Harsh or painfully true?

[Perth Red]

If you’re not growing as a sport, you’re shrinking. Is the NRL growing? Do clubs feel a responsibility to explore rich new terrain?
It’s NSW’s and Queensland’s Pastime. It’s a small and insular competition that the superstars are outgrowing. They’re running out the door or being run into the ground by cumbersome scheduling.
The NRL needs a shake-up. Tradition resists it but tradition can be a hindrance. There’s too many rounds. Too many Sydney clubs. The best against the best is a rarity. When Hayne won Origin for NSW, he said: “This is probably as good as it gets.” Little did we know. Now he’s off?
Forget about going global. The NRL needs to find the balls to actually go national. Adelaide has a population of 1.2 million people. No NRL team. Perth has a population of 1.6 million. No NRL. There’s Hobart. There’s Darwin. Frontiers to be conquered.
If blokes like Hayne are bored with the NRL at the age of 26, what chance the rest of us? Tradition might demand nine Sydney teams at the expense of a slick, streamlined national premiership.
Cut teams. Move teams. Take a match to New York City. Jazz it up. What vast and wasted sports-loving markets are out there?
Expand! Take on the AFL. Flex the considerable muscle. Move teams out of Sydney and tell them to suck it up for the good of the sport. If any league player went to the Wallabies tomorrow, if he decided to travel the world and broaden his horizons and play in more famous stadiums at more prestigious tournaments, who could possibly blame him?
League might not be shrinking. But it’s not growing. Athletes like Hayne want to grow. He was electrifying in Origin because Origin was electrifying him. The premiership itself has lost its zing until the finals.
League was born 106 years ago. No hurry to broaden the reach.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...s-smalltime-code/story-e6frg7t6-1227091889332

 

[flippikat]

I don't think change of that scale is going to happen overnight.

The NRL are making changes, but due to the strongly entrenched systems & special interests they inherited they can't move fast to expand or rationalize Sydney or anything like that without alienating many.

Their focus so far has been getting KPIs in place for existing clubs and trying to get the best governance possible to head them. If all 16 clubs can achieve that, there's a great platform for expansion.. if not- well.. we need to see what the NRL's strategy is then.

As everyone points out, the spur for the next expansion will be the next tv deal. They've done well here to get rid of 'first and last' bidding for Nine. If preliminary discussions on the tv rights are towards the end of 2015, then an expansion review should have been done by then. The NRL should have some solid proposals to take to broadcasters then.

 

[Garbler]

Its not like the 106 years expansion hasn't been attempted.
Going off the TV audiences for GF & SOO, the NRL is still growing.
As @flippikat said, expansion is coming with next TV rights deal but unlike past failed attempts all due diligence is being done by the NRL to ensure it is permanent this time.

 

[The Great Dane]

Yeah that article is a little bit too doom and gloom.

Yes the writer makes some fair points, like the need for expansion, the need for tradition to take a back seat to progress sometimes and the need for rationalization of the Sydney clubs, but the hysterics are unnecessary.

The NRL is growing and is gaining strength as a business, it's just in one of those frustrating periods of preparing for the next big push of growth.

I think we'd all prefer for the NRL to take it's time to get things right before expansion and successfully expands, then for them to rush it and have the expansion clubs fail five years down the track.

BTW does anybody know who the author is?

 

[DC_fan]

If you?re not growing as a sport, you?re shrinking. Is the NRL growing? Do clubs feel a responsibility to explore rich new terrain?

Totally agree

The NRL needs a shake-up. Tradition resists it but tradition can be a hindrance. There?s too many rounds. Too many Sydney clubs. The best against the best is a rarity. When Hayne won Origin for NSW, he said: ?This is probably as good as it gets.? Little did we know. Now he?s off?

Again I totally agree. Tradition only takes you so far and we need to cut back on the number of Sydney teams and soon.

Forget about going global. The NRL needs to find the balls to actually go national. Adelaide has a population of 1.2 million people. No NRL team. Perth has a population of 1.6 million. No NRL. There?s Hobart. There?s Darwin. Frontiers to be conquered.

Totally disagree. For mine the future of sport is all about being global. I have been saying for sometime now that the NRL needs to expand outside of Australia into our near neighbouring countries. The NRL should be looking at the possibility of a second New Zealand team in the near future and be looking at teams playing out of Asian countries like Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and China in the next twenty to thirty years. I know its a big dream and huge task to have to undertake, but if you don't start planning now you will always be chasing other sports.

