Saying goodbye to Rugba League

[Flipper Hands]

The NFL has just started & runs until late January on Foxtel or Kayo.

I'm a avid watcher & it's fairly even most weeks with tight games that can go either way.

60min game that runs for 3hrs. Not everyone's cup of tea.

I subscribe to NFL Gamepass. It provides all games live, a 2 hour version with the adds cut out, a 40 minute version with only the snaps, and a highlight package. There is also a truckload of other content explaining the history of the game, the rules, greatest games and so on. I've been studying NFL for about 7 years now, and am finally able to see a play lay out in front of me and be pretty accurate in guessing what might happen.

It's a fantastic game, a brutal game of chess, each move over in a few seconds. There are even roles for old guys and short dudes, not like that NBA freakshow.

[King Salvo]

Aside from cricket, what other sports are worth a watch until next NRL season?
I dont mi d tge A League.
Any american sports worth watching?

MLB is getting towards the pointy end of the season with 13 or so games to go for each team of the 162 game regular season

6 team post season series in each league (American and National)

Division winners in each of the leagues are ranked 1 to 3 based on their winning percentage and then teams with the 4th , 5th and 6th next best winning percentage in each of the leagues make up the 3 wild card teams

The new 12-team MLB playoff format gives a first-round bye to the two best division champions in each league.

From there, the remaining division winner (No. 3 seed) faces the worst wild card team (No. 6 seed), while the top two wild card teams (No. 4 and 5 seeds) square off in the other series. The wild card round is a best-of-three format with the higher seed hosting all three games.

There is no re-seeding for the divisional round, so the No. 1 seed will battle the winner of the 4-5 matchup and the No. 2 seed will draw the winner of the 3-6 matchup. The divisional round is a best-of-five 2-2-1 format, while the League championship round and World Series are a best-of-seven 2-3-2 format.

Both League Standing below


https://www.mlb.com/standings/wild-card/2022-09-22

[King Salvo]

You're correct. I intend to do like a friend of mine does for MLB.tv, one team only. When his team is the San Francisco Giants, who have gone from penthouse to outhouse in quick time, it's a losing proposition.

LA Dodgers are a hard team to displace from top spot in the National League West Division though - Another 100 plus game winning season

2021 - The Giants ( .660) and Dodgers ( .654) had the first and second best winning percentages in either league - unlucky I suppose they both met in the best of 5 games divisions playoffs after the Dodgers won the 1 off Wild Card game against St Louis Cardinals. - Dodgers won 3-2

Atlanta Braves (.547 ) played Milwaukee Brewers (.586) in the best of 5 games divisions playoff - won 3-1 then went onto beat the Dodgers in the best of 7 games National League Championship series 4-2 and then beat Houston Astro's ( .586) in the World Series best of 7 games 4-2

Braves have at least qualified for a wild card place ( currently 4th) but still in the race to top the National League East - only 1 game behind the NY Mets - Braves with 13 games to play and the Mets with 11

[King Salvo]

The worst form of Rugby League is still 10x better than any other sports code.

mmm no way you could say that - better than Football/NFL/MLB for instance

[King Salvo]

Harden up Johnny, imagine following the Tigers.
Our team makes the 8 nearly every year a lot of times the top 4. The Roosters have won 3 comps in 9 years that’s unreal. We are in a golden era & yet your not happy with the admission?
I guarantee if you asked the Roosters hirachy if they are happy with the administration they would say yes.
The turn off for Rugby League isn’t the administration or the refs/bunker it’s the media who bung on 7 days a week all the negatives of the game & people like you feed into it. The games fantastic, it’s fast action packed combat footy that will never be perfect but it’s still simply the best.

I disagree that the game is fantastic though - all this wrestling / judo / third defender in / decoy runners and over structured play of multiple hit ups out the back with decoy runners and kick on the last rubbish.

The game has been ruined because coaches were given too much say - moaning it was too hard to slow the play the ball down so in came the wrestling and judo / catch and hold and dance with the ball carrier /third defender in attacking the legs and hip drops and all those unsavory tackles - crusher/chicken wing/grapple/hip drop/cannon ball etc.

