CEOs: Let's change jersey numbers

[Paullyboy]

At the moment a halfback can wear the number 7 for his entire career. If players pick their own numbers, what happens when played signs with a new team but one of the players already has "their" number...?

E.g. Scott Prince picks number 15. Next year he signs with Manly, but Neville Nobody in his rookie year wears 15 on the wing. Do we play the team with two 15s on the paddock...?

Watch the Wesley Snipes film "The Fan". A superstar player signs a massive contract with a team and wants to keep his number (33 from memory), but unfortunately one of the players at his new team isn't interested in giving it up.

After a while, he ends up paying the other player to give up the number 33 so he can keep it.

I imagine that's the sort of thing that would probably happen in real life too.

 

[BLKOUT!]

In a lot of American sports if a guy really wants his jersey number and is traded to a team where it's taken, often they'll negotiate some sort of cash amount between the players or have to take the other out for dinner or something before they'll let them have it.

 

[Timmah]

Let's take a moment to think about how silly you look when this is the standard for the most successful sports in the world.


Agreed.

And it's getting worse, it has to stop it makes our game look cheap and nasty.

To be fair, sponsors are an integral part of the Rugby League fabric - like it or not.

I do think there's a happy medium - regulation of sponsor designs and logos on club jerseys by the NRL - setting guidelines for integration. Most EPL and other European football clubs have wonderfully integrated sponsors, often in club colours. There are good examples of sponsor integration already in the NRL also - CFMEU for Canberra, Jaycar for Canterbury, Pirtek for Parramatta, Sanyo for Penrith, Vodafone for the Warriors, Coal and Allied for the Knights are all quite well done already. It's the unsightly stuff like WoW for Brisbane, and the whole range of gaudy sleeve sponsors who seem to just slap their colours on the jersey.

At the moment a halfback can wear the number 7 for his entire career. If players pick their own numbers, what happens when a player signs with a new team but one of the players already has "their" number...?

E.g. Scott Prince picks number 15. Next year he signs with Manly, but Neville Nobody in his rookie year wears 15 on the wing. Do we play the team with two 15s on the paddock...?

Surely such a quibble could come in as part of contract negotiations? Not really a big problem in the course of the matter, and clearly hasn't hindered other sports with a similar program...

 

[Eels Dude]

At the moment a halfback can wear the number 7 for his entire career. If players pick their own numbers, what happens when a player signs with a new team but one of the players already has "their" number...?

E.g. Scott Prince picks number 15. Next year he signs with Manly, but Neville Nobody in his rookie year wears 15 on the wing. Do we play the team with two 15s on the paddock...?

They have to be given a new number, simple, or perhaps keep theirs and the lesser player changes his. I remember when Tony Lockett made his ill fated comeback to the Swans he wanted his old number back, but it had already been given to someone else who wanted to keep it. Caused a bit of dramas. Really, something like this should be a non issue though and could easily be worked around.

 

[thorson1987]

All the national teams do, they have to. Notice the Australian team? Kewell 10, Kennedy 9, Cahill 4, Emerton 7, Neill 2, Schwarzer 1. The rep teams can stay 1-17.

My bad. I heard somewhere this was the case.

Even most the club teams have their first team in 1-11. The player's mostly want to choose a low number, if it happened in the NRL the majority would pick their number now in my opinion. It just makes it a lot easier to identify players.

Not entirely true. These days as has been stated they have squad numbers. Generally 1st choice keeper would be #1 whereas Pepe Reina for Liverpool wears #23

Interesting that nearly all basketball and soccer fans are supporting the idea. I've got a big jersey collection, both basketball and soccer, and as people have said, it's not because of the team, it's because of the player.

True. I dont support the idea though. I have a few Liverpool jerseys, none of them numbered, because i support the team not the player.

 

[thorson1987]

Watch the Wesley Snipes film "The Fan". A superstar player signs a massive contract with a team and wants to keep his number (33 from memory), but unfortunately one of the players at his new team isn't interested in giving it up.

After a while, he ends up paying the other player to give up the number 33 so he can keep it.

I imagine that's the sort of thing that would probably happen in real life too.

And if im not wrong didnt De Niros character cut his tattoo off or something.

 

[hutch]

worst idea ever! good to see our bright, hard working and quick thinking ceo's are worried about the future of the sport! anything to change the subject hey?

 

[LineBall]

If they're going to let players pick their number, can they puhleeasse crack down on the jersey designs and use of alternate jerseys.

