Some Rugby League commentators (eg Ian "Bear" Maurice) were apoplectic with their derision of the hybrid Gaelic Football - Australian Rules "Tests".
Yet the current series of International Rules of 6 Tests in the last 3 years has seen over 200,000 at the last 4 matches - 2 of them lock outs, and a series of down to the wire contests of fast flowing football - total scores from the 6 Tests: Australia 355 v Ireland 348. The games have a history going back to the 1960s and once Gaelic had an oval ball and behind posts - so the recent series is not a total concoction.
In comparison Australia can't find any competition worth the name in League. Total scores in the last 4 games by the Kangaroos: Australia 264 v others... 2. (the 2 points were scored by England) And the matches against countries like Russia haven't yet begun. The crowd at the big opener between England and Australia - 32,000. The crowd in Ireland for the Ireland v Samoa opener - 3,000 - that compares with a 58,000 lock-out at Croke Park 2 weeks ago.
And given that the "World Cup" provokes talk of a "hybrid" Rugby of Union and League - next time League commentators heap scorn on the AFL's jousts with the Irish...... mayhap they should TAGHLAT (take a good hard look at themselves).
Yet the current series of International Rules of 6 Tests in the last 3 years has seen over 200,000 at the last 4 matches - 2 of them lock outs, and a series of down to the wire contests of fast flowing football - total scores from the 6 Tests: Australia 355 v Ireland 348. The games have a history going back to the 1960s and once Gaelic had an oval ball and behind posts - so the recent series is not a total concoction.
In comparison Australia can't find any competition worth the name in League. Total scores in the last 4 games by the Kangaroos: Australia 264 v others... 2. (the 2 points were scored by England) And the matches against countries like Russia haven't yet begun. The crowd at the big opener between England and Australia - 32,000. The crowd in Ireland for the Ireland v Samoa opener - 3,000 - that compares with a 58,000 lock-out at Croke Park 2 weeks ago.
And given that the "World Cup" provokes talk of a "hybrid" Rugby of Union and League - next time League commentators heap scorn on the AFL's jousts with the Irish...... mayhap they should TAGHLAT (take a good hard look at themselves).