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Message: I used to be a fanatic supporter of NSW...this year i really couldnt care. Its the same reason I cant watch the roosters play on channel 9...Gus Gould. After all the Gasnier rubbish last week, Gus found he wasn't in the headlines enough so he comes out and says that hes quitting. Here's a tip Gus: Nobody cares! Origin coaches are pointless anyway...Fatty Vautin proved that. Coaches at this level need only be motivators, nothing more.
Author: infidel Timestamp:- 28/5/2004 7:24:42 AM Subject: Re: Origin - who cares! I do ITG
Message: Who cares whether it's an international sport? Only insecure people, insecure countries. The US couldn't give a flying fig about whether other pussant nations watch their great games.
Soccer is the most internationally popular game by 100 lengths, easing up, but I'm afraid to say, it is relatively boring. And I say that as a sports nut, who'll give everything a fair go. Hey, I'm from NSW, and I freely admit Aussie Rules is a great game, and a great game to watch.
Who cares whether 5 billion peasants watch soccer. At their present stage of development, they know no better.
Author: mcgarret Timestamp:- 27/5/2004 8:43:43 PM Subject: Re: Union World Cup? Second Tier Event.
Message: Power
I submit that the Cricket World Cup is bigger than the Rugby World Cup.
There a lot more interested and fanatical cricket supporters in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka (over 500 million) than there are in the Rugby countries that "make up the numbers" outside of the major Rugby powers, who all play cricket except for France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales!
I think "World" sporting events can be confidently ranked (by spectator interest) as follows
1. Soccer World Cup 2. Olympic Games 3. Cricket World Cup 4. Daylight
Author: Power Quest Timestamp:- 27/5/2004 7:57:23 PM Subject: Union World Cup? Second Tier Event.
Message: Rugby Union World attracting an audience that was near the Olympics or the World Cup(Soccer)?
I think the Administrators of the Rugby World Cup should get their hands off it if they seriously think that is the case. I would disagree that the event had a large audience, but how many other countries populations other than the main rugby union nations(England, Austrlia, NZ, SA) actually would have watch this event. Sure there was some watching out of curiousity but thats it.
I watched and enjoyed the final because Australia was in it. But if it were any other nation in Australia's place, I wouldn't have given it a second thought. The Rugby Union World Cup isn't anywhere near the two collosus of world sporting competition. It's on the second tier of world sporting events such along with the commonwealth Games, Tour de France ect...
Author: Moleboy Timestamp:- 27/5/2004 5:07:52 PM Subject: Re: Origin - who cares! I do ITG
Message: Everyone can enjoy whatever they want to enjoy. If you like Rugby then I'm glad it brings pleasure to you.
Union is a much better sport to watch at the pub. There are endless breaks in play which you can while away waiting for service at the bar.
Many things bring me pleasure and last night's game was one of them (even though I backed the Queenslanders at $2.48 on a betting exchange).
Last years NRL grand final is one of the greatest games of anything I have seen, and I'm a Roosters fan.
If you want to see a dying game, I can recommend a number of Rugby Union club fixtures in Sydney or Brisbane this weekend. I hope you go along and you enjoy it, they could use the support.
Author: Rock o Gibraltar Timestamp:- 27/5/2004 4:33:39 PM Subject: Re: Origin - who cares! I do ITG
Message: The point I was trying to make about Rugby Union is that it's truly an international sport unlike Rugby League .It has an international following, which shows that it is enjoyed by many millions not thousands of people.It has this following for a reason. It's an enjoyable game to watch with a high skill level. This tri nation rugby league means nothing. Let me tell you the result now, Australia will win.Boring and predictable. As for the Origin, I almost fell asleep at the pub last night. I went there hoping for a good game but it was a let down. The same pub was full last year. It's a dying game.
You obviously don't understand much about Rugby League.
