I don't believe me.

[Bearman]

For the first time of watching RL on Sky for 30 years last night  I chose cricket instead of Hull v Cas.

I told myself I could watch the rugby on catch up. However, as I know the result I don't think I will bother.

Am I the only one that is so disillusioned with the game?

[Man of Kent]

I watched it but I know what you mean.

I think it's partly down to seeing packed/lively crowds in other sports post-Covid but half-empty grounds in RL.

Sport is escapism but RL kind of drags us back to Covid and lockdown etc. 

There's also the issue of the same old Sky coverage, presenters and even try music that never seems to change as if it's Groundhog Day.

Time is right for a refresh, whatever that may be.

[OriginalMrC]

1 hour ago, Bearman said:

For the first time of watching RL on Sky for 30 years last night  I chose cricket instead of Hull v Cas.

I told myself I could watch the rugby on catch up. However, as I know the result I don't think I will bother.

Am I the only one that is so disillusioned with the game?

Yep am the same. This SL season has been the worst on record. A farce from start to finish due to cancelled fixtures, but not only that the style of rugby has been abysmal. 

[Live after death]

1 hour ago, Bearman said:

For the first time of watching RL on Sky for 30 years last night  I chose cricket instead of Hull v Cas.

I told myself I could watch the rugby on catch up. However, as I know the result I don't think I will bother.

Am I the only one that is so disillusioned with the game?

I don’t watch  any other games anymore except my team. Used to watch pretty much every fame when in TV

[Archie Gordon]

I understand the point about Sky's presentation but it was worth watching for Jordan Turner's second try on its own. I am also enjoying the battle for the play-offs even though I have no team involved.

[Wollo Wollo Wayoo]

No.  I got home very late from our game at Hull and couldn't resist watching the recorded TV game before bed.  Even though I knew Cas won!

Bit like the recent Olympics I just watch the highlights for the cricket.

[Chrispmartha]

I keep seeing/hearing the word Farce for this season. What else could we have done?

 

As it is the race for the playoffs is very close and the next few weeks has a lot of implications for clubs placed 4-8, personally I'm looking forward to watching the games and seeing how it unfolds.

 

There is definitely issues with the quality/way the game is on the field, the covid situation and lots of games close together is clearly not helping but this season still has a lot to offer IMO

[Robin Evans]

I went decades without having sky. Under pressure from the memsahib and totally disillusioned with Virgin, I got sky. I now have rugby every week to watch.... yet I very rarely watch it. I just could not be ar sed last night. I'm slowly becoming more detached from the game

[Robin Evans]

The Olympics has a greater pull for me. As does the cricket

[fighting irish]

14 minutes ago, Robin Evans said:

The Olympics has a greater pull for me. As does the cricket

Listen chaps, take a break.

Have you considered that, the combined (depressing) effect of Covid, isolation, financial worries, the rise of the Taliban and probably biggest of all, the tidal wave of negativity proliferated on this (and other, so called RL fans forums) has just overwhelmed you? Perhaps you are so worried about the demise of the game, you just can't see any light at the end of the tunnel.

Go for a walk, go on holiday, cheer yourselves up.

The game just hasn't changed that much. It's still the greatest game. The challenge cup final was absolutely brilliant. If you can't find the enthusiasm for a whole game, catch the BBC highlights (The Super League Show) it's short, punchy and almost always features great play.

You've just got the blues, man. 

[Bring back the Boyd]

I still watch the games live when I can but tend to delete the games I’ve missed. It’s all got a bit samey for me—— probably watch more of the retro games—— more mistakes made but more off the cuff excitement. Frustrates me watching most teams—- HKR, Cas and even Leigh apart—- doing the same old same old even when they’re losing. Was looking forward to the World Cup for a bit of fire in the belly rugby. 
Oh well, it probably won’t be our ( Wire) year——- but next year I’m confident Powell will make good use of the riches at his disposal 

[Robin Evans]

4 minutes ago, fighting irish said:

 

You've just got the blues

From my head down to my shoes.....

[fighting irish]

1 minute ago, Bring back the Boyd said:

I still watch the games live when I can but tend to delete the games I’ve missed. It’s all got a bit samey for me—— probably watch more of the retro games—— more mistakes made but more off the cuff excitement. Frustrates me watching most teams—- HKR, Cas and even Leigh apart—- doing the same old same old even when they’re losing. Was looking forward to the World Cup for a bit of fire in the belly rugby. 
Oh well, it probably won’t be our ( Wire) year——- but next year I’m confident Powell will make good use of the riches at his disposal 

Get Les Boyd back! 

