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Wallabies to play Great Britain Rugby League team.......... ugh.........

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Lindommer

Lindommer

Simon Poidevin (60)
Staff member
Slim, there are two countries on earth where league is more popular than rugby, you've identified (a small part of) Australia, name the other.
 
Lindommer

Lindommer

Simon Poidevin (60)
Staff member
One wag over on The Roar suggested a few improvements:

"I say they’re not taking this idea far enough! Let’s incorporate American Football as well so each side can play attacking and defensive teams. Maybe even the cool-off box from ice hockey so the lads can have a swing without copping the compulsory 10 in the bin. Also, Mitchell Johnson to play fullback for the Wallabies – the Poms won’t want a bar of him when he brings the ball back off the long run."
 
Quick Hands

Quick Hands

David Wilson (68)
Lindommer said:
One wag over on The Roar suggested a few improvements:

"I say they’re not taking this idea far enough! Let’s incorporate American Football as well so each side can play attacking and defensive teams. Maybe even the cool-off box from ice hockey so the lads can have a swing without copping the compulsory 10 in the bin. Also, Mitchell Johnson to play fullback for the Wallabies – the Poms won’t want a bar of him when he brings the ball back off the long run."
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What about 15mins of each half played with hurling sticks? Should heat things up. Think of what you could do with one of them in a lineout.
 
deL

deL

Stan Wickham (3)
While there are a lot of valid points regarding the lunacy of the idea (and conversely the sensibility of wanting $5 million) I think people are missing the point of why people might want to watch it as a spectacle. Whatever compromise they implement for scrums, lineouts, mauls, etc. are going to be a joke and we won't really learn much from it. We already know league players are likely going to flog a union team at league and vice versa BUT people want to see individual matchups between the greatest athletes out nation produces. It's more about the individual athletic moments on the field where Sam Burgess meets Kepu or Tomkins tries to dance past Folau. Seeing how they compete athletically with each other in those small moments in a game won't blow minds but it should produce some moments of excitement and answer a few curious questions.

If the Kangaroos played the Wallabies I know I'd be wanting to see individual matchups like Inglis vs Kuridrani and Thurston vs Cooper. Answering questions like "Is Inglis' hand-off as good as it looks in NRL?", "Will Cronk's kicking compete with Union players?" or "Will Quade benefit from all that extra space?". We're not going to know if Gallen would have been able to pack a scrum based on this game but I think there will still be individual matchups and small moments of athleticism that will be worth watching for me, regardless of the score or outcome. It's comparable to being curious about players from different eras competing now - but we can actually answer these questions.

There are going to be a lot of situations in the game where players are going to be well out of their comfort zone but also a lot where you're going to get a sneak peak at what they would have been like in the other code or how they match up for speed, strength and skill. The rugby codes offer a unique chance for that more than any other sport as they have this long-lost cousin of a game doing quite well for itself, with transferrable physical traits and skills. I can't speak for everyone but that would be my reason to watch (as a fan of both codes) so if they sort out some rules that make at least a little sense and no-one gets hurt I say let them have their paycheque.
 
Slim 293

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
wamberal said:
It must be nice to be so certain about the future. You must be a rich man.

From a rugby perspective, I am sure you predicted the advent of professionalism, years before it happened?


As for me, I have seen the game change enormously over the years, in ways that I could not have predicted. Oh, to be as wise as you.
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Why would an international sport like rugby merge with a competing code that is not played throughout the world?

I doubt loig is going to die in this country, but it's definitely not going to overtake rugby on the world stage.........
 
wamberal

wamberal

Phil Kearns (64)
Slim 293 said:
Why would an international sport like rugby merge with a competing code that is not played throughout the world?

I doubt loig is going to die in this country, but it's definitely not going to overtake rugby on the world stage...
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Stranger things have happened. The world of entertainment is changing very rapidly indeed. The AFL has 50 journalists working for it, producing content, the next step for them is to take total charge of their game, it will all be pay for view.

On a sidenote, the US Department of Labor has stated that "60% of current school pupils will work in occupations that do not yet exist". Many of those will, of course, be in information/journalism/entertainment, whatever.

To state unequivocally that two relatively minor sports like the two rugby codes will survive all this in their present forms is a brave call.

Thirty years ago the VFL was a Melbourne competition. Ditto the NSWRFL.

Sixty years ago rugby was almost dead as an international game in Australia, it was saved by a sensationally popular Fijian tour.

Change happens, and it is happening today much quicker than it did back then. It can help us, or it can hurt us. Depends on how slick we are.
 
No4918

No4918

John Hipwell (52)
If the RFL have not even met the organisers this is a long way off. Hopefully this will have just been a good way for the ARU to keep rugby in the news over the off season.
 
Slim 293

Slim 293

Stirling Mortlock (74)
Well, that story lasted a good couple of days.........

Pulver said he was approached by a private consortium headed by Bob Dwyer, Mark Ella and Bob Fulton, but understands the Wembley proposal is now off the table after the lack of interest by the RFL.

Coach McKenzie says as far as he's concerned, a hybrid match isn't on the agenda with the Wallabies focusing on breaking their Bledisloe Cup drought and winning the Rugby Championship.
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http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-sport/aru-open-to-hybrid-code-match-20131209-2z0my.html
 
liquor box

liquor box

Peter Sullivan (51)
Hugh Jarse said:
@Rugby Stu, welcome aboard.

I like Cricket and understand Baseball. There are similarities between both games, but I also can't see much merit in the New York Yankees playing a Hybrid 10/10 cricket/5 Inning Baseball game against the Australian Cricket Team.

Interesting in its absurdity only. Would prove nothing. Only of interest for Celebrity value.
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I think Baseball v Softball would be a better example.

I would be interested if a guy like Dave Warner could hit a major league pitcher
 
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wamberal

wamberal

Phil Kearns (64)
Lindommer said:
Slim, there are two countries on earth where league is more popular than rugby, you've identified (a small part of) Australia, name the other.
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There are actually others. Lebanon. Serbia. Jamaica (not sure, but the mungoes seem to think their code is doing okay there) - Philippines ditto.
 
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