Cod reminds me of PW for some strange reason

Perhaps because they inhabit the same body...

either tommy or clive / tiny tim

Sorry....how is pointing out that it takes time to get youngsters through to U20 level at a decent standard and underlining the fact that NZRU have been slow to react to challenges from other sports ""?
Are you saying that Union is not the stronger code in New Zealand? Are you saying that 15 years ago NZRL were a real powerhouse? Are you saying that NZRU have reacted well to the threats from other sports?
Clarify please professor

What I am saying is that anyone with any knowledge of NZ sport and its history (I'll put my hand up) knows that, like, Australia, the big three sports have been cricket, union and rugby league since the early 20th C.

To the extent that in the 1920s (as an example), whole parts of NZ changed union rules to prevent the entire country going over to rugby league.

Also, NZ unions have blocked access to grounds, arranged counter-attractions at the same time as rugby league games, blocked access to schools etc. etc.

Now, if union is NZ's biggest sport (which I never said it wasn't), ask me why they have bothered doing that to a sport which, according to you, trails in support behind soccer, basketball and flower arranging...

Mong.

Where did I say that? Seriously, where? I think I said something along the lines of:


...which, when read properly means that the NEW ZEALAND RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION ARE VERY SLOW TO REACT TO THREATS TO THEIR SUPPORTER/PLAYER BASE.


As for the comment about 1 sport in this country, I am aware of they also played league and cricket back in the day, but let's face it, Union is only second to christianity in New Zealand.

It really isn't clever to call me a MONG and then laugh at your own posts, especially when they are wrong

Given you clearly have troubles even identifying what you wrote, I will quote if for you direct, Mong...

1. "They were all born when there was only 1 sport in this country."

WRONG. There was not.

2. "NOW there is basketball, soccer & League as alternatives..."

WRONG. Rugby league has been an alternative since 1908; not "now"...

3. As for the RUWC being an "elite show"...

WRONG. I take it you missed the quality on display during the last one (which was universally derided as the most boring Union World Cup ever...which is some call...

)

Idiot.

Either be more careful in what you write, or expect to have it ripped apart, when it coincidentally (giggle) happens to favour the rah rah again...

......

Sorry, maybe I should have made it clearer for you......they were born around 1990........at which point, League was further off the radar than netball as a team sport in New Zealand

.......maybe I should have said viable alternative, but you're in "pedant mode" obviously


Pedantic today aren't we. By elite, I mean getting a in9 ticket to a game, not playing the bluddy thing



....yes, you can be from time to time.



You really should see a specialist about that chip on your shoulder.....it's obviously bothering you.

If you think that League was stronger in NZ in 1990 than it is now, reply.
If you think Union is stronger in NZ now than it was in 1990, reply
If you think Soccer, Basketball and flower arranging IN nz are weaker now than they were in 1990, reply
otherwise, stop chasing your tail and trying to win an unwinnable argument

You are a moron.





With clearly no idea of the history of rugby league in NZ...





And clearly unaware of how big rugby league was in New Zealand at the end of the 1980s for example.

Check out the two WC Final crowds in Auckland for 1987 and 1988 and get back to me, Mong...

Or the TV ratings for NSWRL that pushed Auckland into the competition in 1995 after years of great interest...





Get a clue, troll.





PS. Calling me a pedant doesn't mean you weren't wrong. Mong.



Could you be funnier.... Please stop.

Re-reading this I should clarify when I say both Australia and New Zealand have three main sports; in NZ, they are as posted above (cricket, rugby league and union - in no particular order), and in Australia, cricket, rugby league and AFL, again, in no particular order (union has next to no significance in Australia).

How does cricket get so much coverage when nobody watches it beyond the test matches,

Have you ever seen a crowd at a Sheff shield match?

Then you obviously know nothing because rugby league is the 13th, yes 13th most played sport in NZ among adults. Did you read that? THIRTEENTH

You trolls know nothing

Why....because there were a couple of good gates 22/23 years ago....get your head into the "NOW"
and stop living in the past man. League is NOT a major sport in New Zealand, but there is a MASSIVE opportunity for it to be at the expense of Union if handled correctly.

27/28k sold out the Warriors home semi 2 years ago in 8 mins.

