The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

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The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

Post by T_R »

This one hurts. Hugely talented centre.

The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

Long before Len Ikitau was a breakout Wallabies star, he dreamed of playing for the Canberra Raiders.

A talented teenager that had only played rugby during his primary school years in New Zealand, Ikitau signed a development contract with the Green Machine when he was at Marsden State High, south of Brisbane, the same school which produced Cameron Smith and Israel Folau.

At that stage, Ikitau thought he was destined for the NRL....

Read more: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/ ... 59644.html
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Son, we live in a world that has forums, and those forums have to be guarded by Mods. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Nickman? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Lucy, and you curse GE. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know -- that GE’s moderation, while tragic, probably saved lives; and my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, keeps threads on track and under the appropriately sized, highlighted green headings.
You want moderation because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that forum -- you need me on that forum. We use words like "stay on topic," "use the appropriate forum," "please delete." We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very moderation that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather that you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you get a green handle and edit a post. Either way, I don't give a DAMN what you think about moderation.
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

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I can't say I've ever heard of him. Is he any good?
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

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Yes, yes he is

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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

Post by Botman »

As a great man once said:
Rugby League is a simple game played by simple people. Rugby union is a complex game played by wankers.

The Raiders have a place for him to fulfill his dreams should he wake up one day and decide he's done being a wanker. Making the step up from a Wallaby to a NRL footballer is not to be underestimated. You can be a pretty average NRL footballer and be a wallaby.
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

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Botman wrote: November 9, 2021, 6:48 pm As a great man once said:
Rugby League is a simple game played by simple people. Rugby union is a complex game played by wankers.

The Raiders have a place for him to fulfill his dreams should he wake up one day and decide he's done being a wanker. Making the step up from a Wallaby to a NRL footballer is not to be underestimated. You can be a pretty average NRL footballer and be a wallaby.
I have absolute confidence he would be one of the top centres in the NRL
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Son, we live in a world that has forums, and those forums have to be guarded by Mods. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Nickman? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Lucy, and you curse GE. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know -- that GE’s moderation, while tragic, probably saved lives; and my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, keeps threads on track and under the appropriately sized, highlighted green headings.
You want moderation because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that forum -- you need me on that forum. We use words like "stay on topic," "use the appropriate forum," "please delete." We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very moderation that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather that you just said "thank you" and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you get a green handle and edit a post. Either way, I don't give a DAMN what you think about moderation.
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

Post by Botman »

T_R wrote: November 9, 2021, 8:14 pm
Botman wrote: November 9, 2021, 6:48 pm As a great man once said:
Rugby League is a simple game played by simple people. Rugby union is a complex game played by wankers.

The Raiders have a place for him to fulfill his dreams should he wake up one day and decide he's done being a wanker. Making the step up from a Wallaby to a NRL footballer is not to be underestimated. You can be a pretty average NRL footballer and be a wallaby.
I have absolute confidence he would be one of the top centres in the NRL
The next Ryan Cross?
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

Post by gerg »

Botman wrote:
T_R wrote: November 9, 2021, 8:14 pm
Botman wrote: November 9, 2021, 6:48 pm As a great man once said:
Rugby League is a simple game played by simple people. Rugby union is a complex game played by wankers.

The Raiders have a place for him to fulfill his dreams should he wake up one day and decide he's done being a wanker. Making the step up from a Wallaby to a NRL footballer is not to be underestimated. You can be a pretty average NRL footballer and be a wallaby.
I have absolute confidence he would be one of the top centres in the NRL
The next Ryan Cross?
Whoa, whoa. Not quite Ryan Cross. He's only reached Joe Tomane levels at this stage of his career.
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

Post by kiwi raider »

Botman wrote: November 9, 2021, 6:48 pm As a great man once said:
Rugby League is a simple game played by simple people. Rugby union is a complex game played by wankers.

