State of game

[Brian]

Is there anywhere that rugby league is going ahead ?
Here in W.A. the game has almost disappeared .
The local league has been reduced from 8 to 6 teams.
One TV station gives the NRL results and that is so quickly
you can't take half the scores in and of course a VCR is an absolute neccesity for any replays .
AS for the GF - you wouldn't know it's on .

 

[Penny]

.......and the number of times they get the scores wrong on tv/radio here is pathetic too!!!

 

[dr nick]

league's status as a national game took a nosedive with the capitulation of the western reds and the adelaide rams. the other states are just not interested in league and never will be. the game also has minimal support in melbourne but the population is such that the storm will always attract a few thousand to games.

the NRL should just think about concentrating on the popularity of the game in NSW and Qld before even trying to expand into WA and SA again. if the game loses any more support in the homeland, there will never be a national competition

 

[Ms.Storm]

Re: Hi Brian and Penny

Originally posted by Brian
Is there anywhere that rugby league is going ahead ?
Here in W.A. the game has almost disappeared .
The local league has been reduced from 8 to 6 teams.
One TV station gives the NRL results and that is so quickly
you can't take half the scores in and of course a VCR is an absolute neccesity for any replays .
AS for the GF - you wouldn't know it's on .

Welcome to the Board.
This is really sad, and even though Nicho has some good ideas, I don't actually agree with his reply to you guys.

There are things that fans of league can do.....and it does pay off.
Ring radio stations and tv stations. ...... gather support, etc. from other league fans who can help out.
NOt having a team playing out of your state, makes it harder, but if Ch.9 have the rights to show the game nationally, they should be compelled to do it......no matter what.

That's where the problem lies......and also the dominance of afl....and their petty ways of smothering competition of the afl states......its a disgrace.
As I said in one other post, I had a run=in with one sports commentator on radio yesterday.
All day (6 hrs.) they did not mention the Warriors vs. Sharks scores....its quite embarrassing and when I rang in to talk about league.....they were so downright rude and said they wouldn't want anyone talking about league on their programmme.

I rang and complained this morning to management and spoke to the General Manager who apologised.

So to summarise, keep sticking at promoting the game in your own way......and never give up on getting a team back there.

I really think the afl doing a good promotional job on their code and they also know how to keep the opposition at bay.

That's why I like to really stick up for league....even though there are a few problems because afl have just as many, but are better run administratively.

Just keep talking about rugby league....no matter what.....and give it to the radio and tv stations.

You are welcome to come back and visit again.

We don't mind talking some afl here also, if you follow that code too......(unlike the afl board.....who want to **** you off because *thugby league sux*........

Typical afl arrogane!

 

[Ms.Storm]

Nicho

Originally posted by nicko18
league's status as a national game took a nosedive with the capitulation of the western reds and the adelaide rams. the other states are just not interested in league and never will be. the game also has minimal support in melbourne but the population is such that the storm will always attract a few thousand to games.

the NRL should just think about concentrating on the popularity of the game in NSW and Qld before even trying to expand into WA and SA again. if the game loses any more support in the homeland, there will never be a national competition

Nicho,
You still can do both......look after the homeland, and still try and promote the code interstate.......Just need competant administrators.....that's all.

Nicho,
That's a load of rubbish about no interest in league in other states than Q'ld. and NSW....there is interest........its proved to me here every day.....people always comment on the Storm when I am dressed in their merchandise or we go to games.....its a matter of promotion, time and patience.....some money and as I said above, good administration.

You don't live here Nicho, so you can't make a fair comment at all.
When Storm one their Premiership in '99, there were thousands at Olympic Park to welcome them home.
Of course some will drop off when a team is not successful, or if you can watch games live on tv instead........but there is genuine interest here......and I am sure the same would happen in WA and SA if it was done properly.

If everyone thought like you, the Sydney Swans and Brissie Bears, would have been abandoned after 5 or so years, but they were perserved with, promoted, supported.......and look at them now.....!

