Why you should cheer for St Helens in the NRL’s Pre-Season Challenge

The French started the war? That's a new one.

The biggest problem for Super League is that it's completely out of sight out of mind. A lack of coverage from Aussie free to air and with the ending of the British Lion Tours. Aussie Fans have been deprived insight into the British game and their players. The switching of the British game from winter to summer has arguably been a disaster even though at the time the decision made sense for a number of reasons (better style of play, less abandoned games due to weather, more possible spectators etc). The World Club Challenge is a great concept but poorly marketed and supported by the NRL. This game would be perfect as an overseas promotion of Rugby League, but due to the power of NRL clubs, none really want to support the concept. Perhaps greater prize money and Salary Cap concessions might be needed to induce greater enthusiasm for the concept from NRL Clubs. Thinking outside the square perhaps the game could even be the official kickoff for both Seasons? Whoever wins also receives competition points for their respective comps. The two comps do need each other to strengthen each other. Whilst the NRL could survive without the Super League, it would inevitably become nothing more than an AFL type sport, a big fish in a small pond. I'm all for strengthening the international game in any capacity, it's a vital point of difference to the NRL's nearest domestic competitor the AFL and the exchange of players has hugely impacted both comps, the likes of the Burgess brother, James Graham, Bateman etc have added wonderful passion and skills to the NRL.

I watched a show about Charles De Gaulle on the History channel recently. They said CDG's grandfather, like many other grandfathers, told the young Charles to join the army because we're going to get our revenge for the Franco/Prussian war of 1871. Do you see the implications of the French starting the war and then at the armistice the Frenchman, Georges Clemenceau put a gun to the head of the German politician, Matthias Herzberger, when showing him the killing fields saying "you caused all this? Do you know that America joined the war because Woodrow Wilson wanted to help England so they could pay back the loan to America?

I'm here making comments on an article why we should cheer for St Helens and I gave my reasons. I asked you why I have to be a historian to use history as a reason. Do you disagree that Winston Churchill wanted to add the Holy land to the British Empire so he sent the Australians and New Zealanders to Gallipoli? Or that Billy Hughes was a pom who wanted Australia to help England and France in an expensive war that would leave many dead and badly injured in may ways including lung disease from chlorine gas? Or that Irish Australians objected to Billy Hughes supporting England in the 1915 Dublin uprising?

Hey Ken. A few years ago channel 9 put an ESL game on, on Sunday afternoon. Before what’s usually a brilliant Sunday afternoon NRL clash ( joking of course ). Then they just stopped putting those games on? As a RL lover, if at home. I’d watch a ESL game, followed by a NSW Cup game & then the afternoon classic NRL game . If I can get through the mostly yawn game , that’s usually put on by 9 ( on Sunday ) of NRL that is.

Even when it’s Sombrero Roosters playing in these games , I want the Australian team to win. I can lay any personal opinion about the Australian club playing in such games to one side . At least for one game! Or for a few games. If there’s more than one game played , such as this year. You should try it! We’re all from the same country. You may even find doing that therapeutic! :stoked:

Yet you’re there to put crap on Penrith or it’s players, whatever the story is Rooster. You even want to suggest that Luai can’t even play, such is your personal dislike for him. Not sure what the hate is all about? The Roosters weren’t going to win a premiership in the last 3 , regardless of whether Penrith won the competition the last 2 years . Or were in them for 3. Your club is full of idiots ( Radley, Lodge, JWH & now Smith . Plus they used to have Mitchell ). So looking to find fault with any other club & it’s players , surely has to be difficult for you?

I respect that this has clearly been a factor for you, but personally I would never have considered either the SL war or the SL WCC as factors in Aussie apathy towards ESL. I think you've got it right at the end, for most fans it's just invisible. Probably the biggest factor is decades of channel 9 as the main broadcaster, who have had zero interest in showing ESL. It's also not a naturally great proposition, the timing of live games is atrocious for Australia. I think these are far bigger factors.

I replied to this, but I'll never know why it was removed.

Why do you say that DavMan?

I'm glad you like your Rugby League, Tim, but maybe leave history to the experts.

My family hails originally from Cunnamulla, so in my opinion those St George boys are overrated. Go the Rams!

Rugby League is an historically interesting game that has undergone many changes in its rules and how it was played. When I first played it there was unlimited tackles and scrums that were of great importance. When I played front row filling in for an injury prone goliath, I discovered muscles in my neck that I didn't know I had. I had a coach who taught me, a second rower, how to break fast from the scrum by punching me with the ball of his thumb. It was good to beat the lock to tackle the winger into touch on the other side of the field. Have you heard of your countryman Tony Collins a Rugby League historian?

Two many Penrith fans have been very cheeky and bragging since their wanna be gangster 5/8 became a super smart buttocks mouthing off at everything and everyone including Parra and even at his groom in team mates weddings. Go Saint Helens.

Yes but as a staunch Wallumbilla Herefords (Red Bulls) man I cannot acknowledge them. Although their logo is much better.

1997 is the year that apathy towards the English game really set in. Before the 1997 World Club Challenge the gulf between Australian and English RL wasn't as obvious. Before then club sides from each hemisphere rarely played each other, and when they did it was only the best of the English sides participating. That and the fact that English RL wasn't broadcast widely in Australia gave it a false sense of competitiveness and made it an exotic novelty. The 97 WCC was expanded to include all SL sides in both hemispheres, and the southern hemisphere sides embarrassed their north hemisphere counterparts. After that the gulf between the two was obvious and it wasn't an exotic novelty anymore because with the advent of pay TV the English Super League became easily accessible in Australia compared to before. Only a minuscule amount of people still hold onto the divisions caused by the Super League war. So it'd be a tiny minority of people whom feel that way, if you are in fact encountering people whom are disdainful of the ESL because of their participation in the SL war. The reality is that the ESL just doesn't even register on the radar of most people in Australia.

Scrums were back in SL last year so that shouldn't be an issue.

Hey Ken. The Super League don't have scrums, I'm wondering whether they'll have scrums in the games against the Dragons and the Panthers, or do they play under NRL rules.

It's not really apples and apples though. The Panthers v St Helens game has recognisable squad/interchange rules and is for the WCC. The Dragons v St Helens game is a proper trial and will feature a heap of second stringers for long stretches of time.

No self respecting Aussie would support an English team in any code Really? It's easy for me. I'm only a very occasional watcher of SL (basically when I happen upon it, I don't really keep up), but the upshot there is that I don't dislike anyone. In the NRL I actively dislike pretty much all clubs bar my own! I suppose it would be different if they had the higher class competition, but while they're the underdogs I have no problem cheering for them. So good luck to them versus the Panthers, and may they put up a good - but ultimately fruitless - performance versus the Dragons.