The Pulverisation of Australian Rugby
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Marcelo
Ken Catchpole (46)
Not all tight ends run 40 yds in 4.77s. The NFL combine can be very misleading. For example Isaac Sopoaga and Brock Lesnar have high records at Bench press: 42 reps. Which players lift 225 pounds (102 kg) as many times as possible. Since 1999, only fourteen men at the combine have managed to achieve more than 40 repetitions, among them Isaac Sopoaga and Lesnar but both have failed as NFL players
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
I suspect some run less and some more - hence its an average.
My reading suggests that Hayne is not yet fast enough to be a running back - that suggests to me that AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper) is or would be no chance as either an RB or a wide receiver.
Though I find this interesting I cannot see ho it can be blamed on Pulver - though I am certainly open to persuasion - and accordingly it seems a fair bit off topic.
Marcelo
Ken Catchpole (46)
I wrote it wrong, I meant: Rugby has physical characteristics similar than american football. The other day I read that Aussie soccer players have an average weight of 73 kgs, that's almost 30 kgs of difference with the average weight of rugby players, that's a lot of athletic difference. Now look at the weights of rugby and american football players, and see which are similar.
Marcelo
Ken Catchpole (46)
These are nonsense, the World's fastest rugby player is Carlin Isles:
But he's not even close to being a top class winger as slower players like Cory Jane or Israel Folau, the speed alone is useless, even at the NFL. Julian Edelman and Wes Welker are top class wide receivers and none of them run as fast as Carlin Isles or Chris Johnson, the fastest NFL player.
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Well it was you who said leave the particular skills out of the analysis.
I'm done - you're all over the shop.
I'm done - you're all over the shop.
Pfitzy
Phil Waugh (73)
Chris McCracken
Jim Clark (26)
I think this shows a fundamental misunderstanding of what "physical characteristics" means.
Yes, there are players who are around the same size. However, American Football is a completely alactic sport. There is little, if any, requirement for lower threshold energy systems. Training reflects that and performance reflects training. The athletes are more explosive, generally stronger and certainly faster. You say not all tight-ends run 4.77? Most starters usually do at NFL and D1 collegiate levels. I, myself, ran an electronically timed 4.73 at 117kg in a tryout for Orlando Rage in the XFL. Guess what? Too slow for a Defensive End or Tight End. And that was 14 years ago.
Conversely, rather than being a peak output sport, Rugby is a capacity sport. Players at the same weight and height will not be as fast, strong or powerful as a commensurate American Football player. They will, however, be able to retain that capacity longer and recover faster from more intense work - even while still working. Rugby players need to develop their lactic pathways as that is where the game is played. They also need excellent aerobic capacity to improve their recovery.
Further to that, you say that the tackles are too obese for modern Rugby. That would imply that players other than tackles would manage. They wouldn't - and don't. Take a look at what is going on the the NRFL at the moment as they try to make Rugby athletes out of wannabe NFL players.
And as far as tackles being obese, that is an insulting absurdity. Most run under the American (or Australian) average bodyfat. And in the case of Offensive Tackles, run backwards faster than most human beings can run forwards. Obese is not the right word.
Woah, I didn't think all of that was going to pour out when I started the post.
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Finally something we can blame Pulver for: where are the lactic pathways?
Chris McCracken
Jim Clark (26)
Is that the thread we're in? Woops. Best I look before just clicking on the alerts.
The ARU do employ journalists, particularly for things such as their rural tours (or anything that doesn't have much interest from mainstream media) so they can produce content.
The AFL has done amazing things with their model of employing a lot of writers to produce the full range of content (including news damaging to the game). They have taken huge bites out of mainstream media in this regard because the afl.com.au has become a one stop shop for all sorts of content relating to the AFL.
Rugby isn't really in a position to replicate this because it's not big enough in Australia but to say it's not part of what they're doing is incorrect.
wamberal
Phil Kearns (64)
The point I was trying to make is that our code is hugely disadvantaged compared to our main rivals. That disadvantage plays out in any ways, the journalism example is just one.
In today's SMH and The Australian there are similar articles about Michael Cheika, both with the AAP byline, just as a matter of interest.
I wonder how on earth anybody can be sanguine about the future of the game when we are forced to exist on the smell of an oily rag, while our rivals roll around in big bucks and spend huge sums ensuring that the next generation knows all about them, and, by extension, nothing about us.
T
TOCC
Guest
I disagree, just because the sport isn't as big as the AFL/NRL doesn't mean a similar effort couldn't be made at a smaller scale.
Brendan Hume
Charlie Fox (21)
The anguish over the registration fee is a good example of what rugby has that fringe sports don't- a well organised, large and passionate grassroots. If something similar were happening in indoor volleyball (for example) you wouldn't have newspaper articles and tv news stories talking about these changes. The fact is, Australian Rugby's biggest asset is it's grassroots. Like the article about the pilot, the ARU need to empower the grassroots to make things work. Franchise the game at the grassroots, empower the regions to make it work, find sponsorship, self-fund development staff and resource the game. The only thing the ARU need to provide is competition pathways for players, and education for the coaches, referees and volunteers, and adequate insurance options. The grassroots will drive towards the future if the pathways are well defined.
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Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
They don't call it the silly season for nothing
A page or so back we were spreading rugby amongst the gentiles.
Inside Shoulder
Nathan Sharpe (72)
Have a guess where Mr Clarke went to school.
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
Somewhere near North Sydney railway station?
Chris McCracken
Jim Clark (26)
I'm assuming you're going to say Shore.
I will say, though, he has a lot better CV for Rugby administration. He was the CEO at the Brumbies. Including a year where they won. And he has been the COO of the ARU. He seems better qualified than Bill.....
Quick Hands
David Wilson (68)
Which isn't too hard I'd have thought. And Rob is an ex-Marlin, so that's a plus.
But being slightly serious, it doesn't really make for varying perspectives and ideas when so many of the top echelon have such a similar life experience.
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