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Your Rugby League Regrets.


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On 24/01/2021 at 09:05, Dunbar said:

From a playing perspective, I guess the regret is that I took up the game a little bit too late.  I was 15 when I started and I was a decent enough player but all of my contemporaries were already in the system from 11 or 12 and so had been scouted by the pro teams or in their systems by the time I was 17 and any good.  Still I really enjoyed playing through to under 19's in Wigan and then at University so no big regrets.

Interesting.  How old are you as my exerience was a little different in the mid 90s?  Played when I was 13/14 and then not again until I was 18.  Found my self playing at a pro side Academy at that age.  My big regret (kinda) is that Leeds showed an interest and I turned it down.  I was invited to watch a Leeds Academy or A team game (cant remember which) and meet with the coaches but was intimidated joining at that level and bottled it.  Didnt think I was good enough and didnt have the swagger to back myself.  Never played a game after 19 yrs old.

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9 minutes ago, Goughy said:

Never played a game after 19 yrs old.

Unfortunately because of one reason or another this is usually the way. Many of the best players I have known and played with never played much past 18, unless they signed professionally before that age. An awful lot of players are lost to the game before open age level, far more than other than sports like Football and RU in my experience.

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8 minutes ago, Damien said:

Unfortunately because of one reason or another this is usually the way. Many of the best players I have known and played with never played much past 18, unless they signed professionally before that age. An awful lot of players are lost to the game before open age level, far more than other than sports like Football and RU in my experience.

No doubt there are a lot of reasons but I think one core reason is that League is a bloody hard sport to play in terms of the physicality and fitness.  Unfortunately we have a sport that is amazing to watch but a nightmare to play.

I am in my forties now and could still play a decent game of union but wouldnt dare get on the field for a League game.

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45 minutes ago, Goughy said:

Interesting.  How old are you as my exerience was a little different in the mid 90s?  Played when I was 13/14 and then not again until I was 18.  Found my self playing at a pro side Academy at that age.  My big regret (kinda) is that Leeds showed an interest and I turned it down.  I was invited to watch a Leeds Academy or A team game (cant remember which) and meet with the coaches but was intimidated joining at that level and bottled it.  Didnt think I was good enough and didnt have the swagger to back myself.  Never played a game after 19 yrs old.

I am 50 now so a pretty long time ago.

Even though I was growing up in Wigan I didn't really follow League until my mid teens (my Dad was from Swindon so I grew up going to watch Town when they were local).

A mate of mine went to play for a team and I just tagged along and loved it.

Knowing what I know now, if I had wanted to get opportunities I would have gone to one of the more prestigious amateur clubs (St. Pats or so) but I just wanted to play with my mates and enjoy myself. 

I went on to play at University and was lucky enough to play for England Students which I was really proud of so as I say no regrets (even though the topic is regrets!).

"The history of the world is the history of the triumph of the heartless over the mindless." — Sir Humphrey Appleby.

"If someone doesn't value evidence, what evidence are you going to provide to prove that they should value it? If someone doesn't value logic, what logical argument could you provide to show the importance of logic?" — Sam Harris

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Biggest regret for me is not getting to play at Tynecastle stadium before the Bradford-London Super League on the road game.

Was with Edinburgh Eagles and had just come back from injury. We had a game organised as a curtain raiser against some RAF team from the north of Scotland. Both teams had about 20 guys, which was no problem in the Scottish League at the time, as subs were unlimited.

That day however, was the one and only time that some jobsworth from the RFL turned up to act as 4th official, and decreed that we could only use 17 that day. I hadn't played for a few weeks so got left out. One guy was so ###### off that he never played again. The RAF boys had travelled down for about 3.5 hours on a bus, and a few of them had to sit out as well. The whole thing summed up the attitude of Rugby League in those days.

Even though I was Water Carrier It ruined an amazing day, as we got to use the dressing rooms, which were wired up with Sky cameras etc, and really be part of the whole matchday experience.

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On 24/01/2021 at 02:17, creditwhereitsdews said:

Not going to:

St Helens v Dewsbury in 1990, when we came away with a 12-all draw in the Regal Trophy.

Blackpool v Dewsbury in 1992, the only game I missed all season and lots of club records tumbled. Don't think I'll ever get so close to going to every game in a season again.

England v Tonga in Auckland at 2017 World Cup, when I was in Brisbane. Everyone I've met who went said it was their greatest ever RL exprience.

 

I have incredibly lame excuses for missing all three.

England Tonga really really was. 🙂

Running the Rob Burrow marathon to raise money for the My Name'5 Doddie foundation:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ben-dyas

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Totally speculative and quite possibly off topic but...

Wigan v Australia 1986

If Ellery Hanley had been fit and played 6, his position at the time, then Wigan might have beaten the invincibles.

Never saw Wigan beat Kangaroos.

I have never seen GB or England win the Ashes, a world cup or a 3/4 nation's series.

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