Firstly, you name one AFL player who runs for two hours and 25kms during a game!!! Shane Crawford (one of the best running players in AFL) will run 15kms on a good day but not much more!!! And they don't play for 2 hours, if they go over 20 mins of game time for a quarter it is due to stoppage time in which no players are generally running!!!
Secondly, in a good passage of play in Rugby League (where there aren't many stoppages with knock-ons, kicks in touch etc. which you will normally see at least once per game) all players can be on the run for 10 mins at full pace. With AFL there is on average 20-24 goals kicked per game, that would be equivalent to a goal every 3.5 - 4 mins between goals. In that 4 mins you will see 3-4 ball-ups, a couple of throw-ins and someone taking their time to kick after a mark which makes about 6-8 stoppages within that time. There wouldn't be one player to have been running for the full duration of the play. Then after each goal there is about 1 min to recover.
Thirdly, the tackling in AFL is mostly grabbing and throwing to the ground (some of it can be rough), but it isn't as taxing as having someone trying to drive your rib cage through your back every 2 mins!!!
I think you have to be very fit to play both and unless you've played both at a senior level then perhaps you shouldn't be bagging anyone!!!
Author: Moleboy Timestamp:- 27/5/2004 2:09:43 PM Subject: Re: Origin - who cares! I do ITG
Message: ITG,
None. Not one of them. Zilch.
A league game is 80 minutes long. I would be gravely concerned about the health of any person, from any code, who tried to play an intense game of rugby league for two hours.
I've seen cricketeers play all day. I guess they are fitter still.
Author: im the gun Timestamp:- 27/5/2004 1:32:20 PM Subject: Re: Origin - who cares! I do ITG
Message: ?ITG, firstly there is a difference between rugby union and rugby league. Union is the second rate game played by second rate athletes. League is the real game. Secondly, you don't appreciate the skill, strength and speed of league players. And the heart. Craig Gower snapped his medial ligmament, Shane Webke broken ribs in last nights game. Both played on?
First of all I know there is a difference between both thugby codes. And wrong Union is a lot better than League. What skill of League? My footy club this year has had a few ex sydneysiders come down for a few runs in hope of getting a game. These blokes played NRL at a high grade and have no idea how to even kick a ball let alone other great skills of our game. These blokes themselves say that AFL is a far more skillful game than both codes of Thugby. The only skill the thugby players win out on is Tackling Milane played 8 weeks with a broken hand in the 90 finals. Goodes missed 2 days of training after doing his knee; Libba came back just 10 weeks after doing his knee.
?State of Origin is a concept AFL can only dream to acheive. If SA played Vic, would you see Buckley put a hit on Rocca, knowing that his team needs him on the weekend? No. Club allegiances go out the window. State against state, mate against mate?
Wrong again! State of Origin was an AFL idea long before the NRL got wind of it. Remember the old days? No well, teams from WA, SA, Vic Tas and Qld all played each other at the end of each season. This was going on for close to 80 years. The only reason SOO was stopped in out sport was because of the toll the AFL players go through each season. 25 Games for us = close to 50 for NRL with all the running, bumping and jumping we do.
1. Calls for players to both attack and defend, rather then have the majority stand around and cannot do both. Same with AFL players, 18 on the field at any one time remember. They all get the ball, defend the ball and can be moved up the ground if needed. Lloyd is one of the best tackling forwards around
2. Players have the skill; strength and ability to go forward while have the ball go backwards, rather then having to kick it. Can thugby players kick a ball 50 to 60 meters and hit the running player? Can they jump 12 foot in the air and catch a ball, can they kick the ball so it bends around a corner while running at full pace? NO AFL is by far the most skillfl game in the world because it takes little bits of the best sports and rolls them into one great game.
3. Allows players of all shapes and sizes to participate Locket, Libba, Tony Shaw and That 7 foot 1 bloke from Freo, all shapes, all sizes!
4. Has the record for the highest crowd at any single game of football (any code)in this country ever You still haven?t proved it to us? The MCG holds more than any other ground in Australia, the biggest NRL crowd was in fact in Melbourne at a SOO one year, I know, I was there and I was bored!
