Unpopular opinion thread

[Ignoto]

Wouldn't surprise me if I end up with a few death threats from this one. BUT, if Richie and Dan Carter played in any other International Team, they would never have been as dominate and it'd be debatable if they came close to being considered as the GOAT's.

Reason being, they were extremely fortunate to play with the best players in the world who allowed them to fully flourish and in times, made them appear to play better than what they were.

Carter was extremely lucky in pretty much always having a forward pack that went forward and a halfback that could hit the mark. Had you put Carter in a Golden jersey, with a pack that would more often than not get over the advantage line AND had a loopy pass from Phipps, I don't think he'd come remotely close to playing as well as he could.

Compare this with other international players, they more often than not have the burden to 'carry' team mates rather than team mates winning their own positional battles with their opposite man.

 

[ACT Crusader]

No death threats from me, but just on Carter and playing with halfbacks that hit the mark, I think differently given he played with Marshall, Weepu and Cowan, all of which were not great passers and often criticised for it. Weepu looked around way to much and allowed the ball to sit at the base too long and then would throw loopy high passes. Cowan had a fast but inaccurate pass. Marshall was a great player but struggled with a really laboured pass. It was only at the back end of his career that he got a few tests with Aaron Smith.

The best things about Carter were his kicking off both feet - really miss those left foot 40+ metre touch finders that got the Saders and ABs out of trouble, and his defence. A textbook tackle technique that was ever reliable. A massive step up from Mertz and Carlos. A noticeable difference when Cruden took over also.

 

[Inside Shoulder]

The best things about Carter were his kicking off both feet - really miss those left foot 40+ metre touch finders that got the Saders and ABs out of trouble, and his defence. A textbook tackle technique that was ever reliable. A massive step up from Mertz and Carlos. A noticeable difference when Cruden took over also.

I think the problem with Carter (for the rest of us) was that he had a plausible running game and a good passing game and a big rugby brain. As a result he could control a game like no one I've ever seen because his opponents knew he presented multiple threats.

 

[cyclopath]

"Kiwi's wanting to immigrate to Australia should have to undergo or comply with the same rigorous criteria as Syrians, Sri Lankans, Afganis etc etc etc prior to entry"

I can say with some considerable experience the criteria are somewhat arbitrary, and not necessarily rigorous. At least from a medical viewpoint. I'm not getting into political discussions about this though.

 

[Twoilms]

Carter mastered the fundamentals.

 

[brokendown]

No death threats from me, but just on Carter and playing with halfbacks that hit the mark, I think differently given he played with Marshall, Weepu and Cowan, all of which were not great passers and often criticised for it. Weepu looked around way to much and allowed the ball to sit at the base too long and then would throw loopy high passes. Cowan had a fast but inaccurate pass. Marshall was a great player but struggled with a really laboured pass. It was only at the back end of his career that he got a few tests with Aaron Smith.

The best things about Carter were his kicking off both feet - really miss those left foot 40+ metre touch finders that got the Saders and ABs out of trouble, and his defence. A textbook tackle technique that was ever reliable. A massive step up from Mertz and Carlos. A noticeable difference when Cruden took over also.

it does not matter anymore how fast halfbacks pass the ball-under current laws the defensive side are held back well behind the ball and the halfback is untouchable--geez wish i was playing under these laws,back in the day

 

[ACT Crusader]

Carter mastered the fundamentals.

Thank goodness for those world best players and "dominate" forward pack, team mates that put on their cloaks of invisibility, climbed on each other's shoulders that hit the ball to change directions so it would go over the cross bar and through the sticks.

 

[Braveheart81]

I reckon the 2005 Lions series and in particular the second test were peak Dan Carter.

He was simply incredible then.

His great strength was that he did everything to a very high level and had no weaknesses in his game.

 

[No4918]

I prefer to consider my 'opinions' as FACTS so won't bother telling anyone how it is in this thread.

 

[Scrubber2050]

Twoilms
What a stupid comment !

