“Then there is the concern around flying NRL players five hours when we already hear criticism of player workloads and how taxing the season is on the stars of the game.”
Did the chairman of the National Rugby League actually say this, as Peter V’landys is reported to have told The Sunday Mail, in relation to a franchise is Perth?
It’s hard to know where to start with such a gobsmacking statement.
But let’s start in Auckland.
If V’landys cares to travel to a Warriors home game next season, he’ll quickly realise that with immigration procedures at each end, it’s easily a five-hour journey.
Imagine the reaction if the chairman of the National Football League or National Basketball League or Major League Baseball said the journey from New York to Los Angeles was a reason why one of those cities shouldn’t have a team.
Mind you, we’ve heard similar comments in relation to Toronto from Super League chief executive Robert Elstone. But the Wolfpack are in anyway.
And then there’s this quote.
“Forget wasting millions in rusted-on AFL states,” V’landys said.
“Perth does not have a huge league audience.”
So why are you taking the Nines there next year? And why did you take an Origin there this season? Yes, by all means hand us your money for these events and comp games and trials but no, we’re never going to put a team there because you’re all “rusted-on” AFL fans.
Grant Trouville NRL Photos
Let’s go somewhere else. Let’s go to Melbourne.
Yes, around $80 million has been spent keeping the Storm alive but they are probably the leading rugby league club of this century. “Wasted” according to V’landys – or am I missing something?
Doesn’t his comment suggest that the club’s success has not been worth the investment? It does to me. Let’s shut them down then.
I don’t follow racing at all but I am spending a lot of time with a racing journalist while staying in Sydney and I am told V’landys is the king of the culture war between Sydney and Melbourne, inventing events to take prestige away from the Victorian capital and even wanting the Melbourne Cup moved.
We don’t need that in rugby league – especially from someone in charge of the ‘National’ Rugby League.
The ’N’ does not stand for New South Wales and Queensland. Peter’s responsibility is for the entire country and, via the Warriors, for New Zealand as well.
His job is to maximise the number of people who watch and play, not just turn up the heat in markets that are already strong and pocket a heap of cash from squeezing the same lemon.
The Australian Rugby League Commission runs on the backs of thousands of volunteers.
One shudders to think what will happen when international football crosses his table. Will he be trying to do to the Poms and the Kiwis what, in racing, he tried to do to the Victorians? Perhaps we can expect Australia to secede from the wider world of rugby league?
Everyone tries to tell you V’landys has a relationship with the Sydney media that largely precludes him from criticism. I don’t believe that.
But his comments, as recounted at the top of this column, do require more analysis and – I firmly believe – criticism.
Coupled with the belief that NRL Digital will be scaled down on his watch, things are looking dangerously like the latest instalment in the Back to the Future movie franchise
Rabbitoh Rod
Guest
I always thought that expansion should be by twos a new club in the heart land (clearly Brisbane) and 1 in non league area (Perth or NZ) as for funding ,they get a NRL grant like everybody else
Mark
Guest
People like you with such names in other sports comment sections? Weird
JOLA
Guest
The Force has a $1.5m major sponsor in the WA Gov in 2017, the year they were abolished and were left equal first on the table of the Australian teams.
Bernie Vinson
Guest
Yes but AFL a national code with much less behavioural problems and far greater revenue. Most neutral observers and some NRL people acknowledge this.
Bernie Vinson
Guest
You started this - So NRL trying to expand to Canada, Serbia, Lichtenstein etc and you start salivating or Hobart (gone) Perth (gone, Adelaide (gone) Gold Coast 3 times (gone) etc etc - Wellington wanted to attract tourists and AFL wanted to build a Tv audience for greater international exposure (ie bigger than 1 road in Yorkshire) and attract players as NZ/PI exports prop up NRL and win-win for both sides. No harm done
GoGWS
Roar Guru
Gee you sure know how to hurt a guy…all except for that last line that I confess I can’t follow (but I’m sure it’s brilliant).
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Mate seriously you spend so much time justifying your club on rugby league threads, it's embarrassing.You must be employed by them. They criticise crowds as being less than stated also. I get it, your club is perfecto.Move on.I'm over it on a League thread. I'll take advice on rugby league from you mate, when the code has no support.
