NRL gets another reminder of how modern sport works

I will tell you what there was Rugby. Prevailing in France from the post war years to the mid nineties rugby league could not be called by that name,but by the name game of X111.So not officially recognised,yes kids could play.They could not play in school,as the game was not allowed to be under the control of PT teachers. The code had no money ,circa 46. As there was only one officially sanctioned rugby code,they got the Govt financial support and development backing.IOW money was available,and the French ru clubs did not hold back ,with their financial clout in doing what they do best. I don't have names.All I know on quite a number of stories from France in Total Rugby League by a resident Pom with close contacts at the clubs. .The rl clubs were complaining about losing juniors.Hardly think juniors are going to make newspaper headlines.Clubs are hardly going to complain if it didn't happen .I couldn't give you names of players in Sydney rl juniors, going to another code.Newsworthyness ,zilch. The proof is in the pudding,now rl is given a fair go there,the participation levels are rising.

Was there an agreement or something why kids from rugby league or rugby union clubs weren't allowed to switch codes back in those days in France, NZ, Australia and England? Maybe those rugby league kids (if any) in France wanted a better oppotunity since rugby union huge in Southern France in those days. We had many rugby league kids who came to rugby union in New Zealand for over 100 years just so they can play in the NPC. I don't see anything wrong with that. Do you have any names of ex RL juniors who switch to rugby union in France or is this one of those statements you see on Leaguewiki?

Yes rugby league at times is its own worst enemy,perhaps due to many involved in admin positions being well meaning volunteers and former footballers with limited managerial experience. It took a SL war to finally push them into a corner of ït''s this way or the highway. They now have a commission in place and a new CEO.Give them 12 months with all on board to assess,their performances. As it took them (ru)100 years to finally become overtly professional,who knows the length of time taken for an IC.So far they have had 17 years,money in the bank,professionally run WCs and still no IC.

What has the size of the code, in the supposed amateur days got to do with it. French rl clubs complained about losing juniors in the past prior to 1995 to these"amateur" clubs,call it boot money,spaghetti rugby.They don't have to be playing in the French team.Just as junior ru players from NZ are being poached to play rl,in this country.. Either come out and say we are overtly professional,instead of the deceptive approach they adopted,they even ran foul of the International union authorities due to this. Most of us(rl fans) have a knowledge of what happened 41-46 and beyond,and that is another matter.

It took the professional game of rugby league in Australia over 100 years to get a IC. Will rugby union take that long now they are a professional sport? Time will tell.

The French rugby union comp in its amateur days were still massive compared to rugby league. Maybe they wanted to play in the five nations, tour the world and get notice outside of their town. Which rugby league juniors are we talking about I have no idea any were playing in the French team.

Where was the problem when Mat Rogers decided to change?.Or Brad Thorn? Plenty of rl juniors went to French ru ,during the amateur years.Did any ru people comment,unlikely. All it takes and it's not hard to understand,it is the way things are done,not that they are done. Obviously you have not read some of the posts on this board from some fellow ru fans ,who bagged the Tahus,Blackwoods,Sailors.Funny way of wishing them well. We wouldn't be having this debate either,if he had decided he wanted to go to ru instead of umming and arghing. League fans accept people go to the highest bidder,people do not accept a couple of the ways it is done.And the deluded thinking, that it is the norm.

Emric.I agree about the poaching in this country,but please when ru was supposedly amateur,the best of French rl juniors could earn more money playing for French ru clubs than playing rl. The French rl clubs were forever complaining about losing their best juniors. Not a word from any ru person,Why? Because the code was supposedly amateur,and any publicity of this nature would be too explosive, perhaps. The lilly whiteI am sorry to say on occasions, has been a shade of grey.

Mr Taylor.Mrs Harris attended a season with Dawn Fraser.Well before the ARLC commission . Are you disputing her liking for the game,which she has publicly acknowledged and when it started?Or are you doing your usual IRB spin,that anything in rl is pure BS. Tina is not on the ARLC board ,at last reports. Well we can suggest you are not a fan of rl,as your comments tend to support. and please before having a go at me,read the intial post of the person I respondedIinstead of your ususal,picking things at random. 50% of the commission is not the majority.

