Rugby league has had incredible growth this century. This is especially so when you think of setbacks like Super League, Coffs Harbour/Christchurch scandals, salary cap rorts, South Sydney’s expulsion and readmission, the Western Reds/South Queensland Crushers/Adelaide Rams and the lopsided international scores.
In the face of these seemingly insurmountable issues, rugby league has cemented itself as the greatest game of all.
It’s really going places down under.
A new billion-dollar TV rights deal, State of Origin, international improvement, an increase in fans/members, new stadiums, a museum, increased playing numbers and media attention and the establishment of the Independent Commission.
However, pats on the back aside, league is still not living up to its potential.
The sport’s biggest problem is lack of real loyalty. Officials and administrators of the code are too self-centred. Not many in the code have the game’s best interests at heart – they prefer loyalty to their club, local league admin and rep state or nation.
Queensland/NSW coaches want to steal young Kiwis to strengthen their teams but at the expense of the international game.
Coaches and players whinge about referees to take the pressure off themselves, while many league people in media are beset by self-interest.
The code’s growth, image and strength should be the main priorities.
First of all, let’s get serious about international league.
Encourage NRL players to play for New Zealand, Pacific Island countries, USA, England, Wales, France, Papua New Guinea and so on.
The closer these countries get to competing and beating Australia, the bigger global league will grow. Jarryd Hayne should be allowed to play for NSW but must play for Fiji.
However New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and England are different.
Benji Marshall must play only for New Zealand, as too Jack Reed for England, and not Origin. They should be rewarded for not choosing Origin if they are eligible to strengthen another country.
Clubs should be allowed to give bonuses (the same money) for all international reps of any country.
League is so insular in this area, but by only making Australia stronger we weaken the global game, which limits potential commercial growth of the NRL and rugby league as a whole. This is AFL’s Achilles’ Heel and rugby union’s strength, we sit somewhere in the middle.
Remember the code in England has persevered with Welsh and French teams to boost the international game. What have us Aussies done except take the New Zealand TV rights money for the NRL, courtesy of the Warriors, and given little back to the game.
We could show leadership in Papua New Guinea but our efforts are token at best. Some junior development and school competitions are being established by the Broncos, but where is the NRL leadership?
Purely from a match-play perspective, the NRL wrestle effectively kills the other nations’ potential offensive momentum. International league rules should reflect that and penalise the Aussies if they continue to wrestle.
Juniors are how we hold Western Sydney, Gold Coast and make inroads into new areas.
We need a consistent calendar – why should league tournaments overlap and conflict with each other? They should be streamlined to accommodate each other’s needs. If league wants a presence in the schools then it must work with all schools to limit conflict.
For example, the Confraternity Rugby League Carnival (involving 40 private schools across Queensland) conflicts with the National U15 carnival and the U16 Queensland B Team.
So many schools fume they do not get better access to their kids. The problem is depth, because the smaller league schools can’t afford to lose their best kids, as opposed to the giant league academies (like Kirwin, Wavell, Keebra, etc) who, by taking all the best kids from other schools, are killing the smaller schools’ ambitions.
We must maintain the Toyota Cup. There are many in league circles who want to attack the 20s but that exposure and limelight has enticed so many talented borderline kids to choose league over union and AFL.
We need greater networking with all schools. At the moment certain clubs’ rep teams tell their kids not to play school football or train, which leaves the schools forming a bad relationship with these clubs.
As a result, some schools won’t consider playing league or ban their kids from club representation completely.
Both clubs and the league (NSWRL, QRL or ARL) should work with the schools to promote the game in that area. A bit of effort to talk and have cordial relations will help build a friendly relationship. The AFL do this so well compared to local leagues and clubs.
This can help build relationships and help league get some into private schools, where it has little presence. If these schools let AFL in, they can let league in but unhappy relationships currently hinder this.
