All Blacks vs Wahs - what are you watching?

I've seen so many heated debates online recently about league supporters slagging off union, and vice versa.

There's a clash of codes this week as both the All Blacks and Warriors are set to kick off at very similar times on Saturday night in the same city.

Now I'm very much a person that can't understand why people can't support both codes, but there are certainly many who have chips on their shoulders about the success of the other code.

Below is an update of a poll on Stuff.co.nz, asking the question 'Two huge games, one timeslot - what are you watching?

Which got me thinking, I wonder what the Fern preference is this weekend. My assumption is the All Blacks, but I'm keen to get everyone's answer on the matter.

Personally I haven't yet drunk the Warriors cool aid so I'm purely interested in everyone's opinion (if they have one).

@Canes4life I added a poll

@Duluth said in All Blacks vs Wahs - what are you watching?:

@Canes4life I added a poll

Thanks mate.

zero interest in the warriors .didn't even no there was a clash.no problem if anyone just watches them

The little brother syndrome a lot of league fans have is insufferable.

Now not all fans can be put into the same box but those that are constantly dissing union and talking up league is ridiculous. Both can coexist, just like it has for years. Why are kiwi league fans so anti union now?

The main difference for me is this. Union fans aren’t worried about league, therefor do not diss it on social media etc. League fans on the other hand, they diss union at any chance they get. I find it very strange but I can only put it down to making them feel better?

I'll watch both. Will record both games as well. Going either dual screens in the lounge or have one on the big screen and the other on a laptop. Will switch between for the big moments. Due to the pace of the two games and the kick off times. It is likely they will finish at about the same time.

I have zero interest in league.
Let alone union, I'm more likely to watch about half a dozen other sports before it.

I won't vote because I don't support the Warriors, although I'm happy to see them do well. I'd be interested to see how many people support a different NRL team for whatever reason, as we do in our household - My wife grew up in Australia.

As I said in the NRL thread this just pisses me off. I want to watch both. If I lived in NZ, and had Sky, I'd be sending them a grumpy old man email about it - and would be especially pissed off when my Sky bill goes up in a few months to pay for the new broadcast deal for the league.

I go dual screens sometimes, but not for test matches as I just want to concentrate.

Despite the league hype train AB tests are regularly hitting over 1m viewers these days and Warriors "biggest" matches nudge 600k (when not competing with the ABs).

Agree that some league fans are getting insufferable, but then again I'm on league forums so that's to be expected. And the NZ ones get caught up with the Aussie ones who hate rugby (like I've mentioned, they constantly bring up the Vichy Regime favouring rugby over league), and all the Aussie ones are just living on a second hand diet of hype train NZ media converted to Aussie media which makes them think rugby is dead. They think Harry Inch was the Crusaders star 10 rather than a young guy who couldn't get any starts for Ta$man.

TLDR: I'm watching the ABs live, will probably watch the Warriors Sunday morning as have a games night at conclusion of ABs.

There are actually three live sports events in Auckland on Sat night. The Harlem Globetrotters are at Spark Arena, and I am sure plenty of hoops fans will be there.

hopefully the AB's as will be down at our new clubs rooms opening....so banking on us getting it on but out of my control

@reprobate said in All Blacks vs Wahs - what are you watching?:

I have zero interest in league.
Let alone union, I'm more likely to watch about half a dozen other sports before it.

You don't like league or union?

@Mr-Fish said in All Blacks vs Wahs - what are you watching?:

@reprobate said in All Blacks vs Wahs - what are you watching?:

I have zero interest in league.
Let alone union, I'm more likely to watch about half a dozen other sports before it.

You don't like league or union?

I hate everything.

("it" being league, that was a bit unclear sorry).

I've a handful of friends / team mates who seem proud of the fact they haven't watched a Super Rugby match in years. Despite that, they still have strong opinions on how the standard of rugby just isn't up to it.

@WoodysRFC said in All Blacks vs Wahs - what are you watching?:

I've a handful of friends / team mates who seem proud of the fact they haven't watched a Super Rugby match in years. Despite that, they still have strong opinions on how the standard of rugby just isn't up to it.

Haha I know people the same. Will say they don’t watch it, yet they ask questions and seem to know a lot about it when it’s time to discuss selections, players leaving being a loss or putting bets on etc. Trying to convince themselves they don’t like it but deep down they know they do. Probably more an NZ thing.

@Nepia said in All Blacks vs Wahs - what are you watching?:

As I said in the NRL thread this just pisses me off. I want to watch both. If I lived in NZ, and had Sky, I'd be sending them a grumpy old man email about it - and would be especially pissed off when my Sky bill goes up in a few months to pay for the new broadcast deal for the league.

I go dual screens sometimes, but not for test matches as I just want to concentrate.

Despite the league hype train AB tests are regularly hitting over 1m viewers these days and Warriors "biggest" matches nudge 600k (when not competing with the ABs).

Agree that some league fans are getting insufferable, but then again I'm on league forums so that's to be expected. And the NZ ones get caught up with the Aussie ones who hate rugby (like I've mentioned, they constantly bring up the Vichy Regime favouring rugby over league), and all the Aussie ones are just living on a second hand diet of hype train NZ media converted to Aussie media which makes them think rugby is dead. They think Harry Inch was the Crusaders star 10 rather than a young guy who couldn't get any starts for Ta$man.

TLDR: I'm watching the ABs live, will probably watch the Warriors Sunday morning as have a games night at conclusion of ABs.

Think alot of people have been persuaded by the media constantly death riding Rugby and bigging up just how massive League has become (whether they realise it or not, constant anti-rugby / negative press does play it's part in turning public opinion)

@Landers92 said in All Blacks vs Wahs - what are you watching?:

@WoodysRFC said in All Blacks vs Wahs - what are you watching?:

I've a handful of friends / team mates who seem proud of the fact they haven't watched a Super Rugby match in years. Despite that, they still have strong opinions on how the standard of rugby just isn't up to it.

