• Podcast
  • ARL
    • Indigenous All Stars v NRL All Stars
    • Rugby League State Of Origin
  • NRL
    • 2025 NRL Draw
    • 2024 NRL Draw
    • 2023 NRL Draw
    • 2022 NRL Draw
    • 2021 NRL Draw
    • 2022 NRL Podcast
    • 2020 NRL Draw
    • 2015 NRL Draw
    • 2014 NRL Draw
  • ESL
    • International Origin
    • Challenge Cup
  • World
    • World Club Challenge
    • World Cup
    • Rugby League 9’s
    • NRL Auckland Nines Draw
  • Sports
    • AFL
    • Cricket
    • Rugby Union
    • Soccer
  • Guest Writers
  • League Freak
    • NRL Tipping Experts
    • Web Site News
    • Sponsorship
    • Uncategorized

The Glorious League Freak – Covering Rugby League World Wide – LeagueFreak.com

  • Home
  • Podcast
  • NRL Rumours
  • RL World 9’s
  • Features
    • Player Profiles And News
  • History
    • History Books
    • The Super League War
      • The Super League War – The Clubs
      • The Super League War – The Freak
      • The Super League War – The Extras
  • Quotes
  • Look-Alikes
  • Teams
  • Rankings
  • Media
  • About
    • Bio
    • League Freaks Commentary Career
    • Contact
    • League Freak On Twitter
    • I Am Not A Journalist
    • Contribute To LeagueFreak.com
    • League Freak Mentions In The Media
    • Advertise On This Website
    • Rugby League RSS Feed
  • follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • RSS Feed
    • Linked
    • Youtube

Attacking Rugby League, Despising Rugby League And Loving Rugby League

Jan 05, 2012 League Freak National Rugby League 0


There is something about Rugby League that really pisses some people off.

I can not think of another sport anywhere else in the world that is supposed to justify its existence, as well as its ability to survive long term, despite the fact the tough old bastard has been around since 1895.

It is not as though Rugby League is the type of sport that gets forced on people. In fact, in most cases, to play or watch a game of Rugby League, you have to go out of your way to do it.

Imagine being a Rugby League player in France for instance.

You have Soccer, which is easily the number one sport. If that’s not your thing, it would be so much easier to play Rugby Union, and more lucrative. Yet, you get blokes that say “No, Rugby League looks like my game”. They go out every weekend and they play the sport they love.

New Zealand are the Rugby League World Champions. Even there you still hear stories of youngsters being told by their schools Rugby Union team that if they don’t stop playing Rugby League on the weekend, they can consider themselves out of the side. When this happens, the school usually has to go looking for an extra player, because when Rugby League is in your blood, it has you for life.

Why do we love this game? What is it about Rugby League that captures us and never lets us go?

For me, Rugby League is the smell of freshly cut grass. The feeling of running down a sideline while others try to cut you down. It’s the moment of confrontation, bracing for impact and driving through a tackle. Sometimes you get dragged to the ground and you feel the full impact of the planet hitting you. Other times, you feel the defenders fall off you, that power turns into speed, and when you run it in for a try, you feel like a king.

Rugby League is a game for the athletes and the magicians. It is a game of power and speed. It is a game of grit and agility. Just to walk out on the field, just to play this sport, it says something about the person you are.

Not everyone is cut out for Rugby League, and I think sometimes as a sport, we forget that. Lets face it, the idea of running out onto a field and running with the ball while 13 other people try to tackle you, that doesn’t appeal to everyone!

I like that a good Rugby League team needs a mix of elements. That the elements that bring success to a club are constantly changing as the game continues to evolve. I love that I can sit down on any given weekend to watch an NRL game, and even after all these years, I can see something that takes my breath away.

The physical demands of our sport tests a player to their limits. Rugby League breaks everyone, without fail. The greatest players in our sport have always been better for the adversity that the game throws at them. It is the test, and the special ones rise above the set backs to reach new levels of greatness.

My favorite player is Benji Marshall. A young bloke from New Zealand that had a thousand reasons to not make it. As a slightly built touch football player, Benji found himself playing in the toughest sporting competition in the world.

It took its toll.