There needs to be zero tolerance of violence. It is absolutely unacceptable and crowd/parent misbehaviour drives so many parents to soccer, AFL or rugby. The recent incidents in Brisbane and Ipswich are testimony to that.
League development officers should carry club colours where possible and promote a club as well as the game, especially in one team cities or regional areas.
For example, all Western Australian development officers should wear the Pirates insignia, because it will promote the club at all levels. All North Queensland development officers should have Cowboys insignia, ACT/Southern NSW in Canberra-green and Victorian staff all in Storm colours.
As to the NRL competition, the current composition is made up of 10 NSW sides (of which nine are based in Sydney), one in the ACT, three in Queensland, one in Victoria and one in New Zealand.
Let’s talk new markets.
Perth and another Kiwi side are a must soon. Both are large league hungry markets containing sizeable populations with perfect TV credentials. I would love to say include Adelaide, Tasmania or Northern Territory but we are some way off of those possibilities yet.
As to the NSW and ACT league heartland, about 7.5 million people are serviced by 11 sides and Queensland has a fast growing 4.7 million with three sides. Meanwhile, the heartland of Papua New Guinea (where league is the official national sport) has 7 million people and no team.
Papua New Guinea is a must and should be fast tracked through infrastructure spending.
The Central Coast would love a side but the Sydney basin is well served with nine sides already, which makes their case hard. The Queensland bids have stronger cases and with their TV audience, at least one more side north of the Tweed is a must.
The poor old Cronulla Sharks often get scapegoated as the Sydney team which needs to be relocated, as well they should. They have a small fan-base and geographically little population expansion room.
Papua New Guinea would be a good fit for them – in baby steps.
The NRL could fund an academy of young Papua New Guinea players at Cronulla, while the Sharks play some home games in Port Moresby when a stadium is ready.
Low crowd pulling games against the likes of North Queensland, New Zealand, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Penrith and possibly Newcastle played in PNG would suddenly have large, vocal crowds.
Papua New Guinea would embrace the Sharks as their team and open up a new market of fans. The NRL could help Cronulla top up their membership-ticketed games by allowing them to be used at away matches against other Sydney clubs.
The Roosters too have growth and fickle fan problems but their deep pockets save them quite a bit. The Central Coast might look good for them.
Stadiums are another area where the AFL is killing league. The old Sydney Showground, or ACT government funding AFL games shows just how far ahead the AFL is in this department.
League has up to five teams using Homebush, whereas a boutique rectangular stadium at the showground would have suited most NRL games.
Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane is the best. It’s close to the city, has two accessible train stations and easy car/bus drop off access. Melbourne will benefit long-term from their upgraded stadium, as too Newcastle.
The Gold Coast have a great stadium close to rail but it is away from the city action at Robina, while the AFL have their stadium closer to the action at Carrara/Broadbeach. Rail from Robina to Broadbeach/Surfers is the only long term fix.
Townsville and Canberra both need new modern stadiums in the city and Canberra’s should be indoor. Mt Smart in New Zealand is a good stadium but it is 20 minutes train ride out of the city.
Let’s finish with Sydney. Financing over 11 quality stadiums for each team will not work. Big games deserve the best venues. ANZ is great for Origin, grand finals, big preliminary finals and the odd big club game but otherwise it’s too large.
Allianz is fine but it’s not really in the city, is hard to access directly by train (you usually need buses or cabs), is crying out for a roof, is getting a bit old and the new light rail won’t move enough people.
Sydney has nine teams, yet lacks a stadium in the heart of the city, like Brisbane or Melbourne. It needs its own ‘Suncorp’ somewhere near Circular Quay or the Domain so it can capitalise on trains, buses, ferries, tourists and bored city workers from Thursday to Monday nights.
It’s time for the NRL to influence the NSW government in the same way the AFL does. The Queensland Government has built new state of the art stadiums with Suncorp and Skilled in the last 10 years, Victoria built AAMI, Auckland upgraded both Mt Smart and Eden Park, while NSW government have only majorly upgraded Newcastle and partially upgraded Wollongong
Even the partial upgrade of Allianz (SFS) still hasn’t solved the main issue of rail transport.