The Raiders have a place for him to fulfill his dreams should he wake up one day and decide he's done being a wanker. Making the step up from a Wallaby to a NRL footballer is not to be underestimated. You can be a pretty average NRL footballer and be a wallaby.
it would probably be seen as complex by a simple person.... :D
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

Post by Roger Kenworthy »

I'd love to be an Australian Union player. Decent pay day with zero expectation of ever winning anything of note. Those who opt for that over the NRL probably wouldn't have cut it in the NRL.
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

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Botman wrote: November 9, 2021, 8:27 pm
T_R wrote: November 9, 2021, 8:14 pm
Botman wrote: November 9, 2021, 6:48 pm As a great man once said:
Rugby League is a simple game played by simple people. Rugby union is a complex game played by wankers.

The Raiders have a place for him to fulfill his dreams should he wake up one day and decide he's done being a wanker. Making the step up from a Wallaby to a NRL footballer is not to be underestimated. You can be a pretty average NRL footballer and be a wallaby.
I have absolute confidence he would be one of the top centres in the NRL
The next Ryan Cross?
The next Eto Nabuli.
well, I guess you could say that I'm buy curious.
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

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Roger Kenworthy wrote: November 10, 2021, 7:52 am I'd love to be an Australian Union player. Decent pay day with zero expectation of ever winning anything of note. Those who opt for that over the NRL probably wouldn't have cut it in the NRL.
The Super whatever is such an afterthought now for Australia's sporting attention... the only time anyone gives a **** is when a world cup rolls around or if we luck into an upset of the all blacks in a Bledisloe Cup.

I understand there is still a pretty good grass roots system in place in certain areas of NSW and QLD with a certain demographic. But It's genuinely hard to imagine RU ever being considered a serious major sport in this country again.
I'd imagine the main motivation for an Australian rugby player right now might be to be good enough to get paid a stack of money to play in France :lol:

If this kid is legitimately talented and dreamt of playing for the Raiders, we should periodically check in on him
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

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Apparently, he plays for the Brumbies, so it is hard to imagine why he wouldn't prefer to play for the Raiders.
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

Post by Roger Kenworthy »

Botman wrote: November 10, 2021, 8:36 am
Roger Kenworthy wrote: November 10, 2021, 7:52 am I'd love to be an Australian Union player. Decent pay day with zero expectation of ever winning anything of note. Those who opt for that over the NRL probably wouldn't have cut it in the NRL.
The Super whatever is such an afterthought now for Australia's sporting attention... the only time anyone gives a **** is when a world cup rolls around or if we luck into an upset of the all blacks in a Bledisloe Cup.

I understand there is still a pretty good grass roots system in place in certain areas of NSW and QLD with a certain demographic. But It's genuinely hard to imagine RU ever being considered a serious major sport in this country again.
I'd imagine the main motivation for an Australian rugby player right now might be to be good enough to get paid a stack of money to play in France :lol:

If this kid is legitimately talented and dreamt of playing for the Raiders, we should periodically check in on him
Super Rugby isn't that big of a deal here in NZ anymore so I can only imagine it gets zero coverage in Sydney and Brisbane. I know plenty of people who have switched to the NRL in recent years as it's just so much more attractive to watch. Still decent money in Union it seems, which is incredibly hard to believe. They're 18 years into a losing streak in the Bledisloe Cup :roflmao
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

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Interesting how so little of the highlights from rugby union don't involve tries.
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

Post by Raiders_Pat »

greeneyed wrote: November 10, 2021, 9:06 am Apparently, he plays for the Brumbies, so it is hard to imagine why he wouldn't prefer to play for the Raiders.
I think it would be worth enquiring if the talent is there for him to play league at the NRL level. But you probably make more money in union as a centre if you're at the level where you're making the Wallabies. Top centres in the NRL are making $600k and most clubs won't pay much more than $400k for each centre. Whereas you could potentially earn a million a year as a union centre. But I think the window to sign a union player like him is now, before he starts seeing big money and is no longer interested at playing in the NRL for NRL centre money.
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

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Roger Kenworthy wrote: November 10, 2021, 9:12 am They're 18 years into a losing streak in the Bledisloe Cup :roflmao
I wonder if the ARU celebrate like they've won the WC when every 2-3 years we get a single game off the All Blacks :lol:
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

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He's a very good player and has proven that in the early stages of his international career against top quality opposition. The real question is, is he as good a league player as a union player?

