Just Have to Laugh at Rugby League

[WCE2000]

I saw this headline on the nrl web-site, i just had to laugh, here is the article:

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BIG CROWDS EXPECTED FOR ROUND ONE OF THE TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP
15/02/01

In what looks like a bumper first round to the Telstra Premiership over 80,000 tickets have already been pre-sold for this weekend. The strong Round One ticket sales follows the successful NRL Fan Days which saw players from Townsville to Melbourne meet over 55,000 fans.

Already 41,000 tickets have been sold for the Double Header which includes over 100 country fans from flood areas and Tumut who will be bussed into Stadium Australia on Saturday night.

Dally M Award winning five eight Trent Barrett will become the first player to officially launch an NRL season. Laurie Daley, in his new role as a fan will introduce Trent who will be representing all Telstra Premiership players in the launch.

The Double Header entertainment commences at 6:00pm and includes an Australian record of fifteen “flag parachutists” jumping from helicopters into the Stadium, the international act BOND and the “giant” jerseys of each Club arriving from each of the Fan Days.

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It doesn't mention it in that article, but they NRL are expecting 110 000 people to their first round matches. And they're happy with it.
That is redicolous, happy with 110 000 people going to 7 games, when one is a double header expected to get 60-70 000 people. That means from the other 6 games, theyre expecting 50 000 people.
The AFL would of got close to passing 110 000 just tonight in the 3 games (from what i saw of the ST Kilda - Collingwood match, it look like a big crowd). Rugby League is right up sh*t creek at the moment.

League was once a great game, ruined by money.

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visit the Easts Cricket Club - <A HREF="http://www.eastscricket.com.au" TARGET=_blank>www.eastscricket.com.au
</A>
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[Same Old's]

I don't understand what the point is. Everyone knows the AFL get the largest crowds in Australia. You can't expect Rugby League to get 200,000 people to a round of RL all of a sudden. As long as they can get by with those crowd figures then everything should be right for the NRL.

 

[WCE2000]

What really gets me is the how much all the League fans up here buy into this crap. They read articles like this and they all think they're in a much stronger position than the AFL, but they got no idea.

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visit the Easts Cricket Club - <A HREF="http://www.eastscricket.com.au" TARGET=_blank>www.eastscricket.com.au
</A>
A must for anybody into statistics - http://cromulent.freehosting.net/

 

[Ms.Storm]

Yes, what is your point???
Things are looking up for the NRL.
Why are you bagging it?
I bet you are a Souths supporter or such and having a crack at the NrL.
Well I happen to love both AFL AND RUGBY LEAGUE and support both.
So lay off.
They will get their act together. They have been through a bad patch with the SuperLeague and have learnt from it.
Who knows whats ahead with the AFL TOO.
You really can't compare the two codes yet, dont forget Union is also another code in Sydney which pull in a crowd (albeit not big locally but huge on an iternational scale).
Also Sydney siders have never gone to games on such a big scale as here in Melb. its not the culture. They have better weather and perhaps more to do and tend to watch r/l more on tv...ratings prove that.

Its just a friendly rivalry...get a life.

Both codes have their good and bad points.
Go Melbourne Storm.
Go Melbourne Demons.

Well done Same Olds at least you have some sense.

[This message has been edited by Ms.Storm (edited 17 February 2001).]

 

[jod23]

WCE vs Roos got 16,095.

 

[Mr Ripper]

Originally posted by WCE2000:
I saw this headline on the nrl web-site, i just had to laugh, here is the article:
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Laurie Daley, in his new role as a fan...
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ROFLMAO!!!

What, you mean they have officially appointed fans now? You'd want fairly generous remuneration to turn up to watch rug beleaguered week after week!

 

[Guest]

WCE2000

Just relax in the knowledge that you follow the most popular sport in the country. Everybody knows that rugby league is a pathelic try hard sport which will eventually be crushed in the middle between the local AFL and the world sport of rugby union.

Rugby leagues days are numbered.

 

[WCE2000]

Originally posted by Ms.Storm:
They have better weather and perhaps more to do and tend to watch r/l more on tv...ratings prove that.

Ratings prove that Rugby League has 4 highly watched games in a year - Grand Final and 3 State of Origins. Apart from that there is average ratings at best, and poor crowds.
But as you said, anything can happen to the AFL. Rugby League was just as popular as the AFL in the mid 90's, now it doesn't even rank.

I read in the paper the other day, there are 390 000 registered Australian Rules players in Australia and there are 150 000 registered Rugby League players in Australia.
To me, i might be wrong, this would mean that there are probably more players who play Australian Rules in Australia, then there are in the world. Going from whats happened in Europe to RL, i can't see there being 250 000 players over there.
Anyway, i might be wrong on that, but i wouldn't think if the Rugby League has more players, it would have that many more than Aussie Rules.
Thats another worrying point for the League administators.

------------------
visit the Easts Cricket Club - <A HREF="http://www.eastscricket.com.au" TARGET=_blank>www.eastscricket.com.au
</A>
A must for anybody into statistics - http://cromulent.freehosting.net/

 

[Richmondfan#1]

Aussie Rules is the best, no need to state the obvious!

I actually sometimes enjoy League but i often think it is pointless seeing a bunch of grown men ripping each others heads off and almost mauling each other!
But that is just my opinion.

 

[Peter P]

390,000 players in Oz. But probably about 5000 around the world now. Not many but about 4500 more than 5 years ago. Read the lead article in "Inside Football" - the AFL is finally serious about promoting the game overseas.

 

[Ms.Storm]

390,000 players registered in Australia.
Now would that include Aus.Kick.? We can bandy around figures and make a particular code look good. Like in NSW where nos. are counted that play AFL when in fact, they are kids registered with Aus.Kick and only play at school one day a term.
I think in fact soccer has many more registrations than AFL. If they get their act together in Australia, they, in my opinion would be the NO. 1 code.
But its good we all have different opinions, because when you visit the r/l sites they all say, of course, their code is far superior. Its a good, friendly rivalry between codes, and no matter what some people say, I love rugby league and I think it will survive...its a far more exciting game than Union and just as good as afl ..its just a totally different game and I am glad I have discovered it.

Peter P. the AFL HAVE PROMOTED AFL OVERSEAS FOR MANY YEARS, they have taken games over to Toronto, England S.A. ETC. SO ITS NOT A NEW NOTION.

Cheers everyone and GO RUGBY LEAGUE (had to throw that in guys, sorry).
Catch you all soon.

[This message has been edited by Ms.Storm (edited 18 February 2001).]