Herald Sun Article - Rugby boring

[Scoey]

I don't hate league, I actually grew up on a diet of mainly league with a little bit of rugby. Dad played league but enjoys most sports. Most of his mates were ra-ra boys so whilst we watched the league every weekend on telly, we'd often go to Ballymore to watch QLD or the Wobs play all and sundry.

I think the reason I now no longer 'actively enjoy' watching league has a lot to do with two things. The athleticism has reached a point where players are capable of amazing things. This should be exciting and sometimes it is. But what it has done is leveled the playing field. There are now less defensive mis-matches. Less missed tackles. Less holes. = less action. The highest percentage play for scoring a try these days seems to be what was probably the lowest percentage play back in the day. The high ball into the corner. It's the same old, every time. Boring.

The second reason I don't enjoy watching it is the freakin commentary. Holy crap between Ray Warren, and Gus Gould bickering and this incessant need to analyse the shit out of every aspect of every play, it drives me insane. FFS a guy drops the ball and then they will show 18,000 replays from 28 angles to see if someone "had a hand in there". And the fact that they do it, I think, highlights the fact that there's otherwise often not a lot happening on the field worth talking about. Nothing new anyway.

 

[Braveheart81]

The second reason I don't enjoy watching it is the freakin commentary. Holy crap between Ray Warren, and Gus Gould bickering and this incessant need to analyse the shit out of every aspect of every play, it drives me insane. FFS a guy drops the ball and then they will show 18,000 replays from 28 angles to see if someone "had a hand in there". And the fact that they do it, I think, highlights the fact that there's otherwise often not a lot happening on the field worth talking about. Nothing new anyway.

In my opinion, Phil Gould is the most annoying commentator in sport.*


* and I watch a lot of sport.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

One of my major issues with League is that the Boofhead Quotient (tm) has become greater and greater over the years. In the recent past it seems like nearly every NRL related story was about glassings, bashings, robberies, shitting in hotel doorways etc. When you look at behaviour like that in a sport you start to question why you watch it. This is quite apart from the perception I have that League is become more boring as a spectacle. With no contest for the ball, where's the fun in it?

 

[rugbyskier]

This is quite apart from the perception I have that League is become more boring as a spectacle. With no contest for the ball, where's the fun in it?

And Bret Harris has suggested in an article on the Fox Sports website that rugby officials should consider getting rid of unlimited phases and having a turnover after around 7 phases. Next he'll be suggesting getting rid of the two flankers and then lineouts.

If a team doesn't have the skills to effect a turnover after 7 phases then they don't deserve to be rewarded with possession. Also I think that Bret Harris has forgotten the sublime Wallaby performance in the 1998 Bledisloe Cup test in Christchurch, where they got possession around their 22 m line and drove the ball forward through 18 phases to score. The progressive building up of tension that continual phase play can achieve is one of the reasons I love this sport.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

And Bret Harris has suggested in an article on the Fox Sports website that rugby officials should consider getting rid of unlimited phases and having a turnover after around 7 phases. Next he'll be suggesting getting rid of the two flankers and then lineouts.

If a team doesn't have the skills to effect a turnover after 7 phases then they don't deserve to be rewarded with possession. Also I think that Bret Harris has forgotten the sublime Wallaby performance in the 1998 Bledisloe Cup test in Christchurch, where they got possession around their 22 m line and drove the ball forward through 18 phases to score. The progressive building up of tension that continual phase play can achieve is one of the reasons I love this sport.

Harris is a moron if he's actually suggesting that.

I remember the 1998 game well, especially seeing as I was watching it with three Kiwi mates. They were speechless after that try.

 

[liquor box]

I'll come and say I am definitely one of those who think penalty goals should be worth two points (drop goals as well for that matter). They definitely have a place in the game, however I think their worth is disproportionate as it stands

I dont think 12-12 is any better than 18-18 , but I know what you mean, the value of a penalty compared to a try could be considered an issue

 

[liquor box]

I'm sick of this attitude that every game needs to have tries. If you have some games that are decided on penalties every so often, then it makes the games with tries more exciting, in the sense that you aren't predicting tries. I found it quite interesting to see a team's defense STOP NZ FROM SCORING A TRY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS. You wont see that mentioned in these terminally stupid articles.

I don't have time for these journalists. If you want to see constant tries, then watch rugby league. What is the point of changing the laws of rugby union to turn it into a game more like league? You don't even have to reach the end of that sentence to realize how silly it is asking that.

Rugby is a technical game for those who enjoy the contest, it doesn't need to be full of tries. Why do you think rugby 7s is much more boring?

One of the best efforts in S15 this season was the Reds stopping the Crusaders scroing a try at home, this was not huge news as they did not win, but it was a mighty effort none the less

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Speaking of 1998, take a look at the action in this clip. Why can't we play like this any more?

 

[Scoey]

And Bret Harris has suggested in an article on the Fox Sports website that rugby officials should consider getting rid of unlimited phases and having a turnover after around 7 phases.

