NRL in decline?

[Saints Forever]

I love how people have said 'oh it would have been better at Brookie' well yeah it would have had a better atmosphere but you also would have turned away about four thousand people. What's worse?

Much prefer to see 4,000 people turned away than to see a finals game played in an empty stadium that is lifeless.

 

[Slippery Morris]

Apart from the obvious issues in refs and crowds I think the bigger issues is how poorly the NRL treasures the actual club competition and puts the Origin as the highest priority. Prior to Origin it is all about who will make the squads, during origin NRL games don't even exist, after Origin we hear why did NSW lose, who was to blame and player behaviour and then come the finals when the expect the fans to get all excited and run to the games. 2 weeks ago and we were still talking about Origin FFS. You also mostly read about player movements or behaviour than what actually happened in the games played over the weekend. If the NRL made the club comp a higher priority which is played over 26 rounds rather than a 3 game series that has lost it's gloss since the shoulder charges and punching was banned then it would be a good step that is for sure. If the NRL is not careful they will head down the path of the Union where the club comp is non existent just a Super Rugby type comp. The NRL can easily create this by having a super 10 comp which includes NSW, QLD, NZ, Samoa, PNG, Fiji, Tonga, England, France and Scotland. 18 game series with finals. That would be a huge disaster.

In terms of officiating, they bring in new rules or change other rules and they can't even administer the rules that have been in place since day 1. You rarely see a player (especially FatFita) play the ball, they just roll it between their legs or walk over it. Why not penalise them? I just don't get it. It's like if they were taught how to play the ball they would be shocked and say I didn't know we are suppose to do that. It's up to the refs to police that and they should by penalising them every time. It will be a stack of penalties in week 1 but that will change quicker than you think.

Forward passes, some don't even try and pass it back anymore (Cam Smith). And what I noticed yesterday with the Sharks is the ref calls held while the player is tackled standing, and after the ref calls held they drop the player to the ground? How many times did that happen. If the call held and the player is standing, if he is dropped to the ground, penalty. Not rocket science. Let the player go, it's your choice to keep him staninding or on the ground, you can't do both after the ref calls out held.

3 simple rules which the refs need to focus on and the change in the game will be huge. As for the wrestle, let the media keep telling us how much faster the game is now when we know that prior wrestling every set too less than a minute compared to now most sets are over a 1 minute.

 

[2010Dragons]

I've been following this once great entertaining game of Rugby League for well over 45 years.

The CEO idiots who are running the NRL are slowly killing the game by agreeing to ridiculous rule changes over the years, the dodgy salary cap rules, moving games from suburban stadiums to playing games in soulless ANZ stadium.

The pathetic refereeing /Bunker and Referee Boss Tony Archer are slowly killing the game.

If the on field Referee is sending the adjudicating of the try to the Bunker, then that means he doesn’t know if it was a definite try. Referee should just say “I don’t know I didn’t get a clear view, please check it”
It's a simple fix but these morons who are running the game are clueless.

 

[King hit]

NRL was once the common working man's game.
Work O/T to 11.30 on Saturday and then home showered and to the game at 3pm.
My brother and I used to get to the game for the lower grades when we could after playing in the morning and mum and dad would meet us there with the esky, thermos and sandwiches.
The NSWRL, NRL, ARL, the media have all conspired over time to make rugby league the very thing it was never supposed to be, namely the game of the people with money who can come and go, wherever and whenever they like.
3pm kick off for the main game was the thing that everyone could work around and it was constant everywhere.
Clubs had either 6 or 7 day turnarounds with no favouritism for one more than the other.
Home ground advantage was non existent for finals footy (except for us as it was our second home) with everything at HQ and big crowds were always assured.
They tried to make this game elite and have come unstuck as its lifeblood is the tribalism they have sought to remove.
As I said in a previous thread anybody thinks the we actually won the super league war is mad in the head.

I was only a newborn at the time (born in 1995) but in the last few years I've come to see Super League for what it was. I feel it was a mess of people like Murdoch, Packer etc who were fighting over money and business and didn't care about what was important to the fans. I feel the SL side won it as well. Clubs were forced into mergers or were thrown out of the top grade altogether, it became all about money and the game has dictated to TV ever since. That's why the GF went from the 3pm kick off to night because it worked better for TV. A lot of the things you see today are SL stuff.

I can't help but think of all the damage it did to Rugby League. Internationally it was building but it got set back badly but it's on the way up now. A lot of expansion was damaged, we had a team in Perth and 2 brisbane clubs in 1995 and we are still trying to get that back up. Lot's of traditions that were important to the game was gone because of it. Screw you Ribot and Murdoch.