My comment about strange at times ,was in response to Ian's comment on NRL dirty secrets. Did you not check first.? If you believe those fans don't have a shot at NRL clubs losing money,you are blinkered. That has been thrown up on various rl threads.more so when the Tv deal expectations came up,where predictions thrown up, were amusing to say the least. South's position has improved markedly since the private ownership came into being.The fact they are able to ensure stronger cash inflows,means they are better able to service their debt,which I have never denied they had.I understand their financial plight ,I also am aware of when the debt repayments and interest commences.And it äint tomorrow. I am very aware of their plight before the takeover. I am also aware of predicted $1m dollar profit in 2013.Pappas has indicated such.The $7m grant from the admin,to cover salary cap/ other admin is an assist toward that prediction.Whether that materialises time will tell.

Seems like a valid point from Oikee. New Zealand and the islands' top sport is Union. Makes sense that players of those origins would ultimately like to play the sport they probably grow up dreaming about. And, no, there is no reason you had to "challenge" his statement. Stinks of politically correctness.

One player decides to switch codes, and it's a kick in the guts for you personally? I think you're hanging on way to tight Oikee.

Matt_S For a 100 years League raided Rugbys playing stocks, taking the best and brightest from our game. No League Supporter on the planet cared that Rugby was used as a cheap breading ground for the NRL and Northern Union - Now the cry foul because Rugby has grown to be a much bigger sport, gone professional and has brought a couple of league players the numbers are still heavily biased on the side of league for player poaching. Anyway is still happening its just that the focus has changed the NRL are getting the young 18 year old fresh out of high school and offering them hundreds of thousands of dollars to take up league. With the competition in Rugby especially rugby in New Zealand it does not surprise me that these kids are jumping ship to what is grantee money and a future instead of taking the risk of becoming an All Black I never hear League supporters complain when its Rugby players who are being poached

"that is why I find it strange AFL fans at times have a shot at NRL clubs losing money" Are you serious? It was Matt_S having a go at AFL clubs ...not the other way round! The fact he singled out AFL clubs when in fact the profit/loss ratio is worse for NRL clubs shows how biased and nonsensical his comment was. And the Bunnies did NOT make a profit...that was spin by Richardson. They made a cash-flow "profit"... but when they include interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, the club made a loss of $864k. The club has $10.6M in liabilities against $4.6M in assets. It's all there in the Bunnies Annual Report.

If only league fans are more open and understanding as other football fans that its only a sport then maybe we didn't have to post all this stuff on here. Every time someone moves from rugby league to another code there's a problem with that person or the code he's going to but when a player moves from rugby union or AFL back to rugby league its all good and wish them all the best. We wont be having this conversation if Folau ditch the Eeel's to move South Sydney.

He was right most have no connection, I mean Russell Crowe and Dawn Fraser can take all the movie stars and politicians to a NRL game it doesn't make them NRL fans or fans of AFL, rugby or soccer. Where's Tina Turner now?

Because Mr Taylor a union fan had a go at the composition of the Commission ,stating most have no connection with rugby league.He was glaringly wrong,and I can add Mr Sutcliffe who with his family are Roosters's fans.In additon he was downplaying their professional expertise. I simply reponded if you are going to bag the professional ability of the ARLC ,have a look at your own backyard and their performance over the years. Sometimes it pays to follow the sequencce of posts,which appears you did not.

I am still awaiting the dirty little NRL secret. has on poker machines according to Ian. Well Souths did not record a loss ,as I understand it,so 15 out of 16 on that basis is incorrect. The current state of some clubs has changed remarkably.Cronulla is but one example all in the space of a couple of months.The $7m grants for 2013 has had a big influence in underpinning the clubs. Last line i concur,that is why I find it strange AFL fans at times have a shot at NRL clubs losing money.IOW it äint"unique.

There are more rugby stars who made it league than vise versa but keep going.

Wow, I have no idea that any of the post above asked what the Australian rugby union were up to but thanks for letting us know CC.