SALFORD Reds football director Steve Simms claims the gulf between rugby league and rugby union has widened in terms of skill, strength and fitness levels.
Simms believes the modern day high-speed RL game is vastly superior to anything union can offer both here in Britain and in Australia.
Simms told M.E.N. Sport: "Rugby union simply cannot match anything rugby league has to offer.
"League is a far better game - it's a greater spectacle and it's played by players who are far better than the average rugby union player.
"I watch club rugby union and it's slow motion compared to both Super League and National League.
'Light years ahead'
"Top international RU games can be an exception but generally RL is light years ahead.
"The speed and pace in league is vastly superior to anything you see in union.
"Both codes are professional yet club rugby union continues to be dour and has not really progressed in my view.
"Standards in Super League however continue to increase with every season - union can still learn a great deal from league.
"In Australia rugby league is by far ahead of what union can offer.
"The average league player is more skilful than his rugby union counterpart - he's fitter and has so much to offer.
"I firmly believe a league player going into union has far more chance of doing well than a union player who comes into rugby league."
Is League 'light years ahead' of Union? Have your say.
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After watching Sale V Newcastle Last Saturday on BBC Grandstand followed on Sunday by St Helens V Bradford also on the BBC who can argue with what Steve Simms has to say, club Rugby Union is a poor product put against League.
Absolutely right, something a lot of leaguies have thought for years. It's only in recent years with the professional era that union players have upped their fitness and skills. The divide remains however. Compare Super League with the 6 Nations. The latter lives off hype. With fair and proportionate media coverage League would be massive.
The views expressed by Mr Simms are the views of all league players and supporters, It is so unfair that highly skilled and extremely fit athletes who genuinely put their bodies on the line and produce an exceptionally competitive spectacle week in week out, do not get the credit they deserve. Having played both league and union at conference and county level and represented the army at union, playing the latter was a waste of skills and energy.
If Britain wants to have a frequently successful team winning at international level then rugby league should be given much more coverage and support by the media.
This is so very true. Union relies on it's so called "technical play" which really isn't very technical. Instead it simply deteriorates into a mess. League relies on the skill, strength and stamina of its players - something that union claims to have but all too rarely shows.
Without its sychophants in the media who fail to see that the emperor's new clothes don't exist, union would fall apart in no time.