Re: Rugby union premiership : Mon Mar 07, 2011 11:40 pm  

TheJudge wrote:

So is superleague now too defence driven?

In our search for a perfect game have we ruined the one thing we always had over union, fantastic try's and great entertainment?

Can you really point out to me a winger that has REAL pace in the SL or are we coaching the explosiveness out of the kids in favour of a "solid and dependable" winger.

You could take Kevin Penny as a case in point. Fantastic in attack, suspect in defence so cast aside by many a SL club

case in point - Stuart Evans was probably faster and more elusive than Gardner and Meli. I know it's a bit of a freak example, but Brett Morris was a joy to watch in reminding me how exciting wingers are supposed to be.

Re: Rugby union premiership : Tue Mar 08, 2011 7:57 am  

The thing I tend to notice when I see Union these days is that the players tend to be good at the basics; the ball goes through the hands nice and smoothly when a side decides to go wide. Unfortunately these basics seem to have been eroded out of the British game in favour of a hit up and offload game.

Having said that, Wigan seem to be pretty good at getting the ball through the hands. Perhaps our view of the game is being skewed by the dour stuff Saints have been playing for the last two or three seasons.

Re: Rugby union premiership : Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:08 am  

Ive made a few attempts to watch it this season and it was as pedestrian as ever. One game spent four minutes in a ten square metre area about four metres from the line. Eventually a try was scored they thought it was fantastic because there was about twenty "phases".
I turned over, their definition of skill is still a lot different to leagues.

Re: Rugby union premiership : Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:16 am  

I watched a game and turned it off when the fullbacks decided to play piggy in the middle with everyone else.
Naff...

Re: Rugby union premiership : Tue Mar 08, 2011 8:59 am  

Super League has become tick rugby or basketball is some ways, what is a forward pass these days??

Re: Rugby union premiership : Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:05 am  

In the Rugby Union Aviva Premiership a team gets awarded a bonus point if it scores four or more tries in a game.
Now half way through the season only six of the twelve teams have managed it, and the team that is second in the table is one of those that hasn't.

Re: Rugby union premiership : Tue Mar 08, 2011 10:29 am  

IMO if they reduced penalties to two points, RU would be transformed

Re: Rugby union premiership : Tue Mar 08, 2011 11:26 am  

Saint Simon wrote:

IMO if they reduced penalties to two points, RU would be transformed

And drop goals to 1/2 points too.
Hearing of the Sale game at the weekend whent he played Wasps, some guy called Walder kicked 5 goals and it was 15-0.
If a Sale player looked at the scoreboard they would be disheartned very quickly, knowing that tries are hard to come by, if they scored 2 tries they would still be a point short.

Some games are very good, the Magners League is always a good watch when Munster and the Ospreys play each other etc, but the Aviva Premiership can be a dive of a competition sometimes.

Re: Rugby union premiership : Tue Mar 08, 2011 11:43 am  

have you looked at the barb stats for viewing figures for club union compared to super league? Superleague is way ahead. Only the international union games get big viewing figures.

Re: Rugby union premiership : Tue Mar 08, 2011 11:53 am  

Rogues Gallery wrote:

In the Rugby Union Aviva Premiership a team gets awarded a bonus point if it scores four or more tries in a game.
Now half way through the season only six of the twelve teams have managed it, and the team that is second in the table is one of those that hasn't.

You have brought me back from the dark side into the light.

Now I remember why it's so $hit. Obviously as stated by donny before the highlights must be so heavily edited so that it seems exciting and attractive to watch.