It has been an interesting contrast watching league and union in recent weeks.
One rule is certain, it applies to both games and nearly all sports, the closer the game, especially at the end, the more entertainment there is.
That said, 150 hours of ITV hyped up, throughly covered Union, whilst it has provided some good games and some tight finishes, has proved itself to be what it is. A game that is better to play and followed by a loyal audience whose devotion is based on an association of school, geography and class (in the main, not always).
Take 2 players out, change the rules for the benefit of spectators and the game would be improved, League has already done that.
The sense of pomp, tradition and occasion far exceeds league but the entertainment value is lower all in all. Some games have felt good because they have tried to play rugby, the first half of France v SA being a case in point and most of what NZ have tried with the ball also.
League will never shift Union in this country because of the nature of the establishment and the southern based game will always have the levers. NRL and the pacific islands are different, Union is dying in Australia and NRL is as big as ever.
These are crucial days for both codes in the northern hemisphere and it always feels like league is on the edge, either way.
At it's best League is the most entertaining sport there is, let's hope others realise it in the future.
15 years ago I'd have agreed wholeheartedly.
I don't watch union, but have heard (from friends who are primarily League fans) that it's improved
League, though, has gone backwards massively as an entertainment sport. Well, in this country it has. That's all down to the RFL (or whoever decides the rules and interpretation of them), and especially the change in focus at the tackle/play the ball.
Watch games from that 1996-2007 era and it's chalk and cheese to the game now. Back then, with the enforced quick release of the tackled player, defences were way less organised, so the game was far more open. Skilfull players were able to exploit the gaps.
Now, players are allowed to slow the PTB. Some teams - especially Wigan - have perfected the art of ensuring a couple of players flop on the tackled player just as they go to ground, then peel off one at a time, making it look like they're just getting up, but staring at the defensive line to make sure it's fully set.
It's interminably boring to watch.
Between this and the disciplinary going to war on Saints, I've totally fallen out of love with the game. I'll still go to and follow Saints, but the game itself can get to fuck.
Sad thing is, the NRL has gone the other way. They enforce a quick vacating of the ruck and the game there really benefits. It's so much quicker, more exciting. When we played Penrith in the WCC, we really benefited from that, as we could attack at speed and not have the opposition slowing everything down.
There's parallels to Liverpool here, when we were playing that 100mph football, swamping the opposition with the up-field press. Defenders sussed the antidote was to dive upon minimal contact to win a free kick, relieve the pressure, slow the game right down. So frustrating for us.
