Rugby on the canvas, can it climb back up?

"pretty much every loose fowrd, 6,7 and 8 have the skill of backline players and have the size of fowards." Rubbish! "tiaan strauss was dropped from the springboks had never played in a game of rugby league in his life and played a full season for cronulla before he stopped by saying it was boring and too one dimensional." He quit because he sucked. He played two seasons for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the ARL and Super League 1996 and 1997, respectively.. I'm not sure whether he played a full season in either either competition. "so you are comapring differnt positions now, okay bryan habana would leave greg inglis for dead on the pitch and stepping dont me foolish most of habans trys are from individual brilliance, skill wise francoius steyn is miles ahead of thurston, can thurston kick over 60 meters and break the line?" Speculation. Every try I've seen Habana score has involving him running as straight as a bullet while there was no one in front of him. Anyone can do that. I've never seen him draw an opponent or two out of the defensive line and convince them to overlook the players they were marking -- Inglis uses his clever footwork and smart line running game to do this regularly. I've never seen Habana hand-off a player like Inglis did during a SOO match. Every flyhalf I've seen in the Springboks' side has been a slow and uncoordinated. It's obvious the they are selected is for their ability to kick the ball long and goal kicking ability. I've never seen a Springbob flyhalf with the footwork, ball skills, creativity and tackling skills of a Johnathon Thurston or Darren Lockyer. Francoius who? I just looked at a few videos of him on YouTube. The only thing he has going in his favour is a good step and a good place kicking game. I didn't see him employ the same array of short kicks (he used one, but it wasn't spectacular and it was in broken-field play), long passes and deceptive dummies that Thurston uses on a regular basis. Nor did I see him draw in two or more players with sheer skill and creativity, which is another great facet of Thurston's game. You're asking me whether Thurston has ever made a line break? He's made tonnes of them during his career and, has set up tonnes more!

How many forwards in rugby union have the hand-eye coordination, ball skills and creativity that is required to play at standoff and halfback? Quite a few second-rowers and locks in rugby league have the ability to play five-eighth. I’ve never seen a rugby union forward have a passing game of any calibre. pretty much every loose fowrd, 6,7 and 8 have the skill of backline players and have the size of fowards. A regular Springbok prop wouldn’t last 5 minutes in the NRL match because they’re too fat, too unfit and too clumsy. um beast mtwarira, cj vander linder would easliy. When the former Springbok captain, Tiaan Strauss, tried his hand in the NRL he failed miserably. tiaan strauss was dropped from the springboks had never played in a game of rugby league in his life and played a full season for cronulla before he stopped by saying it was boring and too one dimensional. Bryan Habana is fast, but he lacks the ball skills and kicking game that is required to play in the halves, thus the reason he’s confined to playing on the wing. He’s no where as talented as Greg Inglis or Israel Folau. You’ll never see Habana leap as high, throw a ball as far or put on a tep like Inglis and Folau are able to do on a weekly basis. so you are comapring differnt positions now, okay bryan habana would leave greg inglis for dead on the pitch and stepping dont me foolish most of habans trys are from individual brilliance, skill wise francoius steyn is miles ahead of thurston, can thurston kick over 60 meters and break the line? Do the South Africans risk being shot at by the military just so they can see a game of rugby union? The Papua New Guineans risk being shot at by the military just so they can attend a rugby league match! No people unfortunalty get killed in SA when club matches are played because of supporters who raid the field when they dont like the refs call or if brawls happen and they join in. its bad and this is just stupid because if you are trying to show who has the more radical support beacuse of violence and threats you have a problem.

"one word pierre spies, enough said on that, better athletes in what way can you name me one league player that can rus faster than bryan habana and tonderai chavanga, which league player is stronger than pierre spies or criag burden?" How many forwards in rugby union have the hand-eye coordination, ball skills and creativity that is required to play at standoff and halfback? Quite a few second-rowers and locks in rugby league have the ability to play five-eighth. I've never seen a rugby union forward have a passing game of any calibre. A regular Springbok prop wouldn't last 5 minutes in the NRL match because they're too fat, too unfit and too clumsy. When the former Springbok captain, Tiaan Strauss, tried his hand in the NRL he failed miserably. So did Garrick Morgan when he tried his hand for the Crushers. A real athlete in either code of rugby needs to have great stamina, a good kicking game, good tackling ability, good footwork, a creative mind, good ball-skills and good hand-eye-coordination. Johnathon Thurston and Darren Lockyer fit the aforementioned list. Bryan Habana is fast, but he lacks the ball skills and kicking game that is required to play in the halves, thus the reason he's confined to playing on the wing. He's no where as talented as Greg Inglis or Israel Folau. You'll never see Habana leap as high, throw a ball as far or put on a tep like Inglis and Folau are able to do on a weekly basis. As for the crowds. I see plenty of empty seats whenever I glance over the South-African based Stupid 14 games. Do the South Africans risk being shot at by the military just so they can see a game of rugby union? The Papua New Guineans risk being shot at by the military just so they can attend a rugby league match!