Pls try and be positive for a change......and no I am not being unrealistic, okay

 

[dr nick]

ms storm, all i can see from my vantage point is the league abandoning the sydney market and concentrating too heavily on other markets which have very poor followings. i think to be successful in promoting the game nationally, the support in sydney and brisbane needs to be strong. part of the reason the AFL has done well in non traditional states is because of the massive following they enjoy in Vic, SA and WA. supporters in other states see sold out games and decide to give the game a go. a person watching his first league game will not get into it if he sees a half full aussie stadium for a prelim final. the main focus at the moment should be promoting the game heavily in NSW and Qld before peddling out the rams again.

 

[MoffOnTou]

nicko, there were 28,251 at the prelim final, it wasn't 1/2 full. It was more people than were at the finals game between port adelaide and essendon

And the other game had 45,000. Not to foul!

The game should be live in Adel and Perth. I cant believe this, and intend on writing some emails to the NRL about this. I hope everyone else can, its a sham. Esp for the rl fans in PErth and adelaide who still want to follow the game.

Moffo

 

[Brian]

There's no advantage in looking at the AFL's year .
The fact is RL is a lot worse off than before the Reds here in WA.
If they had budgeted for sustainable crowds there was a chance.
But that's history it's time to look to the future .
I think whatsee about has a point when he says today look to atmosphere not just the pure game .Why do people watch soccer ?Here in WA they attend Glory matches mainly because of the English atmosphere. I think the NRL was right in trying to lift the profile of clubs by amalgamation etc .Or maybe a two division comp with promotion /relegation is the go .

 

[dr nick]

do people really go and watch soccer games in australia?? it may be different with the perth glory, but soccer in sydney would be lucky to attract a couple of thousand, let alone reserve a space in the paper for any more than a paragraph.

atmosphere like the english premier league??? doubtful

 

[Ms.Storm]

Nicho, Nicho, Nicho......

Originally posted by nicko18
ms storm, all i can see from my vantage point is the league abandoning the sydney market and concentrating too heavily on other markets which have very poor followings. i think to be successful in promoting the game nationally, the support in sydney and brisbane needs to be strong. part of the reason the AFL has done well in non traditional states is because of the massive following they enjoy in Vic, SA and WA. supporters in other states see sold out games and decide to give the game a go. a person watching his first league game will not get into it if he sees a half full aussie stadium for a prelim final. the main focus at the moment should be promoting the game heavily in NSW and Qld before peddling out the rams again.

Nicho,
Pray tell me what markets are you referring to .... and you said markets......do you mean the Storm?......well Nicho.....did you complain 2 years ago when we were 4th biggest in crowds in the NRL?
Perhaps you mean the Warriors..... (no need to comment further)
The Cowboys......well they have good crowds, but need some good players and they will pull in sell out crowds.

I really think that the NRL has NOT ABANDONED SYDNEY AT ALL...
and this year they have made headway with ticketing to get more people to games.

Its also rugby league culture for smaller crowds anyway....they will never have afl crowd figures in the foreseeable future......

(But this could be achieved, If I was in Charge .....well, you never know!!)

 

[Brian]

There is little to be achieved by blind breast-beating but more over one has to focus on the facts and try and build on them .
Expansion is dead and buried(at least for the time being)
There was a heap load of money available and it achieved longterm negative effects . To cite Sydney Swans and Brisbane Bears as examples of successful promotion is false . They really succeded in spite of the AFL and look how much time it took !
To gloat over the Storm being the 4th largest crowd puller shows just what a poor state we're in . Why - because the Perth glory soccer pull more crowds .(I hate to admit it but people here in WA actually do turn up at the NSL unlike anywhere else)The local Aussie Rules occassionally pulls more than an NRL team .People are changing from tribal to entertainment .The big teams get bigger and more popular and vice versa .If you want to promote interstate then produce super teams if you want to strengthen the hearland then stick with the present tribal teams.

 

[dr nick]

i think that you'll find that the storm drew the LOWEST crowds out of any NRL club.

and yes, i would think that the perth glory would draw bigger crowds than the storm because league supporters in melbourne are as rare as hens teeth.

