I am sure Eddie Haysen would be interested, hehee!

Great millions of dollars more going to people who support other codes outside League heartlands, whilst areas where the game is becoming less popular are told that there will no longer be referee’s supplied to mini League games, coaches have to run it themselves. Reality is for every dollar you spend in NSW or QLD you have to spend $100 in Victoria to get the same result at grass roots level and the same is the case for other codes.
So spend the $3m in NSW and QLD and get rid of the competitors because they will go broke trying to push $300m a year into QLD & NSW jr markets.

I just hope you do better on this one that you have done on the bunker or the Parra salary cap disasters.

In recent memory stuff like this got swept under the carpet, after a while however the carpet touched the ceiling so things had to be dealt with. Here is what happened.
In the modern era it is clear these things can’t be covered up every time so, the NRL got a lawyer who could defend them, his name was Gallop and the warlords who control the game were happy but, alas those who support the game were not. So the warlords in fear losing control of the game from the faithful allowed a manager to be appointed on merit who was not from within their ranks or control, his name was Dave Smith but this Dave was different he didn’t just adjudicate on rules he made them and when he made the everyone followed them including the warlords but, that meant they could not change the rules to suite them and they hated that so they got rid of him & got Todd. Todd is a person whom the warlords know and they know him well, they know him better than we know how disgracefully Todd dealt with the Barba incident whilst he was with the dogs.
For as long as we see Todd as boss we will see these sort of things over and over again. He is not like Gallop who can make the disappear for a while nor is he like Smith who could stop them. He is Todd the guy who has self proclaimed began his carrier hitting cricket balls to kids, lets hope that it is not all down hill from their Todd. Sort this all out fast.

GC obtains financial stability from this deal Crosscoder and the Bears an NRL franchise that should with any sanity include the CC.
Have no fear Crosscoder when your kids are at Bears development camps & get to walk out or play at halftime for the bears in any of those districts then the core of Rugby League’s faithful will fall into line and the rest are immaterial as they will simply move to another code if it suites them.
Currently in Bear country Souths do a great job in development squads and interests. They are generous and do not force themselves upon those in the area. They appear only to be taking an interest in the past few years but already in that area you can feel Roosters, Eels, Tigers and Sea eagles are starting to lose ground and in reality it appears Swans also do.

I will be heading to the game but, it would be really nice to know what the Eels are playing for. At the moment it is just the presumption that the NRL will calculate how many points the Eels need to make the finals so they can take those points away and then 1 more. It hardly seems fair on the Eels fans or on the teams that play them before then after the decision is handed down pending the result.
No matter what though the NRL appears determined to ensure a minimum impact to crowd numbers and TV viewers. It would be nice however if they were as concerned with right and wrong, fair and unfair or even what is a just decision for everyone rather than just what affects their bottom line and appearance.
It seems everyone at NRL HQ is doing everything they can to protect their bonus this year.
However great analysis of the game, I have printed it out and chall be taking it to the game with me. Better than any program could provide.

For those watching the Parra game with you in 1982 and supporting Parra who still support them now all this hardly matters the NRL will destroy Parra’s chances of making the finals. It will be interesting to see the timing which will be aimed at reducing crowd and viewer drop off. I wonder if you look at the stats can you tell if TV has been given the heads up so they can change their schedule accordingly. Might be time to try and find a betting market based on these stats for that event.

Mary you must be so disappointed we live in a country where people are given the right to the presumption of innocent before proven guilty. Do you think we should follow the old rule of shoot 1st ask questions later?
Perhaps you are right in your heading, perhaps it is the NRL who should be saying that everyone has the right to innocence in Australia until a trial by their peers upholds that or concludes otherwise.
It does not matter Mary what your colour, race, football code or ethnicity is, here in Australia everyone is innocent until proven otherwise.

Harry you have not taken into account the NSW cup, the Ron Massey cup or the Sydney Shield. If you add those teams in you have another dozen senior teams, this presents a very different picture, it also presents a different picture.

Why would you want to promote the fact that AFL has the most people hospitalized every yearof any sport that is played in Australia, that is something the AFL themselves are certainly not promoting. Even when you look at the amount of people hospitalized compared to the participation rate AFL is higher. Perhaps it is a sign of how tough a game or activity is by how many are hospitalized per year from it but, I would not consider scooter riding a sport taken up by particularly tough people.

