Is Hayne our Trojan Horse into the US?

[TheFrog]

You are right. Same thing happened for our superbike riders when Gardner made a big splash in that sport....

This is just like the US calling our sport Rugby. Superbikes are a completely different class of motorcycle to what Wayne Gardner became famous for, which was winning the 1987 500cc Grand Prix world championship (now called MotoGP). He did ride Superbikes at times, but they are not what he was renowned for. The two look quite similar to the untrained eye, just like Rugby League looks a bit like rugby.

c) The only plus of a Hayne success. The NRL does away with salary cap altogether. Why , NRL clubs cannot compete with NFL anyway. The NFL draws away our best talent and the balance of players can be managed by a free market .

The only way that could be a positive would be if you support one of the two or three clubs that would then be able to ever win the premiership.

 

[ram raid]

Desmond Haynes tried to spread cricket into the US and they just called that 'rugby' as well.

Cricket is actually really popular in San Francisco because of all the Indian software engineers.

 

[Parra]

This is just like the US calling our sport Rugby. Superbikes are a completely different class of motorcycle to what Wayne Gardner became famous for, which was winning the 1987 500cc Grand Prix world championship (now called MotoGP). He did ride Superbikes at times, but they are not what he was renowned for. The two look quite similar to the untrained eye, just like Rugby League looks a bit like rugby.

Gardners aussie experience was with superbikes. We don't race GP classes locally. Seeing that the skills developed in our racing could produce world class riders, the teams took notice of Australia. Magee, Doohan, Beattie, Corser, Bayliss, Mladin, Stoner can all trace part of their success back to the door opened by Gardner. Once the focus shifted here the local teams profile was raised, we got an Aussie GP and the sport boomed.

To anyone not involved in either code the generic term 'rugby' is applicable. Of course they wont get the differences. Most of the union world doesn't know about rugby league or the NRL. This doesn't diminish the NRL one bit. A focus on aussie 'rugby' can only be a good thing. The NRL can either capitalise on the attention or stick it's head in the sand.

 

[Perth Red]

I've been living in Canada since 2007, and woke up a few days ago to see Hayne's face on the front of the sports section of my local paper. Since then, I've seen highlight clips on the news and actually had people walk up to me to ask what this 'rugby league' thing was. The NRL has -never- had this kind of publicity here before.

Not even when american chopper featured souths?

 

[TheFrog]

Gardners aussie experience was with superbikes.

This is understood. But you spoke of a "big splash" that caused Australians to be noticed in the USA. That occurred not in superbikes, but in 500s.

 

[babyg]

I think it's a good thing. Yes we should have a couple of exhibition games. Yes the USRL should jump on it. Yes we may lose a few more players but it does strengthen the idea that league produces the best athletes.

 

[Parra]

Point being that it made the people who mattered realise that we had a system that was producing world class riders. Doesn't matter what the class is. Another example is speedway - we produce champs so the teams that run in Europe look to us for talent. Same for opening doors for Aussie sprintcar drivers. If Hayne can get anywhere with this future players, and the sport in general, will have a lot to be grateful for.

 

[Parra]

Raising the profile also opens the opportunity for TV rights for games like origin & the GF.

 

[DURRRHURRR]

If Hayne succeeds and anything comes of it, it won't be League benefitting.

It will just make NRL a talent pool for NFL, and we'll start losing more of our best players.

If players want money they will be looking for other leagues or codes regardless. We are a Sydney competition and have no chance of generating the revenue of other sports that have a whole country or a country of a much bigger population watching. I think if we can get more people watching on tv all over the world the revenue will grow but will we will never reach the exposure of some other leagues around. Also we should be looking at expansion across Australia, losing Adelaide and Perth were not great long term decisions for the game. At the end of the day we are Celebrating that our Traditional Sydney teams are doing strong and thinking this is the greatest thing ever for the game, as long as we hold this dear we can never expect to keep world class athletes that want to chase money.

 

[Hoofhearted]

In today's telegraph, Parra are looking to take a trial game to the US on the back of all the publicity they are currently getting.

 

[Parra]

Pointless without Hayne in the team.

 

[Ulysseus]

Maybe with all the exposure Haynes is getting he might get his own Disney film??? About an ozzy trying to play nfl...

you had me........

 

[Ulysseus]

Staring adam Sandler as Haynes

you lost me.

 

[ShadesOfTheSun]

Not even when american chopper featured souths?

From my perspective, definitely. That was seen as an eccentric celebrity spruiking his own private sports team, and it said nothing about the quality of the team, the competition, or the sport. This is being billed as 'Jarryd Hayne, the greatest rugby league player in the world, is moving to join the toughest sport in the world'. There's actually a discussion about the transferrability of skills, and people are watching clips to see what he can do. It's -still- in the news and being talked about days later now.

 

[Martin Bella's Luvhandles]

you had me........

The rock should be hayne

 

[Martin Bella's Luvhandles]

Best way in to the US

Both islander guys

The rock has a college gridiron background. Throw money at the rock to do some PR for Hayne

US Crowds get excited, start watching 'rugby' and hey presto, we have league big time in the US

 

[bobmar28]

I've seen 2-3 US news items about Hayne's move, every single one of them have referred to him as an "Australia Rugby player".

So...probably not. If he goes well then maybe, but I don't expect him to be a big enough blip on the radar for it to matter.

I've heard American commentators call it Australian football.

 

[Asnito]

Hey guys/girls just wanted to post to give you an American view on this.

Stumbled accross SoO on TV in the US about 5 years ago and have been following the NRL closely for 3.5 to 4 years(big fan). Hayne trying out for the NFL if handled/marketed properly could be a boon for the league in terms of growing popularity in the US(viewership/participation).

The NRL is actually on normal cable here, FoxSports2, so it's possible for Joe American to watch the games. The problem is 0 advertising and the games are on midnight to 6am so very few people even know about it.

The NRL should also start actively recruiting former NCAA football players.

Of all the sports I've watched through the years which includes BPL, Serie A, UEFA champions league, AFL, Aviva Premiership, PRO 12, Heineken Cup, LV Cup, cricket etc.. Rugby League has by far the highest entertainment value.

The fundamentals of the sport are also very close to American Football so it's relatively easy sport to follow if you understand football.

 

[Parra]

The fundamentals of the sport are also very close to American Football so it's relatively easy sport to follow if you understand football.

You are right there.

One of rugby league's legendary coaches made compared the two codes back in the '80's with the description " Same game, different rules".

 

[Asnito]

You are right there.

One of rugby league's legendary coaches made compared the two codes back in the '80's with the description " Same game, different rules".

Yeah it only takes a few games to have a good feel for the action. The similiarities are uncanny.

Field position, ball security, penalties, missed tackles, execution, communication, composure, gap intregrity, edge defense/containment all the same. Even the fact you want every possession to end with a kick, although a change over at opponents goal line isn't necc. a bad result in league where as football it is.