 

[I_LUV_AFL]

Rugby League is 20 times as big in NSW and QLD as AFL, vice versa in WA, SA and VIC. Who cares!!!
NSW and QLD will never accept AFL and WA, SA and VIC will never accept Rugby League.

As for the absolutelty stupid statements by the original poster and others, talk what you know best on...AFL because rugby league is not your go as was demonstrates with the stupidity of your post.

 

[Ms.Storm]

Nicho

Originally posted by nicko18
i think that you'll find that the storm drew the LOWEST crowds out of any NRL club.

and yes, i would think that the perth glory would draw bigger crowds than the storm because league supporters in melbourne are as rare as hens teeth.

Nicho

AND why don't you just tell us the reasons for the lowest crowd THIS YEAR, hey?

Maybe I can do it for you AGAIN

 

[Ms.Storm]

Originally posted by nicko18


and yes, i would think that the perth glory would draw bigger crowds than the storm because league supporters in melbourne are as rare as hens teeth.

Nicho,
You just love to exagerate.....

 

[Brian]

Tutaki you have to care if you are a real supporter because life changes and produces history and facts . Australian football has been in every state and territory , New Zealand , South AFrica ,
Scotland for over 100 years . So you can see where it's died out .
Rugby league is much younger and did well to establish itself from scratch in non AFL states and did have good crowds .
It failed and has set back Rugby League here in W.A.
If you're not worried about the Brisbane Lions - then I am ,
because there is an obvious comparison to the Broncos and there has always been a QAFL .If the Sydney Swans were more successful then they would be a threat too ,and every year that they exist that is another year that junior numbers increase.
I dont know about Melbourne but the NRL put a team there for good reason .
AS for the Perth Glory they are down to 10,000 at the start of the NSL. So don't put your head in the sand ,times do change .

 

[MoffOnTou]

brain, what was the highestt avg crowd for a year for the glory??

Id be interested to know if they topped the reds, who im pretty sure averaged 15,000 in there first year

Cheers,
Moffo

 

[I_LUV_AFL]

Give me a break Brian.
I have never heard of AFL in NZ or SA. What would they call it?
Even the Irish don't play it, they play a game they is similar but even the coaches of both Aus and Ireland admitted it was more of a exhibiton game because both teams didn't know the rules.
I am aware of the threats AFL poses IN AUSTRALIA but I can keep my head in the sand as far as the other nations are concerned, no threat at all.

 

[Brian]

The Glory never averaged more than than the odd 14000 and have been declining slowly every year in spite of playing in successive grand finals.
The NZAFL has 3 leagues ,survivors of when the game was called "colonial rules" .Aussie Rules died out in S.A. , NZ , NSW & QLD after WWI ,more or less .
Internationally Australian Football is doing well because it has a number of countries at approximately the same standard .
The Irish have have a 10 team IARFL and are currently Atlantic & International Cup champions and are a match for the Aussies in the International Rules.
Neither the NRL or AFL seem particularly interested in expansion nowdays but rather consolidation during this current sporting downturn .

 

[I_LUV_AFL]

If the Irish have a competition then how come they have to change the rules for the Aus/Ire games? And there isn't a goal net in AFL is there?

The only way AFL is played internationally is from Aussie ex-pats and the Australian Army.

Brian- I am not cutting you down personally, I just cannot get my head around some of the things you are saying.

 

[MoffOnTou]

i mean, if we are talking ex-pat footy well there are AFL clubs all throughout Asia.

To be a 'fair-dinkum' code in another country, i think that you have to have a few things:

a) Proper and structured competition
b) Decent crowds (id say 5,000 and upwards)
c) International recognition of the competition

I might be wrong, but im guessing the AFL comps in Ireland, England etc etc are not much more than ex-pat **** ups. Which there is nothing wrong with!



Moffo

 

[Ms.Storm]

Moff

Originally posted by MoffOnTou
i mean, if we are talking ex-pat footy well there are AFL clubs all throughout Asia.

To be a 'fair-dinkum' code in another country, i think that you have to have a few things:

a) Proper and structured competition
b) Decent crowds (id say 5,000 and upwards)
c) International recognition of the competition

I might be wrong, but im guessing the AFL comps in Ireland, England etc etc are not much more than ex-pat **** ups. Which there is nothing wrong with!



