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The Hybrid Game

Gather App
to be fair, i understand what he's getting at, it's hard to deny the running side of the game is the most attractive - that's not to say the other parts should be done away with.

I'd wager if you said to most people explain the basic premise of rugby they'd say "run with the ball in your hands, pass backwards, score by putting the ball down over a line"
 
SimonG said:
Great topic...and something I've spoken about for a while.

Rugby Union - Keep the tackle rule. Cheerio heffers, lanky beanpoles, scrums, line outs and everything else that bogs down Rugby.

Rugby league - Keep 13 men per team. Discard the play the ball routine...Cheerio 600 times of backheeling the ball per game, non contested tackling, two lines of running straight into each other.


All athletes and constant attacking as is the case in league, and diagonal running and offloading as is the case in Union. No bogged down play with scrums/line outs, no 600 stoppages to backheel the ball...just 80 minutes of what most folk want to see. A unified game that would grow exponentially, no geographic divisions, no class aspect, a much more exciting game with much much more skill on show. I'd also make the game less dangerous by setting out rules that any lifting, eye gouging, spear tackles results in massive bans (2 months minimum) as many folks are reluctant to let their kids anywhere near a Rugby field.

A cleaner more skill based game with a vast increase in excitement. Football is the world's biggest sport mainly due to these elements. Folk are open mouthed at Zidane, Ronaldo, Messi and co...if Rugby tried to increase the emphasis on skill it would certainly become much bigger as a result. I used the example of an O'Driscoll dummy pass getting over 1 million hits on YouTube...imagine if Rugby had more skillful moments such as this. More kids would take up the game and want to emulate such moves, and more folk would watch (evidently).
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Uh, isn't this half of what's really sound about rugby? The fact that any physique can find a place in the team? I'm all for improving the pro game, but not at the expense of destroying the core values of grassroots rugby.

And I disagree that football is the biggest game in the world due to it being so skillful. I think it's more down to its simplicity and the fact that if one of your 20 mates has a ball you can pick up and play. The reason it's the most highly skilled game (I think there are more intrinsically skillful sports) is down to the fact that more people play it than any other game, and not the other way around.
 
TRF_Olyy said:
No it isn't.

The only time you ever hear people say that are the more braindead of football supporters who like to say that rugby players are just the kids too fat to play football at school.
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I didn't say that...it's also a pretty ignorant comment from anyone who does as there are only three players in a team who would get branded fat.

I've said this before, but I'm saying nothing new here. I've removed the main elements of both codes that fans of each dislike about the other, and combining the two. I accept there are those who play in forward positions who naturally wouldn't go along with such changes.
 
goodNumber10 said:
to be fair, i understand what he's getting at, it's hard to deny the running side of the game is the most attractive - that's not to say the other parts should be done away with.

I'd wager if you said to most people explain the basic premise of rugby they'd say "run with the ball in your hands, pass backwards, score by putting the ball down over a line"
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Bingo. To hark back (because I can)...but watching Gareth Edwards try against NZ was a thing of beauty...the aim should be to at least attempt to live up to that standard, and not to see that as a one off.
 
SimonG said:
I didn't say that...it's also a pretty ignorant comment from anyone who does as there are only three players in a team who would get branded fat.

I've said this before, but I'm saying nothing new here. I've removed the main elements of both codes that fans of each dislike about the other, and combining the two. I accept there are those who play in forward positions who naturally wouldn't go along with such changes.
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What didn't you say? The direct quote I used?

Also, as far as I know the last 3 posters aside from yourself are or were backs, so it isn't just forwards objecting.
 
SimonG said:
Yes I am Rats. I've been consistent on this.



Those are basic elements that anyone can do..hence when such incidents occur it doesn't draw much/any special attention. Kicking a ball is basic....manipulating the ball is something else entirely.

Skills are what draw the most attention... be it handling, passing, evading tackles etc etc in the case of Rugby. Lomu, Jason Robinson, Campese, O'Driscoll...what was Drico's greatest moment in a Lions shirt?....the side step on Burke that left him for dead. You increase the emphasis on such attacking, remove the elements that bog down the game, the outcome is obvious.
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God you're a superficial and ignorant bore Simon. You really will never get it will you?
 
Simon have you ever actually even played a rugby match?

Lineouts and scrums create the space for the fancy ****.
 
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sanzar said:
I'd love to see what the Wallabies strike rate would be like internationally if you went back in time and made the NRL a Union competition :D .
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Wallabies would be the best team around the world by faaaaaaaar. If now with only 5 SR's franchises are the second best team in the world, surpassed only by ABs with 15 teams from the NRL, they would be unstoppable!
 
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Simon, have you ever been in a scrum? Try it and tell me there's no skill involved. I have complete respect for anyone in the front row, cus i've tried and I sure as hell can't do it.

