NRL stars could move to rugby for the Rio Olympics

Yes, mighty AFL -- the RSL entertainment of sports.

Love it, RU and RL have hated too long over little things, they are both professionals now, so act like it. From what the codes expect of their players (to have no personality and fun and just act like robots who get along with everyone) may be we should expect the same of the head honchos of the codes. Be professional and stop disadvantaging Australia's gold medal tally. 7's lets RL teams play in the tournaments, as do RL 9's allow Union teams, so why can't we do it for another tournament, the Olympics.

True to an extent Siva, although the NRL knows that its TV deals are made on the grounds of having games to show on TV- the more games the more revenue, so they do use the money to bail them out, but put pressure on them to either relocate or start making money.

are you stupid enough to believe what the ARL or league fansites say? what would you say the official figures of rl is in this country and i would challenge you to take it from a seperate source to the ARL, or who took it from the ARL

Ultimately, when all is said and done, the AFL will come out victorious. We all know that. The only real competition is the Lingerie Football League(LFL).

The most annoying thing about the usual union vs league debate is that league fans and journos like to claim that somehow their players are better, as Realist does in this thread. I rarely hear union fans or journos make that claim. Roy Masters in the SMH recently said that "Greg Inglis was the best player in the rugby codes". How does he know? Does Inglis play rugby union? Have any of the league converts who have come over proved that they are better than the union players? No, none, zilch. The only conclusion is that league players are better at league and union players are better at union. A few may be able to play both but I have not seen many who are equally good at both games.

wow realist, you are one paranoid dude. Let it go man. The funny thing about this whole Keebra Park thingo is the fact that the country's best league school (allegedly) was playing a rugby union game. I find it hilarious that throughout all the union bashing, the big elephant in the room was that these prized leaguies were playing rugby! I'll be happy as Larry if more league schools start playing rugby as we'll just pick em off into RU like kids in a candy store. You were so busy bashing the gentelman's game that you couldn't see the RU scouts perusing your finest talent. tee hee. The funny thing about playing numbers is that Rugby has been quietly catching up on league. We are almost at 200k legit players ( none of this auskick rubbish polluting our numbers my friends). Watch and see my friends.

Realist. You seem to believe in fake websites design by league fans. Can you post that website with league teams in New Caledonia, Russia, USA, Fiji, Ukraine and Soutrh Africa with crowds of 3000 to 5000 ?

WA now has many rugby players thanks to the Force than NZ league players. Money for Auckland but the NZRL is still broke it needs handouts from SPARC and Social Welfare to survive.

Realist is pretending to be a rugby union player to back up his BS. He has never heard of Danie Gerber, Hennie Muller, Joost van der Westhuizen, Naas Botha or many great Springboks players of the 70's and 80's who were more skillful than any rugby or league players from Australia, NZ and UK.

I don't think the TV money is there to help bail trouble NRL clubs other wise we could still be watching Balmain, Western Suburbs and North Sydney running around in the NRL.

You played Rugby when you were 15. Where? And did you play reps.Reps is where to play the best of your age group just like junior League.

