Isn’t September grand for rugby league fans?
I spent the weekend with a massive smile on myself enjoying just about every moment of the four games that were played over the weekend. My favourite game had to be between the Sydney Roosters and Penrith Panthers.
Both teams played incredible football and to see Jamie Soward slot that field goal with 20 seconds remaining was magic. It seems to me that it is still an open competition, and that just about any of the six teams remaining have a shot at Premiership glory.
If the remainder of the games are as thrilling as the past weekend, by grand final day we should all be making a toast to the incredible talent that our competition boasts and to the health of rugby league.
Now onto some other news which pleased me this morning about one of my pet peeves – the Sunday afternoon delayed telecast.
We all know the story by now.
Last year when the new $1.025 billion dollar NRL TV deal was announced, the big boss at Channel Nine, one David Gyngell made no apologies about the current arrangement, which includes the delayed Sunday game. During his defence of delayed coverage Gyngell used words like “commercial point of view” and “exclusivity” and “commercial sense”.
To us, this seemed a nonsense failing to recognise that a decision to continue to have delayed coverage would result in the fans speaking to the current administration using their remotes.
In an era where I can wake up early to watch the EPL live on Fox Sports, where I can watch television in High Definition and where I can stream games live on the internet, it is ridiculous for Channel Nine to be able to hold the game to ransom and not give the customers what they want. In my view, what customers want is to watch live sport.
However, today it has been reported that delayed coverage is on Dave Smith’s ‘to-do’ list and he is completely open to negotiating the current five-year television contract. Smith has acknowledged that ultimately, it is better to watch sport live.
Bravo, Mr Smith.
Delayed coverage is no longer good enough. It has to be recognised that the way Australians watch sport has dramatically changed in the last couple of years – largely because of social media. Viewers watch television with their devices in their hands. Many fans use Facebook and Twitter to connect with other fans and our rugby league teams are seeing the value. Social media has become big business.
It seems that when negotiating the new deal, the NRL was just concerned with the economic value of the deal without really considering their product and the fans who the product is there to satisfy. In return for the administration being able to say that they had agreed to a “billion dollar deal” the NRL gave significant control over scheduling to Channel Nine and this has resulted in a Sunday game which is almost impossible to watch and enjoy as an NRL fan.
On a Sunday afternoon you are forced to sit through delayed coverage, not in HD and with very carefully positioned ads which tell the viewers when a try or points are on the way. For those of us extremely passionate about our teams it is basically impossible to resist temptation to check the score.
To see this on Dave’s to-do list is a positive start – at least there is a recognition that there is a problem and that the fans aren’t getting what they want.
I’m looking forward to following through with this issue over the off season and look forward to the NRL working with David Gyngell to make sure that delayed coverage is a thing of the past.
Follow Mary on Twitter: @Ladieswholeague
Knightblues
Roar Guru
AR I am not blaming CH9 of course they want what's best for them, I am blaming the NRL for not believing in itself enough and fighting for better times NRL is shown on TV, that means all Storm games in Victoria broadcast at a reasonable hour, not at midnight. For NRL games to be broadcast everywhere in Australia so more people are aware of what a great game it is, for the GF to be shown live across Australia in its entirety, all grades, and not cut to the news soon as the whistle ends the game. They should have pushed for more FTA games like the AFL have, if they can have it WHY cant we? Riddle me that?
Ranga
Guest
The ARLC and ch9 have an option for a Sunday Live game, they always have since the bloody contract was signed, have a read of it for goodness sake. It's always been up to the NRL and ch9 over the existence of the current contract to look at whatever needs looking at at the time, they are now saying delayed is crap, I agree, so they are looking at putting it live. No problem, they have had this choice since day dot and are now deciding to do something about it.
AR
Guest
I'm not sure what any of that post means ranga. The NRL attracts significant TV ratings and of course that's the reason it got a significant sum. The point I was making is that everyone rages against Ch.9 for the state of the current broadcast deal. The NRL sat down with Ch.9 (and Fox) and, quite deliberately, sold them the farm...all for the princely sum of $1B.
Ranga
Guest
Yes but AR, the NRL and Ch9 do have all these things in place for extra live games, you were all over the media releases on this site when the deal was done. Don't you remember what the media release stated and what you wrote back then? I find it funny that the NRL only gets a Billion bucks because the big bad afl got a Billion. Naaaaaaaaaaaaa it has absolutely nothing to do with the ratings the code gets, aye? How dumb.
Ranga
Guest
Haha, why would ch9 have to hand the NRL a paycut for a live game instead of a delayed game? It makes no sense whatsoever, the simple fact is, a live game will bring in more viewers thus increasing the value of the game and the sponsors that will clamer on board, when people pay for ads, a delayed game is not worth nearly as much, you put the game on live and the ads are worth a hellava lot more. For a start, a live game can't be fast forward to the play can it? You actually have to sit through the ad instead of skimming past it. There is so much wrong with people saying the NRL will have to pay up, it's beyond wrong, it's actually stupid and I for one as a RL fan can't fathom all the bs in these articles, the only way any of it makes any sense is to look at it from a trolls perspective. It's called fear, that's why the *code warriors* ) like that rob) are spewing their garbage and rewriting history.
