Pedantry is a sure fire sign that you have little left to add (if in fact ou had anything in the first place)

I was at the game last night and was surprised by how little Wigan offered in attack against a Souths team without most of their superstars. Wigan’s defence was pretty good, but outside of that they were a shadow of Wigan teams of old.

What I noticed of all three games at the weekend was that English teams still suffer from the old curse of not being able to maintain intensity for the full 80 mins. They always go to sleep mentally for 10-15 mins a game and that’s where Aussie teams steamroller over them. As someone who watches NRL games week in week out, until SL teams sort the mental issues out they will never compete at the same level.

Agreed in principle but do we need to seperate the needs of the Super League with the needs of the national team.
This has happened in football, the Premier League is a successful business operation and watched all over the world but the top clubs have few English players.

The three teams competing in this competition have quite a few foreign players anyway, maybe if we raised the salary cap we could bring in better imports but keep the ratio the same.

I agree with this, I think it breeds from the lack of intensity in most Super League matches due to errors and penalties. Also, the time taken at every scrum and goal line drop out. It was very noticeable in the Warrington game the other night that it took 3-4 minutes for them to take the drop outs.

Until we see 3 or 4 high intensity matches per week in the Super League, we aren't going to see Super League teams competing with the NRL teams when they are taking it seriously.

There was nu humiliation. Melbourne do that to NRL teams on a regular and the other two games were trial matches.

It's not some kind of shock that the NRL is superior to super league. Jesus man, we have all known this for years.

I agree with the posts about intensity. Super league teams just dont get enough intense games.

Wally Lewis said he feels Leeds would finish 7th or 8th in the NRL. The top teams in super league would hold their own no doubt. It's just getting up to that intensity which they don't get regular enough in super league.

McDermott was right with this quote

"I'd like to say that, given 10 games like that, by game eight or nine or game 10, I reckon we'd be up to that level," he told the post-match press conference.

"So we'll learn some massive lessons from that. But unfortunately it will be another couple of games before we're in a game as intense as that and in one played at that level."

He may be right, indeed he knows better than I do.
However, there's nothing to prevent him sending Leeds out with instructions to try to perform at a higher level than they generally do. As a fan, I've obviously long-admired our intensity and focus when the business end of he season roll around. What I've seen less of - a lot less of - is that kind of ruthlessness during the regular season. As I see it, it's up to the likes of ourselves, Hull, Wigan etc to raise that bar at home. As Melbourne have just shown, it can be done regardless of what the opposition bring to the party. The alternative is to carry on playing the aussies once a year then bleating about their comp being more intense when we lose.

Quote ="Fax Missionary"I was at the game last night and was surprised by how little Wigan offered in attack against a Souths team without most of their superstars. Wigan’s defence was pretty good, but outside of that they were a shadow of Wigan teams of old. What I noticed of all three games at the weekend was that English teams still suffer from the old curse of not being able to maintain intensity for the full 80 mins. They always go to sleep mentally for 10-15 mins a game and that’s where Aussie teams steamroller over them. As someone who watches NRL games week in week out, until SL teams sort the mental issues out they will never compete at the same level.'" Can't really take much from that 'friendly' game. Just to put it into perspective, Wigan had 26 players on the pitch over the 80 mins, Souths had 20 players. Defence went okay but I think Wigan had one eye on Friday's game against Warrington, especially in that 2nd half. EDIT - www.wiganwarriors.com/news/2018- ... ch-defence Quote “The main priority of coming here (as a team) was to get two points and we did that by beating Hull. When that was finished we move on to this game but we’ve got a big game against Warrington on Friday to try and get two points and we were keen to look after our starting team for that so we put a lot of kids out in that second half. It was a fantastic experience for them but we’re still disappointed we didn’t get the win.”'" Also regards your last comment: Quote ="Fax Missionary"As someone who watches NRL games week in week out, until SL teams sort the mental issues out they will never compete at the same level.'" It isnt just the 'mental issues' as you claim, I think the $9.4 million against £1.9 million salary caps has a little something to do with it as well.

