AFL overtaking NRL in QLD

raskolnikov

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They haven't been close on any occasions. Gold Coast and Central Coast were the big contenders in 2007. Brisbane 2 and Wellington are the contenders now.

In a sporting/financial sense, CQ is a third-rate market, well behind Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Townsville and Cairns in terms of the money that can be made there. They're only in the discussion because of their coal mining wealth, and that industry isn't going to be as strong over the next 30 years. They suffer from being spread across 4-5 cities that are all under 100 000 people, with the biggest ones being 300km away from each other. If you put a team in Rocky, how many people would you reasonably get each week driving to games from Mackay or Bundaberg? Not that many, I would imagine, given it would be a full day trip.

I think the government ought to invest money in some of the CQ cities to diversify their economies more and help them grow. But until that happens, they're not going to get a team in any major national competition.

The Sharks were extremely close to being relocated here a few years ago.
 
May 5, 2016
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The NRL 2021 comp. has become the most one-sided since 1935; & a big increase in blow-out scores. The much-bemoaned "gap" between the top 4 & bottom 4 clubs is likely to be an ongoing problem.
The decline in male contact RL nos. is contributing to the NRL's inability to provide sufficient high quality players for all 16 clubs- ominous for the popularity of the NRL, particularly if the NRL expands to 17 clubs (Further skills' dilution).
The 3 Qld. clubs are struggling.



Courier Mail 12.5.21

"An analysis of the first 10 rounds of a lopsided NRL competition reveals the average winning margin this season has blown out to 17.9 points, the most since way back in 1935 when it was 20.3 points.

There has been a 12 per cent increase this year in games decided by 19-plus compared to last year, and a 9 per cent decrease in games decided by 0-6 points.

It is a significant problem for the NRL because ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys and chief executive Andrew Abdo are in talks with free-to-air broadcasters for a new television deal.

The blowouts have an obvious detrimental effect on ratings.

The other concern for the NRL is expansion plans for a 17th team out of Brisbane and the possibility of having another club potentially incapable of matching it with the premiership heavyweights.

There are already question marks around having enough quality players for 16 teams, let alone one more".

Lol.

mate this is A result of a rule change not a talent drain.
 
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A couple of questions for people in a position to respond:

1) Is this thing about Pacific Islanders/Maoris being sumo-sized in the junior levels of Rugby an actual complaint or is it in the same ballpark as idiots saying they don't want their kids playing basketball/soccer because of Sudanese kids? I've known a number of Maoris and Islanders since high school and only one has struck me as being a monster compared to everyone else in our age group growing up.

2) I genuinely believe that Queensland should get another side or two in the AFL in my life time, so 30 years from now. I've always been a big advocate for FNQ, in particular Cairns, getting a side one day but the Sunshine Coast looks another really promising area to put a team in eventually. Are either of those ever actually feasible and if they were, who'd be more likely?

The size thing is real. They grow bigger at a younger age and there has been a lot of talk about going back to weight divisions
 

raskolnikov

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No they weren't. No credible source from outside Central Queensland has said that. It's wishful thinking.

 

Johnny Bananas

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Utter garbage. This is the Daily Telegraph at its finest, inventing the news instead of reporting it. There is no way the Sharks would be more profitable in Rockhampton than Cronulla.
 
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Found this interesting article:


It starts with Rugby Union, next is NRL

Rugby union hasn’t been relevant beyond a niche market in my entire lifetime. It fluctuates a little depending on the success of the provincial teams - the brumbies had a huge following 20 years ago when they were competing with the crusaders as the best side in super rugby but beyond that it has been an irrelevance in nsw through my lifetime.

this is the best way to explain rugby and league in a typical nsw region:

both the league clubs and the union Clubs in a reasonable sized town will have roughly equal numbers. Most league clubs have first grade, reserves and under 18s. Most rugby clubs have first grade, second grade and Colts. In bigger centres like Dubbo or orange or Bathurst they will have ‘thirsty thirds’ which is a glorified reason for old
Men and younger ones with hands like feet to get drunk.

the difference is that the wider community will care about the league. People with no involvement will still know or be interested in what’s going on. No one not involved with the union clubs generally gives a s**t
 

BringBackTorps

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1. QRL Chairman B. Hatcher said in May 2021 "There is no doubt AFL is growing in Qld. & we should be countering that...but I do believe a Sydney team should consider relocating" (to Brisbane- because he has previously expressed concern that there is not sufficient depth of talent in elite RL to expand to 17 teams).