Moffo

You are right Moff with your above post....most teams have been set up with ex-pats, but depending on the areas, there are quite a few locals getting interested in the game....guess this is the way to go to get people interested in it at least in the beginning.

At this stage afl in other countries are just some local comps. not good enough to tackle *the big boys* here in Aust. to say make a proper World Cup event.

 

[Brian]

Tutaki the GAA(gaelic guys) play OZ in combined rules and it's a huge event . The IARFL plays other developing countries and of course to weak to match OZ in AFL .
Yes just about all comps start with a batch of expats and most Asian leagues are just that however the Northern hemisphere is a bit different .Denmark has the most professional league and has a three ex-pat limit .Ireland has benefited from deflections from gaelic which is similar .Britain is actually held back because it is mainly ex-pat.The U.S. by far has the largest numbers , having city , state and regional leagues and a national tournament .
Developement is growing , but you have to agree with the criteria of crowds . Unless you're getting serious crowds you're not a serious competition .All this goes unreported in the mainstream press .For that reason I'm interested in the developement of rugby league in Russia and elsewhere .We have to look very hard for any NRL news here in W.A. now .
Internationally it is not so good that Oz is clearly the best in RL over N.Z. ,then further down to Britain .What has happened to France these days.

 

[Ms.Storm]

Brian

Just a little diversion to this thread :

Good to see you are interested in rugby league too....at first I thought you were just an afl person.

Going back to your above post, I am not too familiar with rugby league in France but I do know that the Kangaroos will be playing France in a Test very soon, so I would imagine rugby league is played there.

I do know that it was very strong in France some time ago, but rugby union *pinched players* or something or other and stiffled league a fair way. Maybe Moff can fill us in on this one.
I am pretty sure one of the ex-Tiger boys is coaching r/l in France at the moment.

Brian,
Also don't forget rugby league is strong is Fiji and Tonga and some teams play in America as well.

Actually we should do some investigating on this very topic.
Perhaps Nicho could be the man to do the job.....

Can you Nicho?

 

[MoffOnTou]

OK, ill give a brief reply, as i should be working lol

France are playing Lebanon (not the Kangaroos) in a test match on the 2nd of Nov. It is being played in Beirut, and believe it or not, the crowd is tipped to hit 20-25,000. Its being promoted heavily, and a few of us at the moment are trying to get the game onto SBS. If u want to help in that respect, contact SBS, fire off your emails to theworldgame@sbs.com.au and or
comments@sbs.com.au. You can also ring them on 1800 500 727 (Toll Free Number).

League is played in France, the season kicked off about 4 weeks ago. The crowds are pretty mediocre (the top clubs get about 2-3,000), but the grand final will typically get up to 10,000. They have actually entered teams into the Challenge Cup next year. The Challenge Cup next year will include teams from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Russia and France. It is slowly growing

Russia recently had a test match against the USA that drew between 25-30,000 (depending on what report u read). The grand final in the local domestic comp drew about 8,000. Once again, its only a growing sport, although they do have in the ballpark of 15,000 people who play it.

America have a 5-6 team comp (from memory), that includes sides from Philly, New York and Glen Mills among others. Once again, the crowds are nothing to write home about, although they have had a couple of tests against Ireland that have drawn up to 5,000. www.amnrl.com has more info on that.

Back to France. RL in France was ripped apart by RU during and after WWII. The Vichy Regime at the time practically banned the sport, and alligned itself with Union. All the RL property at the time was ripped off and given to Union officaldom. Everything from home grounds to guernseys. France did have a really strong team at one point, and led by Puig Albert, they made the first League World Cup grand final in 1954.

Currently in France, Craig Field runs around (the guy who got caught doing drugs last year). John Elias is the coach of the team (Pia), and i believe that Welsh international Justin Morgan is headed over in a captain/coach role next year. The Villenvue club isn't that bad actually, i believe they made the q/f of the Challenge Cup last year

Cheers,
Moffo