The speed and intensity of the hitting in the NFL is among the most brutal in any professional sport, because the pace the game is played at (and the padding the players are permitted to wear) allows it to be so.

Every down is comparable in intensity to the first set of six in a game of rugby league - players flying into tackles at 100 miles per hour.

The speed and intensity of the hitting in the NRL is among the most brutal in any professional sport, because the pace the game is played at allows it to be so.

Every set is comparable in intensity to the first set of six in the game of rugby league - players flying into tackles at 100 miles per hour

Close, but I don't count union. RL and American football are both ball control games where the objective is to keep possession and march down the field to score touchdowns and therefore brands of football in my opinion. RU depends on kicking to gain ground more than advancing the ball while retaining possession, indeed it has no rules enabling a team to keep possession for a period of time and restart play without a contest. Therefore, only RL and American football are brands of football to me.

will A.F.L. catch on in the USA

What a strange comment.

You don't count Union because of some bias you have against the sport, no other reason.

It is a form of football as much as any other. The clue is in the name 'foot' ball, yet you don't count because they kick too much.

league. thats what most of us call it. we dont use that rugby name at all. it sounds so weak to call RL rugby

new link www.spike.com/video/wimps-need-not-apply/3244736

new link www.spike.com/video/wimps-need-not-apply/3244736

the padding allows players to hit that bit harder at high speed but im not so sure about the play being dictated by the padding. many of the best tacklers are coached to simply hit as hard as possible in the region where the ball is carried to genereate fumbles and turnovers. In the past this happened with less padding and indeed no helmets. so it could be said the evolving physically in American football as the modern NFL came into being dictated that the players had to wear helmets or cause serious injury. Both arguments are probably correct as ts all interlinked.

They definitely arent super human but the NFL probably has some of the most athletic sportsmen in team sport. the way they can run, jump, turn, react and still have great core strength is very admirable.

Apart from the massive defensive linemen who are 300lbs+ and can hardly walk let alone run.

Ditto, somethings not quite right

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I agree. My opinion is that we should always 'officially' be called Rugby Football League, or Rugby League, but it should be marketed and referred to simply as 'League', and presenters/reporters/commentators should make a conscious effort to refer to the sport as this.

If RU want to monopolise the word 'rugby' then let them. We're not as big as RU so it's pointless trying to compete with them for the use of the word.

Wrong

You have obviously not seen a game since 1986

I have and I have seen these linemen huffing and puffing after 2 drives.

They are built for power, like a union prop. An athletic specimen they are not.

Correct.

Well, the last game I watched was on monday night.
I think I've got a pretty good handle on the game seeing as I live in the USA.

Just an example - here are the stats on an experienced defensive lineman who plays for the winners of the last Super Bowl:
[urlhttp://news.steelers.com/team/player/49194/[/url

He's 6'1" and 23 stone. He won't be running anywhere quickly in the near future.

i am sorry but i just cannot see the point of a game where most of the players are't even allowed to touch the ball

Anyone got the ratings from fridays game?

Last I heard it was 250,000 for a 11pm timeslot which is not bad at all.

You watched Hull City against Sunderland then?
On a serious note I played American football whilst serving in the states ther are a few skills that transfer, ball running,catching & collision. I also think they would be suited to League but the tackling is totaly diferent as they can only tackle the ball carrier but mostly they block & hold up the opposition at the line of scrimage. As for the padding it is OK if you are playing in 10 to 12 second bursts but to run for 80 minuets in that weight is out of the question. I do think as a sport we could give a lot of Americans an oportunity to play a contact sport as adults. Most Americans give up football on leaving highschool or collage there is not much of an amature scene at all, that also may be because of health insurance as most get it with thier job & thier employers wont pay for a policy that covers sport injuries.

Comparitively speaking that is like 60k watching here so about half of skys primetime RL audience. Not bad really.

You need to watch the game to apreciate it. Every man has a job whether he touches the ball or not. If 1 person fails then the team fails.

And for our GF they're expecting a viewing audience of 10 million.

Im an American living in London. League was a pretty easy sell to me.

WOW THIS GAME RULES!!! was pretty much my first reaction and would watch saints/wigan when they played down here and the cc final. over the years started following the london club.