Optimism in the NRL is at an all-time high. The announcement of a 2013 $50 million profit and the successful introduction of the Auckland Nines are two prime examples.
And while David Smith has been talking up the game a lot recently, let’s not forget crowds and ratings dipped last year.
Here are the biggest issues the ARL Commission will be looking at closely in 2014.
The salary cap: What is the problem?
It seems every couple of years a rival code snatches a few of rugby league’s biggest stars. In 2014 nothing has changed.
Sam Burgess and Sonny Bill Williams, although the latter was expected, will not be playing the game in 2015. Andrew Fifita may soon join them.
There are two issues.
One is the salary cap. A marquee player allowance is needed more than ever, and it seems the NRL commission is aware of this. Fans want to see star players stay in their codes and play for their teams. It’s a problem that seemingly only happens to rugby league players, which leads to issue two.
The NRL cannot compete with a truly international code such as rugby union. The incentive of a competitive World Cup or an Olympic medal must make an offer too good to refuse.
With the loss of Burgess and Sonny Bill, their respective international teams in league have grown weaker, while only furthering their strength in union.
At least the AFL has seemingly ended its rugby league experiment.
The increasingly crowded off season schedule: How does it get fixed?
The Auckland Nines was a wildcard. Clubs opposed it, fans didn’t quite know what to expect, and some star players avoided it or were forced to skip it.
By all accounts it was a great success. Crowds flocked to it, players endorsed it, and fans got to enjoy a taste of NRL a month earlier than usual.
Cowboys fans even got their first trophy.
We now have international Tests (World Cup/Four Nations), the Auckland Nines, the All Stars tournament and the World Club Challenge.
While fans of the game will not complain, the problem is players and coaches seems to agree the season is already too long, with too much strain on player fitness.
Does the NRL season need to be shortened? There is a lull in attendances and quality mid-season in the NRL. State of Origin is the major cause.
A stand-alone weekend? Something has to give.
The ASADA investigation: When will it end?
It must surely be over soon right? As Dave Chappelle said, wrap it up.
This year we must find out what will happen to those players and clubs involved. It cannot drag out any longer.
While correct on its ethical basing, I do not believe any of these players, AFL or NRL, would have taken these substances had they truly believed they were breaking laws.
What this investigation has proven is the increasing role of sports science in training and development is an area that needs to be heavily monitored by clubs and administrators to ensure this type of thing does not happen again.
Expansion: Where, when, why?
It has to happen eventually, the question is where and when?
Papua New Guinea have started playing in the Queensland Cup, Queensland consortiums are circling, the Central Coast keeps begging to be reinstated, New Zealand could be on the horizon, while Adelaide and Perth are the remaining cogs for the game to become truly national.
Wherever is eventually chosen, it needs to be sustainable long term.
Players misbehaving and reneging on contracts: An inevitable cycle?
Of course we all know by now there will be a handful of rugby league players facing our judicial system over the next year. This will never be avoided.
Young people and copious amounts of alcohol will always cause problems and, role models or not, this is a wider cultural problem.
Also at least one player will not be at the club they said or thought they would be in 2015. Whether it be Anthony Milford staying in Canberra or Josh Hoffman leaving for the Bulldogs, someone will surprise us.
Generation Y love to change jobs and NRL players are no different. A transfer window perhaps?
Ratings/average attendances/memberships: Will they grow?
Who knows? Nothing really suggests a boom period for the NRL.
While the financial stability of the code and its clubs is welcoming, it will be years for any real positive effects or growth to be known.
What we do know is that rugby league in Australia is in the best shape it has ever been in and I cannot wait for the first kick-off of 2014.
Let the game begin.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Seeing the NRL will continue with the All Stars and incorporate it in G/F week,the comparison with what may or may not happen with the 9s is silly. The 9s involves every NRL club,and people in Oz are already planning the trip to Auckland next year.It IMO looks like the Sth Hemisphere version of the HK 7s.I belive it has a lot more oxygen in the tank. SOO should indeed be treated as No1 event,but never will be held on a weekend with the rest of the clubs except a couple twiddling their thumbs.The TV stations who want content, would be up in arms. Midweek attracts the national vierwing audience ,hence the advertsiers pay big bucks.There is no other competing code ATT. If you want a drop in TV contract monies, play it on the weekend.The attendances won't be any better ,the games are usually sellouts.
chris
Guest
I think Auckland 9'S will go like a stars v indigenous game and crowds and interest will wane. On SOO the games should be a NRL number 1 event and be held weekend only with NRL premiership games rested alongside having a game in neutral territory to spread the Rugby League gospel.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
The reason it(the 9s) didn't make it on FTA Tv,was due it it being a new intiative,and like all things first tried there is a risk factor. The fact it was so successful both at the ground ,on Pay Tv and with the clubs,has whetted the appetites of a couple of Tv stations already. Lets see the situation as it stands after 3 years,and not go off at a negative tangent after the very first extremely successful first year.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Agree .I suggest also the Sydney market is perhaps saturated with clubs,so growth IMO would be minimal. Two other factors to grow the game and numbers @ expansion into new areas and b) more family friendly times for NRL games.Thursday night will not drag in families.Pan across the crowd last night at ANZ,and you could almost count on your hands the number of young families and kids there.It is the same for Monday nights.This no doubt will continue under the current Tv deal. The NRL has to work with clubs correct,but they have to assist them with facilities in suburban grounds .centralised stadium set ups ,do not work in a city with such a sprawl,traffic conditions that regularly are so congested ,they resemble a parking lot.