[Tonka]

You don't have to obsessively watch every game every week for your whole life.  It doesn't make you disloyal if you don't.  I've had phases where I watch it religiously, some seasons I've watched barely more than 10 games (including on telly).  But its still my top sport, I'll always come back to it.

Other stuff gets in the way sometimes: work, family, other commitments, other sports, life, death.

It's all good.

[Chrispmartha]

18 minutes ago, Robin Evans said:

The Olympics has a greater pull for me. As does the cricket

I didn't watch any of the olympics, I watched the first Hundred game (the women's one) and I found it OK but I wouldn't bother watching it on TV again, would go to a game but more for the socialising, I do enjoy test match cricket and try to go to one day a year.

I watch every RL game on sky either live or recorded, I do think if you are so disillusioned with RL just stop watching it for a bit, I used to watch the NRL a lot, I don't thinkI've watched one full game this or last season, I actually found it less entertaining than the SL to be honest, although the Aussies recent antics has really left a sour taste so not even bothered with checking the results at the moment!

[Futtocks]

1 hour ago, Bearman said:

For the first time of watching RL on Sky for 30 years last night  I chose cricket instead of Hull v Cas.

I told myself I could watch the rugby on catch up. However, as I know the result I don't think I will bother.

Am I the only one that is so disillusioned with the game?

Well, you missed a more than decent spectacle. If you'd switched off Wednesday's game, I wouldn't have blamed you.

[Chrispmartha]

11 minutes ago, fighting irish said:

Listen chaps, take a break.

Have you considered that, the combined (depressing) effect of Covid, isolation, financial worries, the rise of the Taliban and probably biggest of all, the tidal wave of negativity proliferated on this (and other, so called RL fans forums) has just overwhelmed you? Perhaps you are so worried about the demise of the game, you just can't see any light at the end of the tunnel.

Go for a walk, go on holiday, cheer yourselves up.

The game just hasn't changed that much. It's still the greatest game. The challenge cup final was absolutely brilliant. If you can't find the enthusiasm for a whole game, catch the BBC highlights (The Super League Show) it's short, punchy and almost always features great play.

You've just got the blues, man. 

I agree with a lot of this I don't see this massive shift in the actual games that are making them unwatchable, I think the quality is a bit down this year but that's because a lot of teams have played a lot of games in a compressed amount of time and because of that there seems to be a lot of injuries to the top players.

Agree about the CC final but more so the 1895 game beforehand that was absolutely top draw sporting entertainment that IMO no other sport can achieve

The Hull derby at the weekend was also a cracker

Every sport has poor games, all the time, I didn't watch any of it but apparently the Lions tour in RU recently was absolutely terrible

[gavin7094]

3 minutes ago, fighting irish said:

Listen chaps, take a break.

Have you considered that, the combined (depressing) effect of Covid, isolation, financial worries, the rise of the Taliban and probably biggest of all, the tidal wave of negativity eschewed on this (and other, so called RL fans forums) has just overwhelmed you? Perhaps you are so worried about the demise of the game, you just can't see any light at the end of the tunnel.

Go for a walk, go on holiday, cheer yourselves up.

The game just hasn't changed that much. It's still the greatest game. The challenge cup final was absolutely brilliant. If you can't find the enthusiasm for a whole game, catch the BBC highlights (The Super League Show) it's short, punchy and almost always features great play.

You've just got the blues, man. 

Covid 'blues' has exacerbated it, but in our house we have felt like this since well before the pandemic.  We have been saying this for 3 or 4 years. Used to watch every game, now we can hardly be bothered (though we usually do) 

Firstly, we perceive a distinct lack of what might be termed stars.  15 years ago it felt like we could name 4 or 5 stars in every team. Players to genuinely get excited about. At the moment there are hardly any. 

Plus the game has changed. 

The 10m rule was introduced to open up the game by providing more space to the attacking team.  Initially it worked and games were very exciting. However coaches have realised that you get get an easy 10m by doing nothing more than picking up the ball at dummy half and running forwards until you hit something.  With a quick ptb you might even get 15m.  That's 75m in 5 tackles, putting you in a position to put a kick in, have it bobble about and let the video ref decide on what's happened. It is boring.

Plus players are all huge now.  Many skills have been lost, particularly the evasive skills, and been replaced by pure power. 

A friend of mine, who prefers union, sometimes tries to wind me up by saying as far as he is concerned rugby league is just men running into each other.  At the moment I tend to agree. 

