I was just taking at look at the league tables after the first round of the weekends fixtures and there is an interesting comparison between the NRL and Super League tables

After 11 rounds of Super League, there are 10 points separating top from bottom (this is if you remove the points deductions applied pre-season) – Warrington top with 16 points and Crusaders bottom with 6 points (again, without the deduction)

After 6 completed rounds of the NRL and some teams having played 7 games, there are 10 points separating top from bottom – Brisbane top with 12 points and Canberra bottom with 2

You would expect the bottom and top differential to increase as the season progresses

It is a pretty common opinion that the NRL is a more even competition than the Super League so it’s interesting to see the tables showing the opposite this year

and it s still going to be a Wigan v Saints GF here and Storm v Saints final in Aus.

It's not so much that the NRL is more competitive than SL, it's that the NRL is played at a high level of skill than SL

Also that a teams position in the table can change dramatically from one year to the next in the NRL

Do mean like Catalan Dragons going from 14 last year to 6th this?

Or Cas from 9th to a won game in hand away from 1st.

i would'nt say the gaps that big these days..the skill level has increased drastically here the past couple of seasons....

the difference is when inglis,hayne,thurston,slater etc does something special everyone raves about it......here they get a pat on the back and the game carries on..

watch todays Parra v Titans error fest and you might not be so sure of this!

Exactly – a few years ago, there was a try in which Inglis batted the ball back from behind the in-goal and a try was scored... there was so many superlatives thrown around such as ‘super human’ and ‘freak’ etc etc

I’ve just watched the Super League show on i-Player and Huddersfield score a try where two players bat the ball back from behind the dead ball line to score an incredible try and the commentator says it was ‘eye catching’! There are superb skills displayed week in week out in Super League and yet when a similar play occurs in the NRL, everybody reaches for the tissues

The NRL is a much more even competition than super league, the main reason for this is that in the NRL every club spends the maximum salary cap, in super league only a handful do.

If we look at how many different clubs have won the grand final since 1998, in super league there are 4, in the NRL 9. If we look at how many different clubs have competed in the grand final since 1998, in super league 5, in the NRL 12. Massive difference in the number of clubs that actually stand a chance of winning the competition.

But that’s my point though – you are describing how the NRL has been much more competitive than the Super League (going back 13 years). But this year’s tables show a different story with the Super League just as even as the NRL and with more rounds played, arguably even more so

There's still the problem in the UK of overseas stars only wanting to sign with the top 4 clubs so the eveness of teh salary cap doesn't really help. Even in NRL the likes of Broncos and Storm have dominated the table for years.

I’m not too sure about that, two of the biggest signings in 2011 have been Luke Patten and Luke O'Donnell who signed for Salford and Huddersfield respectively (this is without consideration to Willie Mason at KR who, whatever you think of the signing, is the biggest star to join Super League since Andrew Johns joined Warrington for a few games)

Also, which big 4 are you actually referring to? The Wigan, Leeds, Saints and Bradford big 4 as they have been described over the years or do we now include Warrington in the big 4 (I’m not sure who maintains these rankings anyway!)

Or, as I suspect, you are perpetuating a myth that doesn’t exist any more... have you looked at the Super League table, the big 4 are currently standing at 3rd, 5th, 7th and 10th in the table?

big 4 in reputation and money which would be St's, Wigan, Warrington and Leeds.
TBF other clubs pay overs to sign "names" meaning less money to retain/sign decent British players hence why despite Patten et al Salford are still gash.

Out of interest which clubs are not spending up to full salary cap?

When did Warrington, who have never appeared in a Grand Final, overtake Bradford (who have appeared in 5) on reputation?

Your original point was that overseas stars only want to sign for the top clubs and so Super league is still not competitive enough and yet now one of the big 4 is a team that hasn’t won the competition and yet a team that has won it three times isn’t – surely that’s a self defeating argument?



I don't know

I would be suprised if any other clubs than the big 4 were spending the full salary cap. Hudds are matching them with on the field performances but they still dont have as many big name players.

If other clubs are spending upto the cap they need to improve their negotiating skills

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another round of "upset" wins

Absolutely belting season this is turning out to be

Wire, Saints and Giants all league leaders in the space of a few days... I have to say, I'm enjoying this season unfold more than any Super League I have seen

Wigan just creeping along nicely at the moment! Any team who can string 4 or 5 wins together will be there or there abouts this year.

I completely agree. This year we have seen some spectacular rugby and yet teams are playing with a lot of injuries which is giving the youngsters a chance and making it all a little bit more unpredictable. Some of the tries this season have been first rate and amongst the best I've seen over here. Recently we had the Jamie Foster handling for his try and also Manu's pass on Friday (I think it was him) which was superb. We have a product on the field that is as great as anything the Premiership can offer and that is a good sporting competition as well. Compare our skill levels to those on show in union. There is no contest.

On Monday Castleford played some of the best rugby at Saints that I have seen for a good couple of years considering where Castleford have been for past couple of seasons. Can I suggest that the franchising has helped as well because teams can plan a bit more for longevity and play without the shackles of potential automatic relegation as well.

WOOOOAHHHH DONT SAY THAT!!! someone quick.. lock the fella up..

No, no, no. The salary cap and franchising has dumbed the league down and it's a battle to see who is the least sh*t.

Just ask Wigan fans . . . . .

In fairness it is now only a minority of Wigoon fans that still trot out the old 'competition cap' argument. Most have moved on and recognise the importance of the cap and competitiveness for the competition.