5. Has a judiciary that has balls 6 weeks for a high tackle in your game, a free kick in ours. Not balls, just over the top. The only thing it has over the AFL?s one is the grading of charges
6. Has the highest rating sports event annually. Each of the 3 games of State of Origin rate higher then the AFL Grand Final. Wrong, someone already posted on this.
7. Has a media organisation willing to spend hundreds of millions in an attempt to hijack the games as it is a far superior product then any other football code in the country. 3 TV stations one of which is 24 hours footy, 15 Radio stations and 1000?s of pages a year in the papers. Channel 9 and 10 paid over 100 million for the rights for AFL, the battle you are talking about was for control of the game world wide
8. Where players can actually pick up the ball when it is on the ground, even guys who are 120kgs. McLeod, Hird, Lloyd and Lockett are/were all just as great below the knees than overhead. All can pick the ball up and do something with it, NRL players fall over a line. Great skill
9. Where the workrate and fitness levels of a 110kg forward is actually greater then then some AFL players. Buckley ran 25km in round 1 last year, I?ll love to see big fat Willy Mason do that while picking up 34 touches. Remember our field is much bigger than yours and there is no where to hide!
10. Has in Andrew Johns the best Australian footballer of any code Voss, Hird, Buckley, and McLeod do you need me to go on? All great. All Champions and all better footballers than Johns
When you go to a club this week, go up to a bouncer and the 2 of you can run and hit each other for 80 minutes. See how hard it is then Just because you run into a overweight bloke doesn?t mean your sport is better
At the end of the season league is having a tri-series with New Zealand and England. Who are AFL boys playing? Sorry, but nobody else plays the game. You have to stitch up a game with a code that is "similar". We Play Ireland in the international rules. Here?s a fact for you, The fastest growing out-door sport in the USA & England is AFL I wonder why that is.
Author: Bluey H Timestamp:- 27/5/2004 1:06:36 PM Subject: Re: Origin - who cares! I do ITG
Message: Great post Kicker.
Another point I think should be raised is the "modern" trend of coaching, from all codes, enlisting the services of players and or specialist coaches from other codes to improve areas of their games.
AFL players can certainly help teach some rugby and league players handling skills and defence skills of those blokes can be used in AFL.
Author: Kicker Timestamp:- 27/5/2004 11:44:27 AM Subject: Re: Origin - who cares! I do ITG
Message: As someone who appreciates the skill required to play Union, League & Australian Rules, I must take some of you to task here.
Windy Both codes of Rugby played by talentless thugs with not enough co-ordination to play a decent sport?????? You have obviously never witnessed supremely skilled athletes such as Stephen Larkham,David Campese,Andrew Johns & Bob Fulton to name a couple from both codes past & present who could never be described as "talentless thugs" or unco-ordinated.
Grandma Union a second rate game played by second rate athletes?????? Refer to the above & also explain to me how George Gregan is a "second rate athlete"??? Tell me how many 6 foot 6 inch string beans ala John Eales, Justin Harrison & countless examples in the AFL do you see running around in the NRL? How many Matt Dunning type props, whose primary task is to absorb over a tonne of pressure in a scrum do you see running around in the NRL or AFL? If there is one sport that caters for all body shapes & sizes, it is Union, not League.
You cannot tell me the work rate & fitness level of a League forward is anywhere near that of AFL on ball players such as Buckley or Hird.
All 3 codes have different skill & fitness requirements & I can understand people being passionate about their favourite, however, people who refer to the codes of Rugby as "Thugby" and the AFL as the "GAYFL" do themselves no justice at all.
Tell me how many League or Union players can kick equally as well off both feet as the majority of AFL players can?
Tell me how many AFL players would last more than 2 seconds in the Front Row of a Rugby scrum?
To play any of the 3 codes at the elite level requires an extraordinary level of fitness, skill, commitment & toughness & to suggest otherwise displays a lack of understanding of what these players go through to reach that level.
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