The AMNRL are calling their 2 halfbacks, 'halfback' and 'flyhalf'. What positions are they referring to and why are they using the union position?

Fly half is pretty much stand off.
Half back usually means scrum half, but can mean 6 or 7.

I'm all for America rephrasing the sport if it helps them adapt to it.

lets not forget, 'five eight' is also used in league down under but you never hear it used over here. its not an issue.

Why has the term "three-quarter" stuck here but "five eight" hasn't? -.-

dont ask me. i cant speak for those deviants down in the colonies

And why are there no one-quarters or 3/8ths or 1/8ths or even zeroes (though we could all name a few of those) ?

Full back - 1
Wingers and centres - 3/4s
Stand off - 5/8
Scrum half - 1/2

Who do you want to be 1/8th?

That would be Rob Burrow.

i did wonder how long it would take someone.

Lee Smith

Wouldn't Mr Hock be the man to ask about an 1/8th ?

Three-quarters has stuck because that's always been part of English rugby descriptions, as has half-back and full-back.

The name was 'five-eighths' is an Australianism.

Five-eighth (5/icon_cool.gif was used because at the scrum the stand-off is between the scrum half (1/2 = 4/icon_cool.gif and the three-quarters (3/4 = 5/icon_cool.gif.

Full Back = 8/8 (1)
Wingers/Centres = 6/8 (3/4)
Stand-Off = 5/8
Scrum-Half = 4/8 (1/2)

The 7/8ths you'd think would probably be the wingers (who are usually deeper than the centres).

The rest of the positions are for the forwards, so, looking at the scrum, you'd think it would be something like:
3/8 = Loose Forward
2/8 (1/4) = Hooker
1/8 = Second Row
0 (0/icon_cool.gif = Prop

I dunno. That's what I reckon anyway! Bloody maths and RL shouldn't mix!

You lot pack down funny in Hull. Hooker between the LF and the second rows?

I was working from the centre-line of the scrum outwards



I think "quarter-back" would be quite sell-able as a position to the Americans for a hooker as well instead of "dummy half".

5/8 came from NZ (as far as I am aware)fly-half from Wales (came about at a time when rugby was essentially a bunch of continuous fluid scrums). The position on the field were originally slightly different 5/8 stood deeper than fly half and there is also a notion of a second 5/8th which tends to be a secondary playmaker as much as a centre. Roles of the Positions in the NH and SH varied cobsiderably in the early years hence the difference in names.

They call it the three quarters in union too which is strange.

12 Centre
13. Centre
11 Winger
14 Winger
15 Fullback

If you add 5 and 8 you get 13.. just sayin like..

Fly half/stand off also called out half or outside half in some places down under.

Out 5/8 is sometimes used in Union to describe Inside Centre (12).

Not sure where the description of three-quarters came from as that has been around for donkey's years in both Union and League.

Why is it strange?

Remember in both codes the numbering used to be the same (same us now in league). Union swapped their numbers round at some point in history. Can't remember why now. Other teams used letters to try and confuse the opposition (Welsh sides originally, but more recently leicester but they have since reverted to numbers).

I know a Standoff called Dave

There not halfs, 5/8ths, flyhalfs or scrum halves theyr'e generally refered to as orrible little SH!T$