Quote ="Fax Missionary"I was at the game last night and was surprised by how little Wigan offered in attack against a Souths team without most of their superstars. Wigan’s defence was pretty good, but outside of that they were a shadow of Wigan teams of old. What I noticed of all three games at the weekend was that English teams still suffer from the old curse of not being able to maintain intensity for the full 80 mins. They always go to sleep mentally for 10-15 mins a game and that’s where Aussie teams steamroller over them. As someone who watches NRL games week in week out, until SL teams sort the mental issues out they will never compete at the same level.'" Can't really take much from that 'friendly' game. Just to put it into perspective, Wigan had 26 players on the pitch over the 80 mins, Souths had 20 players. Defence went okay but I think Wigan had one eye on Friday's game against Warrington, especially in that 2nd half. EDIT - www.wiganwarriors.com/news/2018- ... ch-defence Quote “The main priority of coming here (as a team) was to get two points and we did that by beating Hull. When that was finished we move on to this game but we’ve got a big game against Warrington on Friday to try and get two points and we were keen to look after our starting team for that so we put a lot of kids out in that second half. It was a fantastic experience for them but we’re still disappointed we didn’t get the win.”'" Also regards your last comment: Quote ="Fax Missionary"As someone who watches NRL games week in week out, until SL teams sort the mental issues out they will never compete at the same level.'" It isnt just the 'mental issues' as you claim, I think the $9.4 million against £1.9 million salary caps has a little something to do with it as well.

I watched the Hull game and half of the Wigan game and tbh it looked like the NRL teams were treating it as a friendly and it was a chance to see some of their fringe players play. I wouldn't read too much into the SL sides performances. The only positives out of it for an SL supporter was that the commentary was 100 times better than what we hear week in week out.

Stop the clock for injuries and disciplinary only. There are far too many rests in the game.

Same could be said for Hull and Wigan. Neither played their strongest team for the full 80 minutes.

Dress it up whichever way you like, the Aussies are still light years in front. Aussie rugby is robotic, even the commentators picked up on the way the english club teams were throwing the ball around. Rugby is the national sport in Australia, we just cant compete with that.

If you watched it then you would have heard before the game that st George were fielding their strongest available starting line up

Both teams then introduced youngsters as they game went on

Couldn't agree more, time and again I've said on our board that too often we lack mental preparation, depth of fortitude or the ability not to act like headless chickens and go into panic mode. It's this that has by far the biggest effect on results IMHO, blow out scores are often indicative of one side going pop mentally than just an injury crisis or lack of quality.

Really who told you that ? it's only played in two states with a manufactured franchise in Victoria.

[iAustralian football is the most popular sport in Australia, followed by cricket, association football and rugby league.[/i

Quote ="MattyB"Can't really take much from that 'friendly' game. Just to put it into perspective, Wigan had 26 players on the pitch over the 80 mins, Souths had 20 players. Defence went okay but I think Wigan had one eye on Friday's game against Warrington, especially in that 2nd half. EDIT - www.wiganwarriors.com/news/2018- ... ch-defence Also regards your last comment: It isnt just the 'mental issues' as you claim, I think the $9.4 million against £1.9 million salary caps has a little something to do with it as well.'" Not all but a big chunk, the SC is just like house prices, it's all relative to where you are. It's not as if they have an international player pool to choose from. There are very small differences in talent, early and all stages of coaching to pro level and mental preparation/in game mental ability to cope and deliver are the biggest differences by far.

Quote ="MattyB"Can't really take much from that 'friendly' game. Just to put it into perspective, Wigan had 26 players on the pitch over the 80 mins, Souths had 20 players. Defence went okay but I think Wigan had one eye on Friday's game against Warrington, especially in that 2nd half. EDIT - www.wiganwarriors.com/news/2018- ... ch-defence Also regards your last comment: It isnt just the 'mental issues' as you claim, I think the $9.4 million against £1.9 million salary caps has a little something to do with it as well.'" Not all but a big chunk, the SC is just like house prices, it's all relative to where you are. It's not as if they have an international player pool to choose from. There are very small differences in talent, early and all stages of coaching to pro level and mental preparation/in game mental ability to cope and deliver are the biggest differences by far.

The player pools are not exhausted though. The two largest conurbations in the North West have no SL presence neither in teams and very very little in terms of players (Kallum Watkins is from Gorton in Manchester - I don’t know of another Mancunian in the league. Are there any Scousers?)

Rugby Union is getting into schools all over Manchester and Liverpool. Rugby League is not! League is still relying on the local amateur clubs in the same old rugby league towns to provide players but the player pool from them is getting smaller by the year.