Really? the NRL did not request the resignation of a single director or manager from the Storm yet it demanded that 5 leave from Parra and they got greater financial penalties in proportion to the financial alleged roarting committed and the only supposed award that they received in this hole period was the Auckland 9’s trophy that was taken from them (not that anyone cared). So how did Parra get off lightly in comparison to the Storm?
Parra willl probably be sued n coming years for not following due process so the fact is that Parra will end up a lot worse off than the Storm. The Storm gained fans that they will never lose because of those 3 premierships that were stripped from them Parra has not.

GoGWS I am a League fan and certainly do not feel threatened by the steady flow of AFL interest that has increased in this city over time, I have always enjoyed that game. So instead of telling others to relax then angrily firing questions in rapid succession at others lets take a moment to see what they might be saying.
Using stats from the afltables website we can see that average attendences in for GWS in 2014 were at 9K yet in 2016 they appear to have gone up to 13K yet in 2012 they were almost 11k.
So they have in fact not grown in total but, declined initially and are now growing. However the proportions in these movements clearly show that their is no consistency in the crowd numbers for this team, therefore you could draw logical conclusions that their numbers are being spiked by promotions etc without in fact being defensive but, simply being logical.
On the other hand I did notice your pot shot at League and it’s empty rows in stadiums, I might remind you that the average attendance at GWS games is literally half that of the average attendance of Souths and the Bulldogs who are tenants of ANZ stadium. So lets all just remain relaxed put things in perspective as there is room for everyone and as AFL has been played in Sydney since the 1800’s I assure you that there is no cause for alarm among Rugby League fans because it has been here longer than us, it simply never became a part of the culture but, perhaps it might be soon as you claim.

GoGWS your comment is totally unfair to Curtis. He has simply started a discussion based on his experience. He has made some good points and a pretty sound case for why GWS will not win over Western Sydney. The reality is Rugby League were so lucky AFL did go to the overcrowded market of Western Sydney to face 4 NRL teams, the most successful A-League team ever plus basketball and everything else that is promoted around the Olympics facility.
I attend both the Swans and Eels matches and whilst both have jumping castles, face painting, photo booths, pass the ball & other similar basic skills activity’s outside the ground once inside the ground that was it for the kids at the Swans whilst at Parra games there were in fact rides and activity’s inside the ground there are heaps of kids.
My kids love your Giant despite being Swans fans (he bumped his head on the Grandstand which they really loved) yet they love and play the game of Rugby League and in their team we now have 3 kids who came over from Auskick simply because they want to score a try.
So GoGWS lets appreciate the discussion and observations that Curtis has brought to us and not try to to bag him because the sound conclusions that he has come to based on his observations and personal experiences.

I thought AFL fans all had a go at Collingwood fans for being Bogans with missing teeth etc. Just to clarify though Ironmonger would you have to make several hole’s because the game is played across Europe professionally, in the pacific islands at the same level, New Zealand and at a semi professional level in the US and middle East.

It appears a very interesting and vibrant discussion that is going on around this article “Smell the fear” why don’t you give us your opinion on AFL’s potential dominance in Sydney?

The game of rugby league has thrived despite and certainly not because of it’s incompetent, internally, self satisfying and gratifying administration who have failed to make any increase in crowd numbers since 1996. With the exception of Dave Smith Rugby League administrators have served their TV masters well, until the point of TV negotiations then they stuff it up to ensure rival codes receive a higher TV deal than they otherwise would. However Sydney really loves League despite it’s incompetent administration whom, have done nothing but damage the game whenever they tried to export it like in WA but, where it naturally grew like QLD & NZ they have simply cashed in not grown it’s popularity.
I thought AFL would take over in 1997 after the super league war as it was the new guy in town and just seemed to be taking over. However in fact it was not the new guy in town AFL has been played in Sydney since the 1800’s and has in fact been in Sydney for longer than Rugby League with clubs like the North Shore. The fact that it has never grown further simply proves that Curtis is in fact correct and that Sydney despite having AFL for longer than it’s primary code of Rugby League has failed to fall for it.
Recent events such as the introduction of GWS simply go to show that the Melbourne based AFL administration is in fact still simply the VFL with a changed name. They failed to realize that Sydney’s west is saturated with every sport and is a multi cultural society whilst their sport AFL is a predominantly Anglo Saxon dominated sport. They could have set up a team on the Central Coast with no competition and a market familiar with it’s product that has thriving competitions of AFL from Newcastle to North Sydney who know AFL better than they know soccer but, the VFL administration don’t know Sydney.
Therefore Curtis is correct for 2 reasons, AFL do not understand Sydney and Sydney is continually drawn back to Rugby League no matter how poorly it is run. However while AFL does not understand the Sydney market it does it’s job well in running the game and promoting the game. It need not guard it’s people well however for if it’s best were ever to find their way into the ranks of Rugby League they would be hounded by Rugby League’s war lords of self interest who no doubt love the game and were very good at it but could not run a chook raffle in their local Leagues club without telling anyone who would listen that they should not be a part of it because the rules need changing, everyone involved is inconsistent and it would all run so much better if it just served the interests of whom ever is paying them that week.