I don't see any long term value for the NRL to push for teams to play out of Hobart and Darwin. Their is a limited population in the Northern Territory (243,000) and Tasmania (514,000) http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/3101.0 and neither territory/state shows any potential for real growth in population. For league to become what it can be then we don't need those areas. The NRL needs to concentrate its resources on areas that can take this game to the stars. We are closing in on the halfway mark of the second decade of the 21st century and nothing much seems to have changed from the 1990's or even earlier.

Its time for the NRL to say this is what we want the game to look like come the middle of this century and put plans in to place to get us there.

 

[andrew057]

The Eels must be spewing. If only the NRL had a Perth team, Hayne wouldve stayed.

 

[Packy]

I live in QLD and RL has definitely grown in regards to perception and positive recognition.

 

[TheRam]

If you?re not growing as a sport, you?re shrinking. Is the NRL growing? Do clubs feel a responsibility to explore rich new terrain?
It?s NSW?s and Queensland?s Pastime. It?s a small and insular competition that the superstars are outgrowing. They?re running out the door or being run into the ground by cumbersome scheduling.
The NRL needs a shake-up. Tradition resists it but tradition can be a hindrance. There?s too many rounds. Too many Sydney clubs. The best against the best is a rarity. When Hayne won Origin for NSW, he said: ?This is probably as good as it gets.? Little did we know. Now he?s off?
Forget about going global. The NRL needs to find the balls to actually go national. Adelaide has a population of 1.2 million people. No NRL team. Perth has a population of 1.6 million. No NRL. There?s Hobart. There?s Darwin. Frontiers to be conquered.
If blokes like Hayne are bored with the NRL at the age of 26, what chance the rest of us? Tradition might demand nine Sydney teams at the expense of a slick, streamlined national premiership.
Cut teams. Move teams. Take a match to New York City. Jazz it up. What vast and wasted sports-loving markets are out there?
Expand! Take on the AFL. Flex the considerable muscle. Move teams out of Sydney and tell them to suck it up for the good of the sport. If any league player went to the Wallabies tomorrow, if he decided to travel the world and broaden his horizons and play in more famous stadiums at more prestigious tournaments, who could possibly blame him?
League might not be shrinking. But it?s not growing. Athletes like Hayne want to grow. He was electrifying in Origin because Origin was electrifying him. The premiership itself has lost its zing until the finals.
League was born 106 years ago. No hurry to broaden the reach.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/spo...s-smalltime-code/story-e6frg7t6-1227091889332

I couldn't of said it any better myself. Spot on, but the administrators are all deaf and dumb. Nothing will change till the game is actually on its knees, but by then it will all be way, way to late. No one will give a crap and probably even me. I can't believe that I am slowly being turned off the game, but I surely am due to amateurism and stagnation on almost all fronts. League is never going to be what it could of been because of the weakest admin I think I have ever seen run a multi-billion dollar sport. Shame.

 

[TheRam]

I don't think change of that scale is going to happen overnight.

The NRL are making changes, but due to the strongly entrenched systems & special interests they inherited they can't move fast to expand or rationalize Sydney or anything like that without alienating many.

Their focus so far has been getting KPIs in place for existing clubs and trying to get the best governance possible to head them. If all 16 clubs can achieve that, there's a great platform for expansion.. if not- well.. we need to see what the NRL's strategy is then.

As everyone points out, the spur for the next expansion will be the next tv deal. They've done well here to get rid of 'first and last' bidding for Nine. If preliminary discussions on the tv rights are towards the end of 2015, then an expansion review should have been done by then. The NRL should have some solid proposals to take to broadcasters then.

You do realize that as soon as Dave Smith started to lay the law down to the clubs earlier this year, they flexed their mussels and he wilted like a daisy in the desert sun.

Nothing of significance will change, you can take that to the bank. The only thing that will happen by 2018 will be we will have Perth & a second Brisbane team, which should of happened 10-20 years ago.

The to many clubs in Sydney problem, will hang around our necks for ever though.

 

[TheRam]

The Eels must be spewing. If only the NRL had a Perth team, Hayne wouldve stayed.

I don't think anyone could sound any dumber.

 

[kbw]

expansion of RL is a myth.
Its not a sign of the health of the game and is bloody tough.

There is no basic requirement for RL to expand outside its traditional areas.
There must be a growth in the local product before an NRL team is created from that area and face it the NRL are just not interested in investing in RL outside of the NRL competition.

