The World Cup has reignited the hoary old union versus league debate in Australia.
Prominent league personalities, including leading referee Bill Harrigan, lambasted rugby union's stop-start nature in Sydney's Daily Telegraph newspaper.
"All the kicking and shots at goal put me off," said Harrigan, who holds the record for refereeing the most
NRL grand finals. "And I don't like all the stoppages. They will kick into touch, have a lineout, the ball won't be in straight and then there will be a scrum. Then another kick. I can't get into that side of the game."
Kangaroos and Sharks coach Chris Anderson warmed up for this weekend's transtasman league test with his own swing at the rival code.
"From what I've seen of the rah-rahs, we haven't got much to beat. It would be nice to get a game where there's not 100 points scored ... Until now the quality of football has been pretty average."
It was left to veteran rugby writer Spiro Zavos to defend the 15-a-side game's honour.
He said a league match could become a one-dimensional spectacle of players continuously bashing up against an obdurate defence. "If the defence doesn't yield breaks, this can be as interesting as watching people bang their heads against a wall."
His final word to rugby league diehards: "You play your game and let us play ours."
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