Race doesn't equal nationalities - ignorant

Stop trying to paint me as a RACIST

You are just being offensive

 

[fatprop]

Yeah, Carter and McCaw are two of the best units I have ever scene. Did it help playing in a great team, sure, but they were\are the dogs bollocks

Carter's biggest issue is that he made everything look so easy, simply a wonderful player

 

[Parse]

The team to be dropped from Super Rugby should be the Waratahs.
Reason 1: Most players would get picked up by other clubs, thus satisfying their employment fears.
Reason2: Would make the ARU reside and operate in an independent area thus alleviating public belief that the ARU are unaware of anything outside of Sydney and make staff appointments and Wallaby selection from an independent viewpoint.

To actually make Oz teams better for Super Rugby, 2 teams should actually be dropped, the second team being the Reds. NSW and QLD can run successful rugby competitions without Super Rugby while the other states can't.

 

[Dctarget]

I don't understand the hype around bacon.​

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Edit: whoops, didn't realise this was rugby specific unpopular opinions.​

 

[Twoilms]

I don't understand the hype around bacon.

Edit: whoops, didn't realise this was rugby specific unpopular opinions.

Bacon is delicious. It's science.

 

[daz]

The future of the game in Australia, success or failure, will be based primarily on the strength of the Shute Shield competition.


It is by far the strongest club competition in the nation and could become the saviour of the professional game (ref: the AFL had its roots in the VFL, the NRL had its roots in the Sydney club competition).


Some tough decisions would be required, but then again, I think most of us accept that these are very tought times.

Yep, a hardly surprising post from you. And you "heartland" dinosaurs wonder why rugby is fragmented in this country.

Yes, maybe the SS is the premier club comp right now, but that's like saying the AFL has become dominant because of the VFL feeder comp. Bollocks.

I would have thought having a solid club comp in every fucking state would be the key to future code success.

 

[fatprop]

NSW & QLD are the rugby heartland of Australian rugby

 

[wamberal]

Yep, a hardly surprising post from you. And you "heartland" dinosaurs wonder why rugby is fragmented in this country.

Yes, maybe the SS is the premier club comp right now, but that's like saying the AFL has become dominant because of the VFL feeder comp. Bollocks.

I would have thought having a solid club comp in every fucking state would be the key to future code success.

Err. The VFL is indeed the reason that the AFL exists. That was the dominant competion, and the it provided the majority of the teams in the first AFL. Go back and do some research.


Who said we do not need a solid club competition in every state? Have I ever said anything remotely like that?


The point I was trying to make is that we desperately need a product that (a) can get onto FTA and (b) can eventually be a national competition.


Again, at the risk of boring myself, that is how the AFL and NRL did it. They started with the dominant competition and built on it.


Is that hard to follow? (And, incidentally, the SS is actually on FTA right now. That must irk you a bit).

 

[Slim 293]

Again, at the risk of boring myself, that is how the AFL and NRL did it. They started with the dominant competition and built on it.

Except that unlike those other competitions the best players in our game don't play in the SS, and we're probably 30+ years past that point.........

Is that hard to follow? (And, incidentally, the SS is actually on FTA right now. That must irk you a bit).

But for how long?

 

[Micheal]

Is that hard to follow? (And, incidentally, the SS is actually on FTA right now. That must irk you a bit).

The SS is on FTA because Shute Shield TV, an independent company, purchased the rights from the SS and are paying Channel 7 to broadcast it.

Even then, its on 7Two.

Even then it relies entirely upon sponsorship and weak levels of advertising to break even, which is a precarious financial model.

People speak about the SS being on FTA as if its some holy grail for Australian Rugby - its not. Shute Shield TV is just as likely to report a loss this year as they are to report a profit.

Its a bit of a Hail Mary from SSTV, and its an experiment that still hasn't been entirely validated. Its not a particularly innovative model, or one that is sustainable for the wider Rugby community. Most importantly, it is not at all reflective of the Shute Shield's success or relative popularity, but simply a reflection of how much $ they are willing to put up for 7 to host it.

This point gets confused so frequently so sorry for covering what may already be known.

 

[Proud Pig]

I don't understand the hype around bacon.

Edit: whoops, didn't realise this was rugby specific unpopular opinions.

Wash your mouth out!!