League is back, but did it ever really disappear?
Roar Pro
By johnhunt92, 7 Oct 2009 johnhunt92 is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- NRL, Rugby League, rugby league grand final
180 Have your say
Up until Grand Final day, the NRL had no right to be smug with the problems inherent in its code. If people thought 2008 was bad, 2009 was a disaster in PR for the code.
Well, the Grand Final had almost wiped that away.
The NRL decider outrated the AFL decider by 200,000 TV viewers. My friends, league is back big time and is here to stay.
After fighting off union challenges stemming from the 2003 Rugby World Cup and the rise of football, league is definitely the number two Aussie sport.
While AFL is, and will be, number one for a long time, league should be making the AFL sweat. NRL crowds topped three million and its ratings on Channel Nine also were up on last season.
League was once doomed by its bitter infighting during Super League (something union should remember and think about in its situation).
Now, ten years on, league warring factions have got in bed together and, for the better of the code, have kept their battles private.
While everything and everyone in league can see more good times ahead, I will acknowledge Rebecca Wilson, the ARU appointed Grim Reaper of rugby league, has a point.
League has serious issues to deal with that could stop its growth.
Its brand is damaged from all the scandals over the past two years. As well as that, there are clubs in Sydney that are at the point of collapse.
The NRL cannot really help them due to being shortchanged in the TV rights.
2009 has shown that League is not immortal from its problems. 2009 did show though that League is not far off that immortality.
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Chris said | October 7th 2009 @ 6:06am | Report comment
Well John O’Neil is looking quite the fool right now. Less than a year ago I recall him saying that Australia only had room for one rugby code. It now looks like if a code does disappear from Australia (and lets hope it doesn’t) it sure won’t be league.
Kurt said | October 7th 2009 @ 7:25am | Report comment
It’s funny how Rebecca Wilson is the designated bogeyman (bogeywoman?) for pretty much everyone who thinks their sport is getting a hard time. Soccer types refer to her as an ‘AFL hack’ and now it appears Leaguies consider her to be an ARU proxy!
John said | October 7th 2009 @ 12:05pm | Report comment
Kurt, rugby league fans don’t see Wilson as a union proxy. We’re fully aware of her love of the AFL. The AFL is smart in that it has journalists scared of the consequences that attacking the code would produce. Rugby league on the other hand is an impotent target, that outside of Roy Masters and Steve Mascord, has no friends in the media. There are AFL, soccer and RU journalists, but these days Rugby League is only covered by Sports Journalists, who are so lacking in ideas that attacking the game is all they know how to do..
captain nemo said | October 7th 2009 @ 12:16pm | Report comment
John, ie patrick Smith and Caroline Wilson
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 12:54pm | Report comment
John,
Let’s just explore these comments as they are really quite out of whack.
1. What consequences do you see the AFL can render on journalists?
Let’s take Rebecca Wilson, she writes sports opinion pieces for the Daily Telegraph and occasionally gets published in the Herald Sun,etc. But most would agree she is a Sydney journo with little relevance/care factor in Melbourne.
How exactly can the AFL scare her? She is not reliant on AFL media releases or access to games, her columns are often across a range of sports and despite the lack of journalistic integrity that I think we ALL agree about her pieces, she is hardly ‘owned’ by the AFL.
If she chooses to give the AFL a pat on the back fro time to time,your gunna have to live with that. The AFL does do a lot of things right.
2. As for a lack of RL journos – what about Phil Gould? or the sports editors of the Daily Telegraph telling readers they wont publish anymore bad incidents in the NRL unless they really really have to
you pat Roy Masters on the back because he never rubbishes the NRL – he is the poster boy propaganda machine for the game who often tells blatant lies about the AFL.
A couple of recent ones:
Masters announced ten days ago that ‘next week’ another NRL player will go to the AFL – has that happened? he said it would be in the next week.
