The Wookiee
Back From The Dead
How the hell are England in the semi final after winning just ONE game ?
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Rugby League World Cup
- Thread starter The Wookiee
- Start date
Brian Fantana
Well-known member
Because the top 3 from England's group went through to the Semi-Finals, leaving the winners of the other 2 pools to fight it out for the other Semi-Final slot.
Why they didn't seed the good teams and put one in each group, I don't know.
It seems a strange way of doing things.
Isn't the competiton designed so that England, New Zealand, and Australia are pretty much guarunteed qualifacation regardless of how pants they are.
The rest of the world have to slug it out for the remaining place. Not a proper sport... Rugby Union is far better (and easier to understand)
The rest of the world have to slug it out for the remaining place. Not a proper sport... Rugby Union is far better (and easier to understand)
The Wookiee
Back From The Dead
- Thread starter
- #4
If I was Irish I would be furious
Noddy competition.
Perry Milkins
Just a quiet guy.
why? is it because you don't like that Lord of the Dance thingy?
Indeed. Much as I like Rugby League it's very much the junior rugby code in terms of popularity and to try and make a 'World Cup' is only slightly less laughable than baseball's 'World Series'. We'd have done better if we'd kept a Great Britain side as opposed to splitting it down by home country, but they needed to make the numbers up. At least this time we've been spared 'Lebanon' - who were simply Australians of Lebanese ancestry.
Correct
Correct
Rugby league has lost credibility outside its heartlands because of too many shit decisions and squandering of Sky money, IMO. Shame really, because it's a good game when played at the highest level - I firmly believe the ball handling and athleticism actually has to be better than in Union. However, Union has a global footprint and is much bigger now, even at club level.
This world cup has been a disaster - again. The comedy group stages makes me chuckle almost as much as the yawning gap between Australia and everyone else and the equally yawning gap between England/NZ and everybody else. Laughable.
Storer68
New member
But mainly a noddy competition because the Rugby Football Union made dammed sure and worked dammed hard to ensure that rugby league (aka professionalsism) was not allowed to sully the virtuous of the amateur code.
Sorry? Its the RFU's fault that they came up with a ridiculous 3 pool format, with 3 teams qualifying from one pool?
sten_super
Brain Surgeon
The idea was to have competitive games; at least by putting the 3 good teams in one group and the other (relatiively equally) crap teams in the other 2 groups they were guaranteed some close games. However the problem is the idiocy of having 3 semi-finalists from one group; as it means two of them HAVE to play each other twice.
As someone said earlier, it was designed to ensure that the big teams got to the semis. What should have happened was two teams from the good group and one each from the other groups into the semis. Then you create decent games as more is at stake in the group stages.
Oh and on the RU/RL preference which this thread will inevitably turn in to... Yes RL players are strong, athletic and have great ball handling skills. But aren't they effectively 12 RU backs (albeit stronger and more athletic), along with one player who has a bit of creativity to give to ball to after the 5th tackle? I don't see the appeal of getting the ball, running with it, getting tackled, running with the ball, getting tackled, etc. followed by grubber kick. It's always seemed to me like American Football (in terms of how possession works) but without anywhere near so much of the tactical element.
As someone said earlier, it was designed to ensure that the big teams got to the semis. What should have happened was two teams from the good group and one each from the other groups into the semis. Then you create decent games as more is at stake in the group stages.
Oh and on the RU/RL preference which this thread will inevitably turn in to... Yes RL players are strong, athletic and have great ball handling skills. But aren't they effectively 12 RU backs (albeit stronger and more athletic), along with one player who has a bit of creativity to give to ball to after the 5th tackle? I don't see the appeal of getting the ball, running with it, getting tackled, running with the ball, getting tackled, etc. followed by grubber kick. It's always seemed to me like American Football (in terms of how possession works) but without anywhere near so much of the tactical element.
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Yes, apparently the RFU's conduct over the past 90 years is entirely responsible for the failure of RL to expand sensibly outside the M62 corridor and keep it a strictly niche sport.
vegster
Sanity Clause
- May 5, 2008
- 28,273
Rugby League is so boring...
a Big, Muscular Man picks up the ball then runs 5 yards in to another Big
Muscular Man.
First Big, Muscular Man makes strange wriggling gesture in the mud then gets up and rolls ball back to slightly less dirty Big Muscular Man.
In case any one missed this "Action", Slightly less Dirty Big, Muscular Man runs 5 yards in to Big Muscular Man.
Slightly less dirty Big Muscular Man,also performs strange wriggle in the mud, and gains dirt to become as equally dirty as Big, Muscular Man #1 then Rolls ball back to Big Muscular Man #3, less dirty that Big Muscular Man #1 and #2
Big Muscular Man #3 then runs 5 yards in to..... the intelligent amongst you will now realise whats coming next.... well, thats it, in a nutshell 80 odd minutes of Steak on Steak action...... absolute crap.
a Big, Muscular Man picks up the ball then runs 5 yards in to another Big
Muscular Man.
First Big, Muscular Man makes strange wriggling gesture in the mud then gets up and rolls ball back to slightly less dirty Big Muscular Man.
In case any one missed this "Action", Slightly less Dirty Big, Muscular Man runs 5 yards in to Big Muscular Man.
Slightly less dirty Big Muscular Man,also performs strange wriggle in the mud, and gains dirt to become as equally dirty as Big, Muscular Man #1 then Rolls ball back to Big Muscular Man #3, less dirty that Big Muscular Man #1 and #2
Big Muscular Man #3 then runs 5 yards in to..... the intelligent amongst you will now realise whats coming next.... well, thats it, in a nutshell 80 odd minutes of Steak on Steak action...... absolute crap.
I find the wriggling bit absolutely hysterical.
I mean its just sooooooooo gay.
''ooh ooh ref, I wriggled but he still wouldn`t let me up''
Icy Gull
Back on the rollercoaster
- Jul 5, 2003
- 72,015
You forgot to mention the "exciting bit" that when one team has done the above for 5 phases and hasn't scored a try they then kick or run the ball as far as they can and then...it's the other teams turn to have six goes
Pavilionaire
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 31,269
Rugby league is just rugby union played by doormen.
vegster
Sanity Clause
- May 5, 2008
- 28,273
I can see the point in that, that means that the other team of Big Muscular Men gets a chance to do the gay mud wiggle and get dirty too !
turienzo's lovechild
New member
- Oct 25, 2003
- 23,964
it's main problem internationally is that basically EVERYONE is shit at it/doesn't care about it
there's really only 1 team that will win it, with two others having a MILD chance if the other one fucks up
at club level, RL is pretty good, but internationally, it's wank
there's really only 1 team that will win it, with two others having a MILD chance if the other one fucks up
at club level, RL is pretty good, but internationally, it's wank
sten_super
Brain Surgeon
Just seen this, and it shows what a ridiculous game rugby league really is...
BBC SPORT | Rugby League | NZ switch Leuluai to hooker role
Can you imagine Danny Care or Dwayne Peel at hooker?
BBC SPORT | Rugby League | NZ switch Leuluai to hooker role
Can you imagine Danny Care or Dwayne Peel at hooker?