All the talk about the expansion of our game seems to have a theme to it – a theme that is a mistake.
It makes sense why this theme exists, within the virtual echo chamber of nostalgia and bias that is rugby league.
But if we want to truly grow our game, we need to smash this bubble, at least from headquarters’ perspective.
The theme I’m alluding to is that Sydney rugby league is the game, the cliched DNA, ‘where it all started’, all of it.
For some reason, the mouthpieces of league in Sydney’s media are constantly telling us that the traditions of the Sydney suburban competition need to be preserved in the national competition.
This is absolute rubbish.
Those traditions belong to the state competition they started in. The game is and always has been bigger than the competition in Sydney.
True expansion of our game will not be achieved by telling everyone else to play Sydney’s game.
It can only be achieved by making the game everyone else’s game to play.
It’s achieved by sharing ownership of the national competition equally with those who might be new to it.
For far too long we’ve heard how we need to protect and consolidate rugby league in Sydney.
Why?
Those traditions don’t belong to the NRL, they don’t belong to anyone who cares about the game from outside of Sydney and they certainly don’t belong to anyone we might be trying to attract to our game, to truly expand it.
Forget tradition — the NRL needs to abandon historic suburban grounds like Leichhardt Oval if they want to expand the competition. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
The NRL started in 1998, not 1908.
Some clubs started in 1908 and deserve to be congratulated for their longevity, for having teams compete in the NSWRL competition then also fielding teams in the NRL.
The NSWRL should be remembered for being a strong competition.
But the attempt to say they are the same competition is false and our game will be improved dramatically by altering this mentality.
It may feel good for Sydney fans, and keep them interested in the game, to tell them that this comp is the same as the one they used to follow.
It may have been necessary for the NRL to market themselves that way to ease Sydney fans across to a competition that was no longer solely run by ex-Sydney league players for the Sydney market.
That time has now passed.
We need to be a proper national competition or the game will slide even further behind the competitions that truly embraced the idea of a national competition.
There is a big difference between the NRL and the old ‘pies and tinnies on the hill at suburban grounds’.
There is a big difference between suburban rivalries and whole city rivalries. It’s still tribalism, just bigger.
All those sources of nostalgia still exist – they’re in the state competitions.
I still love going down the road and watching my local team play in the Intrust Super Cup while sitting on the hill.
Just because a suburban Sydney club isn’t in the national competition, that doesn’t mean they’re dead. That doesn’t mean that a region is unrepresented.
They’re just in the NSW competition where they started.
When we think of expansion, we need to think about truly expanding our game to people who will never have any skin in the game if we try to force one portion of the game’s history onto them.
How can a new league fan in Perth relate to a rivalry that started on the other side of the continent?
We need to create the best possible product for the future, and that means reducing the number of clubs in Sydney.
Brendon
Roar Rookie
Unfortunately the ANZ stadium isn't getting a rebuild. Its only getting a renovation. For some reason the idiots in the NSW government thought it was a better idea to rebuild the 43,000 seat stadium that was already a good rectangle stadium rather than the mediocre 83,000 stadium that was always a compromised design. Originally the ANZ was going to be rebuilt with a retractable roof and a specifically designed lighting system to make small crowds much better. That has been junked.
Brendon
Roar Rookie
Your excuse is that the trains are too hard and Homebush is too far from Cronulla? The New York Jets and Giants stadium is not only not in New York city its not even in New York state. Its in New Jersey. People coming from Staten Island or Brooklyn are travelling in much tougher conditions than someone going from Cronulla to Homebush. The San Franciso 49ers home stadium is 50kms away in Santa Clara but they manage to cope. But oh poor Sydney people! 2 trains!
Rellum
Roar Guru
The Brisbane Residence team was miles better than any of the Sydney clubs talent wise, but they did not play together every week plus they had to travel mid week to Sydney in the days before professionalism. That win in the mid week cup was an epic achievement. I would love any new Brissy team coming in to wear the old resident colours.
John
Guest
They have a more even spread around the country because the of the promotion of those games. If you look it up, there are rugby league administrations across each state and territory that pre-dates NRL's existence. That suggests rather strongly the game of rugby league is/has been played in other states/territories for much longer, but due to the lack of professional pathway expansion into those territories, rugby league will remain a casual school sport in those areas.
matth
Roar Guru
And the assumption that any QLD team victory back in the day could only have been because NSW weren’t trying
Rellum
Roar Guru
I did, he looks like he is basically saying Brisbane needs to go through pain of clubs being disbanded if Sydney does. That ignores of course we already went through all that pain when the whole comp was gutted. Why should we need to go through that twice. It is Sydney's turn.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
"If removing the broncos was indeed good for the game, it would surely be looked at as an option. I’m fairly certain it wasn’t though, do you know why?" Does it have anything to do with the fact that News Limited own the Brisbane Broncos? Or that News Limited are the major stakeholders in broadcasting the game via Pay TV and are funding the lion's share of a billion dollar broadcasting deal with the NRL thus securing their unquestioning obedience to follow their plans to spread Fox Sports market share across all of Australia? Am I getting warm? Isn't that the very reason why News Limited were the original owners of the Melbourne Storm? They wanted ensure their best chance of early success in the competition but unfortunately they hired dumb administrators who got caught with their fingers in the till and two sets of books and duplicate contracts for star players.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
I realise which side of the argument you're on but I started out addressing the fact that you seemed to be advocating two new teams in Brisbane IN ADDITION TO the Broncos. I was just highlighting that the Broncos had to go.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
It was a toss up between that or a couple of case of XXXX (4X). They had enough left over to by a pair of thongs (flip flops on your side of the border). LOL
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
You like to live in the past Matt. To paraphrase Eddie Murphy from Delirious "What have they done lately?" Bahahahahahaha
matth
Roar Guru
Because rugby league really has a two state stronghold. Those other sports have an even spread throughout the country, no doubt about that.
matth
Roar Guru
So what you have to do now is think about why QLD reacted that way. Because for many many years both the country itself and Sydney rugby league treated QLD like an afterthought and expendable. Google the Brisbane Line and you might understand.
matth
Roar Guru
Seriously? Is that meant to be a clever argument or are you genuinely wanting to close down the convo and start with brand new teams dotted around the country?
matth
Roar Guru
Why do you keep using my name? I never said to relocate Souths or anyone else? I’m arguing against it.
matth
Roar Guru
Yes, NSW poker machine money bought the QLD competition.
matth
Roar Guru
So you don’t remember Footscray, Hawthorn and North all nearly going under over the last 30 years? If you are ignorant of history you should be careful making sweeping statements.
matth
Roar Guru
But it does exist. Between attendances and ratings there is plenty of support.
matth
Roar Guru
Check out Papi Smurf’s comment above to understand the typical attitude about QLD rugby league.
matth
Roar Guru
Combined Brisbane won the Amco Cup in 1982 I think it was. Toowoomba in the 1920’s era beat Souths, St George, NSW twice in a row, New Zealand and Great Britain. They were undefeated against all comers. They made up the majority of the QLD side of the era that beat NSW in 5 from 6 series. Souths would certainly have taken them seriously, and it would have made no difference.
Beni Iniesta
Guest
I'll have you know Melbourne Storm LOST the Grand Final in 2018. They're hopeless.