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With all the talk lately of how great the NRL broadcast deal is and will be for the game, many have suggested that the game of rugby league is in prime position to challenge AFL for the title of Australia’s biggest footy code.
Seems like a great idea considering the AFL has ‘declared war’ by establishing new franchises in the league heartlands of the Gold Coast and western Sydney.
The ARLC has recently come out and said there will be no new NRL teams in the near future, effectively closing potential AFL/NRL battlegrounds in Perth and Adelaide, and leaving the league fans of the NSW Central Coast, Central Queensland and non-Broncos Brisbane to ponder their support for the game.
John Grant, the ARLC chairman, has stated on the topic of financial analysis and long-term sustainability ‘that our first commitment is to existing clubs’ of the NRL.
So rugby league isn’t going to get bigger and better until the current poorly-performing clubs are fixed. This seems a good way to start the battle with AFL, but potentially not to overtake it.
The question is, how do these existing clubs grow?
My advice: instead of taking on big brother AFL, take on little brother Rugby Union.
Quade is out, SBW is out, the Wallabies are underperforming and the country seems united in their loathing for Robbie Deans (who is statistically the greatest ever Super Rugby coach).
Quade Cooper has used the cliched criticism of stating that rugby union is boring and defensive, a well known catch-cry of all league lovers. He might be right, although I’ve also watched some quite boring games of rugby league this season.
Not even winning Super Rugby titles and being first choice fly-half for the Wallabies seems to be good enough for Quade. Would things be different if the Wallabies had won the World Cup?
In any case the next RWC is in three years, and if winning Super Rugby titles isn’t enough for our rugby union stars, then I say league should go after the players in the way the AFL went after Karmichael Hunt and Israel Folau.
Quade and SBW have almost signed on, and the skills of youngsters like James O’Connor, Kurtley Beale and Digby Ioane would surely be magnified by having more space and time on the field in rugby league. Not to mention the greater media coverage and publicity that they would get from free-to-air TV, something these players seem to enjoy.
If they were to perform to the high-levels they’re capable of, it will also greatly enhance the prospects of rugby union juniors signing up for rugby league. If it’s good enough for their heroes, hopefully it’s good enough for the juniors.
As for the potential earnings of both sports, well it’s a long time since Wendell and Lote left league in search of cash.
The broadcast deal has ensured better pay for NRL players, closing the gap between the NRL and AFL/Rugby Union in terms of payments. And while the NRL isn’t expanding clubwise, do they really need to in order to challenge Rugby Union? There’s 16 NRL teams, compared to the 5 Super Rugby teams, a lot more spots for juniors to fill.
Think of the plight of an Australian Super Rugby player that isn’t good enough to make the Wallabies squad – the likes of Greg Holmes, Tom Carter and Christian Lealiifano. While they may get time in the Australia A team or in training, these players spend their weekends playing grade rugby in suburban grounds for a few hundred spectators.
Surely a few of these types of players would prefer the grind of week-to-week NRL for seven months where they are constantly in a professional environment, and for those that are after it (Quade Cooper again), a lot more time in the public eye.
Failing this, the NRL could always just get Khoder Nasser to have a chat with a few of the Wallabies.
Just my two cents, but as an NRL fan I’d love to see the game grow, and rugby union seems an easier battle than AFL.
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