When you experience something good, your natural reaction to that experience is to want more of it.
That’s certainly what has happened in women’s rugby league. After seeing the quality of the women’s State of Origin at North Sydney Oval last year and the Women’s Rugby League Premiership which started in September, people have been left wanting more.
For the NRLW that led to suggestions of expansion – both in terms of number of teams and additionally the number of games played.
For State of Origin that resulted in calls for a three-game series and a movement away from having the game as a stand-alone fixture and instead seeing it played before the men’s game.
In both circumstances, for this year the NRL have opted to keep the same format.
There will be no additional teams in the NRLW this year and the teams will only play each other once so that the competition aligns with the men’s Finals series and for State of Origin, it remains a one-game stand-alone fixture.
When you consider the point at which women’s rugby league is at the moment, I understand and agree with the NRL’s ‘steady as she goes’ approach.
The key for the NRL is to ensure the sustainability and marketability of the women’s game and their view is to protect the players and ensure that the amount of footy they are playing is manageable, that the state of play should remain as is, for now.
While taking it slow has garnered some criticism, I think the impact of moving too quickly can potentially be greater. Look at the AFLW, where in this season the number of teams expanded, but the number of games that the teams played was reduced.
This led to a conference-based system which many queried and left people disappointed given there were more teams but those teams played less games.
But particularly in relation to State of Origin, while moving from one game to three may not seem like a big deal, it is a big deal for a group of players that need at least one week’s notice prior to going into camp to ensure that their work and family commitments are attended to while they play footy.
This same analogy can be used when talking about extending the NRLW from four weeks to seven weeks; expansion places increased pressure on women already sacrificing a lot to play the sport that they love.
Isabelle Kelly of the Jillaroos (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Annette Brander has played for the Australian Jillaroos, Queensland Maroons and the St George Illawarra Dragons and can speak directly about those challenges.
Annette is based in Queensland and made the decision to relocate to Sydney for the NRLW to play for the Dragons and stretch herself to play with some new players that would push her to become a better player. But it came at a cost.
“I drove down to Wollongong and I stayed for three months. I had to take three months of unpaid work. It was pretty much just a mini holiday, other than playing and training,” Annette says.
Such sacrifices have been going on in the women’s game for years and these sacrifices need to be considered when calling for even more playing commitments for women.
According to Annette, “in the past there have been girls that lost their jobs because their employers wouldn’t give them time off work. It is hard in that aspect and I think there are a lot of people calling for a three game Origin, but I don’t think we are there yet.
It is a massive sacrifice to take that time off work and a lot of the girls have kids too. It makes it harder when it isn’t your full time job”.
The point becomes even clearer when you compare the set up of men’s Origin compared to the women’s Origin.
“With the men, their team gets announced and then the next day they go into camp. With us we need a few weeks notice so we can sort out work and our families. But it is getting better every year”, says Annette.
Growth will come, but it needs to come at a rate which is sustainable and manageable for the women competing. Additionally, as the NRL have done to date, close consultation with the players remains vital to ongoing success.
Whilst we may still be three weeks out from women’s Origin, expect the teams to be announced shortly. Yesterday, the Harvey Norman Women’s National Championships started with six teams competing.
NSW has fielded country and city side and Queensland has named a country side and South East Queensland team. These four teams will be joined by an Affiliated States side and Australian defence force team.
You can expect the women who will represent NSW and QLD in State of Origin to come out of the teams competing during the National Championships.
