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We’ve all been really into something then snapped out of it for a time. Life would be a novelty if not for the monotony. This is one theme of this article.
The other is the concept of ‘ideas’. Not working for you yet? It will. Rugby league ideas.
The third thing is set of questions. Do you think rugby league is more popular now than ever? Do you think rugby league is better on the field now than its supposed most recent halcyon year in 2005? Do you think the game has lost popularity?
Now, I was a massive fan of rugby league and I still am. Sometimes you think that you’re more of a fan when you were younger, and for some in the minority that may be true, but the truth probably is for myself and many I know, they become more committed fans than ever as they get older.
I was a massive fan of rugby league in the 90s and even after the Super League war.
I was a fan when the mergers were happening. Before anyone said the evil word merger, I was saying it.
This is synonymous with the period – bereft of ideas. We can contend it if we like, but the Super League War was not about greed and egos as much as it was about a vacuum of good ideas.
Our political and governance system is based on the free exchange of ideas. Without that, our government does not function. Suppression is just not an option in good government.
What is the rugby league equivalent? Gagging coaches at press conferences, of course. It was apt to do so, because they were preventing the spread of good ideas by almost single-mindedly hijacking reality.
Be that as it may, such suppression of ideas is done to preserve free speech. I kid you not, believe it or not. What won’t stand, and will not happen though is that suppression forever. The current commission and administrators at the NRL know this.
The importance of ideas, see; and now we enter back into the argument for the Super League war. Yes, egos played a part, and greed, but the old administration was lacking in ideas, and as we know some want to get ahead, and others don’t want to fall behind, and amid it all clubs did not have a modern workplace agreement, the idea of a draft had been squashed, and a myriad of other progressive things.
It could not go on. The “fall” was inevitable. The disquiet was palpable, the grievances growing, the murmurs of discontent rose in rebellion.
Did they do it specifically for ego and greed? No – they determined they could do better. Their ideas were superior and promised greater prosperity and progress.
With an independent commission, you have a free-flow and free exchange of ideas by nature of having skilled, successful, rational, passionate people on it. I don’t think the game could ever return to a Super League war type scenario now.
In the sport progress is a result of the spark and vigour of arguments of rational ideas, liaising with stakeholders, and seeing that the constitution is upheld.
So the point in explaining that is, I dropped off league for a while after 2001. I didn’t hate the game, and I didn’t not talk about as in “ever”, but my interest in participating in it actively fell away. Was I lost to the game? No. I was still a league fan, I just didn’t really watch it on account of getting married and having children and getting engrossed in my work.
I came back around 2005, noticing that league was still in a perilous state. But what brought me back?
The great football. It was the kind of football that was phenomenal, led by the Wests Tigers. I didn’t watch as many games as I did in 2014, but the sport was pulling me back.
Today people lament that the game on the field is not like it was. Appropriately the NRL, backed by the commission, has looked into it – they have not suppressed such an idea or muddled about – they’re doing something about it.
But lets look at some stats, shall we?
2005 season
Teams: 15
Attendance 3,276,675 (total), 17,337 (per match)
Matches played 189
Points scored: 8861 (total), 46.884 (per match)
Premiers: Wests Tigers
Minor Premiers: Parramatta
2013
Teams: 16
Premiers: Sydney Roosters
Minor premiers: Sydney Roosters
Matches played: 201
Points scored: 8210 (total), 40.846 (per match)
Attendance: 3,345,248 (total), 16,643 (per match)
2014
Teams: 16
Premiers: South South Sydney Rabbitohs
Minor premiers: Sydney Roosters
Matches played: 201
Points scored: 8308 (total) :: 41.333 (per match)
Attendance: 3,376,409 (total) :: 16,798 (per match)
The game has only become more popular. The flow of ideas is at an all time high.
In truth, its a better result than one may think, given total attendance has only increased by 100k or so, and we know clubs sometimes fudge figures, but the sport is set to truly take off.
And the crux of that take-off? The return to what football really is. Wests showed us all in 2005 what could be done, coming out of an era of unlimited change and the culture-shock effect of that.
See, they’ve been talking about reducing interchange for several year now. This idea has been suppressed for too long. The NRL will finally it seems, be able to see the light.
We should not listen to those who say the game is less popular now. It took Wests back then to really set fire to rugby league, and this time round, it will take a rule change to set fire to all clubs.
People may rather watch Newcastle at the moment than Melbourne or Sydney Roosters.
In summary, The flow of ideas is important. Popularity is liquid not concrete, and is more an umbrella term. It’s separate from interest and commitment level and things like access to the sport and passion levels. Certain papers use this to their advantage.
With all teams firing, and attrition returned, rugby league will almost certainly take off again. As of 2014 it has never been more popular.
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