2. Big boom in girls' AF club player nos. in U8-U11 in SEQ- up a massive 30% in 2021, c f 2020

And a big boom in Gold Coast Auskick nos.- up a massive 32%, in 2021, cf 2020.

 
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Cmarsh

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1. QRL Chairman B. Hatcher said in May 2021 "There is no doubt AFL is growing in Qld. & we should be countering that...but I do believe a Sydney team should consider relocating" (to Brisbane- because he has previously expressed concern that there is not sufficient depth of talent in elite RL to expand to 17 teams).





2. Big boom in girls' AF club player nos. in U8-U11 in SEQ- up a massive 30% in 2021, c f 2020

And a big boom in Gold Coast Auskick nos.- up a massive 32%, in 2021, cf 2020.

I highly doubt that many Brisbane based RL fans will support a relocated Sydney NRL side.
 

BringBackTorps

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SMH A. Webster 28.5.21

Webster said

"The NRL's crackdown on head high tackles [including accidental touches/flyswats to the head =sinbin or send off] is cracking Rugby League straight down the middle...This crackdown is turning into a disaster...I can't recall a time where people have felt so disillusioned about the game; from blowout score lines, to this current edict that has fans on edge about whether the outcome of the match will be influenced by the referee or dugout".

"Gould said [to V'landys] 'How would you tackle J. Taumalolo? Kikau?[behemoths] He said 'I'd tackle them around the legs'. I said 'You wouldn't last 2 minutes'. The people who are making decisions don't understand the game".

"V'landys also raised fears about the government 'shutting us down' [Govt. ban on RL!?]' if the NRL didn't properly address concussion...(words in brackets, & emphases, mine)".









(Some of the 400+ replies to the video reveal the depth of division between RL fans on what constitutes the essence of RL, & how they prefer head contact issues to be handled in the game).


Major issues & divisions occurring in RL. Concussion regarded by the NRL as an existential threat.
 
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AFLQLD

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There are other teams?
I highly doubt that many Brisbane based RL fans will support a relocated Sydney NRL side.

Therein lies the problem for NRL. Spread the talent thinner and have a new team struggle with hand-me-down players and therefore get limited support, or move a Sydney club and get limited support.

Without a draft, NRL has issues with equalisation because their only tool is the salary cap and with that the routine musical chairs that their clubs go through swapping players. The best clubs sail through getting mostly stronger. The struggling clubs can’t attract the top end talent and have no draft to recruit it in either. Rebuilding in NRL involves buying in whatever developed talent you can afford or developing your young players quickly enough to get them locked in before other clubs lure them away with money.

Ultimately equalisation plays a key role in keeping fans engaged because it provides some ongoing hope, which in turn helps bring in the money. The Broncos current woes are a real disaster for the NRL, its second biggest market is flatlining. If it wasn’t for Origin things would be even worse. I think the NRL’s worst nightmare would be several consecutive years of Queensland and the Broncos in the doldrums. They aren’t at that point but they must be sweating in it.
 
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Just got back from a trip up the Sunshine Coast to far north coast of QLD. First time really being up that way. Was interesting seeing how popular Aussie rules was in Cairns and particularly port douglas, almost seemed more popular than Rugby. Any one explain this? As there a was a bit of interest in the Sunshine Coast but once you get above Bundaberg its seems to drop too little interest until as said before it hits cairns and its interest explodes. Very interesting

I'm sure it is more popular than Rugby.

But is it more popular than Rugby League? I doubt it. And it will be confirmed next Wednesday night Rugby League is the #1 sport viewers are interested in, in Queensland.

Seriously, the lack of differentiation between Rugby Union and Rugby League by anyone west of the Murray is astounding.
 
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Dec 2, 2003
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Therein lies the problem for NRL. Spread the talent thinner and have a new team struggle with hand-me-down players and therefore get limited support, or move a Sydney club and get limited support.

Without a draft, NRL has issues with equalisation because their only tool is the salary cap and with that the routine musical chairs that their clubs go through swapping players. The best clubs sail through getting mostly stronger. The struggling clubs can’t attract the top end talent and have no draft to recruit it in either. Rebuilding in NRL involves buying in whatever developed talent you can afford or developing your young players quickly enough to get them locked in before other clubs lure them away with money.

Ultimately equalisation plays a key role in keeping fans engaged because it provides some ongoing hope, which in turn helps bring in the money. The Broncos current woes are a real disaster for the NRL, its second biggest market is flatlining. If it wasn’t for Origin things would be even worse. I think the NRL’s worst nightmare would be several consecutive years of Queensland and the Broncos in the doldrums. They aren’t at that point but they must be sweating in it.

