As a Brisbane born and raised Broncos fan, something about the NRL television coverage frustrates me. I also follow other sports, and my hometown teams the Lions and the Roar.
While Channel Nine’s coverage of the Broncos means I get to see my team live most weekends, if I were to move interstate – even 200 kilometres south, ust across the New South Wales border – this would be impossible.
Even if I was to fork out the $720 per year for Foxtel (plus another $120 to upgrade to HD), I would be unable to see the Broncos live most weeks.
At the moment, I have no problem seeing any of my other hometown teams live on the box. Even in the league states, the Reds, the Roar and the Lions all get their fair share of live matches, whether on cable TV or on free-to-air.
The NRL is exceedingly popular on television in Australia, however those in league states without cable television see only one live match per week. And in standard definition. God forbid I move to Melbourne, where despite the advent of digital channels I would be unable to see a match before midnight.
Having only one live NRL game on free-to-air in the NRL states is a disgrace. This is where the AFL has the TV schedule spot on. Four games on free-to-air Australia wide, three games live and on on delay in the AFL states and four games live in NSW, Queensland and the ACT. This includes all local team matches live.
For those that can afford Foxtel, every game is live and in HD, so you are guaranteed to see your team live regardless of where you live.
However, with the new television deal being discussed, debated and formulated, there is scope for change. Through careful consideration and some wishful thinking, I have developed a proposal for having all NRL games shown live on free-to-air across Australia. This is without having two games on at the same time.
There is still two Friday night games but both are live and at decent times, after all a lot of people have don’t really want to stay up until 11.30pm (and that’s in the NRL states) to watch a game ruined by ads. I was annoyed when my team had the 9.30pm telecast game against the Bunnies last season, must be annoying for people who regularly have their team play on that timeslot. Also people who live in non NRL states can watch Friday night football live on Gem. Also with an 6.50pm AEST start, Friday night matches will start at a decent time in NZ.
Saturday afternoon (family friendly time) and leads into the news in the eastern states, followed by a live Saturday night double header after the news in the NRL states and on Gem in the non-NRL states.
There would be a Sunday afternoon live double header and the second game will lead into the news in the NRL states. Monday night football should be replaced with Sunday night football. This may be just me but I personally think the round should be over and you should be able to check the table on a Monday morning without a little asterisk saying that two teams are yet to play. This is just my preference. Also, it creates a triple header on Sunday to enjoy.
I discuss next year, and then 2014 and 2015. This considers the digital switchover (before 2014) and the likelihood of an extra game in 2015 following NRL expansion. The extra game should be on the Thursday night and lead in onto The Footy Show (which should start earlier anyway). Footy Show can be moved to 8.35pm and shown live on Gem in the non-NRL states.
2013 normal round (before digital switchover):
Game 1:
Friday Night 6.50pm start AEST
Live from 6.30pm on Ch 9 and Gem in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT.
Live from 6.30pm on Gem in Victoria and Tasmania and replayed at 11.30pm on Ch 9.
Live from 6pm on Gem in South Australia and Northern Territory and replayed at 11.30pm on Ch 9.
Live from 4.30pm on Gem in Western Australia and replayed at 11.30pm on Ch 9.
Game 2:
Friday Night 8.40pm start AEST
Live from 8.35pm on Ch 9 and Gem in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT.
Live from 8.35pm on Gem in Vic and Tas and replayed at 1.35am on Ch 9.
Live from 8.05pm on Gem in SA and NT and replayed at 1.35am on Ch 9.
Live from 6.35pm on Gem in WA and replayed at 1.35am on Ch 9.
Game 3:
Saturday Afternoon 4.05pm start AEST
Live from 4pm on Ch 9 and Gem in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT.
Live from 4pm on Gem in Vic and Tas and replayed at 11.30pm on Ch 9.
Live from 3.30pm on Gem in SA and NT and replayed at 11.30pm on Ch 9.
Live from 2pm on Gem in WA and replayed at 11.30pm on Ch 9.
Game 4:
Saturday Night 6.50pm start AEST
Live from 6.30pm on Ch 9 and Gem in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT.
Live from 6.30pm on Gem in Vic and Tas and replayed at 1.30am on Ch 9.
Live from 6pm on Gem in SA and NT and replayed at 1.30am on Ch 9.
Live from 4.30pm on Gem in WA and replayed at 1.30am on Ch 9.
Game 5:
Saturday Night 8.40pm start AEST
Live from 8.35pm on Ch 9 and Gem in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT.
Live from 8.35pm on Gem in Vic and Tas and replayed at 3.35am on Ch 9.
Live from 8.05pm on Gem in SA and NT and replayed at 3.35am on Ch 9.
Live from 6.35pm on Gem in WA and replayed at 3.35am on Ch 9.
Game 6:
Sunday Afternoon 2.15pm start AEST
Live from 2pm on Ch 9 and Gem in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT.
Live from 2pm on Gem in Vic and Tas and replayed at 11.30pm on Ch 9.
Live from 1.30pm on Gem in SA and NT replayed at 11.30pm on Ch 9.
Live from 12pm on Gem in WA replayed at 11.30pm on Ch 9.
Game 7:
Sunday Afternoon 4.05pm start AEST
Live from 4pm on Ch 9 and Gem in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT.
Live from 4pm on Gem in Vic and Tas and replayed at 1.30am on Ch 9.
Live from 3.30pm on Gem in SA and NT and replayed at 1.30am on Ch 9.
Live from 2pm on Gem in WA and replayed at 1.30am on Ch 9.
Game 8:
Sunday Night 6.50pm start AEST
Live from 6.30pm on Ch 9 and Gem in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT.