"I called you a dullard not to be insulting, but that’s how you come across in your points." Have you read any of your own comments? "Unfortunately any semblance of credibility you had was thrown out the door when you claimed to play club rugby at 15. Club Rugby!! Wow!" It may have been at the junior level, but it was a club-based competition against the best players from my age group. "Also Henry Paul? Did he not play for his country? If you read what I said, I did not claim he was one of the best stand offs in the rugby league, but at the time he was one of the best. Playing for his country, winning titles in the UK superleague etc." You said he was one of the best stand-off's going around. What a complete and utter joke. Just because he represented a weak New Zealand team during the early 2000's and late 1990's doesn't mean he was 'one of the best'. There were many stand-offs in Australia and England ahead of him. "And playing in the halves is infinitely more harder than at fullback." I agree. A halfback needs to read the game well and organise his forwards and backline -- which refutes the claim that rugby league halves only need to be instinctive, which is what one of your mates said -- but that doesn't mean it's impossible for an 18-year-old to play at halfback. "Hunt is a great footballer, but even he would not have played in the halves in his first year out of school – not many do. At any rate Barnes was a 5/8, not a halfback." Thurston was a stand-off too, but it didn't stop him from becoming the best halfback in the world. A lot of stand-offs have moved into the halfback position and excelled. "You claim you haven’t watched union in a couple of years and that is obvious – you don’t have an idea. I don’t watch equestrian – so therefore I don’t pass comment on it or make judgements. Maybe you should do the same then you would not come across as such a dullard." I saw enough rugby union matches between 1993 and 2008 to see what the sport has to offer. Only a 'dullard' would assume that the game has changed so much over the last 2 years that it is a completely different game. "The reason that Tahu et al were ‘thrust’ into Super 14 level is because that is the equivalent to club level in RL. As if RU would sign elite RL stars and throw them into Club rugby. Jesus man, think about it….." Wrong. The Air New Zealand Cup and Currie Cup are the equivalent to the NRL. Australia doesn't have a national rugby union club competition because it's a minority sport in Australia. Club rugby is the closest thing in Australia to the NRL. It's why the ARU tried to "bridge the gap" by bringing in the ARC. Unfortunately for the ARU, the ARC turned out to be an utter failure because there isn't enough support in Australia to carry a national competition. If the Broncos were to sign an elite rugby union player then they'd have him play for one of their feeder clubs until he was ready for NRL. "* Matt Burke ended up playing centre – they had hoped Rogers might play there but he was not up to it and settled for the relatively easier position of full back." If that's the case then how come Rogers ended up playing flyhalf? "* Aaron Payne and Cameron Smith – like I said before, it is so much easier to be a dummy half than a scrum half. The reasons are many – it is relatively harder to get clean ball in RU, you are also having to receive the ball from line outs, you don’t have 10 metres of space to make up your mind what you are doing blah blah – but you don’t even watch the game so that will no doubt go over your head." This is the dumbest comment you've made so far. You're saying that rugby union has changed so much since I last watched it (2008) that the role of the scrumhalf is nothing like it was when I followed the game. Sorry, but I call nonsense on that one. Since when is receiving a ball from a line-out hard? If that's 'hard' for a scrumhalf then they'd be hopeless at flyhalf and standoff! A dummyhalf doesn't have a great deal of time to figure out what he's going to do. He needs to sum up the play before the ball-carrier plays the ball. The amount of time it takes for a ruck to form can leave a scrumhalf with heaps of time to figure out what he's going to do -- the formation of a ruck opens up many holes in the defensive line, though I hear this has changed somewhat since the ELV's were introduced. A dummyhalf has to contend with the two markers who are directly in front of the man who played the ball. In rugby union there are usually a bunch of blokes on the scrumhalf's side of the ruck separating him from the opposite team. "* Andrew Leeds – I counter that argument with Willie Carne." Carne represented the Queensland Reds didn't he? There were only 3 professional rugby union clubs in Australia at the time. The fact he was able to make it into one of their squads means he beat a whole heap of rugby union specialists to get there. Andrew Leeds never beat a whole heap of rugby league specialists to get into the squads of City, NSW and Kangaroos.

"Realist im not even gonna bother with a reply to how absured your assumptions are. All you should know is that there are hundreds of south african schoolboy kids who finish school each year with absoloutly mad skill that apprantly the NRL wants to take." You mean you cannot reply because I'm right and you're wrong! Face it buddy, I owned you!

"If rugby in Australia is in trouble because QRU made a a loss then what about all those NRL clubs in debt and making huge loss every year." The NRL's revenue from television deals and advertising can bail them out. ARU doesn't have much revenue to work with.

Realist, I called you a dullard not to be insulting, but that's how you come across in your points. It is a long email you wrote....and well done on it. Unfortunately any semblance of credibility you had was thrown out the door when you claimed to play club rugby at 15. Club Rugby!! Wow! Also Henry Paul? Did he not play for his country? If you read what I said, I did not claim he was one of the best stand offs in the rugby league, but at the time he was one of the best. Playing for his country, winning titles in the UK superleague etc. Berrick Barnes - Joined the Brisbane Broncos rugby league club as an 18-year old and played nine First Grade matches in his only season in the NRL. He only played there one year mate. And playing in the halves is infinitely more harder than at fullback. Hunt is a great footballer, but even he would not have played in the halves in his first year out of school - not many do. At any rate Barnes was a 5/8, not a halfback. The main reason he did not play more was because of a certain D.Lockyer. And I take more motice of what Wayne Bennett syasy than you and he was gutted to lose Barnes. Gutted. When he joined the Reds he was almost 20. So he actually played NRL earlier than he did Super 14. You claim you haven't watched union in a couple of years and that is obvious - you don't have an idea. I don't watch equestrian - so therefore I don't pass comment on it or make judgements. Maybe you should do the same then you would not come across as such a dullard. The reason that Tahu et al were 'thrust' into Super 14 level is because that is the equivalent to club level in RL. As if RU would sign elite RL stars and throw them into Club rugby. Jesus man, think about it..... Some points to close: * Matt Burke ended up playing centre - they had hoped Rogers might play there but he was not up to it and settled for the relatively easier position of full back. * Aaron Payne and Cameron Smith - like I said before, it is so much easier to be a dummy half than a scrum half. The reasons are many - it is relatively harder to get clean ball in RU, you are also having to receive the ball from line outs, you don't have 10 metres of space to make up your mind what you are doing blah blah - but you don't even watch the game so that will no doubt go over your head. * Andrew Leeds - I counter that argument with Willie Carne. In conclusion - I think both RL and RU are great games. They are completely different though. I enjoy RU more because I was brought up in a RU household (in Sydney's West and I even went to a RL school so no elitist North Shore Toff here). When one eyed RL journo's and people like you berate the game - when you don't watch it - it annoys me. Sure, praise the game you love as much as you liek but don't bang on about something you have no idea about. It is pointless and trivial.

