I am a lapsed leaguie. I’m not proud of it but for the last 18 years of my life I have not really followed the NRL.
It started in high school when rugby union was on offer, and that is what you played. I learnt the game and loved the tactical aspects – still do.
It got worse when I went to uni and met my now-wife. She is an unashamed, unabashed Collingwood fan (the things we do for love, right?).
As I watched more games you learn to grasp the game more, and going to a live game at the MCG showcases the atmosphere the game is known for.
Having lived all over this country – from Townsville to Melbourne to Perth and back to Sydney – I have seen lots of different games, gone to multiple sporting grounds and have learnt some things the NRL could benefit from.
Call it a fact-finding mission that doesn’t require spending a lot of money for some NRL executives to have a pub crawl on a global scale.
Positivity
How many articles have you read in the last year that talk about how good things are going? Not many.
How many times has TV commentators said, “oh well the refs have got that wrong but that’s just part of the game”? Never!
The game’s media have made an industry of dragging the NRL down.
Keyboard warriors take a step back and understand that things are going ok, the guys at the top of the NRL aren’t just pulling ideas out of a hat to ruin the game and annoy you.
The new guy at the top doesn’t know the game? Pretty sure the problem with Gallop was that he was part of the game and did a crappy job (I think he did an ok job with what he was given).
Give the NRL and Dave Smith a chance.
Respect
Respect isn’t given, it must be earned – something that is spouted at every leadership retreat in every company around the world. I was always told – by every coach I ever had in every code I’ve every played – to respect the ref’s call.
Yes, I know they get the call wrong. Yes, I know a blind person could see he is offside or he dropped it. But you know what? It happens.
Captains that stand there and let loose at the ref should not be tolerated.
Two weeks ago, I watched a junior game where the captain of the side on the wrong end of a decisions asked for clarification, he didn’t get angry, he didn’t swear, he said please and thanks to the ref for clearing that up.
If a 12 year old can talk to an official with respect, why do we let NRL player talk back to the ref?
In the recent Lions tour of Australia, the captains of the Irish and Welsh teams were picked, but the coach put the c next to Sam Warburton because he communicates with the ref better.
The flip side of this is refs need to be communicators. Tell the players what they want, and be consistent with their rulings. Video refs included.
Better yet, why doesn’t the NRL follow the NBA and make a video rule book. No confusion about interference or downward pressure. It is hard to argue with something that is set in stone from day one.
It also means no mid-season crackdowns on anything the NRL thinks might be an issue from offside to wrestling. One rule for all for the whole season. It will give the clubs a standard and if the try pushing it they will be penalised.
If a ref does have a bad game, I would like to see them not dropped but told they didn’t have a good game and work on it. If more bad games follow, give them more training and look at where they are going wrong.
If the problem doesn’t improve, drop them. After all, they should be and are accountable for their performance.
Family
Once upon a time, rugby league was a family game. As a child I remember going with my pop and other male cousins to watch a game.
Nowadays, you’d be hard pressed to afford to take six kids and two adults to the footy without having to mortgage the home and sell a kidney.
Cheap tickets could be the silver bullet the NRL is looking for.
If a family pass was $30 I’d take the kids because it would be a cheap outing. Match that to food prices and people would flood through the gates.
I know the stadiums set food prices but come on, the NRL can’t use a little influence?
Why not make every game a family day with jumping castles, rides and games free for kids under 12. Get the families in and you can hook the next generation of fans.
My uncle is a Souths member, and he has eight grandchildren. He buys them all memberships each year and takes them to as many games as possible.
Now when the five and four year olds come to a BBQ, the footy comes out and I’m always the Storm (i.e. the bad guys) and they are always the Bunnies.
Hooked for life!
Growth
I challenge anyone born in the 80s to her Tina Turner’s ‘Simply the Best’ and not think rugby league.
It was the best advertising campaign without a doubt. Why did we ever change it?
Bon jovi and Jessica malboy? How much money has been wasted on getting a song that no one cares about? Use what worked.
Having lived in three of Australia’s major cities, the lack of advertising done by the NRL is pathetic. I see more ads for the Giants and Swans than I do for any team in league.
What is wrong with spurking the game? How can they grow the game when it isn’t even supported in its heartland?
Speaking of growing the game, expansion should be on the cards but only in expansion areas.
Sure we need a second Brisbane team, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of a Perth team or a Wellington team or Darwin team.
Brisbane two will come, as well as Central Queensland, but expansion should be to areas that aren’t already safe – sorry Bears, no space for you or Steelers just yet.
The AFL didn’t expand into safe areas, such as Tassie or Darwin, they looked outside the box.
Whether or not these teams work only time will tell, but they look like they are set up for long term success, not quick wins.
