Re: SL standards plummeting : Sat Jun 09, 2012 6:22 am  

SL is in a shocking state talent wise.

[Sadfish]

Re: SL standards plummeting : Sat Jun 09, 2012 7:24 am  

There have always been plenty of pee poor games in Rugby League as the season enters mid town, it's just that they are easily forgettable.

I think the key is that these 2 teams in Leeds and Baradford are not performing at the moment and that makes the tournement feel a bit lacklustre

Re: SL standards plummeting : Sat Jun 09, 2012 7:30 am  

The key issue for me is that apart from Wigan and Saints (and to a lesser extent Leeds, their youth setup doesn't seem as good as it was) clubs do not seem to be able to produce any volume of quality home grown players.

Re: SL standards plummeting : Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:07 am  

I,ve been arguing over this on VT a couple of weeks ago about the lack of intensity in matches, last night was a prime example.
We are back to a 2 club league but of lower standard, i wonder if its possible for Leeds to play rubbish all season finish in 8th place and then go on to win the Grand Final.....the question is would the RFL change things or would they wait to see how bad we are in the World Cup.

Re: SL standards plummeting : Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:23 am  

I still enjoy my super league and watch all the games on sky, super league fulltime, boots n all and super league supermen but I also think the standard has dropped a hell of a lot over the years.

I wouldn't like to say why as its hard to put your finger on why but could it be:

The salary cap evening out super league but making the standard drop?

Could the the drop in the number on quota be effecting it?

Is there to many teams and not enough talent?

Thoughts?

Re: SL standards plummeting : Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:31 am  

Dux wrote:

I think we need to remember that the stricter overseas player regulations were always going to result in a gradual decline in standards for at least the short to medium term. Now that players with exemptions are starting to retire in numbers we're seeing that decline happen. It's not ideal, but I think it's a hit worth taking if we want to improve the way we produce young players across the competition.

Saddened! is right about the number of teams, though. Just before we went up to 14 teams I reckon we had the most competitive SL there has ever been. Again, this decision was made with a bigger picture in mind (basically to allow the introduction of Crusaders IIRC), but one which ultimately proved to be misguided. I reckon a move back down to 12 teams would make a significant difference to the standard of the league. If you pooled together the playing squads of the bottom four clubs I think you could put together two presentable sides.

Pretty much agree with all that.

Let's also not forget that SL moved away from the exciting spectacle it was becoming, with strictly-enforced 10m defensive lines and defending players having to get off the tackled player quickly. Yes, there were some cricket-score results (we still do...), but players were coming to terms with the changes. What it did do is make defences work hard and have to be top drawer, whilst skillful, entertaining players had space to work in. After SL abandoned this and allowed slowing of PTB's and shorter defence lines, defences had it too easy and it became more the 'big bloke' slugathon we have today.

Re: SL standards plummeting : Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:57 am  

Is Eddie Hemmings not claiming that 2012 is the best SL ever as he does year after year ?

Re: SL standards plummeting : Sat Jun 09, 2012 10:09 am  

A slower play the ball has certainly contributed to a lower standard, its given time for defences to get set, setting the majority of the game with forward drives and a kick at the end of the set.
We see more and more trys scored now from speculitive kicks at the expense of half back passing plays. Also the ascendency over the years of flat attacks means we lose passing space again with the half backs.
We get more games as slugathons with momentum provided by penalties courtesy of the inconsistent ref standard.
A top 8 play off has effect on standard, compare it to an examinatiom mark. Top 8 would give you a qualification mark of 40% a top 3 would be closer to 80%. Too much tinkering with the game from the RFL has brought us into the fashion of "correctness" where we don,t have failure in our game just different levels of success.

Re: SL standards plummeting : Sat Jun 09, 2012 10:13 am  

This is the first time since I've been watching that I've been utterly bored of Super League. I'm kind of wanting it to end already in the hope that next year could be better!

Re: SL standards plummeting : Sat Jun 09, 2012 10:48 am  

Judder Man wrote:

A slower play the ball has certainly contributed to a lower standard, its given time for defences to get set, setting the majority of the game with forward drives and a kick at the end of the set.

Surely, though, this forces the development of more creative halves over the longer term? Quick PTBs might lead to high scoring games, but it values the speed and awareness of a hooker over any other position. There's no need to use guile, clever plays etc to break a team down, just the ability to toss the ball quickly through your legs when you're half tackled.

As soon as a ref allows slower ptbs ( classically, at international level) or when teams slow it down by employing tactics intended just for that (see Wigan and Hudds of a season or two ago) a team is immediately rendered impotent.

IMO, it's a key reason why Aussie halves are infinitely better, there's no obsession there with having the tackled cleared within a nanosecond. Get the lines set, then let's see what you've got.m

I'd say it's actually a way to increase standards, though granted there will be a transitional period before the rewards come.