There’s been plenty of chatter on The Roar and elsewhere about the problems with rugby league, and how to fix them. Here are five sure fire ways to do so.
1. The Draw
The NRL must be the only professional football code that doesn’t have an equitable ‘for’ and ‘away’ draw.
Every team should play each other once at home and away. It’s ludicrous to decide the ladder positioning based on ‘for’ and ‘against’ when the draw is so inequitable.
Each year when the draw is released I pray my team is playing here (like many fans, I live in a city but support another side). This year they’re not. And the NRL must also stop creating the draw to provide particular match-ups that suit broadcasters.
Surely with all their millions, it cannot be beyond the NRL to produce an equitable draw? Just once.
(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
2. Technology
The Bunker needs to be guided by principles and philosophy, similar to other judicial systems (e.g. innocent until proven guilty). The decision made by the on-field referee, as bad as that may be, should stand unless the Bunker can provide absolute irrefutable evidence to the contrary.
This should be decided within a time frame (say, 30-45 seconds) with a limit on the use of slow-motion replays.
No human sees sport in slow-motion, and zoom lenses distort angles, perspective and separation of ball from hand. Limit slow-mo to two replays and the rest in real time – if they cannot determine categorically the ref made a mistake, then the ref’s decision stands.
The Bunker must also have a consistent interpretation of ‘obstruction’.
3. Coverage
The coverage of league is, at times, amateurish, boorish and downright embarrassing. Channel Nine has become a club of in-house jokes and inane banter that more times than not has bugger all to do with the game.
They talk crap – about other shows, the races, a game they saw in the 16th century, a player’s origami hobby; whatever it is it’s not the game viewers are watching.
Most games, Nine doesn’t even provide an update on replacements so viewers have no idea who is on the field and their position.
Fox is vastly superior, but it’s free-to-air that is the lifeblood of the NRL. A good comparison is the way cricket’s Big Bash on Ten is so much more entertaining and analytical than the staid, dull old boys of Nine’s cricket coverage.
Print media needs improvement too. League is a 17-man game. Interchanges are no longer ‘bench players’, they often play the same if not more minutes than run-on players.
Yet the Daily Telegraph and other media highlight the names and statistics of the starting 13, adding the four interchanges as if they are a footnote. The way league is presented to fans is important, yet neither the TV nor print media have adopted to the modern game.
Players too want to be in the starting 13 because of the way the interchange is disregarded; and many switch clubs with the promise of a starting position, even though they may play no more game time than as an interchange.
4. Salary cap, transfers and signings
It frustrates fans more than anything else to see loyal players leave, or sign to another club, mid-season. We also cannot understand how some clubs remain under the salary cap when their team roster bears an uncanny likeness to a Test or Origin side; while others field a team of hard working but inferior players.
How can they all be operating under the same transparent system? For years, it’s been argued that long-term players be exempt from the cap. Without transparency and changes, fans will continue to be disillusioned and believe the cap is inequitably enforced.
(AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
5. Stadiums and attendance
Going to the footy isn’t cheap, so for the price paid you expect to be treated with a modicum of respect or appreciation. For my partner and I, it’s a $100 outing. For that, we get to park in a dirt, barely lit field with no attendants or assistance to help navigate the traffic jam.
In wet weather, it’s a swamp. The stadium is old, cold with legroom for a six-year-old. The food tastes like Korean War surplus stock and there are no options for anything that isn’t comprised salt and fat.
The toilets are manky and the ‘entertainment’ is a bunch of frost-bitten teenager girls parading around in miniskirts and sexual innuendo. It’s no wonder a crowd of 12,000 is a cause for celebration.
Every week TV viewers see a near deserted ANZ Stadium with a few fans seated far and wide, as if there’s a BO contagion. It’s embarrassing – a big empty atmosphere less colosseum; like Gladiator without the lions and spears, and Rusty Crowe played by Clive Palmer.
The reason AAMI Park (Storm) and Suncorp Stadium (Broncos) attract huge crowds is not just the quality of the teams (that helps) or being the only league team in a major city (that helps), it’s because they have excellent public transport, good amenities, reasonable food options, better seating and they treat the fans well.
