The greatest game totally dominated by union internationally

[madunit]

Union's biggest mistake was taking so long to become professional, despite embracing shamateurism throughout the 1980's as League recovered from its ugly image of the 1970's.

If they were run cleverly, they would've turned professional in 1980 and would have retained the likes of Wally Lewis, Michael O'Connor and Ricky Stuart and likely would've picked up a few top line League players.

But as they'd always done, they were reactive to criticism of their own code and made changes far too late. Then blamed League for it. But never recovered.

 

[TheFrog]

Only one code is laying claim to be "Australias game" and it isnt RL.

There are enough expats and fans of the game in the eastern half of Sydney to support one AFL team PROVIDED they make the finals every year (refer to Swans crowds in the early to mid 90's). Apart from this, there is no AFL club anywhere near successful in terms of following outside their half of Australia.

By the very same token, an NRL team can survive in Melbourne provided they are successful on the field. Perhaps the NRL brains trust has observed the Giants, Suns and Bears/Lions and deduced that attempting to establish a club in enemy territory is akin to flushing money (that they don't have) down the toilet.

I'd suggest it is no coincidence that the Storm and the Swans are both fixtures in the finals.

 

[Perth Red]

There are enough expats and fans of the game in the eastern half of Sydney to support one AFL team PROVIDED they make the finals every year (refer to Swans crowds in the early to mid 90's). Apart from this, there is no AFL club anywhere near successful in terms of following outside their half of Australia.

By the very same token, an NRL team can survive in Melbourne provided they are successful on the field. Perhaps the NRL brains trust has observed the Giants, Suns and Bears/Lions and deduced that attempting to establish a club in enemy territory is akin to flushing money (that they don't have) down the toilet.

I'd suggest it is no coincidence that the Storm and the Swans are both fixtures in the finals.

Hopefully they've looked at the afls tv deals and sponsorship levels and deduced that any code that wants to be number one has to have a national footprint in Australia.

 

[madunit]

There's too many bogan 'patriotic' types in this country who will wank themselves silly about following 'Australia's own game'

Nothing will change in the football wars between AFL and NRL. While I have no time or care at all about AFL, I prefer having it as the main rival to RL as opposed to Rugby 'dirty tricks' Union.

 

[Stallion]

Friends in high places isn't really a thing for Union anymore. People in high places don't give a f**k about sport anymore as there's usually never any return on investment.

What Union has long held is positions of persuasion, generally in the media and amongst schools. While the RL media sits there shitting on it's own game, RU media just points at it and says to the public and schools "Do you really to be involved in that" (whether the articles by the RL guys are true or not)

This is why so many RL Fans have so much hatred towards certain media outlets. It keeps Union relevant enough that they continue to survive, despite being a shit product riddled with greedy administrators.

RU doesn't have good local administrators either. They just have good PR. The only thing they have better than RL is a well funded and genuinely powerful International governing body, that does rule the game everywhere.

Friends in high places will always be a factor as long as rugby union dominates the elite private schools of Australia and elsewhere. Their is a natural flow of bias due to union "indoctrinating' students (liking it or not) when they move on at high school age.
If rugby league had the same presence you would see a universal demographic acceptance of rugby league as it is clearly a superior code to union. Schools that have a choice generally play rugby league as it is better and more inclusive game to play. Simple as that. Union know this fact and are steadfastly making all efforts to not have rugby league gain presence in private schools. It's reality and needs to be challenged.
Even if an elite private school competition with a monetary win prize might have such schools adopt playing rugby league? Surely something can be done to correct this "apartheid like" exclusion from such private schools.
The same can be said for general schooling throughout NZ. Rugby league is on the outer as the overall schooling infrastructure is very loaded toward rugby union and does not encourage rugby league. It's impressive how well the Kiwis perform given this lack of take up of rugby league in most NZ schooling. Basically these schools mentioned are doing the recruitment and development work for rugby union whereas rugby league does their development off its own bat/expense.

 

[madunit]

As I said, they hold positions of persuasion.

They don't have many friends left in high places, so now they have to do the hard work themselves.

And they're shit at it.

 

[Perth Red]

As the Western Farce showed, it doesn't matter if you have friends in high places when the game is farked!

 

[Stallion]

As the Western Farce showed, it doesn't matter if you have friends in high places when the game is farked!

Beg to differ. Favours like gaining Olympic status. Being recognised as a sport by the GSAIF, gaining much needed government funding and sponsors for a poor product etc. Along with elite private schools presence are all part of the "friends in high places" at work.

