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!
westy
Guest
I attended part of the Stewart proceedings. I waited for the evidence of crash tackling the girl. it did not come. i waited for the DNA evidence that supported the girls testimony. There was none. The evidence of the cab driver was that Stewart was coherent and in control of himself when he was dropped of.not incoherent and hardly able to walk. Witnesses only saw Stewart pulling away not groping the girl.. All these matters were aired as facts against Stewart in the media and by journalists and then on this site. They were not supported by any direct testimony. There are some who owe this man an apology .Silence is not guilt.He simply chose not to be trieds in the media. The media did it anyway based on fabrication and one has to say uncorroborated lies. So much for sources. If professional rugby league players have a bad reputation then this episode puts anyone who calls himself a professional journalist reputation in the gutter.Remember those who lump everyone together.. I sat there thinking our system has worked it has given the complainant her day in court but it would have had to be one of the lowest threshold cases the DPP has brought in some time. Could not even succeed on an indecent assault charge let alone sexual assault and the decision was returned in less than an hour. They would not have even got an ordinary assult charge on the evidence. To the credit of the judge he warned the jury not to decide this matter on what they had read in the press but on the evidence under oath presented before them in Court. The matter was not a higher standard of proof it was that matters reported by journalists in the press did not take place at all. Some of the reporting was not only false it may have been intentionally so.
Danny_Mac
Roar Guru
I think that fox sports are positioning themselves as a real alternative to FTA, providing "Footy people" with a much better product than what the FTA networks are broadcasting. There also seems to have been an upturn in these magazine programs for all the other sports too. Football, Rugby League, Rugby, Cricket and even Golf all have them. There seems to be more than a few RL shows now too.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Judging by the millionaire supporters behind the Roosters,that solely blue collar image is being blurred,and has been gradually doing so for years,as education is a must in today's society.A survey about 3 years ago,on disposable incomes and sports in thsi country,put the theory to bed.Blokes like Miichael Weyman are doing Engineering Degrees,Steve Price recently completed a PHD in Bus,the list goes on. I must know a hell of a lot of( blue collar sic ) uni graduates who follow and sponsor the game,at my club and yes there are many tradesmen who follow the game.Else we wouldn''t sell the pies and beers. If anything it is becoming the peoples' game,all encompassing.It was born of the working class,no doubt about that. I agree however owning a Tv station,or having some financial interest in it,would be an excellent idea.
Redb
Roar Guru
"I’d rather have open press coverage of the game than the insular heads up bums stuff they appear to get with Aussie rules in Melbourne." Maybe you missed the myriad of sensationalist articles on Andrew Lovett? , Hurley, the Saints three men and a baby,etc which dominated the Melbourne press this year. Too many people see what they want to see. The fact is the media in all corners of the country has decided that footballers of any code are fair game which make excellent fodder for newspaper sales and internet hits. Communication is almost immediate these days, people dont rely on newspapers the next day for their news hit, as a medium it is fighting hard for bandwidth so they go to at times extreme levels to get interest.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
The irony(noted by one )about News ltd part owning the NRL will be lost very shortly,as they will be out of the partnership.The argument about News being involved will be no longer be used as an excuse for purported favouritism. Thus the promtional water will be really tested then,when Fox does not have any monetary control of the game. BTW Fox should give priority to a sport ,that is the no1 for their pay Tv station.That sport rl is responsible for them receiving many subscripptions and additionally advertisers. In contrast we have ch9 with their bread and butter winter sport Rugby League,treating the game at times like a 2nd rate citizen. I find it amazing that ch9 appears to be playing silly Bs or doing a bit of pocket squirting, to curry the favour of another code, Why? Because ch7 has openly stated they want a slice of the RL action,yet they do not devote a current affairs program in promoting tl,a sport they do not currently show.For me it seems to be ch9 cutting off its nose etc. Another test for ch9,will be the new I.C.who no doubt will ensure whatever Tv station/s secure the next rl contracts,treat the contract as per the dertails and fine print and promote the game accrodingly.Ch9 IMO and many otehrs has abused thjat responsibilty. Two new NRL clubs in Perth and the CC,might finally get ch9 off its proverbial lazy backside.