Masters also said the Fevola incident was being held back by the Herald Sun in AFL GF week and more will be exposed in the following week? (implying the paper covers up stories), well we are still waiting and the AFL GF was played on Saturday 26 September, 2009 , its now Wed 7 October, 2009.
These are just a couple fo small examples of Masters (not the tennis player
) and his RL propaganda.
Paul Kent, the Backpage on Fox Sports is an embarassment if your after anything more than RL lovefest. Same as Foxsport News.
News Ltd in particular gives the NRL plenty of media exposure for free. Why? becuase it is a 50% owner. News tld knows the NRL scandals sell papers and keep RL in the news, its a cycle they obviously worked out years ago.
Redb
AndyRoo said | October 7th 2009 @ 1:04pm | Report comment
Rebecca Wilson should get the nobel prize. She is bringing us alltogether by reminding us of what we have in common….. no one likes her
BigAl said | October 7th 2009 @ 1:27pm | Report comment
Well I don’t think Rebecca Wilson is all that bad !
Could it be that she is a woman that ‘. . . is bringing us all together’ ?
She is after all employed as a tabloid journalist – which means she is employed to be provocative.
I can only recall one story of hers that could be said to be pro AFL – and that was about Swans captain Brett Kirk, which was really about the man rather than AFL
James said | October 7th 2009 @ 1:34pm | Report comment
And also about Paul Roos when he announced he was stepping down at the end of next year….
Jay said | October 7th 2009 @ 1:44pm | Report comment
The Daily Telegraphs decision to make their back page a scandle free zone was a disgusting attempt on the part of the newspaper.
What really happened was that the Daily Telegraph only a week earlier made the allegation that one of the Brisbane Broncos players who played for QLD had an illicit drug addiction. There was no proof in the article and the allegation could be narrowed down to 5 players – all of whom could have sued for defamation. The newspaper knew what an error they have made and luckily for them the payers did not take any action (hmm.. the NRL is half owned by News – which owns the Broncos and the Daily Telegraph – talk about a conflict of interest).
They have bastardised sports journalism and their attempt to clean up their act was superficial and hollow.
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 1:49pm | Report comment
What!! …the Daily Telegraph ran a story without proof – well blow me down. Sorry for the sarcasm but some posters on here were almost defending the rag.
oikee said | October 7th 2009 @ 2:39pm | Report comment
Mate, i only found out about the Fevola incedent after the AFL grand final, they held back the incident on news up north, so conspericy thoery one squashed. It happened, other wise i would never have watched the AFL final,
Even then, i had no idea who Fevola was, he not pretty.
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 2:50pm | Report comment
Fev and Willie Mason have the same parents.
Campbell Watts said | October 7th 2009 @ 3:03pm | Report comment
The two biggest peanuts in Australian sports!!!
Lewie said | October 16th 2009 @ 7:17am | Report comment
Rebecca Wilson has gone on record many times in her articles to say that her code of choice is Rugby Union.
Mr cheese said | October 7th 2009 @ 7:43am | Report comment
Will anyone in Aussie be interested in the 4 Nations tournament that is soon to start ?
I don’t know how much press it will get over here. Somewhere between very little and none, I suppose. They are playing the NZ v Aussie game in London, I beliebe. Presumably the hope is that the ex-pats will take an interest. Let’s hope they do, because the Londoners certainly won’t want to turn up !
oikee said | October 7th 2009 @ 9:02am | Report comment
Mr Cheese, everyone is looking forward to the 4 nations, we have cable t/v here in oz that can record programs at anytime,
and play them back at our leisure sir. I think channel 9 will be showing all games that australia play and the Bbc and sky also are showing the games over their. I and my old man are looking forward to seeing the Kangaroos strut their stuff. Cheers.
Plenty of aussies and kiwis in London, which will be a cracker, game of the decade. I think the kiwis might be to strong, even with 10 internationals missing.
Mr cheese said | October 7th 2009 @ 9:25am | Report comment
Oiko,
I would go to it but I don’t live in London Town so it isn’t a possibility.