As a south african i have to point out corrections to you Realist. rugby league players tend to be better athletes — most of the forwards in rugby union are just overweight toffs who have the hand-eye coordination of a drunken 3-year-old kid! one word pierre spies, enough said on that, better athletes in what way can you name me one league player that can rus faster than bryan habana and tonderai chavanga, which league player is stronger than pierre spies or criag burden? Considering the bulk of South Africa’s Stupid 14 teams draw pitiful crowds to their matches, I think it’s fair to say the aforementioned claim is an exaggeration of some sorts. - pitiful crowds??? the average for SA home support was 35 000, and yes schools in SA pull crowds up to 10 000 if not more, paarl gym vs paarl boys, paul roos vs grey bloem, bishops vs rondebosch, affies vs waterkloof, many more.... We have an U-20 competition called the National Youth Competition. both our u19 and u21 comps are televised too Do South Africa’s Stupid 14 teams draw 40,000 people to their regular season games. they do, the recent stormers vs boland game (bottom of the currie cup team) pulled in 40 000 people in the new cape town stadium, 70 000 capacity For the record, the Papua New Guineans are far more patriotic about rugby league than South Africans are about rugby union. i cant speak for them and neither can you, all i no is that rugby is culture in SA its what people talk about everywhere you go, it unites the country people love the springboks and it has just been regonised as one of the most iconic sport brands in the world. http://sport.iafrica.com/features/1847700.htm

The point he is making is that, for some reason any talk about the future of rugby turns in Australia inevitably degenerates into another tedious who has the biggest dick contest between league and union. Which I suppose is fine, when its a comparison at a local level. As I, like SA dont care who is bigger or better. Global comparisons however are different and a joke - there is no point to it. Put simply, locally the Wallabies would be behind the Kangaroos as a brand. Internationally the Kangaroos are an animal found in the outback and Rolo ads.

Stop trolling the site with off-topic comments!

"Give it up Realist who really cares about rugby league?" SA Australians and Papua New Guineans care about it! "its a waterd down version of the real game" SA Rugby league is an improved version of rugby union. The RFL reduced the number of players from 15 to 13, discarded lineouts and replaced the ruck and maul system with the play-the-ball system because it was smart enough to realise that doing so made the game more marketable. The rule changes in rugby league allowed its players to develop superior ball skills, better tackling techniques and a greater capacity to look 3 or 4 passages of play ahead of the game -- rugby union players are uncreative and unskilled because they focus the bulk of their time on securing possession at the breakdown, thus stifling their ability to be creative and expansive. It's why rugby league is a successful television product while rugby union isn't and, why rugby league players tend to be better athletes -- most of the forwards in rugby union are just overweight toffs who have the hand-eye coordination of a drunken 3-year-old kid! "lets compare rugby league in Aus vs Rugby in South Africa? do rugby league schools pull crowds over 10 000, do university’s pull over 20 000 for games???" SA Considering the bulk of South Africa's Stupid 14 teams draw pitiful crowds to their matches, I think it's fair to say the aforementioned claim is an exaggeration of some sorts. I'm not saying the school teams and university teams haven't drawn crowds of that magnitude on occasion, but I highly doubt they are able to do so time and time again. "is their an u19 and u21 rugby league comp?" SA Ha! We have an U-20 competition called the National Youth Competition. Its televised matches draw higher ratings than the Stupid 14s televised matches! Fancy that, an U-20 rugby league competition holding more drawing power than the so-called "elite" club/provincial rugby competition in the world! "do rugby league teams get 40 000 people to their pre season games?" SA Do South Africa's Stupid 14 teams draw 40,000 people to their regular season games? "rugby league is a small insignificant sport who cares if league is big in Aus." SA This is an Australian sports website. The focus on this site is on Australian sport. We do not care about what happened in South Africa. Go to a South African website if you want to talk about your overhyped sport. For the record, the Papua New Guineans are far more patriotic about rugby league than South Africans are about rugby union.

great news for the nrl. what about the rest of the rugby league world realist ? do they get 1 billion deals deals or even $140million over five years ? I know which code I’d rather be working for !