I do not understand a draft in any great detail however after reading actuarial papers on the salary cap (most of which I had no idea what they were talking about) the simple fact was that it was player movement that made leagues more competitive, it was that one factor alone when reviewing AFL, NRL and NBL (not sure but, I think that is current terminology for basketball) in Australia that made the most significant difference in creating a league that was by definition diversely competitive.
I ask for a little latitude here from the subject as it appears from those papers that in Australia salary cap has been a lesser influence than expansion of the game, i.e the bigger we make the premier competition geographically the further we reduce the equality. It appeared that the introduction of the Bronco’s and then again the Storm had statistically documented and charted impacts on reducing the overall competitiveness of the League i.e ability of the bottom clubs to move up.
We can not have everything we want. the NRL must face reality that they cannot control everything (nor should they) because they have tried and everyone knows that they are a joke when it comes to this (Parra is simply a Melee being brought down after a few good men got to the top).
We may not have seen the end of this. I have followed it closely and there is a pattern however, the pattern was that under Fitzgerald close was good enough, then Spagnolo was spend, plug gaps no plan or real care for tomorrow lets just try to buy a player that might get a try tomorrow.. Now we see the end of Sharpe which was OMG how do we plug that problem. I am not sure that anyone would know the answer to your question Bearfax, all I know is that the charge of organized, deliberate, calculated and misleading which is what is alleged against the Eels would never stand up.
It appears currently our media are happy this went away because they confused themselves about their accusations. Is Parra a deliberate cunning masterminded club? or a bunch of tradies trying to plug the wholes left in the roof whilst ensuring the underpinning is taken care of.
There is a long way to go but, what we saw was that the old saying is very true in regards to this “a strong Parra = a stong rugby League and this year rugby league has started to fall away.

I have read the same story as Razza from 2 seperate sources the 1st being from Roy Master and then in greater detail in the book “Storm Cloud” it was my understanding that only after that discovery did whistle blowers come forward. I might be wrong on that but, I doubt it. However there is another point that I know I am right on and that is that according to the NRL in 2010 the Storm were to be $700k over the cap, then NEWS revealed that their findings found their subsidiary The Storm to be $1.04m over the cap.
NEWS did go on to say that their findings were preliminary and conservative they commissioned a further specialized accounting audit to clarify the figures. As these figures were never released in the 44pg paper where 33 pages were in fact blanked out because they were deemed sensitive and certain details on remaining pages were also sensored iit is clear that the Storms salary cap breach was far greater than Parra’s.

And there is a team on the Peninsula who are going to lose to them twice. Hehee!

no

Don, could you please give that spreadsheet to the NRL and show them how to use excel because what you are saying makes sense it should be simple but, not only did player managers miss it but, so dd the NRL.

Bearfax, glad u touched on the subject of that game I only used it as the best example of my point. However there were a few other decisions in that game that you did not mention that have been forgotten along with your strip.
– 1st try to Manly in 2nd half was both a knock on and a double movement in the same play.
– Taufua’s spear tackle in the 42nd minute on Bowen.
– Williams lost the ball in the 50th min but given a penalty from which Tafua is awarded a try that on replay shows him short of the line and without control the ball and a foot over the touchline (Bearfax you must agree that was a try u had to have your eye patch on for)
– In the 57th min G Stewart holds Thurston back from the ball on the tryline (he should have been given 10 in the bin)
– Minute 61 was the start of our play that shall live in infamy and that was Tafua passes the ball over a meter forward to DCE, even some players hesitated it was that bad but, play continues and at the conclusion of that set yes we see the INFAMOUS HAND OF GOD as Manly score another try.
– The 66th min revealed Taufua grounding the ball clearly inside his tryline realises that rules no longer apply to him so he runs to the halfway line were eventually he is tackled by an amazed cowboys team and a crowd watching what had become a joke.
The list goes on for that match of disgraceful oversights during that match which were never acknowledged and are also not talked by yourself I note Bearfax. If you would like to we can do this all over again because as you may have worked out I keep a very good library of notes and footage that I can easily recall.

