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Kangaroos Vs Wallabies

Schadenfreude

Schadenfreude

John Solomon (38)
Possibly the dumbest idea in sport:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/n...uld-mate-for-15m/story-e6frfgbo-1226205354186

"This will be as big as a State of Origin or Bledisloe Cup game," rugby legend Mark Ella, who is part of a rules and organising committee which met at a cafe in Harrington St in the Rocks yesterday morning, said.
Click to expand...

"It's like what Kerry Packer did with one-day cricket," Paul Gibson, the former state MP (Moana Pasifika) who has been enlisted because of his negotiating skills and powerful network of contacts, added.
Click to expand...


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Iluvmyfooty

Iluvmyfooty

Phil Hardcastle (33)
It worked this year at schoolboys level when St Augustines and Keebra Park played at Brookvale but I do not think it will succeed or be as entertaining as it was on this night.
 
Melbourne Terrace

Melbourne Terrace

Darby Loudon (17)
If we absolutely must do this (and i'd much rather sink the idea) i'd prefer it be a mix team vs new zealand so it doesn't become all about the league vs union bullshit.
 
Q

QuadeCooperFan

Guest
Am I the only one who wouldn't mind seeing this happen?

i sure hope not...
 
Karl

Karl

Bill McLean (32)
The ARL think they will give a leg up to Union and lose fans, the ARU thinks they are the code with the international reach and can't see why they'd give a leg up to League, neither is interested at all and won't do a thing about it off their own bat and both have said that even if they were interested, which they're not, they don't need a middle man sharing the cake (which to me is incredibly stupid and arrogant, but there it is). So if that is a fair summary, and I think it is, then this has got less in the way of functional legs than a Blue Whale.

I would maybe watch it as a curiosity, but that Poll in the paper shows nearly 70% of people would watch it. As dumb as I think the idea is, I am not a true representative of the modern sporting consumer. I would have thought 20/20 cricket was a dud, but how wrong would I have been? There is so much noise these days about players crossing codes etc that I think the punter, particularly those in League Land (of which there are many more in Australia than in Union Land) would definitiely watch a high level Hybrid Game Spectacle event. The Union League. Unileague Football. Rugby fans can be a bit more of the traditional/purist I think. We put up with a much more complicated game because we appreciate the finer points and the subtelty hidden in the brute force and mayhem that a layperson can't see past. League fans are less concerned with the purity of their sport and more interested in a good bloody battle. With the right players, the right rules (God Knows how you get that sorted - see below) and the right promotion behind it (something the ARU and the ARL couldn't get right to save themselves), I think that this could find a place in the annual sporting calander and put bumbs on seats.

The more I think about it actually, the more I think it could be a hell of a lot of fun with some serious bragging rights attached. Particularly if they kept it as an annual event that also promoted both codes. I think both codes could really benefit. It's like having McDonalds next to a KFC. Its not competition as such, its more business for both. Why else do you think they all cluster together? The ARL in particular think they'll give something up to Union and that it will negatively impact their game or their supporter base. I bet the opposite would occur. More interest and fans for Union and League means more junior players, more interest in schools, more people attending games - for everyone. Probably at the expense of the AFL, particularly outside Victoria.

What about the rules? Half each code? Union then League? Or the team that wins the toss decides who kicks AND which rules first half. I can't see how you "blend" the codes because if you remove the ruck and maul, have a league non-scrum or get rid of the lineout its not Union anymore. Ideas nontheless:

1. No Lineout, League style Scrum (the league guys just can't suddenly play a Union scrum safely) but with flankers unattached and maintaining contact with the lock until the ball is clear, Rucks but a play the ball if the ball carrier goes to ground.
2. As above but with 5 man Lineouts with flankers in the backs, normal ruck and maul rules but a maximum of 6 phases of play before a turnover (or kick before hand)
3. 1. but with no flankers.
4. 2. but with normal lineouts.

Or just Half Union, then Half League as detirmined by the toss.
 
Schadenfreude

Schadenfreude

John Solomon (38)
70% of Herald Sun readers think their League team will win.

But honestly, they're meeting in a cafe at the rocks, how serious can they be?

There's also some fundamentals, like shoulder charges which league players are going to do anyway.