Live from 6.30pm on Gem in Vic and Tas and replayed at 3.30am on Ch 9.
Live from 6pm on Gem in SA and NT and replayed at 3.30am on Ch 9.
Live from 4.30pm on Gem in WA and replayed at 3.30am on Ch 9.
2014 normal round (after digital switchover – hopefully by then main channel will be HD as well as at least one multichannel):
Game 1:
Friday Night 6.50pm start AEST
Live from 6.30pm on Ch 9 in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT.
Live from 6.30pm on Gem in Vic and Tas.
Live from 6pm on Gem in SA and NT.
Live from 4.30pm on Gem in WA.
Game 2:
Friday Night 8.40pm start AEST
Live from 8.35pm on Ch 9 in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT.
Live from 8.35pm on Gem in Vic and Tas.
Live from 8.05pm on Gem in SA and NT.
Live from 6.35pm on Gem in WA.
Game 3:
Saturday Afternoon 4.05pm start AEST
Live from 4pm on Ch 9 in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT.
Live from 4pm on Gem in Vic and Tas.
Live from 3.30pm on Gem in SA and NT.
Live from 2pm on Gem in WA.
Game 4:
Saturday Night 6.50pm start AEST
Live from 6.30pm on Ch 9 in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT
Live from 6.30pm on Gem in Vic and Tas.
Live from 6pm on Gem in SA and NT.
Live from 4.30pm on Gem in WA.
Game 5:
Saturday Night 8.40pm start AEST
Live from 8.35pm on Ch 9 in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT
Live from 8.35pm on Gem in Vic and Tas.
Live from 8.05pm on Gem in SA and NT.
Live from 6.35pm on Gem in WA.
Game 6:
Sunday Afternoon 2.15pm start AEST
Live from 2pm on Ch 9 in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT.
Live from 2pm on Gem in Vic and Tas.
Live from 1.30pm on Gem in SA and NT.
Live from 12pm on Gem in WA.
Game 7:
Sunday Afternoon 4.05pm start AEST
Live from 4pm on Ch 9 in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT.
Live from 4pm on Gem in Vic and Tas.
Live from 3.30pm on Gem in SA and NT.
Live from 2pm on Gem in WA.
Game 8:
Sunday Night 6.50pm start AEST
Live from 6.30pm on Ch 9 in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT
Live from 6.30pm on Gem in Vic and Tas.
Live from 6pm on Gem in SA and NT.
Live from 4.30pm on Gem in WA.
2015 and beyond normal round (two new teams and one extra game per week):
Game 1:
Thursday Night 6.50pm start AEST
Live from 6.30pm on Ch 9 in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT.
Live from 6.30pm on Gem in Vic and Tas.
Live from 6pm on Gem in SA and NT.
Live from 4.30pm on Gem in WA.
Game 2:
Friday Night 6.50pm start AEST
Live from 6.30pm on Ch 9 in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT.
Live from 6.30pm on Gem in Vic and Tas.
Live from 6pm on Gem in SA and NT.
Live from 4.30pm on Gem in WA.
Game 3:
Friday Night 8.40pm start AEST
Live from 8.35pm on Ch 9 in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT.
Live from 8.35pm on Gem in Vic and Tas.
Live from 8.05pm on Gem in SA and NT.
Live from 6.35pm on Gem in WA.
Game 4:
Saturday Afternoon 4.05pm start AEST
Live from 4pm on Ch 9 in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT.
Live from 4pm on Gem in Vic and Tas.
Live from 3.30pm on Gem in SA and NT.
Live from 2pm on Gem in WA.
Game 5:
Saturday Night 6.50pm start AEST
Live from 6.30pm on Ch 9 in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT
Live from 6.30pm on Gem in Vic and Tas.
Live from 6pm on Gem in SA and NT.
Live from 4.30pm on Gem in WA.
Game 6:
Saturday Night 8.40pm start AEST
Live from 8.35pm on Ch 9 in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT
Live from 8.35pm on Gem in Vic and Tas.
Live from 8.05pm on Gem in SA and NT.
Live from 6.35pm on Gem in WA.
Game 7:
Sunday Afternoon 2.15pm start AEST
Live from 2pm on Ch 9 in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT.
Live from 2pm on Gem in Vic and Tas.
Live from 1.30pm on Gem in SA and NT.
Live from 12pm on Gem in WA.
Game 8:
Sunday Afternoon 4.05pm start AEST
Live from 4pm on Ch 9 in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT.
Live from 4pm on Gem in Vic and Tas.
Live from 3.30pm on Gem in SA and NT.
Live from 2pm on Gem in WA.
Game 9:
Sunday Night 6.50pm start AEST
Live from 6.30pm on Ch 9 in Queensland, New South Wales and ACT
Live from 6.30pm on Gem in Vic and Tas.
Live from 6pm on Gem in SA and NT.
Live from 4.30pm on Gem in WA.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
The Broncos skipper tried to stop Joseph Sua'ali'i with one good arm and did a decent job of diffusing the play with the pass…
Jesse Arthars was in hospital receiving treatment for a broken jaw before Friday night’s game was over after a self-inflicted blow in the first…
Deine Mariner was sin binned for this high shot on James Tedesco. Does he have more to worry about?
The Brisbane halfback's horror run with injury has continued with Channel Nine confirming Reynolds tore a bicep against the Roosters.
Even Nine's Andrew Johns and Fatty Vautin had to side with James Tedesco here as Ashley Klein allowed the Broncos to take a healthy…
The Roosters were pinged for a controversial obstruction in Round 4 when Jared Waerea-Hargreaves ran into Penrith's Dylan Edwards, which ultimately saw the Chooks…