I support the broncos, yet they hardly appear in their frickin maroon jersey anymore.

gazzzaf.tk is a good site to see some great jersey designs (sorry couldn't post as a link, not enough posts yet) - with well integrated sponsors as well as having the players names on the back of the jerseys.

If the broncos had a jersey like the guy on this site designs, I would buy one in a flash.

 

[Shorty]

To be fair, sponsors are an integral part of the Rugby League fabric - like it or not.

I do think there's a happy medium - regulation of sponsor designs and logos on club jerseys by the NRL - setting guidelines for integration. Most EPL and other European football clubs have wonderfully integrated sponsors, often in club colours. There are good examples of sponsor integration already in the NRL also - CFMEU for Canberra, Jaycar for Canterbury, Pirtek for Parramatta, Sanyo for Penrith, Vodafone for the Warriors, Coal and Allied for the Knights are all quite well done already. It's the unsightly stuff like WoW for Brisbane, and the whole range of gaudy sleeve sponsors who seem to just slap their colours on the jersey.

Yeah, I mean it's definitely not all of the NRL.
Thing is, you'd expect a club like Brisbane to have the power to negotiate a decent looking jumper....they haven't had good jumpers in a long time.

Some NRL teams and most AFL teams do well to just incorporate and it looks actually part of the jersey...which I'd think would be preferable?

True. I dont support the idea though. I have a few Liverpool jerseys, none of them numbered, because i support the team not the player.

I keep seeing this 'holier than thou' attitude throughout the thread.
Having jumper individually numbered isn't about supporting the player it's about how marketable it is to the pubic and how special it makes the jersey.
People identify with numbers, it's sport , look at 23 and the amount of times it's been referenced on here.The amount of kids I see at games who have bought their own number to put on the shirt is astounding.
You also wouldn't have a problem with position changes (I see 'Lockyer' 1 jumpers all the time, 'Hayne' 5 ).


I can't understand why people have such a problem with something that would make a lot of revenue for clubs and bring more sentiment to the game.

 

[Lockyer4President!]

Couldn't agree more with you. The NFL jerseys look far more simple and anttractive than the dogs breakfast we get served by the teams in the NRL.

The league jerseys from the 80's I think are great, very simple. The only RL jersey I like now is the Dragons. I'm a Wests Tigers supporter and I wouldn't buy the disasters they have put out.

As someone else said team jerserys are like mobile billboards. What do the NFL, MLB etc do in regards to sponserships and their team uniforms as they are not covered in logos other than the teams?

Until the NRL comes in with stricter guidelines we'll always have clubs who are willing to play in jerseys with gaudy sponsor logos on them if the money is right.

Some of the heritage jerseys in 2008 were brilliant. Just something as simple as getting rid of the sleeve sponsors and one of the back sponsors makes a HUGE difference when you're watching the game.

 

[Springs]

Ridiculous idea. For all the idiots saying that 'the most successful sports in the world have it', yeah, I'm sure individual numbers made the sport what it is. The sports like soccer, basketball, cricket etc have individual numbers because their positions aren't as clear cut. Although I regularly hear goalkeepers being called 'the number 1'. And if they think that it will create more revenue through jersey sales, wouldn't fans want to have their own number, which they can have anyway? I always put 9 on the back of my jerseys because I play hooker, not because my favourite player is the Eels' hooker. If I want a name I put my own name, not 'Hindmarsh'. Anyway nothing is stopping me from putting 69 on the back of the jersey I buy.

 

[hellteam]

Ridiculous idea. For all the idiots saying that 'the most successful sports in the world have it', yeah, I'm sure individual numbers made the sport what it is. The sports like soccer, basketball, cricket etc have individual numbers because their positions aren't as clear cut. Although I regularly hear goalkeepers being called 'the number 1'. And if they think that it will create more revenue through jersey sales, wouldn't fans want to have their own number, which they can have anyway? I always put 9 on the back of my jerseys because I play hooker, not because my favourite player is the Eels' hooker. If I want a name I put my own name, not 'Hindmarsh'. Anyway nothing is stopping me from putting 69 on the back of the jersey I buy.

Yes they are. So before you call us idiots explain how they're not as clear cut.

 

[BLKOUT!]

Rugby league positions are arguably less clear cut than any of the other sports mentioned, especially these days. Forwards play out in the centres, wingers constantly go on dummy half runs, fullbacks spend a lot of their time in the halves etc. Can't remember seeing a linebacker lining up at wide receiver recently, or a 7'2, 140kg guy bringing the ball up the court however.