I encourage you to listen to a programme that BBC Radio is going to do with ( I think ) the Aussie RL team before the thing kicks off.
George Riley works for the BBC in London and, because he is from the north, he tries to give Rugby League some publicity down there.
Look it up on the website of BBC Radio 5 Live. I don’t work for them or anything but I reckon it could be worth listening to.
The England v Australia game will be broadcast on the BBC. I think it will be nationwide and not just in the north ( could be wrong, though ).
Will they convert one or two southerners to RL ????? Let’s see…
oikee said | October 7th 2009 @ 2:47pm | Report comment
Mate, i hate to squash your thoughts about southerners, they do watch league.
I will have a look on the net for any news on the Bbc, i have alook daily at their site. Thanks for the tip, not much gets past me. And yes, those southerners do get the coverage, probably get coverage in France also. Maybe. Who cares, their problem if they miss out. The greatest game will just pass them by, we are making more progress in Malta.
Jeff Baxter said | October 8th 2009 @ 8:16am | Report comment
Leaguie from plymouth here – as about as far south as you can get!
danwighton said | October 8th 2009 @ 11:40pm | Report comment
I cant wait for the four nations – but I cant see anyone beating Australia considering the backline they have now.
oikee said | October 7th 2009 @ 8:03am | Report comment
The difference this year being, league hung out all its dirty laundry for everyone to see, the AFL still hides theirs under the carpet called Melbourne, take fevola the other nite, can you imagine what goes on down their behind closed doors, look at the way he presented himself in public, and most of their croney reporters just laughed it off. The whole code stinks, and the public north of the border can see this, please feel sorry for normal humans living down south, having to watch these morans most days down their.
Yes i am being harse, but for a city that tells the rest of Australia they dont even know what rugby is, now thats disgraceful.
The t/v numbers this year is behind a code on the rise, bigger stars and better sportsmen, who come across more down to earth on T/V. I watched Barry Hall talking last nite, he sounded like a caveman. Fevola, ? i am not sure what he is, if he portrays Melbounre, then please stop sending your retires to QLD. Keep them in Melbounre so we know where they live.
You might think i have it in for the AFL, totally wrong, just the ignorance they show for rugby league. Once they get rid of the chip off their shoulders, (and i will know) then i might give them 2 minutes of my time.
Kurt said | October 7th 2009 @ 9:05am | Report comment
So Brendan Fevola being hung out to dry by the media is evidence that the AFL covers up such matters? Intriguing argument.
oikee said | October 7th 2009 @ 9:26am | Report comment
No, my argument is the fact he behaved in this manner in public, so what is it like behind closed doors. If he is willing to get drunk act like a pillick on TV, i would hate to see him at the club or pub.
Kurt said | October 7th 2009 @ 9:21pm | Report comment
Actually from a psychological perspective I think people like Fevola are MORE likely to act like pillocks on TV rather than in private, but that’s a topic for another time.
Dogs Of War said | October 7th 2009 @ 9:31am | Report comment
AFL couldn’t do that, as Channel 9 had all the video evidence.
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 9:46am | Report comment
Kurt,
Hypocrisy shown here is amazing. The RL folk bitterly complain every time their Sydney papers dragged the NRL through the mud but when its AFL off field incidents , oh boy they tee off from the highest moral platform…
Redb
Kurt said | October 7th 2009 @ 9:24pm | Report comment
The weirdest part is how they claim AFL scandals are ‘hushed up’. Three of the biggest stories on The Age website over the past couple of weeks have been the Essendon player allegedly assaulting a cabbie, Fev being a drunken w*nker and Wayne Carey being refused entry into the US. Based on this I’d say the secret AFL department responsible for killing these stories won’t be getting the end of season bonus this year…
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 8:19am | Report comment
The NRl GF did not out -rate the AFL GF. This is incorrect.