 

[Wollo Wollo Wayoo]

9 minutes ago, Tonka said:

Other stuff gets in the way sometimes: work, family, other commitments, other sports, life, death.

It's all good.

I'll agree with the death one but that's it.

[fighting irish]

1 hour ago, gavin7094 said:

Covid 'blues' has exacerbated it, but in our house we have felt like this since well before the pandemic.  We have been saying this for 3 or 4 years. Used to watch every game, now we can hardly be bothered (though we usually do) 

Firstly, we perceive a distinct lack of what might be termed stars.  15 years ago it felt like we could name 4 or 5 stars in every team. Players to genuinely get excited about. At the moment there are hardly any. 

Plus the game has changed. 

The 10m rule was introduced to open up the game by providing more space to the attacking team.  Initially it worked and games were very exciting. However coaches have realised that you get get an easy 10m by doing nothing more than picking up the ball at dummy half and running forwards until you hit something.  With a quick ptb you might even get 15m.  That's 75m in 5 tackles, putting you in a position to put a kick in, have it bobble about and let the video ref decide on what's happened. It is boring.

Plus players are all huge now.  Many skills have been lost, particularly the evasive skills, and been replaced by pure power. 

A friend of mine, who prefers union, sometimes tries to wind me up by saying as far as he is concerned rugby league is just men running into each other.  At the moment I tend to agree. 

 

Regarding too many scoots from acting half, what's up with the marker defenders?

First of all, they should both be standing before the tackled player gets up, secondly they should be focused on forcing the acting half to pass the ball and if not, stopping him dead in his tracks.

With regard to your friends comment, that's a bit rum.

When the words appearing on the screen (frequently) say something like, that's the 18th phase (laughable) what they mean is that some trundling lump has run into some other virtually static, inert lumps 18 times already. Just remember, though that he hasn't run half as far as the average Rugby League player, or half as fast.

Like most RaRa sycophants they spend more time talking shi te than actually watching the drivel on the field.  

 

[Chrispmartha]

1 minute ago, gavin7094 said:

 

Firstly, we perceive a distinct lack of what might be termed stars.  15 years ago it felt like we could name 4 or 5 stars in every team. Players to genuinely get excited about. At the moment there are hardly any. 

 

 

I kind of get this point especially as we simply can't attract the NRL stars like we used for simple economic reasons but I still think there's a bit of rose tinting going on here

15 years ago was 2006, were crowds and TV audiences much bigger then?

[gavin7094]

1 minute ago, fighting irish said:

Regarding too many scoots from acting half, what's up with the marker defenders?

First of all, they should both be standing before the tackled player gets up, secondly they should be focused on forcing the acting half to pass the ball and if not, stop him dead in his tracks.

 

True, but with the obsession with fast ptbs often they aren't. 

In either case a 1 out play has much the same effect. 

[gavin7094]

4 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

I kind of get this point especially as we simply can't attract the NRL stars like we used for simple economic reasons but I still think there's a bit of rose tinting going on here

15 years ago was 2006, were crowds and TV audiences much bigger then?

I didn't particularly mean the year 2006.

For example, during the RL takeover on Sky just before the season started, I watched a Bradford Leeds game. Early 90s.  I could name nearly every player on both teams. From about 30 years ago. 

Nowadays I can hardly name any. 

[M j M]

37 minutes ago, Bring back the Boyd said:

I still watch the games live when I can but tend to delete the games I’ve missed. It’s all got a bit samey for me—— probably watch more of the retro games—— more mistakes made but more off the cuff excitement. Frustrates me watching most teams—- HKR, Cas and even Leigh apart—- doing the same old same old even when they’re losing. Was looking forward to the World Cup for a bit of fire in the belly rugby. 
Oh well, it probably won’t be our ( Wire) year——- but next year I’m confident Powell will make good use of the riches at his disposal 

Just remember the retro games are not exactly a random selection of matches.

[M j M]

15 minutes ago, gavin7094 said:

 I watched a Bradford Leeds game. Early 90s.  I could name nearly every player on both teams. From about 30 years ago. 

Nowadays I can hardly name any. 

I find that's just a product of ageing. I can name players and results from the late 80s to mid 90s, my first decade watching. After that, despite a slew of much more memorable and entertaining games involving my team, it all becomes a bit of a mush. I can more easily name the losing '92 Leeds Regal Trophy final side than the winning '04 Grand Final one and it's not because the former was more star studded.