Rugby centres are very different to league centres. He plays outside centre and relies upon good halves and a good inside centre to give him quality ball. He has excellent hands and is a powerful ball runner.

Tom Wright is an example of this. He is now a Wallaby...but struggled as a league centre at Manly to cement a place in the team.
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

Post by Botman »

Old School Green wrote: November 19, 2021, 10:26 am He's a very good player and has proven that in the early stages of his international career against top quality opposition. The real question is, is he as good a league player as a union player?

Rugby centres are very different to league centres. He plays outside centre and relies upon good halves and a good inside centre to give him quality ball. He has excellent hands and is a powerful ball runner.

Tom Wright is an example of this. He is now a Wallaby...but struggled as a league centre at Manly to cement a place in the team.
Some dude wasnt good enough to break into a very bad Manly team but is a Wallaby?
Yeah, that checks out :lol:

If you took the approach that no NRL player would be considered a "suitably trained front row" and then scrums would be uncontested, i reckon the Kangaroos with a month of training could play a full game of RU and put 40 on the wallabies :lol:
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

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Botman wrote: November 19, 2021, 11:29 am
Old School Green wrote: November 19, 2021, 10:26 am He's a very good player and has proven that in the early stages of his international career against top quality opposition. The real question is, is he as good a league player as a union player?

Rugby centres are very different to league centres. He plays outside centre and relies upon good halves and a good inside centre to give him quality ball. He has excellent hands and is a powerful ball runner.

Tom Wright is an example of this. He is now a Wallaby...but struggled as a league centre at Manly to cement a place in the team.
Some dude wasnt good enough to break into a very bad Manly team but is a Wallaby?
Yeah, that checks out :lol:

If you took the approach that no NRL player would be considered a "suitably trained front row" and then scrums would be uncontested, i reckon the Kangaroos with a month of training could play a full game of RU and put 40 on the wallabies :lol:
Nah, the breakdown is too technical. League boys would be murdered by the ref and someone would slot the Gilbert over from halfway each time and it would be death by 3 point penalties and rolling maul tries. Different games; different skill sets; different body shapes and ridiculous rules that not even players understand in yawnion.
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

Post by Botman »

The league boys would be too busy walking back to their kick off spot, squirting water down their necks after another try to bothered by the breakdown :P :lol:

Honestly, you are probably right, but i really does make me laugh how quickly bad NRL players can end up as Wallabies :lol:
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

Post by kiwi raider »

greeneyed wrote: November 10, 2021, 9:17 am

Interesting how so little of the highlights from rugby union don't involve tries.
kind of like the Panthers Finals run highlights....
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Post by Seiffert82 »

I'm pretty sure most first grade level NRL players are doing financially better than most Super Rugby centres.

Wallaby level players may earn more, but there is only a small number of those, compared with 30 odd NRL first grade centres.

This guy might be the ants pants. However, from what I've seen, rugby centres do even less than NRL centres. It's all about the back 3 and the flyhalf, but then again I haven't followed the game that closely for about 10 years.

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I’ve always observed that NRL supporters tend to be more disparaging of other codes than the reverse. Sure there is the odd Thugby League taunt and occasional barb thrown, but in the main I’ve found AFL and Union to be less interested in running down other codes as NRL supporter tend to be.
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Billy Walker wrote: November 19, 2021, 3:32 pm I’ve always observed that NRL supporters tend to be more disparaging of other codes than the reverse. Sure there is the odd Thugby League taunt and occasional barb thrown, but in the main I’ve found AFL and Union to be less interested in running down other codes as NRL supporter tend to be.
Perhaps you're not paying attention. Rugby union goes to great lengths to say they are "the true spirit of rugby" and they've gone as far as to get governments to make rugby league illegal. The AFL has the goal of dominating the country and destroying rugby league. It is reflected in the attitudes of supporters. AFL fans are almost evangelical. Rugby union fans in Australia... have declined to very low numbers, I guess, as the state of the sport is diabolical. Maybe that's why you don't hear from them much these days.
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Billy Walker wrote:I’ve always observed that NRL supporters tend to be more disparaging of other codes than the reverse. Sure there is the odd Thugby League taunt and occasional barb thrown, but in the main I’ve found AFL and Union to be less interested in running down other codes as NRL supporter tend to be.
That's the exact opposite of my experience.

