Rugby League is a passion of mine and has been for as long as I can remember. I had the pleasure of playing the game from the age of five up to 17 and my on-field feats have stood the test of time, at least in my own mind.
Nowadays, as I am approaching a mid-life crisis, I marvel at the way the game has developed into one of the globe’s most respected and physically demanding contests.
The game will always have its critics. Fans of other codes will always want to knock rugby league, but many don’t take the chance to understand the game before they knock it.
I love rugby league, the collisions, the pace and the skill demonstrated in the modern game is breathtaking. There are so many attributes and good things the game has going for it. However, there are also areas that I’m sure many other lovers of the game have a reason to gripe about.
Even though I love rugby league, I do think there are areas where it could be improved. Some of these are:
1) Mid-season transfers
The game is a profession nowadays and players have the right to take care of themselves as best they can. Loyalty is not a term of endearment in any profession. The career span of a player is short. Notwithstanding that, it is difficult to accept a player can be committed to his team mates and jersey when he is focused on where he may be playing next season, next month or next week. Perhaps a transfer window deadline could be considered.
2) Scheduling of games
The Brisbane Broncos played a good portion of their early 2012 games consecutively on Friday nights. This allowed them consistency in their preparation for each week, a considerable advantage. Whereas other teams had to back up from Monday night games and play on Saturday, etc.
In addition and more importantly, the scheduling during the representative season is a dog’s breakfast. Teams who provide the bulk of rep players are often disadvantaged with byes during this period. It’s been mentioned constantly, however I firmly believe that representative matches should be standalone fixtures. If you disagree, have a look at the NRL crowd numbers the weekend after an Origin game.
3) Refereeing decisions
This gripe harps way back to when that Pommy bloke picked up the soccer ball in England and started to run and palm his chasers in the face. The video referee is in my opinion necessary for the game. The use of the video referee, though, needs to be refined. No penalties for head shots which should be the responsibility of the on field referees.
This will discourage players from lying down when there has been contact with the head. The on-field referees need to also be accountable for making decisions in the first instance rather than rely on the bloke upstairs. More often than not, the on field ref is in the best position and close enough to make a call on a try, however lacks the conviction to do so.
4) Scrums
Are they worth persisting with? They are no longer a genuine contest. The benefits are an opportunity for the attacking team; however it is hard to adjust seeing fullbacks packing in the second row, front rowers feeding the ball in the scrum and so on. They seem to be a debacle and a bit of a blight on the game.
5) Expansion
The wounds are still raw for many Bears and Jets fans and I can’t recall speaking to too many excited Steelers, Magpies, Saints and Tigers fans for clubs who have merged. There is a certain purity I believe when traditional clubs oppose each other, in front of their parochial followers.
While the game has broadened its horizons in places like Queensland and Melbourne, we need to consider at what cost. A lot of life long supporters have given the game away in recent years due to mergers or altogether axing’s of their teams
There are a multitude of changes and enhancements possible for the game; they are debated regularly on footy shows and in print. For instance there is the current Origin eligibility and among others interchange rules, 40/20’s etc.
On balance, the game itself has never been more exciting and breathtaking to watch. It is a great way to spend a Saturday night snuggled up next to a meat pie and a cold tinny.
But, Roarers, over to you. What would you like to see improved in the NRL?
alitis48
Guest
Good they can keep supporting those other codes. We dont need those sort of people in RL
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Watching them play of late,I thought amateurs was an apt description.They will come good.I feel sorry for Kearney TBH.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
In fact he Charges had the money in the bank after they were given the see you later,and some of the money was I believe, lent to the Newcastle Knights.
Will Sinclair
Guest
The Parramatta Eels are also semi-pro.
Queensland's Game Is Rugby League
Guest
Queensland Cup is semi-pro.
Recalcitrant
Guest
Change the laws to become in line with the IRB.
chris
Guest
Would like to see NRL try and push semi-pro Rugby League.
Knight Vision
Guest
absolutely , clubs should through way of salary cap concessions be rewarded for nurturing young junior talent and keeping them. Players sourced outside the clubs junior pool should count higher in the cap. I personally don't want a lot of outside talent in my team , I want to go and watch the local boys serving it up and cheer them on. I understand they need to make hay while the sun shines and go for the dollar but we really do need to be able to offer them the incentive to stay loyal and give the clubs the ability to stay loyal to them.