Teams compete in cycles. The Broncos are s**t now, but they'll bounce back. They still get 30k to games. Where was all the support for the Lions when they were cellar dwellers in the years after the 3-peat?

The thing that's hurting Rugby League are the reactionary rule changes -> the blowouts of matches, and the internal conflicts at several NRL clubs that have led to poor recruitment and performance. Canterbury - one of the most successful teams since the mid-80s, have been crueled by boardroom coups and infighting. Internally, their focus has been off the team and squad and look at them now. Hello Collingwood! this is your future! Cronulla, Brisbane, Newcastle, Tigers etc have had off-field/admin issues for several seasons and it's no surprise they prop up the ladder.

But NRL is a soap opera. Folks may not attend the game like they do in AFL, but there is still plenty of interest and eyeballs on the game.
 
Dec 2, 2003
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I didn't realise that the NRL doesn't have a draft. They really are a competition clinging to the past aren't they.

Be informed. The draft was successfully challenged in the high court as a restraint of trade.
 
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Be informed. The draft was successfully challenged in the high court as a restraint of trade.

So why wasn't the draft criteria been modified to only allow 18 year olds, or players not currently on a list, to be drafted rather than existing players? If the ruling body truly wanted more equity between clubs to avoid what is happening now, then they could have adapted the draft to satisfy the players. Really, you could argue that the salary cap is also a restraint of trade and should be done away with but somehow that is allowed.

Competitions should never let greed get in the way of what's best for the sport. Unfortunately, the NRL seems to still be ruled by the clubs and their players which only have their own best interests at heart rather than the future of the code.
 

GC2015

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A second State of Origin game moved to Queensland instead of a neutral venue like Canberra? It's the first time a rugby league State of Origin game has been played outside of a capital city.

Is this another sign that the NRL are worried about Queensland and want to shore up support in North Queensland as well?
 

BringBackTorps

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There have been many reports that many NRL fans are opposed to head-high glances/flyswats to the head being punished by a sin-bin or send off.
Many NRL players, possibly, may have a similar view- & D. Weidler wrote in the SMH some NRL players were plotting to have P. V'landys removed.

"...rule changes that many in the footballing fraternity believe have torn at the fabric of the game has created a sizeable rift".


Many NRL fans want RL to be a rugged game, & to ignore accidental glances to the head that do not cause an injury.
Others want strict rules which outlaw contact to the head (which achieves an overall reduction in head injuries, if RL players are forced to tackle etc. below the neck).

If there is a long lasting schism in RL, will this result in a significant net loss of support for RL & the NRL- or a net increase, if the head & neck are both fully protected?
 
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Be informed. The draft was successfully challenged in the high court as a restraint of trade.

Be better informed.

It should be noted that the court did not say that draft systems were wrong – only the NSWRL one before it, and the court itself suggested that changing the rules would make it a reasonable restraint. It should be noted that the NSWRL case concluded that much of the problem was because the players in question were no longer under contract. To compound the problem, this was the only way for players to change clubs at the time, hence the restraint.

The AFL draft has never been challenged in all the years since the NSWRL case primarily since the players association all signed on.

Some references on this matter are here


References:
 

BringBackTorps

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It is very rare in Australia for a head of one sport to make direct public attacks on another sport, re aesthetic issues..
Until late Apr 2021, P. V'landys, however, was making direct attacks on the AFL; & the AFL's alleged inferiority as spectacle.

Interestingly, since late April, V'landys has recanted- & since then has publicly acknowledged that AF is making advances in Qld. & NSW, & AF is a threat to RL; & that RL has significant (male contact) participation problems, & high contact problems.

This is a list of some of the direct attacks that V'landys has made on AF.

"ARLC boss Peter V'Landys takes another pot shot at AFL

By WWOS staffMar 18th, 2021

Australian Rugby League Commission chair Peter V'landys is no stranger to a tongue-in-cheek comment about rival sports, and couldn't help himself on the eve of the AFL season.
V'landys was at his cheeky best in an interview with Matthew Johns on Fox League on Wednesday night.

"Look I've never been a fan and I don't want to take anything away from the great athletes in the AFL players because they are great athletes and they have to be because it is such a boring sport," V'landys responded after being asked by Johns if he liked AFL.
"I just can't get enthused on it and that's just me. There's a lot of other people that love the sport, but they must love a lot of other boring things too, but that's just the way it is."
He added that the AFL has never faced competition from other sports, and they were unable to handle the NRL attempting to increase it's standing in states other than New South Wales or Queensland.

"I love competition. I think competition is a great thing and it improves your performance. It improves what you do," V'landys said. "But they don't see it that way. They see it as a threat."