Then it was too hard to score so in came the decoy runners who are doing nothing but run interference or block defenders and oh the inside / outside shoulder nonsense.

Plus all these tackle calls - dominant tackle and surrender tackle nonsense for instance - surrender tackles are basically voluntary tackles when the ball carrier either goes to ground or runs behind a team mate and stops - both should be penalised.

Like Sterlo said many times and I agree and have said the same i don't like how the game is played at NRL level.

I am just hoping that when the NRLW becomes more and more professional and full time professional that they don't play this type of football

[Dr. Voodoo Man]

You're correct. I intend to do like a friend of mine does for MLB.tv, one team only. When his team is the San Francisco Giants, who have gone from penthouse to outhouse in quick time, it's a losing proposition.

You're back. WTF. Ewwww

[Mickie Lane]

I disagree that the game is fantastic though - all this wrestling / judo / third defender in / decoy runners and over structured play of multiple hit ups out the back with decoy runners and kick on the last rubbish.

The game has been ruined because coaches were given too much say - moaning it was too hard to slow the play the ball down so in came the wrestling and judo / catch and hold and dance with the ball carrier /third defender in attacking the legs and hip drops and all those unsavory tackles - crusher/chicken wing/grapple/hip drop/cannon ball etc.

Then it was too hard to score so in came the decoy runners who are doing nothing but run interference or block defenders and oh the inside / outside shoulder nonsense.

Plus all these tackle calls - dominant tackle and surrender tackle nonsense for instance - surrender tackles are basically voluntary tackles when the ball carrier either goes to ground or runs behind a team mate and stops - both should be penalised.

Like Sterlo said many times and I agree and have said the same i don't like how the game is played at NRL level.

I am just hoping that when the NRLW becomes more and more professional and full time professional that they don't play this type of football

Why do you watch it then?
Its all just part of the evolution of the game. The games changed from when you watched it growing up & the game will continue to change & thats just how it is. With the game being professional it means so much more thought goes into the game everyone is bigger & fitter so the style of the game had to change. The standard of todays game is better than it was when I watched & played it growing up.

[King Salvo]

Why do you watch it then?
Its all just part of the evolution of the game. The games changed from when you watched it growing up & the game will continue to change & thats just how it is. With the game being professional it means so much more thought goes into the game everyone is bigger & fitter so the style of the game had to change. The standard of todays game is better than it was when I watched & played it growing up.

Like Sterlo I watch the game but have the same opinion in not liking how the game is played or is heading.

That's comparing apples with oranges though as of course players will be fitter for instance being full time professional compared to era's when players were at best part time training twice a week and holding down full time jobs outside of football.

Not sure that the evolution of the game has been helped with all this wrestling /judo style defence and all those unsavory tackling techniques and the over structured attack.- multiple hit ups and out the back with decoy runners and kick on the last.

Coaches minimise the game plan and this has taken away the creativity of players in being able to play what's in front of them- gotta stick to the over structured game plan even if it's not working.

Penrith don't have 15 games plans when they play each of the other teams - basically play the same way week in week out - surely when you know how a team will play you can come up with a better game plan and preparation to be in the contest of beating them.

It's like having the answers to an upcoming exam

So I don't agree more thought goes into the games as far as game plans go as I allude to above.

[Carlos Parra]

Maybe it's because I'm getting older and have more things to care about; however, when I was a teenager I'd watch every game that was on TV or I'd listen on the radio for updates. I'd studiously record the results and keep all my own stats and the league ladder because I was too impatient to wait for the papers to come out the next day. I'd do it for first grade, reserve grade and the under 23s (was it?). I'd buy Big League and RLW and hide them under my text books to read whilst in class. I remember more Roosters players from 1980 than I do from 2010. Now everything is instantaneous and a mouse-click away - you don't need to follow it as closely as you did in the past. So what does it matter if you miss a game, or flick to another channel?

Technology means greater on-field scrutiny as well. It shits me to tears to watch 10 replays of a try whilst the ref and bunker look for reasons to DISALLOW it. Then you've got complete and utter wankers like Gould, Ginnane, Flanagan, Ennis etc who love the sound of their own voices and can't commentate without their big book of cliches.

