I know lads from pretty much every amateur club that have done scholarship/academy at either pro club, then not returned when released at 19 because they're an easy target for bigger, older blokes out to get them. Hopefully this means there's less of a drop off at that level at least
Having played both in Hull and union in Lancaster and London my playing experience favoured union over league, mainly because of the social benefits. As for watching, league wins by a country mile. Since being in Aus I have had zero interest in watching any football here apart from friendlies featuring clubs such as Liverpool, Man U and Chelsea. The game I have chosen to follow here is league, although I will go to union games when the British Lions, New Zealand and South Africa play Australia in Sydney.
I think our kid is as real as his Vern character or in fact his EG one. I do like the Gull one the most.
If you define popularity by national TV audience viewing and column inches written about them in major newspapers, then the answer is that League dwarfs Union. The highest rating Aus TV programme so far this year is a League match played before over 91,000 at the MCG a couple of weeks ago, when NSW beat Queensland to level the interstate series 1-1. The decider played this Wednesday in Brisbane is forecast to exceed that rating. I will be there in a sell-out crowd of well over 70,000.