But if we are to expand to new markets we have to make sure we do it right. Grass roots teams must be looked after, nurtured and grown. Putting all this money into a team and not helping its main supporter base would be foolish.
Free-to-air coverage
With the NRL signing a billion dollar TV deal I have but one question. Why, oh why can I watch more live and free-to-air NFL and baseball from the States each week than NRL?
It perplexes me we have a local game that can’t get more than three free-to-air games a week.
The AFL gets the two local games on each week in cities outside Melbourne. The cameras are there from Fox AFL, so why can’t the NRL and Nine do the same?
If the NRL want to grow and move forward, it should start looking forward rather than holding on to the golden years of the past.
Boomshanka
Guest
I pay to watch Rugby League now, but still have to endure Nine's woeful delivery of the game. My neighbour gets his code delivered, all games Live and in HD without ads, paying the same money I do. In a free market, the game would be able to realise its full potential instead of the hamstrung position it is in at the moment. Thirteen years ago, the game was sold short and continues to be; "Here was a member of the NRL committee, one of the decision makers, discussing with Telstra, in the interests of Fox Sports, how to structure a bid which his (NRL) committee could be persuaded to agree to," Mr Sumption said. "This is a thoroughly discreditable episode." He said C7's bid was higher than Fox Sports' but Mr Philip convinced the NRL to treat it as lower on the grounds including that the rugby league might not be shown on Foxtel which had most pay TV subscribers. "Therefore the NRL lost itself and its member clubs some $50 million by rejecting (C7's) bid in favour of a lower one." http://www.smh.com.au/news/Business/News-plotter-used-NRL-spot-to-outbid-C7/2005/09/14/1126377368420.html
Von Neumann
Roar Guru
yeah but do you really want to pay to watch rugby league. you dont really know what you are asking for this article, and none of you, really do know, do you?
Von Neumann
Roar Guru
these ideas and concepts and thoughts, while sounding good and were well intended, fall far short of fairness, correctness and warrant. you should have preceeded it all with "IF i had a magic wand and wanted to live inside a vacuum unaffected by the realities of the world for longer than 2 seconds"
Matt
Guest
.supported through high school but driffed away later on. tactical aspects, such as kicking for posistion and appling pressure from teritory appeal to me. as for the scrum, both sides push. if refs get outf the way and let the game go i would be much cleaner and other code supporters might understand
Matt
Guest
sorry it has taken so long to reply. the irony of using the keyboard warrior pose to point out keyboard warriors is not lost on me. i'm not saying that epasion need to be only in no traditional areas but say if two teams are introduced one should be in a non traditonal area, like perth and brisbane two. i really think Darwin is fertile ground because I have some friends up there in green and on the grey boats and they miss seeing live pro sport. plus we can tap into indigenous talent as well i read an article by gatland saying the coacing group chose warburton over BOD for his ability as a forward to talk to the ref at scrum times
Boomshanka
Guest
Apologies for the wrong link. The government sites get a bit unwieldy in terms of locating stuff. The correct link for the draft is; https://senate.aph.gov.au/submissions/comittees/viewdocument.aspx?id=40753200-0816-4208-a891-ca995f596023 Worthy of note here is despite the Olympics being on the anti siphoning list, it would appear that none of the free to air networks appear interested in carrying it. Much to the dismay of the IOC and sports consumers alike Even the definition of live coverage for the Rio Olympics is stipulated as within 24hrs - shows how out of touch our Government really is.
Boomshanka
Guest
Both Seven and Nine should not be allowed to play sports brokers at all in this country. They do so because of the outdated anti siphoning legislation that sees both the NRL and AFL only allowed to sell their proprietary (TV) rights to Free to Air networks. A so called free country, only three national commercial TV networks are allowed to exist, they then receive, from the Australian people, a further benefit through anti siphoning. It has been well shown that the networks are not interested in national coverage of our sport by hoarding and providing sport in SD, delayed and full of debt free and gambling ads. What's the point? As to the application of the anti siphoning legislation; spot the difference between the latest list http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2013C00589 and the actual draft legislation (which has never officially made the light of day) showing just how much the government was involved during the "AFL" negotiations and by absence just how little they got involved with the "NRL" negotiations https://senate.aph.gov.au/submissions/comittees/viewdocument.aspx?id=e9e41629-f9af-434c-bdc7-b258a009ab57 The whole thing is a farce, as one of Conroy's last duties was to back down on his quality guarantee. http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2013/06/conroy-backs-down-on-anti-siphoning-clause.html So where do we stand now?
