Souths are just as important as Rusty’s marriage
Roar Guru By MG Burbank, 25 Jan 2013 MG Burbank is a Roar Guru
- Tagged:
- English super league, Indigenous All-Stars, Indigenous Council, NRL, NRL All Stars, Rugby League, South Sydney Rabbitohs
Russell Crowe. AAP Image/Action Photographics, Robb Cox
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Your weekly wrap of all things rugby league, including Russell Crowe and South Sydney, the NRL All Stars game and England’s Super League.
Rusty must stay
Russell Crowe can surely rebuild his marriage and own Souths. He’s good for the game. Nobody’s interested in buying the Rabbits, anyway: with TV rights deals generating cash for the NRL and not the clubs (unlike the American system which allows for one-team, one-city clubs to procure their own rights deals), it is very difficult for clubs to make money outside of their annual NRL grant (which is their tiny share of the rights deal), merchandising and what they collect through the gate.
So Rusty, do whatever you have to with Danielle to make it right – but don’t ditch the Bunnies. They’re more interesting with you around.
Hard times for Jharal
Jharal Yow Yeh’s has suffered another setback in the rehabilitation of his ankle, after one of the worst leg injuries I’ve seen in any sport. It will be fascinating to see what kind of player he is once he does return to the field; it would be a profound shame if he cannot recover his former speed, grace and evasive skill. Still, better an ankle than a knee.
Indigenous tension
Okay, so there’s a dust-up between the ARL Indigenous Council and the NRL. I can’t begin to explain all the issues, but there seems to be resentment over not being consulted enough on issues pertinent to the indigenous league community. Some former aboriginal players, including Larry Corowa, are also upset over being lumped in with the multi-cultural One Community charity arm of the NRL.
A smaller issue seems to be the move from Skilled Stadium to Suncorp, with members of the council protesting the lack of cheap accommodation options in Brisbane and the move away from a smaller, more community feel.
Not sure what to think about that one. Are there substantially more people of indigenous heritage on the Gold Coast than Brisbane? Is Suncorp that much more corporate than Skilled? Sounds like a drizzle in a teacup.
Regarding the NRL’s lack of inclusion in decisions, I’m sure Corowa and company are right. Big, corporate organisations rarely show enough respect or inclusiveness when it comes to involving relevant stakeholders in decisions. And of course, the Indigenous Council deserves to be its own entity and treated that way.
But I do have one issue with Corowa: he said he and his community didn’t want to be seen “as a marketing or PR gimmick.”
Larry Corowa needs to understand a crucial difference. If the NRL is indeed treating the indigenous council and the greater indigenous community purely as tools in a marketing gimmick, that’s cause for protest and a fair degree of upset.
But the Indigenous All Star game itself? Sorry- it is a gimmick. It may be a terrific gimmick, raising awareness around indigenous issues (not sure how much it does that) and elevating respect for and recognition of indigenous people (more confident it may do that), but ’tis a gimmick nonetheless.
Corowa is over-shooting if he sees it as anything more than that.
Time for new administration in England
Still no sponsor for the Super League in England? Yes, I know how popular the other world game (league fans need to start calling our game the world game, if for no other reason than to get rugby fans to spit out their soy lattes) is over there, but for Pete’s sake – the Super League rates well on TV, attracts decent crowds and gets a fair-to-middling amount of media exposure.
The fact that the RFL can’t attract a sponsor is unthinkably absurd.
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January 25th 2013 @ 8:22am
Col Quinn said | January 25th 2013 @ 8:22am | Report comment
MG,
Having just returned from a two week sojourn in that freezing country, the RFL is struggling for sponsorship because there is not that amount of money available in business for sporting sponsorship. Right across the UK sporting clubs are folding because there is not enough money around to keep them going. This applies to football, RL and RU. The fact that Glasgow Rangers went bankrupt should be an indication of how bad the UK economy is. I don’t think that most Australians realise how broke the UK is. Also, football is, now, sucking the life blood out of other sports, so that code can survive. I spent a freeing week working in Derbyshire around Buxton. The main business in the retail sector is now opportunity shops. What you are saying about RL being an international code is true. RL is expanding across Europe and no matter what little boys, sitting in their bedrooms in Sydney’s North Shore or Eastern Suburbs, respond, yes, RL is growing because people like the game.
