Chris Ashton

[mcshroom]

Why is it that RL supporters have to mention how they think their sport is better whenever Union is mentioned?. Why is is a contest?

I personally find Union more interesting because of the variation in the skills required, I'm a Rotherham supporter (RU Championship side, sort of Div 2) and our side is built around a strong pack and good power play. I to often find RL very samey, often running straight from dummy-half for 5 tackles before booting the ball down field for the other side to do the same, and the scrum is a joke, but it is a faster more open game and the players have a slightly different skill set.


I am happy to watch RL as an entertaining sport. I also remember playing RL as part of our training when I played a bit of Union.

If you take the best players from RL and put them in the backs in RU, you get very good RU players. Just as many of the best RL players in the period before professional Rugby Union were players that moved the other way.

 

[Simba]

What a hero, 6 tries in 2 test matches. First English player to score 4 times in a match since 1914. Had an absolutely cracking game, the lines he runs show how good his rugby mind is. Northampton were missing him big time today.

Despite all that, all people seem to be talking about are his dives!

I think it's good for the game.

Yes our rugby league produces better players than yawnion doesnt it?

 

[Aperitif]

Yes our rugby league produces better players than yawnion doesnt it?

I have seen a fair amount of league, having spent five seasons watching London Broncos play (here, there and everywhere) - including my first game which was v Wigan and Jason Robinson (Wigan lost! ).
Plenty of excellent players in both codes, who are skilled in coherent teamwork, as well as individual skills and flair.
Simply, if you fall over, you get up. go a bit higher and gravity plays a part - it will hurt him, or anyone - somehow, sometime. Why introduce any element of risk? That's why I posted the Guardian article because it discusses this...I just can't 'get my head around it'. I suppose if there were a bunch of opposition players below him, and he was clearing them to score, then I would think that magnificent skill and athleticism!

Roll on next week - let's have another four tries please.

 

[Chromatic]

Mcshroom's last paragraph is right Simba. For every Chris Ashton there is a Martin Offiah.
And not all league players are wonderful mind, there has been some crap too, we had Henry Paul in our side for a while, no doubt a rugby league legend, but, in my opinion, rubbish at our game. We also had another one, Karl Pryce, he was even worse. Vainikolo has eventually turned out ok though.
I'm sure there are high profile union players who switched codes and never really made it too.

 

[darkstar]

Yes our rugby league produces better players than yawnion doesnt it?

Oh yes, totally, you sound like you really know what you're talking about.

The sport of Rugby Union rarely produces a decent player... I mean the likes of Foden, Flood, Wilkinson, Hartley, Lawes, Wood, Moody, Dowson et al, in the England set up are poor compared to League players....

Man, I hate this petty rivalry between the sports, your probably not serious about it but I know many who are. It gets boring and mundane, culminating in a fight between a bunch of Union and League fans in Leeds last year.

 

[BrumJim]

There's a good reason why I support union rather than league. Its due to being brought up in Leicester, being taken down to Welford Road by my Dad and Grandad since I was 6. Its due to being at Twickenham when I was 9 watching the mighty Tigers lift the John Player Cup for the third time in a row, and its also due to meeting many of my heroes in person. Is union better than league? Or vice versa? NO.

(but it is better than football, though.....)

 

[darkstar]

Exactly, I love a day at a Rugby League match, heck my sisters boyfriends entire family are nuts about the sport, we make sure we visit each others team a few times a year. The hatred between the sports is unjustified and boring, as I said I've seen the odd fight over the issue which is just stupid, keep the fights on the pitch

 

[Lizban]

Nails to the mast time I'm a RU man - 25 years played up to county level, played a decentish club level (National 3) and now a ref moving up to London 2 level.

I prefer Union as a sport . but it's a silly contest League has some great things going for it, the pace, power, toughness the 'hits' it's simplicity and pureness'

It isn't perfect I find it a little dull and repetative but it's a good game. (and I still can't get the 40/20 rule!)