Marshall endured a number of major injury set backs, and at one point, it looked like shoulder injuries would shorten his career.Yet, today, Benji Marshall is among that rare breed of players that play with magic out on the field. In this physical battle that breaks even the best athletes, Marshall has an ability to do things that he has no right to do.

In last years semi finals series, we all watched in horror as Darren Lockyer had his face smashed by a team mates stray knee. We watched the fight between Lockyers physical, primal reaction to having broken bones in his face, and the pride of a champion player who looked up field at his young side battling away and knew he couldn’t leave the field.

When Lockyer waved the trainers away, it was a moment. They knew to just leave him.

As Lockyer started a slow jog back into the game, clinching his jaw shut in an effort to keep his shattered face braced, you knew you were watching something special.

Those raw moments are what get me. For such an unforgiving game, every so often you have players that just refuse to give in. Who refuse to be broken.

How can you not love a sport that give you all of that? How can you watch all the sport in the world, and then see what Rugby League brings to the table, and decide it’s rubbish?

Rugby League isn’t played all over the world, but very few sports are! Unless you are Soccer or Basketball, you are a mainstream sport that is only popular within a select few geographically confined areas of the world.

As a realist, I can tell you Rugby League is played throughout Australia, through a large portion of New Zealand and throughout England. It is played in parts of Wales, Ireland and France. It has outposts in Russia, Canada and a fairly healthy competition in the United States, where is has enough playing that the sport is actually split into two different competitions over there!

Rugby League is played in the Pacific Islands and it is the national sport of PNG. All of that and I haven’t even touched on the countries where the game is played in small numbers by committed fans who love the game just as much as the rest of us do!

The thing is, Rugby League has never pretended to be a game the entire world plays. Sure we have the second oldest World Cup in all of sports, but you wouldn’t hear Rugby League pumping out pompous suggesting like our World Cup is “The World In Union”.

If all of Rugby League was encompassed by areas serviced by the National Rugby League, damn, it would still be a great sport!

Uneducated, ignorant hacks have been taking shots at Rugby League since 1895. After all, there is no way a sport formed in a hotel in Huddersfield is going to go anywhere. Yet, here we in 2012, and you get a sense that this is a sport that might be doing OK for itself

With a billion dollar television deal just around the corner, further expansion on the horizon, a World Cup next year and a sense that the game is finally standing on its own two feet and ready to push into new areas once again, Rugby League is doing alright.

So, when ever you read another attack piece on Rugby League, I want to you think one thing for the poor old writer that wrote that article.

“Its OK. You’re going to be OK.”

  • Tweet
  • Share 0
  • Reddit
  • Pocket
  • LinkedIn 0
  • Email

Related


  • Benji Marshall, Darren Lockyer, Rugby Union, Soccer
  • tweet
Matthew Johns Must Have Forgotten He's Only Matthew Johns Rugby Leagues Position In The Patchwork Quilt Of Sports Venues In Sydney

League Freak

A well known Rugby League writer, League Freak has established a reputation among supporters of the game for his fearless commentary and unmatched insight. With a reach that spans both sides of the globe, League Freak has produced an independent network that allows him to distribute content to his many thousands of followers. He is the owner and main author of LeagueFreak.com

Related articles
  • Top 5 Rugby Themed Slot Games
    Top 5 Rugby Themed Slot Games

    Aug 04, 2022 0

  • NRL Podcast: Fergo and The Freak – Ep420 – An Adorable Rivalry!
    NRL Podcast: Fergo and The Freak...

    Jul 20, 2022 0

  • Rugby Betting: 5 Things You Should Avoid
    Rugby Betting: 5 Things You Should

    Jul 05, 2022 0


You must log in to post a comment.

League Freaks Social Network

Follow League Freak on:

Become a Patron!