Dave
Guest
Mary how did you not fact check something like that if you’re gonna publish it? Surprise surprise Mary goes for a headline over getting the facts right AGAIN Have some journalistic integrity fml
Gyfox
Roar Rookie
Sorry - should be $6 mill! $60 mill = PAFC total income
Gyfox
Roar Rookie
Yes, Crosscoder. Kochie is a financial expert/guru, of course. PAFC being basically a traditional working class club, he had to convince his board! The Advertiser reported recently that the sponsorship + ongoing financial windfall = $60 mill. 10% of the club’s income. But the AFL also sees it from a promotional view. Auskick is now played in Shanghai! It is also true about the marquees (who couldn’t be seen on TV. Friends of mine went & bought the premium tickets, which was food & drink + seating. Those seats were sold out very quickly. It was so hot they were mostly in the marquees.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
First and foremost Gyfox it’s a financial issue for the likes of Koch and his club.It’s apparently worth $500k to the club I understand. The Federal Govt tips in about $250k and the Tourism $400k.Good luck to them.It appears more a financial vision rather than a deep seated grassroots vision. Last year they were accused of crowd fudging on 20/5/18 in the PA v GC game. The response to this was, the rest of the crowd were in the marquees. https://wwos.nine.com.au Now I don’t know that to be fact or fiction,just reporting was was stated.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
What does that matter mama.They have a team ,which gives young women an opportunity to play the game they love. In professional sport you aim for the best players, no matter where they originated. In addition rugby league has a lower tier comp for females, the Tarsha Gale ,which involves 10 team including Canberra.They will no doubt form teh experienced basis for further expansion. Another conspiracy theory ,the Roosters had the financial backing for a team.Whether the Swans had one or not, they (Roosters)would still have had one. The split up was done on commercial reality ATT and to get some sort of geographical spread ,taking into account player experience .
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
I have no idea about team selections for that & the fox ratings are for the NRLW games not based on the origin but the women's comp albeit at this stage only 4 clubs. Will be interesting to see how ratings hold up in 2019!?
Gyfox
Roar Rookie
John - Sunday’s AFL game in Shanghai is the 3rd AFL game there. All due to PAFC president, Kochie, & his vision 5 years ago.
Gyfox
Roar Rookie
Women’s football (as in AFL) has been around for at least 20 years. A friend of mine was president of the SA women’s league 9 years ago. The VWFL has been very strong & was a prime mover for AFLW
Maximus insight
Guest
I was referring to other peoples criticism. How can you know I'm missing the point when you clearly don't know what mine is? Mary's point was clear. Growth needs to be sustainable. But the criticism of the aflw (by aflw fans like Mr football above) that Mary was eluding to is largely ultimately about growth not being fast enough rather than it being too fast. They think the AFL is underfunding the aflw and yet it is putting many times more money into it than the NRL is into the nrlw. Read Mr footballs response to Mary above It is otherwise a good well reasoned article but the massive gap is avoiding any discussion about funding imo. The NRL could fund a 3 game SOO that would comfortably compensate the women for the challenges mentioned in the article at a fraction of what the AFL funds the aflw. Mary's point is very clwat
mama
Guest
How many local eastern suburbs girls are in the Roosters womens team as compared to St George or Penrith area and so why did they get a team - probably to counter the SwansW who don't have a team yet...
Mama
Guest
CT The NRL womens comp ratings are based upon 1 game between 2 states whereas the AFLW audience are spread across many games and the AFLW GF game due to unfortunate circumstances was up against another AFL game. Speaking of RL spreading and you being a RL tragic can you explain why 2 ACT players born and bred and lived all their years under 21 there are somehow in the NSW squad - is it SOO or not? According the rules they are ineligible but somehow were stuck in the NSW under 20 team to bizarrely make them appear eligible.
john
Guest
The NRLW and AFLW competition seems to be a classic hare and tortoise race. It will be interesting to see which strategy pays off in the long-term (20 years+). As a NRL supporter I do think our administrators and some fans are too gun shy when it comes to expansion and some are too quick to point at setbacks (prior or from other comps) as justification to not doing anything or to do go really slow about doing something. I hear AFL talking about having games to China as part of plans to expand the game there, NRL in contrast are drafting up a report to see what the costs of expanding/relocating teams in Australia is. The expansion mindset are just day and night and I have to applaud the enthusiasm and courage the AFL administration takes.
Jimmy
Roar Guru
There was no criticism of the AFLW. It was just an observation. You read this article through AFL tinted glasses and missed the point.
Maximus Insight
Guest
Mary is using criticism of the AFLW as cover for her defence of the NRL's approach. But overwhelmingly the criticism from AFLW fans is that the AFLW isn't expanding more in terms of season length and pay. People aren't demanding there be less teams so that conferencing wouldn't be required, they are demanding a full season Ultimately what is completely missing from Mary's analysis is funding. There could easily be a 3 game SOO if the NRL funded it enough and it would be probably less than the AFL spends funding one AFLW team.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
I just got Kayo & I've been watching the NRL touch premiership which happens to be a curtain raiser to the NRL men's games.