The Daily Telegraph part owner of the NRL should stop publishing propaganda.
Jay said | October 7th 2009 @ 8:34am | Report comment
The ratings were also published in the SMH. The AFL outrated in the capital cities, but the NRL outrated in regional areas. In total number the NRL GF won the ratings.
On another note – tets hope the reports are true and we get Johnny Howard to run our independent commission!
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 8:42am | Report comment
Both Sydney papers are using the wrong 5 captial city number as their base. already pointed this out, they are using 2,704,000 for AFL when it should be 2,878,000 (Oztam). As for the regionals the numbers form Ag Neilson put the total for AFL with regionals at 3.8M against the NRL’s 3.6M (published by DT – maybe thats wrong as well?).
Dont beleive everything you read in this propaganda war.
Redb
Chris said | October 7th 2009 @ 8:51am | Report comment
Neilsen is about as reliable as a Windows Vista…
The Link said | October 7th 2009 @ 8:55am | Report comment
Where are the Oztam figures for the RL GF? If the AFL Oztam figures are different to those quoted on the higer side , then it stands to reason that the RL one probably is to.
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 8:56am | Report comment
the Daily Telegraph did not publish its sources, I’ll take a media ratings organisation over them anyday.
Dogs Of War said | October 7th 2009 @ 9:05am | Report comment
Crickey also published the same stuff. Considering that regionals is the area that NRL is very strong, is it that much of a surprise to see the NRL make up a 300K gap from capital cities?
And at the end of the day, who cares. Both were very strong performers, and both can lay claim to being the premier winter sports in the country.
I also suggest watching out if you are using Dan/Mikeo’s figures as a reference point. That guy has something wrong with him, I have never seen someone so obsessed over TV figures and how AFL is all powerful. THe guy lives to post on the NRL forums with “TV figures twisting any result for NRL into a failure, while AFL is great, even the poorly rating Swans…
The Link said | October 7th 2009 @ 9:08am | Report comment
RedB, you’re fond of quoting these guys in the past
http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2009/09/week-39-2.html
2,704,000 metro figures for the AFL.
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 9:36am | Report comment
the link,
Am I ?
pretty sure its this site i quote: on a regualr basis
http://www.talkingfooty.com/tv_ratings_2009.php
and I quote Oztam. Should I go into what Oztam do?
Redb
Dogs Of War said | October 7th 2009 @ 9:40am | Report comment
Yeah, the AFL run website. I prefer official figures, not those of an AFL fanboy.
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 9:42am | Report comment
offical figures like Oztam!
Soctt said | October 7th 2009 @ 8:49am | Report comment
I don’t want to turn this into a political rather than sporting debate, but, John Howard would be FANTASTIC for the NRL.
oikee said | October 7th 2009 @ 11:26am | Report comment
Soctt, Jonny Howard is going to be used for our international push overseas. He is well known throughout the political world and can pull strings at this level. With him on the board this can happen. Its just common sense and good leadership to invite him onto the board.
Gallop as you can see, has done a good job for rugby league, all the doomdayers and naysayers are dead and buried now.
Rugby league is alive and well, sponsers will be crawling over themselves to be part of the action. The Melbounre Storm are now a international brand. They also have the World Club Challenge to further heighten their brand. Sponsers know this, my earlier argument about sponsers commiting suicide if they pulled out of League. All true see.
captain nemo said | October 7th 2009 @ 11:31am | Report comment
Oikee, this pains me to say this but you are probably right to a certain extent!!!
Ryan said | October 7th 2009 @ 3:06pm | Report comment
To oikee
Melbourne Storm an international brand, are you serious? I will keep an eye out for one of their jerseys in New York, London, Singapore, Tokyo e.t.c
Of all the sporting brands coming out of Australia, RL is the least known. Try Webber, Stoner, Reed, Hewitt, Norman, Thorpe, Kewell, Ponting, Giteau e.t.c
We have better known female snowboarders in the world than NRL teams and players. I like league as much as the next bloke from NSW but please be serious. You talking it up doesn’t make it so.