Most AFL fans absolutely LOVE to stick the boot into the NRL, while Rugby Union fans almost always try to have a crack about NRL player behaviour, until you point out that at least someone cares what NRL players do off the field and barely anyone has a clue who plays for the Wallabies these days.

Despite playing neither sport myself, I quite like watching AFL and I also didn't mind watching union. The rule makers and administrators of that sport have entirely ruined it as a spectacle though.

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Seiffert82 wrote: November 19, 2021, 4:22 pm
Billy Walker wrote:I’ve always observed that NRL supporters tend to be more disparaging of other codes than the reverse. Sure there is the odd Thugby League taunt and occasional barb thrown, but in the main I’ve found AFL and Union to be less interested in running down other codes as NRL supporter tend to be.
That's the exact opposite of my experience.

Most AFL fans absolutely LOVE to stick the boot into the NRL, while Rugby Union fans almost always try to have a crack about NRL player behaviour, until you point out that at least someone cares what NRL players do off the field and barely anyone has a clue who plays for the Wallabies these days.

Despite playing neither sport myself, I quite like watching AFL and I also didn't mind watching union. The rule makers and administrators of that sport have entirely ruined it as a spectacle though.

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Yep - I was right into the Union for a while but I genuinely struggle to get through a half now, it’s been turned into an horrendous product made worse by the fact the administration and officials seem so proud of the pedantic rubble that it is.

AFL I enjoy. I think AFL do a good job of being proactive with rule changes etc and generally get it right. I think this is something the NRL is also getting a lot better at. I don’t like all the rule changes in NRL and some are downright stupid, but on the whole it is producing a safer, faster more marketable product.

Soccer is the odd one for me. Clearly doing lots right and is the undisputed world game, but not something I can get into. I’ve tried to see what all the fuss is a few times but can’t get into it.

Good luck to them all though - I think any sport would do well to leave a door open to new supporters rather than alienating them. I feel like I’d be more inclined to watch a new sport if it were sold to me along the lines - “hey you like that great game NRL so perhaps you might also like to watch a bit of X” rather that “you shouldn’t watch that rubbish, no skill steaming pile joke of a sport NRL you should watch X instead”.
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

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Botman wrote: November 19, 2021, 11:29 am
Old School Green wrote: November 19, 2021, 10:26 am He's a very good player and has proven that in the early stages of his international career against top quality opposition. The real question is, is he as good a league player as a union player?

Rugby centres are very different to league centres. He plays outside centre and relies upon good halves and a good inside centre to give him quality ball. He has excellent hands and is a powerful ball runner.

Tom Wright is an example of this. He is now a Wallaby...but struggled as a league centre at Manly to cement a place in the team.
Some dude wasnt good enough to break into a very bad Manly team but is a Wallaby?
Yeah, that checks out :lol:

If you took the approach that no NRL player would be considered a "suitably trained front row" and then scrums would be uncontested, i reckon the Kangaroos with a month of training could play a full game of RU and put 40 on the wallabies :lol:
On the counter a rugby supporter might point out that Raps could only crack club rugby for Royals and couldn’t break into the Brumbies before going back to league and becoming a raiders star. Horses for courses. A freak like SBW excels at both, others are better suited to one game over the other. I say enjoy the game you enjoy.
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

Post by FuiFui BradBrad »

Billy Walker wrote:
Seiffert82 wrote: November 19, 2021, 4:22 pm
Billy Walker wrote:I’ve always observed that NRL supporters tend to be more disparaging of other codes than the reverse. Sure there is the odd Thugby League taunt and occasional barb thrown, but in the main I’ve found AFL and Union to be less interested in running down other codes as NRL supporter tend to be.
That's the exact opposite of my experience.