Ziad Warwar
Nadine
Coojee
Adam
Andy
jamescunni
Lisa
Rugby League Project
Karsten Brumme
Samuel
Sandy
Katey
Jack
Terry
Gibbo

RSS Fergo and The Freak Podcast

  • A Brief Hiccup Of Success
  • The Ricky Stuart Outburst And What His Punishment Should Be
  • NRL Round 21 Preview - Plus Expert Tips
  • Will The Parramatta Eels Make The Finals?
  • NRL Round 20 Preview - Plus Expert Tips
  • The Most Controversial Episode Ever!
  • NRL Round 19 Preview - Plus Expert Tips
  • An Adorable Rivalry!
  • NRL Round 18 Preview - Plus Expert Tips
  • Queensland Wins An Epic State Of Origin Series!!!
  • Tim Sheens.....You Cheeky B#stard! - Plus State Of Origin 3 Preview!
  • NRL Round 17 Preview - Plus Expert Tips
  • NRL Round 16 Preview - Plus Expert Tips
  • NSW Smash QLD In Game 2 Plus International Footy Wrap Up!
  • State Of Origin 2 And International Football Preview - Plus Expert Tips

Polls

In The On Field Quality Of Super League Games Getting Better Or Worse?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive

Latest Rugby League Articles

  • Podcast: Fergo and The Freak – Ep427 – A Brief Hiccup Of Success
    Podcast: Fergo and The Freak – Ep427 – A Brief...

    Aug 09, 2022 0

  • NRL Podcast: Fergo and The Freak – Ep426 – The Ricky Stuart Outburst And What His Punishment Should Be
    NRL Podcast: Fergo and The Freak – Ep426 – The...

    Aug 08, 2022 0

  • Top 5 Rugby Themed Slot Games
    Top 5 Rugby Themed Slot Games

    Aug 04, 2022 0

  • Podcast: Fergo and The Freak – Ep425 – NRL Round 21 Preview – Plus Expert Tips
    Podcast: Fergo and The Freak – Ep425 – NRL Round...

    Aug 03, 2022 0

  • Podcast: Fergo and The Freak – Ep424 – Will The Parramatta Eels Miss The NRL Finals?
    Podcast: Fergo and The Freak – Ep424 – Will The...

    Aug 02, 2022 0

Follow League Freak on Twitter

My Tweets

Tags

Andrew Ferguson (360) ARL (62) Australia (158) Benji Marshall (90) Billy Slater (78) Broadcasting Deal (68) Cameron Smith (60) Channel 9 (74) Daniel Nichols (122) Disgrace (76) Eligibility Rules (64) England (143) Expansion (84) Fergo And The Freak (442) Greg Inglis (100) Guest Writer (337) Israel Folau (71) Jarryd Hayne (78) Johnathan Thurston (82) League Freak (514) Leeds Rhinos (59) Marketing (67) Matthew Elliott (71) Mitchell Pearce (64) New South Wales (106) New Zealand (142) NRL Finals (61) NRL Salary Cap (96) Paul Gallen (64) Phil Gould (59) Player Movement (132) Podcast (468) Queensland (84) Referees (78) RFL (144) Rugby League History (78) Rugby Union (202) Sam Burgess (62) Sonny Bill Williams (91) State Of Origin (181) St Helens (66) Todd Carney (62) Wayne Bennett (83) Wigan (59) World Cup (177)
As featured on NewsNow: NRL newsNRL News 24/7

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Blogroll

  • The Glorious League Freak.
  • League Freak on Twitter
  • League Freak on Facebook
  • Rugby League Podcasting Network
  • NRL Breaking News
  • NRL Rumours
  • RLWorld9s.com

Facebook Pages

  • NRL Gossip
  • NRL Infinite

Features

  • King Of Rugby League
  • Rugby League Look-Alikes
  • Biggest Winning Margins In Rugby League History
  • Biggest Crowds In Rugby League History
  • Rugby League Quotes
  • Rugby League Dictionary
  • The Super League War
  • The New Zealand Haka
  • Funny Rugby League Teams
  • Rugby League Rankins Lists
  • NRL Rumours
  • IHateRugbyUnion.com
  • NRL History
  • NRL History Books
  • Record Books
  • Player Profiles

NBA Links

  • NBA Rookie Of The Year
  • NBA MVP Winner List
  • NBA Finals MVPs

Other Links

  • Submit Your Australian Blog
  • Best Junk Hauling Virginia
  • Gutter Cleaning Service Virginia
  • Best Lawn Mowing Service Virginia
  • 2020 NRL Draw
  • Hot Toys Australia