"who cares if league is big in Aus" - um, Australians, you know, the subject of this thread.

Give it up Realist who really cares about rugby league? its a waterd down version of the real game lets compare rugby league in Aus vs Rugby in South Africa? do rugby league schools pull crowds over 10 000, do university's pull over 20 000 for games??? is their an u19 and u21 rugby league comp? do rugby league teams get 40 000 people to their pre season games? rugby league is a small insignificant sport who cares if league is big in Aus.

Why are you citing figures about British sport on an Australian website? Could it be that you know rugby union is dying in Australia? If you don't think it's dying then look at the marketability of your sport, then compare it with rugby league. The ARU's next SANZAR TV deal is only worth $140 million over 5 years The current NRL TV deal is worth more than $100 million per year and, the next NRL TV deal is estimated to be worth more than $200 million per year. I know which code I'd rather be working for! David Leckie's comments in the Herald Sun's Dinner with a $2 million bill. says everything we need to know about rugby union's miserable position in the Australian sports market. "Cricket, rugby and soccer will all be sidelined by these deals," Leckie said. "Whoever gets the AFL deal will pay too much. Whoever gets the league rights will pay too much. "It will leave nothing for the rest of them." Look at the following comments from the same article: "A seven spokesman added: 'It wasn't just a catch-up dinner with David Gallop - we put our cards on the table for rugby league rights. 'We want them bad. 'Everyone knows how much David Leckie loves rugby league.'" Great news, isn't Gorganite? :D I'm lovin' every minute of it!

realist- here is some reality for you. The sexi nations over the weekend had the following crowds: Dublin - 82K London- 82k Edinburgh - 65K How did the RL international program go over the weekend?

First off, regarding the FTA networks, if it’s sold in the different packages that’s fine, means there will either be one or two networks who don’t get the deals and so will look for other things, or that the networks who own the rights to the separate products will have gaps in their schedules to fill in (I don’t care if Rugby is a filler for this). I’m unsure of any Reports of Ten saying they’ll bid for the RL deals. Obviously you’re the one here speculating (see I can use this word too) that Rugby Union is perceived as an inferior product by these companies, they do have a soft spot for this product, which means that perceptions are skewed. Most companies willing to sponsor the teams are based within Australia (or are full blown subsidiaries) this means that the American and European fiscal systems only affect them through the Australian System, which if you didn’t pay attention to media beat ups wasn’t much of a recession at all. In fact, these companies have been able to generate growth where the Australian system has allowed them to stay partially away from any economic demise (as much of Australian business has) and are currently raising enough capital to buy out undervalued assets overseas. Most companies also have increasing assets in the old English empire as you like to call it and so this means that the wallabies are a great option for them. You also don’t mention that your article refers to the demise of both soccer and cricket as well. Yes, speculation, the same as most of your ideas. And no, I don’t pay much attention to mysticism and don’t give much time to the research of such things (haven’t been alive for that long to pay attention to it either.)

Anyone living Nth Gold Coast who can tell me which pubs show the Super 14 games? We're new to the area, don't have Fox and don't want to miss our teams matches. NOt had much luck phoning the local bars directly

"Three TV networks – two sports (hmmm?)" -- rugbyfuture The three commercial FTA networks currently cover the NRL and AFL, don't they? The next rugby league television deal will probably be shared between two or three commercial FTA networks because it's going to be sold in four separate packages: NRL Premiership, NRL Finals; SOO, and; Test matches. All three commercial FTA networks have expressed their interest to bid for one or more of the aforementioned rugby league television packages. "The super Rugby teams Generate their sponsors through strong business links, and as you and norm put it, have strong links with the establishment (them being big business) and already attract sponsors without free to air (you forgot to think about this point)." -- rugbyfuture What makes you think the aforementioned businesses will continue to invest in an inferior product? The businesses might have a soft spot for rugby union as they're part of the old boys' network, but even they'll turn their backs on it when they can no longer afford to prop it up -- especially with the global financial crisis affecting so many of them. "Many sponsors also want to gain international coverage rather than local substance (thus meaning they’ll gain more bang for their buck)." -- rugbyfuture Which is why they'll turn their backs on the Wallabies and sponsor the Socceroos and, to a lesser extent, Cricket Australia. "The Wallabies matches will regain their spots in the viewing numbers with a strong competitive push on the field and off field positivity about the game again." -- rugbyfuture Speculation. "Nostradamus predicted the end of the world by the millennium, it doesn’t mean he was right, but he was more qualified to predict about such things than you." -- rugbyfuture LOL :D You don't know much about Nostradamus's method, do you?

