Sport Today

As I write I am sitting watching Canberra play London on SKY, I
already know the result, (Canberra 66 London 20) having looked it up
on teletext, and it is YET another lame defeat for a European side in
this competition. And judging from the empty seats in the stadium I
reckon the fans knew it as well.

Why oh why when the rest of British sport is actually starting to win
something are the Rugby League teams incapable of doing anything, it
really is an embarrasment, not just to Rugby League, but to British
sport in general. Especially embarrasing is that, with the honourable
exception of Wigans win and Bradfords close defeats (played well last
night I thought), most of the results have been cricket scores, and
this against modest Australasian opposition, newly formed composite
sides like Hunter and Adelaide, and primarily only half of the
assembled might from down under, given that the ARL still has its own
competition.

All of the teams bar two have been outplayed, and we stand the very
real chance of having teams qualifying for the latter rounds based on
points conceded only, having lost all of their games in the prelims.

What REAL good does this do Rugby League !

Will ANYTHING really be learnt, Rugby League as a sport is singularly
fixed in its past, there is an attitude in League, as there is in
Union and used to be in Cricket, that we do not need to evolve or
change, we are doing very nicely, that is pure crap.

This comeptition is has turned into a pathetic joke, a total turn off,
in principal it was a good idea, but given the crushing defeats on a
regular basis for European teams have merely made it a nonsense. Who
really wants to tune in to watch yet another exhibition match from the
latest Australian side.

The only crumb of comfort is that these embarrasing regular beatings
will be dropped as this competition is simply too expensive to run,
thank god for that, a classic example of a great idea, but poorly
executed.

"Once Upon a time there was a little sausage called
Baldrick. The End"

"Sausage, Sausage, Blast your eyes"

Are you being serious when you say Bradford played well last night...you
are talking about the Adelaide game....not the normal SL ones ???

Or is it that SL teams play well when they either win or lose by less
then 20/30 points.

Not taking the***really....I agree with your sentiments.

Andrew

PS The rest of Britain is basking in victories Cricket, RU,
fottball...its getting embarrasing singing the praises about RL.

PPS Even the Lions are starting to play well and I marvel at the tries
scored by Bentley, Tait and co. Whats happening with the world :-{

Baldrick "Once Upon a time there was a little sausage
called Baldrick. The End"

Doctor Johnson - "Sausage, Sausage, Blast your eyes"

IMO the different intepretations of the rules and styles of play (or
inability to adapt to the style of play) have contributed greatly to the
heavy defeats by the ESL clubs. It is not just a matter of superior players
or fitness. I reckon that if a top ARL team was pitted against an ASL team
and required to play ASL rules and interpretations then the ARL team would
suffer just as heavy a defeat as the ESL teams initially until they
adjusted to the style and pace of the game.

I agree that the lopsided results have added fuel to the critics of RL, but
look at it this way, the ESL clubs can ONLY BENEFIT from the experience.
There may be a point in Australia that it is a little needed diversion from
their domestic competition and they have more important matters like
unifying their own domestic competition, but over here it must be classed
as the much needed "wake up call" that our clubs and coaches  were overdue.
Just think what would have happened in the forthcoming Ashes series if we
were still under the the  pre -WCC impression that we had virtually caught
the Kangeroos up. IMO What this sport needs more than anything else is an
ashes series win!

IMO  we in Britain have no right to winge about the WCC even if we lost
every game. The Aussies are doing us a favour showing us how the game can
be played and what the British game needs to improve.
Having said this I still reckon that we would fare much better against the
ARL clubs , from what I gather they play at a much slower pace and play the
ball standing up!.

Gaz

I agree totally, when you compare the change in game quality Union has
managed in just a year you would think after 101 years the League game
would be of a higher quality in the northen hemisphere. So give the World
League a miss and watch the Lions to see professional rugby players at
work!!!

Derek