Memo to the rugby league administration: the ‘market’ is us
Roar Guru By gruffalo, 31 Jul 2008 The Crowd is a Roar Guru
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- NRL, Rabbitohs, Rugby League, South Sydney Rabbitohs
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Finally the damage to rugby league by News Limited is becoming clear. For years, we warned you that the attack by News Limited on tribalism and tradition would kill the game.
But, most leaguies sat by while the Bears and the Rabbitohs were systematically destroyed. All we heard were pathetic bleatings by NRL types and supporters about the “product” or the “market”.
Time to listen.
The “market” is us. Rugby league fans are the market and we should control how it is managed.
So, if you are a true rugby league fan, send out a clear message. Immediately cancel your PayTV subscription and refuse to buy any News Limited “products”.
It may harm your development, missing the intellectual insights and educational efforts of the Telegraph, but you’ll survive.
Then, kick News Limited out of the game, sack their lackeys, and engage some football-loving, genuine business people to put together a strategic plan for the next twenty years.
Part of this plan could be, “don’t pay a player $250,000 when you can only afford $100,000.”
For the first time in ten years, rugby league fans need to stop being cowards – gullible, ineffectual cowards.
Rugby league journalists need to drop their petty agendas and career-building and support the game that made them. If not, then the game is dead. And it’s your fault.
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July 31st 2008 @ 1:09am
Captain Carnage said | July 31st 2008 @ 1:09am | Report comment
Cancel my Pay TV subscription? Is there only NRL on Pay TV? And the Rabbitohs, yes they were systematically destroyed but I’m sure it was by Newcastle on Sunday…
Unfortunately, there are hundreds of thousands of people who buy papers, magazines, Pay TV and the like who aren’t actually NRL fans. But I admire your bravado…
July 31st 2008 @ 8:24am
Gruffalo said | July 31st 2008 @ 8:24am | Report comment
CC
You can’t say “no”, as the ad went.
NRL fans need to make a point. The time for cowardice, apologists and excuses are over.
Cancel your PayTV subscription and go out to games. Read the Sydney Morning Herald – better writers, more educational and less journalist agendas.
July 31st 2008 @ 8:47am
True Tah said | July 31st 2008 @ 8:47am | Report comment
Gruffalo,
you hit the mark with your comment about most leaguies sat by whilst the Bears and Bunnies were exterminated.
The general comments from most leagues fans I talk to were that the Bears deserved their fate, and they don’t care less that they are not there anymore…despite the Bears being a bit ahead of the times and wanting to go to Gosford, and the Central Coast Mariners have pretty much made it their town now.
The fact that most Australian league fans interest in the game is pretty much restricted to their club, and they are not concerned with what happens to other clubs (well at least in Sydney). Ultimately this sort of attitude will not help the game out.
July 31st 2008 @ 9:37am
Midfielder said | July 31st 2008 @ 9:37am | Report comment
Gruffalo
Mate there is only one way to rid yourself of News and we have talked about it a few times.
Form a new body, each of the NRL clubs sign with the new body. The new body to then do the media deal.
Thats what News did to the ARL, …….. it takes balls, good legal advise, and a team committed to making it work.
League has its clubs, its players and its junior base and its TV ratings …… take back what is yours before its to late.
Bear in mind to the US media comoany that News is …..RL is but a small product
July 31st 2008 @ 11:37am
Millster said | July 31st 2008 @ 11:37am | Report comment
Bizarre. Yes I agree that the rugby league fans are the market. But does that mean that they should control the way it is managed? Absolutely not.
You, me and the guy next door are also the market for Toohey’s beer, Panasonic TV’s, Holden cars, Nokia phones, and a million other things. Would you for a second assume some sort of moral right of control over those products and those companies?
And taken from another point of view, you say that “leaguies sat by while the Bears and the Rabbitohs were systematically destroyed”. Surely this is your market of fans speaking and saying that they didn’t care too much about those clubs, even if you do personally. Or is your real message that the “market” of fans can only control the game if it is in accordance to your own personal view of how things should be?