Jimmy
Roar Guru
I think you are missing the overall point Mary is trying to make. That the AFLW is growing and expanding rapidly and the quality risks suffering as a symptom of that growth. RL has the benefit of also being aligned with touch football which features a huge number of Women.
paulie
Guest
its very tough to start a new competion at the highest level for any sport. I wouldn't mind the Womens game being a nines series. It could spread the talent further and allow at least 2 more teams. However the nrl needs to fund it through the clubs via a salary cap and pay the players enough to make it a viable career option. EG: minimum wage should be 50k amonst a 15 player squad over 8 teams which equals 6 Mil, If the NRL grants is 10 mil per club annualy that is 160,000,000.There for they could reduce the NRL grants by only 375K to each club to fund it. It would be great entertainment to go watch both the womens and NRL matches played as double headers. Which I belive would grow the attendances as its giving the Fans more value for money with high quality entertainment over a longer period which I believe is the secret to AFLs crowd success in that it is a day out at the AFL and at least a 2 hour show.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
Thanx AFL House. But your figures for female RL are incorrect, the numbers are way bigger than that & you are right, growing. Also womens RL has been around a lot longer than the advent of the NRLW with some regions like the Illawarra having had a large female comp since the 90's. I think the latest development has emphasized bridging the gaps for girls after the age of 12 to adulthood & having that ultimate pathway of playing at the NRL(W) level. Perhaps that's the same for AFLW? Most clubs are now adding female teams at all age groups even under 12's which traditionally girls can play with the boys, & this stretches to country RL where women are truly leading the revitalization of many clubs. Also remember the NRL is funding the NRL Touch Premiership which is a huge industry within the sport plus the tag version to look after, so all their eggs are not just in the one basket. One thing that the NRLW has to earn & that is the public's respect. The AFLW attract crowds who are more attached to AFL & the club brands than they are to watching a sport that realistically is no better than park football or less at this stage. Also the NRLW would be very pleased with its tv ratings which on Foxsports outrate AFLW & many male comps such as A league & Super Rugby. So I think the NRL would be pleased with the development at this stage & the public get to see top quality womens sport from the go. The negativity about onfield games/quality is virtually nonexistent. The AFLW cheerleaders in the media have really had to push the 'quality' on offer at games even though that 'quality' on view is far different to what one actually watches. Added the womens RL game has the incentive of being part of a growing international scene as seen with the recent womens Turkey v Italy (all domestic players) RL match in Istanbul & covered in local media. It appears that development of RL is also including the promotion of the womens game from what I've viewed & this is occurring in Europe, places like Lebanon & Africa. The Rugby League European Federation will launch a womens Euro championship going forward. https://www.gazeteduvar.com.tr/video/2019/05/27/kadin-ragbi-lig-oyunculari-biz-burada-tarih-yazdik-2/?fbclid=IwAR3ZdaC8ljFfaiCzq8ZkWW5iVcqCV6kGSkhKQsxiBdHZCda1XHaFpPvcp3E
The Joy Of X
Roar Rookie
Mary Your claim that the AFLW season in 2019 was shorter than in 2018 reveals you do not follow the AFLW very closely. That's OK, each to their own- one can't follow every sport closely. It was unwise of you to compare the NRLW to the AFLW- there is no comparison. As Maximus above mentioned, the AFL is devoting FAR greater sums to female Australian Football (compared to NRL spending on the NRLW and female League). Female Australian Football is booming all over Australia, with 500,000+ female players. Most Clubs are introducing female teams. Female League is tiny by comparison: perhaps about 5,000+ female junior and adult players, but it is having good growth. The 2019 AFLW Grand final had a stand alone crowd of 53,034 at Adelaide Oval. There will be 14 AFLW teams in 2020.
Onside
Guest
Sustainable growth ( in female supporters, live and TV ) key to success of the women's game.