 

[madunit]

The Olympic status is a tenuous link from Union's long held claim, despite copious evidence opposing it, that they were an amateur sport. The Olympics are as progressive as Union, so the two naturally have a connection.

The link with elite private schools is a position of persuasion and to be honest, hardly worth complaining about given that League is played in more schools than Union.

While League has the off field issues, schools aren't exactly keen on having their students involved in some of the brutal shit that goes on in mauls. For the untrained eye, League is a cleaner game and easier for teachers to supervise.

 

[Stallion]

The Olympic status is a tenuous link from Union's long held claim, despite copious evidence opposing it, that they were an amateur sport. The Olympics are as progressive as Union, so the two naturally have a connection.

The link with elite private schools is a position of persuasion and to be honest, hardly worth complaining about given that League is played in more schools than Union.

While League has the off field issues, schools aren't exactly keen on having their students involved in some of the brutal shit that goes on in mauls. For the untrained eye, League is a cleaner game and easier for teachers to supervise.

Agree with what you have stated. Rugby league is a more inclusive game to play. However these great points are not transferred into global acceptance and recognition due to people having the influence in high places propagating RU and stifling RL.

 

[madunit]

its easily rectified.

Get an international RL body that rivals the IRB.

A pair of volunteers working from an office below ground level in London will hardly have an shred of influence on anyone.

Wurthermore, the RLIF should be the one making rule changes, not the NRL or Superleague.

 

[Stallion]

its easily rectified.

Get an international RL body that rivals the IRB.

A pair of volunteers working from an office below ground level in London will hardly have an shred of influence on anyone.

Wurthermore, the RLIF should be the one making rule changes, not the NRL or Superleague.

Agree. However the rich with contacts are priviledged. Basically I see a superior football code (rugby league)in all aspects being limited and controlled by another code with power and influence. Poor administrators within RL may be part of the set up?

 

[Teddyboy]

Agree. However the rich with contacts are priviledged. Basically I see a superior football code (rugby league)in all aspects being limited and controlled by another code with power and influence. Poor administrators within RL may be part of the set up?

A bit Game of Thrones that don't you think but someone did mention on this forum that Super League war was orchestrated by a AFL mole ?

 

[madunit]

AFL had no genuine involvement in the Superleague war. It was all Murdoch and it started back in the early to mid 1980's.

 

[Stallion]

AFL had no genuine involvement in the Superleague war. It was all Murdoch and it started back in the early to mid 1980's.

Yes. Murdoch advised by many of his privately educated staff/advisers no doubt!?

 

[Stormwarrior82]

I had read that there was a sports accord meeting on the 8th of Nov so sometime this morning our time. Haven’t read anything as yet about it but let’s hope rugby league gets some good news.

 

[madunit]

Yes. Murdoch advised by many of his privately educated staff/advisers no doubt!?

Don't get too paranoid. No other sporting code was involved in the Superleague war.

It was all about money. Pure and simple.

 

[Stallion]

Don't get too paranoid. No other sporting code was involved in the Superleague war.

It was all about money. Pure and simple.

Ultimately it's all about money. I think a concerted effort to weaken a progressive and expanding top flight rugby league competition was part of the plan. It was quite destructive when you look at it from a distance?

 

[madunit]

Murdoch didn't want to weaken Rugby League initially. He's a smart man. He knew Union was dead on TV. He owns the Tele, he knows what people are reading about.

He simply thought he'd walk in and get what he wanted like he did in England. Australia decided to put up a fight. Murdoch won in the end, he got an entire elite competition shown on his pay tv network. And his subscribers went through the roof.

 

[Stallion]

Murdoch didn't want to weaken Rugby League initially. He's a smart man. He knew Union was dead on TV. He owns the Tele, he knows what people are reading about.

He simply thought he'd walk in and get what he wanted like he did in England. Australia decided to put up a fight. Murdoch won in the end, he got an entire elite competition shown on his pay tv network. And his subscribers went through the roof.

Beg to differ. <Murdoch's media empire, particularly Fox, has a very pro Rugby Union coverage. You will find the code of rugby union gaining great exposure on the Fox network. If you compare this exposure in Australia to the genuinely more popular code of rugby league then their is a distinct favouritism being dished out by the programmers employed on the Fox network. The amount of "free" publicity the less desirable code of union gets compared to one of Australia's most popular football codes is not commensurate with the relative appeal in overall ratings figures. This has been going on for many years! Quite simply, a much more undeserving code(union) is getting a generous loading of publicity in relation to a code in rugby league which is much more popular. That's the way I see it. So we disagree unless you can see this logic?