It’s about time the NRL pressured the supposed home of rugby league that is NSW.
allblackfan
Guest
rob9, Eden Park is rectangular. Google ``eden park images'' if you don't believe me. Perhaps, like ANZ Stadium, it can change its shape to oval as well but Eden Park is primarily a rugby union ground. That means rectangular.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
PL.from what I understand there are companies interested in a major sponsorship.The problem is two fold,whether the sponsor fits into the type of culture the code wants to create,and secondly the ESL have indicated they do not want to sell for peanuts.Perhaps a lesson well learned after Stobarts. After getting no cash in hand last deal,I can see where they are coming from. Yet despite the tough economic conditions prevailing in the UK,with a 3rd year of nil GDP growth, the Super League have been able to extend and enhance the sponsorship deal with Heinz for 2013. http://www.superleague.co.uk/article/26883/heinz-big-soup-partnership-enhances
Progressive League
Roar Rookie
John definately the grass root numbers in the UK are stronger, I agree league is doing better over there and tv ratings for superleague are impressive. I admire the work the RFL has also done in France and greater Europe too in expanding the game. However I do worry when I hear for a second season the Superleague struggles for a major sponsor. I lived over there for a bit and saw first hand the inroads league development officers were making in non-traditional areas like the South of England, Wales and Scotland. However what is not spoken about is the poor state of the professional game, the Superleague. The game struggles for media attention because the Premier League is so big and even the Championship receives more coverage. 20years ago the Premier League was born and it only gets bigger at the expense of league because league is fighting for those same fans where as union has a solid class based fan base that wont be tempted with soccer/football. Union also relies on its Internationals, the 6 Nations is big ans can be seen by all UK citizens on free to air. League in the Uk does not enjoy the same International exposure because their games are not as regular, are shown mainly on sky (paytv) and Britain has not had much success nor historically that competitive against Australia since 1970s.
Progressive League
Roar Rookie
Who said the NRL are doing it??? The PNG Governemnt will build the staium as soon as they get a team. They want a stadium for themselves. Some may say its wasted money, those same people said the Olympics was wasted money or Suncorp in Brisabnae was wasted but the reality is the building process and lasting infrastructure are big contributors to growing the local economy and PNG needs all the help it can get to build its economy hence why they allowed BHP to build Ok Tedi mine, it certainly wasnt good for the Fly River and surrounding environment. The Gold Coast transport problem is due to the coastal population hub and subsequent traffic it is not because of the Titans stadium location. It is a problem many state governments and GC City Councils have tried to solve not for the Titans but because getting around the coastal areas to other areas is difficult and time consuming. There is not a specific rail line for the Titans being built in fact the new light rail goes nowhere near their stadium. The idea of a coastal railway has nothing to do with the NRL it is mainly due to the fact that the Gold Coast is Australia's 6th largest city and lacks fast moving public transport. Before you past judgement do your homework or return to Mars!
Rob9
Guest
League may have a richer history in more countries but I can assure that nowadays American Football has a greater international presence.