January 25th 2013 @ 10:39am
MG Burbank said | January 25th 2013 @ 10:39am | Report comment
Good reporting, Col. Despite the economic struggle, I still think Super League can cobble together a major sponsor.
January 25th 2013 @ 2:14pm
clipper said | January 25th 2013 @ 2:14pm | Report comment
After having spat out my soy latte, I though I’d enlighten you about the reasons Glasgow Rangers went into administration. It was more to do with being greedy and overspending trying to buy premierships and dodgy taxation dealings that caught up with them – they still have plenty of sponsorship money and will be back in the premier league in a few years – meanwhile all those 3rd division clubs are making a fortune when playing Rangers with their 50k crowds.
January 25th 2013 @ 4:41pm
Col Quinn said | January 25th 2013 @ 4:41pm | Report comment
Clip, it is amazing to see Rangers going around in 3rd Div. I agree with you about the primary reasons for going insolvent but the club still could not raise the necessaries to get out of trouble and that was, in part, due to the economics of the country. Several of my relatives, in the UK, blame it on the London Olympics sucking the UK dry of funding for anything else than the Olympics.
Col
January 25th 2013 @ 8:27am
Will Sinclair said | January 25th 2013 @ 8:27am | Report comment
How similar was Yow Yeh’s injury to that suffered by Taniela Tuiaki of the Tigers?
I only ask because I know Tuiaki never played again. Which was a tragedy because he was on the verge of becoming a big-money player, and a bit of a star.
January 25th 2013 @ 10:40am
MG Burbank said | January 25th 2013 @ 10:40am | Report comment
Scary thought. Not familiar with that injury. Is there video of that?
January 25th 2013 @ 9:57am
oikee said | January 25th 2013 @ 9:57am | Report comment
I have just posted this on soccer and union blogs,
I am going to post this on the rugby union blogs as well, but it has come to my attention that Australia, yes Australia as a whole, the only purpose built rectangle ground in this country is Suncorp stadium, with a capacity of only 52,500.
Yes only one, in the whole of Australia built for the use of 3 codes of football. Something to think about, we as codes need to have rectangle grounds, not round grounds where atmosphere is spent in the ether.
It is time gentlemen for us to lobby this government. Our 3 codes deserve decent 70 to 80 thousand stadiums purpose built for our codes.
Our codes are suffering loss of good atmosphere as we all know. Suncorp is a inspiration for us to demand we have new rectangle stadiums built, like every other country in the world. Even Ireland has a better rectangle stadium than Australia, Croke Park,.
We are being treated like second class citizens, and no more bids for Olmypic games until we have a rectangle stadium built in every major city of Australia, who is with me.
Sorry for highjacking your blog MG, i will talk about superleague, yes it is time for new admin, a commission is what they need, now, not toomoorow, NOW.
I can say with absolute confedence, the people running superleague are incompitent. They dont even have sponsers for superleague or the conference teams yet. That is a major worry right their, every last one of these men need to be gone. Now.
I have never seen a sport run so badly as superleague England has been run, even the NRL was better run before, now we are world class.
January 25th 2013 @ 3:18pm
Amateur Hour said | January 25th 2013 @ 3:18pm | Report comment
What about the SFS?
January 26th 2013 @ 12:50am
Von Neumann said | January 26th 2013 @ 12:50am | Report comment
Oikee, are you not forgoteeting the SFS, and indeed, Melbournes AAMI park?
My friend, I question how much you know sometimes. *tongue in cheek*
But I will never question your passion and drive. You are a visionary. Somewhat like myself, you would lose “steam” at the application/practical side of such “visions.” Yet is this not why people work in teams?
