Quote ="Andy Gilder"I'd agree with Richie, having played both sports albeit at a relatively low level.
They're not really that much different. The core principles of the game are the same - you run, catch, pass and tackle with the aim of getting the ball over your opponent's line without them doing the same to you.
The main difference is how much you're allowed to compete for the ball once your opponent has it, which necessarily has laws around it to make it a fair contest that teams are constantly pushing to see how much they can get away with. If anything Union carries a greater degree of unpredictability, because every time a team carries the ball into contact there's a real risk they are going to lose it either by getting turned over or giving away a penalty.
It's not that long ago in the grand scheme of things that kicking duels between full-backs were the done thing in League. I can remember the game going through a spell in the early 80s when they came back into fashion, as teams sought to win the field position battle by forcing errors. It's also not that long ago that games of League were finishing either tryless or with a handful of scores (wasn't there a 4-2 Grand Final in Australia mid 80s?), so it's not like we've always been a high-scoring, fast paced sport by comparison.
IMO there's a lot of inherent negativity towards Union from League fans that comes from history, rather than what is presented in front of them. They sit down to watch the sport with the intention of finding faults in it, in the same way someone who is anti-League might sit down and wonder why they just keep bashing into each other then hoofing it up in the air on the last tackle. If you enjoy watching League then I'd recommend taking in some Super 15 rugby from the southern hemisphere, where the emphasis is less on kicking and more on moving the ball either out of or before contact than it is in the northern hemisphere.
That said, I'll still never get my head around why a rolling maul can't be obstruction when you've got no chance of getting to the bloke with the ball at the back...'"
Not certain they're that close. I've spent a fair bit of time launching people into the sky and getting my head wedged into people's s and all it served to do was make me love rugby league all the more. Rather uniquely for a back row/second row at union I'm also a handy goal kicker which flies in the face of their conventions.
The amount of time consumed by lineouts and scrums are what make our games polar opposites.
And a code which can't utilise an athlete like Sam Burgess can't be worth watching.
