Mark the 21st of August 2012 as the biggest day in the history of rugby league in this country. rugby league Central was the hub of Australian sport today as announcement after announcement filtered through to the public.
Finally the news that everyone was waiting for. The Australian rugby league Commission (ARLC) had secured themselves $1.025 billion from Fox Sports and the Nine Network to broadcast our great game for the next five years.
Digital rights and the New Zealand rights are still to come.
“The whole package is a simply fantastic result for rugby league,” ARLC Chairman Mr John Grant said yesterday at the big press conference.
“The cash that comes from the agreement, used wisely, will provide the funding base for sustainable growing our game from the grass-roots to the elite levels.
“The agreement around scheduling answers the request from our clubs and corporate partners for certainty and the inclusion of national coverage will see our fans across Australia able to enjoy their rugby league.”
From the first ball being kicked in 1908 to the St George Dragons winning eleven straight premierships. From the Super League war of the 1990’s to the Melbourne Storm salary cap rorting. There isn’t a news story that comes close to this.
The announcement was so big that the other big news stories of the day didn’t seem to matter.
St George Illawarra legend Ben Hornby announced that he would join Dean Young in retirement at season’s end. The stalwart will play his final game in two weeks.
“I’ve given all I can give – mentally, I just couldn’t push myself through another pre-season” Hornby said.
“I’d been thinking about it for a fair while and I didn’t really find too many reasons why I should need to play on at this stage.
“It’s obviously a very difficult season we’ve had this year for everyone and it’s certainly taken its toll… When you’re the captain and the halfback, you’ve got a little bit more responsibility than most.
“It (the losses) had an effect on me … mentally, I’m a little bit worn out.”
Meanwhile, across the ditch, the New Zealand Warriors have sacked head coach Brian McClennan after a disastrous 2012 campaign.
Warriors chief executive Wayne Scurrah believes the club had no other choice.
“The nature of the loss (against North Queensland) and then what some people were touting as the wooden-spoon battle this weekend – and to lose that game at home – it really made where we are today inevitable,” Scurrah said.
Back in Sydney, the New South Wales rugby league appointed their new coach to take the Blues into the future. Ricky Stuart’s former Canberra Raiders partner in crime, Laurie Daley, will coach New South Wales in 2013.
On any other day, Daley’s appointment would be back page and maybe even front page news.
“Ricky Stuart’s done a fantastic job over the last couple of years in closing the gap between Queensland and NSW” Daley told Fox Sports on Tuesday.
“I just want to continue on from his legacy and leave my own legacy behind.
“I know that I can get the job done.
“I know it’s going to be very difficult but I’m confident in the players that NSW have developed over the last couple of years that we’re not far away.”
Oh and by the way. Anthony Minichiello will fight his charge at the judiciary, Issac Luke has been dropped to the NSW Cup and David Gallop will take over as Football Federation Australia CEO.
All in one day. I’m tired!
Curtis Woodward
Expert
So would you rather $1.025 billion + more or $500 million and get everything you want ?
81paling
Roar Rookie
I do love the fact that everyone here is so positive about the new deal and I wish that I could share your optimism but, unfortunately I feel that the majority have been let down by this deal and therefore as has the game, for the following reasons. 1. The majority of Australian households do not have pay TV and therefore will still not have access to most live games. 2. With the reality that this deal includes no expansion clubs and therefore there will be no new clubs admitted over the next 5 years there are millions of disappointed fans not just in QLD but on the Central Coast of NSW and in WA. 3. Moving more Sunday arvo games to Sunday nights means less games to take the kids to, not so disappointing for grown ups but, my kids love going to games (the same can b said for Thursday night and the Grand Final) so it is just a bit of a kick to the future generations of our game. I hope that I am wrong for all the fans that love going to the games and for all the families who want to take their kids, those that do not have or can not afford pay TV, those that dream of having a team to call their own but I do not think that I am because as a result of this deal, when I am home on a Saturday night and I turn on the TV in Sydney (the birth place of Rugby League in Australia, the largest city/market in Australia) the only sport that will be on every weekend during the rugby league season for my family to watch will be AFL.
betts
Guest
LOVE IT LOVE IT.. Curtis whos your tip for the grand final?
von Neumann
Guest
People may not understand how i could say that with complete belief and praise. Well, you see, this is just the first step. First things first. This game is more than just the fta coverage, what of the players and clubs and operations? They need to be strong. No one is being sucked into afl, relax. I can almost promise you beyond a doubt that the fans rewards will come. Believe. This is how the dance is done
von Neumann
Guest
To sum it up, if rl was a person, it would be celebrating hard and non stop for a full week. This deal is that good. And every thing we dreamed our game was is real. We didn't have to bend over and big deal, the coverage is ordinary. But i guarantee you no one will miss a game they really want to watch. This is the day we rose as one and set out to take everything, phalanx formation, to Persia. ARLC the great
The Bird
Guest
Im with you Guru ! What a crazy year! How good is rugby league
The High Shot
Roar Pro
amen
Curtis Woodward
Expert
Imagine what the game could be like in 30 years? We can tell our grandkids we were there when they got their shit together.
Curtis Woodward
Expert
Comment under consideration!
oikee
Guest
I think the biggest news which is being over shadowed is the independence of the code, . We have shaken off the shackles of News Ltd, Grant, he has done probably the best deal ever, never has a code been freed by a major player like this, for what, what have we as a game lost, 5 years of ordinary coverage, who cares, they are paying for the privalige of staying the way we were before basically. If that is not telling you something, i dont know what will. I have said all along the game was being ripped off, we all did, now nothing has changed yet they are paying our game a motza, yippee, well done Grant,. Next deal will be NFL like, yeah baby. And we will have a ship load to sell, we lost nothing really. Think about that, we sold them nothing for huge cash. We did not have to do a dance, we did not have to sing, or bend dover. :) And we own our game, we OWN it.,,,, It's ours,.Yippee.
The High Shot
Roar Pro
This article seriously lacks the hysteria, over-reaction, hand-wringing, whinging, dummy-spitting rubbish that all NRL related articles and comments need to have at the moment. Lift your game!