Roar Pro
Joined August 2010
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For the second year in a row I got stuck with NRL grand final tickets; ever so optimistic about the Rabbitohs' chances of making…
With my beloved Rabbitohs falling in the preliminary final, I wasn't sure I could attend this year's grand final. It was perhaps too painful…
Foundation rugby league countries England, Australia, and New Zealand are receiving timely good news that augurs well for the game's future. Starting with England,…
In an earlier article on The Roar, I outlined a new relationship between Al Jazeera Sport and rugby league in France. More details have…
Featherstone Rovers first came into my conscious thought in 1983. It was still a learning curve for me, becoming familiar with rugby league. I…
Next year heralds the 2013 Rugby League World Cup (RLWC) in England, Wales, Ireland and France. Right up to and the tournament, I'll be…
Before a ball was kicked, the Super League heralded the 2012 season in controversial circumstances. The competition will be known as the Stobart Super…
While rugby league in Australia was hailing a new era in the sport's history with the advent of the independent commission, a momentous moment…
Who would have thought rugby league had inadvertently relaunched the career of an actor and influenced others? William Hartnell portrayed an ageing league talent…
The Rugby League European Federation (RLEF) is guided under three principles: empowerment, dynamism, and culture. These three key focus areas are pointing rugby league…
On a balmy Wednesday afternoon, among the vineyards of the Corbieres commune in the Aude Valley, a most unlikely cross-code challenge occured in Rugby,…
Craig Foster wrote: "Colour-blind code shades the others for diversity" in yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald. Just how many times is this bloke going to…
Reading the Sydney Morning Herald today, in the week of the NRL grand final lead up, I could not help but be dismayed by…
[caption id="attachment_22234" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Rugby League chief executive David Gallop answers questions at a media conference. AAP Image/Paul Miller."][/caption] When the Melbourne Storm scandal…
Recently we read some sections of the Sydney media describe Jarryd Hayne’s feats as an equivalent to the late, great, cricket legend, Sir Donald…
Rugby league was formed by breaking away from its parent body, commonly known as rugby union, over player payment issues. League had great initial…
Excuse me but the weather has been crap. I know 3 Broncos games this year were affected by near torrential rain. That probably knocked 30-40000 off those games combined. West Tigers v Dragons game probably had 15-20,000 knocked off their game with heavy rain hitting the coast. These all add up.
But saying that, the likes of Penrith and Canberra need to pull their pants up and work hard toward crowds.
The Storm, well they just need plugging away, Crown re-signed for another $1 million, and 9 have to promote their coverage of NRL on GEM more.
Time to consolidate for the NRL
Ms Keneally is also a passionate Rabbitoh fan and was a board member. She’ll do fine!
In wartime, NRL must throw out the welcome mat for Gil
I say we stick with someone who has a sound knowledge of the game and is a fan with good business credentials but someone who is not necessarily tight with the game’s oldboy network. This is why someone like Grant was a great choice or commissioner. He is an ex Kangaroo, self-made millionaire in a IT environment and probably been out of the game for a length of period not to get sucked into factionalism etc.
This Gil Mac may be a ‘refreshing’outsider but he is an AFL person. I would not be comfortable him learning inside knowledge of the NRL. Your words Waterboy “the AFL know more about the NRL than the NRL…”makes me wonder- if the AFL don’t give two hoots about the NRL, and are not seen as a competitor, it goes against everything AFL fans like to tell us that all this code war stuff is in our heads. Well, it seems it isn’t especially if the AFL have built up a thorough knowledge of the NRL.
I’m not impressed with AFL expansion. I think it smacks of desperation and there are still too many bailouts from the AFL to clubs to suggest Gil Mac is a key to good management. I think in AFL circles- which I think is very powerful and key to them getting great TV deals, Telstra deals despite not reaching KPI’s- Gil Mac may be good at talking the talk, because frankly he wouldn’t need to talk much to convince AFL code lovers like Kim Williams, but that courtesy would quickly shut for him as a rep for the NRL.
So no to Gil Mac.
In wartime, NRL must throw out the welcome mat for Gil
Ah, watching over the internet os is not what I am talking about. But nice try 😉
Did league reject more money from Channel Ten?