As far as advertising goes. I don't like it, but it has to stay. The clubs need the money and really sponsors aren't going to pay up just to advertise on billboards or be associated with the team on TV broadcasts. They want the logos on the jersey, that is what makes it worthwhile for them. The NFL/NBA can afford to not have them. Maybe there should be a limit to how many you can display or something.

 

[mightybears]

What are you waffling on about? That's not even remotely related to jersey numbers, lose the hysterics.

my point [obviously] is that its nearly as dumb as the players picking a number, wake up

 

[DC_fan]

What a great idea. I have been pushing for this to happen for a few years. Opens up a lot of areas for marketing.

 

[adamkungl]

Hate the "every other sport does it" attitude.
Some of us actually like Rugby League how it is...if I wanted to watch every other sport I would.

 

[Kenny Powers]

I think that keeping the same number all year is OK but we should at least make them chose sensible numbers. Could you imagine the number of players wearing 69 or 23 or 00?

Like I said make the clubs register the numbers 1 through 25 to the top 25 and every player outside the top 25 would get the next number in succession after that.

In the USA basketballers and baseballers have to register their number with the governing body before they are allowed to wear it in a game. Dennis Rodman tried to wear 69 for the Lakers but was rightly refused by the NBA.
Why the nuffys on here believe that the NRL won't have a similar plan in place, is beyond me.

 

[applesauce]

The AFL are quite successful obviously and their use traditions well, grow the game.

They have their traditions with numbers and just because every other sport is doing it why not embrace our current tradition of positional numbers.

I think the positional numbers on the backs of players help identify better with new fans. It's easier to pick up a position and know what that bloke is doing.

I have enjoyed a couple of AFL games but without knowing the fundamentals of the game I can't tell who is a midfielder, ruckman, or centre half foward when the game in broken play and it doesn't encourage me to find out later because every team is different.

At least for new or converted fans it makes the learning curve faster for understand the roles of players ans who is who.

Why don't we have something like the NFL in terms of (C) and (VC) on the upper chest and have the name embossed on the front of the jersey eg:

*excuse the horrible sponsorship

 

[Bumble]

Ridiculous idea. For all the idiots saying that 'the most successful sports in the world have it', yeah, I'm sure individual numbers made the sport what it is. The sports like soccer, basketball, cricket etc have individual numbers because their positions aren't as clear cut.

For starters...cricket? Gee, I wonder how I could work that out in a clear cut manner:

1. Opening batsman
2. Opening batsman
3. first drop
4. second drop
5. third drop
6. fourth drop
7. all-rounder
8. bowler
9. bowler
10. bowler
11. bowler

and one of 1-6 is also the keeper. Wow, so hard.

Football? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squad_number_(association_football)

Not hard at all.

I always put 9 on the back of my jerseys because I play hooker, not because my favourite player is the Eels' hooker. If I want a name I put my own name, not 'Hindmarsh'. Anyway nothing is stopping me from putting 69 on the back of the jersey I buy.

Tragic :lol:

 

[Springs]

For starters...cricket? Gee, I wonder how I could work that out in a clear cut manner:

1. Opening batsman
2. Opening batsman
3. first drop
4. second drop
5. third drop
6. fourth drop
7. all-rounder
8. bowler
9. bowler
10. bowler
11. bowler

and one of 1-6 is also the keeper. Wow, so hard.

Football? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squad_number_(association_football)

Not hard at all.



Tragic :lol:

Gee Bumble, 8-11 are the same eh? Real clear cut, Keepers are also often number 7 in the batting lineup. And please, when has test cricketers EVER had numbers on their backs? Cricket just isn't the sort of game you need numbers for, anyone can go out and open, nightwatchmen often go out 3 or 4, players 4-6 can often swap around. Big hitters go in early if it is late in the innings etc etc. 1-11 is known throughout, who cares? And in the field? Well I'm sure numbers matter there, right?

Basketball's three basic positions are guard, forward and centre. Guard can be split up into point and shooting and forward into small and power. But in theory, it's the same as playing touch, you don't really need a number. Yeah they can be split up into 1,2,3,4,5, but the point that there is only three positions, and this from wiki: 'The rules of basketball do not mandate them, and in informal games they are sometimes not used. They are grouped into two conceptual units: the backcourt and frontcourt.' Means they are not really needed that much.

And the different tactics and formations in soccer like 4-3-3, 4-4-2, 4-2-4,1-2-7, 5-3-2, and the total football tactics means soccer positions can swap around quite easily.

And please Bumble, what is wrong with putting your own name on a jersey???