The Roar
The Roar

Progressive League

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Joined January 2013

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Agree the Ashes must return. Whether we play ENG or GB I dont care but it must be a regular 3 Test Series every 4 years. One off tests are a joke and with a 4 Nations, World Cup and strong NZ team Im not sure we can fit in Ashes every 2 years like the old days. We also need 3 Test Series aginst NZ to return too. Im not sure the World Cup can be every 4 years either, might have to make it every 5/6 like the present system but every season ther should be one test series. Lets not over doit though and make the same mistake cricket made with one dayers. One of the reasons Origin is so special is because it is played 3 times only every year (except that 1987 exhibition experiment).

The problem with all International ideas again is the selfish views of the NRL and Superleague clubs who care more about their club then the game.

Bring back the Ashes

John definately the grass root numbers in the UK are stronger, I agree league is doing better over there and tv ratings for superleague are impressive. I admire the work the RFL has also done in France and greater Europe too in expanding the game.

However I do worry when I hear for a second season the Superleague struggles for a major sponsor. I lived over there for a bit and saw first hand the inroads league development officers were making in non-traditional areas like the South of England, Wales and Scotland. However what is not spoken about is the poor state of the professional game, the Superleague. The game struggles for media attention because the Premier League is so big and even the Championship receives more coverage. 20years ago the Premier League was born and it only gets bigger at the expense of league because league is fighting for those same fans where as union has a solid class based fan base that wont be tempted with soccer/football. Union also relies on its Internationals, the 6 Nations is big ans can be seen by all UK citizens on free to air. League in the Uk does not enjoy the same International exposure because their games are not as regular, are shown mainly on sky (paytv) and Britain has not had much success nor historically that competitive against Australia since 1970s.

Rugby league must improve to stay on top

Who said the NRL are doing it???

The PNG Governemnt will build the staium as soon as they get a team. They want a stadium for themselves. Some may say its wasted money, those same people said the Olympics was wasted money or Suncorp in Brisabnae was wasted but the reality is the building process and lasting infrastructure are big contributors to growing the local economy and PNG needs all the help it can get to build its economy hence why they allowed BHP to build Ok Tedi mine, it certainly wasnt good for the Fly River and surrounding environment.

The Gold Coast transport problem is due to the coastal population hub and subsequent traffic it is not because of the Titans stadium location. It is a problem many state governments and GC City Councils have tried to solve not for the Titans but because getting around the coastal areas to other areas is difficult and time consuming. There is not a specific rail line for the Titans being built in fact the new light rail goes nowhere near their stadium. The idea of a coastal railway has nothing to do with the NRL it is mainly due to the fact that the Gold Coast is Australia’s 6th largest city and lacks fast moving public transport.

Before you past judgement do your homework or return to Mars!

Rugby league must improve to stay on top

Im aware of the Sharks demographics, and yes things look on the up for them with the Leagues Club development but 600 odd units and a housing estate wont ensure off field success. The Sharks under financial hammer, must I remind you that South Sydney were dead for two years and look where they are now. Top or close second top the Sydney league clubs in memberships for the last 7 seasons (only 2 seasons in top 8 in that time), top sponsorship and are the only Sydney club to run a profit even without a great poker machine base. You can throw Crowe’s name in the mix but Souths have made some tough decisions before Crowe like moving to Homebush to improve their bottom line and improve the facilities on offer to the fans and corporates. They also play a match in Perth, QLD and the Central Coast again capitalising on their expanded fan base. The Sharks do own their own ground but cannot fund upgrades and why should the governement fund an upgrade of a stadium only used by one club team. It is a waste of taxpayers money and they have said as much that the stadium strategy will change to a policy like Melbourne adopted 15years ago for the AFL clubs.

The Sharks may not have won a premiership but niether have Souths since 1971. In that 40yr period the Sharks have enjoyed more onfield success appearing in 3 Grand Finals to Souths none, making regular finals appearances to Souths very few, even making a preliminary final not long ago in 2008 when they finished 3rd drawing a crowd of 27 thousand. Souths finished 3rd this season and played a preliminary final in front of 70 odd thousand. The Bulldogs played the Eeels in a Preliminary Final a few years ago in front of over 70 thousand too, as too did St George v Wests Tigers. The Sharks played the Dragons in a preliminary final in 1999 that attracted 50 odd thousand thanks too the Dragon supporters who outnumbered the Sharks 4-1 that day. The Roosters, Manly or Sharks could not draw those numbers to a preliminary final that is the reality (Im unsure bout the Panthers). Tigers, Eels, Dogs, Rabbits, Dragons have very large supporter bases so if rationalisation was to occur in Sydney they have a very good argument to stay. That pits the Sharks against the Roosters cash and seemingly large supporter base (when they are winning), the Panthers western expanse, leagues club and junior nursery or Manly, a club that has made 6 Grand Finals since 1995 and is the only NRL club on Sydney’s northshore.

Your juniors argument is folly. The Roosters dont have juniors but have made 5 Grand Finals since the NRL’s inception in 1998, Melbourne similarly have made 6 Grand Finals without a strong junior base although it is growing I must admit. The reality is the salary cap and recruitment override juniors. Im certainly not defending the Roosters who will point out what they spend on their own rep sides as junior development, Im sure they spend no where near as much on grass roots junior development then other clubs do but the reality is they do not.

You mention Sharks fans not living in the district, well every club has fans elsewhere, hence why these smart clubs take games elsewhere to expand their fan base and improve their bottom line. The Roosters, Dogs, Rabbits and even Manly have regurly taken games to Gosford, Dogs to Adelaide, Dragons to Perth, Souths, Roosters & Dogs to QLD. The Sharks for financial reasons a few years ago wanted to move 4 games to Gosford but wanted financial assistance from the NRL, no other club got NRL assistance when they took games to Gosford so the NRL said no. Sharks subsequently said no.

My player behaviour comment was made only to highlight that league survives scandal, even thrives on it. Im aware of the other codes getting better treatment, that is the reality of Channel 9 and News Ltd through the Telegraph running their own political and sporting agendas.

You mention lessons of Superleague that fans walk away. You are right they did in Perth when the Reds went, they did in Adelaide when the Rams left, in Brisabne when the Crushers left and they did lose some fans on Gold Coast when the Chargers went (most have returned with the Titans). The only Sydney club that lost fans was the Bears of which many now follow other clubs. So your point is Superleague taught us we lost 4 interstate teams and their fans to Sydney’s 1. I wonder what the NRL would want to increase tv ratings, national sponsorship exposure or boost junior numbers, another team in an already crowded market or a franchise in a new large potential interstate market.

Rugby league must improve to stay on top

The NFL is also primarily restricted to one country, is that where you want league to go because at this rate Australia and possibly NZ will be the last outposts of the game. The game is under the pump in the UK and really needs help. Currebtly the Superleague cant find a major sponsor and last season they gave away the sponsorship rights for free to a trucking company.

Rugby league must improve to stay on top

Hayne started his International career with Fiji, he choose that pathway because his father is a former South Sydney, Magpie and Warriors player Manoa Thompson who played for Fiji. Just because you live somewhere does not mean that is your nationality necessarily. There are plenty of nationalities living down under as too there are plenty of Aussies living abroad, many of those professional athletes who live, train and may have been born abroad but still play for Australia.

Rugby league must improve to stay on top

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