: Tue Feb 17, 2009 12:54 pm  

Tony Soprano wrote:

Plus the endorsement opportunities available to an international RU player, Noble would need to slash some silly money to get his man.

That's true. I wonder how much a top RU player gets in endorsements.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 12:56 pm  

Dead Man Walking wrote:

Compare the international game that Union has compared to us in League and also they have a European Championship - what do we have to rival that ?

We don't have the capacity to play these extra games. Its hard enough for the players to compete in the Sl, the CC, play-offs, and end of season internationals.

Adding in extra competitions would kill the players

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:00 pm  

leicester_rhino wrote:

We don't have the capacity to play these extra games. Its hard enough for the players to compete in the Sl, the CC, play-offs, and end of season internationals.

Adding in extra competitions would kill the players

Seems to me the RU boys do it.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:08 pm  

Dead Man Walking wrote:

Seems to me the RU boys do it.

The RFU and the clubs in England have a limit on the number of games that England squad players can play in a season (I think it's around 30, including internationals). The RFU has the right to pull an England squad player out of a club game at short notice in order to ensure he is rested for internationals.

The average elite union player will have a workload roughly similar to that of an elite league player, not including unusual years like this one where there are Lions tours.

The club game also continues over international weekends - there was a Guinness Premiership fixture list last week while the Six Nations fixtures were taking place. If that happened in league it would result in two or three teams being decimated and losing valuable league points in the race for the playoffs.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:12 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

The RFU and the clubs in England have a limit on the number of games that England squad players can play in a season (I think it's around 30, including internationals). The RFU has the right to pull an England squad player out of a club game at short notice in order to ensure he is rested for internationals.

The average elite union player will have a workload roughly similar to that of an elite league player, not including unusual years like this one where there are Lions tours.

The club game also continues over international weekends - there was a Guinness Premiership fixture list last week while the Six Nations fixtures were taking place. If that happened in league it would result in two or three teams being decimated and losing valuable league points in the race for the playoffs.

They also stand around for 70 mins each game while nothing happens

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:33 pm  

leicester_rhino wrote:

They also stand around for 70 mins each game while nothing happens

That's a bit mean - 70 minutes standing around while nothing happens - I am sure its nearly 79 minutes. - It takes 3 matches just to score a TRY

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:34 pm  

leicester_rhino wrote:

They also stand around for 70 mins each game while nothing happens

Tell Joe Worsley that.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:35 pm  

El Diablo wrote:

Tell Joe Worsley that.

Indeed - the energy levels and physicality required from an elite union back rower match anything required by their league counterparts.

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 2:12 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

Indeed - the energy levels and physicality required from an elite union back rower match anything required by their league counterparts.

Ok, backrowers are probably the exception to that rule, but when you factor the energy required just to get back 10m in League, and the speed the ball comes out of the ruck you can see that for nearly all places on the field, the impact is less in union.

In terms of physicality, its a case of Union is rougher, League is tougher

: Tue Feb 17, 2009 4:59 pm  

So you wouldn't like a another Lewis Jones at Leeds.

I'd have another Boston or Offiah at Wigan.

When was the last top class outside back produced in this country?

13 years of Supeleague and how many?