Jay said | October 7th 2009 @ 3:29pm | Report comment
The NRL brand is still more international than anything the AFL has ever produced!
You go to remote villages in PNG and you will see people wearing NRL jerseys. We’ve also got a NZ team! There are LOCAL supporters in England and the Pacific Islands. RL has a minor presence in the south of France and played its first game in Barcelona! People in Lebanon know of rugby league! Even counterfeit stores in Bangkok sell NRL jumpers! You may see a Newcastle Knights shirt in New York – but it will be the New York Knights in the American Rugby League competition!
Of all the footballing codes in Australia – the AFL teams have the LEAST international exposure! I don’t mean the odd expat who wears an Essendon shirt in a pub, but real international followers of the game. A-League has Asia, super14s is already international (perhaps the most out of all the Australian football teams)..
Pete said | October 7th 2009 @ 11:31am | Report comment
Just when i was really getting back into league and theyre going to bring Howard into it. Great, what a downer to end a great season
MyGeneration said | October 7th 2009 @ 11:42am | Report comment
Yes, but thing of all the great conspiracy theories getting whipped up if the Dragons make it back to the GF! Blogging gold!
oikee said | October 7th 2009 @ 12:20pm | Report comment
Good call, i was thinking those lines but dont worry, the dragons will get flogged over that issue. Their is some guy on the daily telegraph who dearthrides the dragons, Buzz i think he is called. I can imagine his side-show blogs as we speak.
Poor dragons.
Jay said | October 7th 2009 @ 4:20pm | Report comment
Hopefully they wont buy their ‘Premiers’ merchandise premature in future years.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
oikee said | October 7th 2009 @ 9:23am | Report comment
Yes they are all wrong Redb, even the reports on t/v are wrong according to you. Its already been reported that more than 200 thousand people more were watching. Give up Redb.
The only people living in denial are Victorians. League, with its worse year ever for code misbehavior, has beaten you hands down. The public like open, honest portrials of their players and not a biased approach. League has delivered this to the public, and they like what they see. We dont like scheming people who project false figures and push a code down our throat. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth, and it can come back to haunt you.
AFL’s boss and stooges come across as arragant, everyone can see this except Victorians. As i have mentioned before, The storm will be a mega club, what the rest of Melbounre does is of no concern to league followers, you cant stop this, the club is going to be huge in rugby league terms. A 10 thousand crowd in rugby league is a good crowd, a 30 thousand crowd in AFL is ordinary, you do the math.
Rugby league is made for tele, why do you think its so popular.
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 9:41am | Report comment
Not on your life.
The facts support the TV ratings for the AFL GF were 2,878,000 for 5 capital cities not 2,704,000 (maybe an early number?)
As for your arrogance about rugby league I think that is for all to plainly see.
I dont mind the competition though its healthy, RL think they off the floor and back, good bring it on.
I’d much rather the AFL be considered on its knees that some monster taking away peoples children in Western Sydney.
hubris away…..
The Link said | October 7th 2009 @ 9:50am | Report comment
You use them for Pay figures.
I understand what Oztam is. I also understand that they are yet to release the RL figures.
So what of the TV Tonight figures then? You are the one accusing the Telegraph of lying.
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 9:57am | Report comment
the Link,
Clearly, some websites have jumped the gun and have incorrect figures, i quoted Oztam yesterday on this site. Look it up.
Redb.
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 10:00am | Report comment
http://www.oztam.com.au/documents/2009/E_20090920.pdf
why do i have to do all the work
Dogs Of War said | October 7th 2009 @ 10:02am | Report comment
But since oztam doesn’t have any official NRL figures available on it’s site. You can’t claim that either have rated higher than the other. Seems both parties are using different figures to say they where the better rating final. NRL using the first release figures for both. While the AFL is usign a combination of the official figures for the AFL, and the first release figures for NRL.