GoGWS
Roar Guru
AFL fans criticise Giants for small crowd numbers not that they are fake. If it makes you feel comfortable to imagine that the Giants are faking their crowds then good for you – you’re welcome. And as for the NRL culture of fibbing about their crowds … well the reason is self evident. I don’t need to explain.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
And I suggest some of the AFL fans of other clubs who either attend or don't at GWS home games, of crowd announcements who are skeptical ,then must also be ignorant. It makes no sense for any club to lie, when it looks obvious ,yet they do.Whether it be to ensure their head body is kept happy for a new club, to show competitors they have crowds to match, to encourage more fans to attend look at our crowds. I believe what I see, and i'm not alone, and what I have experienced with crowds by attending at many venues both here and overseas. You see ,I also bag NRL crowds when they appear overstated.Also when so called sellouts are stated and there are spare seats or half a stand still not seated.
Chris
Guest
As a North American who's gotten into rugby league over the last couple years, these discussions sound insane to me. I'm just trying to imagine using these arguments against, say the Portland Trail Blazers existing if they didn't already. "Four-and-a-half hours on a plane from New York, and it's not really a hoops town." You have a big country! Get on a plane or drop the "N" from NRL.
GoGWS
Roar Guru
Whatever mate… you don’t even go to GWS games yet you somehow know. Good for you… I actually do go to games and they seem to be getting it about right… and there is no incentive to tell lies anyway.. why would they? If there is a half full stadium (12K) why pad it out and report a few more thousand.. seriously? … Or if there was only 6k (as you seem to be suggesting) why report 12K. Mate these numbers areall so small and way below the AFL league average …. it would make no sense at all for GWS to tell fibs.. there’s nothing in it for them to do that. Anyway believe what you will – and if you ever go to a game you will find out you were wrong after all.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Sorry GoGWS I don't trust crowd announcements at times ,whether it be AFL/NRL/or RU/or soccer .Crowd capacity at stadiums is well known. AFL fans from other clubs gleefully have been bringing it up re Spotless ,take it up with them. Anyone with 20/20 vision can tell whether a stadium is half full or not.RL people bag NRL and at times International crowds when it appears fudged.I have done it at times with the Sharks,yet your club is perfecto. Give me a break.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Sport in new areas is always a long term,proposition.The point is how long are sporting bodies prepared to prop up with tens of millions of dollars year after year,and Tv ratings remain ordinary. The Storm are not finding it easy either in Vic, despite growing ,and ordinary Tv ratings. The Suns had all these kids watching and attending games at Carrara, despite all the monies injected they are still struggling.Kids attend games in numbers with freebies or special deals regardless of the sport in question. GWS bang on about their membership numbers in the media implying it's locals ,but rarely do they mention the fact a decent % are from the ACT. Auskick participation via the schools is almost a required sport.Kids at grandson's school have it, yet play rugby codes and soccer on weekends. Non contact rl is booming on weekends despite Auskick in schools.And contact is growing in some districts. Swan's Tv ratings in Sydney despite their crowds and money spent at grassroots, remain ordinary.After 38 years,more than a generation.
GoGWS
Roar Guru
Mate... trust me the crowds are not dodgy. Lob other criticisms at GWS but inflating crowds is just not one of them... and why would they fake home crowds to get to mere 13K average anyway .. this is a pathetic crowd average by AFL standards - if they were faking crowds they’d be laying it on thicker than that. The facts are that they basically half-full their home stadium in Sydney for most games (some a little more, some less) and their home crowd average reflects that they’re half way there... I know some RL supporters seem to love gleefully pretending there’s some great
GoGWS
Roar Guru
Well GWS is actually making steady progress.. it’s a very long term play but the progress is there...the foundations of a club are there.. and really, a telling sign the Giants are on track is the high numbers of kids who are attending games, and the lift I. Auskick participation rates... it’s a generational play and Even at this early stage you can see them on track to replicate the Swans in terms of following.. the Suns are another story - less certainty there.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Don't worry lad you're working hard to climb the ladder.But it's always one step up ,two steps back. Now back to Perth and the possibilities for the NRL in that fair city. Game has been played there since the 40s.A growing grassroot's junior base ,a stadium in place ,financial and media and Govt backing, decent crowds whenever the NRL has been played there. V'Landys needs to look beyond just distances and Tv ratings.
Chase those Roos
Roar Rookie
Changing the rules like from 2 refs to 1 ref Crosscoder?? Just curious...
Fix the scrums
Guest
The new chair has made it obvious that setting up a team in Perth is pointless. An unusual comment this early in the job. It suggests they are going to give up on expansion. Beattie was constantly talking up expansion. Strange.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
I offended that I'm not your most ineffectual. :laughing: :laughing: :crying: :laughing: :shocked:
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
That's sad Rowdy ,because you're my 15th favourite ineffectual AFL stirrer.