The_Brown_Hornet
John Eales (66)
Yep, well aware of the history. I think in hindsight the view that stopping rugby during WWI was a mistake and it very nearly killed the game. A different time though with different priorities.
Rugby League players who could have/could make the switch
- Thread starter EVERYFWDTHINKTHEYREA6OR7
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Yep, well aware of the history. I think in hindsight the view that stopping rugby during WWI was a mistake and it very nearly killed the game. A different time though with different priorities.
wamberal
Phil Kearns (64)
I don't think it was a choice to stop rugby competitions, it was a necessity.
As for the game dying out, it almost did,in the fifties, we were saved by two hugely successful tours by Fiji.
Even in the sixties we were struggling, I went to a Test against France at the SCG that drew 7000 spectators. Admittedly it was a pig of a day, but still. Michael Cleary's last international IIRC.
As for the game dying out, it almost did,in the fifties, we were saved by two hugely successful tours by Fiji.
Even in the sixties we were struggling, I went to a Test against France at the SCG that drew 7000 spectators. Admittedly it was a pig of a day, but still. Michael Cleary's last international IIRC.
wamberal
Phil Kearns (64)
Totally ignoring the fact that loig was professional, whereas rugby was not, until the mid nineties, by which time the long established (and basically Australian dominated) domestic code had an unassailable lead?
So the whole thread is ridiculous? Some of it?
Since this is a rugby forum, perhaps you can be a bit more prescriptive.
As for the relative popularity of the various sports, surely the simple fact that two of our major competitors are basically in either total, or virtual, control of their own rule books is kind of significant? And that rugby was an amateur sport in this country for all but the last 20 years?
Soccer has always been more popular than rugby, in terms of playing numbers. Once they solved their problem of ethnically based clubs, it was always going to grow further. Mind you, it seems to struggle a bit to put a commercially viable national competition together. Take Frank Lowy out of the picture and the recent past might look very different.
As for the American sport of basketball, again they struggle also locally to survive as a pro sport.
Baseball? Huge. American football? Amazing.
Maybe in your mind.
RugbyFuture
Lord Logo
Depends which forums you go to. The Roar for instance is just code battle everywhere and League unlimited they talk a hell of a lot about how scummy rugby is and its using their name etc. Same stuff as here.
Nonetheless there's no real point to arguing as both will continue to exist unless a sport somehow plots a hostile takeover of another sport.
Beside the biggest threat to both sports markets is AFL's ability to manage itself into places so well by paying for things much like league in the 70's did.
Nonetheless there's no real point to arguing as both will continue to exist unless a sport somehow plots a hostile takeover of another sport.
Beside the biggest threat to both sports markets is AFL's ability to manage itself into places so well by paying for things much like league in the 70's did.
Hugh Jarse
Rocky Elsom (76)
Has a sport ever taken another sport over?
There is the quoted example of RU and RL in France under occupation in WW2. Are there others?
Possibly NRL takeover of Touch in Australia, but Touch still exists and the game hasn't changed since the "takeover".
There are probably examples of Clubs taking over control of a sport from the previous national governing bodies (European Soccer?), and privateers taking control of a sport from the governing body (Packer's World Series Cricket) but this has only happened at the professional level, with the grass roots of those sports essentially unchanged.
RugbyFuture
Lord Logo
From what I understand Rugby took over from native games in Georgia, Kazhakstan and Romania.
the AMNRL in america got bought by RugbyLaw Inc but most of the clubs splitoff to form the USARL
the AMNRL in america got bought by RugbyLaw Inc but most of the clubs splitoff to form the USARL
mxyzptlk
Colin Windon (37)
Funny thing -- the new New York Major League Soccer team, NYFC, is playing in Yankee Stadium, and at least early on were bringing in more fans than the Yankees were. Not sure if that's still the case, but I haven't followed it up.
mxyzptlk
Colin Windon (37)
At one time cricket was fairy big in the U.S., going back to the 1700s. The first international game was played between the U.S. and Canada. All the original baseball teams were originally part of cricket clubs. But when England and Australian cricket went pro, the U.S. remained amateur and really just for elite high-society types.