Back on topic. Never actually watched more than 10 minutes of league, find it boring myself. But if we were able to take something from to keep more passing running flow , and use the set piece where we need to, I think that would be awesome.
 
SimonG said:
Yes I am Rats. I've been consistent on this.



Those are basic elements that anyone can do..hence when such incidents occur it doesn't draw much/any special attention. Kicking a ball is basic....manipulating the ball is something else entirely.

Skills are what draw the most attention... be it handling, passing, evading tackles etc etc in the case of Rugby. Lomu, Jason Robinson, Campese, O'Driscoll...what was Drico's greatest moment in a Lions shirt?....the side step on Burke that left him for dead. You increase the emphasis on such attacking, remove the elements that bog down the game, the outcome is obvious.
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No no no no Simon ...

This is his moment ...

[video=youtube_share;ZWCuODjCXCE]http://youtu.be/ZWCuODjCXCE[/video]
 
Can someone explain what is the point of all this other than let some idiots rip into a game that most people on this forum love to watch and write about.
Up to 11 yo i watched League then started playing union at 11 and then never looked back and still am still involved as a club official.Freedom of choice and leave it at that!!!! and a hybrid game just not worth the space its written on, the season starts soon and then all these wackey backey subjects can be ejected.
but if you want my threepenneth , "DONT CHANGE THE GOALPOSTS"
 
gaston le gaff said:
Can someone explain what is the point of all this other than let some idiots rip into a game that most people on this forum love to watch and write about.
Up to 11 yo i watched League then started playing union at 11 and then never looked back and still am still involved as a club official.Freedom of choice and leave it at that!!!! and a hybrid game just not worth the space its written on, the season starts soon and then all these wackey backey subjects can be ejected.
but if you want my threepenneth , "DONT CHANGE THE GOALPOSTS"
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It's just a discussion mate. No rhyme or reason to it.

At best is just a case of asking people to look at their own game and see a way of improving it.

Would never happen and I think everyone accepts that so it's just a bit of "what if?" fun.
 
The closest you'll ever get to this is the dual code matches (one of which I have played in), which is a half of union and a half of league. They prove nothing, one set of fans is confused in one half and another set of fans are confused in the other.

Having played in a cross code match, I am here to tell you that a scrum is a tough place to be and requires skill I don't have and don't want to have. I have played rugby league since I was seven. Our scrums are treated as a bit of a joke but are a good way to reset the play, allow the forwards a tiny breather and above all get the game restarted quickly. This is why I could never abide line outs etc, I want a quick game which is what I am used to.

At the end of the day I respect union for what it is - a different sport. The similarities begin and end at the goalposts and I want it no other way. I respect the union lads for the tough men that they are.
 
TRF_Saints said:
The closest you'll ever get to this is the dual code matches (one of which I have played in), which is a half of union and a half of league. They prove nothing, one set of fans is confused in one half and another set of fans are confused in the other.

Having played in a cross code match, I am here to tell you that a scrum is a tough place to be and requires skill I don't have and don't want to have. I have played rugby league since I was seven. Our scrums are treated as a bit of a joke but are a good way to reset the play, allow the forwards a tiny breather and above all get the game restarted quickly. This is why I could never abide line outs etc, I want a quick game which is what I am used to.

At the end of the day I respect union for what it is - a different sport. The similarities begin and end at the goalposts and I want it no other way. I respect the union lads for the tough men that they are.
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I agree mate, it was just an exercise in getting people to use their imagination a little bit.

It's not something that will, or that i'd want, to happen.
 
TRF_Cymro said:
No no no no Simon ...

This is his moment ...

[video=youtube_share;ZWCuODjCXCE]http://youtu.be/ZWCuODjCXCE[/video]
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Sublime....80 minutes of constantly attacking would mean a mammoth increase in moments such as this. Rugby league has it closest of the two codes....the problem occurs when a player is tackled and the play effectively stops...over 600 times per game...for the play the ball routine. Remove that stoppage in play and introduce Union's tackle rule you would get less running directly into folk (knowing u will keep the ball) and more diagonal passing and creativity.

ratsapprentice said:
Let's be honest here.... 7's (if it had the full complement of players) is practically a hybrid of the two.
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Pretty much....but 13 per team would be just about right.
 
jonny24 said:
Simon, have you ever been in a scrum? Try it and tell me there's no skill involved. I have complete respect for anyone in the front row, cus i've tried and I sure as hell can't do it.
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Yeah, the front row is a hard work, very technical and requires many years of training. You simply can't bring a strong guy from NFL or NRL, and put him at the front row, it's crazy. This position requires a lot of technique and years of training. Everybody know that Simon is a muppet who has never played rugby. He can't even recognize to Sonny Bill Williams!!!! He thought I was Sonny Bill Williams, he's a f**king soccer troll
 

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