Their is no doubt that AFL rated higher in the capital cities, which is not surprising considering all the teams except Geelong are in capital cities. While the NRL has plenty of teams in regional areas, and thus they become very important to the NRL on top of the capital cities.
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 10:03am | Report comment
DOw,
Excellent point. Remember I have never claimed anything just refuted the Daily Telegraphs and some websites numbers on the AFL GF.
maybe they should have waited?
Redb
Simone` said | October 7th 2009 @ 9:47am | Report comment
Sure i read in yesterdays Melbourne Herald sun somewhere that stated that the AFL had more viewers than the NRL. But seems both the Sydney papers are reporting the other way around. Someone twisting the figures somewhere. Sounds like something NSW would do
John Ryan said | October 7th 2009 @ 10:25am | Report comment
Well bugger me Talking Footy is the official website for Ratings,OZTAM may as well pack up and go home and Talking Footy an AFL fan site is correct, I,m sure all the media groups will beat a path to Big Footy and Talking Footy as they are smarter than OZTAM.
Who according to most, and I except the Big Footy people Rebd, Michael C or Dan not sure what flag hes flying,funny how you accept OZTAM if they agree with your version of the truth but dont believe if they dont
captain nemo said | October 7th 2009 @ 10:32am | Report comment
propoganda red is rewriting history books and brainwashing school children. many Victorian children don’t even know why they hate rugby league, they know that they just do!!!
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 10:36am | Report comment
Many Vic schoolchildren certainly in the past would not have even heard of rugby league much less hate it.
I thought you were an intelligent poster. Do you really beleive what your writng becuase if you do, you are mistaken.
Redb
captain nemo said | October 7th 2009 @ 10:57am | Report comment
red, you raised the term propoganda regarding the telegraphs apparent article. I am simply putting my own spin on it. I would like a dollar for every time I have had a Victorian say to me, I hate league but rugby is ok. When I ask them do they actually know the difference in the sports or even why, there usually is no reason. But mate, thats just my experiences.
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 11:06am | Report comment
your experiences included stting with Victorian schoolchildren?
I bet if you look hard enough you might find a few Sydneysiders that dislike Australian Rules or Aerial Ping Pong, etc.
But that’s Ok and reasonable?
Dogs Of War said | October 7th 2009 @ 11:07am | Report comment
I think Aerial Ping Pong is the official term for the sport in NSW.
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 11:13am | Report comment
and who could forget the article where the Western Sydney father was quoted as saying he threw an AFL Auskick invitation for his children in the bin.
Check your backyard.
Dogs Of War said | October 7th 2009 @ 11:18am | Report comment
To be fair I am sure the same thing happens in AFL states. Approaches by what is viewed as competing codes (either Rugby would do), would gather a similar reaction by a die hard supporter of the AFL.
For me, when I have kids, I will support whatever code they play. Even if it is AFL much to my displeasure, but it’s about what makes them happy, not me.
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 11:20am | Report comment
DOW,
I wasnt refuting that code bias exists just that to suggest it only occurs in Victoria.
Redb
AndyRoo said | October 7th 2009 @ 11:21am | Report comment
I always found the “I hate league but rugby is ok” line a bit of a mystery to me.
I guess it’s the perceived cultures. Or is it ok to support the Wallabies because they are a national team?
It would just make more sence to me if they said they hated all “bum sniffers” .
captain nemo said | October 7th 2009 @ 11:26am | Report comment
andyroo, last year my wife and I took a collegue of my wifes to a TAH’s match while she was in Sydney for a weekend and she said, I hope this is a rugby union game, I absolutely hate league. the thing is this woman had absolutely no idea what the difference was between the two rugby codes. All she knew was that she hated league. later on I thought, I should of taken her to a league game and told her it was rugby!!