Tim the NRL is a failure of an organisation, it is only that the game of Rugby League is so good that it survives despite the NRL and not because of it. As a true Parra fan you should be happy this moment has come and pray the NRL take all points from Parra so they have nothing to lose and will take every accussatin the NRL has made against them to court and courts have rules TIm and the NRL is scared of that which is why they are now refusing to meet with Parra about the Watmough contact proposal. The NRL need Parra to roll over and quick or the contradictory nature upon which it governs will eb exposed in a court.
Ever wondered what happened to that $300k that never got investigated at the Bronco’s the ffact Dank spent 5 years at Manly but only 6 weeks at Cronulla, yet Cronulla were decimated as a result. Ever thought back to why no one asked questions or followed anything up at the Storm when the independent directors launched court action but before proceedings began they were all fired and therefore could never expose any further truths. Lastly have you ever wondered why an imortal like Darren Lockyer was allowed to register a contract for $250k yet Israel Falou’s contract for double that was knocked back with the reason being it did not reflect market value (Falou is not twice as good as Lockyer)
This is an exciting time Tim today we find out the NRL’s document was hastily put together in it’s final presentation after months of investigation that followed even more months of investigation previously into the same thing. Yet today after there has been time to analyse it we find Parra may in fact not be over the cap but, the best part was still to come which is that Greenberg himsellf whilst an employee at the Dogs actually advised the the GM Scott Seward on this exact issue and that is recoreded in the Parra board minutes. Now the NRL is refusing to meet with Parra to even have discussions about what could be done because they are scared.
These are great days Tim, finally the NRL will be forced to sort itself out. There will be no more favorites, vested interests will no longer be able to be tolerated and lets hope all teams will be able get an even shot at winning without relying on a penalty try, something special mixed into their drink that will never be investigated, time keepers claiming they had to stand on a chair to see the clock to call full time, a ref losing count on the last set to allow a 7th tackle try. Call me a heathen but we may never see the hand of God again as we did that night when somehow despite no cowboy player being close enough to contest the Manly player who everyone watching in the stadium and on TV saw touch the ball propelling it towards the cowboys try line but were mistaken as informed by NRL officials leaving us in the knowledge that it must have been the hand of the ever impartial God that knocked the ball.
So Tim please do hope the NRL are forced into taking all Parra’s points away so they may be forced to reveal some answers themselves.

When a person uses the term “unfair” what they actually mean is they want something. It is an emotional plea that has such little substance that it is hard to argue with, like if you ask someone talking loudly on a phone in a cinema during the quiet bit of the movie to keep their voice down and they say “why don’t you”.
Oddly enough I actually agree with Beardan that the Eels should not play for points for several different reasons.

1. If this plays out in court like it will we get to know the truth (with Greenberg now implicated as a person who advised then GM Scott Seward in 2013 whilst he was at the Dogs it is starting to get interesting)

2. Crowds are up the game is doing well because a strong Parra means a strong League. It is wrong to string people a long with a slim hope when in reality the NRL will simply eventually say to Parra “you are still not compliant because you do not allow us to appoint a or several directors to the Parra board” something no club would ever do.

3. Parra made a deal with players come play for us we will pay you this much and they all did many moving families etc. Despite the fact that as more is revealed it appears Parra is compliant with this years cap the reality Watmough is about to retire no matter what happens putting them under the cap which Parra wanted to meet and discuss with the NRL. The NRL has refused, they are playing for time as they assumed Parra would just roll over like the Sharks did but, they have not therefore the NRL need desperate fans to demand from within Parra that it rollover so they can play for something that if they ever got close to the NRL will take from them anyway. Parra should be allowed to honor those contracts particularly now it appears there is nothing wrong with them.

4. As this saga continues it becomes less about Parra and the mistakes it made and more about how pathetic the NRL are starting to look. How their TPA’s have no real foundation, their failure to do anything to prevent this from happening again when they had documented it, watched it, fined it and now seen that it is finally getting better and possibly fixed they have decided to try and smash it because the new head of the NRL is in fact implicated in it.

So stand back everyone tell Parra they have got no hope and lets watch all the dirty laundry come out because Parra does not have a chance this year even if the NRL say they do. The conditions will be so restrictive they are not worth contemplating but, a court case where the law is ruled on by a judge that is impartial that would be interesting. I wonder what he or she would say about the $300k that went missing not to be investigated in Brisbane. Contracts like Gasnier and Lockyer who played on registerd contracts for a fraction of what they were worth yet by comparison not allow the registration of the FuLou contract in 2010.

Reality is Beardan the NRL have to let Parra think it has a chance or they will be exposed for the contradictory overly complicated autocratic rulers that they have allowed themselves to become.

Dave there would be no Parra if Dennis had of remained, he drove the club into the ground.