- What you say is true – we SHOULD lobby govt, and indeed, as I have often said, we need to have a share in the stadium or some kind of large say.
I once proposed a westefallen stadion-inspired stadium for rugby league. Its often been rated the best stadium in europe, and the fans love it.
Something like that would cost around 300 million to build +/- 20%.
It IS possible. We just need to make the powers that be see that. And if we are to have a hand in it, even from our own pocket. we must not allow *any* other code to have a say.
Something like that could happen within 5 years – firm plans to go ahead, I mean.
January 28th 2013 @ 3:47pm
oikee said | January 28th 2013 @ 3:47pm | Report comment
Sometimes Von i question if you read posts properly. I have said all along the only rectangle Stadium in Australia over 50 thousand.,,,,,, SFS and Aami park are not over 50 thousand, and the SFS is nothing to cheer about, our rugby league heartland with a rectangle stadium called the SFS which dont even hold 50 thousand my man.
This country needs 70 to 100 thousand “rectangle” stadiums in every major city. It can be done, i dont want to hear it cant be done.
Now if your not sure what retangle loooks like,(you live in Sydney, or Melbourne maybe) then i surgest you look at Suncorp, it is rectangle, it has 4 sides and a roof that has 4 sides.
January 28th 2013 @ 4:42pm
Bearfax said | January 28th 2013 @ 4:42pm | Report comment
Oh. Are you supposed to READ the posts Oikee. I though it best to wait for someone to make a comment (even take it out of context if you want) and attack. That’s what I do with you. Isnt that how it should be done?
Have a nice day Oikee.
January 25th 2013 @ 10:07am
oikee said | January 25th 2013 @ 10:07am | Report comment
I will even liken it to the Melbourne Storm under the old regime.
If you allow a useless hopeless administration to keep making these huge mistakes, keep running the code into the ground, your not only asking for trouble, you are not caring about what is happening to your code.
Superleague needs a Government royal commission brought in, like NZ did with Sparc a few years ago, look at NZ now.
Someone has got to step forward and demand that superleague has a government reveiw, before these fools running the game over there destroy it completely. Now i have said this, it now needs to go further. Rugby league fans worldwide need to start making noises, if we dont, these incompitent fools will keep running the superleague into oblivian.
The time is now to stop the rot.
January 25th 2013 @ 10:43am
MG Burbank said | January 25th 2013 @ 10:43am | Report comment
Oikee, this isn’t the first blog you’ve hijacked and if it has to be anyone, let it be the Oikman. Yes, league is poorly served by stadia right now. Suncorp’s the perfect model: big enough to host the major games but not so enormous that 30,000 looks like a poor turnout. THe best option in Sydney’s west is to upgrade Parramatta Stadium to a 45-50,000 seater with a roof. Parramatta is a major hub and could eventually be home to the Tigers as well.
January 25th 2013 @ 11:26am
Pot Stirrer said | January 25th 2013 @ 11:26am | Report comment
Isnt Allianz Stadium (SFS) a rectangular ground capable of holding 40000
January 25th 2013 @ 11:28am
MG Burbank said | January 25th 2013 @ 11:28am | Report comment
Yep. True. Oikee missed that. Although I, for one, was acutely disappointed in ’86 when I found out that League’s new ‘showpiece’ was only going to hold 40,000. And the fact that so few are covered in cases of rain. A pathetic effort by the planners at that time.
January 25th 2013 @ 1:34pm
Australian Rules said | January 25th 2013 @ 1:34pm | Report comment
The half-roof was a clanger but in ’86 the average NRL game didn’t draw more than 10,000. Almost 30 years later, it looks like they got the capacity about right.
http://stats.rleague.com/rl/crowds/summary.html
January 25th 2013 @ 3:09pm
oikee said | January 25th 2013 @ 3:09pm | Report comment
They did not get the capacity right, rugby league had huge crowds back in the seventies, i was there, so dont start your BS with me.
Australia never followed up with stadiums to fit the rugby crowds.
