Mon 14 Nov: Women's RLWC SF: England v New Zealand KO 7.30pm

[Niels]

1 hour ago, Madrileño said:

Great result. Delighted to see the Kiwi girls win this one.

They deserve special credit as the team is under strength due to the Women's Rugby World Cup (a rugby union competition ) which is running at the same time. A few girls who play League (and also rugby) have opted for the rugby team as it is a much higher profile  event.

In any case, the League girls have really stepped up, and they blew England away tonight. 

 

They were very good, especially as it was only 5 days after their tough game against Australia. This must have taken a lot out of them.

 

[Hopping Mad]

1 hour ago, meast said:

I said this to a mate at the weekend, why are people these days unable to understand how a 2 minutes silence works?

It's annoying listening to people start applauding after the last post rather than stand in respectful silence.

Just stop it, stop clapping and howling you plebs!

Bemused myself. The PA announcement was clarity personified.

[BroncoFan]

7 hours ago, StandOffHalf said:

NZ too big and too crisp.

The NZ FB was very assured and ran it back with a Suaalii-like vigour.

When the ball went to the edges, the England girls really struggled to cope with the big guys out wide. Hall and Hufunga made defenders look like speed-bumps and found passes amidst the scattered confusion.

England struggled for creativity in the halves as decision-making time and space was much less available. Their halves looked spooked and physically cowed and that fed into a lack of general cohesion and fluidity.

I thought the Pommy props tried valiantly. Cunningham was a workhorse at #13. Unfortunately, the classy Tara Jane Stanley had an absolute mare out there tonight in defence and in ball-handling in attack. Everything she touched seemed to go down. England's best player IMO was young Leah Burke on the left wing. She put her body in front of the big guys coming towards her and looked assured and composed whenever she touched the ball.

I thought Badger let a number of high shots go, but I rather like her as a ref. I think she has a good demeanour about her and lets the game unfold and flow.

NZ good value for the margin of victory. Commiserations to the England girls. I've really enjoyed watching them play and develop as a team. I just think they were a bit outgunned tonight.

Good asssessment, It’s hard to criticise any of them given the effort they put in but I thought Hollie Dodd was underused and they didn’t get much out of either hooker Tara Jones or Keara Bennett.

it’s very frustrating when you have  a star in Sinead Peach and one or two others not involved because they didn’t get on with the coach.

[BroncoFan]

Also I thought Goldthorp, Dodd & Leah Burke had great tournaments and Caitlin Beevers & Vicky Whitfield really good too.

[MatthewWoody]

Do the English girls know when they're playing test rl again? 

[gingerjon]

Unfortunately, I can't reply to this post on the original thread, but it has stuck with me:

"Rugby league has missed a trick in not pushing the cheerleader aspect of the game. Many more girls are interested in dancing than are interested in playing rugby league.

I wouldn't have let my daughter playe rugby. If a boy loses a tooth or breaks his nose or gets a scar on his face, it's not the end of the world. For a girl, it would be traumatic."

[MatthewWoody]

Who's quote is this? 

[gingerjon]

3 minutes ago, MatthewWoody said:

Who's quote is this? 

If you put the text in to a search you should find it.

They haven't been on this thread - and they also weren't the only one expressing that view either on that thread or others. Hence not tagging them in - I just remembered the phrasing in particular.

[ckn]

The rampant misogyny is just tiring. Really is. 

[Welshleaguelover]

The game was cracking. Gutted England lost but happy they got a full crowd to come and watch.

Hopefully they can get a little bit of funding and go to the next level.

[Dunbar]

I have been pondering the fact that this was going to be the '1982' moment for the English team.

Well, we didn't play the Aussies but we did play a Kiwi team with a lot of professional players.

The men in '82 were professionals vs. professionals, here it was amateurs vs. professionals.  We did ok in my view.

[Bearman]

8 hours ago, Bedford Roughyed said:

 

Brilliant. Thank you Craig.

[RigbyLuger]

3 hours ago, BroncoFan said:

Good asssessment, It’s hard to criticise any of them given the effort they put in but I thought Hollie Dodd was underused and they didn’t get much out of either hooker Tara Jones or Keara Bennett.

it’s very frustrating when you have  a star in Sinead Peach and one or two others not involved because they didn’t get on with the coach.

Who is a "great man" according to at least one journalist.

[OriginalMrC]

2 hours ago, gingerjon said:

Unfortunately, I can't reply to this post on the original thread, but it has stuck with me:

"Rugby league has missed a trick in not pushing the cheerleader aspect of the game. Many more girls are interested in dancing than are interested in playing rugby league.

I wouldn't have let my daughter playe rugby. If a boy loses a tooth or breaks his nose or gets a scar on his face, it's not the end of the world. For a girl, it would be traumatic."

Attitudes are changing thank goodness but misogyny still exists as evidenced by recent posts on this forum. Very likely said by people who've never picked up a rugby ball in their life. 

