Changing the NRL to satisfy fans

Exactly! Like that Kellet fellow in that other article who complained that he couldn't go to a game because it kicked off 15 minutes later and the halftime was 8 minutes longer than scheduled because he had work at 11pm that night. He used this as a driving point to why he doesn't "love" the NRL anymore. Solution? Don't work on that night for gods sake and if this can't be done then that is not the NRL's fault. Also please bring me evidence that other sport has schedules that are followed 100% of the time. The NRL isn't in crisis at all. Unfortunately just about every writer of articles here passionately follows a rugby league side of some sort and also writers all over the media. So everybody is subjective to most situations so that's where everybody is found complaining.

We have become a little bit of an instant society, we want everything now! Marriage doesn't work? find a new partner.1 year old TV isn't bigger enough anymore?put it out on the Street and for $500 the problem is fixed.Around this time of the year, some fans start to lose a little interest and start to complain.We also have the post origin anti climax with the standard dropping and key players missing through injuries. I love my footy and would be happy if it were played 52 weeks in the year but i can't help think that the competition is now too long for the modern day sports fan. Perhaps a 1 month 9s tournament then break for origin and then a shorter season proper with internationals played at the end of the year.This may not be this answer but i have a feeling some changes will have to be made.

I live and born in Melb, and I really like the change in the Storms presence. The new advertising campaign in particular completely changed the agenda. It went from 'come and support league instead, and kind of went against AFL,' to 'Melbourne loves sport, all sport, come watch them succeed in another sport, show them (Sydney) were number one' nothing at all about competing with AFL, just an option to go to. A bit like the Swans seem to have in Sydney. Just pander to the AFL fans, don't threaten their precious game and make them not feel guilty about showing interest in another sport. Perfect, and it will really help if the success continues.

Yeap, everyone likes to criticise Rabs and Guss, but they are familiar. They are very comfortable behind the mike, there broadcast seems effortless and flows. They squabble and get lost to the point sometimes, but I don't see anyone that can match them for a whole 80 min feed. Had to listen to Hadley and Wally back when sharks bet broncs, and it was horrible, I actually had music on during the replay. Johns, Lockyer, Fitler etc... Are okay in patches, but are hopeless over a continuos call, 80 mins is a long time to keep your voice interesting. Gus would almost be the only person I could think of that would deem a 26-4 result an enthralling, scoreboard doesn't do it justice, tough game.

If the AFL continue to piss off the locals, who knows?

Getting rid of Monday night football would be stupid so it will probably be done. If gives the NRL a free slot which super rugby and the AFL cant/ don't use. Honestly league cannot take a trick.

a lot of the time it is the schedule eg tigers storm last night 7700 at leichardt sunday arvo 18,000 +

exactly imagine Penrith playing at 1pm saturday

Who knows, Melbourne could be the sleeping giant of the NRL. Strong roots take time to develop.

Monday and Thursday football stinks.. We need more earlier kick-off times.. I do not care if our tv deal is smaller then.. You will see that earlier kick-off times will result in more people attending.. I hate to compare it to the AFL, but most of their games are day games and look at their attendances.. The NRL has to compete with all entertainment providers (theme parks, movies, etc.).. and you know what, going to an NRL game on a saturday night is not that appealing tbh.

I get that it is a tightrope with keeping stars, but most players want to play in the best competition in the world. I agree that the 1 billion mark was all they were interested in. I think the deal could have been brokered better. Why not put it into the contract that HD was to be used? The commentators are the commentators and honestly I think the reality there is that it is slim pickings. Vossy is probably the gun. Rabs would be ok if he wasn't rabbling on about the voice or arbitrarily arguing with Gus. It's like someone told them the odd couple just came out and is really popular so they should have these pretend feuds all the time. Hadley, I dunno. I like the continuous call. But he is terrible on TV, and when expressing opinion. Andrew Johns isn't bad, which annoys me because I want him to be bad. Lockyer can't talk good. I think Cam Smith could probably do it well. But who else is there? Everyone else is terrible. It's not like there are a bunch of quality people waiting in the wings (or is there). And I don't get the delayed telecast on Sunday. Either move the game or the telecast. It's not hard. But to me the biggest thing is that we could have sold the rights to broadcast without selling our soul. If they are going to play 2 games on a friday then start at 7 not ten to eight. Put it in HD. Do the draw before the season starts so travelling fans can plan. But most importantly maintain control of your own product.