Ranga
Guest
rob, you have no idea. The ARLC along with ch9 have always had the opportunity to put more live games on, it's up to the NRL and Ch9 as in their media release when the new TV deal was done, it had a specific part that mentioned more live games either on a Sunday in the future or when they expand. It is indeed people like you that have been rewriting history! And to top off your paranoia, you seem to think a rl forum called League Unlimited and the roars code warriors* (excuse me, but what are you doing in the RL tab again mr hypocrite?) have any influence on what the NRL and Ch9 did or do is absolutely laughable, I have no idea why the roar would continue to let you guys post this type of garbage, maybe they want us all to see your stupidity, I don't know.
George Walton
Guest
I haven't watched a channel 9 game for 15 years, or whenever they put it on delay. They broadcast it in SD and it looks and sounds like 1980's TV. I watch the professional fox replay. Channel 9 treats the fans like crap, which is weird given their investment in the success of the game. Ray Warren seems to take delight in pronouncing the names of the stars of the less desirable teams poorly; these guys have played 100 - 200 games so we fans of the game know how to pronounce their names, why can't he? 9 do the cricket (visually) very well, why not the nrl?
AR
Guest
"the NRL has to slam their fist down on the desk at CH9 and say, its our way or were going elsewhere, no compromises either." Kb, what are you on about? The NRL aren't victims of some brutal dictatorial regime that is run by Ch.9 and its henchmen. The NRL are Ch.9's partner. John Grant sat down with Ch.9 (and Fox) - over many months - and eked out a deal that both parties were ultimately satisfied with and settled on. The NRL deliberately *chose* to give Channel 9 the power over the fixture, the 1 live FTA game each week, MNF and ThursNF etc. It was part of the NRL's deliberate strategy. In exchange, Ch.9 (and Fox) paid the NRL $1Billion. Now, the NRL could have said - quite easily - "We want 4 live FTA games each week, 1 live Sunday game, guaranteed broadcasts into Vic, SA & WA, and we'll control our own fixture"...(this would have meant they got much less than $1B)...but they didn't. They took as much money as they could. There's no conspiracy here...if people don't like the current broadcast deal, Ch.9 is not the party people should be blaming.
millsy of perth
Guest
I'm sure the next T.V. Deal will be different keep the comments up as I think they the NRL see them
Edward Kelly
Guest
How about Nine just using its HD channel to broadcast the game in HD. That would be a start.
rob
Guest
The code warriors on here and lu are too blame. They demanded a billion because they were scared of the afl. Now crowds and TV are down and us fans are stuck with the worst broad cast package of any major sporting comp in the world. This TV deal will do more damage then super league.
Pete
Guest
cant stand sunday delayed games..rather listen to 2mmm and save n hour of my life.ray hadley sucks worst ever..bring back vossy.its 2014 nrl n nine.get with the times.p.s i got nrl pass for phone..but cant watch on laptop wtf. ive watched less games this yr than ever.
Matthew Edwards
Guest
That's why I assumed Sydney wouldn't be a part of it.
Epiquin
Roar Guru
A man can dream...
Overpriced
Guest
That is the most intelligent idea I think I have heard from an NRL fan. But, your dealing with the NRL, Channel Nine and Rupert Murdoch. What odds do you think they'll do anything decent?
steveng
Roar Rookie
Yes, I know all that Kaks, but surely Ch9 need a main anchor to lead their NRL commentary (and Ray Warren is not their man either) they need a man who is politically neutral and has not been involved in the NRL as a player or coach but he has been involved in sports because at best all the staff that they have as critics are not neutral when you have Brad Fiddler's bias for the Roosters and the Panthers but when the two play each other he goes for the Roosters and then Johns who is a Novocastrian and then Gould and Lewis, Lockyer, Tallis who go for the Broncos and it goes on and on. The only one that makes any sense and doesn't whinge is Sterling. What Ch9 should do is go back to the old days when they had a main anchor like Ron Casey (btw what happened to Fatty? Why isn't he commentating) Ch7 had Rex Mossop and 2SM had Frank Hyde who were all celebrities and were all top commentators because what they have now is a bunch of ex players who don't do the game and the commentary any justice with as you said "senseless and idiotic ‘comments’". The best of them was Darrell Eastlake wish he was around and healthy to give us his old energy like he did in the old SOO days.
Knightblues
Roar Guru
no there can be no surrender, the NRL has to slam their fist down on the desk at CH9 and say, its our way or were going elsewhere, no compromises either.
Knightblues
Roar Guru
I think its time the NRL called the shots at the next TV deal and finally grew up and stood on their own two feet, brave game run by a gutless administration keen on the quick big bucks and caring FA for supporters.
Knightblues
Roar Guru
I think it should be shown live FTA everywhere across Australia, games played at earlier times at night also.
Knightblues
Roar Guru
haha I agree Gould was a great player, and doing great things at Penrith, but as a commentator he is annoying and very negative. He wants the biff to come back, I agree, but he also doesn't seem to have a problem with wrestling holds which I don't agree with, there was a tackle in the storm game where Morris tried to yank a storms player out of his socket when he was helpless, and Gould had no problem with it, disgusting Gould you should be ashamed.