Add to that Britain excluding any cricketing countries outside of the British Empire from participating in the original Imperial Cricket Conference, and the U.S. was effectively iced out of the game. The baseball teams picked up the slack, absorbing a lot of the players and fans, and the old cricket clubs were largely turned into tennis and golf clubs.
There are others in the U.S., like the way collegiate wrestling swamped Olympic freestyle wrestling (much to their detriment on the world scene), but that's an amateur sport and probably not of interest.
Antony
Alex Ross (28)
I'd say they're about the same as the percentage of league stuff on here. When I had more free time I used to watch a bit more NRL and Superleague, so I would lurk on TotalRL and the Front Row, which both had entire cross-code forums (fora?) that were just huge troll-fests, from both sides.
The whole thing is stupid. We've all been guilty of it at some stage in our lives, but trying to define your love of something by negativity towards something else is such a tiresome, boring way of living.
Side-bar: I'm sick of 100kg wingers. John Kirwan ruined being a back for everyone. Every winger should sit somewhere on the spectrum between Shane Williams and a baby.
joshbristow
Peter Burge (5)
Speaking of 100kg Wingers, I had enough footage left over from my LT tribute to have a go at a Dell one.
Looking through the games to make this it was obvious Dell struggled with the minutia of Union, but there is no questioning he was a big, quick unit who could move an oblong shaped ball from one end of a field to another quite well, inbetween the drugs that is.
Song is there because he's commented numerous times it's his favourite.....
LT one is here:
Looking through the games to make this it was obvious Dell struggled with the minutia of Union, but there is no questioning he was a big, quick unit who could move an oblong shaped ball from one end of a field to another quite well, inbetween the drugs that is.
Song is there because he's commented numerous times it's his favourite.....
LT one is here:
wamberal
Phil Kearns (64)
He was also a superb marketer. Of himself, admittedly, but a lot of that rubbed off the game.
We could with a few like him today. The only character in the game is the Badger.
waiopehu oldboy
George Smith (75)
Loved dell boy as a player in both codes but he went down in my estimation on his return to league when he went on The Footy Show & (to quote the mighty Peter Fitz) "pissed on the jersey that fed him". Lote to his credit didn't do that but given the circumstances of his exit from rugby possibly had more reason to.
Hugh Jarse
Rocky Elsom (76)
Maybe a good thing too.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-...f-threatening-referee-at-junior-match/6648528
Over here in Heavensgame, the Morals Patrol get all high and mighty about rude words in players tweets.
light
Peter Fenwicke (45)
Just because Australia's kicking woes over the weekend got me thinking, I reckon Canberra Raiders centre Jarrod Croker would have made a decent union player had he switched over.
Was flicking the channels yesterday and saw his career kicking percentage was about 81%, in addition to being this seasons leading point scorer (also won the gong in 2012) he's been kicking around 86%.
He doesn't have the speed or vision to play at 10 or 15 but I reckon he would be a handy 12 because his defence is OK and he's a pretty good distributor.
Because we're on the topic of Wendell Sailor, I gotta say my favourite league convert ever is Mat Rogers. He was seriously talented and despite numerous injuries had a long, hugely successful career.
Was flicking the channels yesterday and saw his career kicking percentage was about 81%, in addition to being this seasons leading point scorer (also won the gong in 2012) he's been kicking around 86%.
He doesn't have the speed or vision to play at 10 or 15 but I reckon he would be a handy 12 because his defence is OK and he's a pretty good distributor.
Because we're on the topic of Wendell Sailor, I gotta say my favourite league convert ever is Mat Rogers. He was seriously talented and despite numerous injuries had a long, hugely successful career.
light
Peter Fenwicke (45)
The other bloke I wouldn't mind seeing make the switch is Broncos young utility Corey Oates.
He plays way above his weight and is hugely mobile whilst being powerful and quick. Can't think of a position he hasn't played for the Broncos this year, such is his talent and ability.
He plays way above his weight and is hugely mobile whilst being powerful and quick. Can't think of a position he hasn't played for the Broncos this year, such is his talent and ability.
MarkJ
Bob Loudon (25)
I'm not so sure - Croker seems to get caught out in defence a lot (moreso due to positioning, though he does miss a few tackles too) and has as a tendency to take the line on himself when he has support in better positions.
My mind may be playing tricks but I have a vague recollection that the Brumbies did sound him out at one stage but he wasn't interested.