Progressive League
Roar Rookie
Im aware of the Sharks demographics, and yes things look on the up for them with the Leagues Club development but 600 odd units and a housing estate wont ensure off field success. The Sharks under financial hammer, must I remind you that South Sydney were dead for two years and look where they are now. Top or close second top the Sydney league clubs in memberships for the last 7 seasons (only 2 seasons in top 8 in that time), top sponsorship and are the only Sydney club to run a profit even without a great poker machine base. You can throw Crowe's name in the mix but Souths have made some tough decisions before Crowe like moving to Homebush to improve their bottom line and improve the facilities on offer to the fans and corporates. They also play a match in Perth, QLD and the Central Coast again capitalising on their expanded fan base. The Sharks do own their own ground but cannot fund upgrades and why should the governement fund an upgrade of a stadium only used by one club team. It is a waste of taxpayers money and they have said as much that the stadium strategy will change to a policy like Melbourne adopted 15years ago for the AFL clubs. The Sharks may not have won a premiership but niether have Souths since 1971. In that 40yr period the Sharks have enjoyed more onfield success appearing in 3 Grand Finals to Souths none, making regular finals appearances to Souths very few, even making a preliminary final not long ago in 2008 when they finished 3rd drawing a crowd of 27 thousand. Souths finished 3rd this season and played a preliminary final in front of 70 odd thousand. The Bulldogs played the Eeels in a Preliminary Final a few years ago in front of over 70 thousand too, as too did St George v Wests Tigers. The Sharks played the Dragons in a preliminary final in 1999 that attracted 50 odd thousand thanks too the Dragon supporters who outnumbered the Sharks 4-1 that day. The Roosters, Manly or Sharks could not draw those numbers to a preliminary final that is the reality (Im unsure bout the Panthers). Tigers, Eels, Dogs, Rabbits, Dragons have very large supporter bases so if rationalisation was to occur in Sydney they have a very good argument to stay. That pits the Sharks against the Roosters cash and seemingly large supporter base (when they are winning), the Panthers western expanse, leagues club and junior nursery or Manly, a club that has made 6 Grand Finals since 1995 and is the only NRL club on Sydney's northshore. Your juniors argument is folly. The Roosters dont have juniors but have made 5 Grand Finals since the NRL's inception in 1998, Melbourne similarly have made 6 Grand Finals without a strong junior base although it is growing I must admit. The reality is the salary cap and recruitment override juniors. Im certainly not defending the Roosters who will point out what they spend on their own rep sides as junior development, Im sure they spend no where near as much on grass roots junior development then other clubs do but the reality is they do not. You mention Sharks fans not living in the district, well every club has fans elsewhere, hence why these smart clubs take games elsewhere to expand their fan base and improve their bottom line. The Roosters, Dogs, Rabbits and even Manly have regurly taken games to Gosford, Dogs to Adelaide, Dragons to Perth, Souths, Roosters & Dogs to QLD. The Sharks for financial reasons a few years ago wanted to move 4 games to Gosford but wanted financial assistance from the NRL, no other club got NRL assistance when they took games to Gosford so the NRL said no. Sharks subsequently said no. My player behaviour comment was made only to highlight that league survives scandal, even thrives on it. Im aware of the other codes getting better treatment, that is the reality of Channel 9 and News Ltd through the Telegraph running their own political and sporting agendas. You mention lessons of Superleague that fans walk away. You are right they did in Perth when the Reds went, they did in Adelaide when the Rams left, in Brisabne when the Crushers left and they did lose some fans on Gold Coast when the Chargers went (most have returned with the Titans). The only Sydney club that lost fans was the Bears of which many now follow other clubs. So your point is Superleague taught us we lost 4 interstate teams and their fans to Sydney's 1. I wonder what the NRL would want to increase tv ratings, national sponsorship exposure or boost junior numbers, another team in an already crowded market or a franchise in a new large potential interstate market.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
John.they look at Sport England grant cuts,actually based on participation for 16-25 year olds.It does not take into consideration 1) if games are played once 2) it does not take into consideration the number of juniors up to 16 playing in various comps and school comps. Hypothetically you could have 1million kddies running around playing 9s,13s and apparently they would not count in the Sport England figures and grant calculations. The nonsense(the predictable knockers) suggest the game is in decline is just that.Record Tv ratings and crowds,in fact more kids playing the code in London,than in some heartland areas. They completely ignore the current economic conditions prevailing in the UK,which makes our country a Nirvana.Difficulty in getting a sponsor with large sums is also not easy.It's not all roses,but some of the ignorant snipes ,leave me gobsmacked. They see a small snippet,and extrapolate that, to be the total scenario for the code.That is utter balderdash.