 

[since77]

Apart from the obvious issues in refs and crowds I think the bigger issues is how poorly the NRL treasures the actual club competition and puts the Origin as the highest priority./QUOTE]

Well said. Watching NRL 360 a few nights ago Ben Ikin actually began a sentence along the lines of saying that after Origin, this (finals time) is the time of year players look forward to most. So 3 exhibition games per year are more important than winning a comp?!

That kind of attitude does show where the media and the NRL's priorities are

 

[Dragonslayer]

The NRL started to decline the minute the Sydney Swans arrived.
Instead of appeoaching the youth in RL heartlands the NRL sat on its hands with basically a no care attitude.
Unfortunately, AFL approached it in an intelligent way focusing on youth in schools and holding training camps etc.
The NRL, has tried to take out the very soul of the game, what we all went to see, the skills, physicality and toughness of the players. Now it is nothing more than a TV soap opera.
AFL, for all its faults is well managed, the players respectful of the refs decisions and the game goes for almost 2 1/2 hrs.....value for money.
NRL will continue to decrease in numbers and popularity unless some basic changes are made.

 

[FlameThrower]

Well said. Watching NRL 360 a few nights ago Ben Ikin actually began a sentence along the lines of saying that after Origin, this (finals time) is the time of year players look forward to most. So 3 exhibition games per year are more important than winning a comp?!

That kind of attitude does show where the media and the NRL's priorities are

Ben Ikin- ? Don't have much time for him, spurts out sentences yet rarely makes sense.

 

[2010]

Greenberg after today's rant about the coaches spray about the on Field officials really shoes he doesn't give a shit.
He needs to be kicked out and replaced

 

[Qdf]

I've been following this once great entertaining game of Rugby League for well over 45 years.

The CEO idiots who are running the NRL are slowly killing the game by agreeing to ridiculous rule changes over the years, the dodgy salary cap rules, moving games from suburban stadiums to playing games in soulless ANZ stadium.

The pathetic refereeing /Bunker and Referee Boss Tony Archer are slowly killing the game.

If the on field Referee is sending the adjudicating of the try to the Bunker, then that means he doesn’t know if it was a definite try. Referee should just say “I don’t know I didn’t get a clear view, please check it”
It's a simple fix but these morons who are running the game are clueless.

Like the way you think.
This is what is stuffing our game.
Change those things you have mentioned & you will get an immediate result.
Fans will not support the game in its current state.

 

[Crush]

NRL is about TV ratings and gambling.
Everything NRL news is focused around the odds and where the money is.
I tragically listen to talk back radio quite often and whenever they do a sports segment they do it with a bookmaker who discusses the odds.
Why can't the experts talk about who they think will win and why without discussing the TAB odds.
NRL is all about Gambling and tv ratings.....

 

[Qdf]

NRL is about TV ratings and gambling.
Everything NRL news is focused around the odds and where the money is.
I tragically listen to talk back radio quite often and whenever they do a sports segment they do it with a bookmaker who discusses the odds.
Why can't the experts talk about who they think will win and why without discussing the TAB odds.
NRL is all about Gambling and tv ratings.....

Unfortunately MURDOCH is still running the game & it all started with the Super league takeover.
He & his henchmen, the NRL, are just puppets,& MURDOCH is pulling the strings...the same as he did with the Super League.
Referee's are being used to orchestrate games for TV ratings.
And the thing is , the fans are becoming aware of the fact, & are not attending games.

 

[SaintPauli]

Youve hit the nail on the head re the farcical salary cap.....and thats all it is farcical as we all know it was brought in to stop the wealthy clubs buying all the good players....and yet for eg teams like The Brisbane Donkeys have a huge advantage with all the business people in their one team town supplying huge Third Party Deals..and the joke is its legal apparently...

Actually it dawned on me! The salary cap set up is a bloody smoke screen for the richer clubs. You see we The Fans think there is a salary cap because we are told there is one. For the poorer clubs the salary cap is true because we simply don't have the excess funds whereas the richer clubs have too exploit. There is no coincidence why in the last decade the richest clubs have has the most success by way of top 4 positions. Your Melbournes,Broncos, Roosters and Dogs.

 

[Bests Golden Boots]

Actually it dawned on me! The salary cap set up is a bloody smoke screen for the richer clubs. You see we The Fans think there is a salary cap because we are told there is one. For the poorer clubs the salary cap is true because we simply don't have the excess funds whereas the richer clubs have too exploit. There is no coincidence why in the last decade the richest clubs have has the most success by way of top 4 positions. Your Melbournes,Broncos, Roosters and Dogs.

There is no cap as long as there are TPAs.
The Manly thing blew up when an ex player, I think we all know who, demanded his $150 000 that Manly had illegally garenteed him from a TPA.

