No not in the religious sense but in a SuperLeague sense. I remember a time when I use'd to race home from work on a Friday night through rush hour traffic to watch a great game of Rugby, genuinely looking forward to a Leeds Bradford game or a Saints Wire game.

However over the last couple of seasons my appetite for SuperLeague has waned considerably, I always watch Wigan on a Friday night and then used to regularly attend a game on a Sunday somewhere in the West Yorkshire area, however because the way the game has recently been evolving I found myself not bothering at all with a second game on a weekend.

What I want to make clear is that my love for Rugby League has not been altered by the position that Wigan occupy in the table but by the style of Rugby that we and every other side play, I've been lucky enough to see the majority of the NRL this season through Setanta and that made me feel even more glum because it showed just how Rugby League should be played.

So I'm guessing my question is, are there any others out there who are feeling a similar way to myself in regards to questioning the game they once loved?

Take a look on redvee and you will find you are not alone. I think the game has slowed donw too much this year, and a conservatism in styles of play crept in the 2006 season.

Everything is predictable nowadays and most teams run the same moves.

You'll find that a lot on here will agree.

Whilst the game maybe more competitive the playing standard has dropped.

It's been happening for years though.

Cue BrettKenny.......

I don’t mind a much slower game tbf as long as the intensity is there.

The best game I saw this season was the Wigan vs Hull KR game at home (when we lost btw). The game was played in the pouring rain, there were some massive hits and every break was made via either good defence pressuring the opposition or by a good bit of skill.

I used to hate SL in the days when the speed of the game had gone OTT. The constant quick scoots gaining cheap penalties used to infuriate me and it defiantly showed us up at the last WC when it was obvious we have a distinct lack of options for breaking down defences in a slow game.

The NRL used to be a much slower game but it was still better due to the skill factor of it. The same can’t be said of SL sadly

Yeah but I'm not talking about the 80's or 90's, I'm referring to the fall in standards over the last 3- 4 years.

I don't miss the continuous quick scoots as teams main attacking threat.

I do however wish some of our players particularly dummy half would learn to get the ball out with some pace. For me that's what's lacking at the moment is speed of passing, getting the ball across the field to open up defences - that's the style I'd like to see and that I think the NRL does well.

Sadly it could take years before we see an improvement since our current crop of top players, such as Burrow, Roby, Pryce, etc have all developed in the "scoot" era. It's interesting to see Smith drop 2 of these for the 4 nations. Perhaps he realises we will need more invention and less dummy half running if we are to make an impact internationally.

I really hope so mate, the incumbent crop of hookers/halfbacks have been extremely one dimensional.

Burrow aside is it any coincidence that since the game has slowed down this year these are two that have had the biggest drop in performance levels?

Has Burrow really been that bad this season? I know he struggled early on with injuries and form but imo he’s got that extra bit of something to his game compared to the two above.

It's tackling in the game that's slowing things down - Every now and again you'll see a big shot which is great, but more and more teams are using certain tackling techniques i.e. wrestling and lying on for longer, grapple tackles etc.

Just visit youtube and watch the NRL best tries and none of them would get scored by super league players in the same position. There is not enough skill and the game is not currently quick enough in many areas, the only way our game will appeal to other people is by it being one of the fastest games with something going on all the time.

Super league has gone down hill and It is very disapointing and I am sorry but it is the cap, it holds Leeds, Wigan, Warrington... all teams who spend to the full cap, backwards.

We may have a more even competition but does that make it more exciting?

I remember it being more exciting when you genuinly could not call who was going to win the title as we had 4 teams right at the top!

We need to change the cap, maybe spending a certain percentage of what amount of money you make or something like that. Then clubs would be rewarded for bigger crowds and bigger sales and clubs would be encouraged to invest. Young players would be even more valuble.

The competition and rugby league as a whole in this country is awful, its all down to the RFL and the lack of forward thinking.

IMO the way to sort out RL is to put Maurice high up at the RFL.

To be fair though it was Maurice's baby in the first place

The world cup he organised was superb.

He is one of the only people in the game high up with major ambition and the knowledge to achieve this.

Just keep away from the finance side of things and we will be fine.

I also think the RFL should get some tips from Mick Hogan to market games. Our game will not grow anymore from now if we do not fill the stadiums in big games and for internationals!


RL as it stands is going no where and no one seems to care about it! In 20 years time we will be no better off or worse off if we don't do something about it.

Its all about the players. If we go back to the turn of the millenium we had this lot running around in their pomp...

Andrew Farrell
Jason Robinson
Kris Radlinski
Paul Sculthorpe
Sean Long
Keiron Cunningham
Iestyn Harris
Robbie Paul
Henry Paul

etc etc. there any superstars anymore

Now we have

Sinfield
Mcguire
Burrow
Pryce
Wellens


But we also have

Morley
Peacock
Burgess
O'loughlin
Graham
Gidley
Tomkins

We still have quality players who are not overated like the first bunch, we have superstars of our game but no one outside the sport has a clue about them.

On that web site, the best nrl tries of the season number 2 is scary how he's manged finish that

On the same note, checkout best big hits of the NRL season on the same site - damn they had to hurt.

What about the one benji marshall set up

that is the best assist for a try I have ever seen! Unbelievable.

Hayne's is pretty damn good as well.

That was amazing!

Seen the Folau flick from dummy half to put the winger over in the corner?

My feelings are the same, so much so that i have started playing again to fill the gap in passion that i have had for the last 2 years or so.

Having said that, i do think for the first time in a good few years we may well see an upturn in the standards across the board next year. At least i hope that is the case.

Not as good as the rest but that was truely great awareness!

It had me thinking 'surely he's not gonna..' and then he did it.



Jennings scored a few beauties!

The ten yard rule was brought in to give the attacking team more room, all that's happened is teams stand flat now.

12 subs, what the hell is that about? There's hardly any gaps in play now, teams are more intersted in bashing the line and keeping 13 fresh players on the park than using craft to open teams up.

These are the 2 main areas that I've blamed for the past 4 or 5 years, the game has been in decline for a good while now.

Teams concentrate on possesion and territory looking a for a try from a kick far too often. There's no risks, and off the cuff rugby seems to be a thing of the past.

You have some fair points about the interchanges, you only need to look at fielding a bench of 2 props a 2nd row and a hooker as the defacto standard - what happened to the days of having a fresh back on the bench to bring on and try and open things up.

Off the cuff still does exist in the sport though, just look at the Eels in the NRL.

I'm really hoping that better methods and ideas over here will return the ability to make space and open up gaps. I know I've been banging on about the Storm a lot recently (I just find it appropriate given the coaching situation), but i've been watching quite a lot of NRL past games recently, and they really are very good at working for a gap - like the age old cliche in wrestling of working on one body part to wear the guy down, and then striking at the right time.

I think SL can move forward in the right direction, and I think across the board there are some exciting youth prospects that with the right coaching and development will give us a more attractive game and better International competition.