• Help Support The Rugby Forum :

NRL vs ESL

M

melon

Guest
I've been thinking about starting up this topic for quite some time now, and the League vs Union inspired me to do so. So here it is: NRL vs ESL

National Rugby League (NRL) vs English Super League (ESL)

Now what would a decent discussion be without some controversial statements? I'll provide some!
  • The NRL is far superior
  • The ESL is so desperate they spend massive amounts of money on our talent, rather than developing their own talent.
  • When players from the NRL depart to the ESL and eventually come back to the NRL they aren't as good as they used to be (the ESL dragged the NRL players down to their standards and it's a struggle for the former NRL players to get back to their best when coming back to the marquee competition)
There we go, a few controversial points. Which I agree with of course. Come on now, let the games begin...this is going to be classic!
 
The ESL isn't as bad as people here make out, but it does seem to lack the same intensity a lot of the time... what I can't work out though is that with a similar number of people playing the game up there why they can't feild a national side capable of competing with the Kangaroos... I still remember that 2003 Kangaroos tour where GB by all rights should have won all 3 tests, but instead got clean sweaped themselves 3-0 after losing all 3 tests in the final 5 or 3 minutes (and leading up until then). They should have the talent, but it's almost as if they simply don't believe it's possible to beat us.
 
Oh goody, yet another cock waving contest...

Stop-Dear_God.jpg
 
My preference would be the NRL. Visually it's more intense. I'm not a huge league expert, but I've got both for the last year and just enjoy the NRL matches more. Not to say I don't like the Super League games. I think some of the initial comments made have some validity.

I like to waive my cock!
 
I'm going to keep my thoughts on my article about how arrogant you lot are.
 
I'm going to keep my thoughts on my article about how arrogant you lot are. [/b]
Not to suck up, but I do cheer on St. Helen's, both in your honor and because I like their style..
 
C'mon dan.... open up on this topic....

i will always say the NRL is better. ive been brought up on the NRL so im biast.

the ESL certainly isnt poor. isued to have a low opinion of it but after watching alot of the games this year i have to say the level is right up there with the NRL. its just that the weaker sides cant keep up with the better sides consistantly.

i saw a game a couple of months ago between warrington and st's. warrington played really awesome in the 1st half and the players i recognised like vinnie anderson and henry fa'afili were outstanding and the handling was awesome. then... all of a sudden st's score and the wolves throw the towel in.... they let it slip to easily...

the atmosphere in the ESL is better than the NRL... the crowd is just closer to the action and they sing and chant with passion. its almosy like watching a wwf wrestling match... in the game i saw st's big island boy come off the bench and was dishing out cheapshots al over the place... the crowd were into him and when it finally blew up into a dust up the crowd went banana's... great stuff

and for the record dan... i think that island boy is a big fat cat... i would love to see him do that against a kiwi forward pack... :p

no doubt he will probably end up playing for the kiwis.
 
Come on Dan, let it rip! You know you want to.

shiznit, I certainly agree with you on the spectators passion in the ESL. The only place to rival it is Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

That's the thing I envy about the ESL. The atmosphere! It's electric!
 
I'm going to let rip in talking balls. Don't you worry. Ripping will be done!
 
considering a lot of the better players in the superleague came from the nrl to start with tells you a lot really. the superleague comp wouldn't even be half as good as it is without the nrl imports. the nrl just seems like a better game to watch and it just feels like league. the esl game certainly is different and it seems like a poor man's nrl really.
 
ESL will become the best comp one day.

If they keep buying all our bloody players in the NRL.

:p
 
As a complete noob to both and after watching both an NRL game on telly (Dan can remind me which teams played) and comparing that to the St. Helens v Wigan I went to on Friday night, the NRL doesn't even compare.

The massive (yet empty) stadia doesn't counter up the fact the NRL game was dull in comparisson and there was a distinctive lack of atmosphere from the 'hordes' of fans (as described by the commentator).

Super League FTW.
 
The only things I prefer about the NRL is the blanket and country-wide coverage that Aus and NZ get because it's not a minority sport as it is here and the commentary - they make the game sound so more interesting down there. Better than Ray "always 5 seconds behind the play" French
 
judging which league is better based on crowd ambiance doesn't seem to make much sense to me. I have never been to an ESL game so I can't really pass judgment, but NRL games have plenty of action and enough crowd noise (especially if its a grudge match like Parra vs. Manly) to keep me happy. Haven't been to a league game in years though. Thank god I can watch NRL games on the net.
 
Ok, if i ask a question to the ozzies, i'm hoping i can receive an honest answer.

Just watched the Bulldogs/Eels match. Now although there were some terrible defensive efforts throughout (which probably was the reason why it felt like such a hugely attacking game), i found more than anything the idea behind kicking the ball may have been frowned upon.
So my question: Does a solid kicking game exist in the NRL? Are there teams that benefit from a great kicker that's always poking and prodding (like Paul Deacon - Bradford Bulls)?

This may sounds truly ignorant, but i'm new enough to League as it is and saw my first ever full NRL game today.
I'm just trying to get a perspective on the game in general in Australia. Because from what i saw quite a few kicks went astray, or were just, in general, not solid enough to base an advantage on.
 
It really depends on who the ball players are and who kicks the ball. From the better kickers in the game at the moment such as Thurston, Kimmorley, Lockyer (fkn injured), Tim Smith etc can place a ball almost everywhere. The bad thing about the Eels-Bulldogs game was they weren't exactly having great success with putting boot to ball, however Krisnan Inu was!
 
Yeah, i found kicking from hand was shoddy, but Inu was hitting them in from all over the park.
 
positional kicking is hard to play at in league as you have your structured d-lines to recieve and counter from a long range kick...where is in union the defence is more adlib or "all over" the place..and finding yardage at the back of a defence can become easier by simpling drawing in fullback and winger..which is harder to do in league

but back in 2004 if andrew johns was to take up a union contract then you would have seen one of the best strategic kickers in both codes..no question..he would find dozens of gaps in d-lines with varyong styles of kicks...


interms of super legue vs nrl...hahahha you all know my opinion...you want to talk passion and the passion of the audience in the stands singing songs and blah blah..who cares...the only thing that seperates the super duper league and the nrl is the ridiculous money that super duper league spend compared to the crap wages the nrl players get...the quality of footy in an UNBIASED decision is better in the nrl...the level of depth in talent and the mix of the old legends that still carry the games honour from its hay day creates a good mix of modernised rugby league..and i believe the management teams,coaches and especially the players that leave it to go "over there"..add to the level of playing ability..
 

Latest posts

Top