 

[DC_fan]

expansion of RL is a myth.
There is no basic requirement for RL to expand outside its traditional areas.

As the sporting world grows smaller and smaller then so does leagues traditional areas.

If there is not a need for sports to expand then why is so many other sports, just not here in Australia but also world wide doing or planning to do just that.

 

[kbw]

I was talking about RL specifically. The game is being run by a bunch of halfwits who are making it harder for kids in the traditional areas to play would not have a clue how to grow the game anywhere.

No one outside of the major RL areas cares 1 bit about RL and this will continue to be the case unless the grass roots of the game is grown.

There is no glamour or hype about RL outside the traditional areas (Which is how US style sports become popular)

Once again even if expansion was there for the picking the current NRL management are killing the game at the grass roots level so how are they going to expand.

Thinking about it, it would be great to have RL a truly global game and a true national game in Australia, but in my opinion they need to do a lot of work fixing the crap they have created in the "strongholds" of the game. You would not believe how much damage has been done in the short time the current administration has been in power.

 

[veggiepatch1959]

Do people in Perth engage in lawn bowls?

Or Aussie Rules or Cricket or Soccer or Golf?

Expansion of Rugby League in Perth on an NRL scale needs investment (i.e. $$$$) and a real potential for loss of that investment.

Another case of history repeating itself.

 

[DC_fan]

I was talking about RL specifically. The game is being run by a bunch of halfwits who are making it harder for kids in the traditional areas to play would not have a clue how to grow the game anywhere.

No one outside of the major RL areas cares 1 bit about RL and this will continue to be the case unless the grass roots of the game is grown.

There is no glamour or hype about RL outside the traditional areas (Which is how US style sports become popular)

Once again even if expansion was there for the picking the current NRL management are killing the game at the grass roots level so how are they going to expand.

Thinking about it, it would be great to have RL a truly global game and a true national game in Australia, but in my opinion they need to do a lot of work fixing the crap they have created in the "strongholds" of the game. You would not believe how much damage has been done in the short time the current administration has been in power.

I have nothing against David Smith. Is he doing a good job? Well I believe we need to give him another year or two to make a decision on that.

I believe the NRL needs to pick its expansion locations carefully. Not just pick a location in Australia and stick a team there and hope for the best. That way will only lead to disaster. In my opinion there is only one area in Australia left without an NRL team that I feel confident could work and that is Perth. But we can't sit on our hands for the next five years or so thinking about it. The window of opportunity for Perth is open but will not remain so for too much longer.

You can forget about Darwin and Hobart. They are just too small and would never be able to support a team. As for Adelaide, well I never been keen on having a team there. I don't believe it would work.

As I said before the sporting world is becoming smaller and smaller. While leagues traditional recruitment grounds are still there they are slowly being encroached upon by other sports. The game needs to fight harder to keep kids in the areas like western Sydney playing league and not one of the other sports, some which can take you overseas to play.

Travelling the world today is a great attraction for young people. They want to take the opportunity to explore and because the world has become so much smaller it is easier to do so. There iare many opportunities for young athletes to play a sport in a number of foreign countries and see the world at the same time. Look at america for example. A number of young Aussies are there playing either Baseball or Basketball. They can see the country and have the chance to make really good money. Jarryd Hayne hopes to make it in the NFL. He is a sign of what young people want to do today.

So League is just not fighting Australian sports it is also fighting every sport played in the world. While it is holding its own at the moment I am not sure that will be the case in twenty or thirty years from now. That is unless the NRL makes some very bold decision in the next five or so years.

 

[oikee]

I had been down on this code for quite some time because of the lack of leadership and growth we had under Gallop's reign.
Yes he might have been hogtied to news, but still, no excuse to allow the game to be run into the ground.

Not now. Under Dave Smith i have seen new leadership and common sense approach to growing the game.
It is a shame that we still have weak leadership at the top level, which is now raising it's head like worms on a beach to the smell of fish-heads.

Conlon with his weak leadership and support for Gallen over the heads of the NRL show just how badly the NRL has been and still is being run.

No wonder the players are out of touch and running amuck. Our leaders show no leadership and seem to back the players for mis-behaving badly.
The remarks of Conlon and NSWRL chairman George Peponis might be well respected, but i honestly believe both have not moved forward with the modern aspects of the game.
It is much like having a old warhorse that has given his all, but just lost touch with the new breed.