Union has many flaws as well it is a complicated game and is hard to understand (I personally like that) and there can be some dire kickfests.

Union nen hating league and vice versa ain't going to change the others view, enjoy your sports they are both good.

 

[martint235]

Historic really. England will play in Paris next year although we probably won't have 3 away games on the trot in the way we have 3 home games this season

Sent from my HTC HD2 using Tapatalk

 

[Aperitif]

[QUOTE 1312395"]
Looking at the fixture list I've noticed that there are no two legs - an away and home match. Why is that? Seems a bit unfair that England have the home advantage against the French but won't go over to Paris.
[/quote]

Naughty boy Lee! The gentleman rugby player has all sorts of business interests that conflict with being avilable for one's country on too regular a basis don't you know...

Have a lovely weekend's rugby league, or 'football' everyone. Football, as opposed to soccer - that round ball job thing that costs about £10k a kick...

 

[darkstar]

[QUOTE 1312395"]
Looking at the fixture list I've noticed that there are no two legs - an away and home match. Why is that? Seems a bit unfair that England have the home advantage against the French but won't go over to Paris.
[/quote]

The 6 nations are already long enough, any longer and the domestic season will be just about worthless. The international calls ups have a massive effect.

 

[Aperitif]

Been done Lee. Sale v St Helens (here) and prior to that, Bath played Wigan in one game of each code. Bath got tonked in the League match...not sure about the result in the Union game but Bath were a bit of a handfull at the time and probably won that comfortably...
Not a good sight seeing all the Buffy Frobishers in their Barbours and Rutland County Caps, grasping whippets and with their pockets stuffed with pies and racing pigeons!

Now, Soccer and Union or League - that would be entertaining...especially the 'dying swan' bits, where a soccer player gets breathed upon by a rampant, sandpaper-faced herbert!

 

[Chromatic]

Been done Lee. Sale v St Helens (here) and prior to that, Bath played Wigan in one game of each code. Bath got tonked in the League match...not sure about the result in the Union game but Bath were a bit of a handfull at the time and probably won that comfortably...
Not a good sight seeing all the Buffy Frobishers in their Barbours and Rutland County Caps, grasping whippets and with their pockets stuffed with pies and racing pigeons!

Now, Soccer and Union or League - that would be entertaining...especially the 'dying swan' bits, where a soccer player gets breathed upon by a rampant, sandpaper-faced herbert!

My recollection is Bath won the Union game but not as convincingly as Wigan won the League game. Bath made the mistake of trying to run the ball too much, they should have just stuck it up their jumper and stopped Wigan from getting it, they would have won much more convincingly then.

 

[Chromatic]

For those who don't know what I'm on about, by stick it up their jumper I mean keep it in the forwards.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

both codes of rugby are wonderful games

football (soccer) is draughts whilst rugby, 13- or 15-a-side, is chess.

Some of us old timers may decry the 'soccer standards' entering 'our' game but we get the behaviour form teams and players our society deserves.... even at grassroots.

one of the last games I reffed before busting my knee was a two vets sides in a friendly. Both skippers agreed not to kick at goal from penalties. great game, no quarter asked or given, lots of very canny players getting up to tricks, etc., etc.. last couple of mins one point in it and I give a pen in the 22 and the skip of the away side elects to kick at goal. 'hmmmmm..... not very sporting, not in the spirit of the game' think i.

Home team skipper goes slightly nuts. away skipper insists on the kick at goal. home skip appeals to me all i can say is i'm here to manage the laws of the game not broker the private deals you make with the opposition. home skip not happy.

away side kick at goal, ball sails between the uprights to general rejoicing from the away side and goes dead. but what is this, the idiot referee clearly in need of a guidedog and white stick is pointing to the 22 and saying "22 drop out"

now the interesting postscript is that when i came out of the shower there were two pints waiting for me on the bar, one not surprisingly from the winning home skipper, and one from the away team vice-captain, a grizzled old prop, who presented it to me and said "well done sir, we don't need that sort of thing in our game"