Re: Dragons Give the Aussies the Series Lead : Sat Feb 21, 2015 10:06 pm  

Here's another review about the Wire's loss to the Dragons http://www.nothingbutleague.com/dragons ... es-opener/

Here's another review about the Wire's loss to the Dragons http://www.nothingbutleague.com/dragons ... es-opener/

Re: Dragons Give the Aussies the Series Lead : Sat Feb 21, 2015 10:38 pm  

The Yellow Giraffe wrote:

I wish people would stop peddling this "series" nonsense.

It's two friendlies and a World Club Challenge.

strange view....

were you around when The Australian test teams toured these shores and would play club sides in between the Test matches for no trophy, no title, .....nothing..... well nothing but pride???

And more often the second string test teams would play the club sides, but were those matches ever belittled? No. They were the most anticipated matches of the season, and often places that had never sniffed a capacity crowd for years were sold out....

we could have all labeled them friendlies or test match warm ups and treated them as a waste of time and not bothered attending. Fortunately stupid internet club rivalry and "my clubs in a bigger game than yours" mentality wasn't around then.

Wire fans and Wigan Fans know which the "trophy" is for maybe you could give us credit for both trying to expand the format and turn it into a real and credible tournament.

I mean under normal circumstances the one off game is often labeled as a pre season warm up game for the Aussies...one they haven't really took serious...make no bones about it, Souths Will not want to be the only side Aussie side to lose, so thanks to us both losing if you win tomorrow it will be a tremendous result.

Re: Dragons Give the Aussies the Series Lead : Sat Feb 21, 2015 10:44 pm  

the flying biscuit wrote:

strange view....

were you around when The Australian test teams toured these shores and would play club sides in between the Test matches for no trophy, no title, .....nothing..... well nothing but pride???

And more often the second string test teams would play the club sides, but were those matches ever belittled? No. They were the most anticipated matches of the season, and often places that had never sniffed a capacity crowd for years were sold out....

we could have all labeled them friendlies or test match warm ups and treated them as a waste of time and not bothered attending. Fortunately stupid internet club rivalry and "my clubs in a bigger game than yours" mentality wasn't around then.

Wire fans and Wigan Fans know which the "trophy" is for maybe you could give us credit for both trying to expand the format and turn it into a real and credible tournament.

I mean under normal circumstances the one off game is often labeled as a pre season warm up game for the Aussies...one they haven't really took serious...make no bones about it, Souths Will not want to be the only side Aussie side to lose, so thanks to us both losing if you win tomorrow it will be a tremendous result.

I'd class playing for your country a little higher than a friendly game.

Re: Dragons Give the Aussies the Series Lead : Sat Feb 21, 2015 11:21 pm  

I quite like the series, gives the new viewer something to root for when its England v Australia.

Judging from Twitter its already converting some people over from non heartland areas and surely that's the goal.

Re: Dragons Give the Aussies the Series Lead : Sun Feb 22, 2015 8:26 am  

It's been good. Our game wasn't the best quality but nobody could accuse the players of playing them like friendlies. The crowds have been good and the passion on show has been admirable.

Good luck tonight by the way. I think you've got a real chance! They're a top side but you're full of confidence and unlike us last night, have a good bit of size to try and combat what they'll throw at you (good side I suppose with the Burgess twins trundling it up and guys the size of Inglis in the backs).

Re: Dragons Give the Aussies the Series Lead : Sun Feb 22, 2015 8:30 am  

Exactly.

Put it out as friendlies and warm ups or saying the cup match is the only match worth anything is not exactly a sales mans dream. He can't sell that to anyone outside of RL. Hell even most RL fans don't turn up for friendlies.

But selling it as a series between SL and the NRL ie England v Austrailia, that's something the marketing men can sell outside of the game. Which will attract more corporate money to the game.

People bemoan SL not having any money, not being able to keep hold of the talent, but then in the next breath will call it all a waste of time and a friendly.

Sell it as a series of games between SL and the NRL and get the casual watcher to turn in, just like the casual watcher will take in a football game, a Cricket 20/20 or test match or a RU game.

More casual watchers is what the game needs. This series will then get people looking for the next big match, maybe MW, maybe the CC final, the GF or an international game.

So far its been pretty good, hope the boys go out and show what they can do tonight and bring the bacon home for Saints/SL and the UK.

[Fantastic Mr Catpiss]

Re: Dragons Give the Aussies the Series Lead : Sun Feb 22, 2015 9:03 am  

St pete wrote:

I'd class playing for your country a little higher than a friendly game.

He's not on about that, he means when club sides used to play the rest of the touring Aussie squads midweek.

For nothing, other than pride.

Re: Dragons Give the Aussies the Series Lead : Sun Feb 22, 2015 10:43 am  

Fantastic Mr Catpiss wrote:

He's not on about that, he means when club sides used to play the rest of the touring Aussie squads midweek.

For nothing, other than pride.

But Wigan played a team that finished 8th in NRL that went out in round one play offs. They brought 18 players over. Wayne Bennett said pre match that he didn't care about the result. Wayne Bennett said post match that he didn't know it was a series comp and couidnt beleive played golden point!

St George finished 11th in the NRL and was in the world series!


The Aussies ain't took this serious. I bet half the Aussies didn't even watch it. If we are going to do something like this, let's do it proper and not just pick any team who want to come over to come. It's pretty laughable really.

Re: Dragons Give the Aussies the Series Lead : Sun Feb 22, 2015 10:54 am  

It may help if we also had officials who knew the rules. Just had a "tweet" from an aussie journo friend of mine. Extra time golden point is 10 minutes (5 minutes each way). So Wigan should have had the advantage of pinning Brisbane back in that second half of extra time.

Re: Dragons Give the Aussies the Series Lead : Sun Feb 22, 2015 10:59 am  

St pete wrote:

The Aussies ain't took this serious. I bet half the Aussies didn't even watch it. If we are going to do something like this, let's do it proper and not just pick any team who want to come over to come. It's pretty laughable really.

Come on! remember the Aussie season has not even started, have you forgot even what Saints looked like in the first few games? but now with some real match time under their belts it is a different ball game.