Normal transmission returns to Chatswood.
Agreed TTF, you can only run into that brick wall so many times. The attacking team has to be changing the angle of attack, putting kicks in behind, running blindside wingers off the 10's hip and having the pigs pick drive rapidly around the corner for a few phases. All things that have the objective of turning the defence around. A couple of sides have had some success with cross field kicks too (most notably Easts, with one of the more masterful displays at 10 by Mack Mason that you'd want to see).
I heard Stephen Hoiles describe the trend really well recently on Fox when he said that the rugby field is just getting smaller and smaller and smaller as the athletes get bigger, stronger and faster. The All Blacks can't rely on their world beating running rugby anymore because it is just so much harder for them and other southern hemisphere running rugby teams to try and go wide and around teams.
If you're not winning the physicality battle, like Norths v Sydney Uni on the weekend, kicking to space through or over the defensive wall has to be priority #1 for mine.
Half time
Manly 22 lead Warringah 3
Huge crowd 6-8 thousand
Great atmosphere and quality rugby.
If Shute Shield is comparatively the most popular rugby in the nation, what does that tell us?
Crowd numbers and broadcast numbers are only part of the story. It’s not a national competition it’s a city based competition .I've watched every TV game this season and have enjoyed them but come on guys. Over on the ratings thread Wookie has been putting up the TV ratings and the highest so far this season has been 20k for Uni/Eastwood game in Mudgee. The rest have hovered around 12k. And outside of this game the average crowd would be 2k a game.
If all the Shute Shield games were drawing similar crowds. Over anything near 5k a game I'd agree but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here.
That’s a very big IF in the current circumstancesI wouldn't over think it
If the Wallabies go relatively deep in the RWC we'll see a load of media coverage as per the last one.
I've watched every TV game this season and have enjoyed them but come on guys. Over on the ratings thread Wookie has been putting up the TV ratings and the highest so far this season has been 20k for Uni/Eastwood game in Mudgee. The rest have hovered around 12k. And outside of this game the average crowd would be 2k a game.
If all the Shute Shield games were drawing similar crowds. Over anything near 5k a game I'd agree but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves here.