AR, you must also understand the amazing amount of publicity that Swans game gets on 7 & its digital stations. i mean advertising during Home & Away, X Factor etc , same with the Lions. It is absolutely staggering. And puts the Swans figures into further scrutiny.. How long has NRL been live into Victoria on a consistent week to week basis? 30 plus years, opps sorry, that has been VFL/AFL into the Northern States.
Now how much promo do the Storm really get on 9 in Melbourne? They can’t even tell their viewers on Wide World of Sport they have NRL on GEM.
Do 104 hours of televised NRL come free?
Well, that’s Victoria’s shame the crowd averages are not highter. We have educated sporting elite like Mick Malthouse, Tom haffey, not to mention celebrity icons such as Molly Meldrum follow the Storm with a passion and appreciate this special club (regardless of salary cap crap).
Hopefully a fixed schedule and more money to promote the game can change this,
Oh by the way, well done Sharkies. Have a soft spot for you since days of Steve Rogers, Sorenson brothers etc.
Sharks NRL future looking rosy
Yeah, but after that last game they might have all run away. Plus the FTA ratings for the Bledisloe were not that great compared to previous years.
Which sport, if any, will Network Ten opt for?
Actually Kicky Vicky is based on mini/mod league introduced in the 70’s. Rugby League was the first sport to introduce modified version of the senior game for kids. Just like Rugby league was the 1st footy code in Australia to introduce a level 3 in coaching for its code.
Did league reject more money from Channel Ten?
Wow, the Sharks news is huge. Their debt will be practically wiped away and annual income from the project ensures a greater future. One less club to worry about.
If you were NRL CEO, what would be on your to-do list?
Brave move, hope it works well for them. Know some NBL tragics and they would love to see the sport flourish and have been through rough times.
NBL goes it alone for broadcast deal
Plus all that contra advertising. Wait till that kicks in.
Do 104 hours of televised NRL come free?
Bravo, some sense and the same sense that has existed for a century. These players weren’t kidnapped. History now reveals there were many union players favoured by their sporting bodies/clubs for secret remuneration, and others who got sick of not being recognised and went to league for the money, glory and a new experience. There are so many of these ex union players who have never gone back to union professionally or socially. The ones that did, did for easy money once union became ‘officially’ pro.
Will rugby league pillage rugby again?
He still commentates on league for TV and is at many league charity events, like Jonathon Davies.
Will rugby league pillage rugby again?
you make him sound like an egg. Why don’t you ask Offiah if he was poached? Ask him if he ever felt disgusted at scoring 400 plus tries or that he is about to be immortalised in a statue outside Wembley stadium?
While your there ask Billy Boston, the great Welsh league player of West Indian descent what he felt to be poached considering the racism he encountered by the WRU?
Ask the ex union internationals in Welsh Rugby League management who are developing league in Wales for the love of it, why they are still in league despite the remunerations having ended decades ago for them? Ask Du Toit, the South African union player who went to Wigan in the 80’s why he still lives in Wigan? Surely, once gotten his ill-gotten gain would have run straight back to the Republic or Surrey nonetheless.
Will rugby league pillage rugby again?
Leo, we can also enjoy the beauty of Carcasonne, Avignon, Perpignan, Boston, Jacksoneville, NY, all places young league players can go and get paid. May not be huge money, but they play for the adventure & experience. Something your sport forgot about.
p.s you may want to get a map out of Auckland and take a look at the 40 odd senior rugby league clubs there and you’ll note a fair few are not located inn the South of Auckland. You’ll also note that when the Warriors play a trial at North Harbour they have attracted 16-20,000 plus.
Will rugby league pillage rugby again?
The NRL need to be congratulated. It’s a hard market out there and we have less people in media land do us favours.
I look forward to the NRL tying up the NZ TV deal. It will join ‘Paid’ TV deals from the UK, France (can’t confirm but I’m hearing BeIN sport paid the NRL 2 million annually) , USA, PNG, Fiji, and some other countries. A few years ago that would have been unheard of. And compared to our rival code AFL who get NONE, time to celebrate.
Did league reject more money from Channel Ten?
And you guys there whipping it up!
Of course there are those who won’t be happy.