Are you stupid enough to believe whatever the ARU says?

Ron, I see you've resorted to throwing out silly insults (IE. dullard) because you cannot make a point. How sad and pathetic! Henry Paul was NEVER one of the best stand-offs in rugby league. If Bennett thought so highly of Barnes then how come the bulk of Barnes' short rugby league career was spent with the Toowoomba Clydedales? The Broncos were short on halfbacks at the time, so it's not as if there weren't any ball-playing positions for him to fill -- Bennett ended up plucking an ageing Shane Perry out of the Queensland Cup to play halfback. I cannot see any logical reason for Bennett to not play Barnes at halfback if he rated him as highly as you're saying. If you're going to say it was down to age and inexperience then explain why Bennett debuted Hunt at fullback when he was still a teenager? Fullback is a vital position in modern-day rugby league. If you're going to say it's because a halfback needs to be experienced enough to position his forwards around the field, then how come there have been other players of similar age who have debuted at halfback? The Queensland Reds depended heavily on Barnes in 2006. They looked threatening in attack whenever Barnes was on the field and directing play, but they ran around like headless chooks whenever he left the field. Fancy that, an almost 19-year-old Berrick Barnes was the man the Queensland Reds turned to for direction and leadership. If he was able to walk into the Reds' lineup and do that at Super Rugby level -- which is considered the toughest rugby union competition in the world -- then it says everything we need to know about the quality of rugby union. Face it buddy, Berrick Barnes is the best ballplayer in Australian rugby union. It's no coincidence that he went on to dominate rugby union after playing rugby league under Wayne Bennett's leadership. It definitely helps when you have greats like Allan Langer and Kevin Walters to turn to for guidance. Your defence of Gregan is inane. Anyone who has played rugby union knows that a scrumhalf's main role is to get clean position to his flyhalf and outside backs because there's very little space for them to work with. Gregan's inability to do this made him a liability to the Wallabies' backline whenever they needed quick ball. A scrumhalf with a poor passing game is as useless as a breakaway who isn't fit enough and strong enough to continuously contest for possession at the ruck I played rugby union at club level when I was 15. I wouldn't be surprised if I happen to know more about the sport than you do. I haven't watched union in a couple of years, but I still know how the game is played. If you know so much about rugby union then how come you don't seem to know that a scrumhalf's main role is to get clean possession to his fly-half and outside backs? If George Gregan can represent the Wallabies as a scrumhalf then there's no reason Aaron Payne couldn't do so: Payne has a superior kicking game, has a far better passing game, is more nimble on his feet, is fitter, has better vision and is just as solid in defence. Gregan's career was based on one tackle he made in a 1994 Bledisloe Cup match. I cannot recall him doing anything worth mentioning afterwards. I'd love to see you try to explain why Payne and Cameron Smith wouldn't make it in rugby union as scrumhalves. All of this crap you go on about rugby league players not making it in union proves you're a hypocrite. You wrote off Barnes' inability to become a regular for the Broncos because he was young and inexperienced, yet you overlook the fact that Tahu, Sailor and Rogers were thrusted into Super Rugby and Test match rugby union without having much time to adjust to the sport. The rugby union players who went on to make a name for themselves in rugby league did so on the back of learning their trade at club level. You also overlook the fact that Mat Rogers played for the Australian Schoolboys representative team and, was a success for the Waratahs and Wallabies -- the fact that Matthew Burke was moved to the wing so Rogers could play at fullback says everything we need to know about his superiority over rugby union's so-called "stars". I notice you and your fellow friends never bring up Andrew Leeds' career. Andrew Leeds represented the Wallabies in rugby union, but never made it past first-grade in rugby league. The bulk of his rugby league career was spent at a club that were the whipping boys of the competition. So tell, how come he never made a name for himself in rugby league? Why is it he was able to play 14 Test matches for the Wallabies, but never selected to represent City, NSW and the Kangaroos? How come he failed to make it as a centre and five-eighth when he played for the Eels?

Yes it could happen couldnt it. It is just another JAB to gain free publicity for another Code. Cant everyone including the invididual codes just get on with playing their respective games.

Ron The eagle has landed and you are missing in action.There is no statute of limitations on stupidity ,re statements .The people I have mentioned made comments in the last 12 months not just 10 years ago.You failed miserably in getting your point(whatever that was) across. You are just another in denial,and JON's comments have only added to my argument.It has been ongoing. I would suggest you don't ask me to bring up articles or issues preWW2. Some of the goings on with your mob in France,against rl ,make bagging rl look chickenfeed.