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It was a decent try but I'm not going to be drawn into rubbish about what he's achieved. The inference as I see from Union fans I've discussed him with and reading the glowing reports about him in some papers, is that Ashton was just a lowly rugby league player and he's somehow taken a huge step up in class, not only to be able to cope with the amazingly difficult to grasp technicalities of rugby union but to be good at it too. The players who convert and don't have amazing international careers are used as an argument that its pointless getting players from league because they can't handle the skill needed in union (even if they're injured, playing prop and approaching retirement when they convert and are expected to play in the backs) and the standards expected from converts are far far higher than for ordinary players as if they're taking up a quota spot.

This would be perfectly fine by me if the ones who do succeed helped give some credit in the media to league as a sport and its coaches for its superior skills running with the ball, side stepping, ability to find a gap, handing off and passing. These things are part and parcel of our game as opposed to things that happen so rarely they get reported on for a week after the game. I've seen articles praising that Mallinder bloke for making Ashton the player he is and his past as a league player is only referred to in passing, again, if he was crap he'd be another league failure. To me it's a deliberate attempt by the kick and clap brigade and their followers in the press to avoid giving any praise to league and to put the sport down at any opportunity. Of course, as the lad from Northampton shows there are exceptions to this but one person's positivity after years of this kind of thing is not going to change my mind on this. If using the term rah rah is bigotry or whatever then what term could possibly be used to describe the deliberate and sustained negative reporting [or even refusal to acknowledge the existence] of league in the media, strongly enough?

I despise the people who run Union. The roots of the sport power wise is all that is bad with Britain re the class system. The sport I will watch if nothing else is on or if somebody who played League plays.

The last 2 seasons have been dreadful with referee interpretation killing any prospect of open play. The sport had become as exciting as it was when it was Wade Dooley and co. However, the new interpretation of the rules has really speeded the game up and opened it out. Union players are getting better and better athletically / power wise but defensively there are huge gaps out wide and overlaps are much easier to get. It reminds me of Top Amateur RL or Pro RL in the late 80s. Until the defences improve out wide you will see some excellent tries which are enjoyable no matter what sport you prefer. SBW is having a field day with the best RUGBY players that Union has in the All Blacks.

Chris reminds me of when he played for our U20s etc. In lower grade RL you see far more long range tries and more open play. Chris used to go the length of the field etc back then and often finish with the swan / superman dive even back then.

At the end of the day Chris Ashton has speed, superb anticipation, he sniffs out opportunities akin to Ellery, and Edwards etc He is confident and plays like he enjoys himself akin to Joe Lydon.

The two sport are very similar but also very different. Both League and Union depend on field position / possession but also how quickly the ball is played / recycled. Obviously in League we have the POTB, In Union they have the ruck/maul. Both sports constantly have to reevaluate and adjust how quickly the ball is played / recycled.

I prefer League but each to their own.

I am a Wigan supporter through and through, but always played Union (Hooker). I was not tough enough to play league!

I think the union game has improved for spectators over the last 10 years, with rule chnages etc.

I remember the bad old days when Union and League were at daggers drawn - those days are hopefully gone. I am a Wigan RL supporter but played for a St Helens RU team (sorry). I remember that one or two of the Saints RL players used to come down to help us train. Good on them, since both they and our club would have been in trouble if we were found out.

The most exciting moment of my RU career was when I was coming back from an injury and playing in the 4th team. We had an oustanding player in our team playing at centre. He was Johnny Walsh, the current GB RL captain who loved both RL and RU. He scorred 4 tries. Again, he and us would have been in deep trouble if found out. Good old days, eh?

I am another one of these who has played union all my life and watch League as a way of life. What I think is th worst thing is at the root of it all in Union it is still who you know, not what you can do. This worked for union in the days of amateurism but not the current system and therefore cannot produce the talent required to compete at this level for a sustained period, this is where league differs. As an englishman with feet in both camps I was a ltlle embarrassed on Saturday when so much was made of a try scored by someone who was practically signed no differently to a premier league footballer. I will be happy to come back in a couple of years and show people that Union has no structure for producing talent and will result in England performances on Saturday being an exception to the rule, this is backed up by the fact that there must be hundreds of english born and bred centres and who gets the nod? a Kiwi league player. Chris Ahston is now just showing us the ability we all knew he had, however, nothing is said about his missed tackles or poor kicking from hand. Eventually the 2 codes will combine anyway.

cpwigan wrote:
I despise the people who run Union. The roots of the sport power wise is all that is bad with Britain re the class system. The sport I will watch if nothing else is on or if somebody who played League plays.

The last 2 seasons have been dreadful with referee interpretation killing any prospect of open play. The sport had become as exciting as it was when it was Wade Dooley and co. However, the new interpretation of the rules has really speeded the game up and opened it out. Union players are getting better and better athletically / power wise but defensively there are huge gaps out wide and overlaps are much easier to get. It reminds me of Top Amateur RL or Pro RL in the late 80s. Until the defences improve out wide you will see some excellent tries which are enjoyable no matter what sport you prefer. SBW is having a field day with the best RUGBY players that Union has in the All Blacks.

Chris reminds me of when he played for our U20s etc. In lower grade RL you see far more long range tries and more open play. Chris used to go the length of the field etc back then and often finish with the swan / superman dive even back then.

At the end of the day Chris Ashton has speed, superb anticipation, he sniffs out opportunities akin to Ellery, and Edwards etc He is confident and plays like he enjoys himself akin to Joe Lydon.

The two sport are very similar but also very different. Both League and Union depend on field position / possession but also how quickly the ball is played / recycled. Obviously in League we have the POTB, In Union they have the ruck/maul. Both sports constantly have to reevaluate and adjust how quickly the ball is played / recycled.

I prefer League but each to their own.

I too despise the people who run union, this is my main hatred of the false sport and I use the word hatred, as it is how I feel on a group of people that use every despicable tactic to put Rugby League down.
I am English through and through, and follow British teams throughout most sports, however, on the day England play Rugby Union, I am happy to see them getting beat.
I was brought up with Rugby League passed down from my father who made it his interest to investigate all that Union was about in regards to its attempts to demise Rugby League.
I dare say, I have it in my blood to hate the third rate, mimic game of Rugby Union.

Paul Flatt wrote:Ian - we don't necessarily respond well to the use of such terms, especially when we post threads like this one >>> http://www.wiganwarriorsfans.com/wigan/ ... c&o=680684

Paul

which terms don't you respond well to?

I for one had no problem with Chris Ashton going to RU. The salary reported as being paid was equivalent to Lockers' salary and for a player with so little experience would have but ridiculous and cause revolt in the camp.

RL will forever be losing RL players as RU is paying more (current salary cap £4M v £1.6M). The career is short enough so being paid a paltry amount for literally putting your neck on the line is a definite carrot. Until the RL increases the salary cap then the potential of a major leak will always be on the cards.

Re RU as a game - I used to play at school but when I have tried to watch I have found it to be extremely boring. I wasn't brought up in an RL household and found the sport late in life. I have tried to watch International RU but it does nothing for me. One exception was the world cup when Jason Robinson scored the only try but who is remeber most? - Jonny Wilkinson!!?? This says it all about U when a goal kicker is remembered better than a try scorer. Was it because he was an RL convert I wonder??

I can see more and more how RU is being played like RL. The influences of certain RL players and coaches that have gone over to RU must be a reason. I have never played RU but I have watched it for years at international level and can see this change in the plays and runs that they now use. Are RU fans enjoying the sceptical more now because of this swing to RL plays ? All I know is that my RU friends in Litchfield love these type of plays and runs, but look bewildered when i say “ what’s so special about that ?”

…… every day scenario in RL

Paul Flatt wrote:Ian - we don't necessarily respond well to the use of such terms, especially when we post threads like this one >>> http://www.wiganwarriorsfans.com/wigan/ ... c&o=680684

Paul,
I've just come back onto the site and seen what a hornets nest I seem to have stirred up. That wasn't the intention at all but I'm afraid that you do have to put up with my rah-rahs, as you will have already seen there are a lot worse things your game can be called! There was no way that Wigan could ever hope to compete with RU's wage offer to Ashton anymore than Aussie RL can compete against the silly money offerred to the likes of Tiquiri, Gasnier etc but I live in France for 3 months each spring/summer and watch their top 14 on TV. You will be only too aware of the steady move of some very good British players to Frog RU starting at the very top with The Blessed Jonny, thats where the real money is, see the comments from one poster about French RU stealing French RL money in the war, its true by the way, but I have to say that watching the top 14 in France was better than watching Wigan when Noble was coach, now of course the world is back on its true axis and Rugby as played by Wigan last season was as good as it gets. Treat yourself to a ticket to Wigan on Good Friday for a real hardfought match with (hopefully) lots of scintillating Wigan tries.

I dislike Union. So made this shirt a few years ago.

My son plays both Union (in winter) & League (in summer), on the wing, for his University (dahn Sarf), and he informs me that he scored a try equally as good as Ashton's last week. He attributes his speed and skill to his League training with Orrell St. James as a youngster (in the same team as the rather more successful Jonny Lomax).