Tickets need to be similar to movie prices (around $20), parking and public transport must be provided; and something novel and radical, like food that is healthy and edible.
James
Guest
It can hardly be a coincidence that these are all things that the AFL has largely done. Nothing can save league, it’s a dying sport.
Anthony
Roar Pro
Good question!! How do those a teams fielding so many origin players fit under the salary cap?
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
matth.You have committed sacrilege, you're not supposed to suggest the code is good. You must continually look for negatives,believe rumours,plots,subterfuge,it's in our DNA.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Seeing the NRL has control of scheduling and not the TV mob,from 2018 ,as part of the new Tv deal, there is a far better chance of that happening. Anything else we can help you with Clip?
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
ANZ needs attendee input.The less game played there the more chance it becomes a white elephant to them Govt. Think their bean counters would have assessed paying NRL to clubs X amount to play there ,is financially better than having no one. Reconfigure the bloated area to a rectangular 75,000 seat stadium, with decent covered better scheduling and the crowds will increase.And will increase further if the Souths,Bulldogs wirth decent followings perform better on the field.SAnd they won't have to pay clubs to play there.
Bert Stanton
Guest
Sean, the 1950's called. They want their opinions back. Dude, in this age of multi camera high definition coverage with instant replays what you are suggesting is akin to pol pot trying to go back to year zero. it can not happen. there is too much at stake for human error - that is so easy to correct - to cost sides games. no one in their right mind will abolish video replays. they are here for good. i suggest you deal with that.
Raugeee
Guest
I just wrote that I had come up with nearly exactly the same idea. I feel embarrassed now. Great idea! it has my vote of approval. If it did occur I reckon Penrith would have to be considered outside Sydney or maybe perhaps, the conferences are redefined each year based on performance?
Raugeee
Guest
Hmmmm.... I stopped watching Rugby Union because the refereeing was bordering on criminal. It's not just RL - although I do get your point.
Raugeee
Guest
I came up with a theory a few years back. Split the comp into two 8 club zones. Teams play each other home & away in their respective zones. They then play 4 home and 4 away games with the 8 teams in the other zone. That's 14 games + 8 games = 22. Leaves more time for byes during Origin etc. Local derbies will always be 2 games per year. Not perfect - e.g is the split Sydney v The rest (incl Penrith)? I reckon it's worth some thought.
Raugeee
Guest
Why play at ANZ at all. RL is meant for intimate to medium size grounds. I really feel for fans and members of clubs who have home games there. Cold winter nights. 20,000 and it still seems empty. I would even play SOO at SFS - everyone could spill out and continue the fun at the local venues. Lang Park is a perfect ground, fortunately for Queensland. Sydney fans deserve so much better.
Mcthug
Guest
Another thing to fix is the holding down in the first 3 tackles after a penalty in the 25 meter zone. Teams like Sharks, Storm, Panthers do this a lot...especially sharks.
Mcthug
Guest
How about every player in the future signs contracts (and therefore ends a contract ) in Nov -Dec. After the season and before the next season. Is that so hard....... ????? short term pain long term gain
TigerMike
Guest
Good article mate With the Draw, why don't they add 4 or 5 more teams, one each from Vic, Qld, SA, WA, and NT or another from NZ. Them each team plays all others once ! And 3 weekends near the middle are for State of Origin right, weeks off for the rest
matth
Guest
I would actually like to point out that, in general, whinges aside, our code is actually pretty good.
Daniel John
Roar Pro
I agree that playing a team twice in 5 rounds is ridiculous but, despite the efforts of the AFL's draw model, the only even draw is a complete home/away fixture season the same as European soccer. This will never happen due to many reasons, notably the length of the season being too long but also Australia's sporting culture to decide a season winner through a final's series rather than the best and most consistent team in a regular season. It is basically one or the other ATM.
