As we seeing the start of a new code war?
Roar Guru By John Davidson, 20 Mar 2012 John Davidson is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, NRL, Quade Cooper, Rugby League, Rugby Union, Sonny Bill Williams, Super Rugby, Tim Moltzen
NRL CEO David Gallop speaks to waiting media. AAP Image/Joe Castro
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One of The Daily Telegraph’s screaming headlines last week was ‘Wests Tigers utility Tim Moltzen in talks to play rugby union’.
This was the second story in a week that revealed that the NSWRU was trying to sign up an NRL star. The first was in regards to Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, the Roosters forward.
Technically the NSWRU would be getting one back with Waerea-Hargreaves, as the Kiwi has played club rugby in Sydney before and starred for Australia at the under-19 world championship in Ireland in 2007.
But he has definitely made his name in the NRL and with the NZ national team.
So, two highly regarded NRL players in rugby’s sights in less than a week.
There may have been a lot of hoopla and hyperbole around the AFL’s capture of Karmaicheal Hunt and Isreal Folau, but they were stunts pure and simple.
As always has been the case, the two rugby codes battle for players and we may be about to see a newly emerging code war. or perhaps this is just business as usual.
Former leaguie Quade Cooper is tipping to join the NRL following the Lions tour in 2013, going to either Parramatta or the Roosters. How he could handle the defensive load in league remains to be seen.
Ex-Bulldog and shoulder charge merchant Sonny Bill Williams is also coming back to the NRL, if the reports are to be believed, and joining the Bondi boys.
This would be the case of the NRL hitting back and reclaiming two stars, Cooper being a league junior.
But obviously the ARU isn’t sitting back idly. Former Melbourne Storm and Gold Coast Titans product Joseph Tomane is lining up for the Brumbies this season, while fellow ex-Titan Shannon Walker and Brisbane Bronco Denan Kemp are in the Australian Rugby Sevens squad.
Of course, revealing just how inter-twined these two codes are, Tomane was an Australian Schoolboys (rugby) star.
The similar qualities of the two sports means than many players have skills that can be showcased in both codes. The signings of Cooper and Williams, if they are pulled off, will be huge coups for the 13-man code.
The fact that the ARU now has five Super Rugby franchises to fill and the impact of the NRL salary cap means that the rugby union body is always on the lookout for good league talent.
Cooper Vuna and Jarrod Saffey are two ex-mungos playing rugby for the Melbourne Rebels.
Just as Wendell Sailor, Matt Rogers and Lote Tuqiri were signed up at the beginning of last decade as marketing ploys, expect the ARU to continue with a few choice signings in the next few years.
But if the NRL gets its $1 billion broadcast rights deal it will have the resources of its own to hit back by snaring some big-name players, like Williams and Cooper.
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March 20th 2012 @ 2:03pm
kingplaymaker said | March 20th 2012 @ 2:03pm | Report comment
John in a way the code war is more a case of the NRL and AFL blasting rugby to smithereens, a very one-sided war. Rugby through suicidal decisions such as fielding 5 teams vs its competitors’ 16 or 18, and losing millions through not having private ownership, has effectively put up a white flag to its competitors many moons ago.
March 20th 2012 @ 2:30pm
Stevie said | March 20th 2012 @ 2:30pm | Report comment
Kingplaymaker the reason there is only 5 pro RU teams in Australia is that there is only enough demand for 5 teams. Even 5 teams is too much of a stretch as 4 of the teams are rubbish. It was much better when there was only 3 teams as they were all competive. By having too many teams you are just stretching the talent to much and as a result the product turns to rubbish.
March 20th 2012 @ 3:07pm
kovana said | March 20th 2012 @ 3:07pm | Report comment
Hear hear. Rugby is the underdog in Australia.
March 20th 2012 @ 4:30pm
Matt S said | March 20th 2012 @ 4:30pm | Report comment
If union stopped its decades old attack on league, based on a century of lies & mistruths, both sports would be in a better place, morally and physically. There are already examples of this in some countries and competitions (league’s UK conference wouldn’t be half as successful without union cooperation, which in turn benefits union club’s finances I.e bar takings etc).