He's not the first player to say a club had garenteed their TPA, which under the rules is a salary cap breach, but nothing gets done.

 

[jeffdragon]

There is no cap as long as there are TPAs.
The Manly thing blew up when an ex player, I think we all know who, demanded his $150 000 that Manly had illegally garenteed him from a TPA.

He's not the first player to say a club had garenteed their TPA, which under the rules is a salary cap breach, but nothing gets done.

Look at the top 8 .
Melbourne league wants them to be a success.
Easts Politis.
Broncos ,league wants them to be successful.
Parra ,have had salary cap issues.
Sharks seem to be buying players, not losing too many.
Manly betting scandal and alleged issues with cap.
Panthers PHIL GOULD.
Cowboys two stars on big money.
The rest can fend for themselves.

 

[Slippery Morris]

Look at the top 8 .
Melbourne league wants them to be a success.
Easts Politis.
Broncos ,league wants them to be successful.
Parra ,have had salary cap issues.
Sharks seem to be buying players, not losing too many.
Manly betting scandal and alleged issues with cap.
Panthers PHIL GOULD.
Cowboys two stars on big money.
The rest can fend for themselves.

I would not include the Dogs as one to fend for themselves. The Dogs have unlimited cap and not in the 8 so you would think they would be a shoe in as well. To have that many internationals, looked after by Refs and the review committee yet still could not make the 8. If only the other bottom 8 sides had 8 current or ex Origin players plus other rep players.

 

[jeffdragon]

I would not include the Dogs as one to fend for themselves. The Dogs have unlimited cap and not in the 8 so you would think they would be a shoe in as well. To have that many internationals, looked after by Refs and the review committee yet still could not make the 8. If only the other bottom 8 sides had 8 current or ex Origin players plus other rep players.

Yes agree, thought about it but didnt change it at the time .

 

[Maxwell]

There's too many teams in Sydney, all jokes aside at least 3 or 4 teams need to go. Say dragons (will put peoples noses out of joint) play out of the gong , another team Gosford , 1 to Perth, another making the 2nd team in Brisbane. But will never happen, due to court cases, and who do you move. But on another note the game is spiralling downwards , but Tod Greenbug blames the coaches and tells them grow up. First thing if I was in charge would be sack Tony Archer as Referee's boss ,appoint some one like say Brian Smith ok x coach knows whats happening , hold the refs accountable. You stuff up next week your doing reserve grade, no favouritism 's to any team eg Storm .. Restructure the rules , simplify them theres too many , players must rise from the tackle before putting the ball on the ground to play it , will stop a lot of the stripping claims. Scrums have to be packed properly and ball fed into centre of tunnel and the best hooker wins it, no pushing off the mark in scrum , no pushing at all. I bet we wouldn't see a fullback at hooker and the hooker at lock etc . Only 1 referee and stop trying to speed the game up , linesman have to play a bigger part in the offside of defending teams. Bunker has to rule on forward passes as well as offside on kicks, stop these blockers on kicks, attacking players cannot be tackled in mid air either. and the biggest blight on the game is the wrestling , all teams are told get rid of the wrestling coaches, judo, jujitsu coaches etc , you wrestle you will be penalised and fined. I also think when a try is scored the ref should be talking to the bunker with out tv audience's listening in, when decision is made the ref can do what NFL does , tell the crowd through a microphone system hooked in to Pa system. But that's about it and just let the game flow .

 

[KiamaSaint]

This would make the NRL thrive again.
Top 8 2018!
Saints
Parra
Tigers
Broncos
Souths
Cowboys
Bulldogs
Knights

Exactly. Why the poor crowds?
No Dragons
No Tigers
No Bulldogs
No Rabbitohs
& Parra playing in Melbourne and Brisbane and the Cowboys playing in Sydney. Enough said.

 

[SaintPauli]

There is no cap as long as there are TPAs.
The Manly thing blew up when an ex player, I think we all know who, demanded his $150 000 that Manly had illegally garenteed him from a TPA.

He's not the first player to say a club had garenteed their TPA, which under the rules is a salary cap breach, but nothing gets done.

Mr Greenburge sure has a lot of CRAP TO FIX

 

[Qdf]

Well said. Watching NRL 360 a few nights ago Ben Ikin actually began a sentence along the lines of saying that after Origin, this (finals time) is the time of year players look forward to most. So 3 exhibition games per year are more important than winning a comp?!

That kind of attitude does show where the media and the NRL's priorities are

Ben Ikin is fool.He not only blows the NRL trumpet,but just makes up stories to win a point (ie was exposed as a liar by Benny Elias just a few weeks ago on 360).If not for Paul Kent i wouldn't watch the show.