found their place as part of a more joined-up sport.

Mal Meninga's glorious political career.

Toronto came along with the most off-the-wall proposal anyone in the game had heard since the days of Mike Dimitro and the U.S.All-Stars. Then they made it work! 

Salford went from the edge of oblivion to Old Trafford, and entertained plenty of neutrals along the way. Hull FC broke their long-standing Wembley duck, as did Catalans with their less long-standing duckling. 

No international trophies for England, but some superb and gripping encounters.

And an astute Workington Town signing from the Eighties paid off in the World Cup. Okay, it was the Cricket World Cup, but it was awesome anyway.

A good summary of the various positives in our game. 

[Oliver Clothesoff]

41 minutes ago, Futtocks said:

I know there'll be plenty of negativity posted, so here's an early attempt to add balance.

Over the past decade, we've seen growth internationally, most noticeably with the rise of Tonga*. Yes, there have been setbacks, what with Greece and the whole phoney "World RL" (or whatever they called themselves) scam. The overall direction, however, is up. The spread of the game in South-Eastern Europe and Latin America, for instance.

*plus the singing fans. Holy mackerel, the singing!

The entrance of the PNG Hunters and the decision to do the same for the Fijians is a great plus.

There is more RL to watch free of charge than ever before, thanks to live streams. The BBC have raised their game in both quality and quantity. As for pay TV, the NRL Live Pass gives you absolutely every match, without the usual Sky Sports practice of cutting to a RU promo the moment the final hooter goes (and sometimes before).

Other forms of the game (PDRL, Wheelchair RL, Women's RL, Nines) have found their place as part of a more joined-up sport.

Mal Meninga's glorious political career.

Toronto came along with the most off-the-wall proposal anyone in the game had heard since the days of Mike Dimitro and the U.S.All-Stars. Then they made it work! 

Salford went from the edge of oblivion to Old Trafford, and entertained plenty of neutrals along the way. Hull FC broke their long-standing Wembley duck, as did Catalans with their less long-standing duckling. 

No international trophies for England, but some superb and gripping encounters.

And an astute Workington Town signing from the Eighties paid off in the World Cup. Okay, it was the Cricket World Cup, but it was awesome anyway.

I did think it would be seen purely as what negatives have happened but cheers. 

[TIWIT]

9 hours ago, aj1908 said:

 

 

WTF?!

[aj1908]

1 hour ago, TIWIT said:

WTF?!

 

[aj1908]

7 hours ago, DC77 said:

You Australian? 

I think one of the worst things to happen rugby league in the UK is adopting the more brutal Australian aspect of the sport, wrestling being the main curse. The previously free flowing, creative British game is unrecognisable today, with the more attritional, less eye catching Aussie game played here. 

What works in Australia does not work here. Aussie rules, the most Australian of sports, is a symbol of the Aussie sporting mentality. They love confrontation, fists flying, and in rugby league’s case, “bring back the biff”. 

 

I think if rugby league is to gain back some of the lost interest in the UK the sport needs to go back to being more British. The Shaun Wanes of the world play a very Australian game...risk averse, physical, attritional, five drives, and wear down the opposition. Its effective, but ugly, and limited in appeal here (ironically enough his gutless thug player Ben Flower’s punch on the fella who was already out cold went viral, although it had nothing to do with the sport rather the assault itself). Bennett, this god of Aussie rugby league, has made England/GB unwatchable. More defensively solid yes,  but like watching paint dry. The 2017 RLWC was an 80 minute arm wrestle. The tests under him are an abomination.

Less Australian, more British, and the sport will start to regain some of it’s lost support.

 

aussies dont like wrestling either (the fans dont).

i agree the australian game is boring.  but i dont know if a more expansive game would work consistanly against it

[TIWIT]

For over 20 years every young Canadian hockey fan used to get a copy of Don Cherry's Rock 'Em Sock 'Em video. It was basically a compilation tape of the biggest hits best fights from the last year. But fighting has essentially faded away in hockey and so has Don Cherry and his video series. But he'd really like those fights.

[aj1908]

2 hours ago, TIWIT said:

WTF?!

What you are watching today is a watered down version of what made rugby league great 

[Copa]

15 hours ago, aj1908 said:

yes for the worse.  wrestling being the biggest blight on the game.

getting rid of the shoulder charge another one.

in the nrl more mistakes are the two refs and the bunker.

banning punching from games.

the physical aspect of the game has been watered down.

Send offs for punching is a good move. It’s no longer socially acceptable in Australia to bring your family to watch huge men have bare knuckle fights. Workers should also be able to work without worrying about being punched with a bare fist in the side of the head.

The game is still as exciting without the shoulder charge. It also keeps people in the game longer as it reduces the likelihood of injury.

I think there are generally less reffing errors these days. In the old days there were heaps of errors but the accountability wasn’t there so everyone just got on with it.

[Copa]

3 hours ago, aj1908 said:

What you are watching today is a watered down version of what made rugby league great 

Great for who?

Sponsors, fans and juniors would flee the game if that was normal these days.

[JohnM]

Hard to say what has changed on the field in ten years without going back and watching some 10 year old recordings. Subtle annual changes build up after the passage of time. Here's just a few things I've noticed

1. when was the 40/20 introduced? 

2. When was Magic Weekend first run? 

3. It seems to me the game is faster and cleaner. Important if we are to attract new younger talent

4. Increase in Championship standard. 

5. Our League website

6. Challenge Cup renaissance of sorts. 

7. Better refereeing but need more new top level refs. 

 

[aj1908]

1 hour ago, Copa said:

Send offs for punching is a good move. It’s no longer socially acceptable in Australia to bring your family to watch huge men have bare knuckle fights. Workers should also be able to work without worrying about being punched with a bare fist in the side of the head.

The game is still as exciting without the shoulder charge. It also keeps people in the game longer as it reduces the likelihood of injury.

I think there are generally less reffing errors these days. In the old days there were heaps of errors but the accountability wasn’t there so everyone just got on with it.

The refs had way more control over games.befire.  players respected them.  Two refs amd the bunker has made the head ref secind guess his actions 

Any game.ive been too everybody loved the biff and the shoulder.charge.

The game is.being run now for soccer moms.whose sons won't play league anyway because.they are scared of tackling 

Wrestling has replaced proper tackling

The game was more than good passing and running.  The gladiator aspect is basically gone now