peeeko
Roar Guru
i think you will find that he played for Australia before he played for Fiji. he only played for Fiji when he couldn't make the Australian side. Yes i know that his Dad is Manoa Thompson. my point was that Jaryd is technically eligible for both sides but shouldn't be made to play for Fiji. He has two parents, one Fijian and the other Australian i believe. really considering his heritage is split and the fact that was born, raised and produced under the Australian football system means he should probably play for Australia. Under the rules he can play for either country but is most definitely an Australian with parents of dual heritage
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
With due respect RedB I find it extremely difficult to believe, the presence of the Swans (which helped utilisation) did not have influence on the decision making process ,as to how much the govt would grant to the refurbishment.They would have had some input,as a co- tenant,one would have thought. To further emphasise my point,right next door,the SFS has been looking at ways of improving conditions for patrons(as most get wet when it rains).this has been an ongoing problem for many years,not just last year.Talk of a retractable roof.Yet no monies have been forthcoming in that regard.I can assure you the SFS is utilised ,many times more than the SCG. As a further example in yesterday's SMH referring to plans for a retractable roof for ANZ stadium.Remember this stadium is muti purpose for ALL football codes(that includes AFL),(so much for Skoda). "the O'Farrell govt from now will not be dipping its hands into into the state coffers." Ïn relation to any proposal for a roof at ANZ stadium there is no current proposal before govt,NOR is there FUNDING available at this point in time."NSW Min of Sport Graham Annesley said. This coming from the very state Govt who wants to rationalise the stadium issue, so that suburban grounds are not used.What the! Come into Sydney central and put up with the same old set up,no cover. Surely one can see rl fan frustration.No money available ,but come in anyway.The cupboard is now bare,we have allocated $86m here,$45m there in the space of a year or so
Progressive League
Roar Rookie
The NFL is also primarily restricted to one country, is that where you want league to go because at this rate Australia and possibly NZ will be the last outposts of the game. The game is under the pump in the UK and really needs help. Currebtly the Superleague cant find a major sponsor and last season they gave away the sponsorship rights for free to a trucking company.
Progressive League
Roar Rookie
Hayne started his International career with Fiji, he choose that pathway because his father is a former South Sydney, Magpie and Warriors player Manoa Thompson who played for Fiji. Just because you live somewhere does not mean that is your nationality necessarily. There are plenty of nationalities living down under as too there are plenty of Aussies living abroad, many of those professional athletes who live, train and may have been born abroad but still play for Australia.
John
Guest
Total rubbish. What exactly are you basing this on? Rugby League in the UK is played by far more people and has far more clubs than it had 20 years ago and indeed than it has had at any time in its history. It is now played all over England and only a few years ago was the fastest growing sport in London with schools and clubs throughout the capital playing. It now also has a presence in Wales, Scotland and Ireland which again is something that couldnt be said for much of its history. There are now more schools playing the game than ever before and the Champion schools tournament is the world's biggest Rugby League knockout competition with 1,678 teams taking part last year, which was an increase of 175 from the previous year. Last year 27,537 students took part in this, which is up by 2,911 from the previous year and a staggering growth of 22,369 since 2002. Even Welsh schools have won this competition in the last few years which shows just how Rugby League has grown throughout the UK. It also has a thriving student/university competition which has growed exponentially in the 90s and 2000s. This competition did not even exist until 1967, after many years of people fighting to get the sport recognised in higher education, and until the 90s a lot of institutions still wouldnt allow it to be played. Similalrly the game has been the fastest growing sport in the armed forces since it was finally allowed to be played only in the 90s. Even in the Police as recently as the 80s you had situations where the London Met police team werent allowed to use the Mets own sports facilities. Allied to this we had the ludicrous situation where for most of the games history Rugby Union players couldnt play the game without being banned from playing Rugby Union. All of these things severely limited the games expansion and resulted in many people not even having the choice or option to play the game. Most of these barriers have been removed, and although barriers and prejudice still remain, this has allowed the sport to grow considerably compared to what it was like even a decade ago. All of this coupled with the fact that Super League attendances are higher than they have ever been, fantastic viewing figures in Sky, where it is the 2nd best rated sport after Football, and a better TV deal than ever before says to me that Rugby League is doing better than it has ever done in the UK and is certainly not a sport in decline.