Ryan said | October 7th 2009 @ 3:16pm | Report comment
Hey AndyRoo and Captain Nemo,
the reason for Victorians thinking they dislike league but union is ok is because of the terrible things that happen off the field in league that they read about.
Union has a much admired culture that Victorians like. As a country we should be supporting all our National Teams whatever sport it is. This is something that the NZers do very well but we are obssessed with which code is best
oikee said | October 7th 2009 @ 10:57am | Report comment
Come on Redb, we all know the communist party is making a comeback in Victoria, its called AFL. The hatred for rugby league in Victoria is like filth on a public toilet seat.
You need to chill dude, AFL has been around for years in Qld and NSWales, do i lose any sleep over this fact? no.
Rugby league is going to grow in Melbourne, our players are much better looking.
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 11:09am | Report comment
not from Sydney Captain Nemo, but heres another one.
Kurt said | October 7th 2009 @ 9:28pm | Report comment
Strange that RL fans actually think Victorians hate their sport. Take it from someone who actually likes league, the vast majority of Victorians are utterly ambivalent about the sport. As a school kid I didn’t even know Union and League were different sports, I thought they were just different comps like the old VFL and VFA. Don’t mistake profound ignorance for negativity.
Mr cheese said | October 7th 2009 @ 8:37am | Report comment
You lot tend to have quite a few arguments amongst yourselves about AFL versus NRL.
I’d have expected you to join forces in the fight against your common enemy: round-ball football !!!
oikee said | October 7th 2009 @ 11:33am | Report comment
Mr Cheese, i have always said League and Soccer are bedfellows. What i dont like about soccer is their culture, its too intense. And the players are overpaid. Apart from that no issues.
League and soccer can do quite nicely feeding off each other here in oz. Lets not try to harm that with a us verse them mentality. I have enough on my hands fighting off AFL and Union.
captain nemo said | October 7th 2009 @ 11:38am | Report comment
Oikee, the way things stand at the moment, rugby is the least of leagues worries unfortunately. At the moment, rugby is a sucker fish on the grey nurse league. Rugby will bounce back once it reinvents itself and oikee, I see no reason why you would want to fight off rugby. Personally, i believe they should be complementing each other (in a perfect world)
oikee said | October 7th 2009 @ 12:08pm | Report comment
Yes, would be good if the 2 could play better together. Like i said, i just dont like the rules, and league has the perfect amount of players on the feild. I like fast and furious, not slow and stodgy. Apart from that, they are both Rugby.
I am not deathriding rugby, i just want league to grow more. Like i mentioned, i went out and supported 2003 rugby world cup, probably most leaguies did.
Matt S said | October 7th 2009 @ 8:46am | Report comment
Rebecca Wislson actually came out in a column and stated she is a rugby union fan, first & foremost. She should not be let any where near a rugby league article again. She lacks legitimacy.
And hey people, let RedB have his day, after all AFL people feed off things ‘BIG’ ‘Big crowds’ Big game’ ‘Big ratings’ big big big. It seems that is all they have to hold onto. A very fragile lot (I won’t use the word ‘Xenophobic’ because that would upset him).
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 11:08am | Report comment
Captain nemo, found one.
BN said | October 7th 2009 @ 1:02pm | Report comment
And just like the AFL’s rating victory Redb, Captain Nemo dosn’t exsist. Next you will be saying that the Gabba is the Heartbeat of QLD sport
.
oikee said | October 7th 2009 @ 10:09am | Report comment
DOW, yes that website is a afl biased site. Look Redb, let me explain something to you which might upset you, the under 20 Toyota cup is now a permanent fixture on t/v, i have heard it rates very well. The money from this comp is being poured back into Junior level. I read the other day a 16 year old was being paid 150 thousand dollars.
This is what you dont see, small measures put in place to take the weight off the NRL. A one bodied independent commision will also save millions for rugby league.
So what we have acheived since last years world cup,,,
1 Made enough profits to start a Pacific cup,
2 added another nation to the 3 nation tournament.