Can pretty much guarantee the unions aren't going to pay contracted players if they get injured.

If there's no rucks, mauls, lineouts, or scrums whats the point? They may as well play Red Rover.
 
Ignoto

Ignoto

Peter Sullivan (51)
Karl said:
1. No Lineout, League style Scrum (the league guys just can't suddenly play a Union scrum safely) but with flankers unattached and maintaining contact with the lock until the ball is clear, Rucks but a play the ball if the ball carrier goes to ground.
2. As above but with 5 man Lineouts with flankers in the backs, normal ruck and maul rules but a maximum of 6 phases of play before a turnover (or kick before hand)
Click to expand...

Taking out scrums and lineouts effectively takes a huge chunk of Union's uniqueness. I don't care so much about the repetitiveness of 6 tackles and kick, what irks me is in League props can play in the backs and in most cases on a regular basis (ala Paul Gallen).

If you don't have lineouts or scrums, you're effectively ruling out any tall blokes and the modern men who play prop!

It's a stupid idea that should stop getting thrown around. There's a reason why Union took off internationally and why it's dubbed the game played in heaven. Those who want to be entertained with guys constantly running and throwing the ball around can go watch Seven's rugby. The rest of us who want to watch a game where there's a constant contest for the ball and caters for guys of all shapes and sizes will pick the 15 man version of Rugby.
 
redstragic

redstragic

Alan Cameron (40)
I don't care about proving which code has the better players in a format that none one plays.

If they serious about a pissing contest why not stick a net at both ends and give them a round ball or give them some stumps, a bat and a small hard leather ball. At least these are real sports and not made up.
 
light

light

Peter Fenwicke (45)
Hybrid rugby is obviously being thought of as an option over in England and arguably trialled against the Barbarians. This could become an annual fixture in Australia too, easily.
 
gel

gel

Ken Catchpole (46)
I know that better rugby (league and union) brains than mine have been thinking about this, but I just don't see how this could really work...

1. A hybrid game that is thought out over a couple of beers and not been tested and evolved over many, many, many decades is highly unlikely to be successful first time out. I mean, there are bound to be exploits or dangerous situations that may not have been thought of that the two games have discovered/removed/altered during their long term evolution. Additionally, it will just mean that the better team is better at playing that hybrid game and nothing more. That international rules farce between ireland and australia is a case in point - does anyone even take notice of that thing anymore? This would most likely be dull.

2. If they play rugby, then someone is going to break their neck in a scrum due to the league forwards having some semblance of a neck to start with (and the wallabies pack will probably just collapse it anyway given recent form :p). The line outs will not be contested , the rucks all won by pocock, the skill set to handle the rucks, mauls and subtleties of union would lead to the league guys never getting the ball and a slaughter of monumental proportions by the wallabies occurring. This would be dull.

3. If they play league then the superior fitness, all round greater mobility throughout both forwards and backs in the league ranks would surely be too much for the wallabies. The way the league guys set up going into the tackle would lead to better play the balls than the union guys and shoulder charges would probably stun quite a few of the wallabies not used to that occurring. All these would probably lead to a slaughter of monumental proportions by the kangaroos occurring. This would be dull.

4. Playing two halves of each game should probably really be four quarters to ensure that the effects of wind direction or sun or whatever is mitigated. EG both teams getting to kick with the wind in both game types.

5. I love my wallabies, and love my union a lot, however I don't really think the wallabies versus the kangaroos is really a fair comparison. I realise that league is nowhere near the international popularity that union has, but the kangaroos are surely on their own in league in the same way the all blacks are in union. (I am well aware that the kiwis are world champs in league, but so too were Australia, South Africa, Australia, England, South Africa before New Zealand won it again in Rugby- doesn't mean that I don't think that the all blacks were more consistently the better team over all those years). Therefore a better test of rugby versus league is really kangaroos vs all blacks imho.

6. I am tired and rambling - I probably have not thought this through and just typed it without thinking sorry :(
 
Da Munch

Da Munch

Chris McKivat (8)
Will be the same as International Rules, where the best bit is the niggle and for the players the trip to Ireland and the Irish pubs - except I'll never leave OZ and there won't be any niggle.
 
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