You only have to look worldwide to see 100, 110 thousand stadiums for rectangle codes. Go look it up, top 10 or 20 stadiums in the world, apart from the MCG, all are mainly rectangle grounds.
A local sport has held back world codes in this country, time the rot stopped.
I think Michagin a American rectangle field that holds 109 thousand is top in American codes, and their are many more that are rectangle that are worldclass, croke park (ireland)holds over 80 thousand, Wembley, a rectangle, 90 thousand, gee whiz, how did Australia ever allow this to happen.
One, only one stadium with only 50 odd capacity for rectangle codes. Lobby the government. Time the rot stopped there.
January 25th 2013 @ 3:18pm
peeeko said | January 25th 2013 @ 3:18pm | Report comment
Average crowds in the seventies were about 10k if you check his link, still don’t know why he keeps popping up on Nrl blogs though
January 25th 2013 @ 3:28pm
Pot Stirrer said | January 25th 2013 @ 3:28pm | Report comment
Becuase hes an ex Bears supporter who hates the NRL for kicking the Bears out
January 25th 2013 @ 4:00pm
Australian Rules said | January 25th 2013 @ 4:00pm | Report comment
I’m not sure what’s funnier…
1) oikee claiming that “rugby league had huge crowds back in the seventies”…when the link shows that not to be the case; or
2) oikee referring to an American Football stadium (the US equivalent of our own home-grown football code, Australian Football) as an example of what our stadium strategy should be.
January 25th 2013 @ 7:29pm
oikee said | January 25th 2013 @ 7:29pm | Report comment
Well as you can see, no one gives a bullocks about American Football, and nobody gives a buillocks about Australian football, no one.
America has 80 to 90 thousand crowds, Aussie rules has 30 thousand crowds.
America is a doer, Aussie rules is a dreamer.
The sooner Australia builds 70 to 100 thousand rectangle grounds for the international codes , the better. And we can also acommendate NFL, or do we expect them to play on round grounds as well.
We should be building 100 to 120 thousand rectangle grounds, lets put this country on the map.
The MCG is a wasted white elephant, lets have it said.
January 25th 2013 @ 8:09pm
Rob9 said | January 25th 2013 @ 8:09pm | Report comment
No one gives a ‘bullocks’ about American Football???
There’s at least 300 million people that might have something to say about that. There’s also a $40b tv deal and some of the most expensive tvc space Sunday week (US time) that also suggest otherwise… And guess what all those 80, 90 and even 109,000 seat stadiums are built for?
January 28th 2013 @ 4:14pm
Crosscoder said | January 28th 2013 @ 4:14pm | Report comment
The SFS was to be used for test matches also,and built with the future in mind.What the crowds were in 86 are completely irrelevant to the crowds and utilisation of today AR.
Plus I think you are being generous with the half roof description.I have been rained on from a great height,fro a supposedly dry and prime seating section.
The architect whose name escapes me,but won an award,admitted he was not a sport’s fan.As practical as a toilet with a see through door.
January 29th 2013 @ 9:21am
Australian Rules said | January 29th 2013 @ 9:21am | Report comment
CC
“What the crowds were in 86 are completely irrelevant to the crowds and utilisation of today AR.”
How so?
In 1985 the average crowd was 8k. In ’86 it increased to 9.7k.
MG said he was disappointed in ’86 whe he learnt the capacity was only going to be 40k.
Given today’s average is 16.4k, and there was only one game over 30k in 2012, it seems they got it about right.
January 29th 2013 @ 10:51am
Crosscoder said | January 29th 2013 @ 10:51am | Report comment
Elementary dear Watson err AR.
The SFS was built not just for the ARL competition,but with perhaps SOO,tests and ARU tests in mind.Multipurpose not just for the Roosters.If it were just for Rooster club games I doubt it would have been built.
ATT it was the only “large”rectangular stadium in Sydney,the next door neighbour the SCG was not .
