Re: Ben Flower : Tue Oct 14, 2014 12:17 pm  

EHW wrote:

Websites like the Telegraph dont have any bias. They respond to clicks, hits and page views. More page views = more advertising revenue for them.

If lots of people are reading articles about Ben Flower, they are going to keep on producing articles about Ben Flower, which means they have to look for new angles on the story all the time.

Did you seriously just say the Telegraph doesn't have a bias?
You mean like The Sun or Daily Mirror don't have a bias either?

Re: Ben Flower : Tue Oct 14, 2014 12:19 pm  

I agree but the little union-loving Jonathan Liew cannot hide his delight in being able to write article after article about it

Re: Ben Flower : Tue Oct 14, 2014 12:50 pm  

Him wrote:

Did you seriously just say the Telegraph doesn't have a bias?
You mean like The Sun or Daily Mirror don't have a bias either?

They are a business, serving up content that their customers want to read and selling the advertising space around the stories. If their customers wanted to read about how wonderful Paul Wellens is, there would be plenty of articles along that vein.

Re: Ben Flower : Tue Oct 14, 2014 12:52 pm  

ratticusfinch wrote:

I agree but the little union-loving Jonathan Liew cannot hide his delight in being able to write article after article about it

There was plenty of positive articles on the Telegraph site last week, mainly written by Jonathan Liew, about Wigan, Billy Boston and (ironically) the Wigan Way and Shaun Wane's hatred to Saints.

Re: Ben Flower : Tue Oct 14, 2014 1:04 pm  

rollin thunder wrote:

Ian wright sticking boot in today, saying about RL fans on theirs high horse about family sport.

Why shouldn't he. RL people and the rest of the country are quick to put the boot in about football and footballers. Even when we have hooliganism it is deemed to be football supporters that are responsible such is the blinkered view that we are a perfect "family" sport. Why shouldn't Wright point out the hypocrisy and stand up for his own sport? RL people crave the media spotlight. They had it on Saturday because it was a final. Now they see the consequences of being in the spotlight, like football is every day of the year, and moan about that too. So what is it to be - no media coverage or plenty? Or, I suppose it ought to be plenty so long as "we" agree with it! You can't have it all your own way. As Standee would say - people in the game need to take personal responsibility and not blame their ills on everyone else.

Re: Ben Flower : Tue Oct 14, 2014 1:06 pm  

Most people don't know the difference between RL and RU and so if the press go at it too hard and there's an incident at the forthcoming RU world cup the "thugby" accusations will hit RU twice as hard.

Re: Ben Flower : Tue Oct 14, 2014 1:44 pm  

You can't have your cake and eat it. RL fans complain the game is too sanitised, yet when a moment of genuinly disgraceful 'biff' takes place complain that the sport is critisised for it, it still surprises me that RL fans don't realise that some of the 'biff' elements within the game is what keeps the rest of the country away from from RL. The game is tough enough, there's is no need for what Flower did or anything like it to take place on an RL field.

Re: Ben Flower : Tue Oct 14, 2014 2:18 pm  

Charlie Sheen wrote:

You can't have your cake and eat it. RL fans complain the game is too sanitised, yet when a moment of genuinly disgraceful 'biff' takes place complain that the sport is critisised for it, it still surprises me that RL fans don't realise that some of the 'biff' elements within the game is what keeps the rest of the country away from from RL. The game is tough enough, there's is no need for what Flower did or anything like it to take place on an RL field.

Isn't there a point in between a sanitised game and punching unconscious people?

I don't think people are put off by 'biff' at pro level (amateur and youth level is a different matter entirely) as long as we are clear where the line is and players and coaches deal with it with the responsibility such freedom demands.

The fact is that although it won't be publicised, if anything this episode has shown that all by a few morons in Wigan glasses, everyone knows where that line is and are agreed that big punishments are given to those who cross them.

Re: Ben Flower : Tue Oct 14, 2014 2:27 pm  

SmokeyTA wrote:

Isn't there a point in between a sanitised game and punching unconscious people?

I don't think people are put off by 'biff' at pro level (amateur and youth level is a different matter entirely) as long as we are clear where the line is and players and coaches deal with it with the responsibility such freedom demands.

The fact is that although it won't be publicised, if anything this episode has shown that all by a few morons in Wigan glasses, everyone knows where that line is and are agreed that big punishments are given to those who cross them.

What's the right punishment in your view?

Re: Ben Flower : Tue Oct 14, 2014 2:30 pm  

SmokeyTA wrote:

Isn't there a point in between a sanitised game and punching unconscious people?

I don't think people are put off by 'biff' at pro level (amateur and youth level is a different matter entirely) as long as we are clear where the line is and players and coaches deal with it with the responsibility such freedom demands.

The fact is that although it won't be publicised, if anything this episode has shown that all by a few morons in Wigan glasses, everyone knows where that line is and are agreed that big punishments are given to those who cross them.

Bit some of the biff is why people watch it. It's a though sport. no point RL trying to be something it's not. Also people wanting biff and what Flower did are not the same.