Might have got beaten by the better team but don't think you'll see a more committed group of players than this England team. Put their bodies on the line every game against very physical sides and had short turn arounds before the next game. Most of the players are amateurs (that needs to change!) and playing for the love of the game and deserve huge amounts of credit. 

[Jughead]

Just caught up with Craig Richards’ post match. It really should be the precedence for change. Womens rugby league is great, the England side and the domestic games I’ve seen are high quality and the player’s are personable and skilful. 

[unapologetic pedant]

2 hours ago, ckn said:

The rampant misogyny is just tiring. Really is. 

Rampant virtue-signalling is every bit as tiring. Blandishments for women`s RL from wokesters are as wearisome as cavilling from boors. Neither of these types will actually go to games.

Similar context for positive reactions to women`s RL or Wheelchair RL on Twitter. Mildly gratifying, but no more likely to deliver tangible benefits than the fleeting flattery of men`s RL from RU fans is evidence of epiphany. 

[OriginalMrC]

8 minutes ago, unapologetic pedant said:

Rampant virtue-signalling is every bit as tiring. Blandishments for women`s RL from wokesters are as wearisome as cavilling from boors. Neither of these types will actually go to games.

Similar context for positive reactions to women`s RL or Wheelchair RL on Twitter. Mildly gratifying, but no more likely to deliver tangible benefits than the fleeting flattery of men`s RL from RU fans is evidence of epiphany. 

This might come as news to you but some people genuinely enjoy watching women's RL and Wheelchair RL. Nothing to do with virtue signalling (hate how that's used by people who dont agree with something!) 

[MatthewWoody]

2 minutes ago, OriginalMrC said:

This might come as news to you but some people genuinely enjoy watching women's RL and Wheelchair RL. Nothing to do with virtue signalling (hate how that's used by people who dont agree with something!) 

Spot on. 

There have been very interesting and entertaining Women's World cup matches this tournament. 

The game, when the top 3 are involved, is very fast.

[AJK66]

2 minutes ago, OriginalMrC said:

This might come as news to you but some people genuinely enjoy watching women's RL and Wheelchair RL. Nothing to do with virtue signalling (hate how that's used by people who dont agree with something!) 

You've completely missed UP's post I would suggest. There ARE people who virtue signal constantly and are attracted like moths to the flame around issues such as women's sport in general.

My daughter loves Rugby League and watches it avidly. We go to games together and discuss them passionately afterwards. Never once has she expressed a desire to play the game. Neither did her rugby league fanatic of a grandmother either. Given their physiques I would never have encouraged them to venture out onto the pitch. If my daughter does want to give it a go, I would not stand in her way. I might advise that a 45 kg girl might find the going tough.

Any problem with that?

[unapologetic pedant]

3 hours ago, Dunbar said:

I have been pondering the fact that this was going to be the '1982' moment for the English team.

Well, we didn't play the Aussies but we did play a Kiwi team with a lot of professional players.

The men in '82 were professionals vs. professionals, here it was amateurs vs. professionals.  We did ok in my view.

The Aussie and Kiwi "professional players" only get paid for the hitherto fairly short NRLW season. They all have jobs away from the game. Some have paid off-field roles within the game like Jodie Cunningham has over here. The remuneration won`t make that much difference to their Work/Football balance. As such, I don`t think it`s accurate to characterize last night as "amateurs vs professionals".

The Aussies began to take women`s RL seriously about 10-15 years back. Equivalent time for us was about 5 years ago. That discrepancy, plus the much larger player pool and the ability of the NRL to manage a system which spreads talent evenly across their elite competition, are more significant factors.

[DimmestStar]

The England women did well to prevent a blow out score against a bigger, stronger and fitter NZ team.

The NZ defence never looked like being breached after the early England score.

[unapologetic pedant]

23 minutes ago, OriginalMrC said:

This might come as news to you but some people genuinely enjoy watching women's RL and Wheelchair RL. Nothing to do with virtue signalling (hate how that's used by people who dont agree with something!) 

That wouldn`t come as news to me at all.

[MatthewWoody]

They need to play these top teams more often! 

[unapologetic pedant]

29 minutes ago, MatthewWoody said:

There have been very interesting and entertaining Women's World cup matches this tournament. 

There have indeed. I`ve either attended or watched every single one.

Personal favourites were Canada v Brazil, France v Cook Islands. And England v New Zealand for different reasons.

[Dunbar]

54 minutes ago, unapologetic pedant said:

The Aussie and Kiwi "professional players" only get paid for the hitherto fairly short NRLW season. They all have jobs away from the game. Some have paid off-field roles within the game like Jodie Cunningham has over here. The remuneration won`t make that much difference to their Work/Football balance. As such, I don`t think it`s accurate to characterize last night as "amateurs vs professionals".

The Aussies began to take women`s RL seriously about 10-15 years back. Equivalent time for us was about 5 years ago. That discrepancy, plus the much larger player pool and the ability of the NRL to manage a system which spreads talent evenly across their elite competition, are more significant factors.

Look, I don't disagree with your second paragraph but I think it is a bit mean to suggest that one team is not professional when they literally play in a competition that pays them to play Rugby League.