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.
Von Neumann
Roar Guru
Rl is not suffering here. The answer would probably still be no
Von Neumann
Roar Guru
So be it but most fans will come
Von Neumann
Roar Guru
Awesome point, hutch
Von Neumann
Roar Guru
But how do you verify that? I agree with your extra verification methods but if we consider games taken to country venues, this years easter weekend a washout almost and things like that, plus the fact 3% increase is a rather small and probably can be dismissed. So its very hard to say, but those other measures are growing. My main point about crowds I'd like to make clear is that they have not really dropped down, and be it amin failure or country games, that needs to be considered by people, and it points to something that is not a popularity issue
pjm
Roar Rookie
You've obviously never been concussed Jay C, and possibly never played a contact sport. Being concussed is like when you are sht faced drunk and you keep blacking out and then come back into consciousness for a short while before blacking out again. You don't make wise decisions when you're sht faced and you don't make wise decisions when you're concussed.
chris
Guest
If both Rugby codes are suffering in Australia and New Zealand do you ever think the games in the future will be one.
Jeremy
Guest
Face it the NRL is chasing new fans and has no interest in taking current fans with them if they don't like it.
Jay C
Roar Guru
Except that almost as soon as they stopped the shoulder charge and the Biff we have the worst on field injury I have seen as well as the ridiculous elbowing, slapping and general ugly niggling eroding the quality of contests
Jay C
Roar Guru
The problem is they have changed the game. I don't legitimately care how many suits they have or what they do on a corporate level. But they are changing a game I love and that deserves our attention.
Jay C
Roar Guru
If the limiting factor is "too many games and too poor venues in Sydney', then that is an administrative failure. Those are things that can be fixed with good administration. There is no fallacy, average crowd attendance is a lot more reliable statistic than total attendance. Particularly when dealing with the addition of new teams and more games. It is the average attendance that pays the bills. If you get 100 people to a thousand games a year you are going to be worse off than if you get 50,000 people attending 1 game. Your basic premise is that you are happy with the direction the game is taking. Which is fine. For you. Not everybody is happy with it. You say the sport is about to take off. I say attendances were at a 5 year low last year. At the end of the day, people like to whinge. You have written a whole article bemoaning how league fans like to whinge. I don't think that anyone is upset all the time. But to honestly look at the product. The on-field product, and say it is better now than ever is just not true. In my eyes and many others.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
Hutch, you're making too much sense for this lot.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
some figures for Broncos games: Rd 1 Thu TV #NRL #NRLBroncosSouths Nine 653k (Syd 418k Bri 235k) Rd 2 Friday TV #NRL Nine 704k (Syd 472k Bri 231k) Rd 3 Fri TV #NRL Nine 528k (Syd 289k Bri 239k) These figures suggest Broncs may draw another 20,000 to the figures. Not a great gap with non Bronco games Source: Mediaweek
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
AR, not painting anything just like you lot take selective things to suit your arguments. NRL on GEM in Melbourne have had figures of 60-70,000 + I think about 3 times this season so far which suggests AFL in QLD/NSW, at least with FTA TV, is not going as good as it should.
hutch
Guest
The afl averaged more people per game in 1996 than they do now. The Aleague averaged more in 07/08 than they do now. Super rugby union crowds are a fraction of what they used to be! But all we ever hear about is NRL crowds declining and fans leaving the game in droves, when the reality is that they are the only code over the last decade to maintain consitent crowd averages!
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
You will have to wait for the social wheel to turn before that view gets traction.
Von Neumann
Roar Guru
the point of real expanded tactics, which will help come about with an interchange reduction is this: have you looked at the dearth of coached/available successful tactical options in rugby league lately? Its lacking across the board, not because coaches are silly or being mean, its just the way it is. One needs successful tactics. But what if, in the main, those tactics are nuffy? Must admit, wayne bennett atm is really showing his mettle. Good to watch the broncos. And newcastle. But those are the exceptions I think. ____ Take a game like soccer - a wide gamut of tactical options, and it draws in a wide variety of people. Look at Union even - wider tactical gamut, drawing in a wider set of people. A larger audience. Both of those games are often labelled tedious, boring; and by no means is tactical options the whole picture - but its a lot of the picture --- and for those people not systematically indoctrinated that "league is negative, league is bad, league is not worth your time and money and emotion"....well for everyone else, looking in they see the side of the box at a certain angle - and that angularity makes the face [of the box.. ha] look attractive. Makes sense? This is a point in the article which some have missed. Thought I'd expand on it here. Things happen for a reason. There are no accidents
Von Neumann
Roar Guru
People say that reduced interchanges will not work. I think they are missing one piece of the puzzle - coaches. It will bring back the need for real, expanded tactics. The game between the warriors and broncos in Perth a couple years back was an example, where everything was put to one side and they just played footy in the true spirit. Do you think coaches do that now with the emphasis on rucks, and wrestling and the bash n barge approach? Expand the tactics, and you expand the appreciation of the game from all quarters. Skill emerges and is lauded. Its attractive football. ____ This is a point I want to highlight because people in the article missed the point that when I came back and many others too, it was to a glorious year of great footy. And its been hyjacked in one way or another since, but hey, the ultimate point was: with great footy brings great interest. The popularity aspect is just a handy little fact, but not the story itself. You guys are great, been a lot of good stuff emerging from this discourse.
Jason Hosken
Roar Guru
all good - there's been plenty of agro on the Roar today, I thought a banner from the hill might break it up. Chocolate and the extra time of a public holiday bubbling over for many.
Von Neumann
Roar Guru
haha good one jason!
Von Neumann
Roar Guru
It's ok to want that. I just wonder that if it would improve the game for everyone. There's pretty significant reasons why they are no longer a part of the game. Amidst all the hysteria over that there was a game a couple years back between the broncos and warriors or South's! Haha in Perth. They belted each other up and it was as tough a game you've ever seen, and exciting and skillful and close. Classic league but no biff. We didn't need biff that day or shoulder charges. I wonder in all honesty if we need them. I rarely if ever miss them. I know though they are not a requirement for enjoyment. And what of the kids in school who see that and the sponsors and people in new markets who could not talk about origin except for the fact of the fallen thuggery? Its good in those cases the fights don't weigh the sport down.