They'll still have fans. The jewell in the crown is still State of Origin and every broadcaster wants it and will pay top dollar for it. They really only buy the NRL for QLD and NSW audiences. A smaller TV deal would have meant more players leaving for Super League and Euro Rugby (even a few more gimmick players with AFL as well). The deal was negotiated by a consultant who had left the AFL and was contracted to the NRL at the time. Who knows what his brief from David Gallop was? I suspect it was "we want $1B so we can say we matched the AFL." CH9 still had the last option to beat any competitor deal up until 2012 was signed and they weren't letting someone else get SOO. The reason fans are annoyed is largely due to the broadcasters not the NRL. Personally I like the idea of watching footy on TV on Thursday night but I never watch it on Monday nights. However, I would not attend either nights. I go some Friday nights and also over the weekends. All the talk over Saturday afternoon games ignores the amount of people who now work Saturdays and also support kids sport. There should only be one game before 7.00pm on a Saturday. The NRL did the right thing with the deal. Who could have predicted that CH9 would not utilise HD? Who could predict that CH9 would ignore what the market (and ratings) is telling them and continue to obstinately stick by poor on screen talent. It beggars belief that CH9 are eroding the value of an asset that they paid so much for.

Here in the provinces, (Melbourne) the game is doing fine. Decent ratings for SOO and even GEM is beginning to look OK. Melbourne people are actually talking about NRL now, in a positive way, a refresshing change. After the hopeless David Gallop period, under Smith, the game is growing nicely.

To me though you have it backward. You develop the product into something people want then you market it. You don't make it unwatchable for the fans and then sell that. I would much rather see a better overall product and a smaller TV rights deal, which generates more interest in the game so that in 2017 someone actually wants to buy it. Going on current figures in 2017 they are going to be offerring a product with less fans, less attendees and smaller TV audiences than they had in 2012. Basically they will have a pile of money and no fans.

Yep, change the schedule to include more day matches. OK. Now immediately give Foxtel back a third of what they paid for the rights. They paid for a certain number of night games and sell advertising based on those slots. You don't think they are going to keep paying top dollar for a schedule that doesn't work commercially as well for them do you? One Friday night game and a live broadcast on Sunday arvo? OK. Now give CH9 back a third of what they paid for similar reasons. Now that we have given back about $300M let's see how we go lifting the salary cap to $7M next year so we can keep our best players in our game rather than Euro rugby. Remember, the NRL actually gives a grant to each club annually exactly equal to the salary cap. Or, lets see how we go funding that insurance against crippling injuries. Plus the multitude of pathways that are being worked on including having PNG and Fijian teams in the QLD and NSW comps. The NRL has a strong financial position because of the TV rights. Suck it up until 2017. It's like getting the old digit test from the doctor. It is uncomfortable and embarrassing the first time or 2 but you know it was worth it. The NRL agreed negotiated the match schedule to achieve the highest value. The fact that CH9 has a terrible commentary team isn't the NRL's business. It will ultimately be shown in their ratings and consumer surveys. When CH9 take the lower than expected NRL ratings (not SOO) to the negotiating table next time with the NRL and try to low ball David Smith, hopefully Smith pulls out the NRL's own independent market data that shows the CH9 broadcast schedule, on screen talent and poor use of technology are the key drivers for people switching off. Thanks for coming Mr Gyngell it will be odd watch State of Origin on a different channel... Then Dave Smith can say "hello Mr Stokes we'd love to hear what CH7 thinks they can do with Rugby League."

Quite a few problems pointed out both here, and ad infinitum. Where are the proposed solutions? If one of my employees comes to me with a problem they had better have a solution suggestion to go with it or don't bother as it is no more than simply complaining otherwise.

LU has it's fair share of whingers as well.

The squeaky wheel gets the oil as they say. The mistake the whingers make is that they come here to whinge, they see everyone else whinging and then think they speak for all fans.

Yep, the "expensive tickets" excuse is a lie.

The doom gloom surrounding RL is very much confined to this site. I've heard a number of people already this morning in my workplace discussing RL... they seem to be unaware that its in crisis.