Finally, just today I read an interesting opinion piece by Freddy Fittler calling if anything for a more radical move away from tradition and towards a strategic commercial control of the game including new clubs in growth markets, reduction of Sydney club numbers, etc. I just cannot see the bridge between this forward looking klind of vision and the “cling onto the past at all costs” view that you seem to hold so dear.
July 31st 2008 @ 12:22pm
Michael C said | July 31st 2008 @ 12:22pm | Report comment
Rugby league fans are a portion of the market – - – but, not enough. Just WHAT Is the market? or, alternatively, plural – what ARE the markets? and just HOW is a mandate declared and promoted to gain influence???
In the main, Rugby League fans exert influence via the TV remote control.
The Rugby League fans DO NOT exert in the same manner as for example AFL fans on the level of attendance and club memberships.
And, the latter is important – because club structures DO give club members a voice, a vote and therefore at very least a club level ‘influence’ – - – and a RIGHT to an opinion as MORE than just a ‘customer’ via tv viewing habits.
To me – - the Rugby League ‘fans’ don’t really have a mandate – - because, they don’t really have a platform to begin with????
And, most certainly – whilst the upper reaches of the code in this country are firmly in the hands of a media organisation – - well, they are very good at telling us what we need/want…………
There certainly appears the need for blood letting, …… for revolution.
Good luck to the RL true believers – - – and, it might be time that the NRL media starts becoming a little more introspective rather than casting the AFL as an evil pariah……….remember, for years, Soccer in this country partook in a blame game, finally – - they, dragged by the Fed Govt and the Crawford report – they applied introspection to advantage.
July 31st 2008 @ 12:43pm
Millster said | July 31st 2008 @ 12:43pm | Report comment
MC – the bulk of your reply I totally agree with, in fact the only part that I don’t is the single line about blood-letting.
League is a TV game, and that is the decision of its fans who have decided to primarily participate from home, via the remote control, rather than at the ground. So to me it is perfectly natural and sensible that a game which is so predominantly enjoyed as a TV product be owned by a TV company.
Nothing requiring revolution there…
In fact my fear is that the self-annointed ‘true believers’ who are those 5% of people who cling onto the old school, will be the squeaky wheels who stuff things up for the 95% silent majority who are quite fine with the made-and-managed-for-TV direction of the code.
July 31st 2008 @ 1:00pm
Captain Carnage said | July 31st 2008 @ 1:00pm | Report comment
Gruffalo,
But I’m a Roosters fan living in Brisbane…makes getting out to see them pretty costly, considering they play neither the Titans or Broncos up here this season…
July 31st 2008 @ 1:21pm
Michael C said | July 31st 2008 @ 1:21pm | Report comment
Captain Carnage -
have you bought a membership though? Many AFL fans can only get to a handful of games, but, buy the seasons ticket more as a donation and a paid for right to use ‘WE’, and ‘US’ when referring to the teams exploits.
I don’t know if the NRL clubs offer a decent range of membership packages, most AFL clubs do have effectivel cheap interstate memberships where for an effective donation, you get email updates, a magazine/newsletter or 2, and a few stickers etc etc.
Millster -
the blood letting was more because I reckon the time is NOW – - and, as a result, it’s potentially too late to mobilise the supposed RL ‘army’ via club memberships and attendances – - as, that seems more of a generational and cultural change.
I tend to agree with you, I think this whole ‘RL heartland’ thing might be a little rusty at the hinges. I don’t know that it really exists (at least in the way it seems some wish to portray it). NSW after all, is the home of RL, RU AND soccer in Australia – - I just don’t see the RL bastion as being a 4 sided fully enclosed fortress. Those 5%, I reckon they spend a bit of time painting cardboard trucks and blowing up inflatable aircraft…..
July 31st 2008 @ 4:52pm
Captain Carnage said | July 31st 2008 @ 4:52pm | Report comment
Michael C,
I’m not rich enough yet to make a “donation” of that size; at least the AFL fans you speak of can make some of the games; I can make none…
Gruffalo,
My other point was that my other half and I watch a lot more than just NRL on Pay TV…