About a year ago, I wrote an article about how I, as a complete outsider, thought rugby league was struggling from administrative and cultural problems.
I believed these would doom it to second-class status behind the AFL without a massive change at all levels of the game.
One year later I’m feeling vindicated, and a lot less hopeful about the future.
The AFL has secured a $4.5 billion broadcast rights deal to start in 2025, leaving the NRL $100 million to $260 million behind per season, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
This is the market reacting to the reality of the two leagues. The way sports leagues succeed is having money to grow the game at a grassroots level and even if the AFL does have more teams to support, they’ve got a lot more money to do it with now.
How, we might wonder, has the chairman of the ARLC been protecting and growing the game he’s there to govern? By making jokes at the expense of the AFL, while his southern counterpart was negotiating the largest broadcast rights deal in Australian sports history.
Gillon McLachlan is an understated media figure, really only making news when he has something to announce, and you’d be forgiven for forgetting he exists when you’re not looking at him.
Peter V’landys is flashy, loud, and loves the spotlight, just like league, that’s why the fans love him and exactly the reason he’s the worst possible person to be in his position.
V’landys would be a great figure of Australian sport if his job was just to promote the sport but he’s inherited the reins at a time when it needs serious reform.
Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter Vlandys. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
But that’s not what league fans want to hear. League’s not in danger, it’s stronger than ever. Yeah but so is soccer, and rugby (union that is) has never had more money and they’re nowhere near catching the AFL or NRL juggernauts and will continue to languish because of it.
The real danger now is that AFL will continue to outpace league and the ARLC and NRL are doing nothing about it but moan to the broadcasters that they deserve more money because the AFL got more.
Believe it or not, I doubt Rupert Murdoch or Channel Nine are going to be particularly moved by these words.
You know what did move Nine? The AFL. Nine had a bid of $500 million per year to broadcast the AFL on their own (and reports are they upped that bid again to closer to $600 million) – money they were not going to throw at the NRL.
Plus Paramount and Ten were involved too. When did the NRL last get a serious offer from Channel Ten?
Maybe this is the kick in the proverbial that the NRL needed to seriously consider its place in the Australian media and cultural landscape but unless the attitude that V’landys embodies is abandoned by those who govern the game, we’re all screwed.
At least I’ll still have the AFL – hell, maybe even by then, the league diehards will have the AFL too – but that is the problem isn’t it?
I’ll finish this piece with the same lines I finished my other one on.
Protect your game and help it grow, advocate for fixes to problems and own it because it is truly your game. While we both have our poorly behaved fans, AFL fans do want you to be happy with the game you love, just like we are.
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RedcliffeFan
Roar Rookie
Your AFL is looking great today. Anything to say about the unfolding disaster clown?
HP
Guest
You are way off, NRL signed with Fox for 7 years in May 2020, Stan Sport didn't launch until February 2021, clearly no competition was there for Fox at the time. Nine Now has never been a contender for pay/streaming rights and still isn't today, odd reference there. Yes, Nine saved money of NRL for 2020 as less games were played/broadcasted that year. Did the NRL take too big a hair cut, who knows, probably by the negotiations so far, but both NRL and AFL provided less content for that year so were payed less. 'Limited product'? Goes to show your maturity in your reply, a 'limited product' that provides half the subscriptions for Fox. I get your AFL bias, thats fine, but don't let it distract from reality.
.kraM
Roar Rookie
Putting your pants on in the morning sounds like it’s a bit much for you.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
It's the truth, why would you not believe it? Can you give your reasoning or is that a bit much for you?
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
You're the only one that has ever said that. Why?
.kraM
Roar Rookie
No one believes it chief. Time to let it go.
.kraM
Roar Rookie
:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
A NZ#2 has no chance, as it would only take supporters from NZ Warriors. Perth is the best option for the NRL’s 18th team. Perth has a better local Rugby League competition than Melbourne and it has a large population that could sustain a team in the NRL.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
1. I was talking to kraM about his inability to back up his delusional comment. 2. Rupert Murdoch doesn't care if his Adelaide staff write fake stories about the people of Sydney and Rugby League. 3. I have told you about the Adelaide News and their making up a fake news story. You don't seem to understand that this proves the AF media will tell lies to destroy competition.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
I noticed you liked kraM's childish comment. Is that because you don't believe that the Adelaide News would publish a fake story to warn South Australians about the dangers of playing Rugby League? It is an example of the Australian Football friendly media trying to keep it's competitors out of it's territory. There is no way RL can advertise as the Adelaide media are telling lies about the game. This is why AF has a monopoly and you support the suppression of opposition.
Felix Stone
Roar Rookie
I did You didn't engage with it News corp owns the largest newspaper in Adelaide and owned 50% of the NRL you don't think they would have wanted to give the nrl the page space if the NRL had made any effort to be relevant in adelaide post rams?
Felix Stone
Roar Rookie
yeah but you don't think that has something to do with the lack of league advertising in melbourne?
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
As you are unable to make an argument I'll assume you can't.
clipper
Roar Rookie
It's like when some NRL fans were saying the NRL should be more as it gets more facebook likes! Don't know how many of the '30-40' million more views are twice counted through regionals etc. Advertisers are interested in the 5 city ratings.
clipper
Roar Rookie
Felix - the crowds for the Storm may be OK in Melbourne - even thought they are not better than even the worst Melbourne AFL team, but they've been the best performing team in any code over the last couple of decades. Will be interesting to see what happens when they start sliding down the ladder.
Micko
Roar Rookie
The NRL has far better heartland options I feel before (what I feel) are pipe-dream options in places like Perth & NZ#2: *Central Coast/North Sydney *Ipswich Jets (although probably better to give RD a decade to settle in the NRL) *Cairns/PNG (backed by PNG government, plus the reality that, despite the vague geography name, NQ essentially just care about Townsville).
Micko
Roar Rookie
Redcliffe will be getting huge crowds at Suncorp on weekends when Broncos are away. The new derby will constantly sellout Suncorp and be massive news in Brisbane. NRL ratings will be even bigger.
Micko
Roar Rookie
No they're not. A Tassie AFL franchise would be a massive thing, and something they've wanted there for 30 years.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
St.George and Wollongong are connected by the Illawarra train line. It was train trip from Wollongong to Carlton for training at Kogarah Oval when it was a residential competition.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
Perth should be the 18th team but the NRL don't seem to think so. Perth has a small Rugby League competition, NITV show it at times, but it is as good a base as Melbourne is. RL will never get the crowds that Australian Football get but it is happy with Melbourne given that it is the home of AF. The NRL advertises their games in Canberra so they should advertise more because it needs all the fans it can get. Maybe they don't want State of Origin to fade away when the game grows interstate.