The Warriors home ground average this season is higher than the NZ super 14 home average... Early days sure, but that's not much of a religion if the "apparent" 13th most played sport in Sheep Shagger land can knock it off in attendance average.

Anyone here think that the 13th most played sport in Australia could have an attendance average higher than AFL or Rugby League? Even if it were one team only?

Here in Sydney, the Waratahs are averaging less than 3 Sydney-based NRL teams, none of whom represent the whole of NSW and none of whom are currently sitting atop the table...

Hell, they're barely in front of a 4th team, the Roosters, who play at the same ground and represent a tiny part of Sydney...

i love reading your posts

its funny thinking how insecure you are wrt RL.

the thing trolls never discuss is the decline in recent years of ru in nz.

crowds, tv ratings and media are all negative

why is union struggling so much in its heartland?

Fish oil can't tell the difference between spectating and playing sports...

Who would have thought?





Talk about having nothing...





The big three spectating sports throughout NZ history are rugby league, cricket and union (again, no particular order).

FO, feel free to post all the massive crowds since 1908 for the other 10 sports in your "playing" list.

Thanks for the admission you were wrong. I'll add it to the massive pile of shy te you have previously added here.

Rugby league IS a major sport in New Zealand and HAS BEEN since 1908.

Which part of that are you struggling with, retard?

Otherwise, please outline all the sports that got more than 19,000 at a game on the weekend in NZ?

If you weren't a troll, this would be obvious even to you, Mong boy.

RU may be in decline but what is RL doing to capitalise? More games need to be taken to Wellington, some Warriors "away" games would be good. oh and the Warriors need to win a GF!

Imagine the dramas for the NZRFU when the Warriors do win it one day...

Funny stuff.

Just gutted it wasn't last year. On the back of the WC win it would have taken RL to a new height in NZ and if the Wellington bid team had got their act together they could have been seriously in with a chance in 2013.

Warriors also have to create some "stars". One or two players with massive profiles who they get out into the public view as often as possible. Maybe signign SBW will be the one? NZRL needs to do more to promote the Kiwi stars in the game like Marshall.

rugby league was bigger in nz in 1990 than it is now, there were couple thousand more registered players than there are now about 20,000 0r so. Aussie league began being shown on free to air tv in 1989 after the canberra/blamain grand finak in 1990 they were showing 3 games a week. as well as tha test matches, uk challenge cup final and and local lion red national club final were on tv.

wanui vs upper hutt grand final was huge 10,000 at the basin reserve! fox memorial in auckland and canterbury also had similar grand final crowds. auckland vs wellington and canterbury rep pgames got crowds of several thosand. kiwi's beat oz in melbourne and then ritichie balckmore famous "mening i'll get u meninga" ads were on tv to promote other 2 test in series (which we got smashed in by the way) everyone was talking about dean lonergan get samshed an doing the spastic shakes on the ground an getting up to play on!

i could keep going on gutterfax and i dont wont to be rude to you but i dont think you know what your talking about!
league playing numbers have always gone up and down and league has been able to attract good crowds albiet in cycles if not consistenlty!

i remember visiting my grandad in auckland in 1990 when he heard i liked rugby league he said i see they are saying rugby league could be the no1 sport in nz i remember when they were saying that in the 1950's. my grandad was scottish immigrant to nz never played himself but my father and uncles all played league as kids in 1950's becuse he took tham along to the local club!


league has never been as big as union in nz and at time the participation rate has slipped to worring levels, but when it has had good administration backed with decent top level results it has always captured nz sporting public's attention. league has always had a hardcore diehard following in nz. has always been in the top 1 - 5 ranked spectator sports. and has beenranked number 1 tv sport on many occasions!

to sum it up when people play informal contact rugby in school at lunchtime after school 90% of the time it's a game of rugby league! discrimination by school systems partly because of union supporters and partly becasue league had/has a bad rep as a game for coal miners, bouncers, truck drivers, gang members, etc has stopped its growth combined with long periods of poor administration have seen games fortune fluctuate dramatically!

gutterfax im a bit ed off at your post to be honest where you in new zealand or wellington in 1990?

He has no idea...

End of story.