3 Grown toyota cup to pay junior wages.
4 Created a new event called the Indigenous /all stars game
5 Got funding for a 170 million new rugby league headquaters for a independent commision.Sydney
6 created interest in expansion areas. 7 places interested.
7 Helping PNG create a pathway for entry into QLD rugby league, and a school program designed to keep kids at school.
8 Got NRL onto american t/v with good cable service. Hopefully next year they take up the rights for a season, and Origin.
9 Showed the public that players are only human, like you and me.
10. all this while all codes were thinking league was going to fall in a heap. Now thats impressive. Rugby league is a very strong code, always has been, always will be. A super tanker. Watch the ratings once Perth is re-admitted.
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 10:20am | Report comment
Oikee,
I’ve said this a few times and maybe you missed ‘The West Wing’ but “has there been an break out of flag burning I’m not aware of”. President Barlett.
I supect lot of the code dying comes from within to stir up the passion.
We know it, the football codes know it and in the AFL’s case we’ve had an independent commission for 20 years.
Competition is healthy, it drives sporting bodies to keep improving and not to takes things for granted.
Redb
danwighton said | October 8th 2009 @ 11:52pm | Report comment
League definitely needs a shakeup at the boardroom level – and if that means they need to go down the independent road, so be it.
Im a passionate league fan, and I was a passionate Bears fan before they were booted out, but if culling teams means a stronger, more national league, then so be it.
And as for the ratings debate – so what, its a couple of hundred thousand people either way…the point is both grand finals ratings are growing compared to previous years (check out the OzTam ratings history on wikipedia).
Also, even though I love that league rated so well, its important to mention that the AFL only had melbourne teams – this makes its large audience even more of an achievement. Bulldogs v Roosters wouldnt have got the same audience – the NRL still needs the Storm in the game to grab Melbourne’s attention.
On the point of growing audience numbers, the other interesting point to make is that in Melbourne, 90% of households who were watching TV at the time tuned in to the AFL GF, and in Sydney, 87% were tuned into the NRL (in Brisbane 78% were tuned into the NRL, and in Melbourne 55% were tuned into the NRL). Good news for both sports.
The Link said | October 7th 2009 @ 10:11am | Report comment
So other websites besides the tele are quoting the 2,704,000 figure, hardly the propoganda you make it out to be.
http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2009/09/2-7m-tops-afl-grand-final.html
These guys, Crikey and the Tele must get their information from somewhere.
I have seen the OzTam figures from their site.
The discrepency must be able to be explained somehow, it doesn’t look like some vast conspiracy to knock down the AFL however.
The Link said | October 7th 2009 @ 10:20am | Report comment
Here’s a theory, perhaps they were attempting to compare apples with apples by using some kind of ‘early release’ figures from BOTH matches. This makes sense given that this was all that was available for the NRL GF and they are quoting the ‘early release’ figures for the AFL GF, not the latest Oztam figures.
Michael C said | October 8th 2009 @ 10:34am | Report comment
Correct – re early release figures – - which normally don’t vary much. So, normally it’s pretty safe. In this case it didn’t turn out that way – no idea why not. It just means people on forums like this need to take a breath and step back a fraction from their passioned ‘debate’.
The odd thing though – is OzTam take a couple of weeks to actually publish to their website the ‘official’ figures. And yet, some sites that DO source the preliminary figures don’t then update those figures with the final official figures. THAT to me seems odd.
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 11:24am | Report comment
Yeah the Daily Telegraph never engages in code propaganda??
The Link said | October 7th 2009 @ 11:29am | Report comment
Do you think Media Watch is onto this thread!!
Redb said | October 7th 2009 @ 12:27pm | Report comment
I’m sure they have catacombs filled with old Daily Telegraph newspapers archived under ‘hacks’
oikee said | October 7th 2009 @ 10:20am | Report comment
Take your time to read it, yes very impressive hey Redb. And you think its all about t/v ratings.