Karlos
Guest
9 just has too many AFL and anti rugby league stooges working for them. The blue collar working class background of rugby league is what works against it. I reckon a rugby league channel would be great throughout the season, but what about in the offseason?
Sam H
Roar Pro
Matt, totally understand the frustration with aspects of the coverage of RL (on and off the field), but the suggestion of some mass media conspiracy against the sport is more than a little overblown IMO. The Sydney/Brisbane press love sensationalist RL headlines because people in Sydney and Brisbane love reading them. That doesn't appear to be the same for AFL in Melbourne, but you know what? I'd rather have open press coverage of the game than the insular heads up bums stuff they appear to get with Aussie rules in Melbourne. Presumably the Melbourne press a) are so embedded with the AFL and clubs that they are terrified of reporting openly and b) have decided that the myrmidonian AFL public can't cope with the concept of a negative story about its sport of choice. RL fans should be bigger than that.
Mark Young
Guest
You know, I love good analogies and that is a good analogy!
Matt_S
Roar Pro
DB, aware of AFL indiscretions being played out in the Victorian media but for a game we are told is a NATIONAL one, AFL indiscretions are hardly printed in Brisbane & Sydney. Yet we see James Hird's coaching appointment being given priority (despite being NRL grand final week) by channel nine national daytime news, so far, yet rarely (apart from cousins & fevola who have been given robin hood type status/sympathy) do we get the negative AFL scandals. AFL people here in the north are very deluded self-assured fans all because of the media. We also get weekly bleatings from AFL fans printed in the letters page of the Courier Mail complaining that they have to wait till 8.30 pm for finals coverage. Can you scan me the last time a Melbourne paper gave such accord to a Storm fan?
M1tch
Roar Guru
?? You said Fox Sports is NRL favourable...
M1tch
Roar Guru
Jimbo
Guest
Too true. Players should now know the media is everywhere. Just don't give them a whiff. This ain't the 70's anymore.
Mister Football
Guest
True, but it's a very interesting development nevertheless. These extra shows appeared to arrive out of the blue mid-season - why?
Redb
Roar Guru
These are specific AFL shows, not Fox Sport News.
Mister Football
Guest
I do sense a change that gradually is favouring the AFL - and the fact that Fox runs a footy talk show every day of the week is indicative of that change (I think it's brilliant - but geez - every day of the week!!!)
Mister Football
Guest
Mark I liken it to politics. Which electorates get the most attention (and money) - the marginal electorates - if the electorate is strongly labour or liberal, there is little poltiical incentive (no matter who is in government), to do anything over the top for that electorate (I'm talking quite broadly here, Government money ends up everywhere, but some areas will have that little bit more lavished on them). Let's take the AFL and Tassie. Tassie is just about the strongest AFL state in all of Australia - but it has no AFL team of its own! Why? It's not a marginal seat!! With both Channel 9 and Fox: do they take League for granted? Probably. Why? It's not a marginal seat!! Now - it has to be said - electorates can change their voting patterns over time - so Channel 9 in particular cannot continue treating League like a safe electorate forever.
DB
Guest
ac obviously doesn't live in Melbourne. No negative media about the AFL? only someone who doesn't live in Australian football heartlands would say that, you have to find another conspiracy as to why football is the number 1 code in australia.
Redb
Roar Guru
many many times. "Let's go to our Melb studio for AFL news" , all other news handled from Fox Sports News main studio priority to NRL the n we have highlights promos featuring only NRL footage in the ad break. Guess it depends on your perspective, Fox Sports is rugby league and always has been.
josho
Guest
Clearly you have never switched on Fox Sports News???
ac
Guest
The NRL does not seem to have the media under control like the AFL. The AFL can do anything and the media very very rarely says anything bad. I often wonder how this works. I often laugh at the commentators on tv with the AFL - everything is wonderful. If the score is 100 to 10 they would say its a exciting close game. At least Phil Gould is honest in his appraisals.