THE rugby league we are left with when Covid is finished with us won’t be the same as the one we had in February of last year.
Of course, rugby league can’t have a ‘new normal’ because it never really had an old one. There was always some crisis, some death rattle, some atrocity. People were always at each others throats. Thanks why we love it – and sometimes why we hate it.
But I thought I’d have a go at listing 10 thing that have changed during the pandemic that won’t be changing back in a hurry.
1. Peter V’landys’ powerbase
By kickstarting the NRL at the beginning of Covid and getting it back on the field before most sports in the world, V’landys shored up his power. In fact, he had enough brownie points to take ‘Magic Round’ literally in that he made players disappear for any tackle that made contact with an opponent’s head.
Without Covid the fans might have remained sceptical of the new sheriff and if he’d overstepped what people saw as his decent amount of authority, he may have found himself walking the plank. As it is, even allowing the broadcaster to give some of the NRL’s rights money to rugby union doesn’t seem to have hurt him.
ARLC chairman Peter V’landys. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
2. Rule changes
The six-again rule is far from popular. There’ve been a lot of blowout scores. But when V’landys was asked if it had gone badly, he’s dug his heels in. Likewise things like two point field goals. Long after we’ve forgotten whose bed it was that Jack De Belin was hiding under, we’ll probably still have some of these rules. Hopefully not – but probably.
3. NRL expansion
When Wuhan was in the news, the Brisbane Firehawks were not. Despite the financial pressure the sport has been under with games played without fans, games played interstate, games not played in New Zealand and games not played at all, the competition is looking at adding a 17th team.
Former NRL head of strategy Shane Richardson has publicly predicted another Kiwi franchise will be next. In the case of Brisbane, it seems more market exploitation than expansion but anyway … it’s coming.
4. The relationship between the NRL and the international game has changed
In 2018, England, New Zealand, the International Federation and Jason Moore went ahead with a mid-season Test in Denver despite the disapproval of the NRL clubs. The NRL clubs got even by scrapping the entire mid-season window. How will they get square for this week’s announcement that the World Cup is going ahead whether Australia go or not?
The question is complicated by the fact the now-IRL is dominated by Australia, with Wayne Pearce and Peter Beattie on it. How did they vote on the World Cup issue? In any case the international game is showing some bravado.
5. Origin is just … different.
Playing State of Origin games at neutral venues used to be such a big deal but now we do it at a few days’ notice. Newcastle, Townsville and the Gold Coast getting one would have been the subject of a decade or politicking at any time in the past. Will officials now believe they’ve had their chances and go back to Sydney and Brisbane indefinitely?
Forget NSW dynasties, by the way I’ve been covering grand finals since 1987 and every winning team always predicts they’re going to win the next five. Means nothing.
6. Match programmes are dead in Australia
Big League was one of the first things for the high jump when Covid happened. It closed and will never reopen. Of course, you could see it coming a mile off. None of the Great Britain Tour or Oceania Cup games in 2019 had programmes and nor did the World Cup Nines. Still, sad.
7. British rugby league is on its knees
As much as I hate to say this on Challenge Cup final week, the British game is a mess with TV rights just about halved and teams not fulfilling fixtures (that’s aside from official Covid-related cancellations and postponements).
The sport can’t afford to put players in bubbles and games get called off because of cases and contact positives every week. And now the NRL is spending too much money to be the knight it may otherwise have been. It can lend expertise but not investment – and the English don’t seem to want to help themselves.
8. No more Wolfpack
Toronto were struggling with a small squad, no Super League wins and unpaid bills when Covid hit but they still may have limped on to the end of the season with new investment on the offing. Sonny Bill Williams may be still playing, they may have hosted Australia on the way to a 2020 Kangaroo Tour and the Northern Hemisphere game would have held onto a smidgeon of optimism. Instead … withdrew from the comp, kicked out of the comp, joined a new North American comp which never got off the ground. What a bummer.
9. Serious about concussion
When Covid hit, Sydney Roosters still had Boyd Cordner and Leeds Rhinos still had Stevie Ward. They won’t be with us when it’s all over, forced into early retirements by head knocks. The game was “serious” about concussion before – but now the threat of legal action has led to some of the physicality being removed. It’s now more of a frenetic athletic endeavour than a brutal collision sport. That isn’t coming back.
Boyd Cordner retired this season after multiple concussions.
10. Scrums (?) and two referees
We still have scrums in the NRL but we don’t have them in England. At the very least, they’ve been illustrated as being expendable. Of all the reasons you might say the Northern Hemisphere game is inferior to the south, you wouldn’t be chiding “well, we’ve got SCRUMS!’
In fact, you don’t notice them when they’re not there. PVL got rid of the second referee to save money after the TV rights belt-tightening and like scrums in England, they’re not really missed. People watching YouTube videos in 2030 are going to think they’re seeing double. An experiment that didn’t last.