Dave Smith needs support, not resistance as these two old dinosaurs seem to be doing.
Backing Gallen is the wrong bet, and shows weak leadership.
It also puts the power into the players hands, something the IRB would never do, nor would any sports admin around the world.

No, Dave Smith came in and could see where the game needed to change and improve.
He got the code under one banner, and as we see the NSWrl is still trying to fight this, and he could see that the Clubs were run like basketcases.
You need look no further than Tigers, Eels, Penrith, Manly to a extent, and Dragons all had major issues.
Surely nobody can be blind to the fact that the game is on the cusp of huge growth.
The world club challenge taken up a notch, Dragons Broncos and NRL champions Rabbits all playing in England next year.
The NRL Auckland nines, huge concept, the Four Nations double header, huge success.
These are all parts of a future plan, a plan that Dave Smith can see and understand.

Not only has the game grown, it think it is going to go close to doubling in growth since he came in after expansion takes place.
We have Perth Brisbane and NZ where he could double the growth of the game.
We have new contests to sell, and new concepts.
Samoa has proven that we have a international game, we just needed to grow it, and the Nines is world class and can grow the game.

Dave Smith is not the problem, it is the last bastion of the old dinosaur bragade, out of touch with the modern world.
Beware cyber bullies, they will be next on the hit-list.
There is no place left for bullies or bad behaviour. The Gallens and Fergo's of this world need to change, not the rest of us.
As Paul Kent wrote, fans had had a gutful and we deserve better as a code, as a great game.

 

[oikee]

Also in one short year of introducing PNG into the Queensland cup, it has seen lots of Papua New Guinea players already picked up by clubs, plus the extra support at grounds and on TV.
I just read 4 players from PNG are off to gateshead in the UK. A few players have also moved to NRL clubs.
Imagine what Fiji can produce once it gets up and running in the NSW cup.
This is just a part of major growth.
Dave Smith knows what he is doing. I expect our profits to hit 70 million profit this year to bank.

 

[kbw]

Also in one short year of introducing PNG into the Queensland cup, it has seen lots of Papua New Guinea players already picked up by clubs, plus the extra support at grounds and on TV.
I just read 4 players from PNG are off to gateshead in the UK. A few players have also moved to NRL clubs.
Imagine what Fiji can produce once it gets up and running in the NSW cup.
This is just a part of major growth.
Dave Smith knows what he is doing. I expect our profits to hit 70 million profit this year to bank.

Dave Smith and the current cohorts had nothing to do with PNG entering the QLD cup.
There are others outside of the NRL that are doing the hard work.
There hasn't been an increased uptake of PNG players due to them entering the QLD cup. The increase started with the increase exposure of PGN in previous world cups and the work Adrian Lam is doing with his foundation.
Stop making shit up and pretending its true

 

[LeagueXIII]

People also forget Dave Smith is building strong relations with governments etc that will see more funding to help the game grow. People seem to get bogged down with stupid small minded issues that are driven by News Ltd.

Tradition holding back the game? I don't think so, why was Souths premiership win so great because it was so connected to the great traditions of the club. Traditions need to be used as assets and not seen as weakness, just look at how AFL connects with their past and cricket it gives the sports meaning.

Why on earth you would weaken RL's hold on Sydney to put teams in Adelaide is stupid. Sydney clubs drive rugby league and is the main reason the sport gets great TV contracts. What does need strengthening is the management of the clubs and developing more players at the grassroots level.

There is no reason why in the future league can't have strong teams in Sydney and 2 teams in Brisbane, NZ and other areas. Our aim should be 22 to 24 strong clubs with conference style set ups.

 

[Perth Red]

There is no sport in the world that has nine top flight clubs in one city where they are all fully sustAinable. Why RL thinks it can do it is beyond me. We are anchored by the fact the NRL has grown from a local league comp, yes it's tradition but it has also stopped our game expanding and created a mess in terms of supporter base and finances. There are only so many people willing to go to a game, only so many companies willing to put in sponsorship $'s, only so many stadiums govt can afford to keep up to standard etc etc.
We have what we have and I dont see it changing dramatically, we have to live the consequences of that meaning there will be regular clubs in financial strife, sub 10k crowds to some gamEs whilst others get 30k and some clubs playing in world class stadiums and others in grounds barely fit for semi pro sport, some clubs who will be on significantly higher revenues than others and stunted expansion due to too many mouths to feed.