On the contract side there are things there I’m not happy with but I’m a realist and league’s rod in the back is its fast natured pace-NOT suitable for LIVE FTA and commercial ads in great numbers like AFL.
The biggest gripe I have is with Nine ITSELF. The station’s employees on the front line, like the Today show, have no affinity to the game. They don’t push it and even guys like the sports reporter are toned down by it. They highlighted bloody AUSKICK for $^$^ sake this morning.
You may come back and say they don’t want to be seen as a station not favouring NRL but that doesn’t stop 7 & prior 10. Thank goodness ch. 10 are becoming more balanced. Just get rid of those morons on The Project.
Did league reject more money from Channel Ten?
That’s right and one wonders why Fox allows this? Why would you subscribe with 4 FTA live games? Doesn’t make commercial sense and I’ll keep harking, there are those in these companies with vested interest/passion in AFL ahead of their companies. Foxtel is a charity arm of the AFL 🙂
Did league reject more money from Channel Ten?
I do not begrudge the Nine/Foxsports deal. They are in the business of making money. I understand that league is a game with few natural breaks and 1 live game on FTA is probably the best we can have atm.
The thing I hate is being with a station that has little regard for its league viewers who make up a fair portion of its viewership. This morning on the Today Show we had a segment on AFL Auskick, and Richard Wilkins whining about his Swans in the tipping. It seems Nine’s passion for league stops at the broadcast. They are happy to promote junior AFL when they could show people the great Kids to Kangaroos program which all other junior footy programs are based on including Auskick.
Did league reject more money from Channel Ten?
Plus the NRL has also no need to repay Newsltd 50 million dollars over the next 5 years.
I see a lot of AFL zeolots among all these whispers trying to say we got dudded. Last contract we got dudded-lack of control over game and no big money in return.
least this contract we will see some control handed back i.e first & last rights, fixed schedule to 20 rounds but the TV stations have now paid the money to atleast have a say in the running of things i.e. night GF
Did league reject more money from Channel Ten?
Ah, Warrington winning again. But can they be more consistent and win the Super League?
Five Challenge Cup moments 2012
Marco, news for you, know one still talks about Áussie Rules’in northern states.
Do 104 hours of televised NRL come free?
QGIRL, the QRL/Clubs are to blame for the fiasco that is the Queensland Cup. Take Redcliffe for instance, the pokie palace that is Redcliffe leagues see the club and its faciltities get more grand each year yet little spent on ground facilities. Don’t the idiots realise that if you have a nice stad attracting 5-6,000 people will be a nice earner especially when they all pile back into the league club after the game? Same with other clubs with facilities changing little over the decades. Who saw Norths Devils pathetic little wooden open stands (of you can call them that) on TV last weekend. You can’t even call it charming by- product of the past cos they were pathetic then and are pathetic now.
Do 104 hours of televised NRL come free?
This is pretty simple maths. If the NRL go with Tens proposal, then the NRL get $800 million. Ten then get to onsell 4-5 games to a desperate Foxsports and make a profit with money staying with Ten.
The question is why foxtel couldn’t or wouldn’t make a deal with Ten? Why wouldn’t they deliver league fans a similar deal to the Foxtel/7 AFl deal of 4 live games and the rest all simulcast on Fox.
Did league reject more money from Channel Ten?
AR, you do know the massive amount of advertising directed at Lions, Swans, & Suns? Compared to the Storm? Wait til the contra advertising kicks in for Storm etc.
Again, disgusting insular Victorian mentality that allows the Storm to struggle for crowds. As mentioned, people like Malthouse, Haffy etc, who have no pressure to follow the Storm, do. They are AFL sporting brains who see past the Thugby League lines, and their are many AFL stars who go to Storm games. Again, in Melbourne know need to. Good indicator that the general public need to get over their sporting prejudices. Rugby league is a great product and gets that endorsement by other sports.
Rugby league exists in places where their is great sporting diversity. The big clubs of Wigan, St Helens, Leeds, Warriington etc thrive in the shadows of Man U, Liverpool, Everton, for example. QLD, NSW are great pluralistic sporting/football markets. AFL seems to struggle in that environment and needs huge financial incentives behind it.
In wartime, NRL must throw out the welcome mat for Gil