I understand it might sound petty, or irrelevant, however one aspect of the NRL that has developed in recent years irks me.
It has to do with the pre-game, not the product as such but the fan experience before the first-graders take the field of play… the pre-match warm-up.
For me, arriving at the footy used to mean watching reserve grade right up until the time first-grade kicked off. It was an atmosphere builder, comprising the fringe players trying their best to make it in the big show. The quality was there, and as the crowd filtered in they were treated to a warm-up act if you will.
Today, some 30 minutes before first-grade kicks off, all we see is the teams warming up on the field. Stretching, bumping shoulders, putting up bombs, I’m sorry but it’s not entertaining.
If you want to see the game beforehand, expect to be in the gates very early, and the scoreboard to be overheating. The 20s lacks the sting and grit of the reserve grade, and finishes way too early to warrant arriving early.
What I don’t understand is where this need to warm up on the field came from? I understand the argument that some grounds can’t facilitate such efforts, but most can. There’s either a field out the back of the ground or enough room in the locker room for traditional warm-up efforts.
If this is not adequate, why can’t teams warm up at the ends of the ground behind the goal posts? In that case, we still get entertaining footy right up until first-grade kick off, and a chance to get up close and personnel to the big stars.
In my experience, it kills the atmosphere at the ground. Seeing your team waltz out on to the ground, warm up, and then run out a second time takes away that initial excitement for the game.
I hear people argue, ‘but they do it at the AFL’. True, but your team only runs out once and stays on the field. They have kept the tradition of playing the team song and running through the team banner for decades, and the warm-up isn’t stagnant and lengthy.
I miss the traditions and old-school nature of the game. It might sound small but I truly hope in years to come we can revert back to the way we used to do it and the traditions we knew and loved can reign supreme once again.
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It comes after the NRL promised a crackdown on dissent towards the referees this week.
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