Dane Lillingstone
Guest
Agreed. Channel 9 could at least put it live on GEM for the QLD market. I mean does anyone really need to be watching A Current Affair?
Dane Lillingstone
Guest
The World Club Challenge definitely needs to be played at the end of the NRL season. There is no real hype for a game that should be one of the biggest on the NRL calender. It is currently scheduled at awkward time and treated more of a warm for the NRL season more than anything else.
marco
Guest
The trouble is, other states don't care about the NRL. QLD is where the game is popular and the game isn't live. Go figure!!
Dane Lillingstone
Guest
I agree, that the clubs you mentioned affected numbers, but for the NRL to really grow it cannot rely on a handful of clubs. The NRL and the clubs need to work together to ensure numbers are raised across the board so they don't have to rely on traditional ratings/attendance pullers.
Dane Lillingstone
Guest
I never said nothing good was happening, there are plenty of positives. I said that ratings, attendances, and memberships will not boom anytime soon. It will take years to find out if clubs can really drive their NRL members base up, and if NRL fans will take to it. Currently clubs offer all types of packages and not every season member can actually attend every home game. There are some bloated figures by NRL clubs. Nothing suggests in the next 3-5 years that ratings or attendances will boom, especially coming off a decline.
turbodewd
Guest
Id be surprised if the gimmick Auckland 9s remains popular-ish. Remember, it didnt even make it on FTA TV here.
KSI
Guest
At least tonight's game is live in other states. Queensland is the only state in Australia where it will not be live on TV.
marco
Guest
channel 9 will do what they want unfortunately. I can't believe they paid good money for league and don't want to show it. optimism might be high in some rugby league areas but not widespread. I would of thought the opening weekend of NRL would of gotten better coverage and publicity. People outside of NSW and QLD would hardly know its on.
Epiquin
Guest
Perhaps, but if your team misses the finals because you were without your 2/3 best NSW/QLD players for two games (teams get byes in origin time) then you probably don't deserve to be there anyway. The Roosters were without Both their halves during origin, as well as Boyd Cordner and Michale Jennings, yet still managed to fnish first and win the premiership. It also hasn't hurt Melbourne or Manly in recent years either, to name a few. spending two games without your top 17 ultimately has no impact on the season as a whole and is a small price to pay for Origin IMO. The AFL valued their club competition more than origin and now they don't even have an origin series.
Robz
Guest
One way to help fix the TV ratings would be to make Channel 9 show the games live. I still cannot believe that tonight's Season Opener is not going to be live in Queensland. And it is completely beyond my comprehension that the Sunday Match of the Day hasn't been live for many years. I personally will not watch delayed sport and know many others who feel the same - there's some easy lost ratings right there
Lion Down Under
Guest
Like I said, move State of Origin to after the Grand Final and play it in 3 weeks. Nice progression: club games, international club game (WCC), rep games (SoO), international games. Will maintain the momentum of the regular season and make SoO even more special as it would stand alone.
Haradasun
Guest
To use another analogy you are robbing Peter to pay paul with origin. Your best players should be available throughout the league season. If they aren't you are creating an uneven comp and you are ripping off your supporter base expecting they will turn out when their teams aren't at full strength.
ctar
Guest
Doesn't have to be stand alone weekends, but what about no club games the weekend before Origin, and maybe 2 weeks between games instead of 3.
john badseed
Guest
Surely Manly haters must be able to conjure a rort somewhere or do they simply have the best player retention system in the League? Are refs allowed, ahem, third party top ups?
Mantis
Roar Guru
While you're at it, can the double movement rule.
Epiquin
Guest
I think the all stars concept is okay. I agree that they should not play the Pacific Islanders. Firstly, pitting two races against each other is asking for trouble, while it also takes away from the meaning of it: celebrating our indigenous culture. But while it may be true that only one team is really playing FOR something, I think that's all you really need. For instance when the wallabies play the barbarians, they are testing their might against the best in the world (sort of). The barbarians aren't playing for anything, but the crowd gets to see an all star line up. It's a game for the spectator. You can cheer for the indigenous team, or you can watch the best players in the comp come together for some razzle-dazzle footy with some experimental rules thrown in for good measure.