Haha I know people the same. Will say they don’t watch it, yet they ask questions and seem to know a lot about it when it’s time to discuss selections, players leaving being a loss or putting bets on etc. Trying to convince themselves they don’t like it but deep down they know they do. Probably more an NZ thing.

Not sure where this attitude comes from aye, as an aside and unrelated, I can't quite understand why someone would be a died in the wool Manly fan when they've never been there.

Either way, they're always experts come selection time.

@reprobate said in All Blacks vs Wahs - what are you watching?:

I have zero interest in league.
Let alone union, I'm more likely to watch about half a dozen other sports before it.

have i been using this phrase wrong my whole life?....if i said this i would be meaning i have even less interest in Union than i do League......

ie Leagues gets a 0 on the scale....and Union doesnt even get that

To be fair if you hang out in a rugby forum you will find just as many, I dont watch league blah blah as the other way around outside of a forum. People get protective and dismissive no matter where they are. Think the wahs movement in NZ has seen a lot more people become dismissive of union (but as based in Sydney dont see it as often, but hear about it a lot)..thankfully
I will watch both, most likely union with sound on, and wahs on the other screen. If blocka has comms definitely this way around.

@Kiwiwomble said in All Blacks vs Wahs - what are you watching?:

@reprobate said in All Blacks vs Wahs - what are you watching?:

I have zero interest in league.
Let alone union, I'm more likely to watch about half a dozen other sports before it.

have i been using this phrase wring my whole life?....if i said this i would be meaning i have even less interest in Union than i do League......

Ah I figured the context of a post on a union forum with the first sentence being 'zero interest in league' made it clear but obviously not - the subject of the sentence is league, the comparison is that let alone (union) the sport which i post about here, i'd rather watch basketball etc etc than league.

Just a shitty sentence - not my first, won't be my last.

@Landers92 said in All Blacks vs Wahs - what are you watching?:

@WoodysRFC said in All Blacks vs Wahs - what are you watching?:

I've a handful of friends / team mates who seem proud of the fact they haven't watched a Super Rugby match in years. Despite that, they still have strong opinions on how the standard of rugby just isn't up to it.

Haha I know people the same. Will say they don’t watch it, yet they ask questions and seem to know a lot about it when it’s time to discuss selections, players leaving being a loss or putting bets on etc. Trying to convince themselves they don’t like it but deep down they know they do. Probably more an NZ thing.

100% this. Plenty of people I know in NZ who are like that.

And I am a league fan, but the Wahs v St George is of no interest to the neutral league fan. The Dragons are odds on for the spoon. Will be watching the ABs before going to the Wallabies game straight after.

Will have the ABs game on TV and have the Wahs on my phone.

I'll watch both games at the same time using the Sky Sport Now Multiview option on my computer

I am betting @chris-b will be setting up his VHR for Saturday so he doesn't miss a thing.

Not even a contest. International rugby versus a glorified Sydney suburban league comp

Well I thought this was about the All Blacks and the Waratahs, so I guess that's my answer.

Who am I watching? Like…duh!

I love you guys, but sorry Wahs....

Just thinking about how oddly the media can pit one sport against another, there was a bizarre story in 2023 asking what the All Blacks could learn from the Warriors about being successful. The All Blacks had just been denied a World Cup title after some highly questionable officiating, while the Warriors had been comprehensively beaten in the NRL semi-finals. It was a very strange comparison to make.

@Kirwan said in All Blacks vs Wahs - what are you watching?:

Well I thought this was about the All Blacks and the Waratahs, so I guess that's my answer.

Who'd you decide on?

I didn't even know the waratahs were playing

Damn, booboo'd

@reprobate said in All Blacks vs Wahs - what are you watching?:

I have zero interest in league.
Let alone union, I'm more likely to watch about half a dozen other sports before it.

The fuck you doing on a rugby website?

Edit:
@reprobate read your subsequent posts. Sorry

I'm quite oblivious to the whole union vs league stuff, I'm not sure why anyone would get worked up about it, I'll put both on but watch the ABs more closely as that is a more important game overall. Union has a much stronger international game which probably makes it a bit more meaningful, and why the Wallabies will always pull a crowd despite all their failings, but the NRL is a fantastic competition though so I can see why it's so popular in Aus. Also I would fucking love the Wahs to actually win the bloody thing - that would be right up there with a RWC win in my books given how tough the competition is.

Something has gone seriously wrong when our so-called national team has been dragged down to comparison with a club who play against teams named after cities/suburbs of Australia.

For what it's worth, I've watched two league games in the last decade, and don't plan on watching it at any point in the near future.

I have no real interest inthe NRL, hope the Wahs do well, but it makes zero difference to me. As others have stated the death-riding of rugby by some terminally online league fans is plain weird, actually really effing weird. Nonetheless just like the sport itself I pretty much ignore the Wahs. So the rugby for me.

Watch the Wahs every week. Watch the ABs every test. Not going to be any different this weekend.

Well as I haven't watched Wahs/NRL in well over 30 years, and I always watch rugby and tests , guess I will watch the test.
I not against League or anything, I just don't watch it. I haven't watched any WC soccer either, not because I got anything against it, just no real interest.

Might watch a couple of games of League a year, haven't missed an All Blacks test since the 1990s, keep the faith!

@zedsdeadbaby said in All Blacks vs Wahs - what are you watching?:

a glorified Sydney suburban league comp

now worth about a billion $NZ per year
but wahs v St george . . . yeah/nah
probably why none of the parties involved were bothered about the clash