State of Origin so far

[best_fullback]

After two rounds of the competition I was just wondering what everyone's views on the results have been?

I have to say I have been rooting for NSW in both games so far due to their 'underdog' status, and Queensland's dominance since 2006. Both games, in my opinion, have been great spectacles, but by no means 'classics'. The semi-comeback from NSW in the first game, only to be denied by Slater late on was great. Then the tactics employed in game II by NSW of having the far more mobile forwards paid dividends in the end.

Also, on a slightly different tangent, my friend showed me this article by Stuart Barnes (http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/state-of-origin/origin-ii-pace-and-skill-but-still-an-air-of-boredom-20110617-1g7t8.html) that discusses the view of an ex-union player who has stated his profound respect for League on several occasions, but still believes top level League to be inferior to Union for reasons he discusses.

Now, I don't want this to descend into a League vs Union 'which-is-better' slang-fest, but I sincerely agree with the views that Barnes states in this article. I have a high respect for League, and I even switched codes when I was playing at uni, but if this series or the tri-nations/world cup is the pinnacle of League rugby (from a playing quality perspective) then I don't think it trumps the best matches that can be offered in Union at the highest end.

What are your views on this? Do you think League lacks the dynamism that top quality Union can offer (as so beautifully shown in the Heineken Cup final this year) or do you think Barnes is totally wrong?

 

[candybum]

Yes i found that the series has been quite riveting. Queensland in my opinion, have looked kind of stale in the first two matches. With experience in the first game probably getting them the win. I'm a QLD supporter, but after hearing the team line up for game II, i knew NSW were in with a massive chance to win that game.

Then earlier in the week, Thurston got cited for making contact with the referee and was going to receive a two match ban at least, ruling him out of game III, which i thought was so convenient The panel last night were all from NSW as well, but common sense came into the fray and he was let off

Really can't wait for game III, should be good considering NSW are on form, and QLD playing for the series as it is Lockyers last.

 

[William18]

A brilliant game of rugby is always better than brilliant game of league. The problem is you get far more brilliant games of league than you do of rugby and far more terrible games of rugby than you do of league. I mean there are things about rugby which still annoy me. I don't know if anyone saw the "dangerous play" last night in the Crusaders game but that call was a joke. Sometimes you get rugby games where teams are dropping the ball and the whole game is waiting for the scrum to reset. I would also add that I think the NRL is a far superior competition to say the Super 15 in terms of unpredictability and the closeness of the teams. However, I do still prefer rugby overall both to watch and to play.

 

[peks89]

GO NSW!!!!!!!

im pretty confident in the forward pack that ricky's picked..dnt even hav to hesitate with the backs we have...bring on GAME III

NEW SOUTH WALES PRIDE!

p.s uate to score the last try to seal it..HAKWA NADRO!

 

[RoosTah]

Best_fullback,

I read Barne's article when it was printed in The Sydney Morning Herald a couple weeks ago, and as a fan of both codes I thought it was interesting as it's essentially what I've said for a while.

I used to argue that if you were to take a psychology analogy to the two games, then you might say Rugby Union was like a manic depressive, while Rugby League is a more balanced individual. The upshot being that League is solid and can do some pretty impressive things when he puts his mind to it, but doesn't ever really scrape the sky, while Union can spend a lot of his time in the doldrums being incredibly boring and unproductive, but when he finally hits the high notes he produces pure genius. The problem with Union is that he seems to spend far too long in the doldrums, while his brother League keeps consistently producing great work.

That said, as a massive NSW fan I disagreed with Barne's assessment that the game was ever boring - but that's because I am emotionally invested. This is no doubt the reason why English Rugby fans never complain about a boring forwards driven 10 man rugby tactics driven match. Similarly, Reds V Waratahs matches have had a tendency to be very dour affairs, but I've still found myself on the edge of my seat throughout simply by virtue of the fact that it was NSW v Qld. Any game in which the two sides intensely dislike each-other is rarely boring from the fan's perspective.