League’s enemy, as is union’s, is AFL. The milarky from AFL supporters about GWS targeting those not engaged in rugby league is plain rubbish. They signed a league player, their CEO was a league administrator, and a weekend article (now an obligatory feel good story) about a Muslim AFL development officer in West Sydney, happens to declare he was a league player as with most of the players in an all Muslim team. Well, I thought this GWS gig was about engaging Wrstern Sydneyites not involved in rugby leage? Three good examples of a rubbish disguise to wipe out league head on.
If unionites are sitting back applauding GWS, well, your next. The Swans already accept tahs/north shore supporters in droves. Look where AFL has come from-places where competition rarely exists. They are uncomfortable about northern markets and multi-dimensional support of various codes.
This “oh look at Melbourne’s sporting fabric now-Storm, Rebels, Victory, Heart” is balony. Are any of these codes on FTA? Better chance watching NRL in Mongolia than Melbourne. Plus none of these clubs are really doing amazingly well? Success on the field doesn’t necessarily translate into off field success.
Watch what you wish for.
March 20th 2012 @ 5:31pm
SportsFanMelb said | March 20th 2012 @ 5:31pm | Report comment
Matt S – Rubbish rant and obviously you are another Anti-AFL everything poster.
The question I have for you is this:
If the NRL/Super Rugby/A-League were in the same position as the AFL are today with regard to finance, TV coverage, player participation, live audience etc would they not being doing the exact same thing that the AFL is trying to do? That is expanding to non-traditional markets and trying to build derby games across the country? Increase their presence and market share across AUS from the current position? Is this not simply a smart business decision with a long-term benefit for the game?
I find it the height of hypocrisy that the NRL writers and supporters are so adament that Perth must be the next team admitted to the NRL, while in the very same breath deriding everything that the AFL does in GWS. I have not seen a single article from an AFL writer even mentioning NRL in Perth (which is an AFL state by all measures). But with the writers from Sydney regarding AFL everything is code war this and battlefield that. Time to grow up and cut the scaremongering.
I live in Melbourne and attend live sport throughout the year including all football codes, cricket, tennis and the Spring Racing Carnival. Some people can enjoy more than sport, the fact that I am lucky to have the opportunity to watch this variety is fantastic!
If you can only follow one sport then good luck to you and have fun in your vacuum with your conspiraciy theories.
March 20th 2012 @ 9:30pm
Matt_S said | March 20th 2012 @ 9:30pm | Report comment
SFM, your own zealots have stated they are attempting to untap the market that doesn’t follow any sport in Western Sydney. I’ve correctly pointed out they have signed league players, administrators and even league fans in their foray into Western Sydney. These aren’t untapped non aligned sports fans. They are league people. Hence competition attempting to take away league supporters. No rant, the facts. Come out and be honest.
March 20th 2012 @ 9:42pm
The Cattery said | March 20th 2012 @ 9:42pm | Report comment
The AFL never said boo when in the last 15 years the Storm, two A-League clubs and the Rebels entered the market in Melbourne (plus countless other teams in other sports).
In fact Super Rugby adminstrators have said straight out that the AFL was extremely welcoming, much to their surprise.
March 20th 2012 @ 9:44pm
The Cattery said | March 20th 2012 @ 9:44pm | Report comment
I should add that the private schools in Melbourne have had rugby as one of their major sports for the best part of a century and have produced more than a handful of Wallabies – there has never been a problem between rugby and Australian Football in Melbourne.
March 20th 2012 @ 10:26pm
ufa said | March 20th 2012 @ 10:26pm | Report comment
matt s, if rugby league and afl have decided decades ago to develop their sports outside of its few professional clubs in victoria, nsw and nothern england, then maybe your sport (rugby league) would have been played in many countries and areas than currently is. stop blaming rugby for the wrongs your own administrations did decades and decades ago. i didnt know rugby was top blame for rugby league not having teams in melbourne, leicester, london, southampton, perth, adelaide, bristol, derby and so on in nsw premiership or northern union.
March 21st 2012 @ 5:56am
kingplaymaker said | March 21st 2012 @ 5:56am | Report comment
‘If union stopped its decades old attack on league’. This suggests there has been no decades old attack from league on union.