Maybe six-again will be the next one? We can only hope.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
PVL got rid of the second referee to save money I thought he got rid of the second referee because they stuffed up and their error affected the result of the grand final. He did say the referees got it right but that was nonsense. PVL forgot that the referee is always right and can't change his/her decision.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
The six-again rule is a huge change. It is now a nine again or twelve again rule for teams that can exploit it. This is why there have been a lot of blowout scores. Like Golden Point the Restart rule should be removed.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
More scoring is a good thing if the scoring is a done by both teams. A game where the lead changes is exciting but rare. A game where one team does all the scoring is a turn off.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
None of those reasons you gave hold water for stopping the RL World Cup. Soldiers do it far worse than these prima donnas when they deploy and you don’t hear them bleating about it on a fraction of the coin. Any Aussie player that doesn’t want to represent their country can simply stay at home. The NRL isn’t Australia. I hear some are crapping on about possibly missing out on leave. That argument would hold water if they weren’t being paid handsomely to play for Australia.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
The problem with the high tackle crack down was the poor assumption by Vlandys that he had competent enough referees to enforce it. It’s been a farce.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
There would be no need for the Restart rule if they penalised the wrestling. The penalty was devalued when tries increased in value in 1982. They did that because they thought more tries would bring back the crowds. More tries meant less penalty goals and more wrestling.
deucer
Roar Rookie
There's no doubt that it's like that now, such has been the decline of RL in England, but there were areas 50-60 years ago like Bradfield and Leeds where RL was equal and even ahead of Football. That is now a distant memory.
Walter Black
Guest
Football has always had the mantle even in the North. If you want to understand what Rugby League trying to compete in England is like, go live somewhere like Melbourne, take away Channel 9's coverage and reduce Fox to only screening 3 games per week. Halve the Melbourne media's reporting of Rugby League and then you just about have it.
Walter Black
Guest
"have two years to get their act together" but what act is they have to get together ?, changing governance and getting away from certain owners might be fine if that puts money in the coffers but of itself, it doesn't. There are a handful of owners/clubs that have some semblance of ability / money whilst the rest are not much more than park footy clubs run by volunteers. What do you expect those owners to do ? The problem with the ESL is and always has been a chronic shortage of money. Their TV income is a fraction of what the NRL gets, their average weekly gates probably half the NRL levels with membership well down also. Compared to Britain, Covid has hardly impacted Australia with few games called off, no players contracted Covid and even a decent return of fans to games. Britain had no where to run in order to preserve its comp but has had to soldier on with no crowds and a litany of cancelled games and changed rules (forced). And yet, despite its massive advantages over the ESL, the NRL has few profitable clubs and this time last year was brought to its financial knees by Covid. What chance does the ESL have ? Considering its chronic lack of income over decades, it is amazing that Superleague has survived at all. Steve, I am not having a go, its just that I don't see organisation or ownership issues solving the ESL's problems. They are far from perfect but they are not the real problem. Do they need a Peter Vlandys ?, you bet ya and I believe they would welcome someone like him in a heartbeat but the problem is and always has been money.
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
Not the fault of the rule, that is the fault of the people enforcing it. Anything that speeds up play and leads to more scoring is a good thing
deucer
Roar Rookie
It's really the shifting demographics that have sped up the decline of RL in the UK. This has allowed Football to take over the mantle in even the strongholds up North. Every sport has been hit hard by Covid, but those with little left have been particularly hard hit. Maybe the world cup will be the tonic they need - if Aust. don't show up, the public may get behind the event with hope that England can go all the way, even if NZ and Tonga are a threat.
deucer
Roar Rookie
It may work out better for international RL if Australia and Australians don't play. This may be the last chance for France to gain some traction before it disappears forever - if they're actually playing countries like Lebanon or Scotland with local players, they will have a good chance of getting through the group. It will also help the PI nations and of course England. On the other hand it will show up the disparity with traditional RL nations and those that fill up with Australian players.
Paul
Roar Guru
fair enough, I see your point.
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
Mick, you'll get no argument from me . The whole East coast of Australia locked down and these prima Donna's and their families complaining. My son lives 20 minutes away and I can't see him . I hope the Qld government sticks solid on this. It's about time our governments stood up and put the general community first.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
Some princess player girlfriend was sobbing on tonight's TV news about the utter heartbreak of a free holiday in sub tropical beachside five star forcing a delay to her me, me, me wedding and the NRL is to blame! Together with: 1. a senior player on $800,000 a year hosting a prohibited house party and later admitting he expected no-one would notice; 2. a State of Origin turkey claiming his hired in quarantine breaching exotic dancer was visiting for polite conversation only; and 3. several drongos driving halfway across town to drink schooners on Sunday, when the whole city has been commanded to stay home, later claiming they couldn't read the memo, let alone understand it; you've got to conclude the kiddies do not appreciate or deserve a single concession. Normal people are flat out paying the rent and feeding their families yet player wives expect a valet to attend and lead them by the hand to the resort health centre for their mudpack! Shut the competition down for a year I say, until the virus emergency is past. These bogans ought to be made to face the reality of temporary contract suspension and a place on the queue to Centrelink just like everyone else.
GregM
Roar Rookie
yep - miss picking up the mag, esp at the airport
Michael Carbone
Guest
Don't upset the 6 "International" RL die-hards in Australia by saying that
Michael Carbone
Guest
Alchemist Is that you?? International Rugby League fans are so easy to identify on social media
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
They try to outdo each other to see who can talk the longest without taking a breath whilst making as little sense as possible. Judges decision: A dead heat!
JOHN ALLAN
Guest
Ray Warren finding it hard to stay awake? I find it hard staying awake listening to him. Seems to enjoy quoting some meaningless statistics that somebody has written down for him pre-game, The whole Channel 9 commentary team provide an unintentional advertisement for people to sign up with Pay TV. When I used to subscribe to Foxtel, I was critical of Anasta, Hodges & a couple of others however now that I only have Rabs, Joey, Gus & Master Coach (we were robbed) Fittler to listen to, my mute button is my “go to” option.