Most AFL fans absolutely LOVE to stick the boot into the NRL, while Rugby Union fans almost always try to have a crack about NRL player behaviour, until you point out that at least someone cares what NRL players do off the field and barely anyone has a clue who plays for the Wallabies these days.

Despite playing neither sport myself, I quite like watching AFL and I also didn't mind watching union. The rule makers and administrators of that sport have entirely ruined it as a spectacle though.

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Yep - I was right into the Union for a while but I genuinely struggle to get through a half now, it’s been turned into an horrendous product made worse by the fact the administration and officials seem so proud of the pedantic rubble that it is.

AFL I enjoy. I think AFL do a good job of being proactive with rule changes etc and generally get it right. I think this is something the NRL is also getting a lot better at. I don’t like all the rule changes in NRL and some are downright stupid, but on the whole it is producing a safer, faster more marketable product.

Soccer is the odd one for me. Clearly doing lots right and is the undisputed world game, but not something I can get into. I’ve tried to see what all the fuss is a few times but can’t get into it.

Good luck to them all though - I think any sport would do well to leave a door open to new supporters rather than alienating them. I feel like I’d be more inclined to watch a new sport if it were sold to me along the lines - “hey you like that great game NRL so perhaps you might also like to watch a bit of X” rather that “you shouldn’t watch that rubbish, no skill steaming pile joke of a sport NRL you should watch X instead”.
Soccer is my #2. Probably been to more A-League games than NRL games actually. Its just a beautiful game to watch when done right. That feeling you get in the pit of your stomach waiting anxiously for that goal, priceless.

Meanwhile hey you like that great game NRL so perhaps you might also like to watch a bit of Calcio Storico


Maybe even Slamball
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

Post by Billy Walker »

Fuifui Bradbrad wrote: November 20, 2021, 10:28 pm
Billy Walker wrote:
Seiffert82 wrote: November 19, 2021, 4:22 pm
Billy Walker wrote:I’ve always observed that NRL supporters tend to be more disparaging of other codes than the reverse. Sure there is the odd Thugby League taunt and occasional barb thrown, but in the main I’ve found AFL and Union to be less interested in running down other codes as NRL supporter tend to be.
That's the exact opposite of my experience.

Most AFL fans absolutely LOVE to stick the boot into the NRL, while Rugby Union fans almost always try to have a crack about NRL player behaviour, until you point out that at least someone cares what NRL players do off the field and barely anyone has a clue who plays for the Wallabies these days.

Despite playing neither sport myself, I quite like watching AFL and I also didn't mind watching union. The rule makers and administrators of that sport have entirely ruined it as a spectacle though.

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Yep - I was right into the Union for a while but I genuinely struggle to get through a half now, it’s been turned into an horrendous product made worse by the fact the administration and officials seem so proud of the pedantic rubble that it is.

AFL I enjoy. I think AFL do a good job of being proactive with rule changes etc and generally get it right. I think this is something the NRL is also getting a lot better at. I don’t like all the rule changes in NRL and some are downright stupid, but on the whole it is producing a safer, faster more marketable product.

Soccer is the odd one for me. Clearly doing lots right and is the undisputed world game, but not something I can get into. I’ve tried to see what all the fuss is a few times but can’t get into it.

Good luck to them all though - I think any sport would do well to leave a door open to new supporters rather than alienating them. I feel like I’d be more inclined to watch a new sport if it were sold to me along the lines - “hey you like that great game NRL so perhaps you might also like to watch a bit of X” rather that “you shouldn’t watch that rubbish, no skill steaming pile joke of a sport NRL you should watch X instead”.
Soccer is my #2. Probably been to more A-League games than NRL games actually. Its just a beautiful game to watch when done right. That feeling you get in the pit of your stomach waiting anxiously for that goal, priceless.