Back in the 70s, I don't think I ever whinged about referees or officials, but these days it's standard fare. Sure, at the game, you'd go berserk when the ref stuffed up, but these days, it's oh so obvious that those a**holes are either incompetent, biased or corrupt. It's hard enough watching your own team get shafted sideways on the field and at the judiciary, but who wants to see it happen to teams you don't even give a rat's about? Thus, in my view, the game has gone to the crapper.

I'd rather watch rowing where nobody but the rower influences the result. Maybe it's my weak heart, but why expose yourself to constant annoyance by shit rules, shit judiciary, shit players, shit officials and shit administration?

[King Salvo]

Maybe it's because I'm getting older and have more things to care about; however, when I was a teenager I'd watch every game that was on TV or I'd listen on the radio for updates. I'd studiously record the results and keep all my own stats and the league ladder because I was too impatient to wait for the papers to come out the next day. I'd do it for first grade, reserve grade and the under 23s (was it?). I'd buy Big League and RLW and hide them under my text books to read whilst in class. I remember more Roosters players from 1980 than I do from 2010. Now everything is instantaneous and a mouse-click away - you don't need to follow it as closely as you did in the past. So what does it matter if you miss a game, or flick to another channel?

Technology means greater on-field scrutiny as well. It shits me to tears to watch 10 replays of a try whilst the ref and bunker look for reasons to DISALLOW it. Then you've got complete and utter wankers like Gould, Ginnane, Flanagan, Ennis etc who love the sound of their own voices and can't commentate without their big book of cliches.

Back in the 70s, I don't think I ever whinged about referees or officials, but these days it's standard fare. Sure, at the game, you'd go berserk when the ref stuffed up, but these days, it's oh so obvious that those a**holes are either incompetent, biased or corrupt. It's hard enough watching your own team get shafted sideways on the field and at the judiciary, but who wants to see it happen to teams you don't even give a rat's about? Thus, in my view, the game has gone to the crapper.

I'd rather watch rowing where nobody but the rower influences the result. Maybe it's my weak heart, but why expose yourself to constant annoyance by shit rules, shit judiciary, shit players, shit officials and shit administration?

Brian Cooley had a love hate relationship with refs and touch judges one would say- You're a Criminal Ref one of his favourites and a Touch judge named Gately would often earn his wrath

[Carlos Parra]

Brian Cooley had a love hate relationship with refs and touch judges one would say- You're a Criminal Ref one of his favourites and a Touch judge named Gately would often earn his wrath

I remember Brian. As he got older, his booming voice began to fail him and he'd collapse into coughing fits.

Went to his sister's place for a Roosters party one year. Her daughter was a bit 'hands on' if I recall correctly. Shudder.

[Easts75]

Love watching NFL also, have done for about 10 years now. Hated it growing up. Started watching full games and appreciate it heaps more now. Been to 5 games in the states....wow, they are mental for it. My neice got a scholarship to Texas A&M last year, so hopefully get to a College Game eventually. It's bigger than the NFL

[milanja]

Love watching NFL also, have done for about 10 years now. Hated it growing up. Started watching full games and appreciate it heaps more now. Been to 5 games in the states....wow, they are mental for it. My neice got a scholarship to Texas A&M last year, so hopefully get to a College Game eventually. It's bigger than the NFL

That’s fantastic, would love to watch a college game especially the Penn state “white out” game.

got to watch my Pats play at MetLife back in 2015, awesome experience.

[Easts75]

That’s fantastic, would love to watch a college game especially the Penn state “white out” game.

got to watch my Pats play at MetLife back in 2015, awesome experience.

Watching Clemson would be next level also !!!

[Headless Chook]

Bush footy is still great to watch and a more pure version of the true game. A lot of the 'modified rules' aren't in play....no random set restarts is a big plus! Not as much wrestle, still some structure but still some ad-lib stuff as well. Obviously the skill level is not there, but there's still the odd shenanigans that you don't get down in the NRL.