Why do people who watch AFL hate NRL so much?

Question

Hi,
I am a fan of NRL comming from NSW, but I am also try to get into AFL. When ever I meat a fan of AFL they say they hate NRL but can never give me a reason. I mean I have reasons for not liking AFL.
Don't take this personaly, all sports have there down sides. I'm not saying AFL sucks, this is just what I dislike about it:

- This happens constantly, I saw it happen about 5 times last year, but the main one was Swans grand final 2006, Barry Hall misses from 20 out. Now these people have been kicking all there life, and they miss from 20 metres infront?

- The goal post are ridiculouse, unlike NRL where you haveto get it OVER 1 bar. These pro kicking footballers just haveto get it over a line, and if they miss, they get 3 points! Sometimes this miss all 3!

- They are starting to act like soccer players, faking injuries and sooking out on some. Like that week Barry Hall punch 3 years back and that guy had a cry.

I have more but I think I have fired you up enough to hear you

Answer 1

Well maybe if you actually watched the sport with a little less bias and took notice of whats going on then you may have a good starting point because NO you dont get 3 points for missing you only get 1 !!!!!
So-
In Aussie rules everyone has to kick the football and if you have the ball whether its a shot on goal or not YOU kick it ...theres no handing the ball over to the teams designated (best) kicker. I bet if you asked the rest of the NRL team to have a go they would be pretty hopeless so I suggest that you stop picking on the odd Rules player that has a way ward kick and start picking on the MAJORITY of the league players that cant kick!
Gee you saw five players AFL in the whole season of 176 (roster) games miss a shot... and how many kicks do you think that were in the whole season when the leading goal scorer on their own will kick 85-130 goals for the year.... ITS starting to look like those 5 missed shots are in fact a TINY percentage so perhaps a bit less bias and a whloe lot less exageration would be useful.
Who cares about getting it over a bar after all they are having a set shot from pretty close range.. its not as if they are having to kick it running flat out with someone trying to tackle them at the 50 metre line. Perhaps you should stop comparing rugby's close range set shots to the usually under pressure much longer kicks of the AFL.
I have also seen quite a few ruby players "faking it" and no the Aussie rules players are doing what we call "milking a free". Its a case of someone does something wrong so the alledged victim exagerates the impact etc so as to make sure that the umpire saw it and gives them the free-I am not a fam of this tactic but Ican see why when so many frees are missed by the umpires.

And no I am not fired up as so far none of you have said is accurate so why bother getting worked up over some biased spin that can easily be cut down with the truth.

Answer 2

I wouldn't say I hate NRL but I much prefer AFL. I am Brisbane born and bred, I used to think NRL was the better code until a friend took me to an AFL game about 15 years ago. Since then I have found Rugby League to be very slow and boring in comparison to Aussie Rules.

The one thing I do hate about the NRL is the referee's (but then again who doesn't hate the refs). They go to the video ref far to much. Also I think they favour certain players, for example the tackle Sonny Bill Williams did on Andrew Johns, I didn't think it was that bad and he got sent off and then suspended, I have seen much worse tackles and the player doing it has got away with it. I think Sonny Bill Williams was only punished to the extent he was because it was Andrew Johns on the recieving end of it.

Barry Hall is just a d**khead you shouldn't judge the entire AFL based on his actions.

Also they only get 1 point for missing not 3, the 3 point thing is only used in the pre-season NAB Cup and it is only awarded if the defending team put the ball through the posts deliberately in order to stop the other team from scoring, it's called a rushed behind.

There is no one in the AFL that is as big a sook as those Soccer players, soccer players are all just a bunch of pansy's. And the NRL does have their fair share of sooks as well.

Answer 3

I love both games. Go the Brisbane Lions and Manly Sea Eagles!

As much as I like AFL, I do agree on your point of faking injuries. AFL players are better actors, but it works so why not use it. If it's within the rules, go for it. That's not to say NRL players don't test the limit of the rules, because they do. In both codes it is a case of "see what you can get away with." They do get away with more in AFL than NRL I think.

TV coverage means there is more scrutiny of the action on field. AFL coverage is good, but when a try goes to the video ref in NRL, just look at how many camera angles they get for just one play? Personally, I think NRL players are less likely to get away with misbehaviour on field because of how much coverage there is. Occasionally there are incidents off ball in AFL which are not captured on any camera, so it's only onfield eyewitnesses that can testify before a judiciary.

In defence of Barry Hall (I greatly dislike him), everyone has an off day. If he really was that bad, would he be a full forward in a premiership team? Sometimes even the best NRL player will stuff up. Nobody is perfect. Unfortunately a stuff up happens on the biggest day of the year.

Answer 4

Good point but I have some points as well.
1. I find AFL easier to enjoy.
2. I don't hate NRL but there aren't many matches shown over where I live , and the ones that are on are shown at after midnight.
3. Every one misses easy shots sometime or other , no oe is perfect.
4. I really enjoyed the Beach Rugby on Channel 9.
5. In NRL you can get tackled about 5 times and not get the ball , I don't really see the point.
6. I'll Think About watching games if Channel 9 put them on at a sensible time.
7. The faking injuries is shocking, the players should stop doing that if they want our admiration and respect.
Go Melbourne Tigers!

Answer 5

I haven't watched the nrl versions for a long time - here in WA they put it on wayyyyyy too late. It used to be funnier than the AFL version by a long way. The stunts that they used to do each were were pretty funny. I can still see them all trying to eat the super hot chilli's! The afl shows these days is pretty lame and does not deserve a logie either. Maybe more people from the League states vote for the logies than Aussie Rules states?????

Answer 6

Depends what state your from and what sport you grow up with. Im from Victoria and love AFL but cant follow NRL because I don't know much about the game. We have to stay up till midnight to watch a NRL game on tv. All I know is that its a bit like soccer, it has limited excitement.

Answer 7

I see where you are coming from.

I'm a keen AFL supporter and I used to be very onesided and not like any team other than eagles, or any sport other than cricket or footy. Then I watched Rugby with my brother, I didn't understand it but was fascinated. My brother knew how to play so he explained to me and now I love NFL and AFL.

The first one of your points I completely agree with and your second (kinda). I'm an eagles supporter so I was happy when Hall missed but its so pathetic. I understand that there is heaps of pressure but its the same with the other players. I mean if players can pinpoint their team mate, one small person, and get the ball right on target, what is stopping them from getting the little ball through that big area given.

Anyway, I think that it depends on how you were brought up. I was brought up in perth where AFL dominates. But I liked NFL because I was brought up to like all sports- cricket, soccer, netball, basketball , etc. My cousins are guys and they are into sport so me, being the only girl, would just go in and play the same thins they did tackles and all.

Answer 8

as a melburnian i'll say that i love Aussie rules,i used to play it and now i go to the games regularly-can't beat it.

saying that i do enjoy the rugby,and before we got a team down here i used to enjoy watching the international games weather it be league or union,and since the storm started up i find that i follow the NRL a lot more,even going to my first game last year.

so for me its all good,AFL will always be no.1 but the rugby has grown on me-GO STORM!!

Answer 9

People like you thats why i hate it
where do you get off call rugby football
afl is the only game in the world where you kick the ball at the goals and it cant touch anything else NO POST NO PLAYER
you kick a goal and get 2points Touch down = 4
just call rugby touch down ball come up with something new
yes and its an australian game boyo

Answer 10

i think some people just like to hate. watever it is, but u find most people who appreiciate sport in general, like both forms of the game.

but u are right about afl players starting to act like soccer players, ive noticed the deliberate out of bounds rules has oppostion players pleading to the umpires like school kids