It was therefore built with the future in mind,not for the prevailing crowd averages that existed ATT in the ARL,which have since jumped despite a SL war.What the overall crowd average has to do with a central stadium escapes me.The outer suburban crowds would have helped drag the average down.The relevance is IMO minimal.
BTW I am not for an other large stadium in Sydney,a waste of money;I want current stadiums from SFS/ANz and suburban ones upgraded to fit the needs and comforts of the 21st century.
It certainly did not involved building another rectangular one nearby.
Let’s not kid ourselves the number of times the majority of big stadiums(rectangular and oval) are sold out,you can just about count on your hand each year, for club games.
The capacity is what it is,the MCG nor Etihad is not full every week,so one could argue that capacity is overdoing it.
I am happy with the SFS capacity.I am not happy with the lack of cover.I am happy with ANZ. to a degree,I am not happy with the lack of cover .It does lack that rectangular close in aspect,which makes games more atmospheric.
The SOO/G/F and ru tests have outgrown the SFS.
January 29th 2013 @ 12:17pm
Australian Rules said | January 29th 2013 @ 12:17pm | Report comment
I’m not sure what your point is.
You say SFS was “built with the future in mind” (in particular, SOO and Tests). Today, those rep games are played at ANZ – a stadium that obviously wasn’t contemplated in 1986.
Fast-forward 35 years and it was clearly a good call (though possibly unintended) not to make the SFS bigger. Today, it virtually never breaks half-capacity so the 45k seats are more than enough.
You also say “the MCG nor Etihad is not full every week,so one could argue that capacity is overdoing it.”
That’s a bogus comparison. In 2012:
- the SFS had 2 NRL games in which attendance was over 23k (half capacity).
(there were also 2 ALeague games & 1 Super game over 23k).
- the MCG had 23 games which were over 50k (half capacity)
- Etihad had 21 games which were over 27k (half capacity)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Australian_football_code_crowds
January 29th 2013 @ 4:24pm
Crosscoder said | January 29th 2013 @ 4:24pm | Report comment
That does not surprise me.
Then the need to bring in crowd averages, which no doubt were influenced by other ARL home crowds had little to do with the SFS being built.
Sydney needed ATT a large rectangular capacity stadium.I attended ru tests at the SCG an oval ground with Hill standing room.The memories of 78,000 people at the SCG where people were sitting on roofs ,is there in the ARL museum and history.
You do understand then maybe not,the OP stadium was built because we got the Olympics>no OPs then I doubt oit would have been built and perhaps the SFS would have been expanded.The fact the NRL have G/Fs and SOO, there is a consequence of Oz winning the Olympics.
if you use that argument the Sharks should not have expanded their ground and stadiums,as in the early days they averaged about 5-8,000,nor St George nor Parramatta.
The old sports ground was the Roosters home ground,the SFS was built in and around that area.It was not the home ground of the remaining ARL clubs.
Here you go again AR ,with your usual “possibly unintended”suggestion Do you believe the Govt was planning for the next 5-10 years only.Gee I can see where your loose dollar predictions come from for the NRL TV deal.
I am more than certain you have little knowledge of the early 80s re rugby league>the code was in crisis prior to Arthurson and Quayle taking over.Violence had permeated the code,participation numbers were dropping.A new broom had come in ,and the code was growing.the very reason News wanted a slice of it.
I repeat the stadiums involving your code are not always sellouts in fact not many.The 1/2 full 1/3 full is not 100% full.
QED that is not a bogus comparsion,it is simply spelling out maximum utilsation is not 331/3% 40% or 50%.If they were sellouts regularly I would have no argument..The percentages may well have been bigger than NRL/A League,but they were not full.
The stadiums get good utilisation in Melbourne,but its not close the gates.
January 29th 2013 @ 5:36pm
Australian Rules said | January 29th 2013 @ 5:36pm | Report comment
At the end of all that rambling, you *still* have a swipe at the MCG & Etihad for their crowds:
“The percentages may well have been bigger than NRL/A League,but they were not full.”
haha…unbelievable.