Chris Meister
Roar Guru
Fixing the Origin period is the number one priority
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Strange .Quite a few blowout score lines this year, don't think the refs influenced them.The refs don't knock on, or lose the pill in tackles ,or miss tackles, or score tries in a couple of cams in the corner with bodies over the line.They have enough pressure on keeping tabs on illegalities,forward passes, counting the tackle numbers etc etc. If the odd player is silly enough to bet on a game or pass on insider info,then he'll have his name splashed all over the front page.If they haven't learnt from the toady situation, they'll never learn Refs influence is affected by a very big mix of player stupidity, player errors, refs fallible errors few though they may be ,bunker decisions. No evidence has been forthcoming with Manly allegations,and of course no retraction by the media outlet who made it "explosive". Second half comebacks in a sport that is as physically taxing defensively as rugby leagues hardly a novelty and unsurprising.Tired defences can do silly things.Like kicking into a players guts in the last minute, he picks the ball up to score and win the game.Oh it's the ref's influence LOL.
Mantra
Guest
You would have complained if the decision live was wrong but second half comebacks are de rigeur in NRL so much so that one should look at the betting.
Mantra
Guest
How come teams struggle to play each other once and then play each other twice in 5 weeks...The AFL draw play each other once and then they play 5 games against teams they finished next to last year and the NRL draw comes out last so they have no excuse.
rakshop
Guest
I think this article represents how difficult running a football code really is. People often think the administrating body is doing a ‘terrible’ job running “insert Australian sporting code here” and if they only did these five things the game would be a much better place. Hell there is an article published this morning that does that very thing! Its all the administrators fault that our game is bad! The reality is once you start scratching the surface, the suggestions that are being put forward don’t actually solve any problems, or in turn, only create larger issues if they are implemented. Which sucks, because I tend to agree with most of the sentiment of the article. But I don’t think it is possible to achieve any improvements that has been suggested because once you look at the suggestions in more detail, the so called ‘easy’ fixes are far from ‘easy’. 1. No football code in Australia achieves complete fixture parity. The A league gets closest, each team plays each other 3 times, however, the draw is not even and every second year, a team will play one more away match than at home (and vice-versa).The AFL and NRL doesn’t, and the Super Rugby draw is based on conferences, so each does not play each other. Given the time constraints – it would be improbable for 16 team league to play each other twice. Good idea and I would like to see it, but it’s never going to happen. 2. That’s kinda how the bunker operates now, just without the time limit. The problem with introducing extra parameters (such as time limit) the moment that parameter interferes with a decision, there is a knee jerk reaction to replace it with something else. The video referee was introduced in 1997 in since then we have seen six key iterations of how the ‘video ref’ operates (Super league original including forward pass, without forward pass, benefit of doubt, two decision makers, referee decision followed by conclusive proof and a consolidated bunker). That means on average every three years the structure of the ‘video referee’ has changed, and you know what, people still whinge about it. The video ref gets more decisions right that wrong, maybe it’s time to stop whinging about it and accept there is no magical solution. 3. Agree - I hate the channel nine commentary. I have hated it for years. BUT….. Channel nine pay a very large sum of money to show rugby league, and if they want to treat the viewer with contempt, than that’s their decision. If you want the NRL to start dictating how the coverage of the game occurs, you have to accept that the NRL loses negotiating position, and will ultimately loses money. It’s the trade-off of getting a good TV deal. 4. AGREE whole heartedly – but league operates in a free market, and if chooses to close that market, then we have to accept that players will choose to move to a market that will pay them more (IE rugby/AFL). I think the simple solution would be to make all contracts publicly available – that would make the game 100% transparent. But there are privacy and corporate laws that prevent that from happening. 5. Stadiums – this is actually the hardest of the lot, simply because this comes down economics. Ticket prices are expensive period. Staying at home and watching the TV is free (if you watch free to air coverage). I chose not to go to games because of the economics. It’s the same with the clubs. They have to factor their costs into the ticket admission price. The fact that only two teams run a profit suggests to me that clubs are already financially constrained to a level that they can’t economically afford to drop ticket admission prices. And if they could, I suspect they would have done so already. Playing a larger stadiums is more economical as there is are more economies of scale. That unfortunately means no atmosphere, and a plethora of empty seats. The reality is, running a sport cant be solved by doing five simple things.