DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RUGBY LEAGUE AND RUGBY UNION
Rugby League and Rugby Union can seem very similar to the untrained eye, but it is important to know the difference. The difference between Union and League, known as the “schism”, originates from pay disputes dating back to the late 19th century and led to League creating its own more exciting path.
One of the easiest differences to spot is the amount of players on the pitch; in Union, a team fields 15 players at a time, whilst in League, that number is reduced to 13. In a game of League, a team can make up to ten substitutions, whilst in a game of Union that number is capped at eight.
In Union, a try will net your team five points; however, in the league, that number is only four – both codes reward two points for a successful conversion. In the league, a drop goal is rare, and will only net you one point, whilst a penalty is two, contrastingly both of these outcomes are worth three points in Union.
Lastly, and most importantly, the main difference between the two is the tackling system. In Rugby League, the team with possession of the ball has six chances to score (a chance is forfeited if the ball handler is successfully tackled). After the sixth attempt to score, the ball is forfeited. This restriction on the amount of tackles allowed is not apparent in the rules of Rugby Union.
POPULAR FORMS OF BETTING ON RUGBY LEAGUE
Head to Head
The easiest and most straightforward of the betting options. A wager on the Head to Head market (also known as Money Line or Match Result) is simply a wager on which team will win. The bookmaker will provide odds for each team to win, sometimes there may also be a draw option, but for the most part, a head to head bet is simply wagering on the winner of the event. As with all betting, the outcome that the bookmaker deems to be most likely will return the smallest profit.
An example of this could be :
In this example, the bookmaker has calculated that the South Sydney Rabbitohs are favourites, and therefore a $10 wager on them will return $13.7. Conversely, a $10 bet on the underdogs, represented here by the St. George Illawarra Dragons, will return $31.
Line Betting (Handicap)
Line Betting, commonly known as Handicap or Points Spread, is possibly the most popular form of betting on Rugby League (and all sports generally). In this betting format, a team is given a certain head start or handicap, with “the line” being where the two teams meet at equal odds. This has become the most popular because it creates an artificial equal playing field. When betting “the line”, the conceptual understanding is that both teams are competing as equals.
An example of this could be:
In this example, the Dragons have been given +8.5 points meaning that a bet on Dragons is successful if they win or lose by up to 8 points. Any loss of 9 points or greater will result in a handicap wager on Dragons being an unsuccessful bet. Conversely, in order for handicap bet on Rabbitohs to be successful, the Rabbitohs have to “cover” their line of -8.5, meaning they must win by at least 9 points.
Totals
Another noteworthy bet type is Totals, or Over/Unders. This format has nothing to do with winning or losing. In this market, the wager refers to the total amount of points scored in the game. The bookmaker will set a total points benchmark, and you, as the punter, can wager if you think the points scored will be “over” or “under” the quoted value. When making a totals bet, it is important to consider the tendencies of the teams, the strategies, the weather and team form.
First Try Scorer
One of the most exciting and popular wagering types for rugby league is the first try-scorer market. In this market, all you have to do is correctly select which player will score the first try. This particular bet type is often the hardest to pick but can be the most rewarding. Outside backs, mostly wingers, are usually the favourites to cross the line first, with most players at odds between $7.00 and $11. Look for wingers in teams near the top of the table, in good form (three to four wins in a row) and have scored multiple tries in their last five games.
Anytime Try Scorer
This is similar to the first try-scorer market; however, in this market, you simply need to nominate a player who will score during the game. The chances of winning an anytime try scorer bet are significantly more likely than the first try scorer, but the odds reward is much lower.