Warren
Guest
Exactly, we've jut doubled our participation numbers and have a program to equal ozkick. If you play any form of touch football you are effectively counted as a RL player. Brilliant.
turbodewd
Guest
Hang on...lapsed leaguie?! You lapsed in high school?! So you were a league for...a few years?! Youve been a rah rah most of your life then. Tell me about the tactical aspects of rugby. I watched the Brumbies narrowly lose to the Chiefs...I am not sure of the attraction of a rugby code which is dominated by penalty goals and kicking the ball as soon as you get it. The sport favors PGs over tries - tiz baffling and unappealing. And I can see why RL gutted the scrum...its an eyesore Im afraid. Watching multiple scrum re-sets is painful. League scrums are a joke, but are over in seconds thankfully! Id rather see the NRL adopt the lineout and ditch the scrum.
ferret
Guest
Concerning seat prices and the next generation - the Titans have a "Adult membership gets a free chid membership thrown in" deal. Given that they weren't packing out the joint with full paying punters it seems to me a smart idea. Will generate atmosphere and maybe the next generation of aspiring Titans players / fans.
Renegade
Guest
"do you think ch7 would show GWS vs Melbourne (or anyone) in Sydney if they didn’t have to – considering a show about chasing rats would get higher ratings." I must admit, that i did chuckle at that line... It's hard to argue with what you wrote however i still think the current deal will provide benefits in the long term due to the financial aspect. The least 9 could do though is show the games on Gem in all regions of Australia.
Renegade
Guest
Matt, Excellent read, well put together and some great points there.
Matt_S
Guest
Big big news just announced with Touch Football Australia and the NRL have just merged. This is a massive gain for rugby league in this country. In one quick swoop we now have over a million participants in the league family :-D Big news and time to celebrate. Now we just need to merge with Oztag and its 130,000 players.
clipper
Guest
Why, oh why is the Free to Air situation so hard to understand. The AFL accepted less money in their deal so ch7 would show live games in non AFL states - do you think ch7 would show GWS vs Melbourne (or anyone) in Sydney if they didn't have to - considering a show about chasing rats would get higher ratings. The NRL decided to go for maximum dollar instead of forcing ch9 to show games live in non NRL states - why would ch9 show NRL matches that would rate lower that whatever filler they have - they're a commercial concern and need to get a bigger audience to sell commercials. This results in the crazy situation where you can see more live AFL in Sydney than NRL - but that's the way they did the deal - you can't blame the stations.
hutch
Guest
I saw the heading and thought that it was just another annoying rugby league is in crisis article but it was actually a great read. Very positive and some good issues raised. People need to be reminded that the sport is actually doing very well despite what some newspapers with hidden agendas will try and tell you. There are some issues regarding ticket prices, scheduling and rule changes, but the sport is growing and has a massive future not just here but internationally as well.
turbodewd
Guest
matt, good post, many issues raised. I will respond to just one. I agree that not enuff respect is shown to refs. Its a complete waste of time for the Haynes and Farahs of the NRL to complain about every 4th call and expect a 15 second explanation. The NRL should instruct referees to continue the game - the ruling isnt going to be changed! The ref shud give the captain/player a brief explanation and play goes on straight away!
Rob9
Guest
Nice read Matt! It was amusing seeing you talk about key board warriors and their lack of positivity only to grab your spear and shield and jump up and down about ticket prices and the poor advertising campaigns since a certain 80’s starlet held Rugby League’s mic. It’s an opinion site and it’s ok to be critical. The roar would shut down if we had nothing to whinge about. I do agree with your ad campaign assessment though. I was an 80’s baby and nothing’s come close since Tina. I recently got married and was reminded of my own rendition of ‘Simply the Best’ as a 5 year old draped in my Sharks jersey that was about 8 sizes too big. It’s a timeless classic that would still get the passionate Rugby League juices flowing today. You just might have to attach Tina to some strings to get her to boogie her way between players in the dressing sheds nowadays though. What I don’t agree with is your plan for expansion. Darwin before Brisbane 2... really??? The AFL didn’t touch Tassie or Darwin because they were too small and in the case of Tassie, it’s growing a snail’s pace. The one thing we should take out of the AFL’s expansion model is that they have an eye clearly fixed on the future. As for targeting areas that aren’t safe like they do, we just don’t have the money. The AFL is expecting to lose literally tens of millions of dollars over a two decade period to get the Suns and Giants established. That to me is just burning money and although a lot of it has come into the game in recent times, we’re still not on the same financial ballpark as the AFL and what we do have should be invested more wisely. PS, you don’t think Warburton’s appointment as tour captain had something to do with the regular national allegiances of Gatland and the fact that most of the Lions team built around Warburton would play under him for Wales? BOD’s a gentlemen of the game and although his accent may be a little hard to understand, I’ve never heard of him being accused of being a worse communicator than Warburton. Sorry for being so critical of certain aspects of a good read.
liatrevlis
Guest
Reasonable gate prices , better to have 20,000 people payn 25,30 bucks a ticket than 10,000 payn 38, 50 bucks a ticket ,,, yeah ???