FORUMS FORUMS






RLFANS.COM
Celebrating
25 years service to
the Rugby League
Community!

   WWW.RLFANS.COM • View topic - More competitive than ever or just a poorer standard?
UllFC 
User avatar
RankPostsTeam
Club Coach16827No
Team
Selected
JoinedServiceReputation
Mar 27 200420 years34th
OnlineLast PostLast Page
28th Mar 24 22:4428th Mar 24 21:59LINK
Milestone Posts
15000
20000
Milestone Years
0510 1520 2530

On paper this is the most competitive SL ever, with 10 points seperating 3rd from bottom and just 4 from 7th to bottom. And with the exception of Saints and to a lesser degree Wire who are a step up in class so far, I beleive anybody can beat anybody.

Can't decide if that is simply due to the Salary Cap hitting full impact after all these years or if we simply have more players who aren't capable of playing well two weeks in a row. My own club Hull have been the extreme example of this, looking top some weeks and error strewn and out of sorts the next. Several others clubs are having this same up and down form though so it can't just be down to coaching methods at one club.

A good choice of Marquee players such as at Saints and Wire has seemed to provide an edge, but Leeds have spent big and got little return so not convinced marquee players has been the difference to how things where 5, 10 or 15 years ago.

Finishing top has been devalued and that could be a reason, as in theory you can still finish 5th and be Champions so there isn't as much of a need to perform every week. Maybe bigger financial rewards for where you finish in the regular season would help fix this.

Frustratingly for the game the TV games have seemed to feature one in form and one of our form team a lot of weeks, ive been quite bored watching some of the 'neutral' games as many seem to be blowout scores quite early. Hard to tell if there have been more of these games or i've just forgotten some of the bad ones from seasons past!
RankPostsTeam
Player Coach11412No
Team
Selected
JoinedServiceReputation
Sep 12 201014 yearsN/A
OnlineLast PostLast Page
23rd Feb 21 21:5628th Jul 19 00:21LINK
Milestone Posts
10000
15000
Milestone Years
0510 1520 2530
Location
Behind the picket fence on the grassy knoll in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas.
Signature
"The Golden Generation finally has its Golden Fleece! They have Wembley Cup Final winners medals to add to their collection."

23/08/2014

Think it’s 3 teams that are key to what is an unusual season.

London not being whipping boys like people expected and what we usually get from whoever is bottom in any given season. If they were on 6/8pts now like most would’ve expected then no real fight and teams above strolling towards the end of the season.

Leeds and Wigan falling backwards for various reasons. If they take recent form into next season then the top 5 will look more of the usual.

It’s not going to be every season you’re going to have a really competitive team in 12th place nor have your 2 main champions for over the last decade have issues.
RankPostsTeam
Club Captain4198No
Team
Selected
JoinedServiceReputation
Aug 24 20186 years24th
OnlineLast PostLast Page
28th Mar 24 18:4724th Mar 24 20:46LINK
Milestone Posts
2500
5000
Milestone Years
0510 1520 2530

The SL standard has been falling for some while, it just happens to be close in terms of points between a number of teams.
User avatar
RankPostsTeam
Player Coach6765No
Team
Selected
JoinedServiceReputation
Oct 29 200716 years219th
OnlineLast PostLast Page
24th Mar 24 14:338th Jan 24 08:24LINK
Milestone Posts
5000
10000
Milestone Years
0510 1520 2530
Location
Now in Enemy Country
Signature
The new young dynasty of super saints is coming to a ground near you.
Welsby-Dodd-Simms-Eaves-Rizzelli, not Eastmond...the future is coming.

For me the interchange rule and cleaning up the PTB has created a shift towards the more athletic mobile side rather than the power teams. Castleford, Warrington and Saints usually play that style and have only needed a small adjustment to speed up attacking play, I should imagine Castleford would have been knocking on 3rd place if they didn't have that horrendous injury spell.

A couple of teams like Leeds and Wigan have recruited badly whilst Salford are being stripped of there best talent mid season. The rest are just too inconsistent and can't get a decent run of form.
User avatar
RankPostsTeam
Club Captain1789No
Team
Selected
JoinedServiceReputation
Sep 01 20168 yearsN/A
OnlineLast PostLast Page
17th Nov 19 18:4517th Nov 19 18:45LINK
Milestone Posts
1000
2500
Milestone Years
0510 1520 2530
Location
Manchester

When you think of the quality of Hudds Leeds Saints Wigan and Wire teams at the start of this decade. They’d all win comfortably against the current top 5.