This discussion is about whether the capacity at SFS is appropriate. The number (or lack of) games which half-filled the stadium shows that a bigger capacity is NOT needed. I noticed you also ignored the fact a half-full MCG is 50k and a half-full SFS is only 23k.
But anyway, I’ll raise the bar to a 3/4 full analysis.
In 2012:
- the MCG had 10 games of AFL of 75k+ (3 quarters full)
- Etihad had 8 games of 40.5k+ (3 quarters full)
- ANZ had 3 games of 62.5k+ (3 quarters full)… Origin & 2 finals
- the SFS had 1 game of 33k+ (3 quarters full)
I think the numbers speak for themselves. If there’s something Sydney does NOT need, it’s bigger stadiums.
January 30th 2013 @ 6:46am
Crosscoder said | January 30th 2013 @ 6:46am | Report comment
Understand my’ rambling” appears to get one a little ruffled,so you come up with your usual pro AFL spin .Our crowds are bigger than yours blah blah.Then use the links to show how wonderful thye are..No wonder you use the code’s name as your moniker.
The stadiums weren’t full, get it.
The discussion is indeed about whether the SFS is appropriate,yet you can on board AR with crowd averages,which take into account all clubs that don’t use the SFS as home base.That is the man point I am debating .
The Govt deemed the necessity,no doubt with lobbying from the main codes to have a new stadium as the SCG was oval and unsuitable in the scheme of things ,and the capacity was based on the monies available ATT.People were complaining then it should have been 60,000.
if the SFS was the only major rectangular stadium in this city,it would not be adequate,and it was for many years..
The one thing that is believable is your constant discrete sniping at rl,and the covert promo of AFL on rl tabs.Using interested” in all sports mantra”,wth a moniker such as yours.LOL.Now that is ünbelievable.”
January 30th 2013 @ 9:41am
Australian Rules said | January 30th 2013 @ 9:41am | Report comment
Hang on, I didn’t mention the AFL or its crowds…you did.
In debating rugby league at the SFS, you suddenly sneered at the MCG and Etihad attendances.
In turn, I responded with the actual figures.
So who’s doing what now?
January 30th 2013 @ 12:45pm
Crosscoder said | January 30th 2013 @ 12:45pm | Report comment
Of course I responded that way and would do so again if need be ,it was you who brought up crowd averages pertaining to the SFS being built.
My point was to emphasise the ARL crowd averages had little to do with why it was built .Secondly to suggest even your code does not sell out grounds out week in week out.
If I spent considerable time on AFL boards,with the moniker rugby league,lecturing those fans(who have been following their code for decades) on aspects of the code,I would expect a similar response.
January 30th 2013 @ 2:09pm
Australian Rules said | January 30th 2013 @ 2:09pm | Report comment
I’m arguing about the SFS and whether it’s an appropriate venue for RL in Sydney.
You’re arguing about a particular bloke (whose name you don’t like) commenting on RL issues.
That’s the difference here.
January 31st 2013 @ 6:49am
Crosscoder said | January 31st 2013 @ 6:49am | Report comment
Nonsense.I am arguing about bringing in ARL crowd averages(which encompassed all clubs home games) which you assumed,which had little to do with the decision to build the SFS.
The point on whether 40,000 is adequate,well ATT it wasn’t because G/F were sellouts ,whereas prior to the SCG they would get 60-70,000 at a G/F .And ru tests at the SCG were sellouts.
I am commenting on a particluar bloke from an AFL area, who lectures me and others about rl,after me having being involved in the game for decades.The moniker only adds to the equation.The track record speaks for itself.Similarly I take issue at times with Clipper.
Been around long enough to recognise cynics.
January 25th 2013 @ 11:22am
Bearfax said | January 25th 2013 @ 11:22am | Report comment
Putting Souths ahead of Rusty’s family. Yeh as if that’s going to happen and it shouldnt if his family is at risk. Rugby League is a great sport, but its just a sport. Rusty already spreads himself thin with his acting and your asking him to spend even less time with his family. Someone needs to get their values into perspective here. If Rusty’s wife isnt happy with the situation, then Rusty should leave. Family takes priority in my books.
January 25th 2013 @ 11:26am
MG Burbank said | January 25th 2013 @ 11:26am | Report comment
Taking this WAY too seriously, Bearfax.
January 25th 2013 @ 12:55pm
Bearfax said | January 25th 2013 @ 12:55pm | Report comment
Probably. But the proposal was made and I answered it.
But now if you want to fantasise, well how about a Russian Mafia Billionaire, shall we call him Boris Badinoff, comes to Oz. Buys up Manly, Sydney City, Souths and Balmain-Wests and combines them into a super team and calls it the Sydney Central Muscovites. President Putin could be our No 1 supporter and any players betraying the team by attempting to leave will be sent to Siberia for ‘retraining’ in the Novisibirsk Cup.
January 25th 2013 @ 2:20pm
Will Sinclair said | January 25th 2013 @ 2:20pm | Report comment
I think Rusty got it the wrong way around.
He should have MARRIED Souths and BOUGHT Danielle Spencer.
Problem solved. You’re welcome.
January 25th 2013 @ 12:53pm
B.A Sports said | January 25th 2013 @ 12:53pm | Report comment
The Indi All Stars game is a great iniative, but I do wonder about its longevity. While I know the more important outcomes from the match are the activities off the field but in order for those things to continue to have an impact, the game needs to remain competitive. The Indig side is looking pretty weak in the forwards (Rose, Waddell and Peats starting) and their bench would look weak on any given week of the NRL (Seizer, Foster, Romelo and James). The earliness of the game seems to keep the NRL Allstars team scratchy enough that the score doesn’t blow out, but i wonder how long that will be a trend
January 25th 2013 @ 3:13pm
Amateur Hour said | January 25th 2013 @ 3:13pm | Report comment
What would football be called then?
January 25th 2013 @ 7:50pm
oikee said | January 25th 2013 @ 7:50pm | Report comment
In a country of 20 million people, our international guests have to settle with a 80 thousand round olympic stadium in Sydney, no one wants to play at the white dinosaur , the MCG, where atmosphere flows into the ether.
Manchester united, plays in Sydney, England Lions, Sydney, even Origin has to be played in Sydney becaue Melbounre cant accommondate rectangle codes over 55 thousand.
No our international guests are treated like second class citizens in this country, because we dont have rectangle grounds other than Suncorp Brisbane. Even Ireland can offer guests a world class rectangle ground. America has one in nearly every city, we have 1 in the whole country, and that is only 52,500.
Shame Australia Shame.
January 25th 2013 @ 8:18pm
Rob9 said | January 25th 2013 @ 8:18pm | Report comment
You just don’t learn do you? You continue to be content manufacturing facts (even re-writing history now) and your drawing an absurd (and embarrassing) hypothesis that’s not based on a single ounce of analytical thought. The world you live in (one so far from reality) must be a fun place to reside in huh?
January 25th 2013 @ 8:30pm
Floyd Calhoun said | January 25th 2013 @ 8:30pm | Report comment
Oikee, despite being used to your irrational rants, why, in all seriousness, would Melbourne make the ludicrous decision to build a 70-80,000 seat rectangular stadium to cater to the odd visit by Man United, State Of Origin, or the British Lions? For Gods sake, not even Brisbane has one! You really need to think about things before you post nonsense like that. Do you ever stop to consider the demographics, the economics, the logistics, and the sheer idiocy of some of your comments and suggestions? Bullocks?! Bloody hell?!
January 26th 2013 @ 1:00am
Von Neumann said | January 26th 2013 @ 1:00am | Report comment
Oikee, you clearly have no idea, I was too nice to you above. Please, I operate off evidence when I can (usually) and I think twice before shooting my mouth off.
Bearfax – yes taking it far too seriously.
