Rugby league has embraced the notion of connecting with its past recently. The Men of League organisation, Former Origin Greats, and moving tributes and farewells to departing players have all become commonplace.
While no one would begrudge the role that these elements play, there does appear to be less emphasis placed on the future and the unique challenges faced by our resilient game.
The time has come to rely on more than this resilience. What the game really needs is a clear direction, and an awareness of the game’s reality – both good and bad.
The controversial issues that present themselves on a weekly basis are the best starting points in terms of developing the path ahead.
The complete distrust and scepticism directed at the refereeing fraternity needs immediate attention. Constant ‘coaching’, calling players by nicknames, feigned injuries and mysterious decisions that seem to baffle even the most astute of judges have all combined to create a rather dark opinion of the whistleblowers.
Old values such as respect, silence and stricter application of the rules might affect the game negatively in the short term, as increased penalty counts can stifle play. However the obsession with point scoring and open play needs to be married with referees having clear authority and control in order for our next generation of players to understand the game’s dignity and history.
An extension of this is the farcical nature of the technological decision-makers who appear to view different replays to those seen by viewers all over the nation. An obliteration of the system would be a knee-jerk reaction, however refinement of the process and a limit on the time spent labouring over countless angles does need immediate attention. One replay from each available camera angle at a nominated speed without freeze framing might just solve some of the issues.
Player movement has been brought into sharp focus over the last few months with Daly Cherry-Evans’ situation. Irrespective of the rights and wrongs of the deadline, what strikes me as more concerning is the media focus and attention that is drawn away from the game and onto players who continue to become more and more like deities rather than professional athletes.
The salary cap undoubtedly leads to disloyalty and fan frustration as local juniors and committed clubmen move on, while clubs themselves often detach themselves from the notion of loyalty when no contract can be found for a player. Surely exemptions can be more effectively negotiated rather than a one-off special incentive payment to be used by the league to lure back-code hopping players. Such a payment is flawed in its most basic design, as one club will benefit and 15 others will not.
Rumblings about the mortgage taken out by the Broncos on the Friday slot and an inequitable draw that fails to provide a true home-and-away test continue to rear their ugly heads. Stand-alone rep weekends and byes have been offered as solutions, yet the standard of football drops significantly at this time of year. A better approach is urgently required.
In the spirit of professionalism, would a six-day rotation for matches during this period, where Origin and rep matches are played on weekends and club matches played on a nightly basis with a minimum six-day break between games, not assist in levelling the playing field?
Post-Origin things could revert to the current scheduling. The byes would therefore be removed and some sense of equity achieved. Using a six-day week over the nine-week Origin period effectively gives an extra match per team. The removal of byes adds two more, and translates to a 27-week comp – not quite 30 but closer to the ideal.
This is a complex model that colleagues and I have been working on. Still in draft form, it will be interesting to hear the NRL’s response.
The importance of the fans in all of this can never be lost. The atrocious behaviour of the minority still appears every so often, but thankfully, the response is generally swift and strong. This is one area of the game where decisive action seems to have the desired effect – if only our referees took the same approach.
The entertainment provided in terms of the game day experience is the most compelling factor in maintaining and improving crowd numbers. The safety of patrons, affordability of food and drink, as well as ticket prices need to be monitored. The implementation of policies to ensure that our game maintains it roots in the working class is vital.
Inconsistencies in suspensions cause head shaking across all clubs. Already this year players have received up to four weeks for poor behaviour and abusing officials in an inappropriate manner, while a dangerous throw that can do serious damage was adjudged as a two-week offence. Perhaps the recent introduction of the fine system in the AFL might be worth a look at.
As the dust settles on the ASADA investigation, we might well reflect on the potential damage it has caused. The game is a microcosm of the wider community and social problems will be present if it is a true reflection. Whether it be recreational drugs, performance-enhancing substances or other social ills such as violence and crime, the portrayal of the players involved is quite often unfair, unsupportive and ill informed.
An unscrupulous media need to be more aware of this and treat these issues with a little more dignity and respect, and realise that most of the players involved need assistance and support with their illness. In many cases that is exactly what is at the heart of the incident, an illness.
Resiliency will once again be mentioned, yet one can’t help think that this alone is becoming a little too simple in a saturated market where new players have emerged. Other codes, teams and competitions challenge the faithfulness and loyalty within the rugby league, and without a clear vision and sage-like direction we may just take a few more hits before we get this right.
Let’s hope Mr Smith and the commission can begin to get some structures in place to guide this great game into a glorious future. When Tina Turner sang that song on a beach surrounded by our best players it felt like our game was “simply the best”. Lately it hasn’t.
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