Redb
Roar Guru
CC, Point being neither the AFL or Swans pushed for the SCG redevelopment. It was clearly a ground in need of a refit as it holds pride of place in Sydney. Stadiums need regular crowds, the Swans hold their end up compared to many Sydney NRL teams. However, the SCG Trust was thinking more about cricket than AFL IMO.
Dean - Surry Hills
Guest
http://www.theroar.com.au/2010/12/18/canberra-raiders-juniors-blocked-by-nswrl/ You all should have thrown your two cents worth in , way back when this Roar article was published.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
And a little case of Salary Cap scandal had no impact on numbers,nor playing Broncos near SOO,nor monday night games. How many monday night games do the Rebels play?The Swans have been fortunate to be near the top for a decade and their numbers have jumped up and down ,and were down this year(despite premiers) to earlier years.despite all the money spent on promotion. It was Clipper who made the comment the Storm have more fans outside the city,yet they have less members than home crowds.Figure that one. Both the ru codes have room to grow in Melbourne,the ru(rebels) have a head start because of the history of the code.The junior rl has only been pushed in the last few years in schools there. In fact an International consortium from the Uk,has expressed interest in buying the Storm,hardly an expresion of a club going nowhere.No room for the Storm to grow suggested in a city of 4 million,better pull up stakes now GWS.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
There are facts and there are coal face facts. The facts(Sport England) are based on number of games played and the methodology by changing the participation from 14-25year olds to 16 to 25 year olds. The Sport England numbers ignore the the fact that more than ever before the numbers playing rugby league,and this is reflected in the number of kids playing around the country.That is the coal face. QED the Govt participation numbers are therefore not the whole picture . Which is exactly what the RFL alluded in response.They noted we will have to get more playing the game on a more consistent regular basis. And the other fact,the numbers were based on 2011 and not 2012. Rugby league is not the heartland of the game in England ,ru is.It would be akin to a drop in numbers in Qld. Just for clarity and validity sake I might add.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Your starting point is Barry O'Farrell when he came into office and his comments re the condition of the state's finances.Then you can ask Manly rl club,after years of trying why they cant get Govt grants. Then the Tigers with Leichhardt.The SFS has been screaming out for cover for yonks,it is not a secret. You do understand the previous State Labor in this state spent beyond its means .It has been well documented,and the same happened in Qld.The lack of funds is hardly a secret,unless we are living on a different planet.The media prior to the last election was on to it.Links??? State finanaces ATT and not much better to date.. Where I did I suggest any money was diverted.I simply gave obvious examples of waste and apparently bias.I would have no idea whether it was diverted and that is not my argument. My point was simply to note if there was X amount available for x,conversely there should have been Y amount available for Y.If a govt is indeed fair and balanced.And personally don't car if y's amount is much less than X. Please justify,how you can spend $45m on a stadium upgrade for a new club with small crowds,when a perfectly good one is 1km away,not requiring one ounce of additional Govt expenditure.
clipper
Guest
turbodewd - the Rebels have room to grow, if they ever get to have a couple of good seasons, and have done well do hold up their average considering their lowly position. The Storm have been fortunate to have been near the top all their existence and even so, in their premiership year, the average fell 10%
clipper
Guest
Wongo, you make valid points. The fall in participation rates in England between 2009 and now was 50% and for Rugby was 25%, so even if you take into account that the way they are measured has been changed, it still means league fell twice as much as Rugby - that's the facts.
Rob9
Guest
Hahaha, Oikee, you are dead set a kangaroo short in the top paddock son!!