English Super League 2009 thread

[Jeba]

Looks like we'll get 1 game a week on channel 9 from the ESL this year. Eases the off season pain a little.

Watching Leeds take on Celtic at the moment, few former Nrl players on display and a couple of former Broncos - Tony Duggan and Darren Mapp.

Can't see Leeds winning by less than 20.

 

[Nashy]

They still playing them on FoxSports this year? Some of the games were alright, little slow for my liking though.

 

[The Brizz]

What are you talking about Nashy? ESL is faster than NRL in terms of the play the ball/ruck area makes the game so much quicker than in the NRL where they lay on top of eachother and wrestle.

 

[Nashy]

I guess I've just caught a few shitty games.

 

[Jeba]

I would say its much of a muchness really. There are great games, there are shit games, no different to the NRL.

It became very evident in the World Cup that the poms can't defend the second man play, well going by last night's game, they can't execute one either. Absolutely hopeless at it!!!

 

[Hamm.0]

Correct Jeb.

ESL is faster than NRL, however the problem with ESL is it's all 1-out ruck play. The backs have nowhere near the skill sets and there is no set backline movements.

The saddest thing (or best thing depending on your viewpoint) is that the NRL was nearly as quick as the ESL is now, however clubs learnt wrestling was a legit way to slow the ruck. People actually think this is a bad thing, until they see ESL and realise what I have been saying forever; Rugby League, by its very nature, is not designed to accommodate excessively quick play the balls. I agree that wrestling has perhaps come too far in recent seasons, but clubs are just trying to adapt to the stupidity the NRL brought in the first place.

Speed play the balls leads to boring one off rucks and dummy half runs, where as excessively slow play the balls equal constantly set defensive lines and less line breaks. There has to be balance between quick rucks to catch defence offside and defensive lines short numbered, and rucks slowed down enough to allow 100kg + men to get to their feet and therefore force forwards to do more than dummy half runs and one-off rucks.

Back on topic; Go Rhinos

 

[Je$ter]

Rhinos should smack Celtic. The Celtic players only got out of Australia about 5 days ago.

 

[spoonbled]

I cant believe Mapp is still going around. Shows you guys like Peek and Bryant arent that good with superstars around them. 5 days to prepare was a big stuff up though.

 

[Assassin]

Hey do you guys know which ex-nrl players we can expect to see play when 9 televises Warrington v st Helens tomorrow?

From memory Mat King and Glen morrision play at Warrington right?

And I think Tony Puletua went to St helens??

 

[Assassin]

Oh man I just went to their web sites to grab a team list and I bloody saw the result!!!!! [eusa_doh

Ah man that sucks

any way big names I saw were Mat Gidley, francis Meli, and Tony Puletua at Saints and at the wolves Michael Monahan Mat King, Adrian Morely and Paul Rauhihi

Hope you enjoy the game..... I'm so dam keen to catch some footy I'll probebly watch it anyway, so sad. :cry: