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Reading the Sydney Morning Herald today, in the week of the NRL grand final lead up, I could not help but be dismayed by an article outlaying rugby league’s white-collar crimes.
I really do struggle to find the relevance of the whole article, especially considering the week we are in. Haven’t these issues been flogged to death already?
I also noticed the Robert Lui scandal is on all national news services including prominent mention on Sunrise, The Today Show, The Australian, and Sky News National. These are the same papers and TV programs that only choose to mention scandals in other codes when it suits them. Of recent, we have had Jonathon Thurston plastered over the news for a night out that ended in a police watch house. A contributor on The Roar immediately labeled him as a ‘thug’.
Little now comes out that the casino has video footage of him having three beverages over two hours and he was not asked to leave. Little is said as to why the police tipped off the media or that Thurston had said to police he was only having fun and to cool off. Thurston maybe a buffoon at times but he is no criminal nor should he be labeled a thug.
It will also interesting to monitor the NRL’s network partner Channel Nine leading up to grand final day. Those of particular interest will be national programs such as The Today Show. During the AFL grand final lead up, we had Karl and Lisa live from all over Melbourne in front of passionate supporters. If memory serves me well they didn’t do this for rugby league’s big day last year, despite being the game’s official broadcaster.
One has to wonder why Channel Nine actually contributes to building up an AFL game hence contributing to a rival channel’s ratings. As I speak, the national Nine news at 11am has James Hird as its leading sports story.
The above factors make me think that it’s time for rugby league to push for its own TV channel. Is it possible? Could the NRL create and own a FTA digital and pay TV channel?
If the national media continue this onslaught against the sport, imagine 500,000 plus subscribers being attracted to an NRL owned pay TV channel charging, say $25 a month, thus pouring over $12.5 million a month into the code. And this could be based on conservative estimates. Add advertising revenue to a digital FTA channel and you have one very powerful media competitor.
Can you imagine Foxtel losing tens of thousands of subscribers who just want the footy anyway? The NRL could also provide news services, and go even further and create its own newspaper. Could the Sydney Morning Herald, Daily Telegraph or Courier Mail lose 100,000 plus readers or more overnight?
A rugby league media entity could hit back and toss all these so-called league journalists the boot. Most would lose their jobs overnight. The game could take back its image rights and give a big finger to an ever growing conservative, agenda driven media hell bent on damaging rugby league’s brand.
The game needs to hit back despite a media-savvy league public and the resilience of the game to bounce back. One day it may not be able to and the media will have its long awaited victory. The sporting landscape will thus be left to dribblers, fumblers and xenophobes. I’m only speaking of one sport here because I have the impression its powerful allies in channel nine contribute to this mixed, and at times, bewildering service to the game.
As ex NSW Premier John Fahey alluded to recently, rugby league makes up a large constituency. We should start to use it!
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