Why isn't rugby league getting into the schools in Manchester and Liverpool?

Quote ="JEAN CAPDOUZE"Why isn't rugby league getting into the schools in Manchester and Liverpool?'" I don’t have an answer to that. Other than maybe - finances. Or maybe they are living so far in the past and not in the real world that they can’t see that those same amateur clubs in those same RL towns are not enough to keep the player pool going anymore. The RFU have spent millions and put this: www.englandrugby.com/about-the-r ... l-schools# into action and it’s got real legs. Wythenshawe (South Manchester, population 100000) have now got a RU amateur club off the back of it with all four local high schools providing players. Previous to this Wythenshawe had no RU links at all. RL has done nothing like this in high schools in South Manchester and a mate of mine works in a school in Liverpool and said RL aren’t in schools in his area neither. Manchester Rangers does have links to MMU but you’d imagine by that age they would already be RL players from RL areas. Plus they are a seventh division club (despite having money for five/six divisions higher if needed).

Quote ="JEAN CAPDOUZE"Why isn't rugby league getting into the schools in Manchester and Liverpool?'" I don’t have an answer to that. Other than maybe - finances. Or maybe they are living so far in the past and not in the real world that they can’t see that those same amateur clubs in those same RL towns are not enough to keep the player pool going anymore. The RFU have spent millions and put this: www.englandrugby.com/about-the-r ... l-schools# into action and it’s got real legs. Wythenshawe (South Manchester, population 100000) have now got a RU amateur club off the back of it with all four local high schools providing players. Previous to this Wythenshawe had no RU links at all. RL has done nothing like this in high schools in South Manchester and a mate of mine works in a school in Liverpool and said RL aren’t in schools in his area neither. Manchester Rangers does have links to MMU but you’d imagine by that age they would already be RL players from RL areas. Plus they are a seventh division club (despite having money for five/six divisions higher if needed).

Cricket is Australia's national Sport.
The English teams were throwing the ball about (often dropping it) because they couldn't break down the defense any other way.

Poor old Canberra.....




Cricket is the national sport of Australia. AFL is the most supported winter sport, followed by the NRL. Football is 3rd and currently has a lower average attendance than the Perth Wildcats Basketball team.....


Money and the way that our game is managed by the clubs who are only interested in their own survival, rather than having any long term strategies in place.
22 years ago we were the only professional Rugby with a new Million Pound TV deal and an exciting product.........now we're the "other rugby" with a cheap TV deal, a questionably boring product (see thread on these boards) and our crowds are dwindling and all the SL chairmen can do is think of ways to line their own pockets (see Hull v Wigan) or postulate about how they are going to challenge other sports (see Pearsons claims about Union).....

RU had 50 PE teachers from across UAE doing training sessions in the classroom and on the field in January, they also have over 50 training sessions for L1-L3 in Dubai in 2018 planned or taken place already at various age groups.
We are so far behind it's depressing.

Manchester United
Manchester City
Liverpool
Everton

This is why, Manchester andMerseyside are predomintly football supported areas, little interest in rugby league.

I did say states, sorry I should have included ACT Canberra

Rugby League is a big sport in Australia commanding great TV viewing figures.

The problem is that our sport lends itself more to TV viewers than attending because there are only a few occasions where the 'atmosphere' at a game gets above "luke warm"......AFL on the other hand is watched by immense crowds of rabid Victards who cheer, chant, proffer racist opinions and generally behave like inbred bogans.

The Newest AFL team, Western Sydney average 13,200...this is almost the same or greater than Cronulla, St George, Souths, Wests, Penrith and Manly whilst the Swans average 33,400.....which is more than the best supported team in the NRL and more than double than the best supported side in Sydney.
By Contrast, the Melbourne Storm don't attract as many fans as the worst supported AFL outfit in Victardia.....

...AFL is an abomination of a sport where the 2 main skills, Catching and Kicking straight are performed with almost comical ineptitude, but yet people will roll up to watch it in massive numbers....more people attended 11 Richmond AFL home games last year than did Newcastle, Cronulla, New Zealand and South Sydney over 48 games......The sport is a turd, but christ on a bike they are expert TURD POLISHERS

I don't like AFL but there's no point belittling it. The only thing I find bizarre is how inaccurate they are generally with kicking over any distance, particularly from an uncontested mark.