The Virtual Terrace • Re: Rugby league is becoming unattractive

I agree with this, and this is just off the field.

On the field, bar the odd coach as an exception, both main leagues of RL in the world have started to offer up one-out wrestle tactic borefests for a few years now. While Union continues to come up with ideas to quicken the ruck up, RL has somehow decided that flamboyant rugby is a no-no and SL has become an infuriating joke around the ruck with diving and lying on (after a five second wrestle) like never seen before - throw in pretending to be injured to slow the game down even more - and the game is starting to become unwatchable even for the diehards, never mind someone who could be a new fan.

Has anybody watched a game in Super League in the last few years and been impressed with the speed of the ruck? Has anyone watched a game where there's been no diving or feigning injury? Has anyone watched a game where there has been more than one set of six in a game where less than half of the PTBs doesn't have players bending the rules (standing square, leaving a foot in/hand on the ball, players starting two metres offside somewhere on the defensive line...).

Fair play to the NRL, they have two refs and their rucks are far tidier. But why have all the coahes down their decided to play this boring style of rugby. When Cronulla and Brisbane came over here early in the season both teams said in defeat, well the English teams like to throw the ball around and we didn't cope well with it (obviously they would if they weren't still in pre-season, mind), because they don't really see that down there anymore.

We have no money and we are becoming boring so how on Earth are we supposed to promote that?