$550 vs $150 million sounds like a big difference....until you divide it by the number of teams in each comp NRL $34.375 million per team ARU Super 15 $30 million per team....and the NRL plays a lot more rounds giving tv more ad revenue.....its no wonder they are getting more in round figures.

there is a key word which you repeat over and over again that is... MIGHT Three TV networks – two sports (hmmm?) money they raise for the bids may be recapitalised, notice that the article you refer to does not talk about channel ten executives whatsoever, because they can’t provide enough money to gain the rights to the other codes. The split of the League rights (or AFL) may mean there is space left on the networks for other sports at other times. However ten have a well-deserved pedigree in expansion sports and developing the best broadcast systems for these sports. The ARU on the other hand only has the international games being broadcast and is increasingly diversifying its selection of broadcast partners. There is also the fact that the IRB have enough capital to reinforce any unions which might be in trouble if the business case is put forward, unlike the other sports on record. The super Rugby teams Generate their sponsors through strong business links, and as you and norm put it, have strong links with the establishment (them being big business) and already attract sponsors without free to air (you forgot to think about this point). Many sponsors also want to gain international coverage rather than local substance (thus meaning they’ll gain more bang for their buck). The Wallabies matches will regain their spots in the viewing numbers with a strong competitive push on the field and off field positivity about the game again. The pay tv deal that news corp are putting forward for the ARU may not be much but still consists of enough to cover expenses and is greater than the previous deal. It matters to refer to the other deals yes, but still what matters more is the previous deal. Nostradamus predicted the end of the world by the millennium, it doesn’t mean he was right, but he was more qualified to predict about such things than you.

There are only three commercial FTA networks in Australia and, they'll be competing with one another for the right to broadcast the AFL and NRL. The NRL's product is going to be split into three or so packages and, the RLIF will control negotiate the next television broadcast deal for all Test matches that are held in Australia. This means all three networks could end up investing in rugby league. The next AFL television deal will probably attract just as much money (possibly more) and just as much programming space from a couple of the aforementioned networks. This means the three networks will neither have the room nor the money to accommodate rugby union in a large way. This will leave the ARU well behind rugby league and Australian rules football because it will not be in a position to command a hefty sum from its next terrestrial FTA television deal and, will have less opportunity to promote their product on television. The ARU's ability to compete with the other codes will rely heavily upon the amount of money they can command from their sponsors. The Super rugby clubs might struggle to attain strong investments from their sponsors if their matches aren't broadcast on FTA television. A sponsor or two from Super Rugby might jump ship to the AFL and NRL because doing so will allow their product to gain more exposure, thus meaning they'll be getting more bang for their buck. The Wallabies might struggle to attain strong sponsorship deals if their matches continue to rate poorly on Seven and aren't televised at a prime time viewing hour in the southern states. News Corp aren't going to throw much money behind the ARU's new pay television deal. The information I've come across in the media suggests the ARU will only earn $130 million dollars over 5 years from the aforementioned deal. The NRL's next deal is rumoured to be worth $200 million per year. I predict the ARU will fall further behind the NRL and AFL, thus leading to Australian rules football and rugby league increasing their stranglehold over rugby union.

i hope cumberland HS gets a go one day

I think I will seek permission before I submit an article on their behalf but for anyone interested NSWRU and ARU continue their efforts commenced in 2007 to send state schools from Western Sydney to represent Australian schools inthe Sanix rugby tounament. In 2007 it was Westfields High School in 2009 Prarievale High school and in 2010 it will be Hills Sport high school from Seven Hills. The school can be contacted on 02 96227300 and the coordinator's mobile is 0425 288481. I understand the school is running a golf fundraising day at Fox Hills Golf Clubon Friday 26 th February and is looking for firms to sponsor holes ( $250 put the firm name on the hole and gives them two tickets to play. Otherwise all welcome at $75 per head breakfast and buffet lunch included and a guest speaker provided gratis by NSWRU. They also seek any memorabilia or items for raffles or auctions. This is grassroots rugby in the west . I am going and I am a terrible golfer. A call to any in western or greater Sydney who supprt the growth of rugby. Rugby is not on the canvas it just needs to be aware of its problems but also have the confidence to affirm the good it is doing. Get behind the good news with real support.