Going off my team, Wire’s 2011 and 2012 side would put 50 on this current Wire side. Saints are cruising at the top this season yet they’d get a hammering of their 2006 side.
User avatar
RankPostsTeam
Player Coach10530
JoinedServiceReputation
Nov 08 200518 yearsN/A
OnlineLast PostLast Page
14th Jun 20 19:3514th Jun 20 19:35LINK
Milestone Posts
10000
15000
Milestone Years
0510 1520 2530
Location
Leeds
Signature
King Monkey wrote:
Maybe a spell in prison would do Graham good.

At least he'd lose his virginity.

The standards are as high as they've ever been, however, changes to the rules and the introduction of the 'wrestle' has tipped the balance too much in the favour of defence overall.

I do think reducing the number of injuries is one of the biggest challenges that the game faces
User avatar
RankPostsTeam
Club Captain1789No
Team
Selected
JoinedServiceReputation
Sep 01 20168 yearsN/A
OnlineLast PostLast Page
17th Nov 19 18:4517th Nov 19 18:45LINK
Milestone Posts
1000
2500
Milestone Years
0510 1520 2530
Location
Manchester

Charlie Sheen wrote:
The standards are as high as they've ever been, however, changes to the rules and the introduction of the 'wrestle' has tipped the balance too much in the favour of defence overall.

I do think reducing the number of injuries is one of the biggest challenges that the game faces

I don’t know about standards being as high as ever.

From my example above, I’ll make a XIII from the 2011 Wire side and the current Wire side(*):
1 Bret Hodgson
2 *Tom Lineham (over Riley)
3 Matt King
4 Ryan Atkins (of 2011)
5 Joel Monaghan
6 Lee Briers
7 *Blake Austin (over Myler)
8 Adrian Morley
9 *Daryl Clark
10 Gareth Carvell
11 Ben Westwood (of 2011)
12 Louis Anderson
13 Simon Grix
Int. Ben Harrison; Paul Wood; *Chris Hill; Michael Monaghan
User avatar
RankPostsTeam
Club Captain1789No
Team
Selected
JoinedServiceReputation
Sep 01 20168 yearsN/A
OnlineLast PostLast Page
17th Nov 19 18:4517th Nov 19 18:45LINK
Milestone Posts
1000
2500
Milestone Years
0510 1520 2530
Location
Manchester

10-15 years ago most of the best British players played in Super League.

Today that would see:
Sam Burgess
Tom Burgess
George Burgess
Josh Hodgson
Jon Bateman
Elliot Witehead
Ryan Sutton
James Graham
Gareth Widdop
Ryan Hall
...all, or mostly all, playing in SL

At one point around 2005 we only had one British player in the NRL.
RankPostsTeam
Player Coach11412No
Team
Selected
JoinedServiceReputation
Sep 12 201014 yearsN/A
OnlineLast PostLast Page
23rd Feb 21 21:5628th Jul 19 00:21LINK
Milestone Posts
10000
15000
Milestone Years
0510 1520 2530
Location
Behind the picket fence on the grassy knoll in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas.
Signature
"The Golden Generation finally has its Golden Fleece! They have Wembley Cup Final winners medals to add to their collection."

23/08/2014

Judder Man wrote:
Salford are being stripped of there best talent mid season. The rest are just too inconsistent and can't get a decent run of form.


Whose left them mid season apart from Lui and that’s just 2 games and they wouldn’t have won at Wigan with him anyway.

Leeds’ form isn’t too bad under Agar with 4 wins from the last 6. Hell we’ve even been 7 wins from our last 13 in total. It was that horror start of 1 win from 8 that was significant and of those 8 we had Saints, Wire, Wigan, Hull and Catalans all away.
RankPostsTeam
Player Coach11412No
Team
Selected
JoinedServiceReputation
Sep 12 201014 yearsN/A
OnlineLast PostLast Page
23rd Feb 21 21:5628th Jul 19 00:21LINK
Milestone Posts
10000
15000
Milestone Years
0510 1520 2530
Location
Behind the picket fence on the grassy knoll in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas.
Signature
"The Golden Generation finally has its Golden Fleece! They have Wembley Cup Final winners medals to add to their collection."

23/08/2014

Psychedelic Casual wrote:
10-15 years ago most of the best British players played in Super League.

Today that would see:
Sam Burgess
Tom Burgess
George Burgess
Josh Hodgson
Jon Bateman
Elliot Witehead
Ryan Sutton
James Graham
Gareth Widdop
Ryan Hall
...all, or mostly all, playing in SL

At one point around 2005 we only had one British player in the NRL.


But if they were what real impact would it have on fans feelings of the current game. Can’t remember people tuning in to see Ryan Sutton play and even though Bateman got individual praise for his showings it wasn’t like people enjoyed watching Wigan when he was there so there’s a more overall affect than just players. People enjoy watching Cas on form over the years but it hasn’t been a team of superstars that could cut it in the NRL.
Next

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 324 guests

REPLY

Subject: 
Message:
   
Please note using apple style emoji's can result in posting failures.
Use the FULL EDITOR to better format content or upload images, be notified of replies etc...

Return to The Virtual Terrace


RLFANS Recent Posts
FORUM
LAST
POST
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
5m
TV games not Wire
Alffi_7
2865
8m
The Good Friday Derby Massacre
CarlB
140
21m
Ky Rodwell
Eastern Wild
110
Recent
Game - Song Titles
Wanderer
34291
Recent
BORED The Band Name Game
Wanderer
56012
Recent
Smith - should he stay or should he go
weaver93
359
FORUM
LAST
VIEW
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
36s
The Good Friday Derby Massacre
CarlB
140
38s
Transfer Talk / Rumour thread V4
Jack Burton
8703
51s
BORED The Band Name Game
Wanderer
56012
53s
Rd 6 I Cas A
Jack Burton
109
1m
Other Championship Clubs
FOREVERTRIN
98
1m
The Bulls away
terry silver
9
1m
The official Leon Hayes Thread
Smiffy27
18
1m
Smith - should he stay or should he go
weaver93
359
2m
WIRE YED Prediction Competition Catalans Home
Wanderer
17
2m
Saints a
WWste
23
FORUM
NEW
TOPICS
TOPIC
POSTER
POSTS
TODAY
Another Tigers Defeat As Rhinos Go Level Top
RLFANS News
1
TODAY
York - 14th April
Spookisback
10
TODAY
Stats article
Sir Gregory
5
TODAY
21 man Squads - Devils v Leopards
Cokey
4
TODAY
Squad for Catalan
Smiffy27
17
TODAY
The Wigan Way - New Podcast - Chairman Special
Jukesays
1
TODAY
Dons v Swinton Lions 30 June 2024
Wanderer
1
TODAY
Squad for Sheffield
AdamH
1
TODAY
London Away
Fartown58
1
TODAY
The Bulls away
terry silver
9
TODAY
The official Leon Hayes Thread
Smiffy27
18
TODAY
Saints a
WWste
23
TODAY
Leon Ruan signs on loan
Jemmo
2
TODAY
Wardle
Jo Jumbuck
3
TODAY
Huddersfield - Home
Fartown58
6
TODAY
Max Wood on loan to Bradford 2 weeks
rubber ducki
7
TODAY
Jake Wardle 5 Year deal
Zig
22
TODAY
No grade A for 2025 for Trinity
PopTart
27
TODAY
Cup Quarter Final TV Arrangements
RLFANS News
1
NEWS ITEMS
VIEWS
Another Tigers Defeat As Rhino..
141
Cup Quarter Final TV Arrangeme..
561
2024 Challenge Cup Quarter Fin..
679
Easy Does It For The Dragons A..
589
Warrington Demolish London For..
693
Leigh Leopards Beat Plucky Fea..
743
Saints Triumph Over Disappoint..
724
Easy Win for the Wolves Over L..
961
Dragons Condemn Castleford To ..
929
Leigh Leopards Secure First Po..
1075
St Helens Tame The Rhinos To W..
1047
Wigan Warriors Come From Behin..
1113
Betfred Championship and Leagu..
1089
2024 Challenge Cup Sixth Round..
3873
Featherstone Win Extra Time Cu..
1206
RLFANS Match Centre
Matches on TV
Table 'boards.stats_fixtures' doesn't exist