I have no idea why but I started reading that and the ignorance displayed is simply staggering! Apart from making me physically ill, I am certain I am dumber for the experience of reading that garbage. It reminded me why I don't read FoxSports articles. I swear they get paid a commission for each comment they get on their article. It is always sensational rubbish designed to outrage or cause controversy.

 

[nomis]

I still think it's worthwhile asking the question, is rugby as good as it could be? And as a professional sport in the entertainment industry, should rugby be seeking to appeal to a wider audience?

I don't think it's about having more tries necessarily. And I don't think league needs to be our standard.

But I do think the general public might have a more satisfying experience when they go to a rugby game, if there was at least the potential for more attaching rugby with the ball in hand, and on a more consistent basis.

It might be the inconsistency in what you're going to get that gets the general public frustrated with rugby at times.

I'm only making an observation here.

 

[Scoey]

I agree nomis. Always ask the question, is Rugby as good as it could be. But do so remembering that the Rugby audience is global. If you refine the game to improve the spectacle for a certain audience, the result potentially is what we have with NRL.

What may make the game more "appealing" to a wider audience in Aus may not work for the rest of the world and I'd suggest it straight out wouldn't work. The thing with League is that it is at the stage where the NRL runs it and does with it what it wants. So they make it more appealing to NSW and QLD viewers and stuff anyone else.

I think the game itself is fine. Perfect in fact but I am aware that I am biased. The game of Rugby is embraced around the world and the only people calling it boring are the ones writing articles in newspapers that are NRL focussed. So the issue is that it is not 'boring' per se but that it is not embraced by a large number of Australians that potentially could enjoy it. How do we help them embrace it? Work on making the game more accessible.

That's just my observation too!

 

[Ex-AshgroveEmu]

I'm willing to bet that there'll be tons of mungoes tuning in to watch and openly cheer for Australia when it plays rugby - in Rio at the 2016 Olympics.

League can only dream of that sort of world-wide acdceptance and profile.

On a side matter, I heard that rugby has been named as the official winter sport for the army of the Peoples Republic of China - if this is true, and they ever get serious about the game, then beware that sleeping giant!

 

[hawktrain]

And Bret Harris has suggested in an article on the Fox Sports website that rugby officials should consider getting rid of unlimited phases and having a turnover after around 7 phases.

Firstly, who is Bret Harris? Should I know?

Secondly, that is the funniest/worst idea I've ever heard. So bad it's hilarious.

 

[Blue]

Speaking of 1998, take a look at the action in this clip. Why can't we play like this any more?

Might have something to do with the people involved in that clip...

 

[Blue]

I still think it's worthwhile asking the question, is rugby as good as it could be? And as a professional sport in the entertainment industry, should rugby be seeking to appeal to a wider audience?

I don't think it's about having more tries necessarily. And I don't think league needs to be our standard.

But I do think the general public might have a more satisfying experience when they go to a rugby game, if there was at least the potential for more attaching rugby with the ball in hand, and on a more consistent basis.

It might be the inconsistency in what you're going to get that gets the general public frustrated with rugby at times.

I'm only making an observation here.

It's an Australian thing mainly.

For the most part I think NZ, SA, UK, Irish and Frog fans are pretty happy.

You don't hear them complaining much about the style their country or clubs are playing. They don't have this constant comparison with other codes.

This is why anyone suggesting major rules changes can forget about it.

 

[rugbyskier]

Firstly, who is Bret Harris? Should I know?

Secondly, that is the funniest/worst idea I've ever heard. So bad it's hilarious.

Bret Harris is one of the journalists at The Australian who covers rugby. Judging by the comments on the article it has gone down like a lead balloon.

 

[Bowside]

It's an Australian thing mainly.

For the most part I think NZ, SA, UK, Irish and Frog fans are pretty happy.

You don't hear them complaining much about the style their country or clubs are playing. They don't have this constant comparison with other codes.

This is why anyone suggesting major rules changes can forget about it.

I don't necessarily think you are correct.

In the last 10-20 years a lot of aspects of rugby have changed and made the game worse to watch. The scrum 'hit' is one example, and there is currently a push from all corners of the globe (the poms especially) to remove it and go back to how scrums use to be in the early 90's.

A pet peeve of mine is the lack of first phase backline moves that happen nowadays. I'd like to see compulsory (expect for when taken quickly) full lineouts to give the backs a bit more space. If I wanted to see backrowers trucking it up in the midfield every time the ball goes out I'd watch league.

From a spectacle point of view rugby is not where it should be.

 

[southsider]

Bret Harris is one of the journalists at The Australian who covers rugby. Judging by the comments on the article it has gone down like a lead balloon.

know any background on him??

Besides the obvious being dropped multiple times on his head as a child

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Might have something to do with the people involved in that clip.

Sure, but we don't even try that kind of game plan. The support play, especially from depth, was outstanding. Notice also how quick the ball came from the ruck area.

 

[nugget]

Sure, but we don't ever have a game plan under Deans. The support play, especially from depth, was outstanding. Notice also how quick the ball came from the ruck area.

corrected it for ya.