Meanwhile hey you like that great game NRL so perhaps you might also like to watch a bit of Calcio Storico


Maybe even Slamball
Did your parents get you into soccer when you were younger Fui? Maybe if I had an earlier introduction to it I’d appreciate it more. I’ve got no doubt it’s a great game, the however many squillion fanatical supporters world wide are proof of that. I remember going to a Canberra Arrows game in the 80’s and every World Cup year I give it a crack but maybe I need someone to explain the intricacies of it to me. I love watching test cricket but many people don’t think much of it.
Billy Walker
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

Post by Billy Walker »

I could see myself getting into Slam Ball, some freakish skill in some of those moves! I’m not opposed to watching a bit of Calcio Storico either. I mean if they are silly enough to want to play that I’m happy to watch! The biggest question for me about Calcio Storico is - what the hell does the referee do? I suspect things have happened in on the battlefield in the theatre of war that would be called “play on” in that “game”. You’d probably sooner encourage your children to join an outlaw gang than sign up to play that sport…
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Re: The league carnival that turned Ikitau from budding Raider to breakout Wallaby

Post by FuiFui BradBrad »

Billy Walker wrote:
Fuifui Bradbrad wrote: November 20, 2021, 10:28 pm
Billy Walker wrote:
Seiffert82 wrote: November 19, 2021, 4:22 pm
Billy Walker wrote:I’ve always observed that NRL supporters tend to be more disparaging of other codes than the reverse. Sure there is the odd Thugby League taunt and occasional barb thrown, but in the main I’ve found AFL and Union to be less interested in running down other codes as NRL supporter tend to be.
That's the exact opposite of my experience.

Most AFL fans absolutely LOVE to stick the boot into the NRL, while Rugby Union fans almost always try to have a crack about NRL player behaviour, until you point out that at least someone cares what NRL players do off the field and barely anyone has a clue who plays for the Wallabies these days.

Despite playing neither sport myself, I quite like watching AFL and I also didn't mind watching union. The rule makers and administrators of that sport have entirely ruined it as a spectacle though.

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Yep - I was right into the Union for a while but I genuinely struggle to get through a half now, it’s been turned into an horrendous product made worse by the fact the administration and officials seem so proud of the pedantic rubble that it is.

AFL I enjoy. I think AFL do a good job of being proactive with rule changes etc and generally get it right. I think this is something the NRL is also getting a lot better at. I don’t like all the rule changes in NRL and some are downright stupid, but on the whole it is producing a safer, faster more marketable product.

Soccer is the odd one for me. Clearly doing lots right and is the undisputed world game, but not something I can get into. I’ve tried to see what all the fuss is a few times but can’t get into it.

Good luck to them all though - I think any sport would do well to leave a door open to new supporters rather than alienating them. I feel like I’d be more inclined to watch a new sport if it were sold to me along the lines - “hey you like that great game NRL so perhaps you might also like to watch a bit of X” rather that “you shouldn’t watch that rubbish, no skill steaming pile joke of a sport NRL you should watch X instead”.
Soccer is my #2. Probably been to more A-League games than NRL games actually. Its just a beautiful game to watch when done right. That feeling you get in the pit of your stomach waiting anxiously for that goal, priceless.

Meanwhile hey you like that great game NRL so perhaps you might also like to watch a bit of Calcio Storico


Maybe even Slamball
Did your parents get you into soccer when you were younger Fui? Maybe if I had an earlier introduction to it I’d appreciate it more. I’ve got no doubt it’s a great game, the however many squillion fanatical supporters world wide are proof of that. I remember going to a Canberra Arrows game in the 80’s and every World Cup year I give it a crack but maybe I need someone to explain the intricacies of it to me. I love watching test cricket but many people don’t think much of it.
Nah parents didn’t get me into it. I grew up in a League area, but Basketball was my game. It wasn’t until I moved to Sydney when I was 18 that I got into Soccer. My mates played in local comps for Blacktown Workers and Minchinbury Jets, so I would go and hang out. Then A League became a thing, followed by the 06 World Cup qualifier, and it got locked in.
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