Queensland's Game Is Rugby League
Guest
A rugby union ball spends most of its time at the bottom of a ruck, in the scrumhalves's hands while a scrum is being set, and in the hands of the hooker before a line out. It spends a fair bit of time on the scrumhalves' boot and on a kicking tee. Rarely does the ball get in the hands of a runner charging at the line. Even rarer for it to be in a centre's hands during a genuine attacking play. Seeing it passed along the backline in a genuine attack raid is like searching for a near extinct species in the bush. The crowd members in the front rows along the sideline probably get to handle the ball more often than the centres.
Queensland's Game Is Rugby League
Guest
I think you're on a winner there, Ray. It's a great way to get more money out of the game.
Queensland's Game Is Rugby League
Guest
turbodewd, You need to get your facts right. The Gold Coast Chargers were one of the few clubs that made a profit during the Super League war. The only reason they were tossed out of the NRL by the ARL because it was less painful than getting rid of another Sydney club. Telling another Sydney club that they were out would have made it harder to ease the pain of the Super League war. The Gold Coast has only ever had two teams: Chargers and Titans. Every other club that was called "Gold Coast" was based in Tweed Heads, NSW.
Queensland's Game Is Rugby League
Guest
I understand the author's anger with mergers. If they're done right they can be tolerable, but I think they are more likely to end in failure. The Souths Magpies and Logan Scorpions merged to become the Souths Logan Magpies in 2002. All of their home games are played at Davies Park (West ENd, Brisbane) because it costs too much to play at Meakin Park (Slacks Creek, Logan). The Brisbane Strikers own Meakin Park. The Magpies can no longer afford to play at Meakin Park. The Raiders played at Meakin Park in front of 5,000 or so supporters a couple of years ago in a pre-season trial, with all money raised from ticket sales going to the Magpies. That's a lot of tickets sold, but they didn't much of a profit. Logan City Council won't help the Magpies out. They've done so much for AFL and soccer, but they neglect rugby league.
Col Quinn
Guest
Norths were not broke. They merged with Manly, who broke the contract and ran off with North's money. The NRl sat on its hands and did nothing. The current North's bid has more financial backing than Melbourne
Col Quinn
Guest
Alive? I have never seen a ball with a pulse in RU. The latest figures I saw foe Super Rugby was that the ball was "alive" for only 35 mins in 80 mins. CPR needed her Mantis. In RL the ball is breathing with a pulse for 60 mins out of 80 mins. League needs more competition for the balls, competition brings variety. Not so much competitive scrums but bring back the defensive teams right to strike for the ball in the play the ball.
Mantis
Roar Guru
Who ever mentioned union?
Mantis
Roar Guru
Union is more stop start then league? In league, the ball literally is dead at the end of every tackle, then gets restarted once the ball is played. Union may have more penalties and stoppages, but when the ball is in play it is always alive.
Mantis
Roar Guru
On the point of kicking, I am sick of teams thumping it long over the dead ball line to nullify attacking fullbacks such as slater, hayne, bowen etc... If the ball is kick from inside the 20 and goes dead (i.e a grubber or attacking kick), fair enough, 20m tap. but from anywhere outside the 20 (or a determined distance out, maybe 20 is too close), then a different result should occur. whether it is as simple as a tap from the 30m line, or as extreme as the rule they use in Union, being the team gets the ball from where it was kicked. It would encourage more exciting play by getting rid of the long pointless kicks.
db swannie
Guest
Wrong ,The Chargers had 2 million plus in the bank at the time they were a victim of the ARL/SL compromise.
Ray
Guest
I'd change the way time works. Perhaps stop the clock after a try is scored, a mistake, or a penalty, it would add close to twenty minutes to the contest. I just think that there is too much time wasting in the game, and it can rob the game of a grand stand finish. There is nothing worse than late in a tight game when teams deliberately waste time in order to milk time off the clock. It may also aid crowds, with the length of the game justifying the expense and the time taken travel, especially in Sydney where getting to some games takes longer than the actual game itself. It would also be a boost for television rights, longer games more air times, more time to put ads in place and doesn't Channel 9 love that.
Fat Man
Guest
Don’t call it a scrum it’s a group hug. With all the heavy hitting and aggression it is nice to have a group hug after someone drops the ball.