March 20th 2012 @ 5:02pm
Nathan of Perth said | March 20th 2012 @ 5:02pm | Report comment
“and losing millions through not having private ownership”
Like the ancient Israelites and their kings, this could cost you far more than it would benefit, because you’ll hand five people the power to destroy the game professionally if they ever get the thought in their heads. Be careful what you do for the money!
March 21st 2012 @ 5:57am
kingplaymaker said | March 21st 2012 @ 5:57am | Report comment
‘you’ll hand five people the power to destroy the game professionally if they ever get the thought in their heads.’ Why would they want to do that? And indeed, why would the ARU allow them the leeway to do so? And has that happened in England or France, or has, instead, the game not benefitted from endless millions being ploughed into it by these owners?
March 20th 2012 @ 2:55pm
John Davidson said | March 20th 2012 @ 2:55pm | Report comment
Tongue firmly planted in cheek, Damo
March 20th 2012 @ 4:09pm
Matt S said | March 20th 2012 @ 4:09pm | Report comment
Lomu and a number of All Black greats in the last decade or so grew up playing league as juniors. Isn’t the Kiwi Reds player Harris a former league junior starting off as a seven y.o.? This fallacy that it was all one way traffic from union to league is just that , a fallacy. Same with the great Serge Blanco, a league junior.
Rah rahs still harp on about Wally Lewis, Ricky Stuart etc but fail to mention they grew up playing league and only turned to union in high school cause of league’s alienation in the private school system. Guys like Michael Lynagh, Little, Gregan played mini mod league and remained in union.
Where’s your moral highground now?
Players play both codes, big whoppy. We’re reminded often leagiues have chips on shoulders, get over it but unionites it seems have amnesia.
March 20th 2012 @ 10:43pm
ufa said | March 20th 2012 @ 10:43pm | Report comment
if you had an idea of what sports in nz was like then you might know something instead of making up your own. jonah lomu and many great all blacks played rugby at schools and many (including lomu & sbw) made representive rugby union teams in their provinces from age six right up to high schools and the rest is history. and for many other all blacks they couldnt have played rugby league at junior level as there werent any rugby league played in many provinces of nz for almost 100 years and even to this day league isnt a national sport yet.
im not sure where you got the serge blanco was a league jr idea from but he was born in venezuela and only started playing rugby from his teens until he made the french school teams in the late 70′s.
March 21st 2012 @ 10:41am
Matt S said | March 21st 2012 @ 10:41am | Report comment
UFA, George Pepponas was Greek born and a doctor, captained the Kangaroos. Hardly a background associated with league. Serge Blanco didn’t play sport before his teens? Like many players of his era and before, league credentials are often ignored or in some cases, deleted. You probably haven’t heard some union players had their faces blanked out in official team pictures for swapping codes. There is a lot you don’t know either.
March 23rd 2012 @ 2:52pm
ufa said | March 23rd 2012 @ 2:52pm | Report comment
lets not argue on something you and i never witness so im nbot going to just spread rumours about the past. serge blanco never played rugby league and played all his rugby in biarritz where there was no league club. you might have got him mix up with phillipe sella who had one season of league out of 29 years of playing rugby from junior to seniors.
March 20th 2012 @ 7:02pm
chris said | March 20th 2012 @ 7:02pm | Report comment
Union needs to clean up it’s act with the rules while League wants to sort out the prospect of getting into a one code unity to fight of the AFL and even Soccer.
March 20th 2012 @ 10:45pm
ufa said | March 20th 2012 @ 10:45pm | Report comment
i just wish fans wont call other sports names and vise versa.
March 22nd 2012 @ 12:01pm
levelheaded said | March 22nd 2012 @ 12:01pm | Report comment
Let’s think sensibly about private ownership. The SR Clubs recive a portion (remember, not all, but a percentage) of the broadcast revenue from the national sports bodies – there is no revenue unless there are Clubs, there are no Clubs unless there are players and hence the portion usually poays for the players. Rumous state that the rebels lost more than $6m for their first year, on top of the investment required to operate the Club, approx half the AFL CLubs lose money, nearly all the Soccer Clubs do – c’mon who in their right mind would fund a footy club in Australia with the competition and small population? Macro economics would say not!