Cornflower, regarding your last post. We're not talking about sporting teams in general. We're talking about "Thugby League" teams. Also, scouting is NOT Thugby League, or anything like it. Scouting has a TOTALLY different culture compared to Thugby League. I'm an old Scouts Master from a long time ago, and I KNOW that the scouting culture doesn't encompass the aggression and violence of Thugby League culture!

The "negative assumptions" of people about Thugby League you mention, are NOT the result of misleading info.and poor research as you wrongly suggest. It's primarily the result of the way the games are CONDUCTED BY THE PLAYERS. They CHEAT continually, display terribly bad sportsmanship and they are VIOLENT. There's people who LOVE that sort of thing, and there's people who dislike it.

Thugby League ITSELF is to blame for it's poor reputation.

Good morning Master. It was more violent? Was it – err hard to explain what I mean but was it more honest violence, frustration, bit of rage, and it would suddenly all blow up? Or was it always the sneaky calculated violence I saw recently?

It’s not often I nail something but if this is correct then those boys are living immersed in a cult like mentality and I feel quite sorry for them. When they grow up and look back will they be able to remember a single game that was won without violence or “targeting” an opposing player or being underhanded is some way?

I hope they all stay dumb because it could be quite damaging to them. And that is just on the field, I can imagine more shame being carried for a lot of behavior off field.

Maybe if the feminists are about they should be approaching this in a more sympathetic way?

Yes Jewels, the game was more violent in the past. There was a lot more leniency regarding type of tackles (they used to "spear" players into the ground head first in an effort to injure, and they also used to "target" a player's upper body in the hope of inflicting head/neck injuries in order to take the player out of the game). Also, there was a bit more lenience shown by authorities regarding punching, kicking and verbal intimidation. I remember one player, not too long ago about maybe 6 or 7 years ago, was in the habit of attempting to stick his finger up the anus of players he was tackling - - - - - that got a lot of publicity during the era when they began trying to clean up the game a bit.

In the 60s and 70s the violence in the game was more "open". It was tolerated, and players' saw it as something to be proud of - - - - the mark of a Thugby League player (especially a forward) was measured by his ability to dish out the violence. They has a name for it, he was the "enforcer". These days, with a few more restrictions in place, the violence is often more "calculated" and "sneaky" (as you've noticed), although the players still often lose control and just out and out assault another player.

Thugby League contains the whole spectrum of players:

1) those who sail through their careers relying on their speed and playing skills to make their mark

2) those who are influenced by both the on and off field culture, who occasionally get into trouble

3) those who are influenced by both the on and off field culture, who often get into trouble

4) those who come into the game as "already" damaged people. These are the people who if they didn't come into the game, would STILL be troublemakers for the police, girlfriends, mates and authorities. Being influenced by Thugby League culture makes them WORSE, despite the good intentions of a VERY FEW within the League to help them.

Master

No such thing as a 'Scouts Master'. Where and when was this?

Which reminds me, you haven't said what university course you completed. Remember saying you had been at university when you were casting a few aspersions about the intelligence of others?

Scouting - I gave it as an item of interest without comparison. Did you jump to a conclusion or is that the way you argue?

The rest is too disjointed and irrelevant to respond to. However you have previously expressed a hatred of rugby league so it is pointless discussing it further.

TPP

Best go and watch some local games and reassure yourself. Chat with the mothers and families.

The speculation about cult-like mentality is a long way from the mundane reality (mundane for most women at least) of football.

Cornflower, I was involved in the scouting movement throughout the 50s. If you "seriously" think there's never been such a thing as a Scout Master then you obviously know NOTHING about the movement.

Yes I have been to university, but so what! Are you the forum Nazi Nanny that we have to answer to? Well, just to piss you off, you can just keep guessing which courses I did. Ha!

No way Cornflower, I heard what the parents do to each other. I’m not getting beaten up on the sidelines by some big mean Aussie sports fanatic mum thanks.

The young players must watch all the big games though, something very wrong with the whole thing. My boy liked basket ball, he used to come home with some amazing injuries and inflict some that I heard. I think he soon stopped sharing these highlights with me as it dawned on him that I didn’t see the fun side of this or understand that it was acceptable amongst the “boys”.

Goes back to what Houel was saying about parents but I know that it wouldn’t matter if I made my boy promise not to play that way, he would of when back amongst it all again.

He had a major op on his gut and was playing b’ball within days, got a huge infection and didn’t tell anyone because of a game he wanted to play that weekend. It’s been 4 years and I’m still not finished bleating.

I heard about the finger thing Master – I think it was a Kiwi bloke and happened while I was still over there, yeah yuck. But neck injuries and stuff? Bloody hell. Is this the same thing that the Warriors play in? So they’re all the same across the ditch too? Anyone died yet or become paralyzed?

I’ve watched the American thing, seems it is about ramming each other as often as possible but then they’re all padded up for it.