The ARLC boss is no stranger to cheeky digs at the AFL, most notably before the 2020 grand final, which was played at the Gabba instead of the sport's spiritual home, the MCG.

"While they're in Brisbane, it's like people going to an ABBA concert when they're AC/DC fans," V'landys said last year.

"They'll like the rhythm for a while, but they'll go back to the real heavy stuff, the rugba league."

Wednesday night's interview touched on other topics, including his time in both rugby league and racing, but he did manage one more jab towards his rivals.
"Hypothetically if you turn on the TV on a Friday night and you have a choice between rugby union or AFL, which one do you watch?" Johns asked.

V'landys answer?
"The Flintstones".

 
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Sector 7G

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It is very rare in Australia for a head of one sport to make direct attacks on another sport.
Until late Apr 2021, P. V'landys, however, was making direct attacks on the AFL; & the AFL's alleged inferiority as spectacle.

Interestingly, since late April, V'landys has recanted- & since then has publicly acknowledged that AF is making advances in Qld. & NSW, & AF is a threat to RL; & that RL has significant (male contact) participation problems

This is a list of some of the direct attacks that V'landys has made on AF.

"ARLC boss Peter V'Landys takes another pot shot at AFL

By WWOS staffMar 18th, 2021

Australian Rugby League Commission chair Peter V'landys is no stranger to a tongue-in-cheek comment about rival sports, and couldn't help himself on the eve of the AFL season.
V'landys was at his cheeky best in an interview with Matthew Johns on Fox League on Wednesday night.

"Look I've never been a fan and I don't want to take anything away from the great athletes in the AFL players because they are great athletes and they have to be because it is such a boring sport," V'landys responded after being asked by Johns if he liked AFL.
"I just can't get enthused on it and that's just me. There's a lot of other people that love the sport, but they must love a lot of other boring things too, but that's just the way it is."
He added that the AFL has never faced competition from other sports, and they were unable to handle the NRL attempting to increase it's standing in states other than New South Wales or Queensland.

"I love competition. I think competition is a great thing and it improves your performance. It improves what you do," V'landys said. "But they don't see it that way. They see it as a threat."

The ARLC boss is no stranger to cheeky digs at the AFL, most notably before the 2020 grand final, which was played at the Gabba instead of the sport's spiritual home, the MCG.

"While they're in Brisbane, it's like people going to an ABBA concert when they're AC/DC fans," V'landys said last year.

"They'll like the rhythm for a while, but they'll go back to the real heavy stuff, the rugba league."

Wednesday night's interview touched on other topics, including his time in both rugby league and racing, but he did manage one more jab towards his rivals.
"Hypothetically if you turn on the TV on a Friday night and you have a choice between rugby union or AFL, which one do you watch?" Johns asked.

V'landys answer?
"The Flintstones".

V'landy always makes me think of this clip. Gil being Don Draper

 

Happy Mastenator

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Rugby union hasn’t been relevant beyond a niche market in my entire lifetime. It fluctuates a little depending on the success of the provincial teams - the brumbies had a huge following 20 years ago when they were competing with the crusaders as the best side in super rugby but beyond that it has been an irrelevance in nsw through my lifetime.

this is the best way to explain rugby and league in a typical nsw region:

both the league clubs and the union Clubs in a reasonable sized town will have roughly equal numbers. Most league clubs have first grade, reserves and under 18s. Most rugby clubs have first grade, second grade and Colts. In bigger centres like Dubbo or orange or Bathurst they will have ‘thirsty thirds’ which is a glorified reason for old
Men and younger ones with hands like feet to get drunk.

the difference is that the wider community will care about the league. People with no involvement will still know or be interested in what’s going on. No one not involved with the union clubs generally gives a sh*t
Main difference, and a significant reason Union still kicks about a fair bit, is that it was, and still is, the rugby of choice for the upper class. The big private schools all take it seriously, they all role into uni, and pop out in finance and law at their daddies companies, and they put there "hard earned" money back into the game to a degree that is out of proportion with it's grass roots support.

And i say that as someone who prefers Union over league.
 
May 5, 2016
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Main difference, and a significant reason Union still kicks about a fair bit, is that it was, and still is, the rugby of choice for the upper class. The big private schools all take it seriously, they all role into uni, and pop out in finance and law at their daddies companies, and they put there "hard earned" money back into the game to a degree that is out of proportion with it's grass roots support.

And i say that as someone who prefers Union over league.

Absolutely. I played a season of it and it was that culture that made me never want to have anything to do with it again
 
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