Rugby League Grand Final

Shaunmg

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So who will be watching the rugby league Grand Final this Saturday? I’m really looking forward to it, but unfortunately I won’t be going to the game this time, but watching it on sky sports.

I enjoy both Rugby codes and I know RU world cup is taking centre stage right now. But for the un-initiated; any person who enjoys both codes will tell you, League is the better spectacle. Fast, furious continuous play, without the stop starts of the rucks and mauls. Without doubt RU has improved since it ended its shamaturism and became openly professional, but it took the introduction of rugby league coaches to improve the game and teach them how to defend and run with the ball, to make it the great spectator sport it is today

So if you’re un-initiated to rugby league, then watch the Grand Final between St.Helens and Leeds, if you’re a sports fan you’re in for a treat. Running and try scoring, amazing defensive feats and the team who score the most tries will win the game, and not the team who kicks the most penalties or drop goals
 

User20205

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So if you’re un-initiated to rugby league, then watch the Grand Final between St.Helens and Leeds, if you’re a sports fan you’re in for a treat. Running and try scoring, amazing defensive feats and the team who score the most tries will win the game, and not the team who kicks the most penalties or drop goals

mmm. maybe for the un-initiated like you said League has a greater instant attraction, it's the McDonalds of the Rugby world. There isn't much substance.

I would watch it but I haven't got Sky, I kind of think that they have consigned themselves to forever being a
minority sport by being shown exclusively on satellite.

Skill levels are good though, especially in the NRL, it's helped in this by being a summer sport. the cash will always be greater in UK in Union so all the best players will gravitate towards Union eventually.
 

Shaunmg

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mmm. maybe for the un-initiated like you said League has a greater instant attraction, it's the McDonalds of the Rugby world. There isn't much substance.

I would watch it but I haven't got Sky, I kind of think that they have consigned themselves to forever being a
minority sport by being shown exclusively on satellite.

Skill levels are good though, especially in the NRL, it's helped in this by being a summer sport. the cash will always be greater in UK in Union so all the best players will gravitate towards Union eventually.

I really don’t want to fall into the trap of arguing the point of which is the better game. It’s like being asked what do I like, tea or coffee? When the truth is I like them both, but they taste different.

But I will argue your point, League is lacking in substance; the entire opposite is the truth. Since RU became openly professional, they have turned to rugby league techniques to add substance and skill to their game, and yes taking players as well as the coaches to help with it. They are not entirely there yet, they need to speed the game up and score tries, but there are too many players on the pitch to achieve it. The Rugby league influence has enhanced the modern RU game. If you describe RL as McDonalds of Rugby, then RU is the public school dining hall, full of stuffy snots.

Minority sport rugby league is not, regional sport, the rest of the country don’t know what they’re missing; yes
 

User20205

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But I will argue your point, League is lacking in substance; the entire opposite is the truth. Since RU became openly professional, they have turned to rugby league techniques to add substance and skill to their game, and yes taking players as well as the coaches to help with it. They are not entirely there yet, they need to speed the game up and score tries, but there are too many players on the pitch to achieve it. The Rugby league influence has enhanced the modern RU game. If you describe RL as McDonalds of Rugby, then RU is the public school dining hall, full of stuffy snots.

I don't disagree, I was kind of being deliberately provocative, sorry about that :D

There are loads of problems with the Union game. mainly around the Scrum and different refereeing interpretations at the breakdown. Games are decided on which referee you get.

In my batchelor days I used to love a friday of super league, I watched St Helens a couple of times when they played the Broncos in London.

However I stand by the point that by limiting themselves to coverage by Sky the RFL (and the ECB) have taken short term financial gain over long term benefit. Also there is/will be a problem in the the talent pool of players being nicked by Union. I read only today that Sam Tomkins won't rule out a move in future.

Also what do you think re the play offs? How does it sit with you that a teams coming 3/4 are contesting the Grand Final ?
 

drawboy

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Wash your mouth out! and change your name to IanManchester while you are at it,,,you are misrepresentating.
COME ON THE RHINOS.
 

Shaunmg

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St Helens will win :D.. I am a manc so it's either the scousers or yorkshire :-s (I live in leeds so I should support em) lol

Hey! Don’t go there.

Describing a St.Helener as a scouser is like a red rag to a Bull, it doesn’t bother me as my mother was a scouser. But most St.Heleners di d their nut when they took St.Helens out of Lancashire and lumped them with Merseyside. Even the accents are different. A true St.Helener has a traditional Lancashire accent. There was talk recently of changing the Merseyside name to Greater Liverpool. There was almost civil war in the town at the shear mention of it.

St.Helens has little in common with Liverpool, we area die hard rugby town. Most scousers think one sport exists and it’s not rugby. The Scousers identify St.Heleners as woolybacks. So if you want get a St.Helener frothing at the mouth, just call him scouse. As I'm sure the Leeds fans will

Come on you Saints!
 

GB72

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I only got to listen to the match on the radio but sounded excellent. Thought Leeds had thrown it away at the beginning of the second half.
 

Shaunmg

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Gutted! That’s five Grand Finals in a row we’ve lost and the last four to Leeds. It hurts, especially as Saints hammered them home and away this season, we thought it had to be our time.

But well done Leeds, truly deserved and no excuses from me, a fantastic game and a great advert for Rugby League
 
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