 

[best_fullback]

A brilliant game of rugby is always better than brilliant game of league. The problem is you get far more brilliant games of league than you do of rugby and far more terrible games of rugby than you do of league. I mean there are things about rugby which still annoy me. I don't know if anyone saw the "dangerous play" last night in the Crusaders game but that call was a joke. Sometimes you get rugby games where teams are dropping the ball and the whole game is waiting for the scrum to reset. I would also add that I think the NRL is a far superior competition to say the Super 15 in terms of unpredictability and the closeness of the teams. However, I do still prefer rugby overall both to watch and to play.

I used to argue that if you were to take a psychology analogy to the two games, then you might say Rugby Union was like a manic depressive, while Rugby League is a more balanced individual. The upshot being that League is solid and can do some pretty impressive things when he puts his mind to it, but doesn't ever really scrape the sky, while Union can spend a lot of his time in the doldrums being incredibly boring and unproductive, but when he finally hits the high notes he produces pure genius. The problem with Union is that he seems to spend far too long in the doldrums, while his brother League keeps consistently producing great work.

Have to say I totally agree with both the views presented here, and I especially enjoyed your analogy between the codes, sanzar! To me I can also draw an analogy with taking my mum to see sport events. She isn't really into her sport, and although she used to come and see me play for my Union side when I was in the U16s-Colts, she still thinks a ruck is essentially a fight - so the more simple a sport is to grasp the more she enjoys it.

When she went to see a league game she thought it was fantastic - you always get the big hits and powerful running. All that you really need to explain is the 6 tackle rule; 'we'll worry about 40/20s when one happens' etc. Similarly when we went to see Aussie Rules she loved that. Admittedly it was a really close game between two rivals (St Kilda v Geelong) so we were quite lucky in that respect. As long as she understood that it was basically netball with a rugby ball, and kicking it through the middle posts awards 6 points instead of 1 for the other two, then she was pretty content.

However, like I said with Union, there is so much she doesn't, still, understand that is pretty critical to the working of the game. Considering I don't fully understand scrums still indicates, for me at least, the amount that can possibly go wrong in a game of union. Scrums, rucks (and both of their respective dictionaries of infringements), mauls, lineouts (+ quick lineouts), place kicking, territory kicking (+ rules of when you can and can't kick out of touch on the full) + anything and everything else mean that the variation of possible tactics and outcomes of games can be massive. Whereas in league you are, in very simplistic terms, restricted to 5 attacks and then a kick it means there is a lot more certainty as to what you will see (as mentioned before: big hits, powerful running) and therefore it means that League is never really dreadfully boring. In Union none of that is guaranteed. You may see 80 mins of incredibly boring pick-and-goes and kicking, or you incredibly dynamic attacking, committed defence and intelligent kicking.

I suppose that is the risk we all know we take when we watch Union!

 

[RoosTah]

Yeah, strong points on the appeal of League's simple and clear system of play. I find that when I introduce foreigners to Australian sports it's better to start them on League and then move them on to Rugby Union later because it's almost too much just throwing them strait into the game's complex mess of ambiguous rules. AFL is another beast altogether... Japanese friends of mine who were unfamiliar with Rugby just used to assume it was rugby too. I had a hard time explaining exactly what AFL is, but the best analogy I could come up with was that it was essentially a mix between Rugby, soccer and basketball.

 

[Sam Owen]

QUEENSLAND!!!

 

[TRF_woosaah]

great send off to the great man lockyer. What a final game. Played at such an awesome pace throughout it, though we didnt expect anything less did we?

fantastic to watch, feel bad for thurston the way he went off, they are talkin gabout a season ending injury, i hope that is not the case.

i should go to bed, but i want to see how much they show of the celebrations and stuff before we get the feed cut off.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Only saw up to about 65mins, but it was a brilliant match

 

[Sam Owen]

great send off to the great man lockyer. What a final game. Played at such an awesome pace throughout it, though we didnt expect anything less did we?

Only saw up to about 65mins, but it was a brilliant match

Indeed, I was kinda hoping NSW would close the gap, they were capable of it. However we were too good YEAH!!!...love watching the Origin when QLD wins. Yes I will wear my Queensland jersey to trainning this week ahhh...

 

[candybum]

What about the opening 30mins from QLD? absolutely amazing!

 

[Sam Owen]

What about the opening 30mins from QLD? absolutely amazing!

Yeah man, thats why I dont blame NSW for losing. That start from QLD was just too heavy for NSW to take but they held out well but eventually that sustained pressure took its toll.