Ashton better than Obolensky!!

[ian.birchall]

Don't know how the BBC rah rah worshippers are going to recover from this shocker but in Mondays' Daily Telegraph after Chris Ashton's stunning 100 yard try v the convicts at Twickers on Saturday the Daily Telegraph has done a full page on the run and has officially placed the try at the very top of the top best 10 tries ever seen at Twickers, even above the one scored by Russian Count Obolensky in 1936 which until now the BBC has regularly trotted out as the 'Best Ever'
England manager Martin Johnson remains unconvinced however, 'I think I scored one from two yards against Italy which I thought was better'

We even get a mention in the report made under the headline,'Ashton's try gives a slimpse of a thrilling tomorrow', as Chris is referred to as the Wigan rugby league convert!!.

[Paul Flatt]

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

[gpartin]

What you've got to understand mate is when there's the Grand Final on with 70 odd thousand people it doesn't get reported on the news and we're lucky to get a mention in the papers unless its bad news and the articles are full of derogatory comments. Since it is bias towards rugby union which marginalises our sport its surely understandable that some of our fans will have certain grudges about union and on a rugby league site such as this you're likely to read such views. I have read many anti league comments on union forums and had many discussions with union fans where the same old things about league being stop-start and one dimensional roll off the tongue of people who are pre-programmed to repeat what they have heard in the press. Comments on here do not damage your sport, comments in the press damage our sport by potentially stifling its growth by attempting to make our reputation as poor as possible. With that in mind I think rah rah is a fair term which reflects the attitude of the arrogant press and certain fans who were present when we played Baaath at Twickers.

[cpwigan]

Scored plenty of those tries at Orrell

The interesting part about Chris is that he is a lefty so playing on the right he will invariably come inside when faced by a defender. Seem like Australia RU do not do their homework.

[Paul Flatt]

What you've got to understand mate is when there's the Grand Final on ...

...I went to my first Challenge Cup Final at Wembley in 1964. I recognise the differences and appreciate most of them. I was brought up in both codes, and I do know the price of fish.

However, just one more try - I made my original posting in an attempt to cross the divide between League and Union, not to reinforce it. Between us we should be celebrating Ashton's achievement.

if folk just want to linger on prejudice and name calling, count me gone.

[cpwigan]

I still think the Southern Hemisphere as in League are better at Union. The All Blacks v Scotland was my kind of Union. The Springboks are a bit to brutal and forward orientated for me. Incidentally,how on Earth was Wales first try given? Classic obstruction / crossing.

The updated refereeing interpretations has made Union a more enjoyable game in 2010/11. Prior to that it was going back to kicking with the forward killing the breakdown too easily and slow ball being the norm.

[gpartin]

What you've got to understand mate is when there's the Grand Final on ...

...I went to my first Challenge Cup Final at Wembley in 1964. I recognise the differences and appreciate most of them. I was brought up in both codes, and I do know the price of fish.

However, just one more try - I made my original posting in an attempt to cross the divide between League and Union, not to reinforce it. Between us we should be celebrating Ashton's achievement.

if folk just want to linger on prejudice and name calling, count me gone.

nobody is calling you anything but by your reaction it shows you are passionate and defending your sport. So are we about ours but we don't have widespread protection of ours through the media. You've got to accept that this is not personal about you, in fact you weren't even involved in the thread. We know there are decent fans and idiots in all sports and it was good of you to come on with your original post but if I had a penny for every negative comment I've read about league on union sites I'd be a rich man. I don't go on them telling people what they should and shouldn't write. I also don't expect union fans to celebrate tries scored in rugby league because its a different sport. Chris Ashton scored a decent try and is doing well in union he also scored some good tries in league, a sport where we see decent tries scored all the time so his achievement to us is not worth celebrating any more than any of our players who work just as hard, many are just as good if not better and none of them get shown 15 times on various news programmes and channels. I admire your commitment to your sport and good on you for your original thread but you've got to accept that throwaway comments will be made when union is brought up. Again nothing personal.

[1872]

Don't know how the BBC rah rah worshippers are going to recover from this shocker but in Mondays' Daily Telegraph after Chris Ashton's stunning 100 yard try v the convicts at Twickers on Saturday the Daily Telegraph has done a full page on the run and has officially placed the try at the very top of the top best 10 tries ever seen at Twickers, even above the one scored by Russian Count Obolensky in 1936 which until now the BBC has regularly trotted out as the 'Best Ever'
England manager Martin Johnson remains unconvinced however, 'I think I scored one from two yards against Italy which I thought was better'

We even get a mention in the report made under the headline,'Ashton's try gives a slimpse of a thrilling tomorrow', as Chris is referred to as the Wigan rugby league convert!!.

Bet the two wigan scored at twickers aren't in there when in reality they are probably the best two scored at the ground.

This is what always makes me laugh in RU. Yes it was a decent try, but the fact that a try like this gets so much plaudits just serves to show the sport as a diluted version of RL. A good try yes it was, but in reality, it was just a pass to a man on the overlap and a good step in side.....we see probably 10-20 tries a season in RL as good as that, and yet it is raved about.

The try that won the 4 nations for NZ was better, as was gleesons second in the GF!!

But then RU probably only has 5 tries to show at Twickers all season, so you can imagine why they get their knickers in a twist when theres a half decent try scored, that doesnt involve 8 overweight men pushing over the line!!

[cpwigan]

I didn't realise until today that Philip Sella played RL as a junior in France. A League convert played for France this weekend too.

[Dicconson]

This is a bit daft. I've lurked on these informative pages for years and here I go making my first post about rugger union! Firstly I'm league through and through, having followed the game for over fifty years. And I've always had a deep political hatred of union - read what they did to French Rugby League after the second world war. And yet there have been isolated times e.g in the 70's, when union at the top level was as enjoyable as league. As CP notes recently it was becoming utterly bogged down in a fearful, anxiety-ridden kicking game. Not so recently - indeed I remember, going to watch Orrell at Central Park, when Frano played. It was dire!

But it seems bizarre not to allow that the England- Australia game on Saturday was a refreshing display of open and creative rugby from both sides. It remains to be seen if this continues. There are so many ways of stifling the game in union. On the other hand it is perverse not to recognise the quality of Ashton's try - from the scrum half's dummy on his own line, the composure of the forward's pass to the wing and the compelling drive to the line by Ashton. He doesn't have Offiah's grace, but that was a hell of an effort. I still believe that even though the Twickenham crowd singing 'Swing Low' makes me want to puke!

Any road I'll shut up and watch Benjie Marshall again on the replay and agree that coverage of our great game is largely still censored, especially, ironically, in Murdoch's press. It still was a bloody good try. Cheers!

PS And Murdoch's try was in a friendly and I was there, having a good crack with Saints supporters, supporting Wigan and knowledgeable fans from Bath.

PPS And if you did watch the union, how much more intelligent is the analysis provided by Will Greenwood et al rather than Stevo et al.