Other Sports

  • Clutch Fans
  • Sportette

Players

  • Cameron Smith
  • Kalyn Ponga
  • Sonny Bill Williams
  • Jarryd Hayne
  • Andrew Johns
  • Semi Radradra
  • Sam Burgess
  • Benji Marshall
  • James Tedesco
  • Cooper Cronk
  • Johnathan Thurston
  • Anthony Mundine
  • Sam Tomkins
  • Greg Inglis
  • Jamie Peacock
  • Ntahan Cleary

Rugby League

  • Rugby League Project
  • Era Of The Biff
  • Darryl's Rugby League
  • Jamie Lyon Web
  • Rugby League Review
  • Rugby League Ratings
  • NRL CEO Fantasy League
  • QLD Panthers
  • Andrew Ferguson's Website!
  • Black Swans RLFC
  • InternationalRL
  • 2021 Rugby League World Cup
  • Rugby League Mums
  • Player Profiles
  • 2024 NRL Draw
  • Watch NRL Games Online
  • NRL Tipping Experts

Rugby League Podcast

  • Best Rugby League Podcast
  • Best NRL Podcast
  • Best Super League Podcast
  • Best Australian Podcast
  • Best Sports Podcast
  • Funniest Podcast
  • Best Comedy Podcast
  • NRL Radio
  • 2021 NRL Podcast
  • Spotify NRL Podcasts
Google+
  • National Rugby League
  • Rugby League State Of Origin
  • Brisbane Broncos
  • Canberra Raiders
  • Canterbury Bulldogs
  • Cronulla Sharks
  • Gold Coast Titans
  • Manly Sea Eagles
  • Melbourne Storm
  • The 2029 Rugby League World Cup
  • New Zealand Warriors
  • Newcastle Knights
  • North Queensland Cowboys
  • Parramatta Eels
  • Penrith Panthers
  • Redcliffe Dolphins
  • South Sydney Rabbitohs
  • St George/Illawarra Dragons
  • Sydney Roosters
  • Wests Tigers
  • The King Of Rugby League Awards
  • Rugby League Player Profiles And News
  • Fantasy Rugby League Teams
  • Rugby League World Rankings
  • Rugby League Look-Alikes
  • International Rugby League News
  • National Rugby League
  • European Super League News
  • Featured Guest Writers
  • Other Sports
  • The 2021 NRL Draw
  • The 2022 NRL Draw – Every NRL Game Listed For You!!!
  • The 2023 NRL Draw – Every NRL Game Is Here!!!
  • 2024 NRL Draw
  • NRL Player Profiles
  • NRL Instagram
  • The 2025 NRL Draw – Every Game, Every Venue, Every Club!
  • NRL Tipping Experts
  • Advertise On LeagueFreak.com
  • About LeagueFreak.com
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feed
  • NothingButLeague.com
  • Rugby League Podcasting Network
  • NRL Breaking News
  • NRL Rumours – Latest NRL Rumours
  • NRL Podcast
  • Super League Podcast
  • Rugby League Podcast
  • Here Is The Cure For COVID 19
  • 2022 NRL Grand Final Tickets
  • Click Here To Buy State Of Origin Tickets
  • Buy NRL Tickets – Where To Buy Tickets To Rugby League Games
  • Watch NRL Games Online In 2022 – Where To Watch NRL Games Online And Streaming
Copyright LeagueFreak.com 2022 / All rights reserved
  • Advertise On LeagueFreak.com
  • About LeagueFreak.com
  • Contact Us
  • RSS Feed
  • NothingButLeague.com
  • Rugby League Podcasting Network
  • NRL Breaking News
  • NRL Rumours – Latest NRL Rumours
  • NRL Podcast
  • Super League Podcast
  • Rugby League Podcast
  • Here Is The Cure For COVID 19
  • 2022 NRL Grand Final Tickets
  • Click Here To Buy State Of Origin Tickets
  • Buy NRL Tickets – Where To Buy Tickets To Rugby League Games
  • Watch NRL Games Online In 2022 – Where To Watch NRL Games Online And Streaming