RL Attitudes to other football codes

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, David Shepherd said:

Will watch RU internationals if there's nothing else to do, quite enjoy a few pints watching Pontefract RUFC whenever I get a Saturday off.

I can't remember the last time I was able to watch more than a few minutes of international (men's) RU. I seem to remember one of the last ones would have been a World Cup semi final (Wales v South Africa?) which was close on the scoreboard in the final minutes and one team needed a quick possession and they *walked* to the line out with the clock ticking. I switched off, deciding that if they didn't care then neither did I.

Women's RU seems to be decently entertaining in comparison, even if most games are uneven, and, on the rare occasion I make it to local club RU, I usually enjoy the game.

[Griff]

7 minutes ago, David Shepherd said:

American football would be brilliant if it flowed better. Don't think I've ever got through a game without needing 2 haircuts.

Try Canadian.

[David Shepherd]

4 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

I can't remember the last time I was able to watch more than a few minutes of international (men's) RU. I seem to remember one of the last ones would have been a World Cup semi final (Wales v South Africa?) which was close on the scoreboard in the final minutes and one team needed a quick possession and they *walked* to the line out with the clock ticking. I switched off, deciding that if they didn't care then neither did I.

Women's RU seems to be decently entertaining in comparison, even if most games are uneven, and, on the rare occasion I make it to local club RU, I usually enjoy the game.

Was sat in a bar in Fuerteventura last week and there was a club RU game on TV (Leicester v someone, maybe). Wasn't the worst thing I'd ever seen, possibly a bit more entertaining than an international.

[N2022]

5 minutes ago, David Shepherd said:

Was sat in a bar in Fuerteventura last week and there was a club RU game on TV (Leicester v someone, maybe). Wasn't the worst thing I'd ever seen, possibly a bit more entertaining than an international.

I think the internationals are tighter, and the interest comes from the regular rivalry and the fact that there are virtually no games between the traditional 5 nations that are a foregone conclusion. Even at RUWC you can't always be sure, though obviously only 1 NH trophy win. For me it's a shame RL lacks this dimension. No routine to international calendar and Aus nearly impossible to beat at RLWC.

Club game you get some belters in RU but also some dire stuff. Always good when there are early scores as the other team has to open up a bit, making more space and sometimes leading to a big comeback. 

Regardless of codes I'd rather see more offloads, grubber kicks and dives for the corner.

[StandOffHalf]

33 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

I can't remember the last time I was able to watch more than a few minutes of international (men's) RU. I seem to remember one of the last ones would have been a World Cup semi final (Wales v South Africa?) which was close on the scoreboard in the final minutes and one team needed a quick possession and they *walked* to the line out with the clock ticking. I switched off, deciding that if they didn't care then neither did I.

Women's RU seems to be decently entertaining in comparison, even if most games are uneven, and, on the rare occasion I make it to local club RU, I usually enjoy the game.

Bear in mind that the forwards talk about the numbers to call in the line-out and that many teams have set moves off line-outs. No point rushing and messing up, as long as the kick to touch is made before time is up.

[OriginalMrC]

I'm pretty lucky I can sit and watch most codes of football and get enjoyment from it but my 2 main ones are Football and RL. I have drifted away from NFL and RU in recent years though and rarely watch either any more when previously I used to watch both.

[doc]

Since I was 16, when we moved to Widnes, I found a new obsession in RL. Being a Scouser means I was also obsessed with Football growing up. Still follow Everton, though I do wonder why.

I don't hate Union, I just have a lack of interest in it. Last game I watched was England v New Zealand, 1990s poss. Got bored and watched a Midsomer Murders repeat instead.

Do like American Football though. 

Nothing else gets a look in.

[Eddie]

2 hours ago, Griff said:

Darts isn't a sport. 

What kind of football?   Soccer?

 

[Trojan]

7 hours ago, StandOffHalf said:

I call RL ''football'' and association football ''soccer'' as a reflection of the football code I like more.

Hierarchical, if you will.

In the 60's in Wakefield football always meant RL

[EggFace]

2 hours ago, David Shepherd said:

Don't like football, bores the pants off me.

Will watch RU internationals if there's nothing else to do, quite enjoy a few pints watching Pontefract RUFC whenever I get a Saturday off.

Got quite into Gaelic recently

Used to love Aussie rules, but it's a shadow of the game it was when Channel 4 first showed it.

American football would be brilliant if it flowed better. Don't think I've ever got through a game without needing 2 haircuts.

I'm with you on the above and love reading the histroy of codes be it Rugby League, Union, NFL/CFL.