Australian Rules – why do you hang out continuously in the rugby league section?
MG – I would not call the all-stars match a gimmick. (though it is such a grey area, depending on definition) A gimmick to me is something that just looks flashy but has no real sustained value other than to impress you for one moment.
The all stars match and its voting system and the fact it encompasses the nations indigenous peoples – and that its a rep match, and that its the first match – I believe it maintains a high level of interest. And many look forward to it. I dont think its a gimmick, I think its a ripper of a match.
From another direction: Now, is it expendable? Yes, probably, but gee wouldn’t it be really sad to see it go.
January 26th 2013 @ 3:00am
MG Burbank said | January 26th 2013 @ 3:00am | Report comment
I like the spirit of your reply Von, and we can find many points of agreement. I also love the indigenous presence, and that it’s the first meaningful game of the season. But it is an exhibition, which is why I wouldn’t call it a ‘representative’ match- this is not a region being represented and the results of the games don’t have historical relevance from a purely sporting point of view. But yes, we agree that it does have a high level of interest and I for one will be watching because you’re right, it’s usually a highly entertaining game. The NRL will definitely not be letting it leave the league calendar.
January 27th 2013 @ 12:51pm
Von Neumann said | January 27th 2013 @ 12:51pm | Report comment
Thankyou for expanding on your meaning. Maybe I was missing something. We agree on many things not just limited to the discussion of this page.
I think its an entirely exhibition match as well. You have stated it for what it is. The gimmicky nature of the match would lend the surrounding actions of the people involved to lend it that “feel”.
Because the indigenous people place a greater meaning on it, the game and the people making plans around it could be at odds at times with the nature of the match. The importance of the match is at odds with its standing; and the effect is a double edged sword. I like the fixture for the richness of culture and fabric it provides. Going into the future it will be interesting to see how such things pan out.
So to that effect I think if that enthusiasm for the match needs to be harnessed in a way that evokes “gimmicky” notions, so that it may get attention – its a thin line to walk on, but given how quickly it all comes and goes, they will need to watch that it doesn’t blow up into the level of a blatant gimmick.
Blatant gimmicks are what I often find competitions like the National basketball league and baseball league to be. So all I am hoping for is that the seriousness and respect of it is retained, without trying too hard to make it that impact that it deserves.
Unfortunately, some significant instance is going to have to happen to this match for it to remain a relevant/useful inclusion in the season – such as a particularly incredible match sometimes soon, or some other occurance of considerable note that will cause the match to be spoken about long after its gone. I am not talking about it dissapearing if that doesn’t happen – just that something like that would have the fixture’s momentum remain. Because it is one match with a political backdrop, tension (from outside sources), and it needs to chanelled right. (especially since its gimmicky in nature). There is a danger there that the match becomes labelled “too much, too hard, expendable.”…..it may always be played each season, but if public interest falls away and the people around it become silly, then its worth will be questioned.
It will be interesting to see the crowd this year and the discussion on the match.
January 28th 2013 @ 3:05pm
Australian Rules said | January 28th 2013 @ 3:05pm | Report comment
Von, I don’t see myself as “hanging out continuously in the rugby league section”.
Like most people, I follow as many sports as I can…and if I read an interesting article with good discussion points, I’ll post a comment. I think some people just find my moniker provocative (which is a shame really).
I’d like to think my posts are based on facts and reason…that’s why when someone like oikee posts utter drivel and nonsense (and thus reduces the quality of the site) I rebuke that nonsense.
January 26th 2013 @ 8:19am
Knight Vision said | January 26th 2013 @ 8:19am | Report comment
“upset over being lumped in with the multi-cultural One Community charity arm of the NRL.”
This annoys me . We are all Australians and we are a multi cultural country. As soon as you start to give one part of any society preferential treatment or any deal different from others you invite racism. We live here together and we are in it together. Celebrate your heritage just as you are free to worship what ever God you believe in but at the end of the day we are all Australians. As the name would suggest “One Community “