[Maximus Decimus]

7 hours ago, StandOffHalf said:

I think Gaelic Football has been made almost unwatchable over the last few years by the soccer-like trend towards holding onto possession, over taking risks and trying long passes.

Some sports have a fundamental feature that I find too frustrating to watch properly. Union, even without the pro-RL baggage, has penalty kicks. I can't get my head around a sport that relies on infringements for so many of its points.

GAA is like this for me. I find the constant kicking for 1 point unappealing, it doesn't seem like an incredible skill. AFL is similar, they kick it over everybody's head from far away and the crowd goes wild. I'm sure both are very difficult, but they just aren't aesthetically pleasing as a main form of scoring.

Edited October 25, 2024 by Maximus Decimus

[Leyther_Matt]

Actually caught a bit of Gloucester v someone or other in a pub before the Grand Final and it was actually a fairly entertaining game, which surprised me. Every other attempt to watch RU, particularly at international level, has largely been utter nonsense.

AFL is Transworld Sport fodder.

As for football, I do think a really good football match can trump a really good RL game, but that’s probably because they’re comparatively few and far between. I do watch all of the Scotland games plus I do tend to watch the Premier League games on Sunday but more as background noise rather than taking much of an active interest in that level.

I have home & away season tickets for Bolton Wanderers and also a membership for Atherton Collieries who have just dropped from level 7 to level 8. I also try to get to a few Hibs games per season. I must admit plenty of the games can be pretty dull and so it is probably a case of attending as a supporter (and the social aspect) rather than necessarily footballing entertainment. 

[EggFace]

I can not stand Football ( Soccer) but thats because I live in Tyneside and was surrounded by birth for this love hate for Magpies and Mackems plus I was the slim last one picked on the team at school so i moved into with individual sports like 100m/relay/800m then Combat sports be it Shotokan. Judo, Boxing until I saw Wigan v Widnes 1993 and I wanted this team Combat Sport.

I wander around my home area and looking wishing Gateshead, South Shields, Sunderland, Hartlepool etc has some proper amatuer, semi pro, pro Rugby League history but maybe in an alternative world in our Multi Universe.

Having Toon Army rammed down you neck made me hate the sport...Newcastle is a back water for other sports and music.

Rant over.

[StandOffHalf]

3 hours ago, Maximus Decimus said:

Some sports have a fundamental feature that I find too frustrating to watch properly. Union, even without the pro-RL baggage, has penalty kicks. I can't get my head around a sport that relies on infringements for so many of its points.

GAA is like this for me. I find the constant kicking for 1 point unappealing, it doesn't seem like an incredible skill. AFL is similar, they kick it over everybody's head from far away and the crowd goes wild. I'm sure both are very difficult, but they just aren't aesthetically pleasing as a main form of scoring.

Gaelic Football was a much more entertaining sport when teams used to vary between short passes and longer, raking balls to the forward lines. Nowadays it is a constant recycling of the ball until the opposition leaves an opportunity for a shot for a point. Far less goals are being scored because the full forwards aren't receiving direct ball and 1-on-1 chances.

It would be a much better spectacle if there was a limit on the number of short passes allowed in succession.

Edited October 25, 2024 by StandOffHalf

[Big Picture]

3 hours ago, StandOffHalf said:

Gaelic Football was a much more entertaining sport when teams used to vary between short passes and longer, raking balls to the forward lines. Nowadays it is a constant recycling of the ball until the opposition leaves an opportunity for a shot for a point. Far less goals are being scored because the full forwards aren't receiving direct ball and 1-on-1 chances.

It would be a much better spectacle if there was a limit on the number of short passes allowed in succession.

Gaelic football would be better if they raised the crossbars to be 3 metres high and reversed the reduction in the value of a goal from 5 points to 3.  That could address the observations you and others here have made about the sport.

[StandOffHalf]

41 minutes ago, Big Picture said:

Gaelic football would be better if they raised the crossbars to be 3 metres high and reversed the reduction in the value of a goal from 5 points to 3.  That could address the observations you and others here have made about the sport.

I think I'd be focusing on rules to encourage adventurousness and stop hoarding of the ball. Personally I think the size of the goals are fine, but it's an interesting idea.

[Keith989]

15 hours ago, StandOffHalf said:

I think Gaelic Football has been made almost unwatchable over the last few years by the soccer-like trend towards holding onto possession, over taking risks and trying long passes.

Yeah it's awful, I'm surprised to see positive reviews of it on here. Hurling on the other hand is comfortable one of the best sports in the world to watch. You basically never get a bad game when the All Ireland knockouts come round. 

[Keith989]

8 hours ago, Maximus Decimus said:

Some sports have a fundamental feature that I find too frustrating to watch properly. Union, even without the pro-RL baggage, has penalty kicks. I can't get my head around a sport that relies on infringements for so many of its points.

GAA is like this for me. I find the constant kicking for 1 point unappealing, it doesn't seem like an incredible skill. AFL is similar, they kick it over everybody's head from far away and the crowd goes wild. I'm sure both are very difficult, but they just aren't aesthetically pleasing as a main form of scoring.

Fair comment. The only thing is that a gaelic football is a lot different to a soccer ball. It's actually an incredible skill to kick a gaelic ball off the crowd from the 45 over the bar. 

 

[Griff]

2 hours ago, Keith989 said:

Fair comment. The only thing is that a gaelic football is a lot different to a soccer ball. It's actually an incredible skill to kick a gaelic ball off the crowd from the 45 over the bar. 

 

Off the crowd?

Yeah, I can understand that.

[Maximus Decimus]

5 hours ago, Keith989 said:

Fair comment. The only thing is that a gaelic football is a lot different to a soccer ball. It's actually an incredible skill to kick a gaelic ball off the crowd from the 45 over the bar. 

 

I'm sure it is, but when you see it 30/40 times a game it soon loses its allure.

Funnily enough, it's a similar criticism I would have had for basketball. As RL fans, we often use the line of not wanting a game to be like basketball. However, having been to a few games I kind of get it now and the game can ebb and flow quite well. The actual getting of a basket isn't that impressive, it's often more about creating the opportunity to shoot.

[Maximus Decimus]

5 hours ago, Keith989 said:

Yeah it's awful, I'm surprised to see positive reviews of it on here. Hurling on the other hand is comfortable one of the best sports in the world to watch. You basically never get a bad game when the All Ireland knockouts come round. 

It's a good watch as a novelty, but I soon think it would wear off. It's like GAA but you can basically shoot from half the pitch away.

[Maximus Decimus]

10 hours ago, StandOffHalf said:

Gaelic Football was a much more entertaining sport when teams used to vary between short passes and longer, raking balls to the forward lines. Nowadays it is a constant recycling of the ball until the opposition leaves an opportunity for a shot for a point. Far less goals are being scored because the full forwards aren't receiving direct ball and 1-on-1 chances.

It would be a much better spectacle if there was a limit on the number of short passes allowed in succession.

Even though it's not professional, it has probably gone through a process of where the sport has become more professional in its outlook. 

Some sports this has benefitted from a spectacle POV, and some it hasn't. I often say RL is one that has lost out a bit IMO. It sounds like GAA has as well. 

[redjonn]

I can't think of a sport I wouldn't watch, I'm always surprised how I can get hooked in to a game and hence appreciate the sport on TV.

RU is improving as a spectator sport and will continue to evolve as they adapt the rules to improve its entertainment and reduce impact of set pieces. They know they need to change and the last world cup was a good watch and some games absolute belters.

Football/soccer I find far more entertaining and generally more skilful nowadays from when I was a lad, bearing in mind the first game I went to was Liverpool in the 2nd division.  Having been an avid Liverpool fan attending all games from 1959 until the late 80's.  To me the sport has hugely improved in all aspects whether stadium and stadium facilities, the pitch they play on and the more skilful and less Souness or Hunter break a leg approach and plough fields some games played on back then..

The sport that most surprised me when I first watched live is Netball, surprising its energetic, fast flowing plus the agility of the players is outstanding.  

As I say their are many sports I will watch and highlights the huge competitiveness of the sporting landscape for our monies. Not least now we have access to global sporting theatre. I can even watch Kabaddi which again I've got hooked into watching games and surprised me the agility of the players.

We may bemoan the level of RL here but when you consider all the other sports we can watch it ain't doing too badly in keeping just above the parapet.

Edited October 26, 2024 by redjonn

[sweaty craiq]

Folk should watch and play whatever they enjoy, we all have favourites. Regarding RU my thoughts are simple I wouldn’t ###### on a burning Twickenham but would help fundraiser should Leigh RUFC had a fire.

What the RU did and still do to stop RL expansion is beyond forgiveness.

[EggFace]

4 minutes ago, sweaty craiq said:

Folk should watch and play whatever they enjoy, we all have favourites. Regarding RU my thoughts are simple I wouldn’t ###### on a burning Twickenham but would help fundraiser should Leigh RUFC